A visitor looks at the pieces on display at the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Gallery of China at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on July 23, 2020. Tijana Martin / The Globe and Mail
The Royal Ontario Museum announced Thursday that it had received its largest $ 50 million pledge from the Hennick Family Foundation, which the Toronto museum director said would be used to strengthen the institution’s commitment to the Hennick Family Foundation. inclusion and accessibility.
The promise of the Hennick family, led by Canadian billionaire businessman Jay Hennick, comes after the presentation of the ROM for his “We Live On In What We Leave” campaign earlier this month, which aims to modernize the museum.
“We can’t think of a better way to support the revitalization of civic life in Toronto and Ontario than to support the new vision of the Royal Ontario Museum, which promises to transform iconic spaces and the way we experience art, culture and nature for future generations. “Jay and Barbara Hennick said in a press release.
The ROM must remember what it is about
Josh Basseches, director and CEO of ROM, said in an interview that the exact details of what the money will be used for will be announced this fall, but stressed that the Hennick family and the ROM share the vision of making that the museum is accessible to people. everyone.
“This idea of opening the doors wide, removing barriers to access, of making this a place that, whether you were born here or you’re a new Canadian, you want to come see what we’re doing and feel like it’s relevant. to your lives, “Mr. Basseches said.” That’s what really moved them. “
Although he could not go into details, Mr. Basseches noted the summer initiative of the Free Main Floor recently announced by the ROM, in which access to the entire main floor of the museum has been free until September 25, as an example of what The museum he is trying to achieve this with the help of Hennick’s promise.
Mr. Basseches also said the pawn would have an architectural component. He noted that the museum opened its entrance to Queen’s Park in 2017 and the construction of the Mike Schmidt Performance Terrace and Reed Family Plaza on Bloor Street in 2019 as examples of the potential scope of the expected changes.
In 2019, Mr. Basseches told The Globe that future plans for the ROM included renovations to the museum theater, the construction of a new restaurant at street level and a new space for programming and events.
The ultimate goal, Mr. Basseches, is to turn the ground floor of the ROM both “physically and programmatically into the Toronto living room.”
The Royal Ontario Museum was founded in 1914. Its last major expansion took place nearly two decades ago with Renaissance ROM, which included the imposing Michael Lee-Chin Crystal by architect Daniel Libeskind. The museum raised $ 416 million from the Renaissance ROM, which paid for architectural changes and endowments.
The Jay and Barbara Hennick Foundation has funded initiatives such as the Hennick Family Wellness Center at Mount Sinai Hospital; the Hennick Center for Business and Law at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business at York University; and the Jay Hennick JD – MBA program from the University of Ottawa.
Mr. Hennick is the founder and chairman of FirstService Corp., as well as the chairman and CEO of Colliers International Group Inc.
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