Through the summer of 2020, a team from the Board of Directors has been reaching out to peers, colleagues and industry connections for donations. The goal is to raise $1,000,000 so that the Museum can manage the forecasted operating deficits of 2020 and 2021, which will result from reduced operating capacity to meet Covid-19 safety protocols. As of October, 2020 we have managed to pass the $750,000 mark, including the $100,000 grant from the Federal Government for Museum Assistance.
We would like to give our gratitude to the many individuals and industry partners who made donations towards our future financial stability and who believe in our ability and capacity to remain relevant and viable through this crisis. If you would like to make a donation, you can either contact Kirstin Clausen, Executive Director or click here for the online option.
Summer 2020 was not what we usually expect, but we are proud nonetheless that we were among the first museum and tourist attractions to re-open in June. Our attendance levels increased month-on-month until September when we achieved 65% of 2019 levels. We expect that this will be our visitation level until next spring, as school bookings are not expected to rebound.
Our focus is to remain an engaging, fun and trusted provider of information about the truths and benefits of mining and sustainable extraction practices in our high-technology, mineral-dependent world. The Museum’s management team is embracing current challenges and planning on how to pivot the business towards specialized tours, strategies to attract new audiences, and fresh ways to utilize existing program content.
The Museum's capacity to survive these difficult times has been supported by donations from the following industry partners and individuals:
Industry Partners
|
Individuals
|
American Creek Resources |
Peter Bradshaw |
Ausenco |
Gavin C. Dirom |
Canaccord Genuity |
Gavin E. Dirom |
Centerra Gold |
Shari Gardiner |
Dolly Varden Silver Corp |
Thomas Humphreys |
Hy-Tech Drilling Ltd |
Simon Cmrlec & Nicola Mathias
|
Kal Tire |
Rob McLeod |
Knight Piesold Ltd |
Craig & Rebecca Parry |
More Core Diamond Drilling Service |
Mark Platt |
Newmont Canada |
Katherine Flett
|
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd |
Alexander Laird
|
Omineca Diamond Drilling |
Susan Neale
|
Pretivm Resources Inc |
|
Procon Mining and Tunnelling Ltd |
|
Tudor Gold Corp |
|
Teck Resources |
|
Wheaton Precious Metals |
|
Vizsla Resources |
|
Tudor Gold Corp |
|

Britannia Mine Museum Pivots Towards New Opportunities
In response to any crisis, businesses pivot and find new opportunities. The management team at the Museum is doing likewise. We cannot afford to lament what was, and we are using the opportunity of remaining open to focus on new specialized tours, strategies to attract new audiences, and fresh ways to utilize existing program content. Our pivots focus on the goal of remaining an engaging, fun and trusted provider of information about the facts and benefits of mining.
An average year sees 14,000 school students visit the Museum on curriculum-based field trips. With schools unlikely to be visiting at these levels for the foreseeable future, we are aiming to push content from our education programs towards a wider audience. Digital assets, that will have a broader appeal, are currently in development. This newly developed content focuses on our site, its history, and its features. The aim is to strengthen our STEM credentials while also acting as a valuable marketing tool, encouraging online viewers to visit the Museum in person. An exciting example that we will be rolling out soon is the rental of mineral kits with downloadable lesson plans. We have forged a strong partnership with a local sponsor to deliver these kits to schools. One new audience we are targeting is homeschool groups and families. With new downloadable resources, we will be able to provide parents and caregivers with excellent content and encourage them to visit the Museum in their ‘bubbles’. Finally, to attract new audiences we are working on customized tours, through the Underground and the Mill.