The Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. The Canadian Museum of Civilization is gearing up to privatizate itself, according to the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Tomorrow is the opening of the Museum’s Pompeii exhibit, and the union’s employess from museums across Ottawa will be there demonstrating to “avoid having this great institution buried under the black ashes of privatization.” PSAC claims that the Museum of Cilivization has been earmarking more and more funds to the privatization of its operatings, reaching a high of $11.6 million in 2004.
That this privatization plateau was reached under the mandate of Paul “private-sector” Martin is unsurprising. While funding for public museums and other arts institutions in Canada has been dropping quickly, Martin’s Liberals are content to pour money into the private pet projects of the corporate pals.
Take the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, a project of the media baron Asper family that is currently destined for the Winnipeg skyline. While the feds can’t afford to keep up on maintenance costs for our cherished public facilities, they have no qualms with dumping at least $30 million — and perhaps as much as $100 million — into the Aspers’ private institution.
The lesson to be learned here is as follows: Cultural institutions that are owned, run, and operated by the public = bad. Private institutions owned by corporate media oligarchs who dump cash into Liberal (and Conservative) coffers = good. Very good.
Let’s just call this one Aspergate.