Visitor Experience Coordinator

Visitor Experience Coordinator

Division: Marketing, Sales & Visitor Experience
Department: Visitor Services
Closing Date: July 4, 2025

Position Type: Full-Time, permanent
Pay Group: 4

General:

Reporting to the Manager of Café and Visitor Experience, the Visitor Experience Coordinator is an energetic, detail-oriented, and results-driven team player with a passion for providing excellent customer service. This key frontline position is the first point of contact for many Museum visitors and is responsible for operating the central switchboard and welcoming and directing visitors, as well as providing guidance, support, and scheduling for the Visitor Experience Associates (VEAs). The Visitor Experience Coordinator assists in providing an exceptional visitor experience in the Museum’s frontline areas – Reception, Box Office, Museum Shop, and Planetarium Theatre – and must exercise professionalism, initiative, and sound judgment in an enthusiastic manner when working with the VEAs, the public, and internal and external customers. Fluency in both official languages is required for this position.

Criminal record, vulnerable sector and child abuse registry checks will be required of the successful candidate.

Key Accountabilities & Typical Duties:

Priority 1: Visitor Experience and Frontline Liaison (45%)

When engaging with visitors, the Visitor Experience Coordinator is to facilitate a positive visitor experience by welcoming visitors and answering inquiries in a friendly and competent manner to encourage repeat visits, increased sales, and Museum loyalty (membership). When engaging with Museum staff, the Visitor Experience Coordinator is to assist in the coordination of the flow of basic operational information between departments and frontline staff.

  1. Maintain a constant staff presence at the front reception desk, welcome and direct visitors and school groups, answer visitor inquiries, and provide information in both official languages.
  2. With oversight from the Manager of the Café and Visitor Services, ensure proper staffing of all front-line areas (Box Offices, Planetarium Theatre entrance, Museum Shop, Reception Desk, and special events) by preparing monthly staff schedules that balance quality visitor services with the constraint of allocated budgets.
  3. Use appropriate communication etiquette and internal procedures, operate the Museum’s switchboard, answer incoming phone calls, respond to email inquiries, and forward messages to the appropriate staff.
  4. Ensure Visitor Experience/Customer Service standards are achieved across all frontline areas.
  5. Control and maintain the cash function of all Box Office floats.
  6. Respond to, resolve, and track all visitor comments and complaints by calling upon the appropriate Manager as needed. Encourage visitors to fill out a comment card/online comment form.
  7. Connect visitors arriving at the Museum for meetings with the appropriate staff members, ensuring they are signed in and are assigned an appropriate visitor/contractor Badge.
  8. Assist in relaying information from departments to front-line staff (i.e. show changes, staff absences, etc.).
  9. Assist in always maintaining excellent housekeeping standards at the front desk and in the foyer.
  10. Ensure signage in all public areas is accurate and create temporary signage as needed (i.e. elevator down).
  11. Ensure the update of visitor services messaging at all touch points including switchboard, info line, hours of operation, signage, visitor map and brochures, website, and messaging for amenities (lockers, etc.)
  12. Act as a Fire Monitor and provide instructions and guidance to staff and visitors. Make emergency evacuation announcements over the loudspeaker when it is safe to do so.
  13. Stay up to date on Museum events, promotions, and procedures to inform and assist visitors.

 

Priority 2: Visitor Services Associates Leadership & Support (30%)

To provide guidance and support to the Visitor Experience Associates (VEAs) to ensure seamless operations and an exceptional visitor experience.

  1. Provide guidance, support, and training (onboarding and on-the-job) to VEAs to ensure they apply the knowledge and skills required to meet assigned sales goals and daily tasks. For example, work with VEAs to reduce balancing errors.
  2. Schedule VEAs for shifts and other special events.
  3. Coordinate daily VEA schedule due to last-minute changes (sick staff, frontline demands, etc.). Approve bi-weekly staff timesheets with Manager oversight.
  4. Provide input on staffing issues concerning supervision, direction, and control of employees to the Manager of Café and Visitor Experience.
  5. Control and maintain the cash function of all Box Office floats.
  6. Act as a backup VEA and fill in at the Box Office, Museum Shop, and/or Planetarium Theatre as required.
  7. Ensure all Museum policies and procedures are followed by VEAs (i.e. Dress Code, Social Media Use, etc.).

 

Priority 3: Administrative Support (20%)

To provide support to various Museum departments for the Museum to function more effectively.

  1. Maintain digital/hard copy of reception files and keep them organized and easily accessible.
  2. Maintain Museum staff phone directory by updating the list as staff changes occur and notify all staff.
  3. Compile data and complete reports as needed.
  4. Assist with processing refunds/exchanges and liaising with the Business Office to make balancing error corrections as needed. Assist in following up on additional training for Visitor Experience Associates as needed.
  5. Keep track of parcel deliveries, special events, and staff movements (i.e. meetings) daily.
  6. Act as the liaison between the Museum and Canada Post/Mail Couriers.
  7. Process outgoing mail daily and coordinate pick-up/delivery of mail and courier services.
  8. Connect Individuals from the community with appropriate staff in other departments.
  9. Communicate with event guests and maintain RSVP lists for rental, Member, and volunteer events.
  10. Maintain inventory and purchase supplies for the office, sales, and event needs.
  11. Ensure appropriate welcoming and billing of school groups.
  12. Collaborate with Security Guards on visitor entry into frontline areas and overall security needs.

 

Priority 4: Manitoba Tourism Ambassador & Other Reasonably Assigned Duties (5%)

To advocate for Manitoba tourist attractions through the promotion, display, and distribution of printed tourism materials.

  1. Coordinate the order/delivery of printed materials for display at the Museum with tourism organizations.
  2. Display and restock printed tourism materials on racks at a management-specified location within the Foyer.
  3. Provide general information and directions to visitors about other tourist attractions in Manitoba and encourage visitors to browse through printed tourism materials.

 

Other duties as reasonably assigned

  1. Participate in and contribute to the Visitor Experience Committee.
  2. Take direction from the Manager of Café and Visitor Experience in hiring staff.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge

  1. Fluency in both official languages (English and French) is required,
  2. Enthusiastic and friendly manner with a genuine desire to provide outstanding customer service,
  3. Effective written/oral communication, interpersonal, organization, mathematical, and attention to detail skills,
  4. Proficient understanding of customer service/sales principles, retail selling, and ability to recognize sales prospects,
  5. Proficient cash handling skills and understanding of security practices in a sales environment,
  6. Demonstrated high accuracy in the operation of Point-of-Sale software and terminal including credit/debit card processing, cash handling, reconciling daily cash-outs, preparing deposits and coin orders, and maintaining minimal balancing errors,
  7. Demonstrated proficient knowledge and understanding of the requirements of proper business demeanour, including conscientiousness, reliability, punctual attendance, and appropriate time management,
  8. Demonstrated proficient ability to engage effectively with culturally diverse audiences/audiences of varying age,
  9. Demonstrated working knowledge of and skill in Microsoft Office, Windows, and database applications,
  10. Ability to multi-task, work as part of a team, and take initiative independent of direct supervision,
  11. Ability to creatively problem-solve, work under pressure, and meet tight deadlines.

 

Education, Training and Experience

  1. Completion of high school diploma (Grade 12),
  2. Completion of a certificate program in Office Administration or a related field, and
  3. Minimum two years of experience operating a switchboard,
  4. At least one year of experience in a frontline leadership position working with the public,
  5. At least two years of experience handling/accounting for various forms of payment,
  6. At least two years of experience in a retail/sales work environment using a Point-of-Sale (POS) system,
  7. Experience using Tessitura software programs is preferred,
  8. Experience working in a museum/non-profit organization and/or a unionized environment is considered an asset, or
  9. An equivalent combination of education and experience

 

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounter while performing the essential functions of this job:

  1. Ability to exert up to 10lbs of force and occasionally lift/move objects up to 30lbs
  2. Ability to sit and/or stand for at least 2 consecutive hours
  3. May occasionally involve kneeling, bending, pushing/pulling, reaching above shoulders, and climbing ladders
  4. Operation of standard office equipment is required (i.e. switchboard, computer, copier, etc.)
  5. Day-to-day moderate noise in an open setting; exposure to loud noise may occur due to large groups or events

 

Conditions of Employment

  1. Must be available to work Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and can flex hours as needed.
  2. Child Abuse Registry Check
  3. French Language Proficiency Test

This is a Full-Time permanent position beginning as soon as possible.  The wage range is $40,085.75 to $50,721.25 ($22.03 to $27.87 per hour) depending on experience.

 

Application package consisting of a cover letter and resume must be submitted by 4:30 pm on July 4, 2025 to:

Manager of Volunteer & Employee Relations
The Manitoba Museum
190 Rupert Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0N2
HR@ManitobaMuseum.ca
Fax: (204) 942-3679

 

The Manitoba Museum is committed to inclusion and employment equity and welcomes diversity in the workplace. The Manitoba Museum recognizes the importance of building a workforce reflective of the visitors it serves. Therefore, the Manitoba Museum supports equitable employment practices and promotes representation of designated groups (women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, visible minorities).

Employment Equity is a factor in selection for this position. Consideration will be given to Indigenous people, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities. All applicants are encouraged to self-identify if they are members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, visible minorities) in their application.

This document is available in other formats and accommodations will be provided throughout the selection process upon request.  Contact Human Resources at 204-956-2830 if you have an accommodation request.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those being considered for interviews will be contacted. We are not able to acknowledge receipt of applications submitted via Fax or mail

Join us for the Premiere of Wilfred Buck’s Star Stories Planetarium Show

A round view into blue covered in stars. Overlaid text reads,

Join us for the Premiere of Wilfred Buck’s Star Stories Planetarium Show

Treaty No. 1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba (June 17, 2025) – The Manitoba Museum invites members of the media to join us for the premiere of a brand-new Planetarium show, Wilfred Buck’s Star Stories. Wilfred Buck is an Ininew (Cree) writer, educator and one of the foremost experts on Indigenous star knowledge.

PREMIERE DETAILS

Date: Friday, June 20, 2025

Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Location: Manitoba Museum Planetarium, 190 Rupert Avenue, Winnipeg

Q&A Panel: Wilfred Buck, Director Lisa Jackson, Planetarium Astronomer Scott Young

Please RSVP to: BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca

Designed for presentation in domes and planetariums, this 21-minute XR work, directed by Lisa Jackson and the Macronauts, brings to life four star stories, gathered and told by renowned Ininew astronomer/star knowledge expert and author Wilfred Buck. From the practical to the poetic, these tellings of the Northern night sky provide guidance on navigation, the earth’s cycles, and how to live a good life with future generations in mind.

Wilfred Buck’s Star Stories aims to preserve the oral tradition of the Ininew, much of which was lost through colonization and the residential school systems. Wilfred Buck has painstaking collected these tellings and presented them to share with audiences. It’s a way for the people of Manitoba to learn the sky as seen and interpreted by the original people of Manitoba.” – Scott Young, Manitoba Museum Planetarium Astronomer.

Wilfred Buck’s Star Stories offers a rarely heard perspective on astronomy and cosmology. Marvel at immersive night sky cinematography, cosmos CGI, and beautiful macro cinematography of meteorites set to a transporting soundtrack in this expansive yet intimate experience that combines the wonder of the universe with the warmth of listening to a wise Elder whose teachings can help us understand that the stars are in fact our oldest relatives.

“This show is design to be as authentic as possible. It is written and narrated by Wilfred himself, and visualized using artwork drawn by his son, Mistawasis Buck. You feel like you are being included in the telling, which isn’t just about the stars, it’s about life. It’s as relevant today as it was generations ago, because the core of the stories are human truths.” – Scott Young, Manitoba Museum Planetarium Astronomer.

Wilfred Buck’s Star Stories will be running daily throughout the summer at the Manitoba Museum Planetarium starting June 28, 2025. Visit ManitobaMuseum.ca/Planetarium for planetarium schedules.

View the Wilfred Buck’s Star Stories Press Kit.

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To RSVP or request interviews, please contact:

 

Brandi Hayberg

Manager of Marketing & Communications
Manitoba Museum
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca | 204.988.0614

A Time and Place to Learn Who We Are

by Lucy Lindell, Manitoba Museum Indigenous Scholar in Residence

 

Opening June 20, the day before National Indigenous Peoples Day, my solo exhibit I Belong Here will be on display in the Manitoba Museum’s Urban Corridor. Through digital art prints, the physical structures of local museums and galleries are transformed into Indigenous teachings that exist to help us live a good life.

This exhibit comes from an in-scholar residence at the Museum with Dr. Amelia Fay, Curator of Anthropology and the HBC Museum Collection. We focused on repatriation and safe museum spaces for Indigenous items.

Previous to the residency, in a cultural leadership course with Stephen Borys, I gained an understanding that historically, museum foundations were built on elitism and were meant to be an escape or distraction to bring temporary moments of freedom.

As a Métis woman learning traditional culture, my museum experiences were quite different; my visits were a time of healing and learning about my relations to Creation. Creation includes all life forms and their energies.

A digital artwork featuring a female figure wearing a shawl designed to look like the Canadian Museum of Human Rights building. Behind the figure colourful ribbons hang from the branches of green-leaved trees.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights transforms into a shawl worn by a sundance ceremony helper. ©Lucy Lindell

A digital artwork featuring a figure of a pregnant mother laying down on her back on the grass. Behind her rises the Manitoba Museum tower, which, combined with her pregnant belly, creates the exterior of the Manitoba Museum.

The Manitoba Museum transforms into a representation of a sweat lodge; the mother’s womb. ©Lucy Lindell

A digital artwork of a figure kneeling on a blanket. In front of them are several items placed to resemble the WAG-Qaumajuq building, as well as several small bowls and a beaded necklace.

The WAG-Qaumajuq transforms into traditional Indigenous ceremony. ©Lucy Lindell

Respectful relations to Creation continue to be harmed through colonial histories where identities were built by taking from others and going to extreme lengths to receive access to land and resources. This impacts identity, understandings of purpose, and how we think day-to-day.

I Belong Here removes colonial invalidations by sharing relatedness and ways of knowing that not everyone has had the privilege of experiencing. It shares teachings that reflect our own beauty back to us and affirms that Indigenous teachings belong in museum spaces and everyday life.

A special thank you to Dr. Amelia Fay, Dan Thomas, and the Manitoba Museum for working with me on this project.

 

I Belong Here will open on June 20 in the Manitoba Museum’s Urban Corridor and will be on display throughout the summer. Admission to this temporary exhibit is included in an All Attraction Pass. Manitoba Museum Members and Indigenous Peoples can access this exhibit at no charge.

 

Plan your visit today

Preview Critical Distance AR Experience at Manitoba Museum

Promotional image for Nature Canada's
An Orca Pod in Winnipeg? Immersive AR Experience “Critical Distance” Launches at Manitoba Museum for Ocean Week 2025

 

Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, MB – May 28, 2025 — Nature Canada and the Manitoba Museum invite media to an exclusive preview of Critical Distance, a groundbreaking augmented reality (AR) experience that immerses visitors in the world of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales of the Salish Sea on Canada’s West Coast.

Launching its Canadian tour in Winnipeg for Ocean Week 2025, Critical Distance transports visitors into the Salish Sea, home to a pod of endangered orcas known as the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Through social augmented reality, audiences follow eight-year-old Kiki and her family as they navigate the challenges of underwater noise and declining salmon stocks – threats driven by human activity.

The experience makes an emotionally powerful case for ocean conservation by blending technology and storytelling. Produced by Vision3, Critical Distance is going on tour with Nature Canada, in association with the Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada.

Following the AR experience, Nature Canada invites visitors to join the movement to protect Canada’s ocean by connecting directly with ocean conservation experts through a “Ask the Experts” interaction. Visitors can ask whatever they want about the orcas, the threats to the Salish Sea, or the ocean in general. And they will receive real answers from experts including Indigenous elders, marine scientists, and nature advocates.

“It’s like sending fishy letters to Santa.” – Scott Mullenix, Exhibit Director, Nature Canada

 

MEDIA PREVIEW DETAILS

Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Time: 9:00 am

Location: Manitoba Museum, 190 Rupert Avenue, Winnipeg

Opportunities:

  • Experience the Critical Distance AR presentation
  • Interview Nature Canada’s ocean conservation experts in-person
  • Hear remarks about the national tour (including why we launched it thousands of kilometres from the coast)
  • Light Refreshments

 

The following experts will be available for media interviews:

Adam Olsen  (SȾHENEP)
Lead Negotiator and Member, Tsartlip First Nation (W̱JOȽEȽP)

Julia Laforge
Protected Areas Policy Manager, Nature Canada, Ottawa

Rebecca Brushett 
Marine Planning and Engagement Coordinator, Ecology Action Centre, Corner Brook and Halifax

 

Representatives from Vision3, Nature Canada, The Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada, and Manitoba Museum will also be available for comment.

Note: The AR experience contains flashing lights and loud sounds. It is recommended for visitors aged 10 and up.

Learn more about Critical Distance in the provided video, courtesy of Microsoft: click here.

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To RSVP or request interviews, please contact:

 

Scott Mullenix

Communications Director
Nature Canada
Media@NatureCanada.ca | 613.366.4776 (call or text)

 

Brandi Hayberg

Manager of Marketing & Communications
Manitoba Museum
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca | 204.988.0614

Logo garden with logos for Nature Canada, Manitoba Museum, Vision3, and the Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada.

Manitoba Museum Issues Apology to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Communities

Treaty No. 1 Territory – Winnipeg, Manitoba – May 22, 2025 –Today, the Manitoba Museum issued a formal apology to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, acknowledging that it has held Ancestral remains and associated belongings from these communities within its collections.

The Museum held a closed Ceremony and gathering in respect for the Ancestors and kinship communities, with the guidance of Spiritual Advisors. Representatives witnessing this important moment included Grand Chief Jerry Daniels of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, Elders from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Leaders from Inuit and Métis communities, Chiefs of First Nations Communities across Manitoba, as well as representatives of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. They were joined by the Manitoba Museum Board of Governors, the Indigenous Advisory Circle to the Museum, and Museum staff who help to care for the Ancestors.

Following a Pipe Ceremony, Manitoba Museum CEO, Dorota Blumczyńska provided an official apology on behalf of the Museum.

“We sincerely and profoundly regret that the Museum has held Ancestors of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities within our collections for decades. In doing this, we know we have contributed to and played a role in colonialization. We apologize for our actions, inactions, and failures, past and present. We know that what is required now is that our actions be transparent, honest, and meaningful. This apology is just the beginning of the Homeward Journey of the Ancestors,” said Blumczyńska.

“We promise that no Ancestors will enter the Museum in the future.”

This apology to communities, is part of the Homeward Journey, which began at the Manitoba Museum in 2022. Guided by the Indigenous Advisory Circle and with a Spiritual Advisor’s blessing, Homeward Journey aims to identify and bring home Ancestors to their kinship communities.

The important work will take several years and will be led by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, in preparation, during, and after the Ancestors’ return.

The apology represents a significant milestone in the Manitoba Museum’s commitment to rematriation / repatriation – the return of Ancestors and associated belongings. Kevin Brownlee, former Curator of Archaeology, and member of Norway House Cree Nation (Kinosao Sipi) cared for the Ancestors and advocated for the establishment of dedicated funding for rematriation / repatriation of Ancestors and belongings. The Museum began the Homeward Journey in 2022 when the Museum committed to correct this historic injustice. The Museum’s Board of Governors regretfully acknowledged that bringing the Ancestors home was long overdue and took steps to set the work in motion.

“The Museum is committed to rebuilding trust with these communities, repairing those important relationships, and moving forward in a good way,” said Blumczyńska.

For more information about the Manitoba Museum’s Homeward Journey project please click here.

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Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
204-988-0614

Manitoba Museum, ROM Palaeontologists Discover 506-Million-Year-Old Predator

(Winnipeg, MB/Toronto, ON: May 14, 2025) – Palaeontologists at the Manitoba Museum and Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) have discovered a remarkable new 506-million-year-old predator from the Burgess Shale of Canada. The results are announced in a paper in the journal Royal Society Open Science (https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.242122).

Artist's rendering of Mosura fentoni in life. The underwater creature has two long limbs covered in spines pointing out in front of it, three eyes, and a number of fin-like swimming flaps along the sides of its body.

Mosura fentoni was about the size of your index finger and had three eyes, spiny, jointed claws, a circular mouth lined with teeth, and a body with swimming flaps along its sides. These traits show it to be part of an extinct group known as the radiodonts, which also included the famous Anomalocaris canadensis, a meter-long predator that shared the waters with Mosura.

However, Mosura also possessed a feature not seen in any other radiodont: an abdomen-like body region made up of multiple segments at its back end.

 

Image: Life reconstruction of Mosura fentoni. Art by Danielle Dufault © ROM

“Mosura has 16 tightly packed segments lined with gills at the rear end of its body. This is a neat example of evolutionary convergence with modern groups, like horseshoe crabs, woodlice, and insects, which share a batch of segments bearing respiratory organs at the rear of the body,” says Joe Moysiuk, Curator of Palaeontology and Geology at the Manitoba Museum, who led the study.

The reason for this intriguing adaptation remains uncertain, but the researchers postulate it may be related to particular habitat preference or behavioural characteristics of Mosura that required more efficient respiration.

With its broad swimming flaps near its midsection and narrow abdomen, Mosura was nicknamed the “sea-moth” by field collectors based on its vague appearance to a moth. This inspired its scientific name, which references the fictional Japanese kaiju also known as Mothra. Only distantly related to real moths – as well as spiders, crabs, and millipedes – Mosura belongs on a much deeper branch in the evolutionary tree of these animals, collectively known as arthropods.

“Radiodonts were the first group of arthropods to branch out in the evolutionary tree, so they provide key insight into ancestral traits for the entire group. The new species emphasizes that these early arthropods were already surprisingly diverse and were adapting in a comparable way to their distant modern relatives.” says study co-author Jean-Bernard Caron, Richard M. Ivey Curator of Invertebrate Palaeontology at ROM.

Several fossils of Mosura additionally show details of internal anatomy, including elements of the nervous system, circulatory system, and digestive tract.

“Very few fossil sites in the world offer this level of insight into soft internal anatomy. We can see traces representing bundles of nerves in the eyes that would have been involved in image processing, just like in living arthropods. The details are astounding,” Caron adds.

Instead of having arteries and veins like we do, Mosura had an “open” circulatory system, with its heart pumping blood into large internal body cavities called lacunae. These lacunae are preserved as reflective patches that fill the body and extend into the swimming flaps in the fossils.

“The well-preserved lacunae of the circulatory system in Mosura help us to interpret similar, but less clear features that we’ve seen before in other fossils. Their identity has been controversial,” adds Moysiuk, who is also a Research Associate at ROM. “It turns out that preservation of these structures is widespread, confirming the ancient origin of this type of circulatory system.”

Of the 61 fossils of Mosura, all except one were collected by the ROM between 1975 and 2022, mostly from the Raymond Quarry in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. Some also came from new areas around Marble Canyon in Kootenay National Park, 40 km to the southeast, which have revealed spectacular new Burgess Shale fossils, including other radiodonts: StanleycarisCambroraster, and Titanokorys. One previously unpublished specimen of Mosura collected by Charles Walcott, the discoverer of the Burgess Shale, was also studied.

“Museum collections, old and new, are a bottomless treasure trove of information about the past. If you think you’ve seen it all before, you just need to open up a museum drawer,” Moysiuk says.

The Burgess Shale fossil sites are located within Yoho and Kootenay National Parks and are managed by Parks Canada. Parks Canada is proud to work with leading scientific researchers to expand knowledge and understanding of this key period of Earth’s history and to share these sites with the world through award-winning guided hikes. The Burgess Shale was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 due to its outstanding universal value and is now part of the larger Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site.

Many radiodont fossils can be seen on display in ROM’s Willner Madge Gallery, Dawn of Life, in Toronto, and a specimen of Mosura will be exhibited for the first time at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg later this year.

For 50 years, ROM has been at the forefront of Burgess Shale research, uncovering dozens of new fossil sites and species. Located in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks of British Columbia, the Burgess Shale fossils are exceptionally preserved and provide one of the best records of marine life during the Cambrian period anywhere. Home to the world’s largest Burgess Shale collection, ROM shares these extraordinary fossils through global research, an award-winning online resource, and its newest permanent exhibition: the Willner Madge Gallery, Dawn of Life.

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Media Contact & Information

Image Gallery: A collection of images and a document with image captions & credits can be found here.

 

Dr. Joe Moysiuk

Curator of Palaeontology and Geology, Manitoba Museum

Research Associate, Royal Ontario Museum

Adjunct Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan

204 988 0648; JMoysiuk@ManitobaMuseum.ca

 

Dr. Jean-Bernard Caron (bilingual)

Curator of Invertebrate Palaeontology, Royal Ontario Museum

Associate Professor, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto

416 586 5593; JCaron@rom.on.ca

 

Brandi Hayberg

Manager of Marketing & Communications, Manitoba Museum

204 988 0614; BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca

 

David McKay

Senior Publicist, Royal Ontario Museum

416 586 5559; DavidM@rom.on.ca

Manitoba Museum’s Newest Exhibition Opens Today

A word graphic for The Museum Collection Illuminated. On the right is a photograph of a dark-coloured ancient pitcher with an image on it silhouetted in orange. Below the exhibit title on the left side text reads,
TEMPORARY EXHIBITION REVEALS TREASURES FROM THE VAULT

 

Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba (May 13, 2025) – A temporary exhibition delving into the “What, Where, How, and Why” of museum collections opens today at the Manitoba Museum.

The Museum Collection Illuminated presents a snapshot of the diverse and extensive work undertaken throughout the Museum’s history of collecting. Research, conservation, exhibitions, and programs are featured in videos showing behind-the-scenes conservation and field work, interpretive panels, and a timeline graphic, alongside answers to frequently asked questions.

“This exhibition explores how and why we have museum collections, what we do with them, and how we preserve them. Visitors will not only gain a better understanding of how and why we collect artifacts and specimens, but also why museums are important cultural institutions.” – Dr. Amelia Fay, Curator of Anthropology and the HBC Museum Collection.

The Museum Collection Illuminated showcases unusual artifacts and specimens, hand-selected from the vaults by the Museum curatorial team for their unique qualities, including an 11lb Giant Puffball mushroom, a gloriously gaudy bison horn chair from the 1880s, a 500 BCE Archaic period wine pitcher, and more.

The exhibition had been displayed previously during the height of COVID restrictions in 2021 at a time when the Museum was subject to closures and restrictions which greatly impacted visitation.

“As we enter our 55th anniversary, its timely to reintroduce this exhibition to allow more visitors the opportunity to experience these significant and breath-taking artifacts and specimens representing the Museum Human and Natural History collections as we continue to celebrate community collaborations, scientific research, conservation achievements, and the continued commitment to public programs at the Museum. – Seema Hollenberg, Director of Research, Collections, and Exhibitions.

The Museum Collection Illuminated is now open in the Manitoba Museum’s Discovery Room and will be on display until May 2026. Entrance into this temporary exhibition is included with a Manitoba Museum All Attraction Pass. Manitoba Museum members and Indigenous Peoples can access this exhibition at no charge. Click here to plan your visit.

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Media Inquiries: 

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
BHayberg@ManitobaMusuem.ca

Careful Where You Sit

If these furnishings look weird, it’s because they are. They were oddities even when they were made in the late 19th century, and now you can see some examples on exhibit at the Manitoba Museum.

An ornate armchair with the back, legs, and arms made of interconnected bison horns.

Chairs made with antlers and horns were a fad in the late 1800s, and available to anyone with cash to spend. Some of the earliest pieces date from the 1860s, but it was at the Chicago Industrial Exposition of 1876 that horn furniture was displayed for the first time. Ten years later they featured in the Canadian section of the Colonial Exhibition and were described as having “a very striking and pleasing effect.”

Bison horn furnishings were made for a growing middle class, who had a late Victorian taste for elaborate decorations and overstuffed parlours. After the First World War, horn furniture was seen as distasteful, and much of it disappeared. Some of these pieces later came to museums with stories that they were made by First Nations artists, but real evidence is lacking.

 

Image: This cozy bison horn chair, made in the 1880s, was owned by Archbishop Samuel P. Matheson (1852-1942) of Winnipeg. It will be on display in The Museum Collection Illuminated exhibition. H8-7-6, ©Manitoba Museum

We do know that in Winnipeg, William F. White, proprietor of a taxidermy and curiosities shop, was described as a “horn manufacturer.” He advertised “a wonderful display of fancy horn work in all kinds of useful articles” in a Dec. 12, 1892 Free Press issue, just in time for Christmas. The making and sale of bison horn furnishings was happening right here in Winnipeg.

A short and squat footstool with four legs made of polished bison horns.

A bison horn footstool, now on display in the Darbey Taxidermy shop. H9-36-126, ©Manitoba Museum

An inkwell set in a rough squared base, with a bison horn extending off the left side.

An inkwell swathed in velvet and accentuated by a huge bison horn. Dating to the 1880s, it belonged to Mr. Edward Dickson of Oak Lake, MB. H9-7-445, ©Manitoba Museum

A wall-hanging coat rack made of five pairs of bison horns extending off the base at different angles and intervals.

This bison horn hat rack was likely made in the 1880s. The velvet upholstery, common in Victorian homes, is identical to that found on the chair and inkwell. H9-39-854, ©Manitoba Museum

There was a dark legacy to the crafting of bison horn furniture. The near extinction of the North American bison in the 1880s was caused by many actors, some of whom wanted to weaken First Nations. American hunters killed bison indiscriminately to sell the hides, and dried bones were later sold for fertilizer. It was a huge loss of animal life, and a traumatic change for many First Nations who had relied on bison herds for thousands of years.

You can see – but not sit on – some of these artifacts in our newest exhibition, The Museum Collection Illuminated, opening May 13 in our Discovery Room, or on permanent display in the Darbey Taxidermy Shop in the Winnipeg 1920s Gallery.

Plan your visit today

Dr. Roland Sawatzky

Dr. Roland Sawatzky

Curator of History

Roland Sawatzky joined The Manitoba Museum in 2011. He received his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Winnipeg, M.A. in Anthropology from the University of South Carolina, and Ph.D. in Archaeology…
Meet Dr. Roland Sawatzky

Preview the Manitoba Museum’s Newest Exhibition

A word graphic for The Museum Collection Illuminated, opening May 13, 2025. On the right is a photograph of an ornate armchair with the back, legs, and arms made of interconnected bison horns.

NEW EXHIBITION AT THE MANITOBA MUSEUM

 

Members of the media are invited to the Manitoba Museum to preview The Museum Collection Illuminated, a temporary exhibition opening May 13, 2025 in the Museum’s Discovery Room.

The Museum Collection Illuminated explores the “What, Where, How, and Why” of museum collections and presents a snapshot of the diverse and extensive work undertaken throughout the Museum’s history of collecting. Research, conservation, exhibitions, and programs are featured in videos showing behind-the-scenes conservation and field work, interpretive panels, and a timeline graphic, alongside answers to frequently asked questions.

The exhibition showcases unusual artifacts and specimens, hand-selected from our vaults by our curatorial team for their unique qualities, including an 11lb Giant Puffball mushroom, a gloriously gaudy bison horn chair from the 1880s, a 500 BCE Archaic period wine pitcher, and more.

Members of the media are invited to preview the exhibition by appointment between 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm on Monday, May 12, 2025. Please contact Brandi Hayberg at BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca to arrange a preview.
The following exhibition contributors will be available for interviews:

  • Dr. Amelia Fay, Curator of Anthropology and the HBC Museum Collection.
  • Dr. Joseph Moysiuk, Curator of Palaeontology & Geology

 

The Museum Collection Illuminated will be open to the public starting Monday, May 13, 2025. Entrance into this temporary exhibition is included with a Manitoba Museum All Attraction Pass. Manitoba Museum Members and Indigenous Peoples can access this exhibition at no charge.

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Media Inquiries: 

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
BHayberg@ManitobaMusuem.ca

The Planetarium: A Window to the Stars

It’s the 100th anniversary of the world’s first planetarium show! Join Scott Young, our Manitoba Museum Planetarium Astronomer, in the theatre to learn a bit more about how our Planetarium works to show audiences the Universe.