Manitoba Museum capital campaign gets $250K from Chipman family

The Manitoba Museum's multimillion-dollar capital campaign has received a $250,000 boost from the Chipman family, which owns True North Sports and Entertainment and the Winnipeg Jets, among other things.

The donation from the Chipmans and the family-owned Megill-Stephenson Company Ltd. will support the $19-million Bringing Our Stories Forward campaign, which aims to raise enough money to upgrade 42 per cent of the museum's gallery spaces.

In a news release, Manitoba Museum CEO Claudette Leclerc thanked the Chipman family for their "lead gift" as well as Jeoff Chipman for chairing the campaign.

"History is not stagnate, it moves forward, and the time is right to renew our museum so that generations, present and future, will come away inspired," Jeoff Chipman said in a museum news release Wednesday.

"The Manitoba Museum is one of our city and province's most important institutions, and our family is proud to be able to support this phase of the Capital Campaign. We know our community will, as it always does, be there as well."

The museum says at least $3.5 million has been confirmed to date for the Bringing Our Stories Forward campaign, which is raising money not only for capital renewal, but also to create new programming, update exhibit technology and enhance its endowment and foundation funds.

More donations will be announced in the near future, officials said, adding that an additional $5 million in proposals are pending approval.

As well, the museum said it's waiting to hear if the provincial government, which is reviewing all infrastructure funding requests, will reconfirm its $10-million commitment.

The museum is currently expanding Alloway Hall, with the goal of having the work completed by next spring, in time for Canada's 150th anniversary festivities.