Canadian Museum of History to share artifacts in bid to reach new audience

A plaque displays information regarding the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Que., Tuesday, Oct.16, 2012. (Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

WINNIPEG -- Terry Fox's van, explorer Samuel de Champlain's astrolabe and Victoria Cross military medals from the Canadian Museum of History could soon make their way to Manitoba.

The Manitoba Museum and the museum in Hull, Que., signed a partnership agreement in Winnipeg on Friday. Heritage Minister James Moore said it will allow the museums to share artifacts and will bring the country's history to a new audience.

"What it will allow is for the Manitoba Museum to access the more than three million items in the collection of the Canadian Museum of History -- 90 per cent of those items, by the way, are in storage," Moore said.

"For those of us who aren't from Manitoba, who don't have the privilege of being able to come to this museum whenever we choose to, for us to be able to see more of the Manitoba Museum in our part of the country as well."

Moore said he hopes to see hundreds of similar agreements signed with museums across Canada.

"Creating the Canadian Museum of History is not just about building a great national institution, the biggest museum in Canada, in the national capital," Moore said. "Better than that, we need to get stuff moving across the country and around Canada so that everybody can benefit from this great museum."

Mark O'Neill, CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corp., said the national museum will devote permanent space to showcase exhibits from Manitoba.