The Minister for Tourism, Nicole Ménard, on her behalf and in the name of her colleague Christine St. Pierre - Minister for the Culture, the Communications and the female Condition, Christine St-Pierre, has announced the governmental financial assistance of $500,000 to the Museum of Nature and Sciences of Sherbrooke (musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke) for the renewal of its permanent exposition.

“The Museum of the Nature and Sciences of Sherbrooke is an important attraction in terms of cultural tourism which consolidates the position of Sherbrooke and of Cantons-of-l’Est in tourist marketing. This new interactive exposure will increase the appeal of the area as a destination of choice for tourist customers, and this, throughout the entire year. I make a point of congratulating the promoters for this daring and original new project which will, I am convinced of this, succeed in attracting many visitors”, added the Ménard minister.

The new exposition, Le repaire des animaux (Homes of the Animals), will emphasize 500 items from their collection, of which around fifty have never been on display for public viewing. These items will be put on display in various situations to sensitize the visitors to the impact of humans on fauna and flora. The use of technological aspects will supplement this experience, offering a multi-sensory universe where reality and your imagination will go hand in hand.

“A permanent exposure refers to the development of the collection of a museum-type institution, a way of putting on display that which is considered invaluable, in all its richness deployed to sensitize, tell, inform or instruct. The project proposed by the Museum of Nature and Sciences of Sherbrooke is extremely innovative and will make it possible for visitors to explore, in a dynamic way, both natural and environmental aspects of our world”, declared Minister St-Pierre

Phase I of this investment was distributed during 2009-2010, allowing for the arrival of a new interactive and multi-sensory activity, Terra Mutantès. The latest exhibition proved to be a genuine spearhead for the institution, contributing to increase its clientele and reinforce its connections with education, cultural and tourism leaders in the region. Thanks to this new assistance of $500 K, the Museum will be able to explore a new more daring approach to connect with a different public market.

Extremely dynamic and active in its medium, the Museum of Nature and Sciences develops varied programming including four temporary exhibitions per year. The assistance announced today is decribed as follows: $400,000 comes from the Funds of the Québécois Cultural Inheritance, earmarked for renewal of permanent exposures, the ministry for the Culture, the Communications and the female Condition, and $100,000 from the Assistance Program for Strategic Aid for Tourist Projects, via the Ministry for Tourism. 

Report on the five editions of the Support for Permanent Exhibitions:

In terms of development and the consolidation of a development prospect and for consolidation of museology, the Soutien aux expositions permanents has led to the creation or the renewal of 144 permanent exhibitions throughout Quebec since the program began in 2006, for a total support of $36,5 M. Moreover, Minister St-Pierre announced that this program which was to end this year has been prolonged two years and has been augmented with a new envelope of $5 M, which will bring the balance to nearly $42 M, in support of permanent exhibitions. In five years, the total amount of investments in the museology network has gone from $84 M to $135 M, which represents an increase of 60%.