The Manitoba Museum’s renewal project received a boost on Thursday.

Gail Asper, President and Trustee of The Asper Foundation, announced the Foundation is donating $400,000 to the Bringing Our Stories Forward Capital Renewal Project, which will see upgrades made to 42 per cent of the Museum’s galleries.

Asper also pledged $100,000 of her own money.

“We are very grateful to the Manitoba Museum in its pivotal role in capturing Manitoba history and science for the benefit of Manitobans and visitors,” Asper said. “We’re so pleased to be able to support this project, with a focus on Manitoba stories.”

“We saw a wonderful opportunity to invest in a project that is going to make a very significant difference in our community.”

Asper says it’s a worthwhile investment for Manitobans, as the Museum also plays an important role in bringing tourism to the province.

“Everyone should be supporting this project,” she said. “As much as I love the current exhibits, museum’s need to stay relevant and remain dynamic and that requires money.”

Jeoff Chipman is the Bringing Our Stories Forward Capital and Endowment Campaign Chair.

He says the money will be used to modernize existing exhibits.

“History is not stagnant, it moves forward and now is the time to renew our museum so that generations present and future can always come here and be inspired,” Chipman said. “How we tell our stories is important but our galleries must integrate new technologies while also presenting authentic artifacts at the core of the experience.”

The province of Manitoba said today it will partially match all private donations by pledging 50 cents for every dollar raised. Meaning today’s $500,000 donation gets bumped up to $750,000.

Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage, Cathy Cox, says the province is investing $5-million in total in the project, $1.4-million of which is guaranteed. The remaining $3.6-million will be used to match private donations.

“Not only does the Museum generate economic growth and enhance the quality of life and well-being of our people, it also provides a cultural cornerstone for our tourism industry,” Cox said. “This project will provide new perspectives and bring to life the important stories of people in the past, present and future.”

The first gallery to be renewed during this project is the Nonsuch Gallery, which closed on Jan. 8, 2018 and will be reopened on June 8.