After two years of fundraising, planning and design – and a name change – Saskatoon’s Nutrien Wonderhub is set to launch at the end of June.
Originally named the Children’s Discovery Museum (CDM) on the Saskatchewan, the playful learning environment takes over the former Mendel Art Gallery after the civic gallery moved to the Remai Modern.
APEGS was one of the earliest supporters of the facility’s capital fundraising campaign launched in 2017.
“This was sort of unfamiliar territory for APEGS because we had not previously done much in the way of capital donations. We have tended to focus more on programming-oriented donations. But we didn’t have an over-arching policy that prevented it, so we took our time to ensure that it lined up with the APEGS Value Proposition (AVP),” said Ben Boots, P.Eng., FEC, who chaired a task group that reviewed the fundraising request.
APEGS Council agreed to a direct donation to CDM of $25,000 a year for 2016-18. APEGS also matched the donations that any APEGS member made up to a total maximum of $100,000. As well, an anonymous donor also offered to match individual member donations, tripling the value of member gifts. Going beyond the capital project, APEGS is negotiating an ongoing support contract similar to what is in place with the Saskatchewan Science Centre.
The new museum will feature unique exhibits, educational programming and commitment to diversity and local heritage. It will become a creative springboard for the children of Saskatoon and surrounding communities, fostering a lifelong love of learning.
The name change was part of the planner’s efforts to reflect the facility’s spirit.
“Kids tend to think of a museum as something different than what we are. We are loud. We are active. We are hands-on,” Wonderhub’s Executive Director Amanda McReynolds Doran said.
Former APEGS President Ernie Barber, P.Eng., who helped drive the capital campaign, expressed pride and satisfaction in the new facility on behalf of APEGS.
“APEGS and its 13,000 member geoscientists and engineers are proud to be a supporter of Nutrien Wonderhub. This amazing facility will be a place of discovery for kids and their families, where everyone can get close to the practical and exciting world of science and technology. Kids will discover their own creativity and enthusiasm.”