VICTORIA, BC.- The Royal BC Museum (RBCM) presented the City of Victoria with a vision for the future of its site, a plan that will see the provincial museum and archives property zoned as a comprehensive development zone.

“We have a vision for the Royal BC Museum that includes enhanced visitor services and expanded collections and research facilities that we can grow into over the next 100 years,” says RBCM Board Chair Donald Hayes. “The first step towards achieving that vision is to have approved, appropriate zoning for this site from the City of Victoria. The current zoning only allows us to build duplexes, and that’s not very practical for a museum and archives.”

Currently, the Royal BC Museum property is zoned R‐2, which allows for residential use but does not allow for a museum, gift shop or any of the other uses currently in operation on the site. The proposed uses in the new comprehensive development zone include public institution, theatre, retail, restaurants, business offices, multiple residential, parks, festivals and parking – uses that encompass all current operations and any that can be foreseen for the future.

The Royal BC Museum site will be rezoned with environmental sensitivity and sustainability as a top priority. Through the design guidelines created as part of the zoning process, the RBCM will be a showcase for made‐in‐BC technology, ingenuity, environmental initiatives and sustainable development, design and building practices.

Next month, the Royal BC Museum is hosting an open house so members of the public and the local business community may view and comment on the complete proposal. Open house dates are set for March 6 and 7, noon to 3 p.m., at the Royal BC Museum.

“The Royal BC Museum is the provincial museum and archives, so it’s important we have feedback from the people we serve,” says RBCM CEO Pauline Rafferty. “This is the beginning of a multi‐year process, during which we will seek input from our members, the local community and British Columbians from around the province as we move forward in achieving our vision.”

As the provincial museum and archives, the Royal BC Museum preserves and shares the stories of British Columbia – on‐site, off‐site and online – through its research, collections, exhibitions and educational programs. Its two‐hectare cultural precinct also includes a number of historically significant buildings and First Nations sites.