The RCMP heritage building could see an increase in funding from the next federal government.

Both the Conservative and Liberal parties are promising to designate the heritage centre as a national museum, which would in turn bring with it more federal dollars.

Executive Director Dan Toppings said more funding may allow for more artifacts to be displayed.

“You’d be amazed at the amount of artifacts that are still in our storage area in the back that haven’t been put on display for a couple of reasons,” Toppings said. “Number one is you don’t have the room to do it or the capacity to get the exhibits ready to be on display.”

Toppings said with the conservatives pitching free admission to the heritage centre, it would help get more people through the doors.

“Our big target area is school groups this time of year,” Toppings said. “With school budgets being cut, it may help some of the schools be able to afford to come to our centre and get more people through the door.”

Toppings said a boost in federal funding would be a great help to their operations and programming.

“Right now our funding basically comes through our rent payment from the RCMP, who rent our space to put their artifacts on display,” Toppings said. “Other than that, it’s through admissions, and we have a store here at the heritage centre, and one on base, so that’s how we’re getting through right now.”

The heritage centre currently employs eight people full-time. Toppings says federal funding would mean more positions would become open.