REGINA — The RCMP Heritage Centre is actively working toward becoming a national museum.
Sam Karikas, CEO of the RCMP Heritage Centre, said the process began six years ago after the museum conducted community engagement across Canada in collaboration with the Department of Canadian Heritage.
“The thoughts from the public are that they would like to see a museum that honours the commitments and the courageous contributions of all of the members of the RCMP, as well as the institution, but also tells the most difficult stories of dignity and compassion.”
Karikas said the centre has used that feedback to create a new vision.
“We have also been focusing on looking at ways that we can program and offer the community, and actually offer programming across Canada. Programming related to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and two-spirit people. Programming related to the history of residential schools and the intergenerational impacts of those,” added Karikas.
The federal government provided funding in 2021 — $4.5 million over three years — and again in 2024, with $3 million over two years included in the 2024 budget and $12 million over four years announced in the 2024 fall economic statement.
“The funding was largely used to scale operations to undertake the engagement exercise and to be able to scale and grow the team as well, to deliver on a national mandate and a national vision,” Karikas said.
The national mandate is issued by Canadian Heritage.
Currently, Canada has nine national museums, with most located in the Ottawa–Gatineau region.
“There are only two national museums outside of that region, one in Winnipeg and one in Halifax. It would be a really great honour for the West to have another national museum,” Karikas said.
She added that national designation would help attract more visitors from across Canada and around the world to Regina, while encouraging deeper engagement with Canada’s history.
The RCMP Heritage Centre would also benefit financially through annual federal appropriations.
“This would create sustainability for the organization and sustainability for the staff team that we have. It would also allow us to grow our staff team, so we have presented prospective budgets and organizational charts operating nationally to indicate the ways in which we can continue to invest in and add economic benefits to the region.”
Karikas said the centre is ready to move forward but requires action from the federal government.
“The prime minister would need to move it forward to direct the Ministry or the Department of Canadian Heritage to take meaningful steps in legislation.”
Karikas encouraged Canadians to contact the Prime Minister’s Office to express support for the transition.
“Tell him why this is an important project for Canada and why this is a nation-building project for Canada.”
