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Provincial and territorial museums of Canada facts for kids

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Provincial and territorial museums of Canada are museums maintained by the provinces and territories of Canada to preserve their local history and culture. However, the collections of some museums extend beyond its provincial boundaries, showcasing historical and natural works from around the world. These museums are the equivalent to national museums, operated by the provincial and territorial governments of Canada. In the mostly French-speaking province of Quebec, the provincial government uses the term "national" to refer to provincial museums.

Many provinces have separate facilities for human and natural history museums, art galleries, and archives. However, in the case of Newfoundland and Labrador, all these functions are housed in one complex, The Rooms, in St. John's

List of provincial and territorial history museums

Nearly all Canadian provinces and territories operate a provincial museum of some kind. The only province that does not operate a provincial museum is Prince Edward Island. The following table lists the provincial and territorial museums presently operating in Canada.

Name Photo City Province Year established Visitors annually Description
Manitoba Museum The Manitoba Museum and Planetarium, Winnipeg, Manitoba.JPG Winnipeg  Manitoba 1965 303,191 (2017) A museum of human and natural history.
Musée de la civilisation Musee de la Civilisation.JPG Quebec City  Quebec 1984 543,128 (2005) A museum of human history.
New Brunswick Museum Saint John, NB Museum, entrance.jpg Saint John  New Brunswick 1842 32,584 (2017) A museum of human and natural history, it is the oldest continuously operating museum in Canada.
Nova Scotia Museum Multiple sites  Nova Scotia 1868 549,500 (2015) The museum is a decentralized museum system made up of 28 museums spread throughout the province.
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife, NT, from city hall.jpg Yellowknife  Northwest Territories 1979 A museum of human and natural history, it also houses the territorial government's archives.
Royal Alberta Museum Royal Alberta Museum New.jpg Edmonton  Alberta 1967 A museum of human and natural history.
Royal British Columbia Museum Main entrance to Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, British Columbia 02.jpg Victoria  British Columbia 1886 770,000 (2017) A museum of human and natural history, it also houses the provincial archives, after merging with British Columbia Archives in 2003.
Royal Ontario Museum Royal Ontario Museum (9674325453).jpg Toronto  Ontario 1912 1,440,000 (2017) A museum of art, human and natural history, it is the largest, and most visited museum in Canada.
Royal Saskatchewan Museum Regina Museum (natural history and indigenous persons).jpg Regina  Saskatchewan 1906 139,122 (2017) A museum of natural history.
The Rooms The Rooms (North face), St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.jpg St. John's  Newfoundland and Labrador 2005 87,083 (2017) A museum of human and natural history, the museum shares a building with the provincial archives and art gallery.

List of provincial and territorial art galleries

Several Canadian provinces and territories operate art galleries. The following table lists the provincial and territorial art galleries presently operating in Canada.

Name Photo City Province Year established Visitors annually Description
Art Gallery of Alberta Art Gallery of Alberta (10293224826).jpg Edmonton  Alberta 1924 77,079 (2018) Its collection includes historical and contemporary paintings, sculptures, installation works, and photographs from Canadian and international artists.
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.JPG Halifax  Nova Scotia 1908 45,455 (2017) The largest art gallery in Atlantic Canada, its collection includes classical portraits, Nova Scotia folk art, and Inuit stone carvings.
Art Gallery of Ontario AGO at dusk.jpg Toronto  Ontario 1900 974,736 (2018) The art gallery is the largest provincially-managed art gallery in the country. Its collection includes 98,000 works ranging from the first century to present day, as well as the largest collection of Canadian art.
Beaverbrook Art Gallery BeaverbrookGallery2014.jpg Fredericton  New Brunswick 1959 10,333 (2016) Designated as a provincial art gallery by Government of New Brunswick, the gallery was originally funded by Baron Beaverbrook.
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec MNBAQ-Pavillon Lassonde.jpg Quebec City  Quebec 1933 387,333 (2018) Its collection includes approximately 40,000 works produced in Quebec, or by Quebec artists since the 18th century.
Remai Modern Remai Modern Art Gallery.jpg Saskatoon  Saskatchewan 2009 A museum of modern art, although its collections also includes works created before that period. The museum is formally incorporated as the Art Gallery of Saskatchewan, although it is branded as Remai Modern.
The Rooms The Rooms (North face), St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.jpg St. John's  Newfoundland and Labrador 2005 87,083 (2017) The provincial art gallery shares a building with the province's provincial archives, and museum.
Yukon Arts Centre Whitehorse  Yukon 1992 In addition to a permanent collection of Indigenous and northern art the facility serves as an arts centre.

List of provincial and territorial archives and libraries

Nearly all Canadian provinces operate a provincial archive and libraries. The British Columbia Archives was a former provincial agency that managed the archives for the province of British Columbia. In 2003, the provincial government merged the British Columbia Archives with the Royal British Columbia Museum, while the record management component of the former agency was assumed by the British Columbia Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Services. Since 2003, the Royal British Columbia Museum maintains the provincial archives as a department of the museum.

The following table lists the nine provincial archives and libraries presently operating in Canada.

Name Photo City Province Year established
Archives of Manitoba Archives of Manitoba, Winnipeg.jpg Winnipeg  Manitoba 1971
Archives of Ontario Research tower and archives2.jpg Toronto  Ontario 1903
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec Grande Bibliotheque 43.JPG Montreal  Quebec 1920
Nova Scotia Archives Public Archives of Nova Scotia entrance.JPG Halifax  Nova Scotia 1857
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Yellowknife, NT, from city hall.jpg Yellowknife  Northwest Territories 1979
Provincial Archives of Alberta Edmonton  Alberta 1967
Provincial Archives of New Brunswick Fredericton  New Brunswick 1967
Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan Regina  Saskatchewan 1945
Public Archives and Records Office Honourable George Coles Building (from Church Street).jpg Charlottetown  Prince Edward Island
The Rooms The Rooms (North face), St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.jpg St. John's  Newfoundland and Labrador 2005

List of other provincial and territorial museums

Some provinces and territories operate additional museums that serve specialized topics.

Name Photo City Province Year established Visitors annually Description
Ontario Science Centre OSC 01 - Ontario Science Centre (14256663252).jpg Toronto  Ontario 1969 900,225 (2019) Interactive science centre museum for Southern Ontario.
Science North Science north building in 2007.jpg Sudbury  Ontario 1984 Interactive science centre for Northern Ontario. Also operates Dynamic Earth (founded 2003), an interactive geology and mining museum which is the site of the Big Nickel.
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology Royal Tyrrell Museum from the staircase.jpg Drumheller  Alberta 1985 470,000 (2016–17) Paleontology museum and research centre.
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