RCMP Heritage Centre
(Originally published in TOURISM)
It is hard to think of a more truly Canadian story than that of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It is a story still being written today, and about to be shared with visitors from around the world at Regina’s RCMP Heritage Centre, which is slated to open in late May, 2007.
The 6500 square meter two‑storey facility is designed by world‑renowned Canadian architect Arthur Erickson and situated on 6.7 hectares of land adjacent to the RCMP Academy. It will offer guests immersive environments, interactive exhibits and multi‑sensory simulations featuring artifacts from the RCMP collection and rich archival materials. According to president and CEO Vic Huard, at $40 million it is one of the most ambitious heritage interpretation projects in recent Canadian history.
“The initiative goes back to 1995, when a number of community leaders , including representatives from the Friends of the RCMP Centennial Museum, began discussing ways to enhance the profile of the RCMP Centennial Museum," says Huard. "The Centennial Museum (which opened in 1973) had served its purpose, and more space and newer approaches were needed to allow the public to get a better sense of the RCMP story." Huard explains how discussions shaped a vision that would eventually incorporate the architectural guidance of Arthur Erickson. “From that moment, the new facility really started to take shape. This has led to commitments from various levels of government, backed by a massive fundraising initiative.
The two‑phase project is nearing the end of Phase I, which includes the completion of the actual building and of the first phase of exhibits encompassing 18,000 square feet of main exhibit hall space including 10,000 square feet of interactive exhibit. The location of the Centre is seen as critical; the authenticity of having it right where the cadets are trained – where the story begins – is an essential element. "We will continue to offer tours during the summer as occurred with the old Centennial Museum, notes Huard, "but we will link that to programming based out of the RCMP Heritage Centre.” He promises a visitor experience unlike any other: “Interpretive programming will go beyond simple guided tours."
Despite his optimism and earnest belief the impact of the Heritage Centre on Regina’ economy will be significant, Vic Huard is quick to caution those who claim this much awaited attraction will dramatically increase tourism activity in Saskatchewan’s capital city: “Those shoes are too big for us to fill alone. Some people think in those terms and we don’t want to get ourselves in that position. We are well aware that single point attractions aren’t what drive tourism. We know this from the research carried out during the development of Regina’s recently completed destination marketing strategy.”
Huard prefers to see the Centre work with some of the other attractions within the city and across the province. “How can we leverage the iconic drawing power of the RCMP? It is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. If we successfully intercept visitors and draw them here, we’ll ask: ‘how can we then keep them in Regina overnight? How can we work with other packages, attractions or heritage and cultural assets?’ We do have a very rich history and we perhaps don’t leverage it as much as we should; this gives us an opportunity to attract people in a way that perhaps wasn’t there before.”
Meanwhile, Huard will concentrate on honing the guest experience. “We need first to ensure the product here works, that the systems work, that we understand our own product and that we deliver a first‑class service. It is the experience on the grounds and at the Centre that will help build our success. The building is architecturally phenomenal, there will be great exhibits, but we are banking on the impressions people will leave with to ensure they keep saying ‘wow! I want to come back!’ We are committed to putting together a team of people who understand that and who will deliver it all the time. It is very critical.”
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