The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa is laying off 18 people and eliminating a total of 27 positions as part of a major restructuring.

Marc Mayer, director and CEO of the gallery, confirmed the cuts Wednesday. He said nine will not result in job losses because they involve vacant positions that won't be filled or employees that are about to retire.

All federal museums running deficits

The gallery's revenues took a hit last year when fewer tourists visited, and Mayer doesn't expect the numbers to bounce back this year.

"That's really where our problems lie," he said. "It's the economy."

Daniel Kinsella, national president of the union component that represents about 200 employees at the gallery, said as far as he knows, all federal museums are facing a deficit.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2010/03/24/ottawa-national-gallery-cuts.html#ixzz0jCCggKjW

well its a good thing they are unionized and will get first crack at "other" museum jobs opening up, and paid moving expenses

I wonder where there might be other museum jobs opening up?

To bad they paid the union for nothing with out it they may still have a job. Those expensive union jobs .

Harper's a fcuken idiot.

When they don't have money to fund the museums that we already have, what does he do? Builds another hole in the ground in which to throw money....

He should have said No to the Aspers. They are years behind in their fundraising, it seems, and no one is getting a chance to look at the books.
All this to court traditional Liberal voters. Doer is an idiot, too. Don't forget him, spending like a dunken sailor, thanks to Transfer Payments.

so... what happens when they run out of money without raising the other 45 million? ( or 42 million or whatever amount is left )

We all bend over and take in the butt and complain loudly about the NDP government putting us into deficit.

Certain members of this forum will be the first to drop their drawers and grab their ankles....or at least, try to.

I think we can all understand that like any government funded building they rarely (if ever) in Canada just say screw it and stop building. The big daddy government of one level or another always steps in and ponies up that last little bit to complete the job ( case in point MTS Centre). but with ALL governments crying we are broke... and things like Miz funding from 2007 being taken away, and Employees at other goverment "museums" being laid off... how can any level of government justify stepping in?

the CMHR,unlike national art galleries,will not depend on tourists and pay at the gate customers. the scam will almost entirely drain money from provincial education departments throughout canada for its "support". the 22 or 30 million per year provided by ottawa is merely an asper slush fund. but make no mistake,the aspers will cry for more money on an ongoing basis,regardless of the amount the CMHR takes in. asper,cynical manipulation of the people of this city was summed up in their own words: "why should ottawa and toronto get everything?".

I thought that the Elders of Zion were going to provide operational support

"the CMHR,unlike national art galleries,will not depend on tourists and pay at the gate "

our other federal museums dont depend on tourist dollars for most revenue either.

thats right they dont. but touring them is not mandatory for ALL canadian public school students. which is the plan the aspers have.

"king of winnipeg",whatever. not towing the asper line does not mean someone is wrong. gail asper herself said there will be "particular attention paid to the youth of canada". what do you think she means by this? are the youth of canada going to have to pay their own way and admission costs themselves? of course not. this is a crucial part of this fraud that has been ignored due to the publics focus on gails plea for "one time" cash infusions. when it comes to manipulating the public, the aspers are brilliant.

Go post in the thread devoted to that topic.

LOL mandatory for all canadian public school students.... HA HA.. thats funny.

they dont have close to enough money available to send that many kids flying around the country

Some kids will be flying in on the taxpayer's dime. Nice field trip if you can afford the rest. Or a waste of time if you just fire up Google and do some research that way.

Well I remember reading this , I do not remember reading it was to be tax money paying for it .

Triniman wrote:Some kids will be flying in on the taxpayer's dime. Nice field trip if you can afford the rest. Or a waste of time if you just fire up Google and do some research that way.

say now.. why cant they all just fire up google? That would save alot of money.. HEY!... everyone not just students could fire up google!

Guaranteed, after visiting the museum, students will turn to Google to help write their essays.

Not surprised they are cutting positions. If they are overstaffed because business is down, that's what they have to do.

I found out that Izzy Asper is getting a 5% kick back on the operating costs and is going to use that money to bring some Mossad members over to "speak to" those who have been complaining!

Which of the complainers would prefer this to be built in Ottawa??

rosencrentz wrote:
Which of the complainers would prefer this to be built in Ottawa??

Do you still beat your wife?

Continually and evrey day, but it doesn't seem to help!

Triniman wrote:Some kids will be flying in on the taxpayer's dime. Nice field trip if you can afford the rest. Or a waste of time if you just fire up Google and do some research that way.

Personally I would rather some kids fly to our city on the taxpayer's dime than fly to Washington DC on the taxpayer's dime to visit the Holocaust Museum there. A co-worker is partially paying for her son to go to Washington DC this spring as part of his grade 9 class and they are only paying about 30% of the expenses while the balance is being paid for by other means (grants make up some, while the rest is being paid through the school $$$$$$$$).

I would rather the taxpayer not foot the bill for such traveling.

I would rather see money spent on things like upgrading schools that are inadequate and creating classes for non-English speakers so that they don't drop out of regular classes and become gang members. A teacher friend mentioned this to me, about non-English speaking students, right here in Winnipeg.

Providing a quality education to those that aren't receiving one, seems like a better way to spend scarce tax dollars.