By Stephen Vance, Editor
The words “Museum Curator Resigns” seem straightforward enough, but for those unfamiliar with Meaford’s museum, or the curator who has dedicated 20 years of her life to a job that she clearly loves, may not realize the many questions that crop up as a result of the resignation.
It would be easy to explain such a sudden resignation as simply a response to a 20 percent cut to the museum budget in 2014 – a hefty cut that no other department in the municipality experienced when the 2014 budget was prepared.
While that significant cut to the museum budget may have prompted the curator to submit her resignation, it would seem that there is much more to this story.
Meaford’s museum curator was quite likely one of the most dedicated and enthusiastic employees in the municipality.
I live around the corner from the museum, and I would often see the curator’s car parked outside the museum well after hours, and on weekends. She lived and breathed Meaford history, and any time I was seeking information for an article, a quick email to the curator was all that was needed to find exactly what I was looking for.
I was especially pleased in recent years with the curator’s increased emphasis on collecting pieces of history not only from the former town of Meaford, but across the amalgamated municipality. Every time I see the Bognor hockey jersey on display at the museum I am reminded of the rich history of this area, and how much there is to learn about it.
Probably the most significant strength of our now former curator was her ability to recruit, train, and engage volunteers to help with a variety of tasks – from helping with the museum collection, to organizing fundraising events, the museum volunteers I’ve seen in action are as dedicated and passionate as the curator herself, and their enthusiasm was equal to Scarecrow Invasion volunteers, Beautiful Joe Heritage volunteers, as well as volunteers for a wide range of organizations and events in this municipality.
Some of those volunteers will no doubt have a sour taste in their mouths this week, and we can only hope that the resignation, and the reasons for it will not drive those important volunteers away.
I’ve heard rumblings about what actually transpired. I’ve heard rumours, most of them consistent, but some wildly differing. But those are rumours, and with no comment coming from the curator, and the chair of the museum board sounding frustrated and measured in his comments, we can only speculate on the actual facts.
Some things are clear though.
A 20 year employee doesn’t resign from their post without first securing an alternate job unless they are extremely unhappy, or an incident leads to the resignation.
A 20 year employee who dedicated numerous hours over and above a typical work week doesn’t resign suddenly unless they feel they have been disrespected – or worse.
The 20 percent cut to the museum budget may have triggered the resignation, or perhaps it was the final straw. We can’t know, and the curator has wisely not returned email or phone messages. It wouldn’t be her style to speak out anyway.
Meaford’s Director of Community Services has ensured The Independent that a plan is in the works, and that museum operations will remain unchanged. Let’s hope that is true, and let’s hope that a replacement is found quickly.
Yes, it is sad to lose such a dedicated municipal employee, but the museum is an important asset to the municipality, and it must be seen as such lest we lose it all together.
