This article was released in the ICOM Canada April 2020 e-newsletter on Sustainable Development. See more articles from this issue here.
ICOM Canada asked museum professionals from across Canada to share what they are doing to make travel and transport more sustainable. Check out the answers below from Peter Ord (The Bateman Foundation and Gallery of Nature) and Katelyn Roughley (Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame).
Peter Ord, Executive Director, The Bateman Foundation and Gallery of Nature (Victoria, BC):
The Bateman Foundation’s has made a conscious decision to use video conferencing as the primary tool for communications planning, instead of travelling either locally or out of town. The foundation runs programs across seven cities in Canada, including Tuktoyaktuk in the Arctic. Managing our network of coordinators through online platforms like Zoom or WhatsApp not only saves as time and money, but also meets our sustainability focus.
Katelyn Roughley, Manager, Education and Programming, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (Calgary, AB):
As a national museum, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame offers travelling exhibits, education programs and annual fundraising events reaching audiences across the country. Partnerships with our National Champions, WestJet and AMJ Campbell, have facilitated financial and environmental sustainability making these country-wide activities possible by providing us with travel and transport at a minimal cost and through green initiatives, such as transport shuttles and combined (vs. partial) shipping options.
What are you doing to make travel and transport more sustainable? Send us your short answers by email (icomcanada@gmail.com) and we’ll add them to our list!