BC Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon and the BC Liberals are wondering why Premier John Horgan and the NDP plan to spend $1 billion to replace the Royal BC Museum (RBCM) when a strikingly similar project in Calgary is only going to cost their taxpayers $120 million.

“This Glenbow Museum project in Alberta is nearly identical to the size and scope of the Royal BC Museum project but is being done much more cost-effectively, and in less than half the time,” said Falcon on Monday. “How can we possibly trust John Horgan with his $1 billion vanity museum project when it’s costing B.C. taxpayers ten times more than other museums?”

Much like the RBCM, the 250,000 square-foot Glenbow Museum is more than a half-century old and needs renovation, asbestos removal, structural upgrades, modernization of exhibits, and the protection of its archives. Falcon noted the Glenbow Museum project set out to be efficient and environmentally responsible, using the existing ‘bones’ of the building and repurposing existing assets.

“While planners in Alberta are working sensibly with what they have, here in B.C. the NDP are planning to demolish the entire Royal BC Museum to build what will be the most expensive museum project in the world,” said Falcon. “At a time when many British Columbians are struggling to keep up with rising costs of living, it’s a slap in the face to see John Horgan and the NDP throw all this money away when there’s proof right next door that a project of the same magnitude can be done far faster and with far fewer taxpayer dollars on the line.”

The Glenbow Museum closed to the public in September 2021 and is expected to reopen in mid-2024. The RBCM will close to the public in September 2022 and the NDP claim it will reopen in 2030.