‘The reality is, we’re not ready’

EVEN if you won’t get to see all of the galleries at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights until Nov. 11, there’s a good chance you might get to spend some high-quality time in the $351-million building anyway.

Jacques Lavergne, the museum’s director of revenue and visitor services, said there are more than 100 events already booked into the building before the end of the year.

“The demand for the space has been overwhelming. We’re had requests for weddings, corporate fundraisers and black-tie galas,” he said.

The majority of these events will be held in the Bonnie & John Buhler Hall, a 7,300-square-foot space on the first floor.

The MTS classrooms, which can accommodate both meetings and dinners for up to 150, are also in high demand, he said.

The remarkable thing is the museum has barely let anybody know that it has space for rent. (Buhler Hall will set you back $3,500 in rent for an evening plus food and beverage charges.)

“We’re really focusing on 2015 and beyond. We’re looking at city-wide conferences and weddings for next summer,” he said.

“It’ll be open when it’s open. I think it’s a neat-looking building, even though it competes with the (Provencher) bridge, but I’m apprehensive about going because I don’t want to wallow in misery. But it being delayed isn’t a surprise. I didn’t have a date circled on my calendar. I’ll still go when it opens.”

— Michaela Porter

“We want to see that but we were not aware that it is delayed again. We are curious to go inside and see it. It’s going to be a big place to visit so we are disappointed. But I’ll go, maybe Monday.”

— Harry Sandhu

“Honestly, I don’t feel that bothered by it. It’s unfortunate, I guess. But we live close; we’ll still go. It does feel like it’s been a bit of a cumbersome ordeal from the beginning so another month, or whatever it is, doesn’t really matter.”

— Rob Visser

“They should be open when they said they would. It feels like they’ve been building it for years. They should have just built a water park there. More people would have gone to that, especially young people. Five galleries for $10 isn’t a good deal. Isn’t it going to be $15 when it opens (with 11 galleries)?”

— Sabrina Ness

“They’ve been building it for many years. Didn’t they first say it was going to be open in 2012? And it’s still not open. It’s just a waste of time, now that they have it sitting there and it’s not even in use.”

— Laura Pearase

“I’m in between. It feels like it’s wasting people’s money just sitting there, not open when it’s supposed to be. It’s taking forever and that’s a lot of money, taxpayer money, into it. Just open it already.”

— Ntazana Sichilyango

Our online readers weigh in

Not a surprise, but still a huge disappointment. I am surprised they didn’t ratchet down expectations earlier. They clearly knew several months ago that significant delays were likely.

— Abhidharma

Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad the museum is located here, but man, this must be the most drawn-out museum opening process ever. Ever heard of “under-promise and over-deliver”?

— lollipopsandsunshine

The museum building will be a historical museum itself at this rate. Interesting how it is suddenly rescheduled to open on Remembrance Day.

— emcee51

Delays, delays, delays. Perhaps the CMHR can have a one-off exhibit of patrons waiting for the yet again delayed, full opening.

— Dogday Aft