Par : Sonia Mendes
Ingenium – Musées des sciences et de l’innovation du Canada
Trois fois bravo pour les bénévoles d’Ingenium
Crédit photo
Pierre Martin
Le coordonnateur des bénévoles d’Ingenium, Cédric St-Amour, discutant avec Paul Hughes, un bénévole.
C’est la Semaine de l’action bénévole 2018, et chez Ingenium nous avons beaucoup de raisons de nous réjouir! Au cours de la prochaine semaine, le Réseau d’Ingenium présentera le profil de quelques-uns de nos incroyables bénévoles. Aujourd’hui, nous offrons un aperçu des bénévoles d’Ingenium et de la raison pour laquelle ils sont si importants.
« L’union fait la force », ce vieux dicton semble très approprié quand on parle du bénévolat à Ingenium.
Pour chacun des trois musées – le Musée de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation du Canada, le Musée de l’aviation et de l’espace du Canada et le Musée des sciences et de la technologie du Canada – les bénévoles sont essentiels au fonctionnement quotidien.
« Ingenium compte actuellement 320 bénévoles actifs, déclare Cédric St-Amour, coordonnateur des bénévoles pour les trois musées de la bannière Ingenium. Ces 320 bénévoles ont compilé près de 24 000 heures au cours du dernier exercice financier. »
En raison de la diversité des trois musées d’Ingenium, les tâches des bénévoles sont très variées. Il y a du travail à faire dans les coulisses (tâches administratives, photographie, recherche, rédaction, manipulation d’artefacts et restauration) tout comme du travail de première ligne (accueil des visiteurs, participation aux séances de bricolage et aux ateliers, manipulation d’animaux).
“A volunteer’s time is precious,” emphasizes St-Amour. “I want to ensure that each volunteer finds a role that’s meaningful to them. At the end of the day, every volunteer should leave thinking, ‘I made a difference today.’ That’s what it’s all about.”
While many volunteer positions don’t require previous experience, some tasks are highly specialized – and attract volunteers with unique skill sets. A prime example is Project North Star, which consists of a group of volunteers with the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Project North Star began back in 2003, when a group of aviation enthusiasts approached the museum and offered their help to restore the only surviving military Canadair C54-GM (North Star) on a volunteer basis.
Bénévoles du projet North Star travaillant sur le seul avion militaire Canadair C54-GM restant.
“This aircraft had sat outside for 35 years, and was slowly eroding from the elements,” explains St-Amour. “The objective is to bring the aircraft back to its original condition – just like when it rolled off the assembly line in 1948.”
St-Amour credits the incredible dedication of the project’s volunteer team – who have collectively given 4,866 hours over the past fiscal year alone – to preserving this historically-significant aircraft. He anticipates Project North Star will continue their work for several more years before restoration is complete.
“You simply can’t put a price on the value of the volunteers’ contribution,” says St-Amour, adding that many of the volunteers have a professional background in aviation – such as aircraft engineers and mechanics. “A lot of people who have had some pretty cool careers are now giving back to the community through this project.”
On the museum floor at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, 89 volunteer interpreters have given nearly 5,000 volunteer hours over the past fiscal year. A large number of these volunteers are retired military personnel or private pilots, and help bring the museum’s aircraft to life for visitors through their first-hand, personal accounts of flying.
Over at the Canada Science and Technology Museum, volunteer numbers are starting to ramp up again, following the museum’s reopening last November.
“Volunteers are very happy to be back on the exhibition floor since the museum rose up from the ashes,” says St-Amour, referring to the museum’s complete rebuild over the past four years.
Trevor Charlebois (gauche) et Justin Pilo, bénévoles à Exploratek.
Many of these volunteers are high school students and retired teachers, he says, adding that a growing segment is people with learning disabilities. Their work – which is often in the ZOOOM Children’s Innovation Zone or in Exploratek, the museum’s tinkering space – offers concrete tasks with a sense of purpose.
At the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, volunteers are the backbone of many special events – including Baconpalooza, the Ice Cream Festival, and the Sheep Shearing Festival. Earlier this month, volunteers contributed 171 hours for the museum’s Easter festivities – which included an animal station, crafts, cake service, and greeting visitors.
St-Amour also notes that a significant number of Ingenium’s volunteers are new immigrants in Canada.
“Many people will tell me, ‘I think volunteering at a national museum is a great way to integrate into this new culture – and become Canadian,’” says St-Amour.
As for the man who coordinates it all, it’s clear that his work is truly a labour of love.
“Working with all of these great people is absolutely the best part of my job; the energy I get from that is so inspiring and positive,” says St-Amour, who has served as volunteer coordinator for 16 years. “That’s part of the paycheque for me; it’s cheesy, but it’s true.
“People don’t have to volunteer here; there are a million places looking for volunteers. But they choose to volunteer here – and I will never take that for granted.”
By the numbers – Ingenium volunteers in fiscal year 2017-18
23,946 – Total volunteer hours worked at all three museums
16,744 – Volunteer hours contributed at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum
6,585 – Volunteer hours contributed at the Canada Science and Technology Museum
617 – Volunteer hours contributed at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
320 – Number of active volunteers
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