Construction is underway in the historic Freight Shed at the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel, converting the space on the east side of the facility to a wonderful new series of art galleries.

Once completed, the galleries, complete with coffee shop, will be one of the largest centres for art and cultural displays in the Kootenays.

The Museum will be offering special 15-minute guided tours of the space, and other Museum spaces, Aug. 14 and 15, available to the general public.

The Museum was recently able to advance construction of several parts of the incomplete interiors of the museum buildings through a Job Creation Partnership spanning Aug/2009 to May/2010 - particularly its' large "Gallery" spaces for temporary exhibitions.

Details regarding community gallery space were contained in the recent 2010 Cranbrook Cultural Plan where the relatively easy completion of the gallery spaces at the Museum is noted as an option, and the completion of all parts of the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel was assessed as one of the highest community priorities.

The five multi-purpose galleries are intended for temporary exhibitions of local history and art, as well as travelling exhibits from major Museums and Art Galleries across Canada. They are located on the upper level of the Freight Shed adjacent to the museum entrance hall, and restoration and rehabilitation work started on this original structure in 1994, well before the relocation of the Museum to the new site in 2002.

Each of the four square galleries is 400 square feet, for a total of 1,600 square feet, with the Long Gallery at 130 feet long being 1,400 square feet — for a total gallery area of 3,000 square feet - larger than the Royal Alexandra Hall.

There is over 600 linear feet of exhibition wall space (over a city block in length) and 12 feet high. Their layout allow either casual access or controlled access, depending on the type of exhibit, and whether constant visual security and monitored entrance is required, as some of the travelling major exhibitions require. However, many locally-produced exhibits in history and art will not require these security measures.

The five galleries can have one large exhibition or five smaller ones running concurrently. With an overlapping exhibition schedule, the galleries will provide a constant source of changing displays and exhibitions for local residents and visitors from a variety of sources over the whole year. When the galleries can be completed and staffing arranged for, there will always be something for all tastes, And it will tremendously enhance the local cultural role of the Museum in addition to its tourist role.

Adjacent to the Galleries at the far end of this floor and overlooking the Freight Shed garden is the Galleries Café and Railway Grill food services area which is 1,000 square feet in size with a separate kitchen area and a future outdoor deck looking over the railway and towards the Rocky Mountains. This area, can seat up to 60, and has a small raised centre portion for informal performing artists to sing or play guitar or the piano, whatever for the enjoyment of locals and tourists who would use the facility. This also contains two large pieces of etched glass as dividers for the space to make it more intimate with light coming in from various directions. This facility will be leased to the private sector, revenue from which is to be used to help subsidize gallery operations, and yet provide a relaxing social space at the museum and galleries.

Since the galleries are still under construction, with restricted access, special 15-minute tours of these spaces will be held free-of-charge during the Columbia Basin Cultural Tour weekend of Aug. 14 & 15 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. for anyone wanting to take them.

Along with the Galleries tours, the museum will also be profiling several other new aspects of Museum development including the Cranbrook History Gallery in the lower level of the Freight Shed, the Large Historic Railway Maps in the Entrance Hall and the Cranbrook Historical Archives on the upper floor above the office and gift shop.

For more information, please call 250-489-3918. The Museum is open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.