​TheMuseum gets $1M donation from sale of Marskell family church

TheMuseum in Kitchener will finally have some financial stability, thanks to a donation from its CEO's family trust. 

The $1,000,000 donation comes from the sale of a church, built "literally and spiritually" by David Marskell's parents. 

Marskell, who has been in charge of the museum since 2006, told The Morning Edition's host Craig Norris that after his parents died, about two years ago, they decided to sell Lakeview Baptist Church. 

After some soul-searching Marskell said his family and the church trustees landed on his museum; a fitting tribute to his parents' legacy.

"Their principles, I believe are what are in me and driving me ...  to make a community a better place," he said. 

"It's to serve the community, it's to be a stage for the community, and to awe, inspire and elighten — which is our mission."

"It doesn't get any better than walking the talk, and our David Marskell has done that yet again," said TheMuseum board chair, Frank Boutzis.

Challenge to community

The money will be put in an endowment fund and, for now, TheMuseum will use just the interest on the $1,000,000 to sustain operations, said Marskell. 

He hopes the community will match his parents' donation, creating a fund that would help make TheMuseum a cultural hub for southwestern Ontario. 

"Performing arts, music, speaker series, films and theatre — most other communities of our size have something like that," said Marskell. "We just happen to have it scattered around the community and many of the cultural groups are struggling and not sustainable."

"So I hope this gift from my parents can help everybody and make a better community."

Lakeview Baptist Church lives on

The church was built by Victor and May Marskell in 1939, in the middle of The Great Depression with few resources or help outside of the congregation.

The pair dedicated their lives to Lakeview Baptist Church and lived modestly. 

"It was their entire life, they were never paid," remembers Marskell. 

The church was sold last summer, after decades of dwindling attendance, to another congregation — largely new Canadians — which Marskell said he was glad to see. 

"And a wonderful new circle of community life has begun."