Stuart Murray leaving as human rights museum CEO

The president of the Canadian Museum For Human Rights is leaving his job.

Stuart Murray, who has been president and chief executive officer of the national museum since 2009, is to end his term Nov. 2.

Chairman Eric Hughes says Murray oversaw the planning, construction and opening last month of the new museum, and has left it well positioned for the future.

The museum is the brain child of the late media magnate Izzy Asper and took more than a decade to build.

The facility ran into delays and cost overruns, and ended up costing $351 million.

It's not clear what lies ahead for Murray, who once served as leader of the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives.

He wasn't fired: Board chair

Eric Hughes, chair of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) board of trustees, insisted Murray was not fired, contrary to comments appearing on social media. 

Hughes would not say whether Murray did not want his contract renewed or whether the board made the decision not to renew his contract. 

"That is getting into the nuances of an employment contract so we are not going to share the specifics of that," he told CBC. 

"He had a contract and the contract had a five year term and the five year term is over," he said. 

Hughes said the board has recognized Murray's contribution as inaugural CEO of the museum. 

"He has taken this organization from a very, very rudimentary organization through to a full-fledged operating museum, and the first national museum to be constructed outside of the National Capital," Hughes said. "He has provided exemplary leadership and we are very, very pleased to have had him for the past five years working at the museum."

Hughes would not address why Murray's contract was not renewed if he did such a good job, saying only, "He has contributed an enormous amount to not only to our organization but to the city and province."

The museum listed among Murray's achievements for the museum:  

• Guiding the museum's transition from a construction site to an operational national museum
• Overseeing the corporation's growth from a skeleton staff to an operating museum with a full complement of staff with wide-ranging skills and specialties
• Ensuring incorporation of a diversity of voices into the content development process
• Securing partnerships with educational and human rights organizations
• Supporting Friends of the CMHR on the most successful capital campaign in national museum history
• Giving life to Winnipeg's evolution as a city for human rights education
• Contributing to the success of the Museum's opening weekend on Sept. 19-21