'So close to opening': Children's Museum seeks $1M donation push

If time was the only factor, the London Children's Museum would almost certainly open its new 100 Kellogg Lane location before 2024 comes to a close. 

In every corner of the 36,000-square-foot space, contractors are busy laying tiles, painting walls and hooking up lights for the new museum space to replace the 21 Wharncliffe Rd. location that first opened in 1977. 

"We are so close to opening our doors on this incredible space, we know the community has been so patient, they've helped us build and dream and support this space," said executive director Kate Ledgley. "We just need their help to get us through to the finish line and open these doors."

The museum has raised $19 million of the project's $23 million cost. Ledgley said an additional $1 million in donations is needed to keep construction on pace and open by year's end.

Donations already in hand include: 

• $2 million from the City of London
• $3 million from the Government of Canada
• $150,000 from the Government of Ontario
• $8 million from corporations
• $2.6 million from individuals
• $1.5 million from foundations

Why is the extra funding push needed? 

The new location has been in the works for 10 years and the project was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"[The pandemic] was not kind to our timeline or budget," said Ledgley while giving CBC News a tour through the space on Wednesday. "We were deep into exhibit design when the pandemic hit, we were hoping to be on track. It increased our budget by 35 per cent." 

That works out to a $6 million hole in the project's budget. Higher construction costs due to inflation explain part of the increase. However pushing back the opening time from the original 2022 opening date has also meant delays in earning admission revenue.

Scaling back the project at this point isn't ideal because many of the exhibits are now close to completion. Also, many of them were created in response to ideas submitted by kids during an extensive consultation process.

Another pressure point is that Ledgley and the museum's board want to keep the admission charge affordable for low-income families. An admission rate hasn't been set yet for the new location, but right now adults and kids above two years old pay $11 in admission.

The museum remains close to the hearts of many Londoners,  including those with fond childhood memories of visiting the 21 Wharncliffe Rd. location. Many are returning now with kids of their own. Despite the space constraints at the old location, attendance has continued to grow in the post-COVID years.

The new location will be twice the size of the old one. It's also projected to draw about 150,000 visitors annually and contribute $6.4 million to the economy.

Many of the old exhibits, including the dinosaur dig, the caves, the space exhibit and the fire truck, will return to the new location, improved and upsized from the current location.

There are also new attractions, including a large art area, performance space and a series of connected tree houses. 

Ledgley said she's reluctant to ask for more from a community that's already been so generous in supporting the project.  

"We've raised an incredible $19 million so far and were are committed to making this happen, we just need this final push to get us there," said Ledgley.

"London needs this space, it makes such a huge impact on children, on families on the local economy."

London Morning6:19What London Children's Museum says it needs to finish its new home

Canada's only children's museum is almost finished moving into its new home, but there's a problem. Museum officials say they need $1 million in donations to keep the project on track after COVID-19 and inflation-related delays. Executive director, Kate Ledgley, gave London Morning an update on their plans.