WINNIPEG -- Museums and art galleries are among the locations allowed to open up when Manitoba begins loosening restrictions on non-essential businesses on May 4.
The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) said it will be opening up on Tuesday.
“When we got the news, our amazing team acted quickly to allow us to reopen next week,” said Stephen Borys, director and CEO of the WAG.
The gallery closed its doors on March 14 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff have been working remotely, and the gallery hosted online viewings during the closure
Borys said staff is excited to welcome people back in the space, and said with the space being so large, it will easy to implement the physical distancing requirements from the province.
“The WAG is about 125,000 square feet on four levels, indoor and outdoor spaces,” he said. “It’s actually not a bad place for social distancing.”
Borys said there will be more attendants to help remind people about physical distancing guidelines. Hand sanitizer will be available as well.
The gallery will be offering free admission to frontline workers for the first two days they will be open.
While the art gallery is opening, two other museums have said they won’t be opening their doors right away.
The Manitoba Museum told CTV News on Thursday they won’t reopen on Monday, but they’re working to meet the requirements of reopening. The museum said it will continue to offer its virtual experiences.
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights also said it is taking extra time to prepare the museum before reopening to the public.
