About Us/Our Mandate

The National Museum of Science and Technology, now operating as the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation, was established as an autonomous Crown Corporation on July 1, 1990, with the passage of the Museums Act. The mandate of the Corporation as stated in the Act is:

To foster scientific and technological literacy throughout Canada by establishing, maintaining and developing a collection of scientific and technological objects, with special but not exclusive reference to Canada, and by demonstrating the products and processes of science and technology and their economic, social and cultural relationships with society.

The Corporation is the only comprehensive science and technology collecting institution in Canada, and focuses on the following major subject areas: aviation, communications, manufacturing, natural resources, renewable resources including agriculture, scientific instrumentation, and transportation. The Corporation operates three Museums—the Canada Agriculture Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Canada Science and Technology Museum. Each Museum undertakes curatorial work and sets its own public programming activities and strategies in recognition of the different markets and clientele it serves. The Museums operate under a common set of corporate policies. Support services such as human resources, finance and facilities management are provided centrally.

A Board of Trustees, whose members come from all regions of the country and are appointed by the Governor-in-Council, oversees the management of the business, activities and affairs of the Corporation while the Corporation ’s daily operations are managed by a President and Chief Executive Officer. The Corporation’s workforce consists of approximately 230 employees. Contracted services are used where they are most cost effective. The Museums Act established the Corporation as a separate employer and as such its employees are not part of the Public Service of Canada. The Museums Act, however, decrees that officers and employees of the Corporation are deemed to be employed in the public service for the purposes of the Public Service Superannuation Act. The Public Service Alliance of Canada serves as the bargaining agent for employees. The Corporation also benefits from the contributions of dedicated volunteers who assist in a wide range of activities.

The Corporation is housed in a network of buildings located at three sites in Ottawa: St Laurent Blvd, Rockcliffe Airport and the Central Experimental Farm. These sites provide office, artifact storage, exhibition and programming space.