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The City of Vancouver has entered into negotiations with the Vancouver Maritime Museum amidst mounting public pressure to keep the institution open. Hector Williams, president of the Vancouver Maritime Museum Society, told the Straight that Sue Harvey, managing director of cultural services for the City, has reopened discussions with the museum.

On May 5, as reported in the Straight, the museum received a letter from Harvey stating that the City would provide an annual subsidy provided that the institution shut down in December 2009. Two weeks later, following reaction to media reports of this decision, Harvey indicated she was open to discussing a different outcome, Williams said by phone. “We had a meeting with them [the office of cultural affairs]. That was when it was agreed that we would go back to—well, I can’t say go back to the bargaining table because there was no bargaining table.…We haven’t actually started the negotiations yet, but it’s a very positive step.”

Williams said the museum wants to remain open as long as possible in order to make a seamless transition to the National Maritime Centre, which is in the early planning stages in North Vancouver. On May 2, the province provided the City of North Vancouver with $9 million toward the creation of the centre.

“And if North Vancouver doesn’t go ahead,” Williams noted, “then we’ll continue to build a better museum in our present location.”

Harvey did not return calls from the Straight.