A task force has been created to save the old Royal Alberta Museum building in Glenora.
The former museum is set to be demolished to make way for a new green space surrounding the adjacent Government House, along 102 Avenue atop Groat Road.
The provincial museum opened in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s centennial and received royal designation and renaming during a visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005, to mark the province’s 100th anniversary.
Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton during a 2005 royal tour.
The Canadian Press
The building is constructed with marble from Ontario, granite from Quebec, and decorated with ancient Indigenous petroglyphs.
The new, much bigger Royal Alberta Museum opened in downtown Edmonton in 2018, following a years-long move and setup of the new exhibits.
The original location closed to the public at the end of 2015 — when the RAM held a 48-hour send off party. The museum was open around the clock, allowing people to get a final look at the then-48-year-old facility.
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Since all the exhibits and artifacts in storage were moved out in 2016 and 2017, the building has languished empty for the better part of a decade.
Last summer, the province announced it now has a date with the wrecking ball.
The Alberta government estimated it spends over $700,000 annually on operating and maintenance costs on the empty building, and the cost of demolishing the old RAM building will be somewhere between $22 million and $48 million.
The Alberta Ministry of Infrastructure claims the building needs over $200 million in repairs and has no practical use, justifying its demolition.
“All critical systems including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, and water systems are well past life expectancy and require extensive maintenance or replacement,” a statement from the ministry said.
Even with significant investment, the government said many areas of the building require demolition due to structural issues and contamination from hazardous materials.
But the ‘Save the Old RAM’ task force is calling for a moratorium to explore alternative possibilities.
On Valentine’s Day, the task force plans to place hearts on the construction fencing that now surrounds the old RAM, to show their love for the historic structure.
Watch the video above for more information.
— With files from Karen Bartko and Phil Heidenreich, Global News
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Save the old RAM: Task force fights demolition of former Royal Alberta Museum building
