RCMP Heritage Centre

The first museum of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the RCMP Centennial Museum, was opened to the public in 1933. Situated at RCMP Academy, Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan, the Centennial Museum was later closed to the public in October 2006.{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/news/archive/2006/10/end-an-era-rcmp-centennial-museum.html|title=End of an era for the RCMP Centennial Museum|date=6 October 2006|publisher=Government of Canada|website=www.canada.ca|access-date=2 April 2020}} The RCMP Heritage Centre was established in order to replace the Centennial Museum, and its collections relocated to the Heritage Centre following its completion.

Construction for the RCMP Heritage Centre began in 2005.{{cite web|url=https://www.cpci.ca/en/about_us/project_month/october_2009/|title=RCMP Heritage Centre|publisher=Canadian Precast Prestresed Concrete Institute|website=www.cpci.ca|access-date=2 April 2020}} The facility was officially opened to the public on 23 May 2007.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/rcmp-heritage-centre-opens-in-regina-1.690634|title=RCMP Heritage Centre opens in Regina|work=CBC News|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=2 April 2020|date=23 May 2007}}

The centre is situated in a {{convert|65000|sqft|m2|order=flip|adj=mid|-building}} south of Dewdney Avenue, adjacent to "F" Division headquarters at RCMP Academy, Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Completed in 2007, the building was estimated to have cost C$40 million. Nick Milkovich Architects was the design architect for the project, with Arthur Erickson serving as a design consultant for the building; P3 Architects served as the architect of record for the project. Construction of the building was contracted to PCL Construction.

Building materials used for the construct of the heritage centre include concrete, glass, Tyndall stone, and limestone quarried from Manitoba.{{cite web|url=https://www.canadianarchitect.com/rcmp-heritage-centre-begins-construction/|title=RCMP Heritage Centre begins construction|work=Canadian Architect|publisher=iQ Business Media|access-date=2 April 2020|date=7 December 2005}} The massing of the building was designed to appear like it was sinking and rising into the landscape. The building's roof resembles windblown snow, or encampments used by the First Nations and North-West Mounted Police during the 19th century. The building features a "swooping" rooftop, making the height of the building roof range between {{convert|30|to|65|ft|m|order=flip}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.pcl.com/Projects-that-Inspire/Pages/RCMP-Heritage-Centre-.aspx|title=RCMP Heritage Centre|publisher=PCL Construction|website=www.pcl.com|year=2020|access-date=2 April 2020}} The northeast exterior of the building features 21 oval-shaped columns varying from {{convert|9|to|17|m|ft}} in length.

The interior of the building features coloured concrete floors, with metal ceilings. The building also includes a 124-seat lecture hall/theatre.{{cite web|url=https://rcmphc.com/en/visit/facilities-rentals/sgi-canada-theatre|title=SGI Canada Theatre|access-date=2 April 2020|year=2020|publisher=RCMP Heritage Centre|website=rcmphc.com}}

File:RCMP Heritage Centre (8700083862).jpg

The heritage centre's main gallery holds a permanent exhibition that explores the history of the force, or exhibits practices in forensics. Exhibits in the main gallery includes Creating a Mounted Police, Maintaining Law and Order in the West, Protecting the North, Serving all of Canada, Preserving the Tradition, and Cracking the Case.{{cite web|url=https://rcmphc.com/en/exhibitions/main-gallery|title=Main Gallery|access-date=2 April 2020|year=2020|publisher=RCMP Heritage Centre|website=rcmphc.com}} The heritage centre "Feature Exhibition" is situated in a different hall, and exhibits specialty items from its collection for a limited time.{{cite web|url=https://rcmphc.com/en/exhibitions/feature-gallery|title=Feature Gallery|access-date=2 April 2020|year=2020|publisher=RCMP Heritage Centre|website=rcmphc.com}} A number of the items in the institution's collection originates from the collections of the defunct RCMP Centennial Museum.

Beginning in 2016, the museum also began to operate interactive virtual reality exhibits.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/rcmp-unveils-musical-ride-virtual-reality-1.3599994|title=CBC News|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=25 May 2016|access-date=2 April 2020}}

• List of museums in Saskatchewan

{{Reflist}}

{{Commonscat}}

• {{Official website|http://www.rcmpheritagecentre.com/}}

{{Saskatchewan parks}}

{{Law enforcement agencies in Canada}}

Category:Museums in Regina, Saskatchewan

Category:Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Category:Law enforcement museums in Canada

Category:Arthur Erickson buildings

Category:2007 establishments in Saskatchewan