Entomica may close if it doesn’t get city handouts

Entomica, Sault Ste. Marie's insect-based science centre and natural history museum, is struggling and may not survive without a yearly municipal cash infusion, city council was told Monday night.

John Dedes, Entomica's president and chief executive officer, was at Monday's council meeting, looking for $137,276 in annual funding.

"Requesting this money: if you don't receive it, what happens?" Dedes was asked by Ward 4 Coun. Marchy Bruni.

"Can I be really blunt? I think we'll shut down," Dedes responded.

"Years ago [then-mayor] Provenzano asked us to look at finding streams of federal and provincial funding, as all the other museums and cultural organizations receive," Dedes said.

"Those revenue streams don't exist anymore, that you could receive continual annual funding.... We've been struggling to survive."

"It's difficult but we would have to shut down. We would need to rely on the funding."

One of just four insectariums in Canada, Entomica was started in 2014 with a mission to inspire and connect visitors of all ages with science and nature through education and community outreach programs, events, and interactive experiences.

It claims to engage about 65,000 individuals a year.

Three years ago, it moved from its original home at Mill Market to the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre.

"As an organization, Entomica is valued and has been recognized for its work on a local, provincial, and national level, winning awards for program delivery and contributions to the tourism industry," said Travis Anderson, the city's director of tourism and community development, in a report to Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and councillors.

"However, despite its many accolades, Entomica struggles to achieve financial stability and has regularly been at risk of closing," Anderson said.

City council agreed to refer the Entomica request to its 2024 deliberations.