Gallery 1 of the new Canadian History Hall will be named in honour of the Rossy family.
Source: Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa. IMG2014-0106-0021-Dm.
The Canadian Museum of History announced the Rossy Family Foundation has donated $3 million to support the museum’s new signature exhibition — the Canadian History Hall — and the development of related educational programming for students throughout the country. In recognition of the gift — the largest in the museum’s history — one of the hall’s three principal galleries will be named after the family.
The Montreal foundation is directing $2 million toward the exhibition and $1 million toward the Rossy Family Canadian History Hall Education Project Fund. The fund will support the museum’s development of complementary educational programming to be delivered on-site, online and in schools. This will allow the museum to broaden its reach and provide educational experiences to a wider audience.
The three interconnected galleries of the Canadian History Hall tell the story of Canada’s vast history. At almost 10,000 square feet, the Rossy Family Gallery will explore the country’s history from earliest human habitation through to the brink of Confederation.
Four generations
The Rossy name is a familiar one to many Montrealers — and it may be familiar to those who have shopped in one of the more than 1,000 Dollarama stores across Canada. The Rossys are behind Dollarama.
Dollarama’s history goes back to 1910 when Salim Rossy, a Syrian-born peddlar, opened his first five-and-dime store, S. Rossy Inc., on Craig St. (now St-Antoine St.) in downtown Montreal.
More than 80 years later, in 1994, Rossy’s grandson Larry and great-grandson Neil transformed the company into Dollarama — now Canada’s largest chain of dollar stores.
Through the multi-million-dollar Rossy Family Foundation, the family now gives back to the community, donating tens of millions of dollars to support initiatives in health care, education, the arts, and Canadian civil society.
Larry Rossy, founder and executive chair of the board of Dollarama Inc, said, “We are delighted to support the Canadian Museum of History in this celebration of our shared Canadian heritage. Through the exploration of early Canadian history, we hope the Rossy Family Gallery inspires a deeper understanding of our collective journey towards the diverse and inclusive Canada of today.”
Opens July 1
The Canadian History Hall, funded by the federal government and contributions from private donors, will tell Canada’s national history through the experiences and perspectives of the people who lived it.
The hall will be divided chronologically into three principal galleries, the first of which, covering 13,000 BC to 1763, will be named The Rossy Family Gallery.
The exhibit will open on July 1 as Canadians mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
