Mickey Dumont

The Portage Citizen —

As many head to work this Monday morning in preparation for another productive week, seven full-time summer students poised to start work at the Fort La Reine Museum will have to wait until May 1 to learn if they will have summer jobs.

It was learned late last week Tracey Turner, executive director/curator at the museum will not have her contract renewed by the museum’s board. It has also been learned the former head of the museum and its board were poised to sign a new contract

“Her contract expires April 30. We’re (museum board) not offering her a new one,” Dale Wood, museum board chair said in a telephone message. “Everything is totally up in the air. We will have a meeting on Tuesday to decide what will be happening,” Wood said.

Several of the seven potential summer student employees were in shock after learning Turner will not have her contract renewed. “She really turned this place around,” one said. “It was nice to see people – families – actually showing up for programming at the museum,” another said.

The Fort la Reine Museum is scheduled to open on May 10 and has been promoting a busy event schedule.

In solidarity, some of the summer students have decided not go to work at the museum.