The only Star Trek museum in Canada recently unveiled its newest addition.

Vulcan’s Trekcetera, which strives to make every effort to keep Trek history alive, acquired last week a roughly 210-kilogram command chair from the set of Paramount’s 2002 movie Star Trek: Nemesis.

It’s a one-of-a-kind piece made by Paramount’s production department, said Michael Mangold, co-owner and curator of the museum.

The bridge chair was used by actor Tom Hardy, who played a young clone of Captain Jean-Luc Picard called Praetor Shinzon. In the movie’s storyline – warning, spoiler ahead! – the clone was initially made to be used as a weapon against the Federation by the Romulan Empire, which wanted to use Shinzon to replace Picard.

The large set piece, which needed to have a custom-built shipping crate to haul it to Vulcan, was donated by Dana Hammon-Tree, a Trek collector from the U.S.

“He knew about the museum and wanted to help,” said Mangold.

Accustomed to stretching pennies and dollars as far as they’ll go, Mangold said he was really taken aback and moved by Hammon-Tree’s gesture.

“That’s kindness,” said Mangold, who was flabbergasted by Hammon-Tree’s “gracious” contribution.

“He wanted to save history.”

Since Paramount closed its Trek archive, many items have ended up behind closed doors in private collections, says Mangold.

Donations made by people like Hammon-Tree help to ensure fans from around the world have a chance to get an up close and personal glimpse of Trek history they won’t be able to see anywhere else, he said.

The museum’s owner said he hopes to continue finding new and unique props, costumes and set pieces of all things Trek with the goal of creating a timeline about the popular fictional universe.

Everything in the museum, which is dedicated to the late Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, is authentic – replications are nowhere to be found, says Mangold.

None of it would be possible without explicit approval from CBS and Paramount, who own the franchise, he said.

Having that support is “huge,” said Mangold.

While he is passionate about retaining as much of the Star Trek universe’s film history alive as reasonably possible, Mangold also has a focus on paying homage to local film history.

Among the variety of displays featured before stepping in to the main Trek oriented part of the museum is a cape worn by Christopher Reeve during the shooting of Superman III, which many people are surprised to learn had many scenes shot in Calgary, says Mangold.

Visit www.trekcetera.com or phone 403-485-6611 for more information.