Friends of The Canadian Museum for Human Rights Inc. announced today the 30 architectural firms selected by the Architectural Review Sub-Committee (ARC) in Stage 1 of the International Architectural Design Competition for The Canadian Museum for Human Rights. They were chosen from almost 500 architectural firms internationally who indicated their interest and 63 who answered a Call for Expression of Interest in Stage 1 of the competition. The Sub-Committee members are Ms. Gail Asper, Mr. David Covo, Mr. Gustavo Da Roza, Mr. Robert Fulford, Mr. Moe Levy and Dr. Raymond Moriyama. The 30 firms, spanning 12 countries (Canada, U.S.A., South Africa, Germany, India, Spain, El Salvador, Norway, Australia, Denmark, Austria and the U.K.) from five continents (North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia), are:

Antoine Predock Architect, USA
Architects for Human Rights, El Salvador
Ashton Ragatt McDougall Pty Ltd (ARM), Australia
Behnish, Behnish & Partner Architekten, Germany
Charles Correa Associates, India
Coop Himmelb(l)au, Austria
Cote y Terradas, Arquitectos, Spain/Canada
Dan Hanganu & The Arcop Group, Canada
Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated, Canada
Douglas J. Cardinal Architect, Ltd, Canada
Gehry Partners, LLP, USA
Marosi + Troy/Jodoin Lamarre Pratte/Architects, Canada
Mashabane Rose Architects, South Africa
MEDIUM/Tomizo Yamamoto Architect, Canada
Michael Fieldman, Architect, USA
Michael Maltzan Architecture, Inc., USA
Moshe Safdie and Associates Inc., USA
Saia Barbarese Topouzanov/Tetreault Parent Languredoc Architectes, Canada
Saucier + Perrotte Architects, Canada
Schmidt Hammer & Lassen, Denmark
Schwartz Architects and EHDD Architecture, USA
SITE, USA
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, USA
SNOHETTA, Norway
Studio Daniel Libeskind, USA
Sturgess Architecture with IBI Group/Stecheson Katz Architects, Canada
TEN Arquitectos and Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, USA/Canada
VanTine/Guthrie Studio of Architecture and Neumann/Smith & Associates USA
Zaha Hadid Architects, UK
Zeidler Partnership Architects, Canada

The vision of The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is to create a distinctive architecturally exceptional museum that will help to eliminate intolerance through recognition of human rights as the foundation for human equality, dignity and freedom world-wide. The museum has made groundbreaking history, as it will be the only human rights museum of this scale in the world. The project seeks to address Canadian and worldwide issues of tolerance and respect for human rights across many boundaries including, ethnicity, race, politics, religion and gender. The museum is a joint project of Friends of The Canadian Museum for Human Rights Inc., the Forks North Portage Partnership, the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg.

Stage 2 of the competition involves the 30 architectural firms being invited to submit conceptual design proposals to be evaluated by the competition Technical Review Committee (TRC) with results being provided to the ARC. The ARC will then select eight of these proposals by mid-March, 2004. At the end of March, the eight semi-finalist proposals will be on public exhibition and at the beginning of April, the ARC will interview the eight semi-finalists. Stage 3 will involve selecting three finalists with each receiving CA$100,000. The selected architect will be announced, tentatively, on Canada Day, July 1, 2004.

Douglas Gillmor is the professional advisor to the competition. The members of the TRC are Catharine Tanner (Museum Consultant) - LORD Cultural Resources Planning & Management Inc., Michael Scatliff (Landscape Architect) - Scatliff + Miller + Murray, John Petersmeyer (Architect) - GBR Architects Ltd., Helmut Graumann (Engineer) - KGS Group, Sid Kroker (Archaeologist) - Quaternary Consultants Ltd., Joe McEvoy (Cost Consultant) - J.W. McEvoy Associates Inc. and John Levitt (Real Estate Developer) - O & Y REIT.

Friends of The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is also very pleased to announce the preliminary results of the archaeological assessment of the site at the Forks. This past fall Quaternary Consultants undertook an archaeological impact assessment for the land at The Forks where The Canadian Museum for Human Rights will be constructed. Their preliminary report indicates that the site has been a campsite and meeting place for many Aboriginal groups going back at least 1,000 years. The types of artifacts found are typical of what might be found at a campsite with people coming and going throughout the years. The findings include some broken pieces of clay pots, tools and bones from fish and mammals that were part of the diet of hunting and gathering cultures. These findings are consistent with previous archaeological assessments throughout The Forks, Provencher Bridge, and Canwest Park sites. These findings have been carefully documented and stored, and will be processed in greater detail over the following year.

With respect to the new museum construction, the design team will carefully determine the extent of excavation required to comply with the Provincial requirements to protect Heritage resources. Any holes augered in the soil for concrete foundations will be monitored by an archaeologist during construction so that, if they do find artifacts, the findings can be correctly documented and placed in storage. This process is typical of all new construction projects in the area, or any area of archaeological interest.

Prior to his passing in October 2003, Dr. Israel Asper, philanthropist and museum founder, stated that "The creative challenge will be to express these critically important and fundamental issues and transform them into an architectural statement of international excellence and significance." Gail Asper, Chairperson of the Fundraising Committee for Friends of The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, commented "We are all very pleased to reach this significant stage in the architectural competition for the museum. My father's dream was to create a building that would become a signature of Canada to the world and an institution that would advance the development of human rights. Our announcement today marks a fundamental step toward achieving those goals."

The partners in the museum project made the following comments:

"Western Economic Diversification Canada is proud to be part of a project that will enrich a city already renowned for its diversity, openness and fairness to all peoples," said Dr. Rey Pagtakhan, Minister of Western Economic Diversification. "The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is destined to become a landmark for Winnipeg and for Canada. And I anticipate the architectural firms will help translate this into reality."

Manitoba Premier Gary Doer remarked "Canadians have long exemplified the notion that there is more that unites than divides us as people - particularly in a multicultural country like ours. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights will serve as a monument to inclusiveness and respect for all those around the world who strive for the kinds of rights and freedoms that we enjoy."

Winnipeg Mayor Glen Murray commented "Today marks another important stage in bringing The Canadian Museum for Human Rights to fruition. Israel Asper had the vision of this museum being a symbol of Winnipeg to the world, both for what it would say about human rights and for its world-class architecture. The selection of these architectural firms today is a major step towards fulfilling his dream."

Bill Norrie Chairman of The Forks North Portage Partnership, said "The concept of The Canadian Museum for Human Rights truly captures the spirit of The Forks as a place of discovery and belonging. We look forward to the results of the design stage that will ultimately lead to the creation of an exceptional museum at The Forks."

The site is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a city in the geographic centre of Canada. The land on which the project will be located is an historic place at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers at the Forks. It has served as a meeting place for the First Nations Peoples going back 6,000 years. It is now a meeting place for the diverse population of the city and region with many cultural and festive activities on site. The building program is estimated at 240,000 square feet (22,300 gross square meters) with the Tower of Hope as a distinctive and additional element of the project.

The members of the Architectural Review Committee are: Ms. Gail Asper, Dr. Michael Bliss, renowned Canadian historian, Mr. David Covo, FRAIC, Director of the School of Architecture at McGill University, Mr. Robert Fulford, author and journalist, Ms. Roisin Heneghan, RIAI, AIA, winning architect for the Grand Egyptian Museum competition, Mr. Moe Levy, Executive Director, Friends of The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Dr. Raymond Moriyama, O.C., FRAIC, FRSA, award-winning Canadian architect and Chancellor of Brock University, Dr. Victor Rabinovitch, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, Mr. Gustavo Da Roza, O.C., FRAIC, RCA, former Department Head of Architecture, University of Manitoba and Mr. J. Max Bond Jr., FAIA, a principal in Davis Brody Bond & Associates in New York City and architect for The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.