In the museum’s fall newsletter, president and board chair Clare Crozier notes attendance is up 34 per cent during the first six months of this year over 2007 numbers. That’s an increase of six per cent over last year.

For his part, Canadian Museum Association president John McAvity was impressed by the Dundas Museum’s ongoing success in the face of tough times.

“A 34 per cent increase is a bright spot for these years. I am not sure what Dundas has done but it is clearly working. Bravo,” he said.

But Mr. McAvity noted museums across the country must rely more on local audiences as U. S. tourism continues to decline. And focusing on the local community is a strength of the Dundas Museum, said Mr. Crozier.

“We have a local story to tell. A story which appears to be of significant interest to the citizens of our community. While people are somewhat interested in our national history I believe of far greater interest is the history of the community in which they live,” he said.

And Mr. Crozier acknowledged the foresight and planning of Graham Bertram, who established the H. G. Bertram Foundation in 1953, setting the base for the preservation and protection of Dundas’ history.

While the Bertram Foundation doesn’t cover all the museum’s expenses, and major fundraising would still be needed for any potential future expansion, the foundation does allow the museum to be open to the public seven days a week free of admission charges, unlike most similar institutions, including all eight of Hamilton’s municipally owned or operated museums.

“This has to be appealing to many families, particularly in these difficult economic times,” Mr. Crozier said.

The foundation helps the museum hire qualified people, including museum manager Carolyn Westoby, archivist Sandra Kiemele, collections assistant Roberta Bailey, administrative assistant Fran Donnelly and digitization assistant Shaun House, the newest addition to the staff.

Mr. Crozier said Graham Bertram’s vision also included volunteers as the backbone of the Dundas Museum, and more than 80 providing their time and talent that has certainly come true.

The museum’s extensive local archives are another strong point, as research visits continue to increase every year. Mr. Crozier noted material is constantly being added to an electronic database as the museum continues moving into the future.

“As you can see, there is no one answer to our increasing visitor attendance. It’s wide-ranging,” Mr. Crozier said.