Thousands Turn Out For Glimpse Of New ROM & Crystal

The RoyalOntarioMuseum is one Toronto's most revered cultural institutions, and as of Saturday the $270 million improvements that were six years in the making were on display to thousands of enthusiasts, all of whom were willing to wait in line for hours just for a quick glimpse. The main attraction was the massive crystal extension from the building, named after Burlington philanthropist Michael Lee-Chin, who donated $30 million to the project, which he dedicated to his mother, a Jamaican orphan.

"This is where leaders of tomorrow will get their first taste of inspiration," Lee-Chin said Saturday.

The building began as a sketch on a napkin in 2001, and six years later the opening of the new and improved ROM kicked off with a free concert at Bloor and Avenue Road Saturday night, and a list of artists including Natalie MacMaster and Deborah Cox heating up the already simmering downtown air.

The new crystal addition features an exhibition hall and seven new galleries, though only two have exhibits so far. The rest should have installations by 2009.

The celebration coincided with the Luminato Festival, which began Friday night and runs until June 10. The multiple celebrations had Bloor St. closed at Avenue Road while the ROM stayed open all through the night Saturday and wrapped up around 6pm Sunday.