Here are some of his most noteworthy museum and exhibition projects: Montreal Archaeology & History Museum (Pointe-à-Callière), Civilization Museum in Québec City, Egyptian Museum of Civilization in Cairo and Nubian Museum in Aswan, Egypt, International Snowmobile Museum in Valcourt QC, Same Museum in Jokkmokk, Northern Sweden, Mount Independence National Site in Vermont, Nelson's Dockyard Interpretation Centre in Antigua, Gaspesie Museum, Ak-Chin Indians Ecomuseum in Maricopa, Arizona, Horse in Brittany Discovery Centre at Haras national of Hennebont, France, Museum of French Emigration to Canada at Tourouvre, Orne, Eric Tabarly Sail City in Lorient, Trevarez castle and domain in Finistère, First Nation Garden at the Montreal Botanical Garden, Nordaski Ecomuseum in Hearst ON, Maison du bois in Pointe-Noire, in La Guadeloupe, Centre national des naufrages du Saint-Laurent at Baie-Trinité, House of Folklife & Traditions project in Montreal, Abenaki Museum in Odanak, Nantes Island project in Nantes, Espace de diffusion des cultures autochtones in Montreal, City of Energy, Shawinigan, Village québécois d'antan in Drummondville, Gorges du Tarn, de la Jonte et des Causses in Southern France, Île-d’Yeu in Vendée, Walbridge Barn and Missisquoi Museum in Mystic QC, Musée de la mer of Havre-Aubert, Magdalen Islands...
Promoted to Quebec City in 1972, he becomes from 1973 to 1980 Director of Interpretation Services at Parks Canada – National Parks and National Historic Parks – for Quebec Region. He recruits and trains a full team of 30 historians, geographers, naturalists, exhibit and graphic designers, interpretive technicians... He is then responsible for the renewal and development of all museum equipments and animation activities in the two National Parks – Forillon and La Mauricie – and many National Historic Sites: Artillery Park in Quebec City, site and interpretive centre of the Chatauguay Battle near Howick QC, Fort Chamby, Louis Saint-Laurent House in Compton, Georges-Étienne Cartier House in Montréal, Museum of the Battle of Ristigouche near Campbelton NB, archaeological site of Forges du Saint-Maurice in Trois-Rivières, Fort Lennox à Saint-Paul-de-l’île-aux-Noix, Fur Trade Interpretation Centre in Lachine, Fort Temiscaming, Fort Levis No1 in Lauzon, etc.
B.A.-Arts, 1963. 40 years of experience in the fields of museums and heritage related sites. CEO of Cultura since its foundation in 1987, he works as an expert-consultant in museology, heritage interpretation, presentation, and enhancement, and in cultural and touristic development. In 1970, he becomes Superintendent of National Historic Sites Service for the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
He acquires a good experience in managing and developing the most representative sites of the Canadian heritage: Quebec City Fortifications, various forts – Fort Chambly, Lennox, Prescott, Fort George at Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Malden in Windsor – the MacDonald and MacKenzie-King houses in Kingston and Waterloo, and more than 120 recognized historic sites.
René Rivard received the 2000 International Career Award from ICOM-Canada, the 1996 Career Award from Société des Musées québécois as well as the 1990 Merit Award from the Quebec Association of Heritage Interpretation. In June 2002, he was nominated ''Fellow'' of the Canadian Museum Association and he has received in 2003 the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for his exceptional contribution to the Canadian museum scene.
Since 1980, René Rivard works as an expert-consultant for museums, for the interpretation and enhancement of heritage sites and in cultural development. From 1978 to 1985, he worked for UNESCO and was sent on mission in a dozen of African countries to plan their national museums or other and to train museum staff of French and Portuguese-speaking states. Specializing in new museology and cultural transmission with Inuit and First Nations communities of North America and with the Same de Lapland, he has often been asked to give professional training and to give conferences. He has taught museology at Laval University, at UQAM and at Umeä University in Sweden. For more than 30 years, he has been a recognized innovator in the fields of exhibition planning and museum programming. He is now a seasoned museological and architectural planner, a specialist in new museology. Under his direction, an average of 20 studies and projects are conducted each year at Cultura.
