Royal Ontario Museum announces $1.25-million donation from the Lindsay Family Foundation

TORONTO, May 26, 2026 - The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) today announced a generous $1.25-million gift from the Lindsay Family Foundation to fund the installation of a large-scale amethyst geode in the future Hennick Entrance, as part of OpenROM, a sweeping transformation of Canada’s largest museum. 

Standing 2.5 metres tall and weighing 1.4 tonnes, the amethyst is one of five objects to be displayed on raised pedestals in the new lobby space, greeting all who enter. These installations will showcase the breadth of ROM’s collections of art, culture, and nature, creating a gallery-like space for the public to enjoy as they enter the Museum. 

“From the moment visitors walk through the new Hennick Entrance, they will be immersed in a sense of wonder inspired by a range of awe-inspiring objects,” said Jennifer Wild, ROM’s Interim Co-Director & CEO. “This magnificent amethyst will immediately introduce the Museum’s renowned collections of rocks, minerals and gems to everyone who steps inside.”  

The gift will also support equipment and upgrades to ROM’s Science Research Labs to supply researchers with cutting-edge tools that will expand capacity for field-shaping research. In recognition of this support, the Earth Sciences Research Lab will now be named the Lindsay Family Foundation Earth Sciences Research Lab, located within ROM's Louise Hawley Stone Curatorial Centre. 

“I am proud to support ROM at this transformative moment,” said Don Lindsay “The amethyst will stand as a symbol of the beauty and power of the natural world, inviting curiosity and discovery for everyone who encounters it – whether they are entering the Museum or simply passing by. Similarly, I am delighted to strengthen ROM’s educational and research programs that will enable important upgrades to the Museum’s labs. I’ve been coming to ROM since I was three years old; my mother was Chair of the volunteer committee, and my five sisters and I made frequent visits to the exhibitions of the day. I treasure those moments and am delighted to be able to make this ‘thank you’ gift to ROM.”

For 18 years, Mr. Lindsay served as the President & CEO of Teck Resources Ltd, which has a longstanding relationship with ROM as a corporate partner and donor. The amethyst highlights ROM’s world-renowned collections of rocks, minerals and gems, which have been generously supported by Teck over many years. During the Renaissance ROM campaign of the early 2000s, Teck’s transformational $10-million gift supported the development of the Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures, as well as the creation of a new home for the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame at ROM, into which Mr. Lindsay was inducted in 2026. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Trans Mountain Corporation, Chair of the Board of Manulife Financial Corporation, and a Director of BHP Group Limited.

“Philanthropy makes it possible for ROM to share its extraordinary collections in innovative ways,” said Janice Price, President and CEO of ROM Governors, the foundation responsible for generating all philanthropic support of ROM’s mission. “The Lindsay Family Foundation’s gift exemplifies how private giving helps open the Museum – its spaces, stories, and collections – to more people than ever before. On behalf of ROM and ROM Governors, I offer my deep gratitude and admiration to Don Lindsay and his family for their vision and generosity.”

Further details about the opening of the new main entrance and object installations will be released at a later date.