The task force interpreted its mandate to be more than to draw up long- term plans projecting a linear development of the museum. It moved to ask more fundamental questions of the role of the museum in a city-state that was aspiring to global city status. In this it was fortunate in being able to tap the expertise of Dr George MacDonald who was then ting the development of Canada's biggest museum project, the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Qtawa, which opened with aplomb in 1990. Dr M acDonald, who had accepted the museum's invitation to advise on its development, helped us work out our ideas for the extension of the museum into old but historic buildings in the city area and form them into a museum precinct. More important, Dr MacDonald alerted us to trends in the museum world in America and Canada that were shaping the planning and development of new museums, including the new Museum of Civilization he was supervising the development of