Tom Thomson Art Gallery Moves to Standardize Attendance Tracking After Years of Inconsistencies
Owen Sound’s Tom Thomson Art Gallery proposes new attendance tracking procedures amid longstanding concerns over data accuracy and reporting methods.
The City of Owen Sound’s Tom Thomson Art Gallery (TTAG) will present a new report this week outlining a standardized process for tracking attendance, following concerns in recent years about inconsistencies in how visitor data has been recorded and reported.
The staff report is set to be reviewed by the Tom Thomson Art Gallery Advisory Committee at its May 7 meeting. It introduces a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) intended to “create consistent methods of tracking, recording and reporting the attendance data for in-person visits to the Gallery and at offsite exhibitions, art installations, programs and events.”
Attendance data plays an important role in the Gallery’s operations. It is submitted to the Canadian Arts Database (CADAC) as part of annual provincial and federal grant reporting, and has been included in past municipal reports and strategic planning materials.
New Attendance Protocol Heads to Advisory Committee
According to the staff report, inconsistencies have arisen due to varying methods used to estimate attendance, particularly at offsite events. The new SOP outlines updated forms and procedures, as well as training for front-desk and program staff to improve data reliability and reduce human error.
Recent upgrades include the installation of bi-directional people counters at key entry points to improve accuracy. These devices, added in 2024, replace the manual adjustments previously required to account for repeat entries or exits.
The move to formalize procedures comes after repeated scrutiny from committee members and residents over how attendance data has been compiled and used in City reports.
Public and Committee Concerns Spark Closer Scrutiny
In early 2023, a staff report stated that the Gallery’s 2022 attendance was 18,831, excluding offsite events. However, data obtained via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by local resident David McLeish indicated only 4,870 visitors were manually counted on-site that year—raising questions about how the totals were calculated.
Concerns continued into fall 2023, when a report highlighted a 33% increase in visitor numbers during the Tourism Services pilot project at the Gallery. While a record 4,013 visits were reported in August alone, staff later confirmed that these figures were drawn from entry counters, which register all passes—including staff, deliveries, and repeat entries—unless adjusted.
Public scrutiny intensified in late 2024, when McLeish published a detailed analysis of Gallery attendance data obtained through additional FOI requests. The analysis revealed that reported attendance figures over the years often included large estimates from offsite programs, public engagement events, and touring exhibitions.
For example, the Gallery’s reported 2016 attendance of 234,178 included more than 200,000 visits from offsite and outreach events, while staff manually counted just 13,749 visitors on-site.
Figures Used in $16M+ Expansion Study Also Under Review
That same 2016 figure was later cited in a $16 million+ gallery expansion feasibility study presented to City Council in March 2024. The architects’ report used attendance ranges from 18,935 to 234,178 to describe the Gallery’s reach, despite cautioning elsewhere in the document that pre-2017 data was collected using inconsistent methods and “may not be fully accurate.”
The new SOP is not retroactive and does not revise past attendance reports. However, staff say the updated system will improve future data integrity and support effective planning, marketing, capacity management, and funding applications.
The advisory committee will review the report at its May 7 meeting. A recommendation is being made for City Council to receive it for information.
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Call me naive, but wouldn't it be part of a Director's job to say "hey this isnt working, let's count this consistant way instead," rather than a Staff Report @ how many hours?