Conservator
2340 Albert Street
REGINA SK S4P 2V7
Ph: 306-787-2667
Email: victoria.kablysnielsen@gov.sk.ca
About
Victoria Kablys‑Nielsen is the Conservator at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM), where she leads the preventive and remedial care of the museum’s natural and cultural history collections. Her work spans an exceptionally diverse range of materials—including vertebrate and invertebrate zoological specimens, paleontological and geological collections, archaeological artifacts, and Indigenous cultural belongings—requiring ongoing collaboration with curators, community knowledge‑keepers, and allied colleagues to ensure thoughtful, informed stewardship.
At the RSM, Victoria is committed to a holistic, people‑centered approach to conservation that embraces the diverse values and perspectives tied to collections. She is particularly passionate about the care of Indigenous belongings and works collaboratively to prioritize Indigenous access, control, and voices throughout stewardship processes. Through her work, she aims to strengthen conservation practice in Saskatchewan and contribute to broader conversations about cultural heritage preservation across Canada.
Victoria joined the RSM in 2018 after completing her Master of Art Conservation (M.A.C.), Objects Specialization, at Queen’s University. She also holds a B.A. (Honours) in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia. Prior to joining the RSM, she worked with several major institutions across Canada and the United States, including the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, the Museum of Vancouver, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Arizona State Museum, and the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Victoria has served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association for Conservation of Cultural Property (CAC) since 2019 and currently holds the position of Executive Councillor for Professional Development.
Peer-reviewed Publications
Kablys, V., E. Demers, and A. Ghadban-Friesen. 2021-2022. Metamorphosis: Moving, Rehousing and Transforming Access to the Indigenous Studies Collection at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Journal of the Canadian Association for Conservation 46: 19–40.
