The Canadian Museum of Civilization has cancelled its annual costume ball fundraiser amid a strike by its workers.

"We've been selling less tables than we did in previous years," said Chantal Schryer, the museum's vice president of public affairs Wednesday. "If you add that to the economy and the strike, we felt we were better to pass this year."

The popular event had been expected to raise $1 million to help the museum buy cultural artifacts.

About 400 workers at the Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum have been on strike since Sept. 21. Talks resumed Wednesday afternoon between museum management and the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the union that represents the workers, for the first time since the strike began.

In the past few weeks, in addition to costume ball, more than 15 programs and some special exhibits have been cancelled because of the strike. As well, the number of visitors has dropped by 15 per cent since the strike started, management reported.

Nevertheless, a big exhibit of treasures from Afghanistan is set to open on schedule on Oct. 23, and a French comic-strip convention will also start tomorrow. Replacement workers have been hired, and non-unionized staff and managers have been working overtime to ensure those events go ahead.