Bertram calls for P.E.I. museum

Carolyn Bertram would like to see a tourism destination built.

as published by CBC News Wednesday, November 22, 2006 | 4:15 PM AT

The government should build a central museum instead of just a place to store its artifacts, says Liberal MLA Carolyn Bertram.

The federal and provincial governments have come together to replace the overcrowded, leaky facility where the province currently stores its history — known as the artifactory — but Bertram would like to see the province go a step further.

"If we're spending $4 million, could that be better spent directed toward putting an artifactory and a provincial museum housed under one roof, where in fact it would be an educational component and truly a tourism destination, where in fact there are jobs created," said Bertram.

The new building would go in Murray River, in the southeast of the province, an area represented by Premier Pat Binns. It would be designed to store 80,000 artifacts and when completed would employ about three people.

Bertram raised the question of building a museum during question period Tuesday.

Outside the house, Cultural Affairs Minister Elmer MacFadyen suggested Bertram doesn't understand how much of a boost this project will be for Murray River.

"I believe it is a chance and an opportunity to bring a new type of development down to the Murray River area," said MacFadyen.

"There is the opportunity for new business to locate there. Listening to the line of questioning that came, one could assume that maybe they're against rural development."

Bertram said she's not at all against development. It's just the kind of development this appears to be that bothers her.