From the Legislature

Hon. Member from Crapaud-Hazel Grove, Carolyn Bertram ... as quoted in Hansard Dec 12, 2006

The chair of the Museum and Heritage Foundation, Satadal Dasgupta said “The Board (of the Foundation) continues to discuss its hope of acquiring an appropriate home for the provincial collection and dreams of establishing a provincial museum where much of the Island history presently housed in our ‘artifactory’ could be presented and interpreted to the public”; . . .

. . . in 2007, next year, the 35th anniversary of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation. Let us celebrate heritage here on Prince Edward Island next year by supporting the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation by recognizing Dr. Dasgupta’s true dream of establishing a provincial museum, along with all others that are committed to heritage protection here on Prince Edward Island.


. . . As Catherine Hennessey puts it - and who else knows the history of Prince Edward Island? - Catherine is very committed to historical preservation here on Prince Edward Island. But she said: 2007 marks the 35th anniversary of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation. So this is the upcoming year. What better year to mark its anniversary than endorsing this resolution here this evening, where we’re endorsing the concept and urging the government to begin the planning as soon as possible? This is a positive step. is apositive step.


. . . Because Charlottetown has had a committee looking into a provincial museum facility and I think they feel that they’ve been left out of this process, along with other areas. Because I think there’s a true commitment by many groups across the Island that feel they’ve been left out.


. . . So here we have a new facility that’s being constructed with no large plan on the table. I think that’s what we need. We need to have people committed to this. I think someone like Catherine Hennessey, Dutch Thompson, we have so many people that are interested in this. Dr. Ed MacDonald, former executive chairs - and Dr. Dasgupta - along with the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, I think we could formulate a very strong community oriented committee that could
look into this that could bring forward a plan as soon as possible, in this the 35th anniversary 2007, to the minister. Not to sit on a shelf, obviously, to actually see an endorsement by the government to support a provincial museum.