Stratford a good site for provincial museum

as published in The Guardian March 28, 2007
SANDY MCMILLAN Chair, planning and heritage committee, Stratford

Editor:

All the discussion surrounding the artifactory relocation to Murray River has raised a larger question as to the value and need for a centralized provincial museum. The majority of opinion seems to support the idea of having one facility presenting a global display and interpretation of our Island history and that this facility should itself be centrally located. I would like to suggest that ‘centrally located’ casts a wide net.

Before the residents and elected officials of Charlottetown get too comfortable with the idea that a future provincial museum is a natural entitlement within their municipal boundaries, they should look to our nation’s capital for a preview of a possible local challenge.

Douglas Cardinal’s tour de force, The Canadian Museum of Civilization, is located not in Ottawa proper but directly opposite Parliament Hill, across the Ottawa River, in Gatineau, Que.

Following that example, what better place to site a provincial museum than on Stratford’s waterfront? Visitors would have the opportunity to view the birthplace of Confederation from almost the same vantage point our founding fathers first enjoyed as they sailed into Charlottetown Harbour in 1864.

Aside from Stratford’s waterfront being a visually spectacular and inspirational location, ideal for a significant cultural institution, there are other arguments in support of this proposal.

Stratford currently lacks a footprint in the Island tourism industry. A provincial museum would largely eliminate that deficit and serve as a much-needed economic anchor/catalyst within our waterfront core area.

Locating it in close proximity to the Hillsborough Bridge and the Trans-Canada Highway would ensure ease of accessibility by foot, bicycle or car to all points east, west and downtown Charlottetown.

Future spinoffs might include: a summer ferry service transporting tourists and residents to and from Peakes Quay; off-season the facility could serve as a cultural centre for our community.

Far from being a lost opportunity for Charlottetown, a Stratford-based provincial museum could in fact serve as a complementary economic engine benefiting both communities.