Liberal Party Responds: Cultural Policy for PEI Needed

Thank you for providing the Liberal Party the opportunity of sharing our views on the important topic of a Provincial Museum, and the larger issue of protecting our heritage and culture in our province.  We have attached our responses to your questionaire below.

Sincerely,
Liberal Party of PEI

As Islanders will be examining the cultural policies of all parties, it is important that they know what your provincial museum policy is and vision for a provincial museum. To assist in this regard please provide a copy of your museum policy and answers to the following questions, as soon as possible so that Islanders may be better informed prior to election day.

The Legislative Assembly in 1983, created a provincial museum mandate, "to study, collect, preserve, interpret, and protect the human and natural history of Prince Edward Island for the use, benefit and enjoyment of the people of the province." Since then, many aspects of this mandate have not been fulfilled, especially in the natural history area and the development of exhibition space to interpret existing collections. Despite this, the Legislative Assembly adopts annually a report from the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation, with no mention of many of the activities mandated by the Museum Act.

Question 1
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have the active provincial museum as mandated by the Legislature, that will study, collect, preserve, interpret, and protect the human and natural history of Prince Edward Island, and that sufficient funds and facilities to carry out its mandate will be provided.

The Liberal team believes that our culture and heritage defines who we are and where we come from. As a small Island surrounded by the influences of United States and larger Canadian centers, it is essential that we maintain and strengthen our commitment to our culture and heritage. A Liberal Government will undertake stakeholder consultations into the development of a P.E.I. Cultural Strategy, with an active provincial museum that includes the important area of natural history.

Question 2
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have an opportunity to see both permanent and changing exhibitions of the current artifacts within the existing Provincial Collection.

Liberals believe that the Conservative strategy of storing artifacts away from public viewing is short sighted and short changes Islanders, especially our youth, from learning more about our province’s unique and proud heritage. A Liberal Government will work to improve this situation by combining the need to preserve our artifacts and the need to make them accessible to Islanders.


Question 3
As museum development requires solid planning, please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have a provincial museum development plan that fulfills the mandate granted by the Legislature.

The Liberal team agrees with your assessment of the importance of solid planning to ensure making sound policy decisions. Certainly, the Conservative scheme to relocate the provincial artifactory in Murray River was ill-conceived and based more on political agendas then sound public policy. A Liberal Government will address the issue of sound planning by consulting with P.E.I. communities, museums, and our arts and cultural communities to explore options for a Provincial Museum, and consult with stakeholders in the development of a P.E.I. Cultural Strategy.


Question 4
Many Islanders since 1880 have called for a centrally-located,
adequately-resourced provincial museum building to tell the Island story (including natural history), exhibit the Island collection, and also to serve the various branches community museums and education system by creating exhibits to tour the province. Do you support this vision of a solid hub that can provide strength to the various spokes of a decentralized museum system?
Liberals support the concept of having a solid hub that can provide strength to our existing network of museums across our province. A Liberal Government will consider placing a moratorium on the construction of a new artifactory in Murray River and begin a consultation process with stakeholders to develop the most appropriate plan for a Provincial Museum.