The Guardian - June, 2007
The proposed Museum and Heritage Storage Facility (artifactory) in Murray River will not proceed, it was confirmed officially Thursday by Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour.
Bertram said that government will develop an overall plan for heritage in the province and in light of this new direction, cabinet has determined that he artifactory plans for the village are on hold.
"At this point, we recognize the most pressing need for the Museum and Heritage Foundation is to stabilize the current storage facility to reduce any danger to the valuable collection of artifacts,"Bertram said.
"Carrying out renovation work on the current storage facility will provide sufficient time for government to explore all options, so we can make an informed decision about the future direction for heritage in our province."
Bertram met recently with the Museum and Heritage Foundation and representatives of the Northumberland Community Development Corporation to discuss the future of the proposed Museum Collections Storage Facility in Murray River.
She said government will work with NCDC to explore other development opportunities for the community.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Cancelling artifactory a mistake: Binns
Opposition leader Pat Binns calls the Liberal government's decision to cancel a new artifact storage facility planned for Murray River "a huge mistake."
The current facility is leaky and overcrowded.
(CBC) Friday, June 29, 2007 | 4:00 PM AT - CBC News
Binns told CBC News Friday the money was secured for the facility and the project would have revitalized the community. He believes the decision to cancel the artifact storage building in his home district was politically motivated. What's worse, he said, is that thousands of artifacts are now being left at risk.
"We have an opportunity to remove the artifacts, 70,000 thousand artifacts, from being at risk," he said.
"Right now the federal money is there; the provincial money was there. That is sort of being thrown to the wind right now. I just hope that something will cause the government to relook at this situation."
The Liberals announced the cancellation of the project Thursday. They say they'll invest $75,000 into renovating the current facility in Charlottetown's West Royalty Industrial Park to ensure the artifacts aren't damaged, and start work on a new plan for heritage in the province.
Binns said he's worried the Liberals plan to build a central provincial museum, which he said would threaten the seven provincial museums spread across the island, from the Shipbuilding Museum in Green Park to the Elmira Railway Museum.
The decision to cancel the facility could be one of many to come that will slowly strangle rural Prince Edward Island,
The current facility is leaky and overcrowded.
(CBC) Friday, June 29, 2007 | 4:00 PM AT - CBC News
Binns told CBC News Friday the money was secured for the facility and the project would have revitalized the community. He believes the decision to cancel the artifact storage building in his home district was politically motivated. What's worse, he said, is that thousands of artifacts are now being left at risk.
"We have an opportunity to remove the artifacts, 70,000 thousand artifacts, from being at risk," he said.
"Right now the federal money is there; the provincial money was there. That is sort of being thrown to the wind right now. I just hope that something will cause the government to relook at this situation."
The Liberals announced the cancellation of the project Thursday. They say they'll invest $75,000 into renovating the current facility in Charlottetown's West Royalty Industrial Park to ensure the artifacts aren't damaged, and start work on a new plan for heritage in the province.
Binns said he's worried the Liberals plan to build a central provincial museum, which he said would threaten the seven provincial museums spread across the island, from the Shipbuilding Museum in Green Park to the Elmira Railway Museum.
The decision to cancel the facility could be one of many to come that will slowly strangle rural Prince Edward Island,
Artifactory in Murray River gets shelved
BY STEVE SHARRATT - The Guardian June 29, 2007
A one-acre piece of property that was to become home to the province's new artifactory will face an empty future.
The new Liberal government has pulled the plug on building a $4.9-million artifactory here that was endorsed by the previous administration and would be constructed in the riding of former Premier Pat Binns.
"It's not a huge surprise but it certainly is disappointing," said Jamie Richards, chair of the Northumberland Development Corporation, who heard the news from The Guardian.
"Hopefully the new government will see our community is valuable for some project," he said.
Communities and Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram announced the project cancellation Thursday and said the province - with the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation - would seek a comprehensive plan for Island heritage.
Government will also stabilize the current storage facility to reduce any danger to the more than 80,000 artifacts housed in a leaking building at the West Royalty Industrial Park.
The commencement of the artifactory project in Murray River was endorsed by the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, but drew criticism from other heritage advocates in the province who suggested a provincial museum was important and would best suit the needs in the Charlottetown area.
A one-acre piece of property that was to become home to the province's new artifactory will face an empty future.
The new Liberal government has pulled the plug on building a $4.9-million artifactory here that was endorsed by the previous administration and would be constructed in the riding of former Premier Pat Binns.
"It's not a huge surprise but it certainly is disappointing," said Jamie Richards, chair of the Northumberland Development Corporation, who heard the news from The Guardian.
"Hopefully the new government will see our community is valuable for some project," he said.
Communities and Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram announced the project cancellation Thursday and said the province - with the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation - would seek a comprehensive plan for Island heritage.
Government will also stabilize the current storage facility to reduce any danger to the more than 80,000 artifacts housed in a leaking building at the West Royalty Industrial Park.
The commencement of the artifactory project in Murray River was endorsed by the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, but drew criticism from other heritage advocates in the province who suggested a provincial museum was important and would best suit the needs in the Charlottetown area.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Inheriting the artifactory dilemma
Editorial in The Guardian - June 21, 2007
The Ghiz government must resolve the dispute over the artifactory and a centrally located provincial museum.
When they won the May 28 election, the provincial Liberals inherited some complex and delicate dilemmas. The future of the provincial artifactory and the call for a centrally located provincial museum were two of them. It's their job now to find a solution that will put these issues to rest.
Many Islanders outside the heritage community may not have known what an artifactory was until Premier Pat Binns announced last year he was relocating the storage facility to Murray River. Many heritage activists protested the decision saying the facility should be more centrally located so more Islanders would have access to it, and staff would be able to interact more easily with others also working in that area of interest and expertise. Still others said it should be part of a provincial museum situated at least in the central region of the province, if not the capital city area.
But proponents of the move argued that anything was better than the status quo. Right now, an estimated 80,000 artifacts are stored in a leaky storage facility in the West Royalty Industrial Park - hardly an ideal location for the precious pieces of our history.
In spite of the vocal opposition to the move, the Binns government proceeded with it, and the Northumberland Development Corporation in Murray River acquired the land necessary for the artifactory and moved ahead with some of the plans.
The Liberal victory in last month's election has put those plans on hold. Premier Robert Ghiz has put a moratorium on the project until he can review it, a move that obviously doesn't thrill the development corporation, which has already invested $250,000 in the land purchase, demolition and preparatory architectural work at the site.
Few would dispute the fact that our artifacts deserve better shelter. But locating this facility anywhere other than central P.E.I. could end up being a greater disservice in the long run. Our artifacts need protection, but they also need to be accessible to the public. The opinion of many heritage activists seems to suggest that we need, first of all, a broader vision of how we want to protect and display our heritage, and, second, a centrally located facility that would best accommodate this vision.
It's unfortunate that the plan to move the artifactory to Murray River has proceeded as far as it has. The new government will have to consider the investment that's already gone into the project in deciding whether to go ahead or go back to the drawing board.
But this shouldn't be the key consideration. If after reviewing the project and consulting with interested parties, government halts the artifactory move - and hopefully it will - it should look into moving some other facility to Murray River. In this way, the time and money that's gone into preparing the site for development won't be wasted.
The Ghiz government must resolve the dispute over the artifactory and a centrally located provincial museum.
When they won the May 28 election, the provincial Liberals inherited some complex and delicate dilemmas. The future of the provincial artifactory and the call for a centrally located provincial museum were two of them. It's their job now to find a solution that will put these issues to rest.
Many Islanders outside the heritage community may not have known what an artifactory was until Premier Pat Binns announced last year he was relocating the storage facility to Murray River. Many heritage activists protested the decision saying the facility should be more centrally located so more Islanders would have access to it, and staff would be able to interact more easily with others also working in that area of interest and expertise. Still others said it should be part of a provincial museum situated at least in the central region of the province, if not the capital city area.
But proponents of the move argued that anything was better than the status quo. Right now, an estimated 80,000 artifacts are stored in a leaky storage facility in the West Royalty Industrial Park - hardly an ideal location for the precious pieces of our history.
In spite of the vocal opposition to the move, the Binns government proceeded with it, and the Northumberland Development Corporation in Murray River acquired the land necessary for the artifactory and moved ahead with some of the plans.
The Liberal victory in last month's election has put those plans on hold. Premier Robert Ghiz has put a moratorium on the project until he can review it, a move that obviously doesn't thrill the development corporation, which has already invested $250,000 in the land purchase, demolition and preparatory architectural work at the site.
Few would dispute the fact that our artifacts deserve better shelter. But locating this facility anywhere other than central P.E.I. could end up being a greater disservice in the long run. Our artifacts need protection, but they also need to be accessible to the public. The opinion of many heritage activists seems to suggest that we need, first of all, a broader vision of how we want to protect and display our heritage, and, second, a centrally located facility that would best accommodate this vision.
It's unfortunate that the plan to move the artifactory to Murray River has proceeded as far as it has. The new government will have to consider the investment that's already gone into the project in deciding whether to go ahead or go back to the drawing board.
But this shouldn't be the key consideration. If after reviewing the project and consulting with interested parties, government halts the artifactory move - and hopefully it will - it should look into moving some other facility to Murray River. In this way, the time and money that's gone into preparing the site for development won't be wasted.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Artifactory future rests with new Liberal government
STEVE SHARRATT The Guardian June 7, 2007
Northumberland Development Corporation chair says he'll present case once cabinet named
MURRAY RIVER — The financing was in place, the land was ready for construction and the tender was days away from being awarded, but an artifactory to store the antiquities of the Island’s past could be history here.
Former Premier Pat Binns was preparing to turn the sod at the building site when a provincial election late last month ended the Conservative dream of a fourth term.
And now the project — which raised considerable controversy in the capital city — is in the hands of a new Liberal administration.
“Right now we’re just biding our time and waiting for the new government to make a decision,’’ said Jamie Richards, chair of the Northumberland Development Corporation which has already invested $250,000. “But as soon as a cabinet is appointed we’ll be taking our case to them.”
The provincial artifactory was announced earlier this year by the Conservative government as a place to house and display some of the more than 80,000 items of historical significance now being stored in the West Royalty Industrial Park.
The $4.9-million project also included a retail and boutique attachment as a way to stimulate more summertime business in this quiet fishing village.
But while the relocation bid was applauded by the P.E.I. Heritage Foundation, it drew the ire of other heritage buffs who insisted Murray River was too far off the beaten track and the province should be building a provincial museum instead in the capital city.
“We have all our ducks lined up on this one and we can only hope that the new administration will look favourably on our plan,’’ said Richards.
During the election, Liberal leader Robert Ghiz said he would put a moratorium on the artifactory and seek wider consultation before confirming construction plans.
A spokesman in Ghiz’s office said no decisions would be made until Ghiz is sworn in sometime next week and a new cabinet meets.
Richards expects the lobbyists who protested the artifactory relocating here will be out in force, but insisted the area development corporation is not giving up — especially having invested $250,000 in the project with land purchase, demolition and preparatory architectural work.
Comments:
1.
Richelle from Charlottetown, PE writes: This is a very misleading article and I feel the writer is definately not presenting an objective piece of journalism. From what I read the relocation was not applauded by the Heritage Foundation. The builing of a facility was. The heritage foundation was forced into the decision because theywere told it was this or nothing. Perhaps money shouldn't have been spent until a consultation process was enacted. Lets hope these behind closed doors projects of the conservatives are over.
Posted 07/06/2007 at 1:22 pm |
2.
Steve from PEI writes: Richelle, you think the closed door projects are bad. Ghiz won't have to do anything behind closed doors because everything, like the artifactory, will be put in Charlottetown because everybody in there thinks that they should get it all. Bunch of greedy townie's i tell ya!
Posted 08/06/2007 at 11:20 am |
3.
Alex from Montague, PEI writes: I don't have a problem with artifact storage taking place in a location like Murray River but I think it would make the most sense to have it co-located with a provincial museum.
New Brunswick's provincial museum is in Saint John, which is historically more important than Fredericton. I'm not sure if an argument can be made that Summerside is more historic than Charlottetown.
Perhaps if we look to the Mi'kmaq occupancy of this island but from a practical point of view, Charlottetown does make the most sense for a provincial museum.
I like to see structures get re-used and expanded, so the soon-to-be-vacant Dominion Building would be ideally suited for this, with room off back toward Pownal Street to house a re-located Public Archives and Records Office, along with an artifactory and a multi-floor museum on the Queen Street side.
As for what you mention with centralization of government services....
I agree that de-centralization, while a bit more costly initially, it actually works to the advantage of governments federally and provincially since it keeps rural communities like Souris, Morell, Murray River, Kensington, Alberton, O'Leary, and Tignish alive as small regional centres, giving a good reason to maintain the sometimes-expensive government services such as schools and health care.... BUT, the real estate is cheap and I'm willing to bet that gov't would end up in the positive on overall multi-year operating costs of offices in these locations.
Perhaps if we saw smaller, self-contained branches or operating agencies of different gov't departments parcelled out to these communities, we'd strengthen the provincial economy while improving costs and services?
I do think that Robert should offer something such as a relocated gov't office to Murray River since they have been banking on this development.
But I think the museum should go to Charlottetown and it's not a town vs. rural thing at all, it just makes sense in this case.
Posted 08/06/2007 at 12:42 pm
Northumberland Development Corporation chair says he'll present case once cabinet named
MURRAY RIVER — The financing was in place, the land was ready for construction and the tender was days away from being awarded, but an artifactory to store the antiquities of the Island’s past could be history here.
Former Premier Pat Binns was preparing to turn the sod at the building site when a provincial election late last month ended the Conservative dream of a fourth term.
And now the project — which raised considerable controversy in the capital city — is in the hands of a new Liberal administration.
“Right now we’re just biding our time and waiting for the new government to make a decision,’’ said Jamie Richards, chair of the Northumberland Development Corporation which has already invested $250,000. “But as soon as a cabinet is appointed we’ll be taking our case to them.”
The provincial artifactory was announced earlier this year by the Conservative government as a place to house and display some of the more than 80,000 items of historical significance now being stored in the West Royalty Industrial Park.
The $4.9-million project also included a retail and boutique attachment as a way to stimulate more summertime business in this quiet fishing village.
But while the relocation bid was applauded by the P.E.I. Heritage Foundation, it drew the ire of other heritage buffs who insisted Murray River was too far off the beaten track and the province should be building a provincial museum instead in the capital city.
“We have all our ducks lined up on this one and we can only hope that the new administration will look favourably on our plan,’’ said Richards.
During the election, Liberal leader Robert Ghiz said he would put a moratorium on the artifactory and seek wider consultation before confirming construction plans.
A spokesman in Ghiz’s office said no decisions would be made until Ghiz is sworn in sometime next week and a new cabinet meets.
Richards expects the lobbyists who protested the artifactory relocating here will be out in force, but insisted the area development corporation is not giving up — especially having invested $250,000 in the project with land purchase, demolition and preparatory architectural work.
Comments:
1.
Richelle from Charlottetown, PE writes: This is a very misleading article and I feel the writer is definately not presenting an objective piece of journalism. From what I read the relocation was not applauded by the Heritage Foundation. The builing of a facility was. The heritage foundation was forced into the decision because theywere told it was this or nothing. Perhaps money shouldn't have been spent until a consultation process was enacted. Lets hope these behind closed doors projects of the conservatives are over.
Posted 07/06/2007 at 1:22 pm |
2.
Steve from PEI writes: Richelle, you think the closed door projects are bad. Ghiz won't have to do anything behind closed doors because everything, like the artifactory, will be put in Charlottetown because everybody in there thinks that they should get it all. Bunch of greedy townie's i tell ya!
Posted 08/06/2007 at 11:20 am |
3.
Alex from Montague, PEI writes: I don't have a problem with artifact storage taking place in a location like Murray River but I think it would make the most sense to have it co-located with a provincial museum.
New Brunswick's provincial museum is in Saint John, which is historically more important than Fredericton. I'm not sure if an argument can be made that Summerside is more historic than Charlottetown.
Perhaps if we look to the Mi'kmaq occupancy of this island but from a practical point of view, Charlottetown does make the most sense for a provincial museum.
I like to see structures get re-used and expanded, so the soon-to-be-vacant Dominion Building would be ideally suited for this, with room off back toward Pownal Street to house a re-located Public Archives and Records Office, along with an artifactory and a multi-floor museum on the Queen Street side.
As for what you mention with centralization of government services....
I agree that de-centralization, while a bit more costly initially, it actually works to the advantage of governments federally and provincially since it keeps rural communities like Souris, Morell, Murray River, Kensington, Alberton, O'Leary, and Tignish alive as small regional centres, giving a good reason to maintain the sometimes-expensive government services such as schools and health care.... BUT, the real estate is cheap and I'm willing to bet that gov't would end up in the positive on overall multi-year operating costs of offices in these locations.
Perhaps if we saw smaller, self-contained branches or operating agencies of different gov't departments parcelled out to these communities, we'd strengthen the provincial economy while improving costs and services?
I do think that Robert should offer something such as a relocated gov't office to Murray River since they have been banking on this development.
But I think the museum should go to Charlottetown and it's not a town vs. rural thing at all, it just makes sense in this case.
Posted 08/06/2007 at 12:42 pm
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