Letter to the editor - The Guardian - July 17, 2007
EARLE LOCKERBY
Darnley
Editor:
Opposition Leader Pat Binns' remarks of regret concerning an artifactory in Murray River ("Decision to pull plug on artifactory 'terribly disappointing': Binns", The Guardian, July 3) confirm what has been transparently obvious all along: the facility was first and foremost a vehicle for "greatly enhancing a rural P.E.I. region", namely his own riding. The benefit to the provincial artifact collection was secondary.
His expressed fear that a provincial museum will threaten the locally-owned community museums throughout the province is both disturbing and indicative of a lack of understanding of the role and purpose of a provincial museum.
Has he ever had a close look at the provincial museums in our neighbouring provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick?
Binns is quoted as stating "in my mind the provincial museum exists through the seven current provincial sites around the province." These facilities, though valuable, in no way constitute a provincial museum. They portray several particular and limited heritage themes, namely shipbuilding, the railway on the Island, the fishery, agriculture, a pioneer community and Acadian culture.
In which provincial facility may one view a portrayal of the Island's musical heritage? Its aviation history? The history of communications with the mainland? The geological and other natural history of the Island? Our aboriginal history and culture? The list goes on and on.
A provincial museum will comprehensively showcase the full spectrum of the Island's rich heritage and culture, utilizing artifacts from the provincial collection, much of which resides in a warehouse known as the artifactory. I believe it is feasible to integrate the existing provincial sites into a proper provincial museum framework such that they play a complementary role to a large centralized facility.
I do not agree with Pat Binns' view that a provincial museum will be a threat to the small, community museums. I happen to be on the board of directors of such a museum, the Keir Memorial Museum at Malpeque, and I can assure him that I do not see our museum as being in any way threatened.
On the contrary, I would expect my fellow directors would welcome a new provincial museum, as I believe would be the case for heritage-minded and culturally-minded Islanders in general.
For the most part, the community museums seek to portray the history of their own immediate areas, not that relating to the Island as a whole
That the Binns government could have been so out of touch with the museological needs of the province is a measure of its failure to consult broadly with Islanders, and in particular with the heritage and culture community.
During the weeks and months following the announcement of a new artifactory at Murray River, several writers of letters to the editor of The Guardian urged the Binns government to take a step back, and to enter into consultations with the heritage and culture community with a view to developing a broad strategic plan for a provincial museum system which would well serve the Island as a whole over the coming decades. This plea fell on deaf ears, as the government was hell-bent on locating a new artifact storage facility at Murray River.
It is to be hoped that Premier Robter Ghiz and Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram will begin the process of delivering a Provincial Museum and new artifactory in an integrated fashion, by obtaining the views of Islanders on what is required - and not just the views of the board of directors of Museum and Heritage P.E.I., an organization which happens to be a provincial Crown corporation.
Earle Lockerby has been a director of the Keir Memorial Museum in Malpeque for several years.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Ghiz must keep promise on museum
Letter to the editor - The Guardian - July 4, 2007
EARLE LOCKERBY
Darnley
Editor:
I applaud the provincial government’s decision to rescind the plans of the Binns government to build a new artifactory at Murray River.
That being said, there remains a critical need for a new storage facility to house and safeguard, for future generations of Islanders, the province’s valuable collection of artifacts which constitute an important part of our heritage. Further ‘patching up’ of the existing facility, which has survived for many years on ‘patch-ups’ and was never designed to provide an adequate environment for the artifacts, can be only a very short-term, temporary measure.
A new artifactory needs to be planned for, and realized, in conjunction with a new provincial museum, and in my view, both should be located in the Charlottetown area and as close together as reasonably possible.
Premier Ghiz has recently made much of the fact that our province is the only one without a passport office. It is also the only province without a provincial museum. True, we do have a number of small, ‘theme’ museums scattered across the Island. Like the spokes and rim of a wheel, these facilities perform a useful service, but what is missing is the hub — a provincial museum. Adequately storing our artifacts is important, but equally important is showcasing them to Islanders and to visitors to our province. Currently, the vast majority of the provincial collection never, or rarely, sees the light of day because we have inadequate facilities in which to display the artifacts and in which to comprehensively interpret the Island’s rich heritage and culture.
A major new display facility — a centrally located provincial museum — along with an integrated new artifactory, are sorely needed in this province. During the recent election campaign, Premier Ghiz promised Islanders a new provincial museum. Islanders expect him to keep his promise.
EARLE LOCKERBY
Darnley
Editor:
I applaud the provincial government’s decision to rescind the plans of the Binns government to build a new artifactory at Murray River.
That being said, there remains a critical need for a new storage facility to house and safeguard, for future generations of Islanders, the province’s valuable collection of artifacts which constitute an important part of our heritage. Further ‘patching up’ of the existing facility, which has survived for many years on ‘patch-ups’ and was never designed to provide an adequate environment for the artifacts, can be only a very short-term, temporary measure.
A new artifactory needs to be planned for, and realized, in conjunction with a new provincial museum, and in my view, both should be located in the Charlottetown area and as close together as reasonably possible.
Premier Ghiz has recently made much of the fact that our province is the only one without a passport office. It is also the only province without a provincial museum. True, we do have a number of small, ‘theme’ museums scattered across the Island. Like the spokes and rim of a wheel, these facilities perform a useful service, but what is missing is the hub — a provincial museum. Adequately storing our artifacts is important, but equally important is showcasing them to Islanders and to visitors to our province. Currently, the vast majority of the provincial collection never, or rarely, sees the light of day because we have inadequate facilities in which to display the artifacts and in which to comprehensively interpret the Island’s rich heritage and culture.
A major new display facility — a centrally located provincial museum — along with an integrated new artifactory, are sorely needed in this province. During the recent election campaign, Premier Ghiz promised Islanders a new provincial museum. Islanders expect him to keep his promise.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Decision to pull plug on artifactory 'terribly disappointing': Binns
Opposition Leader says funding that was lined up for $4.9-million project in Murray River is now lost
The Guardian July 3, 2007
STEVE SHARRATT
MURRAY RIVER — Opposition Leader Pat Binns says the new Liberal government has pulled the plug on a project that had millions of dollars of funding in place and would
have greatly enhanced a rural P.E.I. region.
Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour Minister Carolyn Bertram confirmed last week that the $4.9-million provincial artifactory to be constructed in Murray River has been cancelled and government would develop a comprehensive plan for heritage in the future.
As well, it would “stabilize” the leaking West Royalty Industrial Park building where over 80,000 artifacts of Island heritage are being stored.
“It’s a terribly disappointing decision,” said Binns, who had plans to bring the Canada Tree to the site as an attraction.
“We had all the funding lined up from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and now it’s lost. And if the focus of the new government is to develop a provincial museum, I fear for the more than two dozen community museums around the province.”
The artifactory was a one-year project for the Northumberland Development Corporation which invested $250,000 in land acquisition, demolition and architectural work.
The project was announced earlier this year but drew some criticism that it should be located in Charlottetown.
The Conservative loss in the provincial election killed the project and Bertram said she would work with the Development Corporation to seek other opportunities.
“We met with the minister . . . and certainly got the impression that our cause was quickly evaporating,” said Jamie Richards, chair of the Corporation.
“But we acknowledge their decision even though it was a welcome project that had the community excited.”
Binns announced the project as a way to spread sites of appeal around the province.
The artifactory would have housed the historical items donated to the Heritage Foundation and featured some retail shop space to help improve the downtown centre of Murray River.
“If there is an intention to go to a provincial museum some small ones should be very concerned,” he said.
“In my mind, the provincial museum exists through the seven current provincial sites around the province.”
Binns said the artifactory project was designed to assist both heritage preservation and redevelop a community main street.
“We already had business interests who wanted to set up retail outlets at the site,” he said.
The Guardian July 3, 2007
STEVE SHARRATT
MURRAY RIVER — Opposition Leader Pat Binns says the new Liberal government has pulled the plug on a project that had millions of dollars of funding in place and would
have greatly enhanced a rural P.E.I. region.
Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour Minister Carolyn Bertram confirmed last week that the $4.9-million provincial artifactory to be constructed in Murray River has been cancelled and government would develop a comprehensive plan for heritage in the future.
As well, it would “stabilize” the leaking West Royalty Industrial Park building where over 80,000 artifacts of Island heritage are being stored.
“It’s a terribly disappointing decision,” said Binns, who had plans to bring the Canada Tree to the site as an attraction.
“We had all the funding lined up from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and now it’s lost. And if the focus of the new government is to develop a provincial museum, I fear for the more than two dozen community museums around the province.”
The artifactory was a one-year project for the Northumberland Development Corporation which invested $250,000 in land acquisition, demolition and architectural work.
The project was announced earlier this year but drew some criticism that it should be located in Charlottetown.
The Conservative loss in the provincial election killed the project and Bertram said she would work with the Development Corporation to seek other opportunities.
“We met with the minister . . . and certainly got the impression that our cause was quickly evaporating,” said Jamie Richards, chair of the Corporation.
“But we acknowledge their decision even though it was a welcome project that had the community excited.”
Binns announced the project as a way to spread sites of appeal around the province.
The artifactory would have housed the historical items donated to the Heritage Foundation and featured some retail shop space to help improve the downtown centre of Murray River.
“If there is an intention to go to a provincial museum some small ones should be very concerned,” he said.
“In my mind, the provincial museum exists through the seven current provincial sites around the province.”
Binns said the artifactory project was designed to assist both heritage preservation and redevelop a community main street.
“We already had business interests who wanted to set up retail outlets at the site,” he said.
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