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.
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