Having a say about heritage policy

Having a say about heritage policy - The current round of hearings is an opportunity to discuss Island heritage and what needs to be done to protect it

EDITORIAL STAFF
The Guardian Published 08/February/2008

The public meetings now underway to discuss Island heritage are an ideal opportunity for Islanders to air their concerns and to express their priorities. The hearings also have the potential to play a key role in shaping public policy on heritage issues. To any Islander with an interest in this subject, the advice is simple: go and have your say.

They may not wear it on their sleeve, but Islanders hold their heritage near and dear. That’s obvious any time there’s controversy over a proposed policy or development that may threaten a cherished building or site deemed important to the Island’s past. One of the most high-profile debates occurred last year when the previous government announced its plans to move the province’s artifactory to Murray River.

Supporters of this move thought it would rescue an estimated 80,000 pieces of Island heritage from a leaky warehouse in the West Royalty Industrial Park and at the same time create an added attraction in this eastern end of the Island. Detractors condemned the plan saying it was taking the Island’s storehouse of historical treasures from a central location and making it less accessible not only to visitors but to those working in Island heritage who frequently make use of the collection.

So contentious was the debate that Liberal Leader Robert Ghiz promised in last May’s election campaign to put the move to Murray River on hold until it could be reviewed. And in the Ghiz government’s first budget last fall, it announced it would spend $75,000 to fix up the current artifactory location, presumably as a measure to protect the collection while buying some time to settle this and other heritage issues.

So where is the province headed when it comes to heritage policy? It has asked The IRIS Group to conduct a study to give it direction. The first phase of that study is a series of meetings now underway. As Diane Griffin, project leader for The IRIS Group, said recently, strong participation in the study, including the hearings, is key. “It’s important that various points of views be heard if our political leaders are to understand how passionately Islanders care about these issues.”

Ultimately it’s government that will decide what to do with the province’s collection of artifacts and how it will proceed with heritage policy in the province. But it has asked for public input in making those decisions. The current study is an opportunity for that input.

Let’s not forget what heritage really is. It’s not about a collection of old items, furniture or buildings. It’s what these things collectively represent. They’re a tangible link to our past. They’re pieces of history that tell some of the story of our parents and grandparents and their parents before them. They give us a glimpse of the society that helped shape who we are today. We all have a stake in how this past is preserved — and cherished — for future generations.

08/02/08