Collaborating on a museum

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR as published in The Guardian Nov 7, 2009
Editor:

I fully agree with Dr. Ed MacDonald's letter 'Let's build a provincial museum' (The Guardian, Sept. 26, 2009).

One thing I would like to add is the need for collaboration amongst all levels of government as was the case in 1964 with the building of the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

Back then, the government of Canada provided the cash investment and the provincial legislature conveyed all of the property (approximately one acre) to the Fathers of Confederation Building Trust. The City of Charlottetown's contribution came in the form of an annual grant in lieu of taxes. Consequently, the Confederation Centre does not pay municipal taxes on the buildings or property. In 2009, this grant amounted to $208,000.

We need to encourage the province to lead the charge in announcing, within the very near future, the formation of a working group to plan a grand celebration of the sesquicentennial of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864. This plan must include the Parliament of Canada acknowledging Charlottetown's place in Canadian history as the Birthplace of Confederation by an Act of Parliament. As well, the new museum should incorporate this important and historical contribution including the many other facets of Island history.

A citizens group worked together to bring about the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Now it's time for the provincial government to provide the leadership to move forward and build a new museum with collaboration from the federal government and the municipal government of Charlottetown.

Philip Brown,

Charlottetown