Heritage Blues Back on Agenda

Letters to the Editor (The Guardian) as Published on December 02, 2013

Editor: As a former board member and chair of the Museum and Heritage Foundation I was saddened but not surprised by the frustration expressed by current chair Harry Kielly over the total lack of progress in the continuing saga of a possible provincial museum for the Island.

P.E.I. remains the only province without such a provincial resource, which is massively ironic coming on the heels of the burst of heritage projects under the 2014 celebration boondoggle. Surely in a province where our natural and human history is billed a core value and attraction for visitors, this makes little sense. We will be left after 2014 with a bad taste in our mouths and a stack of receipts for less than memorable events with no lasting legacy. How sad.

It did not have to be this way. Back before 2001 when Founders Hall was being funded with $4 million in public money, many of us argued that “Flounders Hall” would have a short shelf life and become a cultural white elephant in a few years. Of course this proved to be the case.

Fewer than 8,000 visitors paid the $9.50 admission fee and the place lost $50,000 for the Harbour Authority which inherited the faded attraction. It’s a cheap but irresistible shot to say “We told you so.”

We were left with a beautifully restored and refurbished building, the 1906 CN rail car shop in what is probably the premier location in the province. At least that legacy was lasting. It is now up for grabs, looking for a new owner and purpose. It is not a perfect building for a provincial museum, but it is very, very good one. With some careful and creative thought, it could be a wonderful and real legacy post 2014.

Of course money is tight and one can’t argue really with updating hospitals and computer software to at least get into this century technologically, but could we not commit in 2014 to seeing this beautiful building as part of the solution in the future? It was a plank in the government’s platform, if anyone has a memory. Let’s see if we can get it back on the agenda.

Andy Robb,

Mermaid

Museum foundation frustrated by lack of progress

As published by CBC News Posted: Nov 27, 2013 11:45 AM AT

The museum foundation operates several small sites around the Island, including the Yeo House Shipbuilding Museum in Green Park near Tyne Valley. (P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation)

The P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation is looking for a firm commitment from the government to build a central museum for the province.

The foundation currently operates seven small sites across the province, but holds a huge inventory of artifacts in storage. Talk of a central museum predates the current Liberal administration, going back more than a decade, but no government has come forward to build one.

Board members recently wrote government asking for a firm commitment.

"We look at it as a line in the sand," said board chair Harry Kielly.

"If government is not prepared to move in direction that the board recommends, and is not prepared to put some emphasis on the things that the board is committed to, we have to question why have a board."

Kielly said some board members are considering resigning if no action is taken.

The board is suggesting Founders Hall as a good site. Government hasn't responded to the board officially but Heritage and Tourism Minster Rob Henderson told CBC there is no money for such a project at this time.

Museum sites had a banner year on P.E.I., with visitation up 23 per cent

Arts and Culture Task Force Calls for Provincial Museum

Arts and culture task force presents recommendations

As published by The Guardian on January 16, 2013 
by Dave Stewart
 
 Establishing a full-time cultural affairs officer position with the City of Charlottetown is one of the key recommendations listed in an arts and culture strategy for the capital.

It was one of 29 recommendations contained in a report released at a press conference Tuesday in Charlottetown by the mayor’s arts and culture task force.

“I’ve said many times, when it comes to (arts and culture) Charlottetown gets it. We’d like you to get it a little bit more,’’ said Henk van Leeuwen, chair of the task force.

Mayor Clifford Lee created the task force in 2011, the year Charlottetown was designated a Cultural Capital of Canada. Such a designation brought in approximately $500,000. Lee wanted the members of the task force to set out and look for ways the city could better connect with, grow and promote its arts and cultural community.

Besides employing a full-time arts and cultural officer with the city, the task force also suggests creating a permanent advisory council, an annual awards program and an artist-in-residence or open studio program, designing ways to increase the business community’s support and investment in the arts, promoting and commissioning more work by P.E.I. artists, creating ways for artists to use empty buildings, offices and outdoor spaces for rehearsal, performances or artistic creation and expanding the Heritage Incentive Program.

“I think the sooner the city can dedicate a full-time person . . . the sooner they can create a cultural advisory council then you’ve got the arts and culture always at the forefront, always on the minds of city staff, city employees and city politicians,’’ van Leeuwen said.

“We want the city to think every time it is making a policy move or a planning decision or embarking on some sort of strategic project or initiative it’s always got arts and culture in mind.’

Members of the task force include van Leeuwen, Alan Buchanan, Jessie Inman, Ghislaine O’Hanley, Murray Murphy, Rob Oakie, Julia Sauve, Harmony Wagner, Josh Weale, Natalie Williams-Calhoun and Darrin White.

The task force would like to see mixers organized that would bring together members of the arts and culture community with those in the business world.

Creating an international festival, which would appeal to those across the province and off-Island, is another idea being floated. Task force members stress this doesn’t mean chasing a one-off rock concert.
Lee said he likes the idea of creating a full-time cultural affairs officer at City Hall.

“I think that makes a lot of sense . . . (but) that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve got to create a brand new position and bring somebody new into the public payroll,’’ Lee said, adding that he has asked senior management to look within the existing structure of the city government to see if someone could possibly be re-assigned.

“If we’re going to grow this industry one of the first things you need to do is have staff to do the work on a day-to-day basis.’’

Rob Oakie, also known as the executive director of Music P.E.I., said the task force tried to be as realistic as it could.

“We didn’t feel we recommended anything that was too outlandish, too expensive or too hard to accept. We tried to be very pragmatic about it,’’ Oakie said.

He said the idea of utilizing empty space downtown really appeals to him.

“We all know there are some empty spaces downtown that really don’t do the city any favours because of its look. They could be used creatively with some great attractions.’’
dstewart@theguardian.pe.ca
Twitter.com/DveStewart