The following statement was made in the PEI Legislative Assembly on November 26, 2015 by Peter Bevan-Baker the leader of the Green Party of PEI.
Prince Edward Island Museum of Human and Natural
History
With the commitment of the
new federal government to spend billions of dollars on social infrastructure,
now might be a wonderful time for Islanders to begin to dream again about a
project long discussed and advocated: and that is, the construction of a new
Provincial Museum of Human and Natural History, a state-of-the-art institution
to showcase and highlight the rich legacy, and promise, of our Island
province. I foresee – I dream about – a
must-visit facility for every Island school student, citizen and visitor.
The Premier talks often about
that very precious inheritance of Islanders, the Gift of Jurisdiction. In my
opinion, that “Gift” is rather hollow – indeed, at risk – unless pains are
taken, with each new generation, to shore up and reinforce Islanders’ sense of
history and identity. Also, we need to continue to learn from our past – in
particular, how human beings have affected the often fragile environment of
this place, and vice versa. Thus we can equip ourselves to face the future with
a higher consciousness, and a greater wisdom….
In 1970, a visionary Island
Government of the day took the bold step of establishing the Prince Edward
Island Heritage Foundation. In 1983,
the Museum Act changed the name of the organization, added a natural history
mandate, and underlined the institution’s status as the Island’s “provincial
museum.”
Now, almost half a century
later, let us be bold to finish the job and build a lovely and imaginative new
facility which will be the pride of Islanders.
The statement is available via YouTube
