Provincial Museum of Prince Edward Island

Provincial museum needs some action

2011-10-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

Published by The Guardian on September 13, 2011

Editor:

Now is the time to seek a commitment to establish a provincial museum in the capital city.
During the last provincial election campaign, a promise was made to begin planning for a provincial museum, but no decision has been made. I believe very strongly that the museum should be established and have long advocated it should be located in Charlottetown. I am very disappointed that the city has not pursued this matter with the provincial government.
The city administration has an important role to play in ensuring the museum is located in Charlottetown, but I see no evidence that it has committed to the project.

As the provincial capital, as the Birthplace of Canada and as a city noted for its heritage and culture, Charlottetown is the only logical choice for a project that would have provincewide benefits. The establishment of a provincial museum should be a priority for all Islanders, and I hope this issue will be addressed during the current provincial election campaign.

During my campaign for mayor in 2010, I pledged to work with the provincial government to establish the museum in Charlottetown because of the economic and educational benefits it would provide to Islanders and visitors. We have a distinctive history and culture in this province, and we need to tell our stories. Now is the time to make a decision and move forward for the benefit of present and future generations.

Philip Brown,
Charlottetown

PE: Communities still vying for provincial museum

2011-08-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

City of Summerside

As published on July 29, 2011 by The Journal Pioneer

by Mike Carson

Deputy Mayor Bruce MacDougall said Summerside made its presentation to the Province last year promoting the city as the logical location for a provincial museum.

In the 2010 throne speech, the Prince Edward Island government promised a celebration that would reach out to all Canadians and develop a legacy for the future.

That legacy is expected to be a provincial museum.

Since that announcement communities across the province, including the City of Summerside have been vying to be the home of the provincial museum.

Deputy Mayor Bruce MacDougall said the city made its presentation to the Province last year promoting Summerside as the logical location for a provincial museum.

"If there's going to be a new provincial museum on P.E.I. we'd like to see it located in Summerside," MacDougall said. "We haven't heard anything... concerning the new museum."

There has been some suggestion that the Province break up the museum and have regional facilities reflecting that area's culture and heritage.

"We're looking for the whole thing," added MacDougall.

After the plan was announced, the Province did send out for proposals for the new museum but the projected costs were high, in excess of $50 million.

Harry Holman, director of culture, heritage and libraries with the Department of Tourism and Culture, said the plan is still in place.

"We're still looking," he said. "We did have a very productive meeting with the City of Summerside last year, but there's been no decisions or advances from where we were at that time.

"We're considering the approach. The Province remains committed to a provincial museum, but it has to fit in with the other plans and priorities of the province."

The Province is looking at putting forward a proposal to the federal government to make the provincial museum part of the legacy for the 150th anniversary of the Confederation Conference.

"That's certainly a possibility as the planning for the 150th moves forward that is one of the areas where there will be some discussion," Holman said. "David MacKenzie has just been appointed, but the role that he's playing is with the activities rather than the legacy.

MacKenzie, the outgoing CEO of the Confederation Centre of the Arts, will begin his new assignment on the anniversary celebration in early August. His early priorities will be to work closely with various levels of government to draft a vision framework and business plan for the 150th celebrations.

David MacKenzie to lead 2014 celebrations

2011-08-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

David MacKenzie, right, outgoing CEO of the Confederation Centre of the Arts, with Wayne Hambley, chairman of the board of the Confederation Centre of the Arts. MacKenzie will be heading 2014 celebrations for the province. His new post starts in August. Guardian file photo

July 18, 201

As published by The Guardian -

The man who has been at the helm of the Confederation Centre of the Arts for the past 10 years has a new role leading celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the historic meeting of the Fathers of Confederation.

David MacKenzie, the outgoing CEO of the Confederation Centre, will begin his new assignment in early August. His early priorities will be to work closely with various levels of government to draft a vision framework and business plan for the 150th celebrations.

“We need to ensure 2014 fits into a broader national celebration leading to 2017 and to hear from Islanders about a shared plan for this celebration,” MacKenzie said.

In the 2010 throne speech, the Prince Edward Island government promised a celebration that will reach out to all Canadians, and develop a legacy for the future.

That legacy is expected to be a provincial museum.

“We are delighted that a person of David’s background and skills has agreed to take on this important role,” said Premier Robert Ghiz.

“We believe that 2014 will be an important and special year not only for Islanders, but Canadians alike as we build towards 2017 which will mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of Canada.”

MacKenzie has served as the CEO of the Confederation Centre for the past 10 years. Prior to that he served as the founding executive director of the P.E.I. Capital Commission, which focused on developing and celebrating the Birthplace theme. He also managed Atlantic Canada House at the recent 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

“We need to ensure 2014 fits into a broader national celebration leading to 2017 and to hear from Islanders about a shared plan for this celebration,”- David MacKenzie

He has been an industry leader having served on the P.E.I. Tourism Advisory Council, the City of Charlottetown’s task force on arts and culture, the Canadian Arts Summit and the board of directors for Tourism Charlottetown.

MacKenzie’s gig with the province is a full-time, paid position. He’ll stay on with the province through to 2014.

Following work with federal partners, the provincial government will begin an extensive public engagement in the planning of the 2014 celebrations.

“To have a successful 150th celebration requires planning, vision and execution,” Ghiz added.

“It also requires being able to mobilize all of the key partners including the federal government, the community and industry to work together towards this goal. I look forward to working with others to make 2014 a special year as a lead up to 2017.”

Provincial Museum in Top Twelve Policy Resolutions

2011-04-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

When the Provincial Liberal Party of PEI met for their annual general meeting on Saturday - it was a chance for policy initiatives to come forward and the goal of working to establish the Provincial Museum made it to the list.

According to The Guardian,

The resolutions focused on 12 areas, including agriculture, education, economic development, health care and energy, although it was not the party’s official policy booklet and some may change before the election.
Some of the resolutions included continuing to work on a poverty reduction strategy, working to establish a provincial museum and taking measures to preserve the inshore fishing fleet.

While this topic has been of keen interest across the Island, it is good news that the party policy mechanism that generates policy initiatives from a grass roots level has also recognized that the establishment of a provincial museum is worth of action.

Provincial museum talk just that so far

2011-02-16T07:49:00.000-08:00

Editorial Published on February 16, 2011 by The Guardian

Let's hope Islanders hear more than vague promises during the fall election campaign

Any discussion among heritage-minded Islanders on the topic of a provincial museum always ends the same way - on a down note.

The idea of building an Island museum has been around for years. And it's an idea that everyone appears to support.

But in spite of all the support, not only have we not finished the project, we haven't even gotten to the start line.

One of the main stumbling blocks, one common throughout the province's history, is finding the money to build a museum. Some estimates say it will cost in the range of $40 million or more.

Tapping an adequate source of money is important because if there is another thing everyone agrees on, it's the fact the museum must be built properly the first time around. We'll get one shot at it, unlike a tricky chowder recipe that can be tried over and over again until it tastes just right. In culinary terms, the museum needs to taste and look right as soon as it comes off the stove.

The topic of a provincial museum came up recently in Summerside. Mayor Basil Stewart, always on the hunt for positive additions to his city, would like to see the museum located there.

Harry Holman, director of culture, heritage and libraries with the provincial Department of Tourism and Culture, says while the museum project is very much alive, it hasn't moved to a decision-making stage.

He added it's not just Summerside that is pining for the museum, a number of other communities are as well.

Speaking on May 25, 2007, Liberal Leader Robert Ghiz said if elected he would begin "a comprehensive planning process dedicated to creating a new Prince Edward Island museum worthy of our beautiful province."

He promised a Liberal government would consult with Islanders to explore options for a museum. To be fair to the Liberals, they have consulted, in the sense the government commissioned a museumreport that outlined a number of options. All the options would carry a heavy price tag.

And that's where things now stand. Everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop. It might be an infusion of federal money to help the province celebrate the150th anniversary of the historic 1864 Fathers of Confederation meeting or, better still, it might be a firm commitment and timeline from a provincial government.

Islanders can expect to hear lots of talk about an Island museum during this fall's provincial election campaign. When the topic comes up, Islanders should push for more than rhetoric. The Liberal promise four years ago was vague and so have been its actions on the issue.

In today's world it is as easy to communicate with someone on the other side of the world as it is someone in this province. In fact, in some instances it is easier.

It's also easy for our younger generations to become disconnected with Prince Edward Island's past, caught up as they are in everyone else's history and news. A vibrant museum dedicated to celebrating our proud and colourful past would go a long way towards fighting that disconnect.

Design of provincial museum still being discussed

2011-02-15T18:45:00.000-08:00

Published on February 8, 2011

The Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE – The idea of a provincial museum is still being discussed but when it will be built, where it will be built and what it will look like, has yet to be determined.

Harry Holman, director of culture, heritage and libraries with the Department of Tourism and Culture, said there is still much interest in the project that was proposed two years ago.

“The whole project is very much still alive but it hasn’t moved to a decision-making stage at this point,” Holman said. “There have been a number of communities who have expressed an interest.”

Summerside was one of those communities that made its proposal to the Province last year and Summerside Mayor Basil Stewart said the city’s position has not changed.

“We presented our situation to the minister and I think he understands that we are very interested in having it here in Summerside,” Stewart said. “Our oar’s in the water and we’ll just have to wait and see.”

That wait could be another six years before a provincial museum comes about.

“We haven’t put a formal proposal to the federal government so we don’t know whether they’re interested or not,” said Holman. “They are going to be involved in some sort of legacy for the 150th anniversary of the Confederation Conference and this is one of the options that hold some possibilities (for an injection of federal government funding).”

He added, “Summerside has made its pitch and the city put forward a good case.”

The cost of the project has been at the centre of the discussions.

The initial proposal came back with an extremely high price tag, in excess of $50 million. Government representatives believed it was “somewhat larger than the community had anticipated such a facility would cost,” Holman said.

Other options are now being examined.

“What we were asked to do is look at a couple of different options and possibilities to see where there were alternatives and where we would still end up with the three essential pillars. One is the exhibition space, which is what most people think of when they think of the museum, but that’s really only the tip of the iceberg. The whole collection storage piece is an extremely important part of that and the ability to do programming in association with the museum.”

Charting a Course: The Study of Heritage on P.E.I.

2011-02-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

The study conducted for the Province of PEI recently called Charting a Course: The Study of Heritage on P.E.I. is posted on-line. One can only hope that the important recommendations that it makes will not languish in cyberspace for too much longer.

Clearly this is the time for action on things like the Natural History mandate of our provincial museum system. The consultants put the issue into perspective when they wrote:

Related to the lack of a lead facility, and again recognized by most of the museum consultants, has been the neglect of the ‘natural heritage’ part of the provincial museum’s mandate. In response to Dr. Lemieux’s recommendation for the creation of a natural history museum, in 1987 Barbara MacDonald and the Natural History Museum Advisory Committee made fourteen recommendations on the subject to the PEIMHF. None was realized, and today the state of our natural heritage remains a major concern.

Natural History Component of our Provincial Museum System

2011-02-05T05:34:00.000-08:00

Recently a scientific report was published in The Island Magazine which indicated that

“the insect fauna of Prince Edward Island is the most poorly documented of any province in Canada.”

At a time when biodiversity is becoming an important global issue, in many cases we are simply unaware of what organisms currently exist on the Island.

The same report indicated that 608 new species in one family of insects were recently located in PEI that had never been previously recorded. This was simply a matter of lack of research in the past but indicates broadly the lack of knowledge that currently exists. It is becoming increasingly important to establish biological benchmarks to measure when there are changes caused by climate change and/or the arrival of invasive species. These benchmarks could also be used in the development of effective conservation and management strategies in the future. Therefore, it is of great importance that these benchmarks are established through research, which is a key function of a provincial museum.

Increasingly the value of scientific research is being appreciated as fundamental for any jurisdiction yet we remain the only province in Canada where there is no scientific capacity within the provincial museum related to our natural history. Leaving such significant documentation solely to volunteers is simply not appropriate.

Simply put - we need action from our government to establish and staff the natural history component of our provincial museum system.

NaturePEI:The Natural History Society of Prince Edward Island

2011-01-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

Check out the new website and blog for NaturePEI:The Natural History Society of Prince Edward Island.

The Birds of Prince Edward Island - 2010

2011-01-02T17:42:00.000-08:00

This list compiled by David Seeler, records the list of species reported on PEI during 2010.
__________________________________

SPECIES Reported in 2010: 236

DUCKS, GEESE, AND WATERFOWL
Pink-footed Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Snow Goose
Brant
Barnacle Goose
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck

PHEASANTS, GROUSE, AND ALLIES
Gray Partridge
Ring-necked Pheasant
Ruffed Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse

LOONS
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon

GREBES
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe

SHEARWATERS AND PETRELS
Greater Shearwater

BOOBIES AND GANNETS
Northern Gannet

CORMORANTS AND SHAGS
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Cormorant

HERONS, EGRETS, AND BITTERNS
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret

NEW WORLD VULTURES
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture

OSPREY
Osprey

HAWKS, EAGLES, AND KITES
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle

FALCONS AND CARACARAS
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon

RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS
Virginia Rail
Sora
Common Moorhen
American Coot

PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover
Killdeer

SANDPIPERS AND ALLIES
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Upland Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Hudsonian Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
American Woodcock
Wilson's Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope

GULLS, TERNS, AND SKIMMERS
Black-legged Kittiwake
Bonaparte's Gull
Black-headed Gull
Little Gull
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
Common Tern

SKUAS AND JAEGERS
Parasitic Jaeger

AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS
Dovekie
Razorbill
Black Guillemot

PIGEONS AND DOVES
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove

CUCKOOS
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo

OWLS
Great Horned Owl
Snowy Owl
Barred Owl
Great Gray Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl

NIGHTJARS AND ALLIES
Common Nighthawk

HUMMINGBIRDS
Ruby-throated Hummingbird

KINGFISHERS
Belted Kingfisher

WOODPECKERS
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker

TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

SHRIKES
Northern Shrike

VIREOS
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo

CROWS, JAYS, AND MAGPIES
Gray Jay
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven

LARKS
Horned Lark

SWALLOWS
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow

CHICKADEES AND TITS
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee

NUTHATCHES
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch

CREEPERS
Brown Creeper

WRENS
Winter Wren

KINGLETS
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

THRUSHES AND ALLIES
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin

MOCKINGBIRDS AND THRASHERS
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher

STARLINGS
European Starling

WAGTAILS AND PIPITS
American Pipit

WAXWINGS
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing

NEW WORLD WARBLERS
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat

BUNTINGS, SPARROWS AND ALLIES
Eastern Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Nelson's Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting

CARDINALS AND ALLIES
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

TROUPIALS AND ALLIES
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole

SISKINS, CROSSBILLS, AND ALLIES
Pine Grosbeak
Purple Finch
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak

OLD WORLD SPARROWS
House Sparrow
______________________________________

Brown calls for Decision on Provincial Museum

2010-10-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

As published on the campaign website of Philip Brown - candidate for mayor of Charlottetown 2010

Charlottetown, August 23, 2010 — Charlottetown mayoral candidate Philip Brown says there is no better time than the present to establish the proposed provincial museum in Charlottetown.

“It is time for governments at all levels to come together and move forward on this initiative,” said Mr. Brown. “The studies have been done, the options have been identified and it is time to make a decision to finally establish a provincial museum in Charlottetown, the provincial capital.”

Mr. Brown said that Prince Edward Island is the only province in Canada without a provincial museum, and its establishment would help to interpret the history, heritage and culture of the province. He said it would also be a major attraction for visitors to the province, citing a recent study by the Tourism Research Centre at the University of Prince Edward Island which found 91 percent of visitors to the province visited a historic site, art gallery or museum.

“A provincial museum would not only fill a void in the province’s cultural landscape, it would also result in significant economic and educational benefits,” said Mr. Brown. “As mayor, I would work closely with the federal and provincial governments to secure an immediate start to this project in Charlottetown which would complement the historic character of the city and become a source of pride for all Islanders.”

Mr Brown said he would like to see the project completed by 2014, the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference.

Mr. Brown said the recent sale of the Dominion Building offers one interesting possibility as a location, although he would not rule out other sites within the city.

“I am very concerned that the present city administration has been dragging its feet on the project for too long and has failed to secure a commitment,” said Mr. Brown. “As mayor, I would make this an immediate priority during my first 30 days in office.”

Macphail Homestead open for fall, winter bookings

2010-09-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

As published by The Guardian on September 24th, 2010

The provincial Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal has stepped in and filled the oil tank at the Macphail homestead in Orwell. Guardian photo

Islanders are encouraged to consider the historic Macphail Homestead when choosing a venue for fall and winter gatherings, says Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Vessey.

“The Macphail Homestead is an outstanding Island historic site and ecological resource. It is spectacular in the fall and winter and I urge Islanders to continue to use it for special dinners at Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Vessey.

The minister and area MLA Alan MacIsaac were recently given a guided tour of the site by Macphail chair Mike Oulton.

Oulton reported the homestead was busy over the summer months and there are several good fall bookings, such as an agricultural symposium on Oct. 7.

"The symposium will focus on research and support for Island farmers, as well as sustainable energy projects for the site including micro-hydro, solar and wind turbines," said Vessey.

In June, the provincial government announced a new agreement with the property to allow for a site manager. The province agreed to maintain the buildings and develop a plan to address capital needs.

“Through the work of the board, the homestead has been transformed and can now be used to its fullest potential,” said Vessey.

“We are extremely pleased with the level of upkeep and support the province has provided over the summer months,” said Oulton. “This has allowed the volunteers to spend productive time planning events for the coming year.”

The Macphail Homestead in Orwell is a historic site and ecological resource located in Uigg, not far from the Orwell Historic Village. More information about programs at the Homestead can be found at http://www.macphailhomestead.ca.

Orwell Corner deserves better

2010-09-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

As published by The Guardian on September 23rd, 2010
Editor:

We have been summer visitors to the Island for many years, and each year we look forward to visiting Orwell Corner Historic Village. This is one of the big highlights of our visit. It is sheer magic to visit Orwell – the staff are exceptional and very authentic in their roles and help visitors be transported back in the past to see what the Island was like then, and how Islanders and Lucy Maud Montgomery might have lived in that time. Sitting in the schoolhouse you can imagine Anne Shirley in school.

Unfortunately, it is apparent that over the years funding to Orwell has decreased which shows in the neglect of buildings, the cutbacks in staff and the general disrepair of much of the Orwell Corner site. This is an Island heritage treasure and one of the places that Islanders and visitors go to find the real history of the Island. Children visiting Orwell connect to a living past because it offers a hands-on experience. Museums are great, but children need interactive exhibits to bring history alive for them. In New Brunswick there is King’s Landing and in Nova Scotia, Ross Farm – these appear to get adequate funding to maintain the sites.

I read about your future provincial museum, and while this is an admirable idea, I would ask the government of P.E.I. not to neglect its valuable existing heritage sites. Orwell is a place tourists and visitors seek out for an authentic Island agricultural experience of the past – not available anywhere else. With more advertising and adequate funding Orwell Corner can be a much-sought-out attraction.

The P.E.I. government in the last year has signed a three-year contract with Cirque de Soleil at $250,000 a year and they gave $800,000 for Live! With Regis and Kelly. These investments admittedly bring in more tourists, but a long-term vision for maintaining heritage sites will bring in far more visitors in the long run.

Cultural tourism is the culture of the Island – past, present and future. I hope the government supports this, and gives Orwell Corner Heritage site the finding and support this Island treasure deserves.

Gillian Robinson,

Halifax

Payoff worth the price for provincial museum - Local - News - The Guardian

2010-09-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

William Thorsell, former director of the Royal Ontario Museum, and Doug Deacon, sustainable economic development coordinator with the Town of Stratford pose in front of a cruise ship parked in front of the Charlottetown skyline. Thorsell gave a presentation in Stratford last evening. - Guardian photo by Al MacLeod

Payoff worth the price for provincial museum

Published by The Guardian on September 25th, 2010
by Al MacLeod

With the 150th anniversary of Confederation on the horizon in 2014, the call for a provincial museum on P.E.I. is gaining even more steam these days.

The current museum presence on P.E.I. is made up of multiple sites throughout the province, with each focusing on specific subjects like fisheries and shipbuilding.

The provincial Liberal government has been promising a centralized provincial museum since November 2008 and has financed a study into the subject, which concluded with the recommendation one be built by 2013.

The report also said the province’s approach to heritage is somewhat erratic and ignores important topics like women’s history and archaeological sites.

With this in mind, the town of Stratford brought in William Thorsell, the departing director of the Royal Ontario Museum, to talk about the challenges and processes he went through while rebuilding the ROM in Toronto and making it a vital part of both the city and the province during a presentation Thursday at Stratford Town Hall.

Thorsell said there are challenges involved with such an institution but the payoff is well worth the price.

“It’s a challenge because museums are complex creatures that are pretty expensive to build and pretty expensive to run,” Thorsell said.

“Museums are pretty important centres of identity, pleasure and culture.”

Thorsell came on board with the ROM about 10 years ago and saw the museum go through a fair amount of projects and changes that required substantial funds.

He said the museum took on the responsibility of the projects without government involvement and eventually the government asked to be included and subsequently, provided some of the funding.

Within a few years the institution was a vital part of the city and people flock to the museum every year to see the wide variety of exhibits and galleries.

The key to this success was to solicit interest from the community, Thorsell said.

“We had to create a landscape of desire.”

This was done in part by holding a contest for the architectural design of the renovation projects, which proved to be huge and drew the community into the process and got the media’s attention, Thorsell said.

“Don’t underestimate the power of architecture. It’s more than just a container.

“That created a firestorm of interest.”

It was also important the building stand out and the ROM has a unique architectural design that stands out in the city, Thorsell said.

“Cultural industries are supposed to be the ones to take the risk. They’re supposed to be pushing the limits and create a new sense of possible.”

Thorsell had some advice for P.E.I. on the potential location of its proposed museum.

“You have wonderful water, you have a wonderful waterfront,” he said.

“Don’t put it in a parking lot somewhere in the middle of the city.”

P.E.I. museum plans moving ahead: Vessey

2010-08-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

As published by CBC News Friday, August 20, 2010 | 1:36 PM AT

see the originating site for reader comments

Comments7

Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Vessey, shown here in a file photo, met with Summerside city council last week to discuss the possibility of locating the museum there. (Province of P.E.I.)

P.E.I. Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Vessey hopes to go to cabinet in the next couple of months with concrete plans for a provincial museum.

A central provincial heritage museum has been a promise of the provincial Liberals since November 2008.

Vessey met with Summerside's city council last week regarding the possibility of a central museum being built there. The museum system on P.E.I. currently includes multiple sites throughout the province, and each one has a narrow focus such as fisheries and shipbuilding.

Vessey said the Summerside meeting was informal and no decision has been made about the new facility's location.

"We're not there yet," he said. "We're just trying to come up with something that is cost efficient. And I'd like to be able to build or have a museum that's right the first time and be done very cost efficient for Islanders."

Too expensive

Vessey said a consultant came back with an estimated price tag of $50-million, which is more than than the Liberals want to pay for a museum.

Summerside city councillor Vance Bridges said he's doubtful that his city is in the running for the new facility, but said a central museum could still have satellite locations.

"I can't imagine the kind of facility that would be needed in only one location to house all the artifacts that are available," he said.

A government-commissioned report in 2008 said that P.E.I.'s approach to heritage is unfocused and ignores subjects including women's history and archaeological sites.

That report recommended a central museum be opened by 2013.

PEI Blue Whale - Ready to Go on Display in BC

2010-04-10T18:47:00.001-07:00

News item regarding the journey of a blue whale, from its resting place on Prince Edward Island to become the centrepiece of the new Beaty Biodiversity Museum at UBC in Vancouver.

Video of 1987 - Blue Whale on Prince Edward Island Beach

2010-04-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

The Prince Edward Island Blue Whale - 1987

2010-04-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

Editors Note: This item by email from David Morrow, an interpreter with Parks Canada at Gros Morne, Newfoundland tells of his student days at Holland College, and the efforts by his class to assist whale researchers with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The skeleton of this same PEI whale is now the centrepiece of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at UBC, in Vancouver
----------------

There was a news item yesterday about the blue whale that washed up on Nail Pond beach (near Skinners Pond, western PEI) in 1987.

My Renewable Resource Technology class at Holland College helped researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution do a necropsy on that whale in 1987. It was a 73ft female that had been struck & killed accidentally by a ship (probably at night, near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River). Later, the carcass was buried and a map made showing the burial location.

Many years later, a museum in BC wanted a blue whale skeleton for a new display, so they traveled to PEI to unearth the skeleton. Despite the many years, when they dug up the carcass, much of the soft tissues were still intact (and very smelly) because the whale had been buried in wet sand. The bones were stripped and cleaned and shipped out to BC.

The skeleton has been assembled and mounted for display at the museum. It is the 4th largest skeleton ever displayed and as a blue whale skeleton: the largest animal to have lived on earth (even bigger than the largest dinosaurs!). The news item stated that it will take a month for the adhesives used in mounting the skeleton to dry and set. Then the display will open to the public.

The things I remember best about the necropsy are: the size of the animal (all thirteen members of our class were able to stand on her back with room to spare). The Woods Hole crew had whalers flensing knives, which they used to strip off blubber samples (some toxins get concentrated in fatty tissues) and to open the body cavity for organ collection. When they did this, a gush of putrid gasses rushed out and the smell almost knocked people over!!

Her eyes were very large (dinner plate size), the Woods Hole crowd had collected them and many other tissue samples to see if feeding blue whales were picking up toxins at the St. Lawrence River mouth. I was the only person to have brought chest waders that day, so I was asked to go collect some baleen plates. Her head was out in about 3ft. of water. I had to wade out and walk over her tongue to get at the baleen plates.

There were krill (primary food of blue whales) stuck up in the bristles of baleen! This was part of her last meal! Krill are shrimp-like crustaceans ~1cm-5cm long: it's ironic that the main food of the largest animal to have ever lived on earth is small animal plankton!

There is a great article in a recent Canadian Geographic magazine about the blue whale in Canada. It was a special issue on Canadian wildlife published in Dec 2009.

Dave

A Piece of PEI's Natural Heritage . . . going on display in BC

2010-04-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

A natural history treasure - the skeleton of a giant blue whale, which was removed from Prince Edward Island for display in a new centre at the University of British Columbia is nearing completion on its great journey from the sands of PEI to become the centrepiece of the new
Beaty Biodiversity Museum.

Updates from the Blue Whale Project keep track of the progress. The continued progress on the West Coast to ensure that natural history education is available to BC residents helps show the value of this form of education to a research and educational institution like UBC. Sadly their progress once again reminds those of us on the East Coast of our own lack of progress. Islanders have been calling for a natural history museum since 1881. More recently we have seen strong public support for the fulfillment of the natural history mandate of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation which was granted in 1983 by the Legislature of PEI - and still not a single employee has been hired. And no plan is in place to begin addressing this mandate.

The Robert Ghiz government was elected on a strong platform that included a commitment to a central provincial museum. While solid progress has been made since on many important issues, the natural history mandate is one that remains untouched. The time to keep sending our valuable artifacts to world class museums around the world is over. The time to tell our story - the story of life on earth - and more particularly life on this very special part of our planet is now.

Birds of Prince Edward Island (1891) by Francis Bain

2010-02-11T05:42:00.000-08:00

Now available, thanks to the Internet Archives, the historic Birds of Prince Edward Island : their habits and characteristics (1891) by Francis Bain, as a digital reproduction.

P.E.I. children's museum in planning stages

2010-02-01T07:32:00.000-08:00

As published in The Guardian - Feb 1, 2010
CASSANDRA BERNARD
The Guardian

A place for children and their families to go and participate in hands on, educational exhibits may be available to Islanders soon.

The P.E.I. government is funding a study to see if a children’s museum should be considered.
David Keenlyside, executive director of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, is a supporter of the idea. He said anything that provides learning for children is a great idea.

“Research is being done to see if we have the resources to create the centre and to sustain it,” he said.

Keenlyside said meetings are coming up soon to start planning for a provincial museum for Prince Edward Island and a children’s museum is something Islanders should have the opportunity to partake in.

“There has been no proposal yet indicating any direction they want to go in, but I will provide whatever resources I can,” he said.

Keenlyside helped set up the Canadian Children’s Museum in Ottawa in the mid 1980s. The museum includes exhibits about how people live in other countries, a house-building exhibit and a playground based on a international port.

“Anything benefiting children and their families should be supported, but can we afford it is the question. It’s in the works we just need to wait to see what they are asking for. Most children centres are educational centres and were not sure what scale they are going for yet.”
Keenlyside said he doesn’t think the Island is in a position to deny the idea; it should have the best learning environments for the children in whatever form that may take.

“Wherever there is a need, that’s where the focus will be. These centres are extensions to schools and provides things kids get excited about and that’s great,” he said.

“Kids coming with their families makes it more positive. A lot of the visitation is from family members such as parents and grandparents; sometimes they feel intimidated to learn but here they have the opportunity. We want to make it better for Islanders.”

However, Keenlyside cautioned that there are no specific details in the planning of a children’s museum yet.

P.E.I. Museum Collection Running Out of Room

2010-01-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

Jason MacNeil, collections manager for the P.E.I. Museum, stands among a tiny portion of the treasures stored at the artifactory. MacNeil says the facility and seven heritage sites across the province are full. Photo special to The Guardian by Charlotte MacAulay

CHARLOTTE MACAULAY Special to The Guardian
as published by The Guardian Dec 30, 2009

The P.E.I. Museum collection is almost full to capacity and soon there will be no room to store more Island treasures, says the museum’s collections manager.

Jason MacNeil said some donations of larger pieces that require a controlled environment will have to be turned away because the artifactory and the seven heritage sites across the Island are full.

“We will survive and do the best we can until we get something better, but the need is getting more and more urgent.”

MacNeil said donations to the P.E.I. collection have increased significantly since the plans to build a new artifactory in Murray River were shut down.

“It keeps us in the minds of people when they are going through Aunt Martha’s attic.”
MacNeil said since renovations in 2007 there are no environmental issues with the facility, but they would do better with more staff.

“That’s just caring for it (the collection); exhibition is a whole different issue.”

A report outlining the costs of a provincial museum commissioned by government was tabled in the provincial legislature Dec. 1. Communities and Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram said the report looked at 11 different options.

Bertram said one that brings the P.E.I. Museum all under one roof is the most desirable, yet the most costly at $41 million.

“Our next step is to review all the options and then secure the funding,” she said.

Bertram said if the province were to go with the $41-million option, funding from the other provinces could be a possibility since the Island is the birthplace of Confederation. She said tying the opening to the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2014 would give the federal government a reason to contribute.

MacNeil said a centrally located museum and storage facility is ideal.

He said an exhibition of the artifacts last year at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery to celebrate 40 years as the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation displayed a very small fraction of the collection, which houses over 80,000 items.

One option the province is looking at is similar to The Rooms, the provincial museum in Newfoundland, Marketing and development director for the Rooms, Chrysta Collins, said their museum cost $51 million to build.

She said the structure houses public archives, provincial art gallery, exhibit space and environmentally controlled artifact storage. She said people knew something had to be done to preserve the province’s collection.

“There was not a lot of kickback to the cost.”

Construction began in 2002 and with a one-year delay, due to financial constraints, was completed in 2005.

The Rooms has a yearly operating budget of $6 million and with revenues from admission fees and event rentals they break even. Admission fees run from $5-$7.50 with a family rate of $20. The museum operates under the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation and is a non-profit Crown corporation.

The Rooms houses an art gallery. P.E.I. would not need an art gallery included in its plans as the Confederation Centre of the Arts is the main gallery for the Island.

Autumn Tremere from the Department of Communities and Cultural Affairs said financial terms regarding the day-to-day operations of a P.E.I. provincial museum can’t be decided on until the museum becomes a reality.

See comments about this article posted by readers on The Guardian site - Dec 30, 2009

Provincial museum could cost $41M: report

2009-12-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

As published by CBC News - Wednesday, December 2, 2009

The P.E.I. government says a new provincial museum may cost as much as $41 million and it will be looking to the rest of the country to provide some of the money.

The ruling Liberals promised to build a provincial museum more than a year ago. P.E.I. is the only province in Canada without a centrally located museum.

Carolyn Bertram, the minister of communities, cultural affairs and labour, tabled a study in the legislature on Tuesday that laid out several sizes and configurations for a possible museum.

The largest and fanciest of those options would cost more than $41 million.

"Government now has to do some number crunching and see the best solution for Islanders and to secure the resources necessary," Bertram said.

"Again, $40 million is a lot of money right now when we look at the economy and the needs that are presented across our province."

She insisted the project was not dead and that the province hopes to get money from the federal government by linking the museum to 2014 and the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown conference that led to Confederation.

Bertram said any cost-sharing with Ottawa would likely happen under an infrastructure program.

"Government is continuing to work on this and it's very important in our department," she said.

Ian Scott, a heritage advocate and a former head of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, said he's disappointed the province isn't moving to build a museum right away, but he has hope it will still happen.

"It may not be on this year's capital list, but that's encouraging news that this is still a front-burner project for the provincial government," he said.

Note: - Readers comments related to this item are posted at the CBC site which hosts the original article.

A museum to house our heritage

2009-12-08T07:16:00.000-08:00

Editorial as published by The Guardian, Dec 5, 2009

We, as a province, have to decide if our history is worth preserving

Members of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation and its many supporters must be disappointed with developments, or lack of, in recent weeks in connection with a provincial museum.

Last fall, the province made a firm commitment to proceed with a centrally-located provincial museum, and stated that plans to build such a facility would proceed "within a few years." Nothing has happened since then.

There was no mention of a provincial museum in the speech from the throne, or in the capital budget released last week. The province detailed nearly $500 million in spending priorities for the next five years but among the schools, manors and roads, there was nary a mention of a museum.

All the signs indicate that the province is backing away from fulfilling its museum promise. The provincial government's stimulus spending binge does appear to have a limit after all.

A study was released this week that suggested a facility to house a provincial museum, archives and records facility under one roof is estimated at a staggering $41 million. There are obviously other less expensive options for a museum. The former Dominion Building on lower Queen Street has always been a favourite among some museum supporters. One of the recently closed schools in the Eastern District could be utilized as well.

There comes a point when action must be taken. When the Liberals killed plans to build an artifactory in Murray River two years ago, it left more than 80,000 items of historical significance languishing in a warehouse at the West Royalty Industrial Park. The Opposition may be going too far by suggesting that the government has no intention of building a museum. Government says it will, but apparently only if Ottawa and other provinces help out as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the 1864 Charlottetown Conference. Provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan waxed on last week about this option but he made a poor job of trying to explain his rationale, leaving people wondering why P.E.I. was trying to 'pick the pockets' of Ottawa and other provinces.

What Mr. Sheridan seemed to be talking about was the suggestion first formulated and forcefully presented by Edward MacDonald of the Department of History at UPEI.

MacDonald sees the upcoming 2014 sesquicentennial celebrations of the Charlottetown Conference as a funding opportunity to create a memorial similar to the Fathers of Confederation Memorial Trust built to mark the 100th anniversary of Confederation. He says a state-of-the-art provincial museum to complement the province-wide network of small, theme heritage sites would be a suitable memorial for the nation. It's a solid argument.

More than $400-million of tax dollars helped mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec City. This province contributed $500,000 to the Vancouver Olympics and another $500,000 to operate Atlantic Canada House during those games. No one can argue that we don't pay our share. There is a valid argument that a museum should be the major legacy of the 2014 celebrations.

There will always be solid arguments that the money for a museum would be better spent elsewhere, whether it be on a catastrophic drug program, seniors housing or any number of similar pressing issues. But as a province we have to decide if we think our heritage, our history and our accomplishments are worth preserving and showcasing. We are the only province without a central museum. It's an embarrassment and a solution must be found quickly.

Something needs to be done and done soon.

2009-12-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

As first published on The Guardian website Dec 4, 2009
This excellent response to a recent Guardian article on the state of planning for the long promised new Provincial Museum building is well worth reading as it reflects well the voice of a young person who understands the value of museums.

Jennifer Donovan from Prince Edward Island writes: . . . As a young museum professional who has worked on the Island, all over the Maritimes, Canada, U.S., and even abroad, I can tell you that a provincial museum is needed more than ever on Prince Edward Island. Museums are institutions that inspire, educate, and connect us to our communities--they are more than mere tourist attractions. The PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation has an outstanding collection of material culture objects. Islanders need to see this stuff and have faith knowing that their history and heritage will be preserved for generations. We can't understand the present until we understand the past.

The government needs to build this museum! But does it have to cost 41 million dollars? I don't know, but something needs to be done and done soon.

Liberals have killed museum plans twice, Currie charges

2009-12-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

by WAYNE THIBODEAU
as published by The Guardian on Dec 4, 2009

A new report suggests a provincial museum could cost P.E.I. taxpayers as much as $41 million but Conservative MLA Mike Currie says the price tag is irrelevant because the Liberal government has no intention of building it anyway.

Currie accused the province of scuttling plans for a provincial museum not once but twice.
When the Liberals were elected, Currie said they scrapped plans for a provincial artifactory in Murray River and then they failed to include the museum in last week’s capital budget.
The capital budget lays out the provincial government’s spending priorities for the next five years.

“This was a promise of yours,” Currie said during question period.

“Did you not have the support of your cabinet colleagues to go forward with construction of a new museum?”

A report released earlier this week said the museum could cost as much as $41 million.

That interim report prepared by Bergmark Guimond Hammarlund Jones Architects and Lundholm Associates Architects said P.E.I. needs a “… strong central institution that can provide a comprehensive overview of the Island’s natural and human history and serve as a strong support to a network of heritage sites.”

The authors of the report say there are benefits to combining a central museum with the public archives.

The report then outlined a series of options ranging from a museum facility alone with reduced permanent exhibition space at 12,000 square feet at a cost of $24 million to the Cadillac version, which would include a full program museum and archive facility with 20 years of planned on-site collection storage and 20,000 square feet of permanent exhibition space at a cost of $41 million.
Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram said her government remains firmly committed to a centrally located museum.

“We are doing our homework before we get into this too far unlike the previous government that was just going to build a storage facility with no thought or planning into it,” Bertram said.
“Our government is committed to a provincial museum.”

When the Liberals were elected they killed plans by the former Progressive Conservative administration for an artifactory in Murray River.

That facility would have stored the nearly 80,000 artifacts that are currently being housed in a warehouse in the West Royalty Industrial Park in Charlottetown.

The province wants the federal government and other provinces to contribute to a new,
central museum as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the 1864 Charlottetown Conference.

Currie then suggested during question period that the province should
work with the Town of Stratford to locate the provincial museum in Stratford.

“Now, that’s something that his administration would have done,” said Bertram.

“We are not going to go and pit one community against the other. We’re taking the recommendation of the study that it should be centrally located.”

See responses to this article at The Guardian site.

P.E.I. wants others to pay for new museum

2009-11-30T09:24:00.000-08:00

by WAYNE THIBODEAU
As published by The Guardian Nov 30, 2009

The Prince Edward Island government wants to pick the pockets of other provinces in an effort to secure the money needed to build a new provincial museum.

The Liberals have long promised to build a centrally located provincial museum.
P.E.I. remains the only province in Canada without one.

But once again there was no money in the capital budget released last Friday for the project.
Provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan says that’s because the province is lobbying the federal government and other provinces to pay for the museum.

“The dollar value was huge as to what they thought was needed for a provincial museum here in Prince Edward Island,” Sheridan said.

“What we have done . . . as we move forward with our partners in Confederation to say in the 2014 year, when we’re celebrating the 150th year of Confederation and the meetings here in Charlottetown, we’re going to ask our partners to work with us towards this end.”

Last November the provincial government said it was going to build a provincial museum.

While a provincial museum has been promised, no money has been budgeted for the project.
The former government had promised to build a provincial artifactory in Murray River. The $4.9-million project would have housed more than 80,000 items that are currently
being stored at the West Royalty Industrial Park.

But the Liberal government killed those plans, saying Murray River was too far off the beaten track to house the facility.

The idea of having somebody else pay for the provincial museum is not new.
Edward MacDonald of the department of history at UPEI, described the 2014 celebrations as “…a rare and wonderful opportunity” for P.E.I.

“The year 2014 will mark the sesquicentennial of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, now recognized as a critical milestone on the road to Confederation,” MacDonald wrote, in an opinion piece in The Guardian in September.

“In a small province with limited resources, where it always costs us proportionately more to keep up with the Joneses, 2014 offers a rare and wonderful opportunity. Why not use this ‘one-of’ funding opportunity to create another cultural legacy that will enrich the lives of Islanders, both present and future?

“Let’s use the special funding opportunity of the upcoming sesquicentennial of the Charlottetown Conference to complete the task begun so bravely in 1973 by building a state-of-the-art provincial museum to complement the province-wide network of small, theme museums that currently exist.”

In the throne speech delivered Nov. 12, the province said it’s planning a major celebration to mark the 150th anniversary of the 1864 Charlottetown Conference, which gave birth to Confederation.

Sheridan said the idea is not new. He said more than $400-million went to Quebec City during its recent celebrations.

Those celebrations marked the 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec City.

“We’ll be looking to collect some of those funds as well.”
See comments to this story by readers published on the The Guardian site - Nov 30, 2009

Collaborating on a museum

2009-11-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

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

Capital Lobbies for Provincial Museum

2009-10-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

WAYNE THIBODEAU
As published by The Guardian, Oct 15, 2009

The City of Charlottetown is joining a growing list of Prince Edward Island municipalities that want to be home to a proposed provincial museum.

During a meeting of Charlottetown city council on Tuesday, Coun. Kim Devine commended the provincial government for deciding to build a new provincial museum.

Devine said she plans on outlining Charlottetown’s case to the Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour. She said Charlottetown’s proposal would be “sustainable, feasible and a very appropriate location” that would provide year-round traffic to the museum.

“We are a city that has a rich history,” Devine told councillors.

Charlottetown’s pitch is that it is a capital city for the whole province, the centre with the largest population, as well as a well-established tourist destination.

The capital city says locating the provincial museum in Charlottetown would enhance other cultural centres in the city, including the Confederation Centre of the Arts, as well as strengthen existing historical resources, including the Public Archives located in the Coles Building.

Charlottetown isn’t the only municipality looking to be home to the provincial museum.

The Town of Stratford also wants the honour.

But the capital city may have an edge in the competition.

A firm specializing in planning and designing museums has completed a study looking at the possibility of converting the vacant Dominion Building on Queen Street into a provincial museum.

Lundholm Associates carried out the study for Canada Lands Company, the company that has control of the Dominion Building.

But Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram said Wednesday no decision has been made on a location for a provincial museum. She did say the province is committed to creating a “centrally located” provincial museum.

“We are not going to prejudge where it is going to be, that is part of the upcoming process,” Bertram said last November.

Last November the provincial government said it was going to build a provincial museum.

But it may be years yet before construction actually begins. While a provincial museum has been promised, no money has been budgeted for the project.

The former government had promised to build a provincial artifactory in Murray River. The $4.9-million project would have housed more than 80,000 items that are currently being stored at the West Royalty Industrial Park.

But the Liberal government killed those plans, agreeing with some history buffs that Murray River was too far off the beaten track to house the facility.

Devine said creating a provincial museum to interpret and celebrate the Island’s history is long overdue.

“We are currently the only province that does not have a provincial museum,” said Devine. “But we are a province that is rich in its history.”

Let's build a provincial museum

2009-10-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

As published by The Guardian September 26, 2009

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Editor:

If 'location' is the watchword of the real estate industry, so timing is everything when it comes to heritage. Last year, the provincial government announced its commitment to the construction of a central museum complex to complete the provincial museum system that was begun in 1973. That system was created by a provincial government committed to preserving the Island's heritage and funded in large measure by federal monies made available to mark the centennial of Prince Edward Island's entry into Confederation.

The provincial museum system, preserving and interpreting the Island's past for Islanders and visitors, became the chief legacy of our centennial year.

Another anniversary now nears. The year 2014 will mark the sesquicentennial of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, now recognized as a critical milestone on the road to Confederation. In the early 1960s, Ottawa formally recognized the centennial of the conference as the launching pad for the celebration of Canada's centennial and invested the remarkable sum - for that time - of $2.8 million to help a citizens' group fund a national shrine in downtown Charlottetown to the Fathers of Confederation. That "living memorial", the Confederation Centre of the Arts, has become an architectural landmark, cultural mecca and tourism anchor in the province.

In a small province with limited resources, where it always costs us proportionately more to keep up with the Joneses, 2014 offers a rare and wonderful opportunity. Why not use this 'one-of' funding opportunity to create another cultural legacy that will enrich the lives of Islanders, both present and future? Let's use the special funding opportunity of the upcoming sesquicentennial of the Charlottetown Conference to complete the task begun so bravely in 1973 by building a state-of-the-art provincial museum to complement the provincewide network of small, theme museums that currently exist. If not now, will we have to wait until the bicentennial before there is another such chance?

Edward MacDonald,

Provincial museum acquires Trueman Pate collection of oil lamps

2009-10-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

As published by The Guardian on Sept 29, 2009
EDITORIAL STAFF
The Guardian

The Trueman Pate Lamp Collection has been added to the provincial museum collection.

The Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, along with the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, announced the acquisition and said the addition is thanks to the generosity of Hyndman & Company Ltd., The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company and the family of Trueman Pate.

“This group of lamps is thought to be the largest museum collection of its kind in the country and the museum is proud to have it as part of the provincial collection,” said David Keenlyside, executive director of P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation.

The Pate Collection was the lifelong passion of Trueman Pate from Summerside, who amassed a large number of beautiful oil lamps over many years. It was his wish that the approximately 570 lamps stay together on P.E.I.

After an exhibit of the collection at Eptek Art & Culture Centre in 2008, negotiators began investigating the possible acquisition of the entire lamp collection by the P.E.I. Museum. A government news release says it would not have been possible without Pate’s tenacious collecting spirit and his family’s kind offer to help make his lifelong interest a part of the provincial museum collection for Islanders now and always.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Hyndman & Company and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company made a significant donation to the P.E.I. Museum in order to assist in the acquisition of the Pate lamp collection.

“Hyndman & Company Ltd. and Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company are pleased to fund the acquisition by the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation of The Trueman Pate Collection of lamps and lanterns to become part of their permanent collection for the benefit of future generations,” said a company representative.

On the Net: www.peimuseum.com

Architect sparks excitement about bid for museum in Stratford

2009-10-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

as published by The Guardian on Oct 1, 2009
NIGEL ARMSTRONG
The Guardian

Passion and excitement swept through a meeting in Stratford Wednesday as the town pushes on with a bid to have a new P.E.I. museum on its waterfront.

An informal committee of interested people, led by Stratford deputy mayor Sandy McMillan, has for the past few days been hosting one of the world’s most famous architects, Douglas Cardinal.

He spoke at a public meeting attended by nearly 50 people at Stratford Town Hall Wednesday. Afterwards, the excitement was palpable.

Edward Rice presented his enthusiasm for the project to area MLA Cynthia Dunsford and Mayor Kevin Jenkins.

“All inclusiveness, the inspiration of a new building that is allowed to be free, to be formed, something new and imaginative, the site — which I think is ideal — somebody put all this together and that hasn’t happened in Charlottetown,” said Rice.

Cardinal spoke of the need for strong, determined vision and commitment to make projects happen even when it seems unlikely. He persevered for many of his renowned, curving structures, be it the National Museum of the American Indian on the Washington Mall beside the Capitol, or a northern Canadian hospital combining aboriginal and western medicine.

“It takes imagination, which everything starts with, your vision, your belief, and (Cardinal) brought that to us tonight,” said Rice. “Somebody somewhere in this group had the brains to put that together. They have a bid committee. Where are the rest of the few communities that could be interested? I see big players here and big dreamers too.

“Remember Frank MacKinnon built Confederation Centre of the Arts on a dream, with not a . . . hope . . . of getting a dime to do that, and he and a few other people did it. Not that I agree with it.”

Jordan Brown is the unofficial co-chair and sometime spokesperson for the Stratford museum bid committee. He lives in Frenchfort but was impressed with the idea of Stratford being home to a P.E.I. museum. He knows that the current town sewage lagoon will have to be moved if the museum is to occupy the open waterfront space south of the Hillsborough Bridge approaches.

“From a provincial perspective it makes so much sense to have it there, it is almost nonsensical to think of it being any place else,” said Brown.

He invited any interested Islander to contact him, McMillan or the Stratford town office to volunteer for the growing ad hoc museum committee.

“Government right now has announced its intention to build this museum and is currently undertaking a study . . . to define the scope of the museum, where it would go, what kind of facility it would need, parking, etc.,” said Brown. “Like (Cardinal) said here tonight, we have stated our intention that we want it here, now we are enrolling the people to do that.”

“The first step is to declare a very powerful intention,” said Cardinal in his address Wednesday.

Then it must be nurtured, he said.

“When you state your word, and you say it in a powerful way, the hardest thing is to keep your word because human beings have a whole bunch of agendas going on in their heads,” said Cardinal. “To bring a vision into reality, you keep your word, you keep your intentions pure which requires an unwavering commitment. You operate by commitment, rather than fear.

“Fear keeps us powerless and small and collapse the power of our intention.”

See public responses to this article at the Guardian site.

Historic Catalogue of Birds of Prince Edward Island - now online

2009-04-11T05:02:00.000-07:00

Dalhousie University now has published online, an historical reprint of A Catalogue of the Birds of Prince Edward Island. By John MacSwain, Charlottetown, P. E. I. (Read 13th November, 1905; revised to 1907.)

This catalogue of the birds of Prince Edward Island has been compiled chiefly from field notes, beginning in 1895 and continued to the present time. It contains the names of two hundred and three birds seen by the writer during this period of thirteen years ; and a supplementary list of thirteen additional birds stated to occur in Prince Edward Island in the "Catalogue of Canadian Birds" by Prof. Macoun. There is a similar list of four species from "Birds of Prince Edward Island," by the late Mr. Francis Bain.

Give Island children, and visitors, a place to discover

2009-04-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Commentary
GUEST OPINION
PAMELA KORITANSKY
as published in The Guardian, March 24, 2009

I have returned to P.E.I. to raise a family after several years of being away. Since returning I have often heard it said that P.E.I. is the ideal place to raise a family. This has given me reason to wonder if this is really true.

My husband and I and our children recently took a trip to Portland, Maine and while there visited a "children's museum." The museum was an interactive discovery centre that engaged children in exploring and discovering lots of interesting things about the way the world works: how wind affects the movement of balls, how gravity affects different objects and what the inside of the space shuttle looks like. It afforded our children the opportunity to step inside a life-size fire engine and press buttons and see lights flash, to walk through a child-size storefront, take out money at an imitation ATM machine, pretend to be a veterinarian at the child-size clinic complete with stuffed animals in need of medical attention, and a tree for climbing, to mention only a few. It was a welcome place to visit as a family where we could explore and run around indoors on a cold February day. It was open every day, all day and offered a variety of really great programs for children of all ages.

My children are preschool-aged and I have found it difficult to find things to do with them and as a family here on P.E.I. We love being outdoors and enjoy all the excellent parks in Charlottetown, but often find ourselves "stuck" indoors due to weather that is too harsh for preschool children. We do enjoy visits to the CARI pool and the library, but apart from time and day specific playgroups there is no facility (to my knowledge) that families can visit together for children to run, play and discover.

It seems to me that as a family-friendly tourist destination, Charlottetown would be proud to add to its repertoire a state-of-the-art children's discovery centre that would beckon families to visit here year round. It would be an asset to many of the already popular Island festivals for families and children, and would not be dependent on the weather.

I just recently read the Island prosperity plan and couldn't be more convinced that an essential part of "creating a brighter future" and "investing in the people" is to build a place for children to explore, learn and discover. An interactive discovery centre or museum like the one I visited in Portland would promote creativity and a love of learning among Island children. The exhibits and displays could inspire Island children with ideas about renewable resources like wind energy and aquaculture innovations. I would love to see federal infrastructure money and provincial spending delegated to a project like this. With all the plans for a bioresearch park in place, perhaps the government should consider integrating an investment in the futures of Island children by committing to establish a children's discovery centre in Charlottetown as a part of this innovative plan.

The City of Charlottetown and the province would do well to put its heart, soul and resources into supporting a children's discovery centre because it would be an investment in the prosperity of Island families and that is an investment worth making.

A children's discovery centre would give families a destination to be together and "take 30 for the family." It would be an attraction for any family contemplating moving to P.E.I. as well as retaining Islanders who live here now and are starting their families. Not to mention the fact that this discovery centre could be a real meeting place for Islanders and newcomers alike to share in the joy and delight of their children learning and discovering together.

Where much can be said of P.E.I. being a great place to raise a family (relatively low cost of living, friendly, safe, etc...) we should not let that stop us from finding a way to make our Island even more family-friendly for residents and visitors alike.

Pamela Koritansky is a native Islander. After years of travel and study abroad, she came back to P.E.I. and earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science at UPEI in May 2003. She is currently a stay-at-home mother of two children, aged 2 1/2 years and six months.

Children's museum worth supporting

2009-04-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

As published in The Guardian - March 26, 2009

Editor:

I wish to wholeheartedly agree with the views expressed in the guest opinion 'Give Island children, and visitors, a place to discover' (The Guardian, March 24, 2009)

I have long held the view that a children's science museum here on the Island would be magnificent legacy to the Island's children. It could be a place of intellectual exploration, an introduction to important basic scientific ideas, and an enjoyable learning and entertainment experience for all Island children.

I lived in Sudbury when Science North was developed, and visit grandchildren in Vancouver where there is always a visit to the Children's Science Museum on our schedule. These museums are staffed mostly by volunteer retired citizens who have backgrounds in science and engineering, and who are wonderful learning conduits for the children who attend.

A children's science museum - with both basic scientific displays and changeable exhibits - would be useful to every school class on the Island as well as a unique tourist feature during the summer months. This is an idea which looks to the future and would help all Island students. Advancing this as a public project would be a refreshing change from some of the tired and fruitless programs that are funded from time to time here on the Island.

Michael Ross (P. Eng, Retired),

Stratford

The old, threadbare Dominion Building

2009-03-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR as published in The Guardian, Feb 24, 2009
Editor:

The ease with which some folks are ready to spend other people's money can be breathtaking. Take, for example, the old Dominion Building.

Here's a dated structure that federal government tenants began abandoning years ago. There are rumours the old building is loaded with asbestos insulation. There is also talk the aged structure is unstable, which accounts for the braces on the exterior. An energy audit would almost certainly produce a failing grade. Despite these warning signs, there are some folks who want taxpayers to plow as much as $30 million into the salvage of this worn-out hand-me-down.

Here's the question. Is the Dominion Building worth saving? The architectural design is uninspiring. It can't qualify as a heritage property. And the structure has problems, which will be staggeringly expensive to fix.

By contrast, the estimated cost of demolition is about $2 million. Then what? Islanders can seize the opportunity to create something important and exciting and new on the site of something old and threadbare and lamentable.

Aubrey Bell,

New London

A cultural complex in the Dominion Building

2009-02-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

Opinion - as published in The Guardian on Feb 2, 2009

Now that the federal stimulus budget has been passed, let's not forget our government's promise of a new provincial museum. Since a potential location and edifice already exist in the form of the Dominion Building, the Island has a project that is far beyond 'shovel ready'.

The 176,000 square feet of this six-storey structure would provide an ideal location for a provincial museum of culture and nature, with space for a children's museum, as well as for the provincial archives and library. A purpose-built institution may be an ideal, but it would cost more and take longer to realize than recycling an older building.

Many successful museums and cultural complexes have been created in structures where money was spent not on their site or their construction but on their renovation. The Dominion Building's need of new windows, humidity controlled areas and a serious facelift are not unusual ones.

Successful renovations of older structures are too numerous to list but an exemplary one was the National Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa. The institution grew out of an old bakery made of steel and concrete to become one of Canada's most popular museums during the 1970s and 1980s. Others include a 19th-century prison recently integrated into Quebec's provincial art museum, and an old train station transformed into the Quai D'Orsay, one of the most talked about art galleries in Paris.

The large Dominion Building can accommodate a comprehensive museum, the provincial archives and library and their collections. Centralizing these institutions would facilitate synergies between archivists, curators and librarians and create much-needed efficiencies in space, equipment and personnel. The building could also support complementary educational and entertainment facilities for community and special events.

A cultural centre in a renovated space could work well for teachers, as object-based learning is an excellent complement to that found in schools. Partnerships between the Confederation Centre, the Arts Guild and the MacKenzie Theatre would facilitate the creation of a cultural cluster and in so doing increase educational, leisure and commercial activities for everyone.

The economic and socio-cultural impact of museums and libraries on the revitalization of cities is well documented. Examples include new museums and libraries in Copenhagen, London, Paris, Vancouver, Hull, Montreal and Quebec City. As more residents and tourists are drawn to these institutions, the surrounding neighbourhoods are transformed.

For Charlottetown, the creative use of the Dominion Building would do much more than help counter the flight of businesses from the downtown core.

The creation of a cultural complex and cluster in our capital will create an ambient area where people will converge, where creativity and knowledge will abound, and where business will thrive. As people learn more about the full scope of Island history, they would be directed to regional centres that possess additional artifacts and information concerning different facets of our past and present. A central cultural complex would act as a lead institution, providing leadership, as well as better access to advice, support and training for professionals and volunteers.

As Catherine Hennessey wrote in a recent article of The Island Magazine, people have been dreaming of and planning for a provincial museum since the 1880s. Isn't it time for our governments to seize the occasion to provide Islanders with a dynamic facility that connects them with each other, as well as to their pasts and future?

Terry Ruddel is a former curator of the National Museums of Canada and a former director of Museum Studies at the University of Toronto. He is presently working on the history of blacksmiths in Victoria.

Stratford waterfront a perfect site for provincial museum

2009-01-28T06:20:00.000-08:00

Letter to Editor published by The Guardian - January 28, 2009
by DOUG KELLY

I have read with interest your recent articles and letters regarding a site for a provincial heritage museum. I must say that I am in agreement that a museum must interpret the story of P.E.I. by showcasing both our natural and human heritage.

If a museum is to accomplish these goals, and draw Islanders and tourists alike, refurbishing an old, surplus building would not be the way to proceed. The old Dominion Building in Charlottetown was an office building, and would be a poor fit for a museum.

While no expert, I do think that a purpose-built building would be required given the strict environmental controls needed for an artifactory and provincial archives. I am quite sure that among the goals the province might have for investing in a provincial museum, finding a use for surplus office buildings is not among them. A retrofit building would be hard pressed to provide the necessary archival standard for conservation and preservation.

In Harry Baglole's letter on Jan. 5, he stated that a provincial museum should be housed in a purpose-built building located in a setting near woods or the shore. I would like to put forth the idea of Stratford's waterfront as the perfect location.

Central location: The IRIS Group's heritage study recommended a museum be centrally located to make itself accessible to the highest number of visitors. Stratford is in the capital region, and is now connected to Charlottetown via public transportation. The location has the added attraction of sitting on the bank of the Hillsborough River, a designated Canadian Heritage River.

- Space: Stratford's waterfront has adequate space not only for a museum and provincial archives but also for car and bus parking. The location would provide dramatic views of the harbour and Charlottetown's skyline.

- Government presence: The provincial government has demonstrated its commitment to the concept of 'one Island community' by finding new homes for government departments. As the third-largest municipality in province, there is a conspicuous absence of government presence in Stratford. Locating the provincial museum in Stratford would go far to address this deficit.

- Showcase opportunity: A purpose-built museum has the potential to be an architectural gem, reminiscent of the Canadian Museum of Civilization across the river from Ottawa. A provincial museum on the Stratford waterfront would be highly visible from Charlottetown and the Hillsborough Bridge. The design of a museum should be a drawing card in and of itself.

- The future: At some point, a marina is planned for Stratford's waterfront. Both municipalities would benefit if summertime tourists were able to take a pedestrian ferry from historic downtown Charlottetown across the Hillsborough River to the provincial museum in Stratford. A ferry could even complete the triangle, connecting to Rocky Point (Port la Joye/Fort Amherst) before returning to Charlottetown.

Before a location is chosen for the wrong reasons, let's hope the province follows the IRIS Group's recommendation and allows a professionally led study to recommend the preferred site for a provincial museum and archives.

Doug Kelly is chair of the Stratford Heritage Committee.
28/01/09

Two projects worth supporting

2009-01-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR as published in The Guardian, Jan 21, 2009
Editor:

It is not often that leaders like Premier Ghiz and Mayor Lee have a chance of a lifetime to make decisions that will be remembered for generations to come.

Two related concepts and projects are available to them that would leave a legacy far beyond the norm. The proposed concepts and projects are founded on desegregation over segregation, diversity over uniformity, and inclusion over isolation.

Project number one: build the provincial museum as a centrepiece on the experimental farm property which would be the first step in the development of an inclusive people's park with gardens, playing fields and outdoor venues for all ages, all economic levels, and all backgrounds and beliefs.

Project number two: reconstruct the Dominion Building into a variety of living spaces from large apartments to small studios. A people's co-operative where the traditional and non-traditional families reside side by side. A place with living spaces for young families and elderly citizens, and kids and pets. A home where wealth is measured by kindness rather than by dollars.

Infrastructure money should be applied to more than just roads. Let some of the funds be used to support projects based on societal needs.

Sterling Stratton,

Charlottetown

Orwell Corner offers such a site

2009-01-11T09:22:00.000-08:00

As Published by The Guardian Jan 10, 2008

Editor:
In response to Harry Baglole's letter in The Guardian on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, 'Deja vu - all over again'.

He indicates that "a provincial museum should be located in a lovely natural setting, near woods or seashore and with ample parking in the vicinity for fleets of school buses."

One would wonder why he does not mention that such a site had been prepared at Orwell Corner, which I understand was the original planned location for this structure.

The land was cleared, a large parking lot was made and a new road was constructed. This site is in a lovely natural setting, has a picturesque view and has access to the Trans-Canada Highway.

Louise MacLeod,

Uigg

Déjà vu - all over again

2009-01-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

As published in The Guardian - Jan 5, 2008
Editor:

The recent lobbying efforts by various Charlottetown folk to 'shoehorn' the provincial museum entity into a recycled Dominion Building contains, for me, a strong element of 'déjà vu'. In fact, it reminds me of the not-so-distant effort of the previous provincial government to provide a rationale for moving the artifactory to Murray River. In both cases, the facility (new or recycled) and locality came first; and the museum element was seized upon as a means to other ends, developmental and political.

But (attempting to put the horse before the cart), perhaps we should dare to think - to dream - more ambitiously. How about a brilliant purpose-built new building, designed by a modern-day William Critchlow Harris, and located in a lovely natural setting, near woods or seashore, and with ample parking in the vicinity for fleets of schoolbuses. There are, indeed, several such locations available in the Greater Charlottetown area.

Given the present economic down-turn and the stated intention of governments, pretty well everywhere, to 'spend' our way back to prosperity, there may never be a better opportunity to obtain major federal funding for such an undertaking. Suddenly, there's a lot of 'buzz' about large amounts of money becoming available for new buildings and 'infrastructure' generally.

Besides - I'm sure that creative minds can come up with other dynamic and appropriate culture-related purposes for the born-again Dominion Building.

Harry Baglole,

Bonshaw

Dominion Building as a museum?

2008-12-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

The Guardian - EDITORIALS - published Dec 22, 2008
The old capital landmark is front-runner in search for provincial museum building.

The grand old lady of Charlottetown may have a lot of years left in her yet with suitors aplenty knocking on the door. The latest group to court the former Dominion Building, a landmark in the capital city for over 50 years, is a firm assessing the site for a provincial museum.

Lundholm Associates, a firm which specializes in planning and designing museums, is assessing the feasibility of converting the building into a museum site. It's important to stress that the future use for the former Dominion Building has yet to be determined. But when government said recently it was looking to locate a provincial museum in a central location, the first site on many minds was the six-storey structure on lower Queen Street. A Canada Lands Company spokesman said that many members of both the public and provincial government have commented the facility is "an absolutely perfect site" for a provincial museum. The huge building would certainly have other uses, yet to be determined.

The building was once the main post office for the city and housed most federal agencies and offices for many years. The structure was declared redundant and replaced by the new Jean Canfield Building. It needs a major facelift and modernization before it can be re-occupied. It's a huge structure of 53,645 square metres on a .72-hectare site, or 176,000 square feet on 1.5 acres.

And it will take a lot of money to bring it up to modern specifications. Who will be able to come up with the kind of cash needed to bring the building well into the 21st century?

When city heritage activist Catherine Hennessey held a 75th birthday party earlier this fall, she made a point of having the party on the top floor of the old federal building with a sweeping panoramic view of the city as the sun set. It was a special sight staged for the benefit of some key movers and shakers in the city and province, to hammer home just how special a location and building exists in the heart of the downtown, and how essential it is for the city to keep the building in use. Hennessey and her supporters would like nothing better than to have the building converted into a museum.

The province is stressing that proper planning is needed for a new museum facility to ensure it meets the expectations and needs of the people of P.E.I. But there can be little doubt that the building is among the front-runners as the location for the provincial museum.

Earlier this year, Canada Lands Company sent out 25 packages across the country to those companies and individuals expressing a desire to purchase and develop the building. So there is considerable interest in the building and care must be taken to ensure it's used properly in the future.

An open house held last January identified office, retail, institutional, hotel, residential and cultural uses such as a modern public library, archival and museum services. Other options include a hotel and condominiums but that would not necessarily complement the heritage district. The CLC is hoping to have people back in the building in 2010 which doesn't leave a lot of time to plan and to ensure the building continues to be an integral part of a vibrant downtown Charlottetown.

This is good news for Island heritage

2008-11-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

The province's commitment to a centrally located provincial museum is a step in the right direction.
- editorial as published in The Guardian - 24, Nov 2008

The provincial government wasn't able to give many details, but its announcement recently that it's committed to creating a centrally located provincial museum is significant news. It means those who've long called for such a facility - and with good reason - will finally get their wish. All Islanders, their children and grandchildren will be the beneficiaries.

Prince Edward Islanders have a well-developed appreciation of their heritage and culture, judging from the array of heritage sites across the Island, and the communities and heritage groups that actively support them. While many of these sites - Orwell Corner, for example - have their following of both visitors and Islanders, the lack of a centrally located provincial museum means there's no one general site to showcase and celebrate Island heritage and to display its many artifacts.

The announcement a week ago by Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram puts the province on the right path toward finally creating such a site. But there are some unanswered questions that stand out: Where will it be? What would it consist of and what would it display? How much money will government put toward fulfilling its commitment? Ms. Bertram did say she'd like to see the museum open within "the next few years", so picking a site and coming up with the cash to create a museum are clearly the next pressing issues to be decided.

Ms. Bertram has her job cut out for her. As one of many ministers around the cabinet table - all of whom will be arguing for their share of the spending pie during these uncertain economic times - she'll have to keep trumpeting her government's commitment to a central museum so it doesn't fall off the agenda.

Province commits to creation of central museum

2008-11-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

David Keenleyside, left, executive director of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, Philip Macdonald, vice-chair, and Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram, announced Friday the province will commit to creating a centrally located provincial museum and will also work to develop a heritage strategy. Guardian photo

by JIM DAY as published in The Guardian, 15th of Nov, 2008

The future site for showcasing the province’s past appears likely destined to be in the Charlottetown area.
Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram pledged Friday her government’s commitment to creating a centrally located provincial museum facility.

Further analysis will be done to peg the specific location, but the recommendation from a heritage report released Friday clearly seems to place the capital city as the prime candidate.

Bertram said the location would be centrally located in a place with the highest potential for visitors to the site.

“We are not going to prejudge where it is going to be, that is part of the (upcoming) process,’’ she said when asked if the site will inevitably end up in the capital city.

Still, the crowd gathered inside the main theatre of Province House cheered Bertram’s promise to create a centrally located provincial museum facility.

The previous Conservative government was ready for construction of a provincial artifactory in Murray River but the Liberal election victory in late May 2007 brought those plans to an abrupt halt.

The proposed $4.9-million project to house and display some of the more than 80,000 items of historical significance now being stored in the West Royalty Industrial Park also included a retail and boutique attachment as a way to stimulate more summertime business in this quiet fishing village.

But while the relocation bid was applauded by the P.E.I. Heritage Foundation, it drew the ire of other heritage buffs who insisted Murray River was too far off the beaten track and the province should be building a provincial museum instead in the capital city.

Bertram hopes to see the museum open within “the next few years’’ but future analysis — and capital budget approval — is still needed to determine many factors for the promised facility. Among the unanswered questions is where will the museum be located, will it be housed in an existing building or will a new facility be constructed and what will be displayed in the facility.

Bertram says it is important for the government to undertake proper planning for a new facility to ensure it meets the expectations and needs of Islanders.

She also wants her government to support capital upgrades to the current seven provincial museums that dot the Island.

The $60,000 report, called Charting A Course, also calls for government to develop a strategy to guide future planning for heritage. Bertram says government will work immediately to create a strategy.

“Within one year, we will have a series of heritage priorities and specific action areas identified to address various heritage needs,’’ she said. “The strategy will recognize that heritage goes beyond bricks and mortar — heritage is a way of thinking about our Island community.’’

That philosophy sits well with Catherine Hennessey, a vocal advocate for the promotion and preservation of the Island’s heritage.

“I have a belief in a museum, but I have a deep belief that we can put a group of people together — a staff — that will help one end of this Island to the other interpreting and preserving our history,’’ she said following Friday’s announcement. “The call is out now for the community to support this wonderful first step.’’

More than 500 individuals and organizations came forward with their concerns and suggestions in helping the IRIS group prepare its report.

Other recommendations in the report include:

- Making more effective use and enforcement of existing legislation, notably the Heritage Places Protection Act. Proclaiming the Archaeology Act and developing regulations.
- Strengthening and clarifying the mandates regarding administration and provincial heritage resources.
- Giving more prominence to heritage concerns within government as part of the decision-making process.
- Increasing support for community museums through the Community Museums Association

Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island praising the results of provincial museum study.

2008-11-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

Date:

Nov 16 2008

SUMMERSIDE, PEI, NOVEMBER 16, 2008 - The Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island (MCPEI) is praising the results of a comprehensive study that calls for significant Aboriginal involvement in new provincial museum.

“Recognizing the contributions and culture of Prince Edward Island and telling the unique Island story would not be complete without showcasing the history and heritage of the Mi’kmaq,” said Chief Darlene Bernard, Chief of Lennox Island First Nation and co-chair of MCPEI Board of Directors.

“This report and its 30 recommendations will help the Provincial Government and all stakeholders develop a heritage strategy that we can all be proud of. Minister Carolyn Bertram deserves much of the credit for undertaking a long term, sustainable approach to protecting and preserving our Island’s history.”

MCPEI, in partnership with Parks Canada, is in the process of completing a feasibility study of its own to outline the most effective way of preserving and displaying artifacts from Mi’kmaq history. Chief Brian Francis, Chief of Abegweit First Nation and co-chair of MCPEI Board of Directors, said the two reports can work hand in hand.

“We realized we needed a location to prominently display the artifacts of our past. With the announcement of a central museum and a commitment to greater involvement from the Aboriginal community, we feel that our proud history will soon be properly shared with all of Prince Edward Island,” said Chief Francis.

Planning for a new museum as well as enacting the key recommendations of the report will take some time, but MCPEI is excited about playing a prominent role in that process.

For more information, contact:
Dennis King
Director of Communications
Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island
(902) 367-3660 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (902) 367-3660 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
dking@mcpei.ca

Protecting our heritage with a vengeance

2008-10-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

by CHARLES MCMILLAN - Commentary
as published in The Guardian - Oct 23, 2008

Every generation, Islanders take a refreshing look at policies and legislation affecting this province’s glorious history, heritage, and natural landscape. As the summer-fall season closes, and almost 1.5 million visitors leave the Island, it is appropriate to examine the province’s entire approach to culture and heritage, and how best to preserve and exploit the Island’s ‘way of life’. The Ghiz government is now dealing with potential new directions for heritage policies, including a much-needed storage site for the Island’s collection.

Hopefully, the issues will be dealt with on a non-partisan basis and address ideas and suggestions with a long-time horizon, perhaps up to 10 years or more.

Successive governments, from the Conservative administrations of Walter Shaw, Angus MacLean and Pat Binns to Liberal administrations of Alex Campbell, Joe Ghiz, and now his son, Robert Ghiz, have cultivated policies towards the natural environment — shorelines, parks, protected areas — as well as heritage buildings, archeological sites, and provincial museums.
Indeed, the entire province is really a national park, with plants, animals, birds and trees of immense beauty. Jacques Cartier, perhaps the first European to write down his thoughts on the Island, touring the entire north shore on July 1, 1534, referred to the climate, land, and landscape, “the finest land one can see, and full of beautiful trees and meadows, the fairest that it may be possible to see.” George Brown, a celebrated Father of Confederation who also tried to wrestle with the Island’s transportation challenge when he returned to Charlottetown in 1865, called P.E.I. “as pretty a country as you ever put your eye upon.”

By my count, there are seven categories of the Island’s heritage landscape: lighthouses, churches, community and provincial museums, sites-in-waiting (e.g. the Julian Jaynes-Admiral Bayfield House in Keppoch), Parks Canada historic sites, natural historic sites (e.g. Greenwich, North Cape Peat Bog and archeological sites) and National Historic Sites.

The IRIS Group, a consulting firm that produced a welcome study on heritage policy and justified the need for additional resources (money, staff and facilities), did not provide financial estimates, either on a low- or high-budget scenario. My guess of required funding for capital plus annual upkeep, ignoring the source of the money, is about $250,000 minimum for lighthouses ($10,000 operating per site), $3 million to $4 million for churches ($10,000-$25,000 operating for some 60 heritage churches), $50-100,000 for 16 community and provincial museums ($25,000 for operations), $500,000 for natural history sites, and $2 million per year for national historic sites.

This capital budget, about $10 million in total, is not entirely about provincial funding. Or federal-provincial funding. Or about a separate line item in the provincial ministry of culture and heritage. Why? First, the Island’s heritage landscape is an enormous drawing card for provincial tourism (a $350-million industry) and the associated small business sector, including restaurants, hotels, bed and breakfast, and provincial tours.

Second, as the poor, rural areas of Maine and New Brunswick readily indicate, decrepit buildings and farms isolate communities from economic vitality, including the capacity to attract business and associated land values.

Third, while there is a natural economic magnet towards cities, especially Charlottetown where most government and professional (law, finance, academic) activity is located, the drawing card is the Island itself, including the rural lifestyle and heritage that truly create the Island way of life — fresh air and water, thriving villages (e.g. Rustico or Montague), family values, and a real sense of community.

Clearly, the government should devote more resources to the Island’s heritage, perhaps doubling the present expenditure of $2 million, and reducing the amount spent to attract new businesses (but also spending more on skills training) — the Maritimes’ sinful weakness.
The government could also change the incentives to invest in heritage, such as the following. For churches, whose real estate is not taxable, introduce a regulation that encourages heritage preservation, or lose the tax advantages.

For certain kinds of heritage buildings, provide public money on a cost-shared basis, say 25 per cent public (perhaps in kind, like roads, culverts, and bypasses) and 75 per cent raised privately, by individuals, volunteer groups, or communities. In certain areas, lighthouses, heritage signs, and outdoor interpretive signs allow the Island’s high school students to learn the tools of manual training to overcome the woeful shortage of trained workers.

And finally, given some of the new subdivisions, force Maritime Electric to bury wires in the Island’s soft ground, with the goal of copying from Scandinavia the idea of underground wiring — the heritage equivalent of the Campbell government getting rid of ugly billboards in 1973.
Heritage is a public good. Once lost, it is difficult to get back. Thoughtful Islanders should protect our history and heritage with a vengeance.

Charles McMillan, raised in Charlottetown, is an economist and professor of international business at York University in Toronto. He is author of Eminent Islanders.

Recommedations - Charting a Course: A Study of Heritage in Prince Edward Island Draft Report

2008-10-15T08:26:00.000-07:00

While Charting a Course: A Study of Heritage in Prince Edward Island
Draft Report, provides the context for all recommendations and should be consulted, this compilation is being posted to provide the recommendations as a list:

Charting a Course: A Study of Heritage in Prince Edward Island
Draft Report

1. We recommend that responsibility for heritage remain in the Culture, Heritage and Libraries Division, that it be strengthened by giving it greater clarity and profile of mandate, that it be given sufficient resources to realize its mandate and provide leadership and expertise on heritage matters provincially.

2. We recommend that heritage concerns be given greater consideration in the decision-making of the Province by:

• Tasking the Council of Deputy Ministers with the development of measures to give heritage concerns a higher profile in the decisions of the Province

• Making heritage impacts become more prominent in the Environmental Impact Assessment process

• Requesting that the Commissioner on Land and Local Governance (announced in the April 4, 2008 Speech From the Throne) develop mechanisms for the protection of heritage features in unincorporated areas as well as in communities that do not have official plans

3. We recommend the development of a three-to five-year capital funding program to improve the condition of the buildings at the seven Provincial Museum sites and to invest in new, high-quality exhibitions at the sites. Further, a budget and plan should be established for ongoing operations and annual site maintenance for these Provincial sites.

4. We recommend that the Government provide sufficient base-level funding to Provincial Museum sites to enable all of them to remain open a minimum of two months longer to accommodate school visits and the tourism shoulder seasons.

5. We recommend that the provincial government increase support to the community museums by expanding the standards-based community museum operating grant program and administer this program in partnership with the Community Museums Association.

6. We recommend that the Province make greater use of existing landscape protection legislation; include more public education, building local capacity and heritage expertise in related areas; and develop new mechanisms to encourage owners in heritage preservation, including better financial incentives such as tax accommodations, loans, grants, and outright compensation.

7. We recommend that the powers of the Heritage Places Protection Act be used more effectively to promote and regulate the protection of heritage property, especially in the designation of places, and coordination of the Act with enhanced planning and development control legislation.

8. We recommend the appointment of at least one full-time Heritage Officer within the Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour.

9. We recommend, in light of the pending discontinuance of federal government funding, that a plan be developed for future management of the Historic Places Initiative.

10. We recommend the following actions regarding administration for archaeology:

• Immediate proclamation of the Archaeology Act, preparation of the necessary regulations and the undertaking of adequate publicity and
enforcement

• Reconsider the 150-year BP (Before Present) time limit as a qualifier for designating sites and artifacts, so that the natural and cultural historic importance of the site or source is the deciding factor

• Greater use by the Minister of the power to designate or temporarily designate archaeological sites in peril, and a reconsideration of the legislation to allow the Minister to extend the initial stop-order period if necessary

• Specification in the Regulations for Permit Applications that the applicant is obliged to carry out a conservation evaluation of the site prior to excavation, and to demonstrate that appropriate conservation support can be provided for excavated materials

11. We recommend that the Government of PEI undertake a professionally-led study that:
• Identifies the functional requirements for a new Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives
• Projects the financial costs associated with building and operating a new Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives
• Assesses potential locations and recommends a preferred site for the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives

12. We recommend that changes be made to the existing crown corporation, renaming it the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives (PMA); that the corporation be governed by a Board of Governors that includes the minister (or representative); that the board report to the minister; and that the corporation be given clear responsibility for management of endowment funds, governance of the provincial museum sites and management of tangible and intangible provincial collections of archival, natural, and cultural history materials.

13. We recommend that the Board of Governors of the re-mandated corporation, drawn from the various communities of interest, should be a policy board and would be responsible for administering endowment funds, including those to be transferred from the PEIMHF. The Chief Executive Officer of the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives should report to the minister through the Board.

14. We recommend that the Government of PEI develop a human resources plan that gives priority to and sets out timelines for filling the need for additional capacity in the following areas: curatorial (natural history, archaeology, and architectural history), conservation (artifact and archival), archives, and education.

15. We recommend an updated provincial museums and archives collections policy to meet professional standards and broaden cultural representation in collections; as well as an acquisitions policy to delineate collections mandates among the provincial heritage institutions with criteria to ensure each collects according to its mandate.

16. We recommend that the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives curatorial and conservation staff meet with Aboriginal representatives to determine how best to assist in building capacity for care of and access to Aboriginal collections, both in provincial collections and in their communities.

17. We recommend that a provincial conservation policy be developed, and that assessments be prepared by conservators for each provincial museum site and the Public Archives to identify critical collections care needs. We further recommend that the Government provide the necessary support to address these needs.

18. We recommend that purpose-built museum and archival storage facilities for the provincial collections be provided to replace existing storage. We further that recommend conservation facilities and equipment be provided as part of the new PMA.

19. We recommend that the proposed new Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives take the lead to develop joint action with UPEI, to collect, preserve and make accessible to the public the intangible heritage of the Island, including the creation of a sound and film/video recordings archives.

20. We recommend that the Province review and develop provincial cultural policies and programs in consultation with cultural communities to help promote PEI’s intangible culture by:

• Improving co-ordination among cultural programs, and including diverse cultural perspectives into mainstream projects, such as heritage sites, landscape and architectural conservation.

• Liaising with representatives of the two main Aboriginal organizations in PEI, the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI and the Native
Council of PEI, to ensure equitable representation of Aboriginal culture.

• Increasing support to community programs for recording and preserving intangible heritage in areas like traditional knowledge, arts, dance, music and languages of diverse Island cultural communities like Mi’kmaq, Francophone, Lebanese, Scottish, Irish and recent immigrants communities; and in consultation with cultural communities, explore the possibility of a government office for multi-cultural affairs and policies.

• Supporting cultural venues, such as those provided by the rural community halls, and Aboriginal and Francophone and other

21. We recommend that natural heritage be more fully integrated into the seven sites of the existing provincial museum system, as well as the proposed new Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives

The provincial natural heritage collection be expanded

Natural heritage curatorial expertise be added as a priority as noted in the Human Resources section of this report.

22. We recommend that the Province mandate the proposed Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives to conduct research necessary for exploring, interpreting and revising knowledge about Prince Edward Island and to tell a more complex version of the Island story. We also recommend that the PMA pursue opportunities to establish partnerships with individuals and institutions to conduct research that contributes to the objectives and programs of the PMA and other similar institutions.

23. We recommend that the provincial government mandate a role for education in the new PMA, so that for the benefit of students and the wider community, contact is maximized between institutional educational representatives, Island schools and the community at large.

24. We recommend that the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives provide permanent and temporary exhibition space and support facilities for the provincial collections to meet the highest professional standards and practices in exhibition concepts and design.

25. We recommend that an interpretive master plan be developed to identify the key natural and cultural themes that constitute the ’Island story’; and that protocols are established to ensure appropriate cultural representation and collaboration so that the story is inclusive.

26. We recommend that the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives expand its resources and services to serve the public interest in genealogical research by establishing a Family History Room, and by collaborating with non-governmental genealogical organizations to the same end.

27. We recommend that the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives, the Department of Tourism, and the heritage community work together to target the Island diaspora in promotion and programs.

28. We recommend that the “Island Studies” course mentioned in the Speech from the Throne (April 4, 2008) include environmental awareness and the importance of local citizenship and the global community. It should be offered in all high schools.

29. We recommend that the Province encourage Holland College and similar educational centres to explore providing training in traditional trades in order to make such occupational options more available and to ensure succession in areas that are part of Island heritage.

30. We recommend that the Province create a provincial heritage strategy; take immediate steps to address some of the most pressing needs recommended in this report; and prepare annual reports on the progress in implementing the new provincial heritage strategy during its first five years.

Immediate (within eight months):

• Develop a heritage strategy to guide government action
• Make more effective use and enforcement of existing legislation (e.g., Heritage Places Protection Act to protect heritage places; proclaim the Archaeology Act and develop regulations)
• Strengthen and clarify the mandates regarding administration of provincial heritage resources
• Give more prominence to heritage concerns within government as part of the decision-making process
• Establish the Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives as a re-mandated and enhanced heritage crown corporation

Short-term (one to two years):

• Build capacity throughout the system -- which involves developing a human resources plan, and hiring professional curators, archivists, conservators and an educator. These professionals will initiate programs within the existing infrastructure and plan future facilities, programs and policies
• Undertake a study for the proposed new PEI Museum and Archives facility to identify functional requirements and financial costs, and to recommend a preferred site
• Increase the operating funding to the seven provincial museum sites to expand their operating season and improve programming
• Increase support for community museums through the Community Museums Association
• Develop collections policies
• Develop mechanisms to protect natural and cultural landscape and built heritage through the use of economic instruments
• Develop an inclusive interpretive master plan integrating natural and cultural themes in consultation with cultural communities

Medium-term (three to five years):

• Develop a capital funding program for the seven provincial museum sites
• Ensure the new PMA fulfills the natural heritage mandate of the Museum Act
• Move personnel and stored collections into the new Prince Edward Island Museum and Archives facility

Long-term (six to ten years):

• Continue to build, conserve and manage collections, while developing exhibitions, programming and educational resources
• Maintain the physical infrastructure

The chairs enhance the square

2008-10-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

by KATIE MCINNIS
Charlottetown
as published by The Guardian Oct 14, 2008
Editor:
In response to the letter from Darlene Hughes about the chairs in King’s Square (‘These chairs no bargain’, The Guardian, Oct. 4, 2008): these are accurate representations of chairs made by famous Charlottetown furniture maker, Mark Butcher, and as such, are works of art — pieces of sculpture meant to enhance the cultural spirit of the city as well as honour an historical figure. They are a unique method of showing off the creativity of our city and much more appealing than a sculptured figure of the person.

I live across from them and I love them. There are not meant to be comfortable seating and yet I often see people sitting on them. I have watched people posing beside them and taking pictures. Artistic taste is subjective, but these chairs, so wonderfully accurate in every detail, are beautiful. They enhance King’s Square and are worth every penny. I commend Kim Devine and city council for taking this project on and for all of the wonderful projects happening to enhance the visual appeal of downtown Charlottetown.

Bronze chairs adorn square as tribute to furniture make

2008-10-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

Agnes MacInnis sits of one of the five bronze chairs that are in Kings Square in Charlottetown. The City of Charlottetown spent just under $13,000 on the chairs, which honour a former city councillor and businessman from the 1800s. Guardian photo

by DAVE STEWART
The Guardian - published Oct 2, 2008

Five large bronze chairs now adorn a historic square in Charlottetown as a tribute to a former city councillor and businessman.

The city spent just under $13,000 for the chairs in Kings Square to honour Mark Butcher, who history buffs may remember as a big furniture maker in the 1800s.

Butcher operated a factory on the corner of Kent and Hillsborough streets, now the site of the Maritime Christian College. [note this was later corrected - the building is owned by Central Christian Church and operates as a christian education centre.]

Coun. Kim Devine, chair of heritage, said Butcher had a very strong presence around Kings Square and the idea arose to design bronze sculptures that honour some of the furniture Butcher was known to have created.

“Residents in the area were very interested,’’ Devine said of talks that have gone back a year.
“Now we need a interpretive panel explaining who Mark is, what he did and why the chairs are in Kings Square.’’

In addition to chairs and other types of furniture, Butcher also designed caskets.

The factory, which he bought in 1869, was destroyed by fire in 1887. The brick building, which replaced the Butcher factory, still stands today.

Devine said in 1867, the factory employed 40 people. In 1874, 20 additional joiners and cabinetmakers were needed.

One of his employees specialized in designing figureheads for ships while another was good at making coffins.

In addition to Butcher’s retail store in Charlottetown, he also had branch businesses in Cardigan and Georgetown.

“I think this is a great way to promote city art and celebrate a talented artist in our history as well as beautifying one of our lovely city squares at the same time.’’

The Island Heritage Draft Report is now available for Review

2008-09-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Now available -- follow the link to access the Island Heritage Draft Report which is now available for review.

P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation seeking public's input

2008-09-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

STAFF
published by The Journal Pioneer Sept 29, 2008

The P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation is looking for public input into two projects of historical significance to Prince Edward Island.

The Prince Edward Island CN Pensioners, in partnership with Service Canada and the Government of Prince Edward Island, are conducting an interview-based project titled, CN Pensioners: Stories of the P.E.I. Railway.

The objectives of this important project are to collect and preserve an oral history of the railroad on Prince Edward Island, to recognize the valuable social and economic contribution made by the former railroad and by those who worked on it, and to establish a searchable oral history record that may be available to the public at large for future research.

The work will be conducted throughout the province and is based out of the Museum and Heritage P.E.I. administrative offices at 2 Kent St., in Charlottetown.

For more information, or to offer information, please contact Project Manager, Barb Morgan at 368-6600.

The second project is called "Heritage Garden Project at Beaconsfield Historic House."

Officials at Beaconsfield Historic House are planning to develop the garden and grounds to an historically accurate garden style popular during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Research into the history of the grounds of Beaconsfield and horticulture in Charlottetown during this period will continue through until November.

Project manager Dr. Elizabeth Schoales invites anyone with photographs, records, or memories of the grounds at Beaconsfield as they once were, or of Victorian or Edwardian horticulture in Charlottetown during that period of time, to contact her at 368-6600.

For more information on programs and services of The P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, contact (902) 368-6600, mhpei@gov.pe.ca or www.peimuseum.com

Losing whale remains to B.C. should spur on action for provincial museum: Scott

2008-05-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

Dr. Andrew Trites, team leader for the blue whale project in Norway, rests his foot on the whale’s skull. The opening near his foot is the whale’s brain cavity. Transcontinental Media photo by Eric McCarthy

DAVE STEWART
as published in The Guardian May 23, 2008

The former executive director of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation is hoping the province will soon find a home for prized collections such as the 26-metre blue whale currently being exhumed in western P.E.I.

Ian Scott said he is saddened to see that, once again, the Island is silently surrendering a piece of its heritage.

The blue whale, which washed ashore 20 years ago, will be shipped to a museum in British Columbia.

Scott said the attention being given to this whale might be just what is needed to jump-start talks of a provincial museum, one that could house such a display.

Four years before this whale was buried, the P.E.I. legislature passed the Museum Act giving a mandate in natural history to the Island’s provincial museum, known as the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation.

“Fulfilling the mandate, definitely that’s a concern at this stage,’’ Scott said. “Twenty-five years later that mandate is still not being fulfilled. They still haven’t hired a curator.’’

When it comes to provincial museums, the province offers Beaconsfield, Eptek, Miscouche, Green Park, Orwell Corner, Basin Head and Elmira Railroad Museum.

“We have created the wheel but we have not strengthened the hub. The whole artifactory issue was central last year. Sure we had the art in place for over 35 years and it has served a function for temporary storage but it’s very inadequate.’’

Scott believes losing something as precious as a monstrous 26-metre whale might draw attention to the need for a major museum.

“You start to realize we do have something the world is interested in,’’ he said.

David Keenlyside, the current executive director of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, is out of province this week and was unavailable for comment.

If the province ever did find the space, there is certainly no shortage of whale carcasses to choose from across the province.

Don McAlpine, curator of zoology at the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John, said numerous whales are buried in P.E.I.

“There are other whales buried over there, no blue whales that I’m aware of but I know there are a number of sperm whales and there are some, actually, at the same site,’’ McAlpine said, referring to the western P.E.I. site where the blue whale is being exhumed.

Rosemary Curley, with the P.E.I. Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, confirmed a number of burial sites exist.

Nail Pond, near the western tip of P.E.I., has a plethora of buried whales.

One of them is a fin whale, measuring 62 feet in length, which was buried on Sept. 16, 1994. It weighed 52,000 pounds.

Curley said there are also a couple of humpback whales buried at Lakeside (near St. Peters). In fact, these burials were preceded by a burial service prior to interment. She said other burial sites include Tignish, South Lake, Basin Head and Wood Islands.

“Quite a few of them have been stranded over the years,’’ Curley said.

She said it’s interesting to note that whales are the property of the federal government when they’re alive but belong to P.E.I. once they’re dead.

Whale of a gift from the people of P.E.I.

2008-05-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

ERIK KLASSEN
Commentary as published in The Guardian - May 23, 2008

It was certainly surprising to read Mike Currie’s comments as quoted in the article ‘Dead blue whale a ‘national treasure’ (The Guardian, May 17, 2008), particularly when, at the time he was first told of the upcoming project over a month ago, he expressed little concern and his present concerns would seem to be the result of realizing the amount of media coverage the project was receiving.

Regrettably his view is based on few facts and even less prescience. In 1987, when the whale washed ashore, its burial was paid for by the national Museum of Nature in Ottawa on the condition that it would be able to reclaim the skeleton at some future time. Had this not happened the whale would almost certainly have been cut into pieces and disposed of at sea.

Subsequently the Museum of Nature concluded that its current premises weren’t large enough to contain the skeleton and an agreement was reached with the Museum of Nature and the province of Prince Edward Island for the skeleton to be displayed in a $3-million atrium at the $50-million Beaty Biodiversity Museum and Research Centre, currently under construction at the University of British Columbia.

The skeleton of the blue whale will be prominently attributed as being a gift of the people of P.E.I. where it will be seen by thousands of people and will generate continuing and invaluable publicity for the Island. Also overlooked by Mr. Currie is that one of the major activities of the Beaty Biodiversity Research Centre is marine conservation, the importance of which to coastal provinces such as P.E.I. can hardly be overemphasized.

Since the considerable skills needed to repair the broken bones, replicate any missing parts and articulate the skeleton exist at the University of British Columbia but in relatively few other places in Canada, Mr. Currie’s suggestion that the skeleton be kept here is disingenuous as he does not address who would pay the minimum $1-million cost to prepare and display the skeleton even if it was exhibited in a concrete block warehouse or storage building.

For Mr. Currie, rather than focus on the significant benefits that will accrue to P.E.I. from the project, to suggest that the skeleton should be used as a minor local tourist attraction seems somewhat shortsighted under the circumstances. Fortunately the writer has yet to run into anyone who shares Mr. Currie’s rather parochial view.

Erik Klassen of Charlottetown is a volunteer for infrastructure and fundraising for the University of British Columbia’s Beaty Biodiversity Research Centre.

Exporting our heritage

2008-05-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

LETTER OF THE DAY as published by The Guardian - May 20, 2008

Editor:

As we watch the drama unfold near Tignish to transport the bones of a blue whale to become the centrepiece of the University of British Columbia's new Beaty Biodiversity Museum and Research Centre, we learn of what an amazing creature is leaving this Island.

While this example of the largest animal that have ever lived on Earth, is being prepared for its trip west, I am saddened that once again we are silently surrendering a piece of our precious heritage to those who appreciate the educational value of this spectacular creature.

Four years before this whale was buried, the P.E.I. legislature passed the Museum Act giving a clear mandate in natural history to our provincial museum, known as the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation. Sadly, this natural history mandate has seen as much daylight as our unfortunate friend, the blue whale, over the last two decades.

One would hope that the current government, which was elected with a clear commitment to provincial museum development, will soon be articulating a vision on how this mandate will unfold. The Island Heritage Study conducted by The IRIS Group for government will soon be released and we can only hope that this study will also help in setting a future direction.

It was the Daily Examiner of Feb. 28, 1883, that reported on the ancient reptile fossil discovered by Benjamin McLeod while digging a well in New London. Identified by Francis Bain as Bathygnathus borealis, the rare fossil was sent to the Museum of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, which like UBC today, cared enough to ensure the precious item would help educate both the public and researchers.

Hopefully the endless donation of prize parts of our heritage to collections elsewhere will cease as the full mandate of our provincial museum becomes a reality and and not a just a hopeful wish of our legislature.

Ian Scott,

former executive director of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundatio

Piecing blue whale skeleton back together will take some time

2008-05-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

ERIC MCCARTHY
Transcontinental Media

as published by The Guardian, May 16, 2008

NORWAY — Not even a coating of Vicks or Tiger Balm in the nostrils will prepare diggers for the stench of a rotting blue whale.

“When the smell gets too bad, you’ll have to get out and go upwind from it for a while,” says skeleton articulator Mike deRoos.

DeRoos is in Norway, near Tignish, helping prepare for the recovery of bones from the skeleton of a blue whale, which has been buried there for nearly 21 years.

Once all the bones have been washed, packaged and shipped to British Columbia, it will be deRoos’ job to piece them back together so the skeleton can be put on display in the atrium of the University of British Columbia’s new Beaty Biodiversity Museum and Research Centre. DeRoos is confident the skeleton will be a great teaching tool for UBC and a great draw to the museum.
He said the university is taking possession just in time, suggesting the whale would be unsalvageable if left in the ground much longer.

There will be broken bones in the carcass, deRoos said. Some would have broken when the whale washed ashore. Moving it to its burial spot would have damaged some bones, too, and the animal’s crushing weight would have caused damage.

“The skeleton is designed to swim in the ocean,” he explained, not to support its weight on land.
DeRoos is part of UBC’s 10-member team that will co-ordinate the recovery of the bones in a project that’s expected to wrap up by next Friday. It will take some time until the bones are put back together and are on display.

“If we’re really lucky, probably a year and a half.”

Before deRoos starts piecing the bones together, he’ll have to soak each individual piece in enzymes to extract the whale grease, and then bleach the bones in sunlight.

Also on site is Mark Halpan, an artist and contractor. It will be his job to repair broken bones and replace missing pieces with Plaster of Paris or hydrastone.

Mammoth whale being dug up at Nail Pond

2008-05-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

photo taken Nov 1998

As published by The Guardian - May 15, 2008

NIGEL ARMSTRONG
The Guardian

A whale of a story is unfolding in West Prince as the world’s largest creature gets uncovered at Nail Pond and prepared for transport from one coast of Canada to the other.

Big is the least of the superlatives applicable to the project being called the big dig by some.

A blue whale washed ashore northwest of Tignish in November 1987 and was buried in the sand nearby. Now the University of British Columbia wants to display the skeleton at a new museum on its campus.

Canada does not have a blue whale skeleton on display and there are only 17 of them around the world, four in the United States.

A team from UBC led by Andrew Trites is at Nail Pond this week to carry the Canadian project forward. Helping them are some 30 volunteer staff and students from the University of Prince Edward Island plus volunteer students from Holland College.

Digging with an excavator starts today and there will be much holding of breath, both figurative and literal.

When Trites did an exploratory dig this past December he found the body surprisingly preserved, almost mummified, with skin still wrapped around blubber on the monster animal. That was for the part above the water table.

Trites is not certain what the condition of the remains will be like below the water level at the site located in the sand not far from the water’s edge.

“We still have a bit of anxiety,” Trites said during a public presentation on the project Wednesday in Charlottetown.

Not even the biggest dinosaur could equal the blue whale for length and weight. The whale’s tongue weighs as much as an elephant. It heart is as big as a car and a baby could crawl through parts of its arteries.

Trites had list after list of extraordinary dimensions and degrees associated with the endangered blue whale. It dives some 200 to 300 metres below the sea to feed by plunging its gaping mouth towards swarms of tiny krill.

It stays below for some five to 15 minutes, holding its breath and when it comes to the surface, an awestruck “thar’ she blows” would hardly do the event justice.

Out of two nostrils, also big enough for that baby to crawl through, a jet of oily-stench air is thrust some three stories high as the animal recovers and cleanses its blood, anxious to get down below in the relentless pursuit of its 10,000 pounds of food per day.

“Not only does (that air) smell really bad, but it’s oily as well so droplets stick to you,” said Trites. “They have really bad breath.”

The oil and smell is going to be a big challenge for the team on P.E.I.

“This past December when I was here I was touching the bones with my hands and I forgot and held up my camera up to get a picture,” said Trites. “My camera still smells . . . but in a good way.”

The public is welcome to come watch the Nail Pond excavation, which should see the whole carcass uncovered by Saturday, but Trites warns onlookers to be careful.

“You don’t want to get into that goo,” he said of the decomposing liquefied blubber, water and sand at the pit.

Trites said the team’s clothing will be destroyed at the end of the dig.
He expects the uncovering will take about two days, followed by three days to cut up and record the remains.

“The whole crew will be slicing and dicing by Saturday,” predicts Trites.

The team even includes three people whose sole job is sharpening knives. Then there is the tagger with some 1,000 tags for identification, the photographer for every big or tiny piece and the film crew from Discovery Channel that is following the whole project through.

The team brought a mammoth chain saw from B.C. to help slice the skull in half.

That is required to get inside to clean it out and support it for transport, said Trites.
Once dug up, cut up and recorded, the whale parts will be packed into a container and transported across Canada by rail, free of charge courtesy of CN Rail, said Trites.

To follow the progress of that journey, just follow the seagulls, he quipped.

His team also received free transport courtesy of WestJet which donated airfare to the project.
Also making a donation was a real estate development company in B.C. which donated space in Victoria where the bones will be arranged, repaired and assembled in what Trites called “major reconstruction.”

That is, after the bones have been de-greased.

“That will be our next big challenge,” said Trites.

The team explored an offer from a helicopter cleaning company but its tubs of degreaser were not big enough, it turned out. Now the team is going to try a fairly new technique of immersing the bones in vats contained an enzyme that purports to digest oil.

The goal is to suspend and display the skeleton by the fall of 2009 in an all-glass atrium above the stairs leading down to the underground Beaty Biodiversity Museum at UBC. The Beaty will house some 2 million specimens now in the care of UBC but spread around the campus in storage.

Submission to Island Heritage Study

2008-03-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

By - PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women

This full submission is available. A summation of the key recommendations is included here:

"We know that many ideas and priorities have come out of the province-wide public consultations already. The following are the kinds of initiatives and investments that the Advisory Council on the Status of Women would strongly endorse.

Shorter-term projects:

Investment in public art in public spaces by women and men. This should include creation of public monuments and memorials that focus on women's history.
Increased investment in contemporary arts and culture. This should include increased support for existing institutions, such as the PEI Council of the Arts, and initiatives, such as the craft Buyers' Markets, that provide grants to artists and artisans and that assist them in making a livable income from their work.
Multi-year, stable provincial government support for local publishing projects that illuminate our small Island's past and our contemporary circumstances in non-fiction, fiction, and poetry for adults and for children.
Specific support for arts programs and arts presence in the schools — including supports for arts educators (many of whom are women), for supplies and space, and for artists-in-the schools — to give Island young people maximum inspiration to apply their creativity.
Support for doing and debating inclusive historicals research in academia and in the wider community.
Investment in sustainable and beautiful affordable housing — creating heritage buildings for tomorrow that make people's lives better today.

Longer-term projects:

A provincial museum, supported by a well-maintained and well-staffed artifactory, in a location designed to benefit local people first and to tourists second. This is needed notwithstanding the value and quality of the seven provincial museum sites and should be an addition to, not a replacement of, these sites.
Consideration of the role and value of a maintaining a specialized focus in part of or all of a provincial museum. Groups advocating for a children's museum have insight into what benefits this could bring, as do proponents of a museum of natural history. (Either or both of these focuses could merit — or even require — an independent museum site, and this is well worth exploring.)
A provincial art gallery to collect and exhibit arts and crafts from the Island's past and present."

Our natural history: a neglected part of our heritage

2008-03-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

BY DWAINE OAKLEY
Guest opinion as published by The Guardian March 15, 2008

The Natural History Society of Prince Edward Island would like to see more focus on the Island’s natural history as the IRIS group moves forward in understanding and making recommendations on heritage in Prince Edward Island.

There is a massive natural history component to Prince Edward Island that has largely been neglected to date. The Natural History Society of P.E.I. would like to ensure that any future recommendations that the IRIS group comes up with include this neglected aspect of our heritage.

The society commends the achievements by the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation and community museums, despite their lack of resources, for their performance in the delivery of various parts of the conservation of our cultural history. However, the mandate of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation is to study, collect, preserve, interpret, and protect the human and natural heritage of Prince Edward Island for the use, benefit and enjoyment of the people of the province.

In the past, the P.E.I. Natural History Society of 1889-1903 pressured the government to establish a provincial museum of natural history, with its efforts culminating in a 1901 petition signed by 131 of the more prominent and influential citizens of the day. It is high time that a natural history museum be developed on P.E.I. as part of the museum and heritage system.

This natural history museum must have a dedicated curator and support staff to conduct systematic collecting of specimens, and a mandate to deliver educational programs to school, college, and university students and faculty, Islanders and tourists. This museum must have an appropriate structure to tell our Island’s natural history from its formation to the present day. In addition, this facility should ideally be located where it has representative habitats adjacent to the museum, so that the past can be tied to present habitats.

The delivery of the government’s natural history mandate must address methods to encourage citizen participation in biological surveys (online citizen science data collection systems), improve the identification skills of Islanders and visitors, and conserve unique and rare habitats and species.

Many of the Society’s members attended the various focus groups around the Island, and have been commenting on an individual basis on the IRIS group’s website blog. It is hoped that the interest in this aspect of our heritage is shared by all Islanders and that we will soon see the natural history of P.E.I. on display for all to see.

BY DWAINE OAKLEY

In the past, the P.E.I. Natural History Society of 18891903 pressured the government to establish a provincial museum of natural history, with its efforts culminating in a 1901 petition signed by 131 of the more prominent and influential citizens of the day. It is high time that a natural history museum be developed on P.E.I. as part of the museum and heritage system.

Whale bones can't stay in P.E.I.: museum official

2008-03-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

As published by CBC.ca news Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Prince Edward Island does not have the resources to keep and display a blue whale skeleton that will instead go to British Columbia, says the director of the provincial museum foundation.

The whale washed ashore near Tignish in western P.E.I. in 1987 and was buried nearby. Representatives of a new biodiversity centre at the University of British Columbia recently exhumed part of the whale to assess its condition. They will return in the spring to complete the exhumation and prepare the bones for shipping to the west coast.

There's no place on the Island to display such a large mammal, David Keenlyside, director of the P.E.I Museum and Heritage Foundation, told CBC News Tuesday.

"It's always disappointing when you can't keep your heritage at home," he said.

"But you can't save everything, and you just have to plan for these things. It's a logistic challenge, for sure, given the weight and size of it. I'm just happy that it found a good home."

Although the province has no immediate plans for a provincial heritage museum, Keenlyside said he'd like to see the government create a facility capable of displaying the bones of large mammals.

Institute of Island Studies receives Heritage Award

2008-02-26T07:09:00.000-08:00

In recognition of an outstanding contribution to the preservation of the heritage of Prince Edward Island, the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation presented a Heritage Award to the Institute of Island Studies on Heritage Day 2008.

Citation as read at the presentation,

18 February 2008

The possible move of the provincial museum's storage facility - the Artifactory - to a new location in Murray River sparked a debate on the role and function of heritage in our province.

Though the rhetoric and passion displayed were interesting - and even entertaining - to witness, there was the danger that it might amount to just that - rhetoric and passion. But the Institute of Island Studies was able to give the debate some form and shape. By organizing a series of public forums, the Institute was able to focus debate and create an environment where the question became more than the simple one of where the Provincial Museum should have its storage facility. The debate goes on, and we don't yet know where it will lead us, but there is now more public interest in the future of heritage than there has been for many years in our province. An interest that would not be so great - or focused - as it might have been without the Institute's participation. In recognition of this, we are pleased to present a Heritage Award to the Institute of Island Studies.

Preserving our past through public policy

2008-02-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

THE FUTURE OF OUR PAST
by MONICA MACDONALD
as published by The Guardian - Feb. 25, 2008

This is the last in a series of three articles meant to encourage and inform public participation in the Island Heritage Study commissioned by the provincial government. As part of the study, The IRIS Group welcomes written briefs at the online address below.

Heritage policies go largely unnoticed, but all levels of government are involved in how we designate our heritage places, how we treat the remains of our past, and how we operate the repositories that hold these remains. What also counts, of course, is how these policies are interpreted, supported and implemented.

Heritage places in Prince Edward Island fall under federal, provincial and municipal jurisdiction. Federal sites, protected by federal legislation and mostly operated by Parks Canada, include both natural and cultural places like the sand dunes at Greenwich and Province House in Charlottetown. Provincial sites come under provincial legislation and the Department of Community, Cultural Affairs and Labour, and are recognized in one of two ways: registration or designation. Registration is honorific and means enlistment on the P.E.I. and Canadian Registers of Historic Places. Designation, though the owner must agree to this status, goes a step further in protection by prohibiting alteration to the exterior of a structure (or landscape) without permission of the province.

Where an Island municipality has its own provisions, the province defers responsibility. Such is the case in Charlottetown, which also has a delineated heritage area in the downtown core. Here as well, designation means that owners cannot alter the exterior of a structure or landscape without permission. In this case, however, the owner does not have to agree, though he/she has an opportunity to argue against it. Both the province and the capital provide only modest incentives to encourage ‘sympathetic’ renovation to designated structures. The province offers a plaque and funding of 25%, up to $3,000, and for residential properties the city offers a similar grant, as well as the waiving of the building permit fee and a five-year graduated tax freeze if the property is reassessed at a higher level due to heritage renovation.

Places of heritage interest also include archaeological sites. The provincial Archaeological Sites Protection Act outlines the circumstances under which these investigations can occur on the Island. Among other things, it renders illegal the disturbance of such sites without permission of the province. Because even the most careful practice of archaeology is invariably destructive, the Act specifies that all legal excavation is to be done to scientific standard and solely for the purposes of retrieving historical (or pre-historical) information. Though the artifacts buried therein belong to the province, under the federal Cultural Property Export and Import Act it is further prohibited, without a permit, to export them from Canada.

A problem with both pieces of legislation is that in Prince Edward Island there is little professional support for them, and almost no policing. The provincial unit responsible for heritage is seriously understaffed. Archaeological sites, many not even identified as such, are often located in out-of-the way places and easy prey for looters. In 2006 this came to public attention with the story of people using metal detectors to find artifacts and then digging them up and selling them on eBay. It caused a scandal, but a similar loss of Island heritage happens every summer, on a much grander scale, with the big farmhouse auctions. In addition to this loss, under the federal act noted above, if the antiques sold at these auctions are over 100 years old and are leaving the country without a permit, depending on their monetary value it may also be prohibited.

Since it is mandated by the provincial Museum Act to collect, preserve, protect, study and interpret our “human and natural heritage,” the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation keeps approximately 65,000 objects like these antiques and artifacts in its limited collections space. Most of this collection is donated; adequate funds for artifact acquisition and indeed for much of the other basic museum functions outlined in the Act are virtually non-existent. Also absent, though laid out in the legislation as key to the museum’s mandate, is any significant representation in the collection of the Island’s natural heritage.

Provincial responsibility for other types of heritage resources lies with different repositories. The province has mandated the Public Archives, for example, to collect and maintain mostly written documents, but also historical records like maps, photographs and oral history records. The Provincial Library is responsible largely for published material, including audio-visual and other items. The Confederation Centre Art Gallery has a national mandate, though its collection includes works by Island artists.

In Prince Edward Island a range of public policies directs what happens to our heritage resources. It is important to note, however, that heritage is affected not just by what governments do, but also by what they do not do.

Dr. Monica MacDonald is an adjunct professor in Canadian Studies at UPEI and an associate of The IRIS Group, an Island company specializing in public policy research.

For more information on the Island Heritage Study or to submit a brief please visit

http://islandheritagestudy.wordpress.com

Credit: This article appeared first in the Guardian on Monday 25, 2008. Paragraph six has been modified slightly from the original.

State of Island heritage draws interested public out to last in a series of meetings

2008-02-25T15:53:00.000-08:00

by DOUG GALLANT
as published in The Guardian - February 23, 2008

The last of seven public meetings scheduled in conjunction with the Island Heritage Study drew more than 80 people to the Charlottetown Hotel Thursday.

“The turnout was very encouraging,” meeting chair Harry Baglole said Friday. “We had a number of city councillors out, the mayor of Charlottetown was there, we had people from the Chamber of Commerce, some federal MPs and many interested individuals. There was a lot of interest and a lot of energy in the room.”

Anyone who wished to address Thursday night’s meeting was given five minutes to do so.

“There were a lot of different issues addressed,” Baglole said. “There was a lot of talk about a provincial museum. Not everybody brought it up but a lot of people did and there seemed to be a lot of support for the idea.”

Both Charlottetown and Stratford were suggested as prime locations for such a facility.

Baglole said there was talk Thursday night about the cultural landscape of P.E.I.

“There was a lot of talk about the look of the countryside, about buildings, churches and farmhouses and there was a lot of talk about agriculture and what would happen if agriculture ceases to be a major industry.”

Living culture also figured into Thursday’s discussions.

“We had representation from the Benevolent Irish Society and the Scottish Settlers Society, the Caledonia Club. People are seeking more recognition for Gaelic and Celtic culture.”

Baglole said the nature of the Charlottetown meeting was somewhat different than the other public meetings.

“In other places, there was a lot of discussion with regards to local issues. In Charlottetown, it was more like a summing up of things, a provincial focus.”

There was a general consensus that more resources must be dedicated to heritage issues.

“There is a general concern that successive provincial governments, dating back to the late 1970s, have not invested enough in our heritage. We need more resources, more vision, and better co-ordination of heritage efforts. We were told there was a need for high professional standards from tip to tip for our museums.”

Baglole said other issues raised Thursday included the status of Upton Farm, the need for more designation of heritage roads and the need for a natural history museum.

“There have been a number of people calling for a natural history museum and for a much larger emphasis on natural history in our education system. People said we need to talk more about the importance of the environment and our heritage.”

Baglole said the input received at these public meetings will be reviewed and incorporated into a special report being prepared for the province.

Included in that report as well will be input received from 25 individuals from across the Island invited to meet with those carrying out the study and from several stakeholders groups.

The stakeholders groups will include, for example, people concerned with aboriginal culture and people focused of specific issues like architecture.

Baglole noted that while the public meetings are over members of the public can still make written submissions.

All research and consultation is to be completed by the end of March.

A preliminary report will be made to the provincial government by late May. The final report will go to the province in June.

What role for Island museums?

2008-02-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

Heritage - THE FUTURE OF OUR PAST
by MONICA MACDONALD
as published in The Guardian - Feb 18, 2008

This is the second in a series of three articles meant to encourage and inform public participation in the Island Heritage Study commissioned by the provincial government. As part of the study, public meetings conducted by The IRIS Group are currently underway.

In museum circles everywhere there is always some big controversy but the fact is, most museum professionals can only hope for controversy - at least it gets public attention. In Prince Edward Island, that happened last year when the then-government announced that the main collection of provincial museum artifacts kept in the 'artifactory' in West Royalty would be moved to a new building in Murray River. Few expected the outpouring of disbelief, protest and downright vitriol that followed. Some supported the move. Others were surprised to learn that we even have a provincial museum with an artifact collection.

The traditional role of museums in general has been to preserve and protect the heritage resources entrusted to them, to conduct research on those resources or on topics related to them, and to disseminate the results through exhibition, publication and other modes of public education. While for most institutions these basic functions remain valid, museum environments and best practices are changing. In many facilities spaces now exist for school groups and children's activities as well as for community gatherings and special events. Exhibits are increasingly interactive and 'hands-on', involving the visitor in the learning process. Museums display 'visible storage' of artifact collections, which in past years were inaccessible to the public. Museum curators are more consultative with outside scholars and community groups, and their exhibit texts now often question previous assumptions as much as offer explanations.

Museums in Prince Edward Island include community-based sites like the Garden of the Gulf Museum in Montague, the Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead in Orwell Corner and the Lennox Island Mi'kmaq Cultural Centre. Most of these are run by dedicated volunteers and supported in very small part by a provincial government grant program. Island museums also include those seven under the auspices of the provincial government-supported Museum and Heritage Foundation. All, including the Confederation Centre Art Gallery (supported by a mix of federal and provincial funds) but not including the national historic sites run by Parks Canada, hold membership in the Community Museums Association of P.E.I. The primary goal of this non-profit group is to help raise museum standards through training and other support services.

The provincial museum system on the Island began in 1970 with the founding of the Heritage Foundation. In 1973, federal funds connected to the centennial established its headquarters at Beaconsfield, a historic house in downtown Charlottetown, as well as the first of the branch sites at Green Park (shipbuilding), Orwell Corner (historic village) and Basin Head (fisheries). The four together formed the basis of the current decentralized 'family' of seven.

Of these seven, like most of the other 30 or so museums Islandwide, four are seasonal - only Beaconsfield in Charlottetown, the Eptek Centre in Summerside and the Acadian Museum in Miscouche are open year-round. The latter two occasionally produce in-house exhibits or accept travelling exhibits to supplement their permanent displays, but the museum experience at Beaconsfield is limited. In addition to restricted hours during the school year, its period rooms are static. They do not present much opportunity for the diverse educational activities that are key to the mandates of provincial museum sites in off-Island urban centers. In the P.E.I. provincial museum system overall, also limited is the number of professional staff which in turn, affects the research, exhibition and publication output. Given this fact, efforts in public outreach like The Island Magazine are commendable.

Provincial museum systems elsewhere in Atlantic Canada present different models. With 27 sites Nova Scotia also has a decentralized system, but with a strong presence in Halifax of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Museum of Natural History, as well as substantial operations elsewhere like in Stellarton and Parrsboro. The New Brunswick Museum has one complex, in Saint John: an older building housing the head office, collections and archives/library, and a new set of galleries for exhibits and public programs that opened in a separate location in the city in 1996. In St. John's, there's The Rooms. With an architectural design inspired by the communal fish-processing rooms of Newfoundland fishing families, The Rooms opened to great fanfare in 2005. Its buildings contain the provincial archives, art gallery, and museum, with three regional satellite museums - one in Grand Bank and two in Grand Falls-Windsor.

In all of the above jurisdictions, museums are an important part of heritage policy. In Prince Edward Island we have a good foundation but what emerged at the public meetings held over the artifactory issue last year is that people want more. The devil, however, is in the details.

Dr. Monica MacDonald is an adjunct professor in Canadian Studies at UPEI and an associate of The IRIS Group, an Island company specializing in public policy research. More information on the Island Heritage Study and the public meetings is available at http://islandheritagestudy.wordpress.com

The third article in this series on Monday, Feb. 25 will look at some existing heritage policies.

Islanders use new technology to have their say about the past

2008-02-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Islanders use new technology to have their say about the past
An online blog has been created where Islanders can submit their comments about the preservation of the past

BY STAFF
As published by The Guardian - 15 Feb, 2008

Technology is providing a new way for Islanders to have their say about the preservation of the past. The comprehensive heritage study, being undertaken by The IRIS Group on behalf of the Cultural Affairs department, has created an online blog where Islanders can submit their comments and learn more about the study as it progresses.

Carolyn Bertram, minister responsible for heritage, said she was pleased to see the consultants making use of this new approach.

"We want to find out how all Islanders view heritage issues and the use of a blog will especially appeal to our younger audiences. It is exciting to be able to use the technology of today to stimulate discussion about heritage issues."

A blog is a public discussion board where individuals can post comments and engage in discussion.

At the Island Heritage Study Blog interested parties can also find updates on new study information almost immediately.

Diane Griffin, of The IRIS Group, said the blog is a place to share ideas and get feedback from other Islanders on those ideas.

"Sometimes one of the drawbacks to submitting a letter or brief is the lack of opportunity for response to questions or points raised. The blog also allows us to immediately post items related to the study that will be of interest to the blog readers. The blog is not simply convenient, it is an improvement in communication."

The heritage study was launched to gather information about Islanders' interests and concerns with regard to heritage and to make recommendations about how the province should manage heritage resources. The blog can be found at www.islandheritagestudy.wordpress.com

For more information about the study, to obtain a list of public meetings or find out more about how you can get involved, contact The IRIS Group at 675-4134, yvette@theIRISgroup.ca or www.theirisgroup.ca

Having a say about heritage policy

2008-02-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

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

Museums that won't bore the socks off my six-year-old

2008-02-15T13:11:00.000-08:00

As published in The Guardian, 12 Feb 2008

Editor:

The IRIS Group's public meetings on heritage offer hope we Islanders may re-invent ourselves when it comes to this mother of all motherhood issues.

Expect these meetings to present a bee-hive of sorts: There'll be a queen bee of heritage, bursting with self-importance; several drones, doing what they do best, namely, drone on and on; and worker bees, who've had too much to do with too little help, the heroes of Island heritage these 30 years.

To me, there already is a Prince Edward Island Museum. The Island's 30 small community museums and Museum and Heritage P.E.I. sites are its chapters, some poorly, some elegantly written, to be sure. The Mi'kmaq Cultural Centre on Lennox Island, the Acadian Museum in Miscouche, Basin Head Fisheries Museum, the Potato Museum in O'Leary, the Irish Moss Interpretive Centre in Miminegash, Green Park Shipbuilding Centre, the shrines to Maud Montgomery, Elmira Railway Museum, the Fox Museum and P.E.I. Sports Hall of Fame in Summerside, Orwell Corner Historic Village, present elemental chapters in our unfolding Island story. Meanwhile, hands-on sites such as Wyatt Heritage Properties enable us to experience how our Loyalist, Victorian and Edwardian ancestors worked and played.

No need then to build an over-arching Island museum, costing millions, to duplicate chapters that already exist. Nor do we need another white elephant such as we see pastured at Founders' Hall.

Rather, Islanders should ponder what chapters are lacking in this book of the Island. The greatest omission is a natural history museum, pulsating with the living, breathing creatures who've lived here over the millennia. A site such as this, championed by Dr. Tom Hall, Don Groom and others, would draw thousands every year annually to see, touch and feel what makes us Islanders. Infused with Sea World smarts, it will make money, not squander it.

In short, if we must build more museums, let's build museums that won't bore the socks off my six-year-old. For an Island that's given us wondrous kitchen table inventors from Abraham Gesner and Thomas B. Hall to Lloyd Ellis and Sonny Huestis, this shouldn't pose a problem.

Wayne Wright,

Summerside

City Councillor says heritage attractions need 'Disney' effect.

2008-02-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

Brent Gallant of Summerside urges province to find experts to make product more exciting

by MIKE ARNOLD - as published by THE GUARDIAN - Feb 12, 2008

SUMMERSIDE - A city councillor says it's time to change the way things are done if Island heritage and museum attractions are to appeal to greater numbers of visitors and residents alike.

Coun. Brent Gallant, the city's liaison to the Wyatt Heritage Properties, said the province needs to invest in expertise to create a new and more attractive image for heritage attractions and museums across the Island.

"We have to create a product that has its own gravitational pull," he said. "That bland experience that we've basically had for the past number of years here, it just doesn't work."

Gallant said the major gap in these attractions is the lack of a "Disney" effect.

"What Disney is, is an attraction," he said "It's an epic event. We have a myriad of small unattended displays. This province is full of them."

The councillor said many of these could be packaged, making it a bigger event, making it worthwhile and in turn attracting more people.

"I can do a fox museum and a potato museum and I could do all this cultural stuff in a one-stop shopping event," he said. "It makes it more exciting."

Gallant said there is a group which is keen on the way heritage is presented today.

"That's all well and good but the fact is if nobody else is seeing that then you're defeating the purpose," he said.

"You've got to put a little more Disney in it to make it more exciting to go. If you don't do that and you only rely on what we've always done then you can expect to get the results we've always gotten. We can't be expected to just throw something up here and this happen back then. It's just not enough excitement."

Gallant says he isn't promoting the use of Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck but rather using today's technology to enhance the presentation and experience of heritage on P.E.I.

He said he doesn't have the answers to this problem. He wants the province to invest in expertise and then back off from those experts and let them do their job.

"We need to be more exciting and inviting and if that takes away from some of the traditional ways we've done it then so be it," he said.

"It's basically more important to have the numbers come in and see the product and enjoy and experience the product then it is to keep it so pure and pristine that only those, that small little section of society, that lives in that world experiences it."

Gallant said it's going to take a wholesale change from what has been done for the past 50-plus years to increase numbers to these attractions.

summerside@theguardian.pe.ca

The Future of Our Past

2008-02-11T06:02:00.000-08:00

as published in The Guardian (Charlottetown) Opinion, Monday, February 11, 2008, p. A7

This is the first in a series of three articles meant to encourage and inform public participation in the Island Heritage Study commissioned by the provincial government. As part of the study, public meetings conducted by The IRIS Group are currently underway.

By Monica MacDonald

What is heritage and why is it important enough for the government of Prince Edward Island to commission a comprehensive study of it?

First, heritage is not history. History can be defined both as the sum of all past events, as well as the written accounts about those events by historians. Heritage, as the provincial government has defined it, is the tangible and intangible remains of our natural and cultural past, like fossils, artifacts and folksongs. Activities of the provincial government in heritage include the preservation and protection of these remains, as well as their interpretation to wider audiences than scholarly history is usually able to reach.

The best of heritage practice does not aim to be celebratory or nostalgic but is analytical and educative, informing the present and even helping us make decisions about the world around us. An exhibition on natural history can illuminate aspects of our ancient past, but can also make us aware of the environmental problems of our own day, and compel us to act. A presentation on the origins of certain cultural or religious rites can reveal that there is often much more behind what is taken for mere custom or tradition. Public spaces where these displays and discussions take place area vital part of a dynamic heritage environment.

Heritage has been important to people as a component of identity. Access to common stories and objects of the past helps to create social cohesion, a connectedness to a group defined in national, provincial, ethnic, or other terms. This can have a dark side if used as a means of exclusion, but it can also empower those whose pasts were hitherto neglected. Until the 20thcentury, for example, with some exceptions, the written and other cultural records of women, Aboriginal peoples, people of non-European descent and the working classes were not deemed as worthy of retention as those of upper-class, white males. Greater attention to this fact in more recent ears allows our archives, museums and libraries to facilitate a wider knowledge of the past and present realities of these groups.

Heritage has an impact on our contemporary lives in other ways. Historians of the Atlantic provinces have long recognized that a common perception of the region as unprogressive, conservative and quaint, is at least partly due to both national and local depictions of our past. Historian Margaret Conrad, for one, believes this has a negative impact on federal public policy concerning the region. As the province with the first female elected premier and the first provincial premier of non-European ancestry in Canada,Prince Edward Island hardly fits this stereotype. But what about our past is nationally known besides the Charlottetown Conference that led to Confederation and the story of the little girl with red braids? Worthy subjects, both, but as students of P.E.I. history well know, there is much more to it than that. In order for the rest of Canada to be aware of this fact, however, we have to be aware of it ourselves.

Heritage is deemed an important part of the tourism industry and indeed, one can speak of heritage itself as an industry. As a way to draw visitors to the Island and a way to create jobs, it is considered part of our economic engine. Entrance or user fees like those charged at historic sites are used to help offset costs in site maintenance, as well as costs associated with efforts in interpretation and education. But we must be vigilant about maintaining commercial activities at a sustainable level and ensure that heritage, as defined in the above terms as far as government is concerned,is supported for its own sake; that it remains a public service and accessible to all as part of our cultural rights.In professional history we have come a long way from the days when our knowledge of the Island’s past was connected primarily to national events at the expense of the regional or provincial, where cultural diversity was unacknowledged and where the “great men, great events” version of history reigned supreme. Governments cannot create policy for history, but they can create policy for heritage. The opportunity now exists for Islanders to help make government responsibility in this area a key aspect of our provincial public policy, and to support it as a vehicle for education about our past,present and future.

Dr. Monica MacDonald is an adjunct professor in Canadian Studies at UPEI and an associate of The IRIS Group, an Island company specializing in public policy research.

More information on the Island Heritage Study and the public meetings is available at http://islandheritagestudy.wordpress.com

The second article in this series on Monday, Feb. 18 will examine the role of museums.

© 2008 The Guardian (Charlottetown). All rights reserved.

Island Heritage Study - Submitting a Written Response

2008-01-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

From the Island Heritage Study Blog

If you wish to provide your feedback on in writing, please send your comments, along with your name, the name of the organization you represent if applicable, and your contact information to:

Island Heritage Study, c/o The IRIS Group

P.O. Box 21150,

Charlottetown, PE

C1A 9H6

or by e-mail to yvette@theIRISgroup.ca

Key Questions/Issues: Heritage Study

2008-01-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

From the Island Heritage Study Blog

The key questions related to the public consultations across the province have been posted on their blog by The Iris Group.

The consultant firm was recently hired to undertake a heritage study for the Province of PEI.

Key Questions/Issues:

1) Is heritage important to PEI? Why or why not?

2) What do you consider to be the main strengths and assets of the Island’s heritage resources, institutions, organizations and programs?

3) What do you consider to be the major gaps or weaknesses in the Island’s heritage resources institutions, organizations and programs?

4) What should PEI be doing to build on its heritage assets and address any existing weaknesses/gaps?

5) What is your vision for a healthy and dynamic future for the heritage in PEI?

6) What role do you think the Government of PEI should play in helping to achieve this vision?

Dates of Public Meetings Announced - Heritage Study

2008-01-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

From the Island Heritage Study Blog

The dates of the public consultations across the province were recently announced by The Iris Group, consultants hired to undertake a Heritage Study for the Province of PEI.

Making a Presentation in Person

Those wishing to share their thoughts on the key questions/issues in person are invited to attend one of the public meetings listed on the attached schedule.

SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS

Meetings run from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Feb. 4^th– O’Leary, Future Tech West, Main St. (storm date Feb. 6^th)

Feb. 5^th – Souris, Access PEI (storm date Feb. 6^th)

Feb. 11^th – Hunter River, Lion’s Club, Rennie’s Rd. (storm date Feb. 13^th)

Feb. 13^th – Miscouche (in French), Le Musee Acadien (storm date Feb. 14^th)

Feb. 19^th – Summerside, Eptek Centre (storm date Feb. 25th)

Feb. 20^th – Montague, Church of Christ Hall, Main St. (storm date Feb. 25^th)

Feb. 21st – Charlottetown, Charlottetown Hotel (storm date Feb. 25th)

The Iris Group launches new blog

2008-01-26T11:09:00.000-08:00

The Iris Group has launched a new blog related to their study on PEI heritage issues. The blog will help Islanders participate in the study, and give detail on upcoming public sessions across the province.

The future of the Dominion Building

2008-01-23T15:43:00.000-08:00

EDITORIAL as published in The Guardian - Jan 23, 2008

Now that federal employees have moved from this structure, the debate about its future can become more concrete.
Charlottetown residents who have an interest in what becomes of the Dominion Building should make a point of attending today's open house at the Confederation Centre's Memorial Hall. That's where they can view potential redevelopment suggestions and ask questions about them.

For years, capital city officials and residents have been discussing the Dominion Building on lower Queen Street and what should become of it once federal employees there moved to their new building on University Avenue. Suggestions have included everything from converting it into a condominium complex, a hotel or apartments to using it as a provincial heritage home or tearing the property down and making it available for much-needed parking space in the city core.

Now that employees have actually moved to their new workplace, those discussions have become more concrete. The Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce, along with the Canada Lands Company, the current owners of the site, are sponsoring today's open house to encourage the public to become more familiar with the redevelopment options. What's noteworthy about this open house is its structure. It's not a one-shot session. It's a drop-in format featuring displays of the options, an opportunity to ask questions of Canada Lands personnel and project consultants, and short presentations at specific times - 12:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

When it comes to accommodating the public, it doesn't get any better than that. Most people interested in the future of this building should be able to get to one of these presentation times if they want to.

The Dominion Building has a unique place on the streetscape of the capital city. It's not particularly pretty, but the old gray edifice is typical of the kind of building erected in the post-Second World War years. It's part of the capital city's built history. As well, for generations of Charlottetown residents who've crossed its threshold, the Dominion Building also houses many memories. The structure once served as a post office and housed many public services right up until employees made their move to the new building beginning late last year.

It's fitting that the future of this building be given thorough community discussion. Whatever option is chosen, it should have the support of the Charlottetown community and ideally should reflect what the community needs. Today's open house is an opportunity for people to take part in that process.

HERITAGE STUDY WILL SEEK INPUT FROM ISLANDERS

2008-01-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

As released by the Province of PEI Tuesday, January 22, 2008

For immediate release

aussi disponible en français

HERITAGE STUDY WILL SEEK INPUT FROM ISLANDERS

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI

Islanders are going to be given the opportunity to participate in a new study designed to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges facing heritage in Prince Edward Island. Hon. Carolyn Bertram, Minister of the Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour announced today that the Iris Group of Stratford has been selected as the consultant to conduct a comprehensive study and make recommendations to address needs in the heritage sector.

Minister Bertram expressed her hopes that Islanders would take advantage of the opportunities for public participation and provide input into the study. “This is the first overall look at our local heritage for several decades, and I want Islanders to let us know what they think is important to protect and preserve in the province,” she said. “We all value our heritage but we need to establish priorities for action which reflect the desires and needs of Islanders.”

The Minister said previous studies focussed on specific institutions or initiatives but an overall comprehensive review is long overdue. “This study will look at a wide range of heritage issues,” she said. “It will look at our tangible heritage: artifacts, buildings and cultural landscapes. It will look at our natural heritage associated with landforms, plants and animals. Finally, it will look at our intangible heritage including folklore, customs, music and language.”

The Iris Group will be holding public meetings across the Island in O’Leary, the Evangeline area, Summerside, Hunter River, Charlottetown, Montague and Souris. The study will also include meetings with stakeholder and focus groups, and about 25 interviews with key individuals in the heritage sector. An opportunity for additional public input will be provided through creation of an online forum or “blog” so that the public can engage in an open discussion of heritage issues.

Complete details on public forums and online participation opportunities will be announced in the near future by the Iris Group. Study results, including recommendations for action, are expected to be presented to government early in June 2008.

- 30 -

Media Contact: Connie McNeill

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR COMPREHENSIVE HERITAGE STUDY

2007-11-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

A request for proposals for a comprehensive heritage study is now underway on PEI.
Details of the RFP are outlined on the Province of PEI procurement website.

1. Purpose of Study

The purpose of this study is to review the heritage sector of the province and to make recommendations to the Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour as to the appropriate role to be played by the Government of Prince Edward Island in responding to the needs of the sector.

2. Introduction

The Prince Edward Island Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour is seeking a consultant to undertake a comprehensive heritage study for the province.

The study will be one of the foundations of a heritage strategy which will be developed. The role of government with regard to the heritage of Prince Edward Island has developed over a number of years without a comprehensive framework. Capitalizing on specific initiatives and opportunities, the present institutions, programs and activities of government cover a wide range of heritage areas but lack cohesion and policy foundation. While the province has many institutions, organizations and activities of which it is proud, there are some heritage areas which are not addressed well or, in some cases, not addressed at all. Faced with significant needs for capital development, programing assistance and other heritage activity, the province is seeking to develop a more rational approach to management of heritage and heritage resources in the
province.

For the purpose of this study, “heritage” is defined to include the following:

Tangible cultural heritage - including, but not limited to, artifacts, buildings, cultural landscape and records;

Intangible cultural heritage - including, but not limited to, folklore, language, oral history and customs; and

Natural heritage - the land, sea, air, and flora and fauna of the province.

The Government of Prince Edward Island has a shared responsibility for heritage. It shares obligations with other levels of government and discharges some of its responsibilities in partnership with voluntary organizations. It operates heritage institutions itself and through arms-length crown agencies. It provides support for specific initiatives, as well as assistance directly and indirectly to organizations and institutions through such programs as grants, Jobs for Youth and other employment opportunities, and shared cost initiatives. While this study should recognize the role that other players have in the heritage area, the primary thrust of the study is to explore the role that is, can, and should be played by the Government of Prince Edward Island in the management of historic resources.

3. Project Management

A Heritage Study Steering Committee consisting of representatives from a number of province-wide organizations with heritage interests has been appointed to oversee the study. This committee should be considered a resource by the consultant. The groups include:

Prince Edward Island Genealogical Society
Community Museums Association of Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island Natural History Society Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation
Archives Council of Prince Edward Island
Mi’kmaq Confederacy of P.E.I.
Acadian Museum Association of P.E.I.
University of Prince Edward Island History Department

4. Process Expectations
The consultant is expected to undertake, at a minimum, the following:

• An initial meeting with the Heritage Study steering committee to obtain information and additional direction, as required.

• A comprehensive public consultation process which will afford the opportunity for Islanders to provide input, ideas and discussion related to heritage issues. This will normally include public meetings across the province, opportunities to present briefs or reports by groups or individuals, focus groups, and other participation opportunities. In accordance with provincial policy, an appropriate mechanism or mechanisms must be provided to allow for participation in the process by those whose primary language is French.

• A strategy to notify the public of opportunities to participate in the process.

• A review of recent relevant documentation and legislation concerning heritage in Prince Edward Island and adjacent provinces.

• Meetings with organizations, institutions, heritage professionals and interest groups in the heritage area.

• Identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the current system of heritage institutions, organizations and programs.

• Identification of gaps in the current system of heritage institutions, organizations and programs.

• Development of recommendations to address issues raised.

For more details see the full document

New Board Members Named

2007-10-31T09:48:00.000-07:00

At the AGM of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation on October 30, 2007 new members of the Board of Governors were named. Tracey Cutcliffe, Deputy Minister of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour announced that Andy Wells and Joanne Schurman had been named to the Board of Governors filling any current vacancies.

A motion passed at the previous AGM had requested that all vacancies be filled on the Board, bringing it to full strength.

Motion 3 -- Passed by the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation at its AGM

2007-10-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

Title: Governance Structure and Role of Members

WHEREAS there has been a continuous membership affiliation throughout the creation of the PEI Heritage Foundation in 1970 and this has been a key component and a strength of the organization in providing leadership within the heritage community over several decades;

AND WHEREAS, the Foundation is also a body corporate created by the Legislature of PEI operated by board members who are appointed by government, and functions as a crown corporation with rules defined by governmental authorities;

AND WHEREAS, this reality of a membership organization which is also a crown corporation, can cause issues for members of the Museum especially when the membership is not involved in major decisions made by government or the Board;

AND WHEREAS, successive changes over the years have modified the role of the membership of the Foundation to the point that some individuals who have long affiliation with the organization do not consider it to currently be a membership organization;

AND WHEREAS, others feel that since individual members have played a key role over the decades in development of the Museum, steps should be taken to ensure that members have a meaningful role within the organization in the future;

AND WHEREAS, there is a perception that Board of Governors has seen undue pressure from government to accept proposals and developments that they did not have sufficient input in developing;

AND FURTHER, as recent changes to the by-laws limiting the rights of members to raise new topics and make motions without prior notice at an AGM of the Museum could restrict the ability of the membership to voice the concerns of the heritage community at such meetings, and participate in constructive solutions.

BE IT RESOLVED:
That a study be undertaken to examine the governance of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation and the role of members within the organization in relations to the Board of Governors. The study will examine the rights and responsibilities of members, the role of the Board, committees, advisory boards, staff and members in relation to the fulfilling the mandate of the organization.

The study shall also compare other governance models to determine their strengths and weaknesses, and identify components of other models that might be appropriate for consideration. Recommendations related to means of clarifying roles and improving relations between the membership, the Board, committees and any advisory boards and staff should also be included as well as any proposed changes to existing structures and procedures.

Motion 2 -- Passed by the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation at its AGM

2007-10-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

Title: Communication & New Business

WHEREAS the membership of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation is widely distributed and communication is key component of ensuring that members are aware of the activities carried out on their behalf;

AND WHEREAS, the Foundation has responsibilities to provide an annual report to the membership and to the Legislature and to conduct an annual meeting;

AND WHEREAS, recent changes have modified the by-laws of the organization so that

17 (2) Public notice of the annual or any general meeting of the membership shall contain the wording of, and information concerning, any resolutions or motion proposed to be brought before the meeting other than the normally transacted business of the meeting.

AND WHEREAS, the annual report is not provided to members in advance of the meeting and they do not receive regular newsletters updating them on activities of the organization during the year, it becomes a challenge for members to know what motions or resolutions may be required until they have information on the year’s activities in their hands;

AND SINCE, the Board does not provide its report prior to the meeting but members are required to submit their motions in advance of receiving the annual report.

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Minister Responsible for the Museum & Heritage Foundation be informed of the concerns of the membership in this regard, and further;

THAT THIS MEETING CONFIRM, that Roberts Rules of Order define the procedures of this assembly and that the category called New Business should deal not only with previously defined items of new business, but also be the period of a meeting in which the floor is open for members to raise matters of business which they may have been unaware of, prior to arriving at the meeting.

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board be informed that communication remains an important issue and that all options be examined to ensure that the membership is kept informed on a timely basis of the operations and activities of their organization through newsletters, the Internet, meetings and publications so they remain informed, and can continue to contribute their assistance and suggestions in meaningful way.

Motion 1 - Passed by the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation at its AGM

2007-10-31T09:38:00.000-07:00

At the Annual General Meeting of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation, on October 30, 2007 the following motion was passed.

Title: Natural History Mandate & Planning

WHEREAS, bylaw 17 (2) indicates that advance notice of motions is required prior to receipt of annual reports, and it is unknown what reporting will take place at the upcoming AGM under the fulfilment of the mandate of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation;

AND WHEREAS, concerns were raised by members at the previous AGM regarding the lack of mention of activities in the annual report regarding fulfilment of the Natural History mandate;

AND WHEREAS, the previous AGM directed the Board to begin planning for fulfilment of all aspects of the mandate provided in the Museum Act, and to involve the membership in this planning process.

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board report to the membership in attendance at this meeting on what efforts were carried out in the last year in these important areas.

Provincial museum would give a provincewide perspective

2007-07-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Letter to the editor - The Guardian - July 17, 2007
EARLE LOCKERBY
Darnley

Editor:
Opposition Leader Pat Binns' remarks of regret concerning an artifactory in Murray River ("Decision to pull plug on artifactory 'terribly disappointing': Binns", The Guardian, July 3) confirm what has been transparently obvious all along: the facility was first and foremost a vehicle for "greatly enhancing a rural P.E.I. region", namely his own riding. The benefit to the provincial artifact collection was secondary.

His expressed fear that a provincial museum will threaten the locally-owned community museums throughout the province is both disturbing and indicative of a lack of understanding of the role and purpose of a provincial museum.

Has he ever had a close look at the provincial museums in our neighbouring provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick?

Binns is quoted as stating "in my mind the provincial museum exists through the seven current provincial sites around the province." These facilities, though valuable, in no way constitute a provincial museum. They portray several particular and limited heritage themes, namely shipbuilding, the railway on the Island, the fishery, agriculture, a pioneer community and Acadian culture.

In which provincial facility may one view a portrayal of the Island's musical heritage? Its aviation history? The history of communications with the mainland? The geological and other natural history of the Island? Our aboriginal history and culture? The list goes on and on.

A provincial museum will comprehensively showcase the full spectrum of the Island's rich heritage and culture, utilizing artifacts from the provincial collection, much of which resides in a warehouse known as the artifactory. I believe it is feasible to integrate the existing provincial sites into a proper provincial museum framework such that they play a complementary role to a large centralized facility.

I do not agree with Pat Binns' view that a provincial museum will be a threat to the small, community museums. I happen to be on the board of directors of such a museum, the Keir Memorial Museum at Malpeque, and I can assure him that I do not see our museum as being in any way threatened.

On the contrary, I would expect my fellow directors would welcome a new provincial museum, as I believe would be the case for heritage-minded and culturally-minded Islanders in general.

For the most part, the community museums seek to portray the history of their own immediate areas, not that relating to the Island as a whole

That the Binns government could have been so out of touch with the museological needs of the province is a measure of its failure to consult broadly with Islanders, and in particular with the heritage and culture community.

During the weeks and months following the announcement of a new artifactory at Murray River, several writers of letters to the editor of The Guardian urged the Binns government to take a step back, and to enter into consultations with the heritage and culture community with a view to developing a broad strategic plan for a provincial museum system which would well serve the Island as a whole over the coming decades. This plea fell on deaf ears, as the government was hell-bent on locating a new artifact storage facility at Murray River.

It is to be hoped that Premier Robter Ghiz and Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram will begin the process of delivering a Provincial Museum and new artifactory in an integrated fashion, by obtaining the views of Islanders on what is required - and not just the views of the board of directors of Museum and Heritage P.E.I., an organization which happens to be a provincial Crown corporation.

Earle Lockerby has been a director of the Keir Memorial Museum in Malpeque for several years.

Ghiz must keep promise on museum

2007-07-04T06:13:00.000-07:00

Letter to the editor - The Guardian - July 4, 2007
EARLE LOCKERBY
Darnley

Editor:

I applaud the provincial government’s decision to rescind the plans of the Binns government to build a new artifactory at Murray River.

That being said, there remains a critical need for a new storage facility to house and safeguard, for future generations of Islanders, the province’s valuable collection of artifacts which constitute an important part of our heritage. Further ‘patching up’ of the existing facility, which has survived for many years on ‘patch-ups’ and was never designed to provide an adequate environment for the artifacts, can be only a very short-term, temporary measure.

A new artifactory needs to be planned for, and realized, in conjunction with a new provincial museum, and in my view, both should be located in the Charlottetown area and as close together as reasonably possible.

Premier Ghiz has recently made much of the fact that our province is the only one without a passport office. It is also the only province without a provincial museum. True, we do have a number of small, ‘theme’ museums scattered across the Island. Like the spokes and rim of a wheel, these facilities perform a useful service, but what is missing is the hub — a provincial museum. Adequately storing our artifacts is important, but equally important is showcasing them to Islanders and to visitors to our province. Currently, the vast majority of the provincial collection never, or rarely, sees the light of day because we have inadequate facilities in which to display the artifacts and in which to comprehensively interpret the Island’s rich heritage and culture.

A major new display facility — a centrally located provincial museum — along with an integrated new artifactory, are sorely needed in this province. During the recent election campaign, Premier Ghiz promised Islanders a new provincial museum. Islanders expect him to keep his promise.

Decision to pull plug on artifactory 'terribly disappointing': Binns

2007-07-03T06:22:00.000-07:00

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.

Artifactory will not proceed - Bertram

2007-06-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Guardian - June, 2007

The proposed Museum and Heritage Storage Facility (artifactory) in Murray River will not proceed, it was confirmed officially Thursday by Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour.

Bertram said that government will develop an overall plan for heritage in the province and in light of this new direction, cabinet has determined that he artifactory plans for the village are on hold.

"At this point, we recognize the most pressing need for the Museum and Heritage Foundation is to stabilize the current storage facility to reduce any danger to the valuable collection of artifacts,"Bertram said.

"Carrying out renovation work on the current storage facility will provide sufficient time for government to explore all options, so we can make an informed decision about the future direction for heritage in our province."

Bertram met recently with the Museum and Heritage Foundation and representatives of the Northumberland Community Development Corporation to discuss the future of the proposed Museum Collections Storage Facility in Murray River.

She said government will work with NCDC to explore other development opportunities for the community.

Cancelling artifactory a mistake: Binns

2007-06-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

Opposition leader Pat Binns calls the Liberal government's decision to cancel a new artifact storage facility planned for Murray River "a huge mistake."

The current facility is leaky and overcrowded.
(CBC) Friday, June 29, 2007 | 4:00 PM AT - CBC News

Binns told CBC News Friday the money was secured for the facility and the project would have revitalized the community. He believes the decision to cancel the artifact storage building in his home district was politically motivated. What's worse, he said, is that thousands of artifacts are now being left at risk.

"We have an opportunity to remove the artifacts, 70,000 thousand artifacts, from being at risk," he said.

"Right now the federal money is there; the provincial money was there. That is sort of being thrown to the wind right now. I just hope that something will cause the government to relook at this situation."

The Liberals announced the cancellation of the project Thursday. They say they'll invest $75,000 into renovating the current facility in Charlottetown's West Royalty Industrial Park to ensure the artifacts aren't damaged, and start work on a new plan for heritage in the province.

Binns said he's worried the Liberals plan to build a central provincial museum, which he said would threaten the seven provincial museums spread across the island, from the Shipbuilding Museum in Green Park to the Elmira Railway Museum.

The decision to cancel the facility could be one of many to come that will slowly strangle rural Prince Edward Island,

Artifactory in Murray River gets shelved

2007-06-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

BY STEVE SHARRATT - The Guardian June 29, 2007

A one-acre piece of property that was to become home to the province's new artifactory will face an empty future.

The new Liberal government has pulled the plug on building a $4.9-million artifactory here that was endorsed by the previous administration and would be constructed in the riding of former Premier Pat Binns.

"It's not a huge surprise but it certainly is disappointing," said Jamie Richards, chair of the Northumberland Development Corporation, who heard the news from The Guardian.

"Hopefully the new government will see our community is valuable for some project," he said.

Communities and Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram announced the project cancellation Thursday and said the province - with the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation - would seek a comprehensive plan for Island heritage.

Government will also stabilize the current storage facility to reduce any danger to the more than 80,000 artifacts housed in a leaking building at the West Royalty Industrial Park.

The commencement of the artifactory project in Murray River was endorsed by the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, but drew criticism from other heritage advocates in the province who suggested a provincial museum was important and would best suit the needs in the Charlottetown area.

Inheriting the artifactory dilemma

2007-06-21T06:04:00.000-07:00

Editorial in The Guardian - June 21, 2007
The Ghiz government must resolve the dispute over the artifactory and a centrally located provincial museum.

When they won the May 28 election, the provincial Liberals inherited some complex and delicate dilemmas. The future of the provincial artifactory and the call for a centrally located provincial museum were two of them. It's their job now to find a solution that will put these issues to rest.

Many Islanders outside the heritage community may not have known what an artifactory was until Premier Pat Binns announced last year he was relocating the storage facility to Murray River. Many heritage activists protested the decision saying the facility should be more centrally located so more Islanders would have access to it, and staff would be able to interact more easily with others also working in that area of interest and expertise. Still others said it should be part of a provincial museum situated at least in the central region of the province, if not the capital city area.

But proponents of the move argued that anything was better than the status quo. Right now, an estimated 80,000 artifacts are stored in a leaky storage facility in the West Royalty Industrial Park - hardly an ideal location for the precious pieces of our history.

In spite of the vocal opposition to the move, the Binns government proceeded with it, and the Northumberland Development Corporation in Murray River acquired the land necessary for the artifactory and moved ahead with some of the plans.

The Liberal victory in last month's election has put those plans on hold. Premier Robert Ghiz has put a moratorium on the project until he can review it, a move that obviously doesn't thrill the development corporation, which has already invested $250,000 in the land purchase, demolition and preparatory architectural work at the site.

Few would dispute the fact that our artifacts deserve better shelter. But locating this facility anywhere other than central P.E.I. could end up being a greater disservice in the long run. Our artifacts need protection, but they also need to be accessible to the public. The opinion of many heritage activists seems to suggest that we need, first of all, a broader vision of how we want to protect and display our heritage, and, second, a centrally located facility that would best accommodate this vision.

It's unfortunate that the plan to move the artifactory to Murray River has proceeded as far as it has. The new government will have to consider the investment that's already gone into the project in deciding whether to go ahead or go back to the drawing board.

But this shouldn't be the key consideration. If after reviewing the project and consulting with interested parties, government halts the artifactory move - and hopefully it will - it should look into moving some other facility to Murray River. In this way, the time and money that's gone into preparing the site for development won't be wasted.

Artifactory future rests with new Liberal government

2007-06-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

STEVE SHARRATT The Guardian June 7, 2007
Northumberland Development Corporation chair says he'll present case once cabinet named

MURRAY RIVER — The financing was in place, the land was ready for construction and the tender was days away from being awarded, but an artifactory to store the antiquities of the Island’s past could be history here.

Former Premier Pat Binns was preparing to turn the sod at the building site when a provincial election late last month ended the Conservative dream of a fourth term.

And now the project — which raised considerable controversy in the capital city — is in the hands of a new Liberal administration.

“Right now we’re just biding our time and waiting for the new government to make a decision,’’ said Jamie Richards, chair of the Northumberland Development Corporation which has already invested $250,000. “But as soon as a cabinet is appointed we’ll be taking our case to them.”

The provincial artifactory was announced earlier this year by the Conservative government as a place to house and display some of the more than 80,000 items of historical significance now being stored in the West Royalty Industrial Park.

The $4.9-million project also included a retail and boutique attachment as a way to stimulate more summertime business in this quiet fishing village.

But while the relocation bid was applauded by the P.E.I. Heritage Foundation, it drew the ire of other heritage buffs who insisted Murray River was too far off the beaten track and the province should be building a provincial museum instead in the capital city.

“We have all our ducks lined up on this one and we can only hope that the new administration will look favourably on our plan,’’ said Richards.

During the election, Liberal leader Robert Ghiz said he would put a moratorium on the artifactory and seek wider consultation before confirming construction plans.

A spokesman in Ghiz’s office said no decisions would be made until Ghiz is sworn in sometime next week and a new cabinet meets.

Richards expects the lobbyists who protested the artifactory relocating here will be out in force, but insisted the area development corporation is not giving up — especially having invested $250,000 in the project with land purchase, demolition and preparatory architectural work.

Comments:

1.
Richelle from Charlottetown, PE writes: This is a very misleading article and I feel the writer is definately not presenting an objective piece of journalism. From what I read the relocation was not applauded by the Heritage Foundation. The builing of a facility was. The heritage foundation was forced into the decision because theywere told it was this or nothing. Perhaps money shouldn't have been spent until a consultation process was enacted. Lets hope these behind closed doors projects of the conservatives are over.
Posted 07/06/2007 at 1:22 pm |

2.
Steve from PEI writes: Richelle, you think the closed door projects are bad. Ghiz won't have to do anything behind closed doors because everything, like the artifactory, will be put in Charlottetown because everybody in there thinks that they should get it all. Bunch of greedy townie's i tell ya!
Posted 08/06/2007 at 11:20 am |

3.
Alex from Montague, PEI writes: I don't have a problem with artifact storage taking place in a location like Murray River but I think it would make the most sense to have it co-located with a provincial museum.

New Brunswick's provincial museum is in Saint John, which is historically more important than Fredericton. I'm not sure if an argument can be made that Summerside is more historic than Charlottetown.

Perhaps if we look to the Mi'kmaq occupancy of this island but from a practical point of view, Charlottetown does make the most sense for a provincial museum.

I like to see structures get re-used and expanded, so the soon-to-be-vacant Dominion Building would be ideally suited for this, with room off back toward Pownal Street to house a re-located Public Archives and Records Office, along with an artifactory and a multi-floor museum on the Queen Street side.

As for what you mention with centralization of government services....

I agree that de-centralization, while a bit more costly initially, it actually works to the advantage of governments federally and provincially since it keeps rural communities like Souris, Morell, Murray River, Kensington, Alberton, O'Leary, and Tignish alive as small regional centres, giving a good reason to maintain the sometimes-expensive government services such as schools and health care.... BUT, the real estate is cheap and I'm willing to bet that gov't would end up in the positive on overall multi-year operating costs of offices in these locations.

Perhaps if we saw smaller, self-contained branches or operating agencies of different gov't departments parcelled out to these communities, we'd strengthen the provincial economy while improving costs and services?

I do think that Robert should offer something such as a relocated gov't office to Murray River since they have been banking on this development.

But I think the museum should go to Charlottetown and it's not a town vs. rural thing at all, it just makes sense in this case.
Posted 08/06/2007 at 12:42 pm

Tourism and Culture: Celebrating Our Cultural Identity Promoting Our Culture

2007-05-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

Liberal Party of PEI - tourism and culture highlights from the policy document
http://www.islandersfirst.ca/files/press_release/tourismcultureliberal.pdf
Released May 25, 2007

The Island’s cultural heritage defines who we are and where we come from. Our culture is something to be both protected and enhanced. It requires public policy commitment and a focus that is based upon a shared sense of community. Such a focus on cultural policy has been lacking under the Conservatives. The Conservative’s plan to re-locate the provincial artifactory to Murray River is ill-conceived. Liberals believe that we need a plan based upon meaningful input from Islanders that identifies how we should promote our cultural heritage.

A Liberal Government will put Islanders first by:

1. Putting greater emphasis on educating our children about the human and natural history of our province;
2. Initiating policies to help preserve and protect our rural landscape;
3. Placing a moratorium on the construction of a new artifactory in Murray River;
4. Consulting with P.E.I. communities, museums, and our arts and cultural communities to explore options for a Provincial Museum;
5. Investing more resources in educating local artists, musicians, and craftspeople and helping them to market to the world;

. . . also from a speech delivered at the same time
http://www.islandersfirst.ca/news/press_releases.cfm?id=61

Placing a moratorium on the construction of a proposed new artifactory, and beginning a comprehensive planning process dedicated to creating a NEW Prince Edward Island Museum worthy of our beautiful province.

Liberals promise provincial museum

2007-05-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

As published by CBCnews - on May 25, 2007 http://www.cbc.ca/canada/peivotes2007/story/2007/05/25/liberals-museum.html

P.E.I.'s Liberals say a place to store the province's artifacts isn't enough and if elected Monday, they will begin planning for a provincial museum.

There would be a moratorium on the construction of a new artifactory in the eastern end of the province, the Liberals announced Friday.

A Liberal government would launch "a comprehensive planning process dedicated to creating a new Prince Edward Island Museum worthy of our beautiful province," the party said in news release.

The announcement was part of the Liberals' culture and tourism platform.

In addition to planning for a provincial museum, the Liberals promised a greater emphasis on teaching P.E.I. children about the human and natural history of the province and more investment in educating local artists and craftspeople, in particular about marketing.

In the tourism sector, the Liberals promised to privatize the four government-owned golf courses and invest more in park infrastructure.

The PEI Green Party in support of Natural History Museum

2007-05-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

Recently received from Green Party Leader, Sharon Labchuk the following statement:

The Greens support a public school curriculum that includes ecological literacy integrated with every subject. A provincial museum that included natural history would be a major resource for our schools and the education of all Islanders in understanding of the natural world around them.

Liberal Party Responds: Cultural Policy for PEI Needed

2007-05-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you for providing the Liberal Party the opportunity of sharing our views on the important topic of a Provincial Museum, and the larger issue of protecting our heritage and culture in our province.  We have attached our responses to your questionaire below.

Sincerely,
Liberal Party of PEI

As Islanders will be examining the cultural policies of all parties, it is important that they know what your provincial museum policy is and vision for a provincial museum. To assist in this regard please provide a copy of your museum policy and answers to the following questions, as soon as possible so that Islanders may be better informed prior to election day.

The Legislative Assembly in 1983, created a provincial museum mandate, "to study, collect, preserve, interpret, and protect the human and natural history of Prince Edward Island for the use, benefit and enjoyment of the people of the province." Since then, many aspects of this mandate have not been fulfilled, especially in the natural history area and the development of exhibition space to interpret existing collections. Despite this, the Legislative Assembly adopts annually a report from the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation, with no mention of many of the activities mandated by the Museum Act.

Question 1
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have the active provincial museum as mandated by the Legislature, that will study, collect, preserve, interpret, and protect the human and natural history of Prince Edward Island, and that sufficient funds and facilities to carry out its mandate will be provided.

The Liberal team believes that our culture and heritage defines who we are and where we come from. As a small Island surrounded by the influences of United States and larger Canadian centers, it is essential that we maintain and strengthen our commitment to our culture and heritage. A Liberal Government will undertake stakeholder consultations into the development of a P.E.I. Cultural Strategy, with an active provincial museum that includes the important area of natural history.

Question 2
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have an opportunity to see both permanent and changing exhibitions of the current artifacts within the existing Provincial Collection.

Liberals believe that the Conservative strategy of storing artifacts away from public viewing is short sighted and short changes Islanders, especially our youth, from learning more about our province’s unique and proud heritage. A Liberal Government will work to improve this situation by combining the need to preserve our artifacts and the need to make them accessible to Islanders.

Question 3
As museum development requires solid planning, please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have a provincial museum development plan that fulfills the mandate granted by the Legislature.

The Liberal team agrees with your assessment of the importance of solid planning to ensure making sound policy decisions. Certainly, the Conservative scheme to relocate the provincial artifactory in Murray River was ill-conceived and based more on political agendas then sound public policy. A Liberal Government will address the issue of sound planning by consulting with P.E.I. communities, museums, and our arts and cultural communities to explore options for a Provincial Museum, and consult with stakeholders in the development of a P.E.I. Cultural Strategy.

Question 4
Many Islanders since 1880 have called for a centrally-located,
adequately-resourced provincial museum building to tell the Island story (including natural history), exhibit the Island collection, and also to serve the various branches community museums and education system by creating exhibits to tour the province. Do you support this vision of a solid hub that can provide strength to the various spokes of a decentralized museum system?
Liberals support the concept of having a solid hub that can provide strength to our existing network of museums across our province. A Liberal Government will consider placing a moratorium on the construction of a new artifactory in Murray River and begin a consultation process with stakeholders to develop the most appropriate plan for a Provincial Museum.

Island New Democrats - respond

2007-05-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

ISLAND NEW DEMOCRATS

81 Prince Street, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4R3

Tel. 902 566 2266

ndppei@pei.aibn.com

DEAN CONSTABLE, Party Leader

Question 1
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have the active provincial museum as mandated by the Legislature, that will study, collect, preserve, interpret, and protect the human and natural history of Prince Edward Island, and that sufficient funds and facilities to carry out its mandate will be provided.

If I gain the confidence of a majority of voters and receive the privilege of representing the citizens of District 12 Charlottetown – Victoria Park, I will fight for a Provincial Museum that will serve all Islanders. This means I will work for highly skilled and appropriate staffing to deliver all the exciting educational opportunities that a comprehensive museum of the human culture and natural history of our Island presents. I will also work to ensure that our inner city kids make the very important connections with their history and their culture and the natural world around them. This is their right and I want to see our society invest in them.

Question 2
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have an opportunity to see both permanent and changing exhibitions of the current artifacts within the existing Provincial Collection.

I will personally study the large issue of Museums on Prince Edward Island and become familiar with the bigger picture and challenges that includes over 30 community museums across PEI. I will support the establishment of a comprehensive integrated Provincial museum facility of culture and natural history located in an area that is accessible without undue hardship for all community museums, adults and especially children across PEI. To ensure access to changing thematic exhibits and exhibits that tell the bigger Island Story I will be insisting that the PEI Museum Collection and the dedicated professionals hired to work with it be located within close proximity at one site, namely the Provincial Museum. I will work to identify community partners such as educational institutions – UPEI and Holland College for example.

Question 3
Museum development requires solid planning, please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have a provincial museum development plan that fulfills the mandate granted by the Legislature.

I will support an immediate moratorium on the old Conservative Government’s plan to place the Provincial Storage facility (Artifactory) in the Premier’s home riding of Murray River. I will insist upon a comprehensive planning process that focuses on the future of Heritage and Museums development in PEI. I see this as a planning process that is much larger than the current PEI Museum, that is inclusive of the heritage community as a whole, from tip to tip of PEI.

Question 4
Many Islanders since 1881 have called for a centrally-located, adequately-resourced provincial museum building to tell the Island story (including natural history), exhibit the Island collection, and also to serve the various branches community museums and education system by creating exhibits to tour the province. Do you support this vision of a solid hub that can provide strength to the various spokes of a decentralized museum system?

I support the concept of a strong and solid hub serving all the museums and their audiences across PEI. I also support the development of a strategy for public and private investment in the infrastructure of museums across PEI. Our museums are in our communities telling our stories for our residents and our visitors. There can be no better investment for our culture, our economy and our feeling good about ourselves and our communities than investing in our museums. The planning element I mentioned above must come first to ensure that investments are strategic.

Response from the PC Party of Prince Edward Island

2007-05-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

May 22, 2007

Question 1
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have the active provincial museum as mandated by the Legislature, that will study, collect, preserve, interpret, and protect the human and natural history of Prince Edward Island, and that sufficient funds and facilities to carry out its mandate will be provided.

Response: Protecting our past and celebrating our heritage has always been a priority for Islanders and the Pat Binns Government.
Our Government will construct a new Artifactory in Murray River to ensure that over 80,000 Island artifacts are stored in a safe and secure facility. The Artifactory will work closely with the 7 Provincial Museums and 26 Community Museums to ensure the history of Prince Edward Island continues to be presented in communities throughout PEI. The new facility will contain: Environmentally controlled space for artifact storage.

Conservation workshops.
Exhibition construction facilities
Workspace for the Collection Registrar
Exhibition space for temporary exhibits.

The history of Prince Edward Island is best shared by all Islanders. We will continue to ensure that the funding is there to properly display Island history. Increasing the budget for the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation from $800,700 in 2006-07 to $1,025,800 in 2007-08 and increasing the operating grant to the PEI Community Museums Association from $55,000 in 2006-07 to $90,000 in 2007-08, is a concrete example of that commitment. Over the years, we have also contributed to various projects including the investment of $550,000 towards the construction of the Agricultural Museum at Orwell Corner Historic Village in 2003.

Question 2
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have an opportunity to see both permanent and changing exhibitions of the current artifacts within the existing Provincial Collection.

Response: Collections management must always balance the sometimes competing goal of public education and the preservation of the artifact for future generations. We believe it is important for Islanders to have the opportunity to enjoy Island history and culture through the museum experience. Many of our museums such as Beaconsfield, Greenpark and Orwell Corner, serve as permanent exhibits that allow Islanders and visitors to immerse themselves in the past and glimpse what life was like for our early settlers. The continuous rotation of artifacts and exhibits adds variety to our museums, promotes interest and offers new perspectives, but also limits exposure to uncontrolled environments that compromise the physical integrity of the artifact. The new Artifactory will be a great asset to the PEI Museum and will provide much better conditions in which to store and conserve its collection while also delivering increased public exhibition space.

Question 3
As museum development requires solid planning, please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have a provincial museum development plan that fulfills the mandate granted by the Legislature.

Response: A Pat Binns Government looks forward to consulting with stakeholders and hearing the suggestions of all those in the public who share our goal of preserving and interpreting our Island’s rich heritage through the museum experience. We applaud the hard work done by the Friends of the PEI Museum and other like minded groups working to ensure that future generations of Islanders can also enjoy this cultural tradition.

Question 4
Many Islanders since 1880 have called for a centrally-located, adequately-resourced provincial museum building to tell the Island story (including natural history), exhibit the Island collection, and also to serve the various branches community museums and education system by creating exhibits to tour the province. Do you support this vision of a solid hub that can provide strength to the various spokes of a decentralized museum
system ?

Response: We believe that the PEI Museum and Heritage model of one museum with seven sites has been an effective way to preserve and exhibit the Island’s cultural and natural history. The team of professionals at the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, along its partners at the Community Museum Association, have done an excellent job preserving, conserving, and interpreting the Island’s heritage treasures within a system designed to take the greatest advantage of our rich history and small size. We look forward to the exciting time ahead. The construction of the new Artifactory will provide the surroundings and resources needed to manage the Museum’s collection. However, we are always interested in listening to proposals for changes to this model, including examining the concept of a single provincial museum site. The first step in this process would be the completion of public consultations and a business plan to determine viability.

Islanders wish to see the mandate of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation fulfilled.

2007-05-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

Blog editorial - by Ian Scott

With the release of the Institute of Island Studies' report of their province-wide consultations on the state of the provincial museum on PEI, it is clear that Islanders wish to see the mandate of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation fulfilled.

A museum planning study is needed and continues to be called for by concerned Islanders. In reality the provincial government, continues to vote down the subject of a planning study every time it is raised in the Legislature.

The members of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation at their AGM recently voted for such a study and for a moratorium until this process has been concluded.

The government-appointed board which operates the Museum has since concluded that policies of the Museum as determined at the AGM are merely suggestions they might consider adopting - or not.

Clearly there are jurisdictional issues to be resolved when the votes of members are meaningless at a legally constituted meeting of the organization, and a board charged with governing the Museum, can reject outright the policies thus adopted by the organization.

These actions beg the question - what is the meaning of membership?

Meanwhile, all this controversy does little to restore support for the Museum, which has just completed a major campaign to try and turn the tide of declining membership renewals.

Questions for the Campaign Trail

2007-05-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

With a provincial election underway, the policies of the various parties regarding a provincial museum for PEI are becoming a campaign issue for many Islanders.

If you happen to see anyone in the campaign mode perhaps the following questions would be appropriate.

The Legislative Assembly in 1983, created a provincial museum mandate, "to study, collect, preserve, interpret, and protect the human and natural history of Prince Edward Island for the use, benefit and enjoyment of the people of the province." Since then, many aspects of this mandate have not been fulfilled, especially in the natural history area and the development of exhibition space to interpret existing collections. Despite this, the Legislative Assembly adopts annually a report from the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation, with no mention of many of the activities mandated by the Museum Act.

Question 1
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have the active provincial museum as mandated by the Legislature, that will study, collect, preserve, interpret, and protect the human and natural history of Prince Edward Island, and that sufficient funds and facilities to carry out its mandate will be provided.

Question 2
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have an opportunity to see both permanent and changing exhibitions of the current artifacts within the existing Provincial Collection.

Question 3
As museum development requires solid planning, please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have a provincial museum development plan that fulfills the mandate granted by the Legislature.

Question 4
Many Islanders since 1880 have called for a centrally-located, adequately-resourced provincial museum building to tell the Island story (including natural history), exhibit the Island collection, and also to serve the various branches community museums and education system by creating exhibits to tour the province. Do you support this vision of a solid hub that can provide strength to the various spokes of a decentralized museum system ?

Certain things belong in the capital

2007-04-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

as published in The Guardian - April 21, 2007
FRANK MACDONALD Cornwall

Editor:
Before a provincial museum is announced for Boughton Island, I’d like to express my opinion on the artifactory debate, which is more ‘artifice’ than artifactory, considering the number of things that don’t pass the smell test.

I’m not city-born, but I would submit that certain things belong in a political capital. They just do. When I was five, I would have liked the provincial airport to locate in neighbouring fields so I could watch planes land. For efficiency and other reasons, such a facility didn’t belong in a remote location any more than an artifactory does. Does the Charlottetown Leon’s store have its warehouse in Murray River?

The museum debate is degenerating into more ‘Charlottetown-bashing’ and attempts at one-upmanship by other areas, manifested by such actions as enlisting interest in building a hotel that is higher, by one storey, than Charlottetown’s highest or creating a second university. Where is our civic pride regarding our capital? The placement of an artifactory and museum in Charlottetown is not a zero-sum gain in which the capital wins at the expense of other centres.

There are many locations in the capital for a combined museum and artifactory facility or for separate facilities. The vast wastelands of eastern Grafton Street would be logical for a combined version and would provide a pleasant respite from the restaurants that proliferate. Another location, and it is provincially owned, is the field alongside the west side of University Avenue in front of Holland College Royalty Centre. The corner of Great George and Richmond streets, currently a parking lot for about 50 vehicles, also presents a logical site. A museum there would also be a good fit for the increasing number of cruise ship visitors. Acquiring that spot would entail MLAs giving up the parking spaces that are provided for them there during legislative sessions. Can these people bestow such a legacy?

A reason cited for the artifactory’s location in Murray River is that ACOA funding of $3 million is available only for that location. Perhaps the premier can convince ACOA’s new provincial manager, Pat Dorsey, his former chief of staff, to lift that restriction.