Plans for P.E.I. museum gathering dust

Published by The Guardian Oct 27, 2011

Nancy MacPhee

Members of the board of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation listen to a question from the crowd during Tuesday night’s annual meeting. From left are chair, Harry Kielly, vice-chair, Jesse Francis, and executive director, Dr. David Keenlyside.

© Nancy MacPhee/Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE – Plans for a provincial museum are at a standstill and the Province isn’t saying whether money for the project is in the upcoming capital budget.

The issue was at the forefront at Tuesday night’s annual meeting of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, the group lobbying for a facility to house and showcase artifacts now stored at its collections facility in Charlottetown.

That facility, known as the artifactory, is bursting at the seams. The foundation has recently had to rent a 3,000-square-foot space at a cost of $27,000 a year.

Newly minted Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Henderson said his government is committed to the concept of a provincial museum.

“We’re struggling with trying to come up with the resources to try and make this a reality,” said Henderson following the meeting. “It is more than just displaying of the artifacts; it’s also the storage of artifacts.”

The foundation’s executive director, Dr. David Keenylside, said more than 80,000 artifacts are currently being stored at its collections facility and 20,000 are on loan to its seven sites throughout the province.

He admitted the artifactory has its limitations, space being the main one. In the past there’s also been minor flooding at the facility.

Keenlyside said the holding facility is only open to the public by appointment.

“You want it to be accessible but at the same time you want it to be secure and environmentally sound and well organized so you can find things.”

The ideal scenario would be to have one building to house artifacts and include a museum where collections could be displayed.

“Right now there is no place on the Island for kids or adults or visitors to go and see what the Island story is,” said Keenlyside. “They see it in bits and pieces. It’s something that really needs to be here.”

He said the foundation has come up with various options, including using existing space for the museum, and building a new facility, ranging in cost from $10 million to $55 million.

“We don’t know in the final analysis if we will get all, or some, or part.”

Henderson admitted that it all comes down to money and is hopeful his government can at least come up with a short-term solution.

“We’re hoping we can find some possible partners for the provincial museum concept,” he said. “It’s important to the preservation of a lot of our Island artifacts and history.

“We’re hoping to bring down a capital budget in the legislature this fall. At this point in time I can’t divulge if it is or isn’t going to be in it.”

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

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.

Province commits to creation of central museum

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

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

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.

Notice of Motion Tabled in Legislature

As tabled in the Legislature of the Province of Prince Edward Island
MOTION No. 37
PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation

Carolyn Bertram gives notice that tomorrow she will move, seconded by Richard Brown, the following Motion:

WHEREAS the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation at its annual general meeting on March 14, 2007 passed resolutions pertaining to the issue of the artifactory and the concept of a provincial museum;

AND WHEREAS the Museum Act has granted a clear mandate in human and natural history and the board has indicated that it “dreams of establishing a provincial museum where much of the Island history presently housed in our ‘artifactory’ could be presented and interpreted to the public”;

AND WHEREAS there is strong interest across the Island, evidenced during a set of recent consultations, that the mandate of the PEI Museum be fulfilled in areas of collection management, research, publishing, conservation and in exhibitions;

AND WHEREAS 25 years has elapsed since the current mandate was granted to the organization, it is not unreasonable for the public, the membership and the staff to have expectations for clear policy for the development and fulfilment of this mandate across the province;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly respect the decision of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation to undertake a planning study to be conducted under the direction of the executive director but assisted by such researchers as he may see fit to examine the organization’s mandate as provided by legislation and review the governance structure and all operations of the organization in communications, publishing, research, conservation, collections management, exhibition and interpretation, as well as the operations of the branch museum system;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly respect the decision of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation that this study shall review prior planning studies and include consultations in a format determined by the executive director and shall seek input from groups and individuals with knowledge in the field to determine accessibility of private or public collections that could be available to the museum. The report shall be presented to the membership for approval at both a draft and final stage before it becomes policy of the organization;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly respect the call of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation that a moratorium on all new developments and agreements related to the artifactory be established immediately that shall remain in place until the report is completed and adopted by the membership along with an implementation plan;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly recognize that Dr. David Keenleyside has been newly appointed as executive director and has been charged with undertaking a planning study, which is now underway, to review the operations and mandate of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation;

AND THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly respect the decision of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation that it is unfair to the study process for the Board of Governors to undertake new initiatives and developments until such time as Dr.Keenleyside has reported to the members of the museum and they have adopted an implementation plan to guide the board in fulfilling the mandate.

Signed by: Carolyn Bertam
Signed by: Richard Brown
10 April 2007 8:25 p.m.

Board Position on Policy Decisions Made by PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation at AGM

April 10, 2007
Dear Museum & Heritage PEl Member:

Many of you were able to be present at the recent Annual General Meeting of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation. That meeting dealt primarily with the activities of the fiscal year 2005-2006 as outlined in the annual report covering that period. In addition there was a spirited discussion of the present state and future of the Museum. At the meeting we welcomed the new Executive Director, Dr. David Keenlyside, and I know he has already followed up on many contacts made at that meeting.

I think it is safe to say that this was one of the liveliest annual meetings the Museum has seen for some time and the degree of interest in and passion for the heritage of the province displayed at the meeting is certainly encouraging.

A number of resolutions were passed at the Annual General Meeting and the Board has had the opportunity to further discuss and consider these matters. This letter outlines the position the Board has agreed to as a result of the discussion and motions at the meeting.

The first resolution dealt with the need for a vision and plan for heritage in the province and specifically the role the museum can and should play. The Board had already begun this process in expectation of the appointment of Dr. Keenlyside and is committed to a further development of a planning process which will engage the membership, our partners in the heritage of the province and the general public. We already have commitments from a number of individuals, groups and organizations to help us identify challenges and opportunities for the Museum.

The second resolution called for a moratorium with regard to the construction of a new collections storage facility for our artifacts. While the Board appreciates the level of interest and concern this issue has raised, it remains convinced that the decision taken in September of 2006 to agree to the proposal made by the provincial government is in the best interest of the Museum. Last September, the Board agreed, subject to a significant number of terms and conditions which have been responded to positively, that it would be a tenant in a new facility built for the purpose of housing the collection.

The conditions which the Board required included a construction of a facility which met museum environmental standards and safety concerns for such a building, additional funding to enable the Museum to operate within the facility, and the transfer of the sale proceeds of the existing building to the Museum's endowment fund.

Since the Board's decision in September, a great deal of planning work has been carried out on the project. Our curatorial staff have been engaged in developing standards and requirements for the building and the transfer of materials and have participated in design meetings. I am pleased to say that our concerns for environmental protection for the collections have been met with a very positive response. In addition to the planning process, the site has been acquired, environmental testing has been carried out and the initial site preparation has been completed. While the final lease agreement has not been signed, we believe that this project has proceeded to a point where our concerns have been dealt with and an acceptable lease can be negotiated. In the Board's view halting the project at this late date with no alternative in sight for our collection storage needs would not be a prudent move.

Throughout the process the primary concern for the Board has been the best interests of the museum and the collections. Given the options available to the Museum over the last five years and with a view to what is likely to be offered in the future, the Board continues to believe that construction of the new Collections Storage Facility is a significant contribution to the protection of our heritage and will allow us to better discharge our responsibility to past and future donors and to the people of the province.

The third resolution of the Annual General Meeting was on the subject of Board membership. The Museum Act sets out the requirements and procedures for appointment to the Board and all appointments to the Board are made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. The Board knows the importance of having interested and qualified members from a diverse heritage community and any suggestions and recommendations made by the membership will be welcome and will be forwarded to the Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs for consideration as vacancies arise in the Board membership.

The shared belief we all have for the importance of heritage in and for Prince Edward Island has the potential to make the Museum and Heritage Foundation a very strong organization. By focusing the passion and energy of many we can do much to protect, preserve and make known the province's heritage.

Yours truly,
Satadal Dasgupta, Ph.D.
Chair

Executive Director appointed to PEIMHF

The BUZZ - April 2007
Atlantic archaeologist to head foundation

A permanent Executive Director has been hired to head the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation. Dr. David L. Keenlyside, Curator of Atlantic Archaeology at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, assumed the duties of Executive Director in March.

This is the first permanent appointment to the position since the retirement of Chris Severance, who served as Executive Director from 1992 to 2004. Dr. Keenlyside replaces Frank Butler, who served as Executive Director on an interim basis from January 2005 until July 2006 and Paula Kenny, who has been Acting Director since July 2006.

Dr. Keenlyside's appointment brings a well-known museum professional to the Island's main heritage institution. He is a graduate of UBC and the University of Calgary and has lectured and conducted research in PEl, NS, NB, Optario, Alberta, and BC He has extensive experience in the production of museum exhibits. His publications, ranging over thirty years, include reports on archaeological fieldwork on PEL He is a well-known contributor to The Island Magazine, published by Museum and Heritage PEl, has been a regular visitor to the province and has occasionally lectured here.

Dr. Keenlyside is based at the museum head office at Beaconsfield Historic House, 2 Kent Street, Charlottetown.

ATLANTIC ARCHAEOLOGIST TO HEAD MUSEUM

Thursday, January 25, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PEI Community and Cultural Affairs
CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI -- A permanent Executive Director has been hired to head the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation. Dr. David L. Keenlyside, Curator of Atlantic Archaeology at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, will be assuming the duties of Executive Director in March.

The announcement was made today by Dr. Satadal Dasgupta, Chair of the Board of Governors, and Hon. Elmer MacFadyen, Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs. “This appointment is a crucial step in strategic planning for the museum,” says Dr. Dasgupta. “We look forward to Dr. Keenlyside's arrival.”

Minister MacFadyen also welcomed Dr. Keenlyside to Prince Edward Island and to the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation. “Dr. Keenlyside’s colleagues at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa highly recommend him and praise him for his interpersonal, organizational and project management skills, his work ethic, and his ability to foster a good working relationship with crews, volunteers and exhibition teams,” he said. “We look forward to working with him to further enhance the services of the Foundation.”

This is the first permanent appointment to the position since the retirement of Chris Severance, who served as Executive Director from 1992 to 2004. Dr. Keenlyside replaces Frank Butler, former Deputy Minister of Tourism, who served as Executive Director on an interim basis from January 2005 until July 2006 and Paula Kenny, who has been Acting Director since July 2006.

Minister MacFadyen expressed appreciation to both Mr. Butler and Ms. Kenny for their dedication to the foundation. “Through their interim roles as Executive Director, they have each helped enhance the protection, preservation and promotion of the people, places and artifacts of Prince Edward Island culture,” he said.

The new Executive Director of Museum and Heritage PEI will be based at the museum head office at Beaconsfield Historic House, 2 Kent Street, Charlottetown, effective March 5, 2007.

BACKGROUNDER

Dr. David L. Keenlyside:

Dr. Keenlyside's appointment brings a well-known museum professional to the Island's main heritage institution.

• He is a graduate of UBC and the University of Calgary and has lectured and conducted research in PEI, NS, NB, Ontario, Alberta, and BC.

• His responsibilities at the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC) extended beyond archaeology to a five-year term with the Children's Museum as a member of the planning team and curator.

• He has lectured and presented papers at conferences across Canada and internationally, and has credits on a number of film and CD-ROM presentations.

• He has extensive experience in the production of museum exhibits, particularly in collaboration with First Nations groups.

• His publications, ranging over thirty years, include reports on archaeological fieldwork on PEI.

• He is a well-known contributor to The Island Magazine, published by Museum and Heritage PEI, has been a regular visitor to the province and has occasionally lectured here.

• His personal interests include photography, astronomy, woodworking, model building, historical architecture, railway history, hiking, golf, palaeontology and natural science, philately, and antique automobile restoration.

Museum and Heritage Foundation:

• The purpose of the 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.

• The work of the Museum is under the direction and control of a Board of Governors consisting of eight members. The Executive Director reports to the Board of Governors.

• The PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation operates seven sites across the province, supports educational and publishing programs and offers a wide variety of exhibits and special events to Islanders and visitors.

For additional information, contact Paula Kenny.