Eastern Graphic - March 21, 2007
- editorial by Paul MacNeil
If you believe some of the objections raised to locating the provincial artifactory in Murray River, you could get the sense that the quaint village is at the end of the earth, far removed from all civilization.
Of course that is not true. Murray River will be a wonderful home for the storage of 80,000 pieces of Island history.
What is troubling about the whole artifactory debate is the complete lack of appreciation for protecting and preserving our heritage shown by the Binns government.
Much has been made about the $5.9 million artifactory. Opponents contend it should be built as part of a provincial museum, both of which should be housed in Charlottetown.
That argument is rubbish. We live in a modern society. We have modern roads. We have modern communications tools. We have modern fire fighting capabilities.
What the artifactory debate has shone a light on is government's lack of respect for culture both from a preservation and economic generation. perspective.
If the Northumberland Community Development Corporation were not able to access federal funding the artifactory would not be built. Forget a provincial museum, the Binns government doesn't think enough of protecting our cultural treasures to fund construction of a building to meet modern standards.
While the Binns government willingly squanders $20 million on the Dundarave golf course it relies on the federal government to protect our treasures. Shameful. But not surprising considering ours is the only government in the country not to consider the music industry as an industry worthy of industry specific support.
We have a long history of ignoring culture.
And what it is ignoring is that there is money to be made in culture. Look at the demographics. Look at the research. Far more money can be made in the preservation and promotion of culture than can ever be made in golf .
Unfortunately for Islanders there are few political photo-ops in the culture business. Which means the Binns government will continue to ignore important initiatives while sending politicians and senior bureaucrats off for publicity pictures at money losing golf events.
Showing posts with label Eastern Graphic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eastern Graphic. Show all posts
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Blog puts museum debate online
Eastern Graphic - March 21, 2007
JANET MACLEOD
As the debate and discussion over PEl's provincial museum system and location of the artifactory is played out in public meetings and in the lettersto-the-editor section of Island newspapers, the dialogue has also moved online.
Ian Scott, former executive director of the PEl Museum & Heritage Foundation, and panelist at the Institute of Island Studies' recent public meetings, has been maintaining a blog about the issues.
Updated frequently, Mr Scott has compiled letters to the editor, and newspaper articles about the museum and the artifactory, and has posted details about three resolutions passed at the PEl Museum & Heritage Foundation AGM held last week.
Mr Scott's blog features opinions from many sides of this complex issue, and acts as an online database of published thought about the museum and artifactory.
So, if you want to learn more about the issues surrounding PEl's museum system, or become more engaged in the discussion, visiting the PEl museum blog at www.peimuseum.blogspot.com is a great place to start.
JANET MACLEOD
As the debate and discussion over PEl's provincial museum system and location of the artifactory is played out in public meetings and in the lettersto-the-editor section of Island newspapers, the dialogue has also moved online.
Ian Scott, former executive director of the PEl Museum & Heritage Foundation, and panelist at the Institute of Island Studies' recent public meetings, has been maintaining a blog about the issues.
Updated frequently, Mr Scott has compiled letters to the editor, and newspaper articles about the museum and the artifactory, and has posted details about three resolutions passed at the PEl Museum & Heritage Foundation AGM held last week.
Mr Scott's blog features opinions from many sides of this complex issue, and acts as an online database of published thought about the museum and artifactory.
So, if you want to learn more about the issues surrounding PEl's museum system, or become more engaged in the discussion, visiting the PEl museum blog at www.peimuseum.blogspot.com is a great place to start.
Artifactory set for Murray River: Binns
Eastern Graphic - March 21, 2007
JANET MACLEOD
The provincial artifactory is still headed for Murray River, even though some members of the heritage community and the public are upset at the decision.
"We haven’t changed any plans so far," said Jamie Richards, chair of the Northumberland Community Development Corporation.
And, neither has Premier Pat Binns, who lives in the Belfast/Murray River Riding.
"That decision was made some time ago," said Premier Binns on Monday.
At recent public heritage meetings held by the Institute of Island Studies, the general consensus was there should be a moratorium on moving the artifactory to Murray River until a review of the decision takes place.
"The collection is the heart and soul of a museum. It belongs with it," Dr Ann Howatt told the 15 people at the St Peter’s public meeting on Tuesday, March 13.
Premier Binns does not agree that the artifactory should be centrally located with the museum.
"The need for a provincial museum is a separate need from the artifactory," he said.
"The important thing is we’re taking 80,000 artifacts from a building that doesn’t have temperature and humidity control, and protecting the artifacts, which ensures we’ll be able to preserve the museum," Premier Binns said.
It was also suggested at the St Peter’s meeting that because the Northumberland Community Development Corporation is $800,000 in debt from the corporation’s golf course, the government is investing in the Murray River artifactory to help them pay that off.
Jamie Richards said this is not the case, and the artifactory development is "another venture altogether."
He did confirm that $800,000 is "pretty accurate" for the amount of the corporation’s debt.
"You don’t build golf courses and expect to be debt-free," he said.
The Northumberland Community Development Corporation is waiting to hear from ACOA about the funding they’re expecting to receive to build the 30,000 square foot development, of which 25,000 square feet will house the artifactory.
Premier Binns said the funding package for the artifactory is coming together, but couldn’t give a specific time frame when it will be finalized.
Mr Richards wonders where everyone opposed to the Murray River artifactory was last summer when they started the initiative.
"We had meetings with the heritage foundation and started planning," Mr Richards said.
"We’re prepared as a development corporation to put this facility here. Why weren’t (the people opposed to this) trying to get something else done before?"
Putting the artifactory in Murray River, Premier Binns said, "helps spread development around."
Premier Binns said if we took the view that everything in the whole county had to be centralized, all Federal government offices would be in Ottawa and Toronto, and none would be in PEI. He said it’s the same principle with the museum system.
"We’re the most decentralized province in PEI. We have the greatest number of our population in rural areas. We’re trying to maintain a balance," he said.
"We’ve made the decision to put it in Murray River," Premier Binns said. "It’s a good location."
JANET MACLEOD
The provincial artifactory is still headed for Murray River, even though some members of the heritage community and the public are upset at the decision.
"We haven’t changed any plans so far," said Jamie Richards, chair of the Northumberland Community Development Corporation.
And, neither has Premier Pat Binns, who lives in the Belfast/Murray River Riding.
"That decision was made some time ago," said Premier Binns on Monday.
At recent public heritage meetings held by the Institute of Island Studies, the general consensus was there should be a moratorium on moving the artifactory to Murray River until a review of the decision takes place.
"The collection is the heart and soul of a museum. It belongs with it," Dr Ann Howatt told the 15 people at the St Peter’s public meeting on Tuesday, March 13.
Premier Binns does not agree that the artifactory should be centrally located with the museum.
"The need for a provincial museum is a separate need from the artifactory," he said.
"The important thing is we’re taking 80,000 artifacts from a building that doesn’t have temperature and humidity control, and protecting the artifacts, which ensures we’ll be able to preserve the museum," Premier Binns said.
It was also suggested at the St Peter’s meeting that because the Northumberland Community Development Corporation is $800,000 in debt from the corporation’s golf course, the government is investing in the Murray River artifactory to help them pay that off.
Jamie Richards said this is not the case, and the artifactory development is "another venture altogether."
He did confirm that $800,000 is "pretty accurate" for the amount of the corporation’s debt.
"You don’t build golf courses and expect to be debt-free," he said.
The Northumberland Community Development Corporation is waiting to hear from ACOA about the funding they’re expecting to receive to build the 30,000 square foot development, of which 25,000 square feet will house the artifactory.
Premier Binns said the funding package for the artifactory is coming together, but couldn’t give a specific time frame when it will be finalized.
Mr Richards wonders where everyone opposed to the Murray River artifactory was last summer when they started the initiative.
"We had meetings with the heritage foundation and started planning," Mr Richards said.
"We’re prepared as a development corporation to put this facility here. Why weren’t (the people opposed to this) trying to get something else done before?"
Putting the artifactory in Murray River, Premier Binns said, "helps spread development around."
Premier Binns said if we took the view that everything in the whole county had to be centralized, all Federal government offices would be in Ottawa and Toronto, and none would be in PEI. He said it’s the same principle with the museum system.
"We’re the most decentralized province in PEI. We have the greatest number of our population in rural areas. We’re trying to maintain a balance," he said.
"We’ve made the decision to put it in Murray River," Premier Binns said. "It’s a good location."
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