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.
Showing posts with label Heritage Study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heritage Study. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
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
Friday, October 24, 2008
Protecting our heritage with a vengeance
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Recommedations - Charting a Course: A Study of Heritage in Prince Edward Island Draft Report
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
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
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The Island Heritage Draft Report is now available for Review
Now available -- follow the link to access the Island Heritage Draft Report which is now available for review.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Submission to Island Heritage Study
By - PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women
This full submission is available. A summation of the key recommendations is included here:
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."
Monday, February 25, 2008
Preserving our past through public policy
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
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.
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.
Monday, February 18, 2008
What role for Island museums?
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.
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.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Islanders use new technology to have their say about the past
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."
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
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.
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
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
City Councillor says heritage attractions need 'Disney' effect.
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
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
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Future of Our Past
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.
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.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Island Heritage Study - Submitting a Written Response
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
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.
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
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
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. 4th– O’Leary, Future Tech West, Main St. (storm date Feb. 6th)
Feb. 5th – Souris, Access PEI (storm date Feb. 6th)
Feb. 11th – Hunter River, Lion’s Club, Rennie’s Rd. (storm date Feb. 13th)
Feb. 13th – Miscouche (in French), Le Musee Acadien (storm date Feb. 14th)
Feb. 19th – Summerside, Eptek Centre (storm date Feb. 25th)
Feb. 20th – Montague, Church of Christ Hall, Main St. (storm date Feb. 25th)
Feb. 21st – Charlottetown, Charlottetown Hotel (storm date Feb. 25th)
The Iris Group launches new blog
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.
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