Institute of Island Studies receives Heritage Award

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

Citation as read at the presentation,

18 February 2008

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

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

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.

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.

08/02/08

Provincial museum would give a provincewide perspective

Letter to the editor - The Guardian - July 17, 2007
EARLE LOCKERBY
Darnley

Editor:
Opposition Leader Pat Binns' remarks of regret concerning an artifactory in Murray River ("Decision to pull plug on artifactory 'terribly disappointing': Binns", The Guardian, July 3) confirm what has been transparently obvious all along: the facility was first and foremost a vehicle for "greatly enhancing a rural P.E.I. region", namely his own riding. The benefit to the provincial artifact collection was secondary.

His expressed fear that a provincial museum will threaten the locally-owned community museums throughout the province is both disturbing and indicative of a lack of understanding of the role and purpose of a provincial museum.

Has he ever had a close look at the provincial museums in our neighbouring provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick?

Binns is quoted as stating "in my mind the provincial museum exists through the seven current provincial sites around the province." These facilities, though valuable, in no way constitute a provincial museum. They portray several particular and limited heritage themes, namely shipbuilding, the railway on the Island, the fishery, agriculture, a pioneer community and Acadian culture.

In which provincial facility may one view a portrayal of the Island's musical heritage? Its aviation history? The history of communications with the mainland? The geological and other natural history of the Island? Our aboriginal history and culture? The list goes on and on.

A provincial museum will comprehensively showcase the full spectrum of the Island's rich heritage and culture, utilizing artifacts from the provincial collection, much of which resides in a warehouse known as the artifactory. I believe it is feasible to integrate the existing provincial sites into a proper provincial museum framework such that they play a complementary role to a large centralized facility.

I do not agree with Pat Binns' view that a provincial museum will be a threat to the small, community museums. I happen to be on the board of directors of such a museum, the Keir Memorial Museum at Malpeque, and I can assure him that I do not see our museum as being in any way threatened.

On the contrary, I would expect my fellow directors would welcome a new provincial museum, as I believe would be the case for heritage-minded and culturally-minded Islanders in general.

For the most part, the community museums seek to portray the history of their own immediate areas, not that relating to the Island as a whole

That the Binns government could have been so out of touch with the museological needs of the province is a measure of its failure to consult broadly with Islanders, and in particular with the heritage and culture community.

During the weeks and months following the announcement of a new artifactory at Murray River, several writers of letters to the editor of The Guardian urged the Binns government to take a step back, and to enter into consultations with the heritage and culture community with a view to developing a broad strategic plan for a provincial museum system which would well serve the Island as a whole over the coming decades. This plea fell on deaf ears, as the government was hell-bent on locating a new artifact storage facility at Murray River.

It is to be hoped that Premier Robter Ghiz and Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram will begin the process of delivering a Provincial Museum and new artifactory in an integrated fashion, by obtaining the views of Islanders on what is required - and not just the views of the board of directors of Museum and Heritage P.E.I., an organization which happens to be a provincial Crown corporation.

Earle Lockerby has been a director of the Keir Memorial Museum in Malpeque for several years.

Decision to pull plug on artifactory 'terribly disappointing': Binns

Opposition Leader says funding that was lined up for $4.9-million project in Murray River is now lost
The Guardian July 3, 2007
STEVE SHARRATT

MURRAY RIVER — Opposition Leader Pat Binns says the new Liberal government has pulled the plug on a project that had millions of dollars of funding in place and would
have greatly enhanced a rural P.E.I. region.

Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour Minister Carolyn Bertram confirmed last week that the $4.9-million provincial artifactory to be constructed in Murray River has been cancelled and government would develop a comprehensive plan for heritage in the future.

As well, it would “stabilize” the leaking West Royalty Industrial Park building where over 80,000 artifacts of Island heritage are being stored.

“It’s a terribly disappointing decision,” said Binns, who had plans to bring the Canada Tree to the site as an attraction.

“We had all the funding lined up from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and now it’s lost. And if the focus of the new government is to develop a provincial museum, I fear for the more than two dozen community museums around the province.”

The artifactory was a one-year project for the Northumberland Development Corporation which invested $250,000 in land acquisition, demolition and architectural work.

The project was announced earlier this year but drew some criticism that it should be located in Charlottetown.

The Conservative loss in the provincial election killed the project and Bertram said she would work with the Development Corporation to seek other opportunities.

“We met with the minister . . . and certainly got the impression that our cause was quickly evaporating,” said Jamie Richards, chair of the Corporation.

“But we acknowledge their decision even though it was a welcome project that had the community excited.”

Binns announced the project as a way to spread sites of appeal around the province.

The artifactory would have housed the historical items donated to the Heritage Foundation and featured some retail shop space to help improve the downtown centre of Murray River.

“If there is an intention to go to a provincial museum some small ones should be very concerned,” he said.

“In my mind, the provincial museum exists through the seven current provincial sites around the province.”

Binns said the artifactory project was designed to assist both heritage preservation and redevelop a community main street.

“We already had business interests who wanted to set up retail outlets at the site,” he said.

Artifactory will not proceed - Bertram

The Guardian - June, 2007

The proposed Museum and Heritage Storage Facility (artifactory) in Murray River will not proceed, it was confirmed officially Thursday by Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour.

Bertram said that government will develop an overall plan for heritage in the province and in light of this new direction, cabinet has determined that he artifactory plans for the village are on hold.

"At this point, we recognize the most pressing need for the Museum and Heritage Foundation is to stabilize the current storage facility to reduce any danger to the valuable collection of artifacts,"Bertram said.

"Carrying out renovation work on the current storage facility will provide sufficient time for government to explore all options, so we can make an informed decision about the future direction for heritage in our province."

Bertram met recently with the Museum and Heritage Foundation and representatives of the Northumberland Community Development Corporation to discuss the future of the proposed Museum Collections Storage Facility in Murray River.

She said government will work with NCDC to explore other development opportunities for the community.

Cancelling artifactory a mistake: Binns

Opposition leader Pat Binns calls the Liberal government's decision to cancel a new artifact storage facility planned for Murray River "a huge mistake."

The current facility is leaky and overcrowded.
(CBC) Friday, June 29, 2007 | 4:00 PM AT - CBC News

Binns told CBC News Friday the money was secured for the facility and the project would have revitalized the community. He believes the decision to cancel the artifact storage building in his home district was politically motivated. What's worse, he said, is that thousands of artifacts are now being left at risk.

"We have an opportunity to remove the artifacts, 70,000 thousand artifacts, from being at risk," he said.

"Right now the federal money is there; the provincial money was there. That is sort of being thrown to the wind right now. I just hope that something will cause the government to relook at this situation."

The Liberals announced the cancellation of the project Thursday. They say they'll invest $75,000 into renovating the current facility in Charlottetown's West Royalty Industrial Park to ensure the artifacts aren't damaged, and start work on a new plan for heritage in the province.

Binns said he's worried the Liberals plan to build a central provincial museum, which he said would threaten the seven provincial museums spread across the island, from the Shipbuilding Museum in Green Park to the Elmira Railway Museum.

The decision to cancel the facility could be one of many to come that will slowly strangle rural Prince Edward Island,

Artifactory in Murray River gets shelved

BY STEVE SHARRATT - The Guardian June 29, 2007

A one-acre piece of property that was to become home to the province's new artifactory will face an empty future.

The new Liberal government has pulled the plug on building a $4.9-million artifactory here that was endorsed by the previous administration and would be constructed in the riding of former Premier Pat Binns.

"It's not a huge surprise but it certainly is disappointing," said Jamie Richards, chair of the Northumberland Development Corporation, who heard the news from The Guardian.

"Hopefully the new government will see our community is valuable for some project," he said.

Communities and Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram announced the project cancellation Thursday and said the province - with the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation - would seek a comprehensive plan for Island heritage.

Government will also stabilize the current storage facility to reduce any danger to the more than 80,000 artifacts housed in a leaking building at the West Royalty Industrial Park.

The commencement of the artifactory project in Murray River was endorsed by the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, but drew criticism from other heritage advocates in the province who suggested a provincial museum was important and would best suit the needs in the Charlottetown area.

Inheriting the artifactory dilemma

Editorial in The Guardian - June 21, 2007
The Ghiz government must resolve the dispute over the artifactory and a centrally located provincial museum.

When they won the May 28 election, the provincial Liberals inherited some complex and delicate dilemmas. The future of the provincial artifactory and the call for a centrally located provincial museum were two of them. It's their job now to find a solution that will put these issues to rest.

Many Islanders outside the heritage community may not have known what an artifactory was until Premier Pat Binns announced last year he was relocating the storage facility to Murray River. Many heritage activists protested the decision saying the facility should be more centrally located so more Islanders would have access to it, and staff would be able to interact more easily with others also working in that area of interest and expertise. Still others said it should be part of a provincial museum situated at least in the central region of the province, if not the capital city area.

But proponents of the move argued that anything was better than the status quo. Right now, an estimated 80,000 artifacts are stored in a leaky storage facility in the West Royalty Industrial Park - hardly an ideal location for the precious pieces of our history.

In spite of the vocal opposition to the move, the Binns government proceeded with it, and the Northumberland Development Corporation in Murray River acquired the land necessary for the artifactory and moved ahead with some of the plans.

The Liberal victory in last month's election has put those plans on hold. Premier Robert Ghiz has put a moratorium on the project until he can review it, a move that obviously doesn't thrill the development corporation, which has already invested $250,000 in the land purchase, demolition and preparatory architectural work at the site.

Few would dispute the fact that our artifacts deserve better shelter. But locating this facility anywhere other than central P.E.I. could end up being a greater disservice in the long run. Our artifacts need protection, but they also need to be accessible to the public. The opinion of many heritage activists seems to suggest that we need, first of all, a broader vision of how we want to protect and display our heritage, and, second, a centrally located facility that would best accommodate this vision.

It's unfortunate that the plan to move the artifactory to Murray River has proceeded as far as it has. The new government will have to consider the investment that's already gone into the project in deciding whether to go ahead or go back to the drawing board.

But this shouldn't be the key consideration. If after reviewing the project and consulting with interested parties, government halts the artifactory move - and hopefully it will - it should look into moving some other facility to Murray River. In this way, the time and money that's gone into preparing the site for development won't be wasted.

Artifactory future rests with new Liberal government

STEVE SHARRATT The Guardian June 7, 2007
Northumberland Development Corporation chair says he'll present case once cabinet named

MURRAY RIVER — The financing was in place, the land was ready for construction and the tender was days away from being awarded, but an artifactory to store the antiquities of the Island’s past could be history here.

Former Premier Pat Binns was preparing to turn the sod at the building site when a provincial election late last month ended the Conservative dream of a fourth term.

And now the project — which raised considerable controversy in the capital city — is in the hands of a new Liberal administration.

“Right now we’re just biding our time and waiting for the new government to make a decision,’’ said Jamie Richards, chair of the Northumberland Development Corporation which has already invested $250,000. “But as soon as a cabinet is appointed we’ll be taking our case to them.”

The provincial artifactory was announced earlier this year by the Conservative government as a place to house and display some of the more than 80,000 items of historical significance now being stored in the West Royalty Industrial Park.

The $4.9-million project also included a retail and boutique attachment as a way to stimulate more summertime business in this quiet fishing village.

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

“We have all our ducks lined up on this one and we can only hope that the new administration will look favourably on our plan,’’ said Richards.

During the election, Liberal leader Robert Ghiz said he would put a moratorium on the artifactory and seek wider consultation before confirming construction plans.

A spokesman in Ghiz’s office said no decisions would be made until Ghiz is sworn in sometime next week and a new cabinet meets.

Richards expects the lobbyists who protested the artifactory relocating here will be out in force, but insisted the area development corporation is not giving up — especially having invested $250,000 in the project with land purchase, demolition and preparatory architectural work.

Comments:


1.
Richelle from Charlottetown, PE writes: This is a very misleading article and I feel the writer is definately not presenting an objective piece of journalism. From what I read the relocation was not applauded by the Heritage Foundation. The builing of a facility was. The heritage foundation was forced into the decision because theywere told it was this or nothing. Perhaps money shouldn't have been spent until a consultation process was enacted. Lets hope these behind closed doors projects of the conservatives are over.
Posted 07/06/2007 at 1:22 pm |

2.
Steve from PEI writes: Richelle, you think the closed door projects are bad. Ghiz won't have to do anything behind closed doors because everything, like the artifactory, will be put in Charlottetown because everybody in there thinks that they should get it all. Bunch of greedy townie's i tell ya!
Posted 08/06/2007 at 11:20 am |


3.
Alex from Montague, PEI writes: I don't have a problem with artifact storage taking place in a location like Murray River but I think it would make the most sense to have it co-located with a provincial museum.

New Brunswick's provincial museum is in Saint John, which is historically more important than Fredericton. I'm not sure if an argument can be made that Summerside is more historic than Charlottetown.

Perhaps if we look to the Mi'kmaq occupancy of this island but from a practical point of view, Charlottetown does make the most sense for a provincial museum.

I like to see structures get re-used and expanded, so the soon-to-be-vacant Dominion Building would be ideally suited for this, with room off back toward Pownal Street to house a re-located Public Archives and Records Office, along with an artifactory and a multi-floor museum on the Queen Street side.

As for what you mention with centralization of government services....

I agree that de-centralization, while a bit more costly initially, it actually works to the advantage of governments federally and provincially since it keeps rural communities like Souris, Morell, Murray River, Kensington, Alberton, O'Leary, and Tignish alive as small regional centres, giving a good reason to maintain the sometimes-expensive government services such as schools and health care.... BUT, the real estate is cheap and I'm willing to bet that gov't would end up in the positive on overall multi-year operating costs of offices in these locations.

Perhaps if we saw smaller, self-contained branches or operating agencies of different gov't departments parcelled out to these communities, we'd strengthen the provincial economy while improving costs and services?

I do think that Robert should offer something such as a relocated gov't office to Murray River since they have been banking on this development.

But I think the museum should go to Charlottetown and it's not a town vs. rural thing at all, it just makes sense in this case.
Posted 08/06/2007 at 12:42 pm

Tourism and Culture: Celebrating Our Cultural Identity Promoting Our Culture

Liberal Party of PEI - tourism and culture highlights from the policy document
http://www.islandersfirst.ca/files/press_release/tourismcultureliberal.pdf
Released May 25, 2007


The Island’s cultural heritage defines who we are and where we come from. Our culture is something to be both protected and enhanced. It requires public policy commitment and a focus that is based upon a shared sense of community. Such a focus on cultural policy has been lacking under the Conservatives. The Conservative’s plan to re-locate the provincial artifactory to Murray River is ill-conceived. Liberals believe that we need a plan based upon meaningful input from Islanders that identifies how we should promote our cultural heritage.

A Liberal Government will put Islanders first by:

• 1. Putting greater emphasis on educating our children about the human and natural history of our province;
• 2. Initiating policies to help preserve and protect our rural landscape;
• 3. Placing a moratorium on the construction of a new artifactory in Murray River;
• 4. Consulting with P.E.I. communities, museums, and our arts and cultural communities to explore options for a Provincial Museum;
• 5. Investing more resources in educating local artists, musicians, and craftspeople and helping them to market to the world;

. . . also from a speech delivered at the same time
http://www.islandersfirst.ca/news/press_releases.cfm?id=61

Placing a moratorium on the construction of a proposed new artifactory, and beginning a comprehensive planning process dedicated to creating a NEW Prince Edward Island Museum worthy of our beautiful province.

Island New Democrats - respond

ISLAND NEW DEMOCRATS

81 Prince Street, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4R3

Tel. 902 566 2266

ndppei@pei.aibn.com

DEAN CONSTABLE, Party Leader

Question 1
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have the active provincial museum as mandated by the Legislature, that will study, collect, preserve, interpret, and protect the human and natural history of Prince Edward Island, and that sufficient funds and facilities to carry out its mandate will be provided.

If I gain the confidence of a majority of voters and receive the privilege of representing the citizens of District 12 Charlottetown – Victoria Park, I will fight for a Provincial Museum that will serve all Islanders. This means I will work for highly skilled and appropriate staffing to deliver all the exciting educational opportunities that a comprehensive museum of the human culture and natural history of our Island presents. I will also work to ensure that our inner city kids make the very important connections with their history and their culture and the natural world around them. This is their right and I want to see our society invest in them.

Question 2
Please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have an opportunity to see both permanent and changing exhibitions of the current artifacts within the existing Provincial Collection.

I will personally study the large issue of Museums on Prince Edward Island and become familiar with the bigger picture and challenges that includes over 30 community museums across PEI. I will support the establishment of a comprehensive integrated Provincial museum facility of culture and natural history located in an area that is accessible without undue hardship for all community museums, adults and especially children across PEI. To ensure access to changing thematic exhibits and exhibits that tell the bigger Island Story I will be insisting that the PEI Museum Collection and the dedicated professionals hired to work with it be located within close proximity at one site, namely the Provincial Museum. I will work to identify community partners such as educational institutions – UPEI and Holland College for example.

Question 3
Museum development requires solid planning, please indicate what your government would do to ensure that Prince Edward Islanders have a provincial museum development plan that fulfills the mandate granted by the Legislature.

I will support an immediate moratorium on the old Conservative Government’s plan to place the Provincial Storage facility (Artifactory) in the Premier’s home riding of Murray River. I will insist upon a comprehensive planning process that focuses on the future of Heritage and Museums development in PEI. I see this as a planning process that is much larger than the current PEI Museum, that is inclusive of the heritage community as a whole, from tip to tip of PEI.

Question 4
Many Islanders since 1881 have called for a centrally-located, adequately-resourced provincial museum building to tell the Island story (including natural history), exhibit the Island collection, and also to serve the various branches community museums and education system by creating exhibits to tour the province. Do you support this vision of a solid hub that can provide strength to the various spokes of a decentralized museum system?

I support the concept of a strong and solid hub serving all the museums and their audiences across PEI. I also support the development of a strategy for public and private investment in the infrastructure of museums across PEI. Our museums are in our communities telling our stories for our residents and our visitors. There can be no better investment for our culture, our economy and our feeling good about ourselves and our communities than investing in our museums. The planning element I mentioned above must come first to ensure that investments are strategic.

Certain things belong in the capital

as published in The Guardian - April 21, 2007
FRANK MACDONALD Cornwall

Editor:
Before a provincial museum is announced for Boughton Island, I’d like to express my opinion on the artifactory debate, which is more ‘artifice’ than artifactory, considering the number of things that don’t pass the smell test.

I’m not city-born, but I would submit that certain things belong in a political capital. They just do. When I was five, I would have liked the provincial airport to locate in neighbouring fields so I could watch planes land. For efficiency and other reasons, such a facility didn’t belong in a remote location any more than an artifactory does. Does the Charlottetown Leon’s store have its warehouse in Murray River?

The museum debate is degenerating into more ‘Charlottetown-bashing’ and attempts at one-upmanship by other areas, manifested by such actions as enlisting interest in building a hotel that is higher, by one storey, than Charlottetown’s highest or creating a second university. Where is our civic pride regarding our capital? The placement of an artifactory and museum in Charlottetown is not a zero-sum gain in which the capital wins at the expense of other centres.

There are many locations in the capital for a combined museum and artifactory facility or for separate facilities. The vast wastelands of eastern Grafton Street would be logical for a combined version and would provide a pleasant respite from the restaurants that proliferate. Another location, and it is provincially owned, is the field alongside the west side of University Avenue in front of Holland College Royalty Centre. The corner of Great George and Richmond streets, currently a parking lot for about 50 vehicles, also presents a logical site. A museum there would also be a good fit for the increasing number of cruise ship visitors. Acquiring that spot would entail MLAs giving up the parking spaces that are provided for them there during legislative sessions. Can these people bestow such a legacy?

A reason cited for the artifactory’s location in Murray River is that ACOA funding of $3 million is available only for that location. Perhaps the premier can convince ACOA’s new provincial manager, Pat Dorsey, his former chief of staff, to lift that restriction.

Public Consultations on the PEI Museum Systems

The report of the Public Consultations on the PEI Museum Systems, March 2007 has now been released by the Institute on Island Studies at UPEI.

A copy is now available on our companion site PEI History Blog.

Notice of Motion Tabled in Legislature

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

April 10, 2007
Dear Museum & Heritage PEl Member:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yours truly,
Satadal Dasgupta, Ph.D.
Chair

"Dollars for one project while there are no dollars to save the other. What is real?"

as published in the Eastern Graphic - March 28, 2007
by Catherine Hennessey

Letter to the Editor
I believe if people in authority or in the development fields understood our Island history better, the distinctiveness of our communities would shine through and we would not be building and destroying the very special nature of this fair isle. Almost fifty years Dr. Francis Bolger came back to PEl with his doctorate in History to teach, for the first time, PEl history at the university level. Over the years he taught thousands of Islanders in his own special way. Some of those former students are even in government today. It was difficult to leave his class without caring deeply for our island. The visitors that I have met over the years and have had the privilege of introducing to so many aspects of this island, love what is real and I always leave those ,touring experiences feeling we're blessed here. The recently released TIAPEI study on Cultural Tourism might have a handle on that. I hope so.

Rural PEl like rural areas all over Canada is suffering today. They have huge problems to face in the 21st C, but if we jump to addressing those problems by snapping on urban to rural and building out of scales , without appreciation for what is special of rural we will soon have no there, there. We need a serious time of contemplation on this subject.

I am so very sorry that the PEl Museum and Heritage Foundation artifactory issue is pitting rural against urban, particularly in these days when both have such serious matters to discuss maturely. We have so many natural and historic strengths to build on, why are we wasting energy. Take for example the situation that could present itself this summer if this out of scale, snap-on-age building gets built on one side of the street in Murray River while they are tearing down a 1880's church across the street. Four million, what ever, dollars for one project while there are no dollars to save the other. What is real?

A serious plan as to how we should focus on saving the spectacular statements on our landscape that our ancestors built would be a far more productive exercise while building pride in Islanders. We must begin working on preserving our distinctiveness. Please stop before we spend anymore taxpayers dollars on building more Gateways Villages or Founders Hall that simple to do not speak to Islanders and not very clearly to our visitor.

Construction will start this spring

Labour Market Bulletin

Prince Edward Island
January / February 2007

Construction will start this spring in Murray River to build a new artifactory to store the more than 80,000 Island artifacts in the provincial collection. The building will include a public viewing area featuring historic materials from the collection. The building will be owned and operated by the Northumberland Community Development Corporation and the foundation will lease the artifactory space.

Can a no-win become a win-win?

as published in The Guardian March 29, 2007
Harry Baglole, Bonshaw

Editor:
It appears to me that the artifactory controversy represents a no-win situation for the main parties involved.

First of all, the Island’s very vocal ‘heritage community’ sees the removal of the main artifact-horde to Murray River as an action which might well pre-empt the creation of a much-needed high-quality and well-resourced central provincial museum facility. I share that concern.

Second, the beautiful community of Murray River stands to gain precious little from playing host to an artifact storage facility, with a couple of employees commuting from Charlottetown.
Here is my suggestion for a possible win-win situation.

Instead of accepting an inert artifactory, the community of Murray River might aspire to become the home of a major Island-mandated natural history museum, operated as a branch of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Museum. Such a facility has long been a dream of the Island natural history community. And what better location than Murray River, located in one of the Island’s most beautiful and unspoiled landscape regions? For starters, the museum could help preserve and interpret the Murray River Pines, a lovely natural area right in the village. It would also be a major attraction for southern Kings.

I have two related suggestions: first, that government commit to updating the artifact storage facilities in Charlottetown; and second, that a planning process be started to create a Prince Edward Island provincial museum worthy of the name. Its purpose would be to tell the Island story — truly and well — while providing core support to all the branch and community museums across the Island, including the P.E.I. Natural History Museum in Murray River.

All of this will cost more money, of course. But it’s been 30 years since any major new investment was made in Island heritage development. And the premier tells us that the Harper budget has been good to P.E.I.

Blog puts museum debate online

Eastern Graphic - March 21, 2007
JANET MACLEOD

As the debate and discussion over PEl's provincial museum system and location of the artifactory is played out in public meetings and in the lettersto-the-editor section of Island newspapers, the dialogue has also moved online.

Ian Scott, former executive director of the PEl Museum & Heritage Foundation, and panelist at the Institute of Island Studies' recent public meetings, has been maintaining a blog about the issues.

Updated frequently, Mr Scott has compiled letters to the editor, and newspaper articles about the museum and the artifactory, and has posted details about three resolutions passed at the PEl Museum & Heritage Foundation AGM held last week.

Mr Scott's blog features opinions from many sides of this complex issue, and acts as an online database of published thought about the museum and artifactory.

So, if you want to learn more about the issues surrounding PEl's museum system, or become more engaged in the discussion, visiting the PEl museum blog at www.peimuseum.blogspot.com is a great place to start.