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

Bad idea, bad location for artifactory

as published in The Guardian March 26, 2007
BETTY AND CLAUDE MAURICE, Victoria, B.C.

Editor:

As life members of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation we have just received a letter from the chairman, Satadal Dasgupta, written to the membership. We must record that we are sad about the location of the new artifactory.

Whatever the technical merits of its construction, they have nothing to do with where it is being built — and where it is being built seems without logic.

In the current climate of environmental awareness, it also seems preposterous to store the essence of the operation so many fossil-fueled miles away from those who work with it.

The cynical taxpayer also wonders how much paid travel time this location will entail, in perpetuity. Even in the unlikely event that all the artifactory workers eventually relocate to Murray River, all other staff and all suppliers will spend significant, paid time driving that would be much better spent doing their work.

We recognize the nature of the situation when the P.E.I. government wants a mini-mega project for Murray River more than it wants to look after the needs of museums and heritage, or to acknowledge the broader realities of the 21st century, but we respectfully submit that we do not support the bargain that’s been made.

First communication to members - since topic became public issue six months ago

While there has been extensive media coverage for six months on the topic there has been no communication on moving the Provincial Collection to the membership of the PEI Museum & Heritage - the body which should have some role in defining the policy of their organization. Today the following letter arrived informing the membership of decision made by the Board of Governors.

March 5,2007
Dear Member,
The Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation is about to embark on a new chapter. At our Annual General Meeting on March 14, we will be introducing our new Executive Director, Dr. David Keenlyside. Since Chris Severance retired in November 2004, the Museum has operated under three interim directors - Linda Berko, Frank Butler, and Paula Kenny. We wish to extend a sincere thank you to these individuals for managing the affairs of the organization until a permanent replacement was recruited and we welcome Dr. Keenlyside to his new post.

Another very important change will take shape this year. After many years, the Museum will finally have a new home for the permanent collection. Many of you are familiar with the opinions circulating in the media; however, the Board of Governors has chosen to communicate directly to the membership.

When the Province offered the Museum a purpose-built collection storage facility, the Board of Governors considered the proposal very carefully as certain factors were not negotiable. The building would be available only in Murray River through a project by the Northumberland Community Development Corporation. For at least ten years, a new storage facility had been the priority of the Museum and there have been no funds available to bring the existing building up to the required standard. In deciding to accept the offer of a facility in Murray River, the Board of Governors stipulated a number of conditions to ensure that no added financial burden fell on the organization and also to ensure the highest standards of environmental controls would be met. The Province has agreed to virtually all the conditions and we feel this is the best action for the collection.

The Premier recently made the official announcement of the project. Tenders will be called in the near future with construction scheduled to begin this spring. The Project Manager has consulted with staff throughout the process in order to include all the appropriate systems in the design. We have been assured that the Museum will continue to be consulted during the design-build process. The environmental controls will not be reduced in negotiations with the successful tender. The Board will also insist that no change be made to the fire suppression system, including water tanks needed to operate the sprinkler system. To further increase protection, the storage area will be divided into three rooms with firewalls. The Province has also agreed to provide proper cabinets and racking for holding the artefacts and the cost of the move is covered.

This new chapter holds many opportunities and we look forward to these exciting possibilities.

Yours truly,
Satadal Dasgupta, Ph.D., Chairperson

2 Kent Street, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island CIA IM6
Tel: 902 368 6600 Fax: 902 368 6608 Email:mhpei@gov.pe.ca
website www.peimuseum.com

A moratorium is the only reasonable option

Ian Scott - Charlottetown

Freeman Whitty's comments (Guardian March 9) regarding the removal of the Provincial Collection from a central collections facility (the Artifactory) to Murray River - do not recognize the long term goal of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation which is to establish a Provincial Museum, according to statements published in Hansard -

The chair of the Museum and Heritage Foundation, Satadal Dasgupta said “The Board (of the Foundation) continues to discuss its hope of acquiring an appropriate home for the provincial collection and 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”; . . .

The concern of separating the housing of the Provincial Collection from any planning of the Provincial Museum is that the operations of the overall organization will be further challenged - with a tiny professional staff even more fragmented. If there is to be sound planning for the Provincial Museum, which the Board states as their goal, then this planning should be done in advance of the construction of a major collections management facility.

The Board is on record as saying “development of this [Provincial Collections] facility is beyond our control”. Despite the clear responsibilities granted by the Legislature, if this is the reality and the Board functions simply as handmaiden of the current government, we are in a sorry state. I believe the Board does have a role. A project, that is so central to their future functioning, and uses public funds should not be “beyond their control.”

If this is a temporary measure to manage things for a few years -- then this could potentially leave those responsible for the Northumberland Community Development Corporation with an large empty building to try and find a new tenant for, if an integrated provincial museum & collections facility is located elsewhere.

The PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation owns its current Artifactory - which has had upgrades over the years and with a few repairs could continue as a temporary collections management facility. To have a $4-5 million dollar structure constructed with public funds by a community development corporation - to lease as a temporary facility, seems short-sighted.

Dr. David Keenleyside the new Executive Director of the Museum should be given a fair chance. He should be given the time and support to carry out consultations through a planning study that concludes with a long term plan for fulfilling the mandate of the Museum.

The Legislature granted a provincial museum mandate through the Museum Act, 25 years ago, yet that mandate has not been realized. For government to continue to starve the organization and offer "take it of leave it" solutions which grant no other option but to go along with plans of being an anchor tenant of a mini-mall in the premier's riding is quite unfair. Input in planning and due process in determining suitability for long term needs is essential.

We deserve better - we need a proper study and Dr. Keenleyside deserves the support of every Islander in being allowed to carry that out without one hand being held behind his back.

A moratorium is the only reasonable option.

Board of Governors replies

In a letter dated Feb 17th 2007 and addressed to Past Executive Directors and Board Members, the board of governors of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation indicates:

Your request for a three-month moratorium on development of this [Provincial Collections] facility is beyond our control. We have been provided with an opportunity to safeguard the Provincial Collection and do not have another viable alternative at this time.

We understand your strong feelings on this issue and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Sincerely,
Satadal Dasgupta, PhD
Chairperson

ATLANTIC ARCHAEOLOGIST TO HEAD MUSEUM

Thursday, January 25, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

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

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

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

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

BACKGROUNDER

Dr. David L. Keenlyside:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Museum and Heritage Foundation:

• The purpose of the Museum and Heritage Foundation is to study, collect, preserve, interpret and protect the human and natural heritage of Prince Edward Island for the use, benefit and enjoyment of the people of the province.

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

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

For additional information, contact Paula Kenny.