PE: Communities still vying for provincial museum

City of Summerside

As published on July 29, 2011 by The Journal Pioneer

by Mike Carson

Deputy Mayor Bruce MacDougall said Summerside made its presentation to the Province last year promoting the city as the logical location for a provincial museum.

In the 2010 throne speech, the Prince Edward Island government promised a celebration that would reach out to all Canadians and develop a legacy for the future.

That legacy is expected to be a provincial museum.

Since that announcement communities across the province, including the City of Summerside have been vying to be the home of the provincial museum.

Deputy Mayor Bruce MacDougall said the city made its presentation to the Province last year promoting Summerside as the logical location for a provincial museum.

"If there's going to be a new provincial museum on P.E.I. we'd like to see it located in Summerside," MacDougall said. "We haven't heard anything... concerning the new museum."

There has been some suggestion that the Province break up the museum and have regional facilities reflecting that area's culture and heritage.

"We're looking for the whole thing," added MacDougall.

After the plan was announced, the Province did send out for proposals for the new museum but the projected costs were high, in excess of $50 million.

Harry Holman, director of culture, heritage and libraries with the Department of Tourism and Culture, said the plan is still in place.

"We're still looking," he said. "We did have a very productive meeting with the City of Summerside last year, but there's been no decisions or advances from where we were at that time.

"We're considering the approach. The Province remains committed to a provincial museum, but it has to fit in with the other plans and priorities of the province."

The Province is looking at putting forward a proposal to the federal government to make the provincial museum part of the legacy for the 150th anniversary of the Confederation Conference.

"That's certainly a possibility as the planning for the 150th moves forward that is one of the areas where there will be some discussion," Holman said. "David MacKenzie has just been appointed, but the role that he's playing is with the activities rather than the legacy.

MacKenzie, the outgoing CEO of the Confederation Centre of the Arts, will begin his new assignment on the anniversary celebration in early August. His early priorities will be to work closely with various levels of government to draft a vision framework and business plan for the 150th celebrations.

Provincial museum talk just that so far

Editorial Published on February 16, 2011 by The Guardian

Let's hope Islanders hear more than vague promises during the fall election campaign

Any discussion among heritage-minded Islanders on the topic of a provincial museum always ends the same way - on a down note.

The idea of building an Island museum has been around for years. And it's an idea that everyone appears to support.

But in spite of all the support, not only have we not finished the project, we haven't even gotten to the start line.

One of the main stumbling blocks, one common throughout the province's history, is finding the money to build a museum. Some estimates say it will cost in the range of $40 million or more.

Tapping an adequate source of money is important because if there is another thing everyone agrees on, it's the fact the museum must be built properly the first time around. We'll get one shot at it, unlike a tricky chowder recipe that can be tried over and over again until it tastes just right. In culinary terms, the museum needs to taste and look right as soon as it comes off the stove.

The topic of a provincial museum came up recently in Summerside. Mayor Basil Stewart, always on the hunt for positive additions to his city, would like to see the museum located there.

Harry Holman, director of culture, heritage and libraries with the provincial Department of Tourism and Culture, says while the museum project is very much alive, it hasn't moved to a decision-making stage.

He added it's not just Summerside that is pining for the museum, a number of other communities are as well.

Speaking on May 25, 2007, Liberal Leader Robert Ghiz said if elected he would begin "a comprehensive planning process dedicated to creating a new Prince Edward Island museum worthy of our beautiful province."

He promised a Liberal government would consult with Islanders to explore options for a museum. To be fair to the Liberals, they have consulted, in the sense the government commissioned a museumreport that outlined a number of options. All the options would carry a heavy price tag.

And that's where things now stand. Everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop. It might be an infusion of federal money to help the province celebrate the150th anniversary of the historic 1864 Fathers of Confederation meeting or, better still, it might be a firm commitment and timeline from a provincial government.

Islanders can expect to hear lots of talk about an Island museum during this fall's provincial election campaign. When the topic comes up, Islanders should push for more than rhetoric. The Liberal promise four years ago was vague and so have been its actions on the issue.

In today's world it is as easy to communicate with someone on the other side of the world as it is someone in this province. In fact, in some instances it is easier.

It's also easy for our younger generations to become disconnected with Prince Edward Island's past, caught up as they are in everyone else's history and news. A vibrant museum dedicated to celebrating our proud and colourful past would go a long way towards fighting that disconnect.

Design of provincial museum still being discussed

Published on February 8, 2011

The Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE – The idea of a provincial museum is still being discussed but when it will be built, where it will be built and what it will look like, has yet to be determined.

Harry Holman, director of culture, heritage and libraries with the Department of Tourism and Culture, said there is still much interest in the project that was proposed two years ago.

“The whole project is very much still alive but it hasn’t moved to a decision-making stage at this point,” Holman said. “There have been a number of communities who have expressed an interest.”

Summerside was one of those communities that made its proposal to the Province last year and Summerside Mayor Basil Stewart said the city’s position has not changed.

“We presented our situation to the minister and I think he understands that we are very interested in having it here in Summerside,” Stewart said. “Our oar’s in the water and we’ll just have to wait and see.”

That wait could be another six years before a provincial museum comes about.

“We haven’t put a formal proposal to the federal government so we don’t know whether they’re interested or not,” said Holman. “They are going to be involved in some sort of legacy for the 150th anniversary of the Confederation Conference and this is one of the options that hold some possibilities (for an injection of federal government funding).”

He added, “Summerside has made its pitch and the city put forward a good case.”

The cost of the project has been at the centre of the discussions.

The initial proposal came back with an extremely high price tag, in excess of $50 million. Government representatives believed it was “somewhat larger than the community had anticipated such a facility would cost,” Holman said.

Other options are now being examined.

“What we were asked to do is look at a couple of different options and possibilities to see where there were alternatives and where we would still end up with the three essential pillars. One is the exhibition space, which is what most people think of when they think of the museum, but that’s really only the tip of the iceberg. The whole collection storage piece is an extremely important part of that and the ability to do programming in association with the museum.”

P.E.I. museum plans moving ahead: Vessey

As published by CBC News Friday, August 20, 2010 | 1:36 PM AT

see the originating site for reader comments

Comments7

Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Vessey, shown here in a file photo, met with Summerside city council last week to discuss the possibility of locating the museum there. (Province of P.E.I.)

P.E.I. Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Vessey hopes to go to cabinet in the next couple of months with concrete plans for a provincial museum.

A central provincial heritage museum has been a promise of the provincial Liberals since November 2008.

Vessey met with Summerside's city council last week regarding the possibility of a central museum being built there. The museum system on P.E.I. currently includes multiple sites throughout the province, and each one has a narrow focus such as fisheries and shipbuilding.

Vessey said the Summerside meeting was informal and no decision has been made about the new facility's location.

"We're not there yet," he said. "We're just trying to come up with something that is cost efficient. And I'd like to be able to build or have a museum that's right the first time and be done very cost efficient for Islanders."

Too expensive

Vessey said a consultant came back with an estimated price tag of $50-million, which is more than than the Liberals want to pay for a museum.

Summerside city councillor Vance Bridges said he's doubtful that his city is in the running for the new facility, but said a central museum could still have satellite locations.

"I can't imagine the kind of facility that would be needed in only one location to house all the artifacts that are available," he said.

A government-commissioned report in 2008 said that P.E.I.'s approach to heritage is unfocused and ignores subjects including women's history and archaeological sites.

That report recommended a central museum be opened by 2013.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2010/08/20/pei-central-museum-vessey-584.html#ixzz12eMRu3yU

Museums that won't bore the socks off my six-year-old

As published in The Guardian, 12 Feb 2008

Editor:

The IRIS Group's public meetings on heritage offer hope we Islanders may re-invent ourselves when it comes to this mother of all motherhood issues.

Expect these meetings to present a bee-hive of sorts: There'll be a queen bee of heritage, bursting with self-importance; several drones, doing what they do best, namely, drone on and on; and worker bees, who've had too much to do with too little help, the heroes of Island heritage these 30 years.

To me, there already is a Prince Edward Island Museum. The Island's 30 small community museums and Museum and Heritage P.E.I. sites are its chapters, some poorly, some elegantly written, to be sure. The Mi'kmaq Cultural Centre on Lennox Island, the Acadian Museum in Miscouche, Basin Head Fisheries Museum, the Potato Museum in O'Leary, the Irish Moss Interpretive Centre in Miminegash, Green Park Shipbuilding Centre, the shrines to Maud Montgomery, Elmira Railway Museum, the Fox Museum and P.E.I. Sports Hall of Fame in Summerside, Orwell Corner Historic Village, present elemental chapters in our unfolding Island story. Meanwhile, hands-on sites such as Wyatt Heritage Properties enable us to experience how our Loyalist, Victorian and Edwardian ancestors worked and played.

No need then to build an over-arching Island museum, costing millions, to duplicate chapters that already exist. Nor do we need another white elephant such as we see pastured at Founders' Hall.

Rather, Islanders should ponder what chapters are lacking in this book of the Island. The greatest omission is a natural history museum, pulsating with the living, breathing creatures who've lived here over the millennia. A site such as this, championed by Dr. Tom Hall, Don Groom and others, would draw thousands every year annually to see, touch and feel what makes us Islanders. Infused with Sea World smarts, it will make money, not squander it.

In short, if we must build more museums, let's build museums that won't bore the socks off my six-year-old. For an Island that's given us wondrous kitchen table inventors from Abraham Gesner and Thomas B. Hall to Lloyd Ellis and Sonny Huestis, this shouldn't pose a problem.

Wayne Wright,

Summerside

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