Let's petition for a museum

As published in The Guardian - August 8, 2012

Editor:
In response to the story 'New MLA office building being proposed' (The Guardian, Aug. 2, 2012), we need a legacy for all Islanders to enjoy, not just a few politicians and judges.

Let's support a real museum for all to see. There is a tremendous collection of P.E.I. artifacts stored, but not shown. Some Islanders don't even know they even exist, especially the younger generation.

Could you imagine the stories our grandparents could tell about an artifact that they used on the farm or in their businesses? Politicians tell stories - some true, some not - but live artifacts tell real stories about real life. Now that's a legacy.

The anniversary of P.E.I. is coming in 2014 to celebrate the past. Show it in a museum. My suggestion is to spend the so-called dollars to purchase the old experimental farm property and construct a museum that all can enjoy all year round. Set up field trips for our school children, bus tours for visitors and all. Maybe even our politicians would learn a thing or two. Come on, Islanders, petition for a museum, not another building full of hot air.

Frank Murphy,
Charlottetown

Provincial Museum Tops City's 2014 Wish List

Dave Stewart

Published on August 15, 2012 in The Guardian

The City of Charlottetown is in the process of putting together its wish list for the 2014 celebrations.

Right at the top of the list is going to be a provincial museum even though Premier Robert Ghiz shot down the idea earlier this month.

"I can tell you that number one on our list is a provincial museum in the city of Charlottetown,'' Mayor Clifford Lee says. "I know the province has said we're not going to get a provincial museum, (that) nobody is but we weren't going to let that sit aside and then discover some other municipality was given a provincial museum because Charlottetown didn't indicate (the request) on its wish list.''

Government is leaning towards building a new legislative office. It's believed it would cost $12 million to $15 million.

Ghiz said the proposed new building would be a lot less expensive than a provincial museum, which many believed would be the legacy project for the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown conference in 1864.

"This is not a project, from my understanding, that's in the $50 million range — what a provincial museum would be under — but it's something that, if it can prove to be worthwhile, is something that will be explored and if it's good for the province I'm sure it will get its due consideration,'' Ghiz said.

The city will be submitting its list, which is now being called a working document, to P.E.I. 2014 Inc., the agency handling planning for the 2014 celebrations.

Lee said there's a reason why there's been so much talk surrounding a museum.

"Quite honestly, it seems to make sense to me that the province needs to have a provincial museum,'' the mayor said.

As for other items on the city's wish list, it will only say they are of cultural and historic significance, such as festivals, that will have impact on residents and visitors alike

Lee acknowledges the money may not be there for a big-ticket item.

"I think what the province is saying is that they can't afford a provincial museum and if that's the case then that's the case. At the same time, I think we need to ask the question, is there going to be a legacy?''

In 1964, for example, to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the 1864 conference, Queen Elizabeth II helped open the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

Lee doubts Islanders will support a new office building for MLAs as the big gift in 2014.

"That's not a legacy for the citizens of Charlottetown or for the citizens of P.E.I. That's a legacy for MLAs. I'm not sure that's what 2014 is all about.''

The city didn't budget any money this year for 2014. Should it decide to do so in the future, it would require council's approval.

dstewart@theguardian.pe.ca

twitter.com/DveStewart

Community Forum Report

The Community Forum Report related to Prince Edward Island 2014 is now available - several key points under the category "Honour the Past Museums and Heritage" were:

• A commitment to creating a centralized museum was expressed by many, while others felt that more resources could be devoted to the existing museum network

• Committed programming, rather than the construction of new space, is key to the sustainability of such a large infrastructure project

Community Forum Report - Prince Edward Island 2014

The Community Forum Report is now public. Developed over the last year, the report looks at options for celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference leading to Canadian Confederation.

Still Hope for a Provincial Museum

Published on June 28, 2012 
Letters to the Editor (The Guardian)  

 It seems our ability to dream is caught up in an economic straitjacket."At one time there was no library system on the Island - no university or community college - all these ventures took vision and effort and now have been accepted as a part of the services a province provides for advancing knowledge. 

 
By Ian Scott
Commentary

The column by Gary MacDougall (May 19, 2012) on planning for 2014 activities, and the response by Senator Percy Downe on June 16 both indicated that conflicting views have emerged related to potential commemorative events for the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference. These camps seem to be polarized around whether the focus of the event should be 'big party' versus 'legacy project', amid the economic realities affecting all sides.

The case for a proper provincial museum to complete our decentralized museum system remains an important public policy issue as indicated by the number of letters and editorials of support published within this paper over the years, not to mention recent studies and reports. From an election promise made by the Liberal government when they first formed government in 2007 to the 2011 policy convention of the Liberal Party of P.E.I., we have been told that planning for provincial museum development is a priority, yet the provincial five-year capital plan has yet to show a provincial museum project included. The P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation is the designated Crown agency charged with fulfilling the role under the Museum Act with what provincial dollars are allocated annually, yet the provincial cabinet remains effectively in charge of any new developments that would allow for appropriate facilities to carry out that role.

The idea that 2014 would be an opportune time to advance the provincial museum project has been discussed for several years now; moving ahead with planning a central museum facility is essential before more of our historically significant objects are lost. We sometimes seem caught in a cycle - without a central museum facility we lack exposure to the role museums can play, which could be producing a lack of commitment to planning for the future. We can hope that MacDougall's words are not ringing true, "The thought that today's generation has neither the interest nor the foresight to think of a lasting legacy for the 150th anniversary is disheartening. It seems our ability to dream is caught up in an economic straitjacket."
At one time there was no library system on the Island - no university or community college - all these ventures took vision and effort and now have been accepted as a part of the services a province provides for advancing knowledge. The same vision for improving the Island led our legislative assembly to create the P.E.I. Heritage Foundation in 1970 and in 1983 to grant it new powers as our provincial museum. Over the years, much has been achieved, but to realize the full mandate, which includes both human and natural history, much more needs to be done. Clearly the hope for a modest start on provincial museum development as the legacy project was heard loud and clear from the public at the consultation events I attended; one can only hope that the message has not fallen on deaf ears.

Ian Scott is president of the Natural History Society of P.E.I. In the 1980s, he served as executive director of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation.

A perfect legacy project

As published in The Guardian on June 16, 2012

Editor:
I refer to the article 'Legacy money looks scarce for 2014 celebration' (The Guardian, June 11, 2012).
The built legacy to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference in 1964 was the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Every province provided 15 cents per capita for the construction, matched by the ruling Liberal federal government under Lester Pearson. Interestingly, Prime Minister Pearson introduced the Canadian flag at around the same time.

The fact that it appears that, according to Mayor Clifford Lee, there will be no funding provincially or federally for a built legacy to commemorate the 150th anniversary is an indication as to how this country has changed its values over the years. A provincial museum is sorely lacking in this province and has been talked about for years while valuable historical artifacts are still evidently deteriorating in leaky storage (artifactory) at an old vehicle maintenance building in West Royalty.

What a perfect built legacy a permanent museum would be. The seat of Confederation needs a museum. Are we to wait another 50 years?

The present Harper government is in so many ways destroying traditional Canadian values, this issue being a prime example. Harper's dictatorial 'divide and conquer' policy is taking its toll in no uncertain terms. A once-proud country has fragmented into a lack of unity across the provinces.

In conclusion, shame on Minister Gail Shea for not negotiating on behalf of P.E.I. in her position as minister of national revenue in the Harper regime. Maybe she could 'loosen the purse strings' a bit.

John R. Shakespeare,
Charlottetown

How much anniversary funding can we expect from Ottawa?

By Percy Downe
Commentary as published in The Guardian June 16, 2012

For the last number of decades, the Government of Canada has financed major events across our country that have significant historical importance. The current Conservative government has continued this initiative by financially supporting the anniversary of the War of 1812 ($28 million), the 400th anniversary of the founding of Cupids in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2010 (amounting to a per capita contribution of $5,400 for a community of 790 people) and the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City ($120 million).

Given the significant financial support that these other events have received - particularly the Anniversary of Quebec City - I was surprised by the response of Heritage Minister James Moore to a report in The Guardian that P.E.I.'s anticipation of $30 million for the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference might be an ambitious figure.

Given the historical significance of the Charlottetown Conference, it is not unreasonable to expect that the federal funding level for the 150th anniversary will be closer by comparison to the $120 million received by Quebec for its anniversary celebration than the $28 million allotted for the War of 1812 bicentennial. For the heritage minister to suggest otherwise is, above all, an insult to a milestone of such importance in Canadian history. For the heritage minister to suggest otherwise in the name of fiscal restraint is, given the lavish expense for other celebrations at a time of government austerity, an insult to Islanders. If the federal government has been so generous in commemorating other events, why would the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference be any less deserving?

As Canadians prepare to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference in 2014, Prince Edward Islanders should not assume that a financial contribution comparable to what was received by Quebec City of over $100 million from the Government of Canada is unrealistic.

Canadians may question the appropriateness of spending such large amounts of money on anniversaries in the current economic climate, but when these funds are spent on infrastructure, they create jobs and leave a permanent benefit for residents. Canadians still use the parks and other facilities built in honour of Canada's Centennial in 1967, and continue to flock to the Confederation Centre of the Arts that was built to mark the 100th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference. Far beyond concerts or fireworks displays, such funding provides a lasting legacy to communities that will serve as a tangible reminder of our Canadian heritage.

For example, in the case of Cupids, the community invested in building The Cupids Legacy Centre, an interactive museum that pays tribute to Cupids' place in history as the oldest continuously occupied English settlement in Canada. The centre also contains multi-purpose space that can be used for events and celebrations and has proven to be of great benefit to the entire community.

The fundamental importance of the Charlottetown Conference in Canadian history cannot be overstated. Intended as a venue to discuss Maritime union, the conference instead became more ambitious, bringing in Upper and Lower Canada, leading to the formation of our country and earning Prince Edward Island the title 'Cradle of Confederation'. To celebrate the accomplishment that was Confederation, one has to recognize the key role played by the Charlottetown Conference, and as we approach its 150th anniversary, we need to reflect and discuss how we are to commemorate it in a manner befitting its importance.

Recently in his column, the managing editor of The Guardian, Gary MacDougall, wrote:

"The question needs to be asked, is 2014 just a golden sentimental opportunity to hawk the province and its charms to tourists; to make a big fuss and ensure a banner tourism season, like the ones we used to enjoy? Or is it a special moment in time, an opportunity to mark one of this country's most historic moments and P.E.I.'s place in it? ...The thought that today's generation has neither the interest nor the foresight to think of a lasting legacy for the 150th anniversary is disheartening. It seems our ability to dream is caught up in an economic straitjacket."

Good question - and to date - no answer.

Whatever the level of federal funding allocated to celebrate the Charlottetown Conference - there being no question that millions of dollars in federal funding will be budgeted for this purpose - I hope that this information can inspire imaginative discussions over how we can utilize the funding to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference in a way that has a lasting and positive impact on our community, for both the benefit of current and future generations of Islanders and Canadians alike.

Percy Downe is a senator from Charlottetown.