Prince Edward Island History

Bound Genealogies of PEI Families

2011-02-14T12:21:00.000-08:00

The listing of bound genealogies that have been donated to the Public Archives & Records Office (PARO) in Prince Edward Island is one of the best directories of sources for researching Island families. The document is in pdf format but using the built in search function in our pdf browser (Ctrl +F) will help locate the family names you are looking for.

The Sleepytown Express with Betty Rogers Large

2010-12-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

The story of The Sleepytown Express a vintage radio show broadcast over CFCY, is best told by The Storyteller herself - the late Betty Rogers Large. Her award winning book, Out of Thin Air is now available in pdf form as part of the Island Lives Collection at UPEI Robertson Library. The book also tells the larger story of broadcasting on Prince Edward Island which began with Betty's father, Keith Sinclair Rogers a boy with an enthusiasm for wireless communications.

Original recordings of Betty's show were saved and rerecorded by her husband, the late Bob Large, and are now available. Some - broadcast near Christmas - featured a direct voice link to Santa Clause at the North Pole reading letters mailed from listeners, showing the amazing power of radio to track down even the most remote characters and create vivid memories for young listeners. To young people amazed that a box made up of tubes and wires could receive messages from around the globe, these radio communications from the North Pole helped fuel their imaginations further.

Bob selected several Christmas broadcasts to include in these recordings. Each are 30 minute compilations in mp3 format which should play directly on your computer.

Sleepytown Express Track 1

Side (A) total time 30 min.

Sleepy Town Express Theme

Three Little Pigs (also letters from listeners)

originally broadcast March 17,1947

Christmas Program (Nov. 29,1946)

The Little Fir Tree

Sleepy Town Express Theme

Sleepytown Express Track 2

Side (B)Total time 29 min.

How The Glitter Began

Why The Chimes Rang

Peter Rabbit (Broadcast Feb 26,1947)

The Little Red Hen (Broadcast Feb 28,1947)

The Animal Store

Sleepy Town Express Theme

Thanks to the foresight of both Bob and Betty Large these materials were saved. We hope you enjoy this sample of vintage Maritime radio broadcasting.

The Sleepy Town Express theme music

Words and Music by Haven Gillespie

Come on all you kiddies
Put your play things down
Take a trip with me to the jubilee
Down in Sleepy Town
Climb into your nighties close your eyes and rest
Cause we’re going away for a holiday
On the Sleepy Town Express

We’re goin to meet Jack
And we’re goin to meet Jill
They live in a shack on a Punkin Pie Hill
It’s an all night trip on a pillow slip
For the Sleepy Town Express

We’re goin to pick cakes by the lemonade stream
Sail over the lakes full of Honey and Cream
And the Sandman dear is the Engineer
On the Sleepy Town Express

All the little Tots down in SleepyTown
Are wait-in to meet the train
With their Licorice Shoes and Choc-late Hats
And Peppermint Candy Canes
We’ll paddle and splash in the Soda pop Pools
On the Plum pudding beach
Where there ain’t no school
Go to bed don’t wait or you’ll be late
For the Sleepy Town Express

All aboard all aboard for the Sleepy Town Express
Can’t you hear the wheels a click-in on the silver plated rails
While the kitty kats meow “Good-bye” and wave their pretty tails
All the maidens on the milk-y way are shin-in up the moon
Cause they know the Sleepy Town Express is com-in very soon
We will stop and pay a visit to the Woman in the Shoe
And we’ll call on Cinderella and Old Mother Hubbard too
When you hear the wind a toot-y toot-y toot-in down the flue
Then the Sandman will be com-in with his choo-ka-choo-ka-choo
All aboard all aboard for the Sleepy Town Express.

Liner Notes for recording:

Storyteller Betty Rogers Large began broadcasting the Sleepy Town Express in 1925 over CFCY radio, a station that was founded and operated by her father, Keith Sinclair Rogers in Charlottetown Prince Edward Island. Her broadcasting career started at the age of 14 and would continue for 60 years. In retirement she returned to her roots in storytelling with her writing being broadcast over BBC and several revivals at Christmas time of the Story Town Express over local radio stations on PEI.

Broadcasts of the show sparked a demand for copies of the original shows which had survived as transcriptions on soft acetate discs and had been stored in less than ideal conditions for 50 years. Re-recorded onto tape using modern facilities the stories and music recaptures a time when radio was magic. The result of three years work the tape makes available vintage radio and preserves Island history. Out of Thin Air authored by Betty Rogers Large recorded in words and pictures the history of radio on PEI, the tape through voice and music is a fitting companion. In a similar way that Betty and Bob Large had been life companions as husband and wife as well as working partners the production of this tape by Bob Large is a fitting memorial to Betty, known to many Maritimers as “The Storyteller”.

Active in local theatre productions Betty brought her own creativity to her radio productions recruiting local actors or training children as needed. Some of the voices on this tape are the Storyteller herself, announcer Bill Brown, Mary Trainor as the Bubble Fairy, Austin Trainor as Santa, and George Scantlebury as Mickey.

Betty's sister Marianne (Rogers) Morrow, also fulfilled the role of storyteller on the show. During a period in the 1930's when Betty and Bob lived in Sackville, NB, Marianne kept the show going until Betty returned to the role again.

Prince Edward Islanders in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography

2010-11-17T04:43:00.000-08:00

The listings of individuals who were born, lived, worked or had a career with impact on Prince Edward Islander includes 240 individuals that are listed in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography

Creation - by Katherine Govier

2010-11-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

The 2002 novel Creation - by Katherine Govier, includes a character of great importance to Prince Edward Island history. Henry Wolsey Bayfield, later Admiral Bayfield played a key role in Island life. He was also an individual who functioned on a broader stage. When John James Audubon traveled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence it was with Bayfield that he traveled and therein lies the connection to Govier's novel.

Synopsis:

Running two steps ahead of the bailiff, alternately praised and reviled, John James Audubon set himself the audacious task of drawing, from nature, every bird in North America. The result was his masterpiece, The Birds of America. In June 1833, partway through his mission, he enlisted his son, Captain Bayfield of the Royal Navy, and a party of young gentlemen to set sail for nesting grounds no ornithologist had ever seen, in the treacherous passage between Newfoundland and Labrador. Creation explores the short, stormy summer throughout which the captain became the artist's foil, measuring stick, and the recipient of his long-held secrets. It is an exploration of that fateful expedition, a probing and imaginative narrative that fills in a gap in the visionary naturalist's well-documented life.

In this atmospheric and enthralling novel, Katherine Govier tells the story of a man torn between the lies he has lived by and the truth he now needs. She recreates the summer in which "the world's greatest living bird artist" finally understood the paradox embedded in his art: that the act of creation was also an act of destruction.

Harrington House - A Twice Moved Building

2010-11-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

Harrington House is a great example of the tradition of salvaging and reusing older building by moving them to a new site. Harrington Presbyterian Church dates back to the 1864 and has been moved twice. Many people recall it as an abandoned yellow church across from the Charlottetown Airport where it sat for several years. It is currently located in Rice Point, Prince Edward Island.

An article on the building and other relocated churches was recently published in Saltscape magazine.

The main website for the property, which is a vacation rental unit, shows the interior and exterior work on Harrington House.

Lyle House Restoration

2010-11-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

The award winning Lyle House - a restoration project in Port Hill, Prince Edward Island maintains a website of their ongoing activity in bringing back to life this important structure.

PEI Architecture

2010-11-08T04:55:00.000-08:00

PEI Historic Places features the following Prince Edward Island historical architects:

John Plaw (1745-1820)
Isaac Smith (1795-1871)
Thomas Charles Alley (1820-1900)
David Stirling, RCA (1822-1887)
William Critchlow Harris, RCA (1854-1913)
Charles Benjamin Chappell (1857-1931)
John Marshall Hunter (1881-1942)
Edward Stirling (Bone) Blanchard, MRAIC (1886-1953)
James Edward Harris (1886-1954)
George Edwin Baker (1844-1928)

William Henry Weeks (1864–1936) - Island Born Architect

2010-11-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

An article on Prince Edward Island-born architect, William Henry Weeks (1864–1936) indicates that:

He was an early 20th century architect who designed hundreds of buildings including many schools, banks, and libraries. He was well-known for his monumental Greek Revival neoclassical style of architecture, although he also employed other architectural styles. His offices were based in various parts of the San Francisco Bay area throughout his career. Weeks designed hundreds of structures in over 161 Californian cities, as well as several buildings in Nevada and Oregon. Many of his buildings are still standing and some are still in use.

See the article.

Lieutenant Governors of Prince Edward Island

2010-10-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

A pdf guide to the individuals who have served as administrator, governor or lieutenant governor of the province, and colony is now available. It covers the period from 1769 to the present.

This provides the same content as the Lieutenant Governor Gallery in an additional format that is printer ready.

Islanders in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography

2010-09-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

Prince Edward Islanders in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography
List compiled by Gary Carrol for The Island Register
Links continue to be added daily so check back again.

Surname	Given Name/Years
Anderson	Alexander 1836-1925
Aplin	Joseph 1740-1804
Archibald	Walter Palmer 1860-1922
Arsenault	Joseph-Octave 1866-1918
Arsenault	Joseph-Octave (Senator) 1828-1897
Arsenault	Pierre-Paul 1867-1927
Bagnall	James 1783-1855
Bain	Francis 1842-1894
Bannerman	Alexander 1786-1855
Bayfield	Henry Wolsey 1795- 1885
Bayfield	Fanny Amelia (see Wright)
Bell	Herbert 1818-1876
Bell	John Howatt 1845-1929
Bellecourt	George Antoine 1803-1874
Bertram	Alexander Charles 1852-1908
Binns	Charles 1786-1847
Blake	Patrick 1846-1909
Brecken	Frederick de St. Croix 1828-1903
Brecken	John 1800-1847
Brenan	Daniel 1796-1876
Brennan	William Arthur 1851-1916
Buote	Gilbert 1833-1904
Burke	Alfred Edward 1862-1926
Butcher	Mark 1814-1883
Byers	Peter 1796-1815
Callbeck	Phillips 1742-1790
Calonne	Jacques-Ladislas de 1742-1822
Cambridge	John 1748-1831
Campbell	Donald, Sir 1800-1850
Campbell	Duncan 1818-1886
Carmichael	John Edward 1790-1828
Chanter	Thomas Burnard 1797-1874
Chappell	Benjamin 1740-1825
Clark	Robert - d. 1794
Colclough	Caesar 1764-1822
Coles	George 1810-1875
Conroy	Nicholas 1816-1879
Cooper	James Barrett 1811-1888
Cooper	William Cooper 1786-1867
Cowperwaithe	Humphrey Pickard 1838-1924
Cormack	William Eppes 1796-1868
Cotton	William Lawson 1848-1928
Crawford	Alexander 1786-1828
Cundall	Henry Jones 1833-1916
Currie	Donald 1831-1880
Curtis	James d. 1819
Dalrymple	George R. 1790-1851
Daly	Dominick 1798-1868
Davies	Louis Henry 1845-1924
Dawson	William Eddison 1829-1902
DeBlois	George Wastie 1824-1886
Desbarres	Joseph Frederick Wallet 1721-1824
Desbrisay	Theophilus 1754-1823 (son) Thomas 1732/33-1819 (father)
DesRoches	Gilbert 1848-1915
Douglas	James 1757-1803
Douglas	Thomas (Earl of Selkirk) 1771-1820
Douse	William 1800-1864
Doyle	Lawrence 1847-1907
Dubuc	Sophie-Louise 1826-1908
Duffy	James W. 1798-1860
Dundas	George 1819-1880
Eagleson	John (fl 1765-1790)
Ellis	William 1774-1855
Fanning	Edmund 1739-1818
Farquharson	Donald 1834-1903
Ferguson	Donald 1839-1909
Fitzgerald	David 1813-1894
Fitzroy	Charles Augustus 1796-1858
Gallant	Joseph 1839-1923
Gaudet	Placide 1850-1930
Gallant	Xavier 1760-1813
Gisborne	Frederic Newton 1824-1892
Godfrey	George 1852-1901
Goff	Fade 1780-1836
Gordon	Daniel 1821-1907
Gourlie	Jessie Winnifred 1861-1915
Gray	John Hamilton 1811-1887
Gray	Robert 1747-1828
Hall	Thomas 1867-1919
Hardy	George 1740-1803
Harper	John Murdoch 1845-1919
Harvey	John 1778-1852
Harris	Robert 1849-1919
Harris	William Critchlow 1854-1913
Haszard	James Douglas 1797-1875
Haviland	Thomas Heath 1796-1867
Haviland	Thomas Heath 1822-1895
Haythorne	Robert Poore 1815-1891
Heartz	Richard Jacob 1816-1908
Hensley	Joseph 1824-1894
Higgins	David - d. 1783
Hill	John 1754-1841
Hodgson	Robert 1765-1811
Hodgson	Robert 1798-1880
Holl	John Myrie 1802-1869
Holland	John Frederick 1760-1845
Holland	Samuel Johannes 1728-1801
Holman	Robert Tinson 1833-1906
Howatt	Cornelius 1810-1895
Howlan	George William 1835-1901
Huestis	George Oxley 1821-1905
Hunter-Duvar	John 1821-1899
Huntley	Henry Vere 1795-1864
Hutchinson	Robert 1802-1866
Irwin	Thomas ? -1847
James	Philip 1800-1851
Jarvis	Edward James 1788-1852
Jenkins	Stephen Rice 1858-1929
Johnston	Richard 1830-1903
Johnstone	Walter ca.1795-1824
Johnston	William 1779-1828
Jones	Robert 1778-1859
Keir	John 1780-1858
Kelly	Francis 1803-1879
Laird	Alexander 1797-1873
Laird	Alexander 1830-1896
Laird	David 1833-1914
Landry	Israel J.D. 1843-1910
Lane	Ambrose 1791-1853
Lawson	David 1720-1803
LePage	John 1812-1886
Lewellin	John Lewellin 1781-1857
Little	Philip Francis 1824-1897
Lockerby	Elizabeth Newell 1831-1884
Longworth	Francis 1766-1843
Longworth	Francis 1807-1883
Longworth	John 1814-1885
Lord	William Warren 1798-1890
Mabey	Paul 1786-1863
MacAulay	Angus 1759-1827
Macdonald	Andrew Archibald 1829-1912
McDonald	Angus 1830-1889
MacDonald	Bernard Donald 1797-1859
McDonald	Donald 1795-1854
McDonald	Francis John 1815-1900
MacDonald	Helen 1750-1803
MacDonald	James 1819-1905
Mcdonald	James Charles 1840-1912
MacDonald	John 1742-1810 of Glenaladale
McDonald	John 1796-1874
Macdonald	John Small 1791-1849
Macdonald	Sir William Christopher 1831-1917
McEachern	Emanuel 1816-1875
MacEachern	Angus Bernard 1759-1835
Magowan	Peter 1763-1810
Macgregor	James Drummond 1759-1830
MacGregor	John 1797-1857
McIntyre	Peter 1818-1891
Mackieson	John 1795-1885
MacKinnon	Donald Alexander 1863-1928
MacKintosh	John 1790-1881
Maclean	Duncan 1799-1859
MacLennan	John 1797-1852
McLeod	Henry Collingwood 1851-1926
Mcleod	Neil 1842-1915
McMillan	Angus 1817-1906
McPhail	William 1830-1905
Mellish	Mary 1849-1901
Milligan	George Seaton 1828-1902
Mitchell	Albert William 1868-1906
Montgomery	Donald 1848-1890
Morris	Charles 1711-1781
Morris	Charles 1731-1802
Murray	Isaac 1824-1906
O’Brien	Cornelius 1843-1906
Owen	Elizabeth Lee 1835-1901
Owen	Lemuel Cambridge 1822-1912
Oulton	Robert Trenholm 1835-1920
Palmer	Edward 1809-1889
Palmer	James Bardin 1771-1833
Patterson	Walter 1735-1798
Perrey	Sylvain-Ephrem 1800-1887
Perry	Stanislaus Francis 1823-1898
Peters	Arthur 1854-1908
Peters	James Horsfield 1811-1891
Plaw	John 1746-1820
Plessis	Joseph-Octave 1763-1825
Pope	James Colledge 1826-1885
Pope	Joseph 1803-1895
Pope	Joseph 1854-1926
Pope	William Henry 1825-1879
Prowse	Benjamin Charles 1862-1930
Rankin	Coun Douly 1774-1852
Rankin	William ? -1837
Ready	John 1777-1845
Richardson	Harry Alden 1862-1923
Robertson	James 1747-1816
Robinson	Joseph 1742-1807
Robinson	William Cleaver Francis 1834-1897
Roubel	William ca.1775-1834
Schreiber	Collingwood 1831-1918
Schurman	William 1743-1819
Simpson	James 1853-1920
Sinclair	Alexander MacLean 1840-1924
Sinclair	Peter 1819-1906
Sleigh	Burrows Willcocks Arthur 1821-1869
Smith	Charles Douglas 1761-1855
Snodgrass	William 1827-1906
Sterling	Alice Jane 1839-1921
Stewart	Charles 1759-1813
Stewart	John ca.1758-1834
Stewart	Peter 1725-1805
Stirling	David 1822-1887
Sullivan	William Wilfred 1839-1920
Sutherland	Hugh McKay 1843-1926
Swabey	William 1789-1852
Thorpe	Robert 1764-1836
Thresher	George Godsell 1780-1857
Townshend	William 1745-1816
Tremlett	Thomas 1770-1830
Valentine	William 1798-1849
Warburton	Alexander Bannerman 1852-1929
Whelan	Edward 1824-1867
Waugh	Wellwood 1741-1824
Wells	Emma Lucy 1854-1926
White	John Henry 1797-1843
Wightman	Joseph 1806-1887
Williams	James fl 1803-1815
Worrell	Charles 1770-1858
Wright	Charles 1782-1828
Wright	Fanny Amelia 1813-1891
Wright	George 1779-1842
Wright	George 1810-1887
Wright	Thomas 1740-1812
Yeo	James 1789-1868
Young	Aretas William 1777-1835

The Prince Edward Island Magazine

2010-04-30T14:24:00.001-07:00

Digital editions of the Prince Edward Island Magazine are now on-line covering issues from 1899-1904. The digitization project was undertaken by UNB and UPEI.

Island Archives

2010-03-01T12:21:00.000-08:00

Island Archives (islandarchives.ca) is a wonderful digitized collection of Prince Edward Island resources, many of which were out-of-print but thanks to the ongoing efforts of UPEI to provide material from its collections in digital form are available.

Here are some examples:

Chapters in our Island Story by William Lawson Cotton. Charlottetown, 1927. Revised and republished.

Trinity United Church, Charlottetown, 1809-1964 Glimpses of glory and grace / by Flora Smith Rogers. Charlottetown, P.E.I, 1964.

The Island family Harris : letters of an immigrant family in British North America, 1856-1866 / prepared and edited by Robert C. Tuck. Charlottetown, P.E.I, 1983.

Out of thin air / by Betty Rogers Large and Tom Crothers. Charlottetown, P.E.I, 1989.

PEI Historic Places

2010-03-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

A growing resource for those interested in Prince Edward Island's history is the provincially operated peihistoricplaces.ca
As well the same resources are being uploaded to the national site Canadian Register of Historic Places which operates historicplaces.ca

Historic Charlottetown

2010-02-28T06:03:00.000-08:00

One of the great research tools for architectural history in Charlottetown is the vast set of records researched by Catherine Hennessey over many years, and digitized by the City of Charlottetown.

The material is available through several search methods on the main search page. Entering a street name will produce results for all references to that street. You can also search by architect, or the exact address of the property.

As well a Map Search is also available.

Images of the Island: Learning From the Past

2010-02-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

Resources and references for Heritage Week public presentation, Feb 20, 2010 at Beaconsfield Carriage House - called Images of the Island: Learning From the Past

1878 Panoramic View of Charlottetown

2010-02-14T09:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the efforts of Charlottetown's own Peter Rukavina, we now have a zoomable version of the 1878 Panoramic View of Charlottetown, which is available anywhere that there is a net connection.

Sometimes known as the Birds Eye View, the map is a constant reference for many of us. I keep a framed copy of the map next to my desk that had been reproduced in 1983 by the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation, and am now pleased to know that I can blow it up at the click of a mouse button.

Kudos to Peter for making this happen - it is a wonderful contribution to the growing historical resources related to Prince Edward Island.

You can also add comments on Peter's Flickr site.

Resources - Acadians on PEI - by Georges Arsenault

2010-02-10T15:16:00.000-08:00

As a follow-up to the excellent talk given today by Island historian and folklorist Georges Arsenault, he has kindly provided a list of articles that may be of interest.

Articles on-line by George Arsenault

Articles in The Island Magazine

Georges Arsenault, “The Saga of Alexis Doiron”, Number 39 (Spring-Summer 1996), pp. 12-18.
Georges Arsenault, “The Settlement of Havre Saint Pierre”, Number 53 (Spring/Summer 2003), pp. 25-30.
Georges Arsenault, “The Malpeque Bay Acadians: 1728-1758", Number 66 (Fall/Winter 2009), pp. 2-9. (not currently on-line)
Jean-Paul Arsenault,“The Odyssey of Joseph ‘Chaculot’ Gaudet and Marie-Blanche Bourg”, Number 54 (Fall/Winter 2003), pp. 11-15.
Earle Lockerby, “Deportation of the Acadians from Île St.-Jean, 1758", Number 46 (Fall/Winter 1999), pp. 17-25.
Earle Lockerby, “The Comte de Saint-Pierre and Ile Saint-Jean”, Number 61 (Spring/Summer2007), pp. 7-14.
Earle Lockerby,“Le Comte de Saint-Pierre et l' Île Saint-Jean”, Number 61 (Spring/Summer2007), pp. 15-23. - note - French translation of English article above.

Other articles:

Georges Arsenault, “The Acadian Settlements of Pinette and Pointe Prime”, Keepsakes and Memories: Our Belfast, (Susan Hornby, editor), Belfast, Belfast Historical Society, 2009,
p. 23-37.

Other resources:

Acadian Ancestral Home - by Lucie LeBlanc Consentino.
Website for Acadian genealogy, history and research.

Maritime Noon Phone-in - Terry Punch - Now Archived

2010-02-10T12:10:00.000-08:00

Terry Punch is no stranger to being in an archives - now the popular guest on Maritme Noon phone-in is part of the audio archives maintained by CBC Radio.

The previous shows are being maintained for several months so anyone who has missed an episode can listen by computer at the Radio Noon Archives site. The player is very simple just click on the item that you are interested in and then the grey arrow to start the player. Once the show has loaded (a green line shows progress) you can then navigate back and forth within the program by using the mouse to drag the grey bar in the centre of the player back and forth to find the Terry Punch portion, which typically follows the opening news items.

Here are the current episodes on the site:

February 8, 2010
NB not acting on suggested Family Court reforms / Why NS is putting an end to permits for private citizens to cut firewood on Crown land / Phone-in: Genealogist Terry Punch on tracing your family tree

January 5, 2010
Is it time for a revival of the Halifax to Boston ferry ? More stories of storm surge destruction / Phone-in: Genealogist Terry Punch on family health histories

December 7, 2009
The search for James Delorey / Phone-in: genealogist Terry Punch on new online sources in Ireland

November 9, 2009
Monday mailbag / Rural broadband / Dolly and the Ajax Club (Part 1) / Phone-in : Terry Punch on genealogy

October 13, 2009
The Hudson and the last great scientific voyage; e-mails on fact vs opinion; on the phone-in - genealogist Terry Punch

September 11, 2009
Terry Punch : When Do You Stop Tracing Your Family Tree ?

Ancestors in the Attic - History Channel

2010-02-10T11:14:00.001-08:00

The popular Canadian show Ancestors in the Attic has returned for its fourth season on the History Channel.

Ancestors in the Attic
Airs Thursday evenings with two back-to-back episodes aired at 7:00 & 7:30 pm.

The same pair of programs are then aired again the same night at 10 & 10:30 pm.

All times listed are local PEI time (Atlantic time)

In Season 4, Ancestors in the Attic continues to travel the world solving mysteries, finding families and revealing key moments in Canadian history from a dramatic, personal perspective.

As well previous episodes from all four seasons are now viewable from their website.

Follow the Ancestors in the Attic link on the left sidebar to get the full listings of all four years.

The titles of upcoming episodes are listed on the site.

Our History

2010-02-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

As published by The Guardian - Charlottetown, PEI

By Gary MacDougall

An insatiable sense of curiosity and strong opinions have always been character traits of Prince Edward Islanders, and no doubt are two of the reasons Charlottetown residents have always been loyal newspaper readers.

When it comes to Islanders and their opinions, perhaps city poet Milton Acorn summed it up best when he said, “The Island’s small ... every opinion counts.” The Island’s first newspaper was the Royal American Gazette and Weekly Intelligencer of the Island of Saint John, which was published in Charlottetown in September of 1787. It lasted less than a year but was quickly followed by many more, such as the Royal Gazette and Miscellany of the Island of Saint John, the Prince Edward Island Gazette and the Weekly Recorder of Prince Edward Island.

“For many homes, outside of the Bible, they might not have had much else to read but the paper,” says Island historian Ed MacDonald, referring to the Charlottetown of the 1800s.

Today’s media world is complex, filled with every imaginable technological option, from print and radio to TV and the blossoming Internet world.

But in Charlottetown’s early years, newspapers were the only game in town. If someone had a message to deliver, their options were limited. They could climb onto a soapbox and shout at passersby. Or, they could rent a hall and put their oral powers on display. But if they had the where with all to do it, the most effective option was to launch a newspaper.

“If you wanted to put your voice out there, if you wanted to be read, there was no radio, no TV, there was no medium of advertising that was going to put your views in every hall and school in the province,” said MacDonald. “The newspaper was your voice. And a lot of people were there to listen.”

The UPEI professor and author of If You’re Stronghearted, published in 2000, says although the early newspapers were gobbled up by the readers, they needed sponsors to survive.

“They were the organ of a particular kind of viewpoint,” MacDonald said, explaining that the newspapers of the day were affiliated with a religious or political point of view, or some other cause.

This was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the movement’s followers provided a predictable and loyal audience.

However, those not party to the newspaper’s philosophy were unlikely to support it.

The Guardian was a bit of a late starter in Charlottetown’s newspaper industry and through the years faced stiff competition from such papers as the Patriot, the Examiner and the Herald.

But it has outlived them all and today is the city’s only daily.

The paper’s roots go back to the 1870s and Rev. Stephen G. Lawson, a Presbyterian minister. For some years he published a paper called The Presbyterian.

That name was later changed to The Protestant Union, but the name change didn’t help the paper’s finances.

Lawson surrendered it to Rev. William R. Frame, who changed the paper’s name to The Guardian around 1887. Frame avoided the extremes in politics of his predecessor and strengthened the paper's hold upon the public.

At his death, on June 30, 1888, John L. McKinnon, an experienced journalist, took charge of The Guardian as general manager and editor. In June of 1889 he handed the reins over to Benjamin D. Higgs. The paper flourished under Higgs' management and was changed from a weekly to a daily on Jan. 27, 1891.

In February of 1896, J.E.B. McCready, formerly of Saint John, N.B., who had been an outstanding member of the Press Gallery at Ottawa, took editorial charge. Following Higgs’ death, J.P. Hood acquired a controlling interest in The Guardian Company and continued it for some years.

In 1912, the Island’s Conservative party bought The Guardian plant and and engaged James Robertson Burnett as editor and manager. Trained as a journalist in Scotland and British Guiana, Burnett brought improved business methods to The Guardian and greatly increased its circulation.

He was one of the pioneers in the establishment of The Canadian Press.

With him as associate editors were McCready and D.K. Currie and, later, Frank Walker. Walker was referred to as “Mr. Hansard” because of the accuracy and objectivity on his reports from the P.E.I. legislature.

By this time, the paper was owned largely by one leading Conservative, Sir Charles Dalton, founder of the silver fox industry and later lieutenant governor of the province.

About 1921 the Dalton interests were sold to W. Chester S. McLure (then a Conservative MLA and later MP for Queens) and Lt.-Col. D.A. MacKinnon, D.S.O. The only other stockholder was Burnett. McLure became president of The Guardian Publishing Company and MacKinnon the secretary.

On April 28, 1923, a fire destroyed The Guardian plant and building, then on the corner of Kent and Great George. For some time the paper was issued from Burnett's residence on Kent Street and printed on The Patriot press.

The Temperance Hall, a stately century-old building on the corner of Prince and Grafton streets, was acquired and the paper continued to be published there until 1956, when it moved into its present location on Prince Street.

Around 1948, McLure and Col. MacKinnon sold out to Burnett and his sons, Ian, Bill, Lyn and George, who were associated with him in the business. Burnett died on June 12, 1952.

The Burnetts relinquished their financial interests to Thomson Newspapers Limited in December 1953, and The Guardian became the first member of the Thomson newspaper group in the Atlantic provinces. It was joined later by The Patriot and both papers were published out of the Prince Street location until the mid-1990s when The Patriot closed on June 9, 1995. The Patriot had begun publishing on July 1, 1864, and had a reporter at that year’s famous Charlottetown Conference.

Since being bought by Thomson in the 1950s, The Guardian has had many off-Island corporate owners. In October of 1996, it was purchased by Southam Inc. A short time later, the paper came under the ownership of Hollinger, which was controlled by Conrad Black.

The corporate shuffle continued late in 2000 when CanWest Global Communications of Winnipeg purchased the newspaper.

In August of 2002, the newspaper was purchased by Transcontinental Media of Montreal, which is the present owner.

Today’s Guardian, like the ones of old, still carries plenty of news about politics but coverage is non-partisan, unlike the old days. From 1912 into the 1950s it was unabashedly Conservative in its political leaning, as opposed to its rival the Patriot, which was the Liberal paper of record.

The two opposing points of view must have made for some interesting reading. The reporting on the July 1935 election is a classic example of how the two papers’ editors were often seeing two different worlds. The election was a rout for the Liberals. In black, bold letters, the Patriot proclaimed: “Liberals 30 - Conservatives 0.”

A smaller, but no less exuberant heading, said: “Tories wiped completely off the map of Prince Edward Island. MacMillan government annihilated in yesterday’s general elections.”

That day’s Guardian was much less enthusiastic about the outcome.

“Island votes for Liberal dictatorship,” the headline read. A smaller heading said, “Exploiting depression and unemployment grievances, Liberals yesterday achieved clean sweep in every constituency. Conservative electors deprived of any voice in legislative assembly.”

Most newspapers do a much better job of recording the daily history that is happening all around them then recording their own. The Guardian is no exception in this regard.

Because the newspaper does not document its past as much as it should, unfortunately it would be possible to stand in the newsroom — or any other part of the building — today and shout out important names from earlier years like Frank Walker, Vere Beck, Pius Callaghan, Bill Hancox , Bill Burnett, Ralph Cameron, Neil Matheson, Walter MacIntyre and Lorne Yeo and in many cases be met with blank stares.

And although few details are written down about the antics that have occurred in newsrooms through the years, some unwritten anecdotes refuse to die.

There’s the one about a reporter, whose nickname had something to do with the fact he was missing a finger or two, who was assigned to cover a legion convention and didn’t come back for three or four days.

The newsroom has also had its share of curious visitors, both two-legged and four-legged ones, such as a billy goat wearing a straw hat, several bags worth of dormant bats and a cheetah.

Stories about flying typewriters also refuse to die. One story has it that an upset journalist tossed a typewriter through the second floor newsroom window one night. Another story involved a typewriter being thrown down the stairwell in anger.

Bad temper? Far from it.

They’re just examples of the passion that has filled the hearts of men and women in the newspaper industry through the years who have put the news out on the street six days a week for all to read.

Gary MacDougall is the managing editor of The Guardian.

Who was Andrew Macphail?

2010-02-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

Commentary
OPINION
IAN ROSS ROBERTSON
as published in The Guardian - Jan 28, 2010

Recent Guardian articles highlight the immediate problem of paying the bills for everyday maintenance of the Macphail Homestead.

The homestead is undoubtedly a jewel in the Island's cultural heritage: an excellently preserved farmhouse from the early part of the 19th century, in public hands. What Islanders should also be aware of is the importance of the person whose name is associated with it.

Sir Andrew Macphail was a native of Orwell, born in 1864, one of a family of 10 surviving children, seven of whom attained university degrees. A physician who became McGill University's first professor of the History of Medicine, in 1911 he was founding editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

But beyond his medical career, Macphail was a distinguished literary figure. As an essayist he had an international reputation which survives into the present era. He wrote on such varied subjects as Canadian identity, politics, diplomacy, social issues, education, and literature. He was also an extremely versatile author who created poetry, drama, short stories, and a novel, and did translations.

Within Canadian literature he ranks as Canada's best example of the "man of letters," a non-specialized writer who touched on many areas and attempted many genres. Macphail's leading theme as a commentator on contemporary Canadian life was the importance of farming, particularly to Prince Edward Island. He argued in favour of the traditional family farm, based on mixed agriculture. As has been noted in The Guardian, he was an innovator in Island agriculture, carrying out field experiments during the summers he spent at Orwell early in the 20th century. This was in a period when the Island was suffering from large-scale out-migration, and in his outspoken view, Canadian economic policy was promoting industrialization at the expense of farmers.

He also contributed to the modernization of Island fisheries in the 1890s by carrying out, for the Dominion government, an investigation of the lobster canning industry, and recommending improvements to retain markets.

In the 1920s, Macphail started work on his semi-autobiographical memoir, The Master's Wife, an account of life in rural Prince Edward Island during his youth, as seen through the eyes of a child. This remarkably original literary work was non-fiction; the characters are real. The setting for the stories is the Macphail Homestead, which he deliberately kept unmodernized throughout his life. Macphail's writing - especially The Master's Wife - entitles him to rank with L.M. Montgomery and Milton Acorn among the leading literary figures to emerge from Prince Edward Island. His house is a direct link to his writing and to his vision for the Island.

If "cultural tourism" is to be promoted, then its value to that segment of the tourism industry would be unmatched because of its authenticity.

Ian Ross Robertson, a native of Mermaid, is a professor emeritus of history, University of Toronto at Scarborough. His most recent book is Sir Andrew Macphail: The Life and Legacy of a Canadian Man of Letters (Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2008). He is also the 2009 recipient of the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation's Award of Honour, which recognizes outstanding contribution to the preservation of Island heritage.

The Streets of Charlottetown - Naming Patterns

2009-05-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

The original streets if not having an obvious source like Water Street, carried associations with family names and titles of important individuals and those traditions continued when the town expanded. The family names honoured in newer areas became Island families whereas the original set were English individuals of prominence or high office. The use of royal titles was a pattern not unique to Charlottetown. King, Prince and Queen Streets as well as Queen's Square may have even had a specific association with incumbents on the day they were named but today they have lost any specific association with one individual and retain a broader association with the title of a regal office.

By contrast the later naming of Victoria Park was to honour a specific individual, as were the names Queen Elizabeth Drive and Prince Charles Drive both parts of newer subdivisions in Brighton. With Charlotte Drive part of the parallel streets in this same subdivision it is safe to assume that this was another association with a regal name but in this case an historical one being Charlottetown's namesake Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III.

Great George Street which once included the section now called University Ave from Euston to Grafton was the exact centre of the town with Prince and Queen on each adjcent side providing a symbolic and regal example of Georgian symmetry. While there would also be a King Street, Great George appears to have cemented a specific reference to George III, during his formidable 60 year reign. Although the street is shorter than the original, the name would last through time. The placement of Province House eventually on the very centre of the configuration in the middle of Queen's Square is equally an important symbolic placement of a center of power.

After geographic names like Water and West, and regal titles, the vast majority of original names were associated with nobility in important positions politically in London. These include Weymouth, Hillsborough, Fitzroy, Richmond, Grafton and Euston Streets. Total count seems to have also been a factor in the allocation with the Royal Family achieving four streets plus the primary square, not to mention central positioning within the town with three of the five broader streets all achieving royal association. The British Prime Minister Agustus H. Fitzroy, the Duke of Grafton whose family seat was Euston House came in second place with three streets allocated to his various family names.

The politics of placement of the remaining names and their closeness to the regal centre or to the comparative width of the street (five central north-south streets were extra wide), might be worthy of additional research. Sufficient to say that the allocation of street names in the original Charlotte Town both in quantity and placement was to honour significant individuals currently in power in London and was done with thought to ensure the status of the monarchy and the prime minister were held highest, in that order.

Association with family names or titles rather than specific individuals names (with the exception of Great George), was the tradition that became entrenched and when there was need for additional names these names were based on Island families. Individuals may have been associated with ownership of property in the area like the Beasley, McGill, Esher or Longworth families. Or they could be eminently involved with public life like Governor Dundas, or various generation of the Haviland family.

As the town grew the names of streets and neighbourhoods became associated with the names of houses of early owners. Names like Spring Park, Sidmount, Inkerman, Mount Edward all can be traced to a specific house or estate.

A third set of names developed for roads leading out of the town. These gained the obvious name of the destination thus Malpeque Rd. leading from Euston St., along what is now University Ave. was derived that way as was Lower Malpeque Rd. Both St. Peter's Rd., and North River Rd. derive the same source for their names. A curious addition to that list is Kensington Rd. which leads in the opposite direction from the town of Kensington. When we look closer we realize that the name Kensington associated with the Prince Co. community was first as a school district around 1863. Kensington Point is located on the Hillsborouth River and shows up on Bayfields maps of 1845. The Kensington Range (an early rifle range) would become another landmark on the Hillsborough south of Kensington Rd.

The fourth pattern which emerges is that of a geographic derivation with include West and Water. One may be left wondering if Greenfield and Green street are derived from a similar basis. Green being a family name on PEI would lead one to search more.

The current use of subdivision names related to nature is really a similar method of recognizing components of the environment. The subdivision of Sherwood was along this line in which tree names like Oak, Maple becaming the dominent motif for a large sections. The use of Robin Hood images like Friar Park, and other Sherwood Forest associations were part of this tree theme and playing on the Sherwood name.

Newer areas of Sherwood have recently adopted local naming traditions as family names like Barbour Circle, Rogers Lane, Dale Drive, Brow's Lane, Walsh Crescent, and Macausland Drive in growing areas.

One group of names seems to derive from the combining of two words to create a novel term, and a number of those exist. They include Westcomb and Westridge Crescents, Birchmount, Ferndale Rosemount Drive and Northridge Parkway. Although not all double barreled names are new creations - Falconwood has a long history on PEI.

The final very small group of names have been derived from individual names like Terry Fox Drive, Henri Blanchard Dr.,

Streets of Charlottetown - Alley Street

2009-05-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

While the original Charlotte Town had a limited number of streets requiring names, traditions had been established by Surveyor General Samuel Holland and other in selecting names for various geographic features within the colony. When Charles Morris arrived from Halifax in June 1768 to survey and layout streets for Charlotte Town, an initial plan was established following Holland’s recommendations. Eventually Morris’s plan would be reworked considerably in 1771 by surveyor Thomas Wright under the instruction of Governor Patterson. The addition of four new residential squares to the initial concept of Queen’s Square for public buildings, has had a lasting beautification effect.

The Wright-Patterson plan has only one street named on it - Great George, in honour of King George III, but the pattern had become established and thus family names and titles became the dominant choice for streets south of Euston. The tradition changed over time to include Island family names for the developing new streets, especially as it began to expand beyond the original bounds defined by Euston Street.

Alley St. running off University Ave. near Euston St. is a short and narrow lane which might lead one to believe it was the alley-like quality that suggested its name. While there are no individuals in the Charlottetown telephone book with the surname currently, generations of the prominent Alley family of Charlottetown had firmly etched the surname into the memories of prior generations. Judge George Alley named to the Queens County Court at the age of 30 is likely one of the youngest judges Canada has ever seen. His efforts to establish the Historical Society of Prince Edward Island in 1881-1882 while not a long lasting as an organization, did spark interest in collecting the historical documents of the province. Judge Alley died before he was able to write his planned History of Prince Edward Island, yet his collections became an important part of the Public Archives and Records Office of PEI, through his colleague and cousin Henry Smith, who was also employed in the court system and who ensured that these early documents and images were saved.

The Alleys were Irish, and arrived on PEI about 1818. Thomas Charles Alley, a widower married Elizabeth Frances Dawson, a daughter of Col. Thomas Dawson of Dawson's Grove, who was herself a widow. Their son Thomas Alley Jr. born in 1820 was to become the well known Charlottetown architect whose own home currently houses the Red Cross on Prince St. It was the architect's son George, the judge who worked in the courthouse designed by his father. The same building is located east of Province House known currently as the Hon. George Coles Building. Fittingly the building houses within the Public Archives the historical collections that Judge Alley and Henry Smith assembled. The judge's son Dr. Gordon Alley (1874-1925) was a well known medical practitioner.

Despite the fact the Alley name has generally disappeared as a family name in Charlottetown, there are many individuals with Alley ancestry in the province through the various maternal lines. The role that Alley family members played in various fields remains worthy of commemoration.

One member of the family, Elizabeth Alley was the mother of Henry Smith, who maintained Judge Alley's historic collections for posterity. Among Smith's family items was a sampler his mother wrote as a child.

Elizabeth Alley is my name,
Ireland is my nation,
Charlottetown is my dwelling place,
and Christ is my salvation.

Saviour Lord implant in me,
That Celestial charity,
Let my every word and deed,
From a loving heart proceed.

Streets of Charlottetown - Weymouth Street

2009-05-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

Association with prominent British politicians, their aristocratic titles as well as royal titles appears to be the common denominator for naming the first streets, when Mr. Morris arrived from Halifax in June 1768 to survey and layout streets for Charlotte Town. Weymouth Street running north from the harbour in the east side of the town was no different.

Thomas Thynne (1734-1796), eventually became the 1st Marquess of Bath in 1789 but during his political life was known as Viscount Weymouth having succeeded his father in 1751 and acquired the title 3rd Viscount Weymouth. He was also becoming an important English politician during the 1760's when Charlotte Town was being surveyed with a full set of streets needing names. Prior to his government appointments as Secretary of State he held the role as Master of the Horse to Queen Charlotte, for whom the city was named.

Viscount Weymouth's appointment as Secretary of State for the Northern Department in 1768 was during a time of unrest there and his 1770 appointment as Secretary of State for the Southern Department was also in the midst of a dispute with Spain over possession of the Falkland Islands.

Weymouth in public life is remembered for his considerable ability, especially as a speaker. His private life as Thomas Thynne included marriage to Elizabeth Bentinck, with whom he had three sons and ten daughters.

The family estate and titles have carried on over the generations with the current Viscount Weymouth being heir apparent of his eccentric father, the 7th Marquess of Bath who has an estimated wealth of £157 million. Bath, a grizzled painter who is married yet professes a polyamorous lifestyle with 75+ "wifelets" over the years, admits that he concocted the term to make it easier on his failing memory to recall names of the various girlfriends in what appears to be a rotating harem.

Known as Britain's most infamous aristocrat, his estate includes a highly successful safari park where paying guests are driven in Land Rovers amid lions and other exotic creatures.

By contrast the younger generation which carry the Weymouth titles appear to be quite typical young people in the active pursuit of business careers internationally.

Streets of Charlottetown - Hillsborough

2009-05-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

In naming the streets of Charlottetown, the traditions established by Samuel Holland throughout the province appear to have continued. Holland had presented his sketches and plans for the county towns to the Government of Nova Scotia and Mr. Morris arrived from Halifax in June 1768 to survey and layout streets for Charlotte Town. The plan needed reworking considerably in 1771 for surveyor Thomas Wright under the instruction of Governor Patterson. Through this a pattern had been established to honour both royal titles and the family names of a select group of senior officials in London with responsibility for the colonies.

Prominent in the group was Wills Hill. He was known as Viscount Hillsborough from 1742 to 1751 and as the Earl of Hillsborough from 1751 to 1789, and had risen as a successful British politician of the period, being the Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1768 to 1772, a period of significance leading toward the American Revolution.

Hillsborough was a member of Parliament from 1741-1756, he joined the Privy Council in 1754 and was created Baron Harwich 1756, which entitled him to a seat in the House of Lords. His highest rank was as 1st Marquess of Downshire in the Irish peerage in 1789.

His service, between 1763 and 1765, as President of the Board of Trade and Plantations had the greatest impact on PEI. It was during early 1764 that important decisions were being made about how best to develop Prince Edward Island as a colony and the entire matter had been referred by the British Government to this body for consideration and recommendations.

Hillsborough Street, Square, River, Bay and the federal riding of Hillsborough are all derived from one family name honouring the Earl of Hillsborough.

Frieda Creighton Creelman (1900-1967)

2009-05-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

This view of Charlottetown would have been familiar to Frieda Creighton Creelman in a period when the great towers of St. Dunstan's Basilica dominated the skyline. While living through the period when the automobile had become dominant - she has chosen to capture a time slightly earlier - capturing a period before machines of various sorts had become omnipresent in the life of the town.

Frieda Creighton Creelman - Charlottetown Watercolourist

2009-05-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

The art of Frieda Creighton Creelman (1900-1967), have long had a special place within our family. Living in the same neighbourhood that she had, may be part of the interest. The fact that she was a close family friend of a prior generation of the family meant a number of her paintings are now found in various family homes. Her Island scenes capture another time and preserve aspects of Island heritage that would have been lost had she not captured them in living colour.

The painting of The Pump House, recalls an area much changed from when it was painted. Located on the banks of Governor's Pond in an area at the beginning of Fitzroy Street in Charlottetown - the building has been replaced with a modernist cement structure known as a "lift station". The watercolour on loan from a family collection was part of the 2005 show assembled for the 150th Charlottetown anniversary, hosted by Confederation Centre Art Gallery & Museum.

Film of Prince Edward Island in 1952

2009-03-17T11:47:00.001-07:00

The Streets of Charlottetown - Fitzroy, Grafton & Euston

2009-02-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

Montagu, Brudenell, and Cardigan were all named for George Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, (1712-1790), who was born George Brudenell at Cardigan House, and prior to attaining the Dukedom, was Earl of Cardigan

In the case of Fitzroy, Grafton and Euston Streets all run east to west within four blocks of each others, and clearly appear to have been named for Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, (1735 –1811), who was styled Earl of Euston between 1747 and 1757, and lived at Euston Hall in Suffolk, England.

Politically the Duke of Grafton was a Whig, and one of a handful of dukes who served as British prime ministers, his term being, 1768–1770. Samuel Holland's pattern of naming geographic locations on PEI after the family names of prominent individuals in England, in a commemorative manner was generally accepted. While some have suggested that the practice had the benefit of assisting with personal career advancement, the naming of muddy streets of pioneer outposts after prominent titles and families had a benefit of association with wealth and prestige. As long as individuals in the named family did not fall into disrepute the method ensured that positive official names were established before potential slang terms like Mud Hollow could take root.

Eventually Cheap Side, Sunny Side, Dizzy Block and even Rum Row have been recorded for sections of town - yet official names served as valuable a purpose then, as they do now for 911 dispatchers.

Grafton did not become a prime minister without political ancestors on both sides of the family - and both sides of the Atlantic. His maternal grandfather had served at one time as a colonial governor of New York. His paternal ancestors include both the 1st Duke of Grafton and the Marquess of Worcester, and notably he was a fourth-generation descendant of King Charles II and the 1st Duchess of Cleveland.

Grafton's illustrious ancestor, King Charles II remains an interesting part of British history as he died with no legitimate heir, yet he managed to father a dozen children by seven of his documented mistresses, five of those children were born to Barbara Villiers Palmer, a buxom courtesan for whom the Dukedom of Cleveland was created. Beside Grafton, other descendants of Charles II through his affair with the Duchess include, Diana, the late Princess of Wales as well as Camilla, the current Duchess of Cornwall. Genealogists have noted that should either Prince William or Prince Harry accede to the throne in time, they will be the first direct descendants of King Charles II to be crowned.

The acquisition of Euston Hall by the Graftons united the ambitions of two families. At the age of nine, in 1672, Henry Fitzroy (the illegitimate son of Charles II) was married to Isabella Bennet, daughter and heir of the Earl of Arlington. While Isabella was only five at the time her father was Secretary of State to the newly-restored King Charles II and was owner of Euston Hall. Isabella's youthful union to Henry, ensured that Euston Hall and estate would became the seat of the future Dukes of Grafton. In 1679, when the young couple had reached a slightly more mature age of sixteen and twelve, they went through a second marriage ceremony to validate their previous ceremony.

Although the union, by modern standards, might seem more of a business merger for the parents and an unlikely beginning to marriage for a young couple, their family continued to call the estate home and currently Euston Hall in Suffock home to Hugh FitzRoy, 11th Duke of Grafton, and thus the names Grafton, Euston and FitzRoy remain integral parts of both their family tradition as well as enduring names of the streets of Charlottetown.

Prince Edward Island Regimental Colours turn 100

2008-08-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

By Ian Scott
published by The Voice for Island Seniors, The Guardian, August 2008

One hundred years ago an enduring Island symbol was born, with the presentation of regimental colours to an Island regiment. The ceremony in Victoria Park on July 4, 1908 saw the pair of military flags sent from London unveiled to the public.

The papers of the day were full of the news.

“The new colors of the 82nd Regiment Abegweit Light Infantry have arrived . . .The Kings Colors is a magnificent piece of work. It consists of Union Jack surmounted with a crown in blue and gold in the centre surmounted with a crown in blue and gold in the centre handsomely embroidered by hand. . . The Regimental flag is a beauty. It is all blue with heavy gold the same as the King’s colors. The Island Crest occupies the centre and is surrounded with a wreath of maple leaves entwined with rose, thistle and shamrock.”

Lieutenant Governor D. A. MacKinnon and Premier Haszard participated, with Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Stewart in command of the Regiment; the colours were presented and consecrated in a stirring public ceremony.

The Regiment’s forerunner, the 82nd Queens County Provisional Battalion of Infantry, sent a contingent of volunteers to the Boer War in 1899 earning a battle honour in South Africa. With this background, the Prince Edward Island Regimental Colours began to gain significant as an Island symbol.

Public officials like Regimental Chaplain Thomas Fullerton, a prominent Charlottetown figure had gone with the Island group to South Africa. Fullerton’s lengthy connection as minister of the Kirk of St. James in Charlottetown until 1921, likely led to the Regimental Colours being formally placed there for safe keeping on August 6, 1922. On July 16, 1925 the colours were officially presented to the Prince Edward Island Regiment as the successor unit, before being returned to the church.

In 1908 when Canada’s role internationally in the 20th Century was still evolving, respect for the service of Prince Edward Islanders prepared for times of conflict or crisis was important. The granting of regimental colours, acknowledged pride in a collective ability to serve and make a difference in important causes.

Soon disasters like the near annihilation of the 1st Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont-Hamel, France on July 1, 1916 changed forever the way that military units from small communities were configured for active duty and thus service for many Islanders since, has been through combined efforts within other units, as part of Canadian Expeditionary Forces.

Restructured as the Prince Edward Island Highlanders in 1927, by WW II, one combined unit known locally as "D" Company North Nova Scotia Highlanders/Prince Edward Island Regiment, kept the name current. Presently the Prince Edward Island Regiment lives on proudly as the 17th Reconnaissance Regiment, with a headquarters and two militia squadrons. Members continue to serve overseas, volunteering for United Nations peacekeeping operations in the Middle East, Cyprus, and Bosnia in recent decades.

Among the multiple allegiances of Islanders in 1908 were continuing ties to the British Empire, the Crown, as well as ethnic origin, and denominationalism. The presentation of regimental colours was more than just a local ceremony for one militia corps, it was symbolic of ‘a coming of age’ on a larger stage—a world stage—which showed that modern Islanders of the 20th Century despite any differences, were united and prepared to serve when needed.

In the years ahead, that service would be called upon. St. Peter’s Bay alone saw 117 dedicated men and women serve their country in WW I, and 183 in WW II, while all Islanders learned the high cost in lives lost and altered which war brings.

Over time, various units have borne the Prince Edward Island Regiment’s mantle, yet on July 4, 1908, amid vice-regal splendour, a local regiment was recognized as a standard bearer, having achieved an honoured place in Island life.

Symbols serve many purposes; on a beautiful summer day in Charlottetown, proud Islanders in raising a banner that showed their preparedness to serve, would also signal that this would be a part of Island identity for those who followed.

Public Consultations on the PEI Museum Systems, March 2007

2007-04-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

Public Consultations on the PEI Museum Systems, March 2007

Introduction
A Brief History of Museums on PEI

1889 - 1969: The Early Years

Prince Edward Islanders have been collecting specimens and artifacts in hopes of establishing a provincial museum since the founding of the PEI Natural History Society in 1889. In 1901, 131 prominent and influential Islanders signed a petition to the Lieutenant-Governor in Council that included a recommendation for the formation of a museum similar to those being established in the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (Lord 1982). Periodically throughout the 20th century, Prince Edward Islanders have expressed the need for an educational and cultural institution to accommodate exhibit and storage space, artifact conservation and interpretation, education/public activity, and research. However, the early twentieth century turned out to be characterized by a continuing series of further missed opportunities (Lord 1982:6) including an attempt to develop an art museum in the 1930s, and the demise and then revival (in 1953) of the Historical Society.

The second half of the 20th century witnessed a flurry of activity, often attached to centennial projects. In 1956 the Islands first museum, the Garden of the Gulf Museum, was established in Montague. The centennial of the Charlottetown Conference in 1964 brought the opening of the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown. Although originally intended to house a museum, this facility has been and remains primarily an art gallery, library and theatre complex. At the community level there was a drive to establish local heritage institutions, for example the Musée Acadien in Miscouche, the Village Acadien at Mont Carmel, a privately run museum in Alberton and an OLeary Museum (a Centennial project in 1967) among others. The vision of a centrally located museum of natural history was frequently proposed (Lord 1982, Martin 1983; Diomeda Consultants 1986; MacDonald 1987).

1970: Consolidation of the Management of Historic Sites and Artifacts

In light of this activity, the PEI Heritage Foundation was founded in 1970 and was given responsibility for a number of historic sites. In 1975 the government set in place a small grant program for the community museums that lay outside of this network. During this period, several new thematic museums were developed within the provincial system, for example the Fisheries Museum at Basin Head. Despite all efforts, by the end of the 1970s there remained a serious gap in the PEI system: there was no central, provincial museum to provide the overall context of the Islands natural and cultural history. To this day (2007) we are the only province among all the provinces and territories of Canada that lacks a major, provincially representative museum that could provide core exhibitions, research, conservation, curatorial and educational services to support the Islands natural and cultural heritage.

Since its inception the provincial museum system has accumulated a significant collection of artifacts. More than 30,000 are on display in the various historic sites, while an estimated 53,000 are held at the museum collection storage and research facility in Charlottetown known as the Artifactory. This collection includes fine and decorative arts; archaeological and natural history specimens, and cultural artifacts from the earliest Mikmaq inhabitants, early colonists (Acadian, Irish, English, and Scots) and many of the more recently arrived settlers. These artifacts relate to areas of Island history such as shipbuilding, fishing, farming, railroads, commerce, religion, domestic life and various professions. They have been gathered from concerned citizens on our Island and beyond, who chose to contribute to the knowledge and quality of Island life for future generations. While not on public display, these artifacts are accessed by researchers and they form an important resource for scholars of history, biology, archaeology, cultural studies, commerce and fine arts, among others. The frequent interactions among professional staff (curators, conservators and exhibition designers), researchers and the collection is extremely important - indeed essential - for discovering the many stories and threads of evidence attached to each artifact. It is this collaborative effort that enriches our understanding of cultural and ecological history and builds the basis for interpretation and educational displays. Professional staff and researchers approach any one piece from different perspectives. Through a process of discovery, artifacts become not only indicators of past conditions but the means of connecting our development choices of the past to present issues and to future challenges and opportunities.

1982: The Lord Report Critiques PEIs Museum System

A 1982 report by museologist Barry Lord, The Museums of PEI, written for the Island Studies Committee at the University of Prince Edward Island, provided 75 recommendations that present a coherent, integrated programme for the development of museums and heritage sites on PEI, aimed at achieving a genuinely decentralized system of sites with a central facility..
Many of these recommendations remain relevant today.

The Lord report recognized the tremendous value of the small museums, whether in the PEI provincial system or run by community volunteers. But he noted that the provincial system was weak. Budget constraints and management decisions had undermined the functionality and local support base of individual sites. Moving to shorter open seasons to save money had eroded the educational role of the museums because teachers could no longer take classes to the sites in the fall. This also had resulted in reduced overall visitor numbers and made the system even less viable in financial terms.

Lord determined that a centrally located museum of culture and natural history was essential. It would be open year round for education purposes and could provide a focal point and support services to the rest of the system. He saw this museum as logically being placed in or to the west of Charlottetown so as to be central to the museum system, accessible to schools, close to the main population base of PEI and also close to museum professionals, researchers and students at UPEI, Holland College, the Provincial Archives and the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

1982: The Issue of Storage for the Museum Collection

In 1982, the PEI Heritage Foundation had recently purchased an industrial building which they named the Artifactory to serve as the storage, conservation, cataloguing and research facility for the museums system. This is where staff of the provincial museums and historic sites still come (in 2007) to borrow artifacts for their interpretive displays. The storage of a museum collection differs fundamentally from commercial or domestic goods tucked away. Artifacts are irreplaceable and so require a controlled storage environment. A museum collection is also constantly in use for on-going study and exhibition purposes. While recognizing the fundamental need for a such a facility, Lord critiqued the way in which the decision was made, noting that in the absence of a fully developed strategic plan for the system, alternatives and implications were not fully considered (Lord 1982:54). Simply stated he continued, the opportunity was missed to put this amassed capital and operating resource towards the accomplishment of an even greater project than the Artifactory, a building that might have offered secure and environmentally controlled display space as well as storage and workshop facilities in other words, the rudiments of a provincial museum. This would have necessitated passing up the opportunity of the present Artifactory building, in the hope of finding another more appropriate for display; or else waiting to build. Furthermore, the decision to buy and proceed with the Artifactory is a cardinal instance of the tendency to react to opportunity or crisis, rather than weighing all aspects of a decision as part of an on-going planning process, in light of a fully articulated Statement of Intent that clarifies priorities in relation to such difficult decision-making. Finally, Lord recognized that the Artifactory is addressed to real needs, and that it does represent a net gain for the Islands museum community. If it can now be linked to a display facility to be known as the provincial museum of man and nature, its utility as storage space, preparation workshop and conservation laboratory will be fully realized.

1983: The Museums and Heritage Foundation

Following the release of the Lord report, an organizational review was performed (L. Martin 1983), precipitating changes in the system, including the devolution of more control to a number of local boards attached to historic sites. The Heritage Foundation was rechristened the PEI Museums and Heritage Foundation (PEI MHF) when a new Museum Act was passed in 1983. The Museum Act states: the purpose of the Museum shall be 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. Unfortunately, this expanded mandate was not matched with the type of enhanced funding required to develop capacity for collection and interpretation of natural history specimens. Nor were there sufficient resources to develop inclusive cultural collections reflecting the increasing diversity of the Islands people. As of 2007, none of the provincial sites are dedicated to aboriginal culture or natural history, and most are open only from late May to early September.
Currently, the PEI Museums and Heritage Foundation oversees seven small museums and historical sites scattered across the Island. Each site deals with a particular aspect of our culture and history. The provincial government also provides a portion of the operating costs of the Community Museums Association which draws its membership from and offers limited services to many museums and interpretive sites across PEI that do not fall within either the provincial or federal government jurisdictions. This is an annual cap in hand ’ grant, meaning it must be specifically requested year in and year out.

2006: The Issue of Museum Collection Storage Re-emerges

Since 1980, the PEI artifact collection has been temporarily warehoused in the Artifactory, a steel storage building located in the industrial park of West Royalty, Charlottetown. This building has environmental controls but it has on occasion been subject to insect infestation and dampness from leaks in bad weather. At this point the chief concern is that it is also seriously overcrowded. For many years the Museums and Heritage Foundation Board has requested action from the provincial government to develop a state of the art facility for storage and research, but the province has never seen fit to prioritize this need, nor has federal assistance been forthcoming. In the autumn of 2006, however, a proposal came forward from the Northumberland Community Development Corporation (NCDC). At the suggestion of the provincial government, the NCDC had applied to the regional economic development fund, ACOA (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency), to develop a new, expanded storage facility for the museums collection in the village of Murray River on the southeastern end of the Island. They also proposed adding rentable retail space to the front of the facility to provide a pleasing streetscape element for the village. Faced with the choice of moving the artifacts out of the capital and into Murray River or doing without a new facility, the Museum and Heritage Foundation Board accepted the proposal. This was made known to the Foundation membership by letter just prior to the Foundations Annual General Meeting in mid-March 2007. As that letter from the Chairman of the Board explained:

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.

Through the winter months of 2006-07, the proposed move was a matter of debate in the Legislative Assembly, in an editorial in the Guardian newspaper, and in letters to editors of Island newspapers. These elements of public debate were collected by a private citizen and made available on a website, peimuseum.blogspot.com

The mandate of the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI includes the facilitation of public discussion on topical matters of public policy. In response to public concerns expressed through its Advisory Council, the Institute let it be known in January 2007 that public meetings would be organized with the intent of gathering public opinion to forward to the relevant decision-makers. Letters inviting the collaboration of the province and the PEI Museums and Heritage Foundation were delivered to the Premier and the Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs as well as to the Chairman of the Board and in-coming Executive Director of the Foundation. A guest editorial written by the IIS Advisory Councils Museum Committee was published in the Guardian newspaper outlining the reasons behind this initiative (Appendix 6).

The Public Consultations of March 2007

Forum Intent, Logistics and Process

In response to public concerns, three meetings (one per county) were called to provide members of the public with a forum where they could discuss PEI museums and heritage conservation (see schedule, Appendix 3). The Institute of Island Studies has no permanent staff other than the Director, Dr Irené Novaczek. For this initiative, the Director called on volunteers from the IIS Advisory Council (museum committee) and their colleagues in the broader museums and heritage community to act as facilitators and resource persons for the public meetings (see biographies, Appendix 3). The consultation planning came together very quickly through the month of February 2007. The IIS museum committee members agreed that public consultation was a matter of urgency, as it seemed that irrevocable commitments concerning the museums collection were imminent. Meeting dates in early March were set and advertised, and letters of invitation were sent to all PEI MLAs and MPs.

At the start of each meeting, participants were welcomed by the Director of IIS, who explained the role of the Institute as a facilitator for public engagement in policy issues. Participants were also informed that their input would be recorded and reported. They were invited to sign up to receive a final report from the IIS, and to pick up a two page backgrounder (Appendix 4).

Following this introduction, the volunteer facilitator for the evening took over while Dr Novaczek moved into the position of recorder. The facilitator introduced three panellists drawn from the PEI museums and heritage community who provided brief comments on the history of the museum system, how museums operate, and the value of museums to the local community. Then, working in groups of 6-8 people, participants responded to three questions:

1. What do you want your provincial museum system to be?
2. How do we ensure public involvement and consultation when major decisions are made
concerning PEI museums and heritage?
3. Do we need a moratorium on the proposed move of the museum storage facility?

Each small group nominated a recorder to take notes. After a half-hour of discussion, each group reported back in a plenary session, focusing on their key points of consensus. Written notes from each group were collected up and individuals were invited to also submit their individual written answers to the questions if they felt that any important details were missed. After the small group reports concluded the facilitator opened up the floor for comments and general discussion. These were also recorded. Other input came in to the IIS by letter, email and telephone; all were duly recorded and are reflected in this report.

Attendance

Attendance at the public meetings was strong: 83 in Charlottetown, 32 in Miscouche and 16 in St Peters (not counting panellists, facilitators or media). People came from all corners of the province. In Charlottetown for example, although the crowd was predominantly local, participants also came in from more than 8 different rural communities, as far away as Richmond in the west and Greenwich in the east. Thirty individuals sent in detailed responses to the forum questions, which were handed in at the meetings (14), mailed or faxed in (2), communicated by phone (1) or sent by email (12). The IIS also received two formal submissions from culture and
heritage organisations: the PEI Multicultural Council (Appendix 1) and the PEI Scottish Settlers Historical Society (Appendix 2) and notice of a resolution by the DeSable Womens Institute to the District #7 Womens Institute Convention (Appendix 5).

Results of the Public Consultation

Desired Shape of the PEI Museum System

The Hub and Spokes Model

The overwhelming majority of participants supported a Hub and Spokes model for the future museum system. The spokes would be the seven PEI Museums and Heritage Foundation sites scattered across the Island, supported by a new, centrally located hub in the form of a provincial museum. Henceforth this hub shall be referred to as the Provincial Museum, whereas the hub plus spokes will be referred to as the PEI museums system.

Participants agreed that optimally, the hub will house storage and year-round display of our cultural and natural history collections; provide convenient access to artifacts; and offer conservation and curatorial services, research resources and publishing capacity. The Provincial Museum will serve and support the smaller historic sites and museums, including community museums, and it will be a site where ordinary Islanders can come for help with the conservation and understanding of their family heirlooms. With the exception of only two or three individuals, people felt that museum collection storage belongs with and is integral to the efficient and professional operation of such a Provincial Museum.

Perceived deficiencies in the current system which would be corrected by a Provincial Museum include the telling of the unique natural history of PEI; Mikmaq history; the stories of many early and more recent settler groups; and the many sweeping overviews of political, social and economic development that our small museums lack the capacity to tell. These themes are echoed in the submissions from the PEI Multicultural Council (Appendix 1) and the PEI Scottish Settlers Historical Society (Appendix 2).

Some members of one discussion group in Miscouche rejected the idea of a new Provincial Museum because they perceived this as an either / or proposition that would take resources away from the existing small museums. It was pointed out by several working groups that PEIs small museums are already under-resourced. The majority of participants in all three meetings called on the government to make appropriate investments in recognition of the importance of culture and heritage to the Islands education system, identity, civic pride, social capital, wellbeing and economy. People agreed that a Provincial Museum should not come at the expense of smaller sites and museums. Rather, the hub should direct business out to the spokes and facilitate their access to training, publications and the curatorial and conservation services that they need. It was pointed out that the British Columbia museum system is a good hub and spokes model.

Economic Benefits

Economic benefits of a Provincial Museum were seen to be linked to the expanding appetite for cultural tourism in North America. As one submission noted:

"According to the Travel Industry Association of America, visitors to historic and cultural attractions spend, on average, $631 (USD) per trip compared to $457 (USD) for all U.S. travelers, and they spend an average of 4.7 nights away from home as compared to 3.4 nights for all other travelers. But for these visitors to come money must actually be put into the "product" as was noted in Prince Edward Islands Strategy for Tourism Competitiveness. It is time to ask the people directly involved in our provinces heritage preservation, what do you need? And to follow the old adage: sometimes you need to spend money to make money." (Participant W1)

Having a core museum close to where tourists currently tend to congregate was also seen to be a positive contribution for revitalization of Charlottetown. A Provincial Museum could make the entire system more economically viable by directing visitors out to the many smaller museums across the Island. People envisaged a highly coordinated and mutually supportive system of sites, effectively packaged and promoted to schools and visitors as well as to its primary target Island citizens.

Loss and Invisibility of Island Heritage and Artifacts

Concern over what has already been lost to off-Island collectors lent urgency to the discussion. Many participants felt that we are running out of time and opportunities to fill the gaps in the museum artifact collection. This is reflected well in the following submission:

"Because much of the Islands heritage has disappeared and little documentation exists for that which remains it is becoming more and more difficult to present a representative picture of the past. We need to act now to create a provincial museum that will take responsibility for the preservation, documentation, interpretation and diffusion of the Islands natural and cultural history." (Participant W8)

Islanders consulted were very clear about what type of Provincial Museum they need, and why such an institution is critical to the future well-being of the province. In every meeting people spoke of the shame they have felt when they discovered that museums in other provinces have important Island artifacts and stories on display that are not available in this province. People also related their discomfort when having to explain to visitors that we have no Provincial Museum that can provide the big picture of natural and cultural history what people often referred to as the story of the land. People were expressing a diminished sense of identity and citizenship within Canada. They described a certain alienation from their sense of place and history, as exemplified by the following submission:

"Last month I visited the Redpath Museum on the McGill campus in Montreal. There among the minerals, fossils and mummies was a fossil footprint of some unknown reptile - - from Charlottetown! It was an amazing moment. I didn’t know we had fossils on the Island. I felt something like the Greeks must feel when they visit London to view the Elgin marbles." (Participant W6)

Others expressed grave concern that the mandate of the Museums and Heritage Foundation was not being advanced, and that the wishes of donors to have their valuables displayed and used for research and education were not being honoured.

"I received a call at home from a woman I did not know. She was a 96 year old widow living in a nursing home. She could no longer read or write but had to have someone help her with these things. Her mind, on the other hand was as sharp as ever. It broke my heart when she started talking about how sad it made her that these artifacts are not on display. She said: Over the years I have contributed many things to the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation. These things were very precious to me and I am truly sad that our young people cannot see them ". (Participant W1)

Education of Island School Children and University Students

A paramount concern at all meetings was the evident limitations to the education and experience of Island students in the areas of cultural and natural history. The perceived need is for a state of the art Provincial Museum that would be open year round and centrally located to serve as a key resource for the education of young people.

"Our son recently had research to do for a Social Studies project which would have greatly benefited from additional local information. Since there was no museum, he was limited to the library and online, and did not get the Island perspective. He did a heritage project two years ago with a knowledgeable neighbour in his nineties. Now that neighbour has moved out of his house, and the family found it very difficult that there is no museum for his treasure trove of Island history. The small regional museums are fine. We have visited most of them, but they don’t tell the whole story." (Participant W5)

Integration of Museum Functions with Community Needs

Other benefits of a Provincial Museum that were suggested would stem from having a facility integrated with the community. As well as permanent and temporary museum exhibitions, a Provincial Museum could provide resources for schools, educational programs, meeting space, consulting services in artifact conservation, research infrastructure to support, for example, genealogical investigations, a gallery for the display of local art and exhibitions of artisanal crafts.

"The vision of the Provincial Museum is that of a dynamic, welcoming, accessible, attractive, relevant and inclusive facility that will provide an overview of PEIs cultural and natural histories. The ideal museum is a secular establishment where civic issues can be broached and objects encountered by people interested in reflecting, while relaxing and socializing The goal of such an institution is not to become another purveyor of nostalgia, but a safe theatre of conscience where the search for truth is an ongoing one. Supporters of a provincial museum describe it as an integrated, multi-functional, cross generational and cross cultural centre of engagement where visitors interact with different voices and experiences." (Participant W8)

Year-round access for students was seen as particularly important. Convenient access by the majority of Island residents, reasonable proximity to well-visited tourist attractions, and accessibility for the very young, the very old and the disabled were also considered key for unctionality and economic sustainability.

Staffing

Another high priority issue was staffing. Those intimately familiar with the current museums system pointed to problems of limited staff and resources. One experienced PEI heritage professional noted that.

"Over the past twenty five years essential positions have disappeared or were never created. Staff outreach to audiences is stretched thin; they are too caught up in administration and fundraising.... The collection is the reason a museum exists. It holds the stories but trained staff must bring the stories to life.... Museums must be seen as essential infrastructure, not just tourist venues." (Participant W12)

The museum and heritage community members who attended the meetings are highly supportive of the mandate of the Museums and Heritage Foundation and especially proud of and grateful for the excellent work that is done by the Foundations professional staff, especially considering their limited numbers and resources. It was a priority for participants that any new museum should be adequately staffed with specialists and trained professionals; that these staff have every opportunity to collaborate with researchers and others in their field; and that their workplace is safe, pleasant, supportive and progressive. The importance of the research function of a museum storage facility was underlined. There was concern over the fact that many Islanders, including decision-makers, may not clearly understand the many things that a fully functional, professional museum does. People spoke of the importance of the core support work that goes on behind the scenes, for example the curatorial work that is performed with collections in storage.

Planning and Sustainability

Participants stressed the need to ensure the active support of the public for museums by involving them in planning and consultation, as well as the need to attract adequate and sustained financial support from all levels of government and from corporate sponsors. One discussion group promoted the idea that individual museums should be more business-like. Other groups were more cautious of burdening museums with ambitious fundraising targets, and recommended using a broad suite of indicators of success rather than simply counting visitor numbers and earnings. They pointed out the many public services that museums can perform given appropriate levels of core funding. This is one of many complex issues requiring further thought and discussion.

Location, Location, Location

The optimal location of a Provincial Museum was discussed in each meeting, although it was not a focal point. People generally felt that a location should be selected through a transparent planning process, using criteria dictated by standard museum practice and the demographic and economic realities of PEI. All but a few individuals favoured a geographically central location in or near the capital city (e.g. Stratford to Cornwall area).

A Challenge That Can Unite Us

Finally, whether they came from Charlottetown, Summerside, a village or a rural area, participants were insistent that the issue of a Provincial Museum is important for all Islanders. It was agreed that it is time for the Islands museum and heritage community members to work together for the benefit of the province as a whole. In all three counties the majority of participants firmly rejected attempts to frame the issue as a rural vs. urban contest.

Public Involvement in Decision-making for Museums and Heritage

In discussing the question How do we ensure public involvement and consultation when major decisions are made concerning PEI museums and heritage? most discussion groups began by affirming the legitimate role of citizens in decision-making affecting heritage conservation and education. They viewed the provincial collection of artifacts and their attached histories as the common wealth and legacy of Islanders.

"The artifacts belong to the people politicians should not be making decisions about them without broad public consultation." (Charlottetown plenary discussion)

People gained personal insights as they exchanged views during the consultations. They came up with advice on how to encourage and enable public involvement in the museums system. This advice was directed to their provincial government, to the Museums and Heritage Foundation Board and to fellow Islanders interested in culture and heritage. The key points that emerged are arranged in descending order according to the level of support from participants. All of these recommendations were stressed by at least 10 different people during the meetings, and some were brought up by as many as 40 persons.

Participants advice to the provincial government

1. Undertake a review of provincial museum policies and operations
2. Hold province-wide consultations on the provincial museum system to extend the IISsponsored
consultations
3. Review the Museums Act and include a specific mandate for public consultation (e.g. as for
the Heritage Places designation process)
4. Improve cultural and regional representation on the PEI Museums and Heritage
Foundation Board
5. Hold public forums on important issues affecting PEIs natural and cultural heritage

In addition to these broadly endorsed recommendations, various individuals suggested increasing the size of the Board so that more community museums could be represented; changing from an appointed Museums Board to an elected one; keeping Board positions fully filled; and making the Board more publicly accountable. One individual cautioned that too much consultation could impede action. Others called for setting up a panel of heritage professionals to consider the potential and viability of a fully professional Provincial Museum.

Participants advice to the Museums and Heritage Foundation Board

1. Encourage debate and feedback and capture positive energy; Consult with members and other cultural and heritage organizations before making major decisions, so that decisions are more effective in the long term
2. Develop a larger & more empowered membership, and communicate better and more frequently with your members
3. Educate the public so that museums grow from the bottom up. Communicate more with the public around activities, and issues of concern. Use the media more effectively
4. Consult with the interested public before making key decisions. Be clear on the pros/cons of decisions, giving all the appropriate information so all are clear on their responsibilities and actions
5. Transcend politics; be there for Islanders; claim your power
6. Create a vision, develop a comprehensive plan and open it up for discussion
7. Ensure that museum professionals guide decisions, not politicians
8. Overhaul the Museum Boards governance model. (The Canadian Museums Association recommends the Carver Model of Board Governance which would focus the board on the institutions mandate)

In addition to these broadly endorsed recommendations individuals also suggested that the Board should : be careful to ensure good relations with the professional staff; build capacity to see the big picture, beyond the parochial interests of the 30+ sites around the island; establish criteria for decision-making then stick with them; target youth with information, workshops etc and get their input; take a different approach to fundraising; make historic sites more accessible to schools, more relevant and more attractive to boost visitor numbers; and improve capacity for educational programming for schools. Participants in Charlottetown noted that a Provincial Museum would provide a concrete focal point for public engagement.

It was also pointed out that the Museum staff should be enabled to assess the provincial collection for its representational content and then work to fill the gaps through donations and purchases, before it is too late.

Participants advice to the broader museums and heritage community

1. Dont allow debate to fracture us into rural vs. urban we need to set aside parochial interests and work together for a central, provincial institution
2. Build conduits to decision-makers; be more vocal; write letters; call your MLAs and let them know you care about museums and heritage and want a proper long range plan
3. Make this an election issue and let prospective MLAs hear about it at the door.

Concerned Islanders were encouraged to stay committed to the museum system and to communicate more with the general public to foster interest and involvement in preservation and interpretation of heritage. Historic sites and small museums were encouraged to develop an active, inclusive means of sharing news, and facilitating informed discussion of ongoing issues. One means of sharing information that was suggested was by blogging, that is, using web-based sites for dialogue.

Proposed Development of a New Museum Storage Facility in Murray River

In response to the question Do we need a moratorium on the proposed move of the museum storage facility?, only a small handful of participants said no. The vast majority of participants called for a moratorium on the move, to provide the in-coming Executive Director of the Museums and Heritage Foundation time to assess the museum system, consult with the membership and other heritage organisations, and develop a strategic plan for the museum system.

Many participants expressed disappointment that the decision to move the museums collection out of Charlottetown had been made without consultation with the broader museum community. Others expressed disgust with what they saw as political interference in what should have been a decision based strictly on the long term well being of the museum system.

People feared that if the museum collections in storage went to Murray River this would make it difficult if not impossible to develop a Provincial Museum in a central location. They pointed out that routine and necessary collaboration of staff with museum professionals in related institutions and access for researchers based in Charlottetown would be at the very least, constrained. From the perspective of small museums in the western end of the island, having to access artifacts from Murray River represents a significant challenge in view of their limited staff time and financial resources. They pointed out that developing an exhibit is often a process requiring repeated trips into the storage facility and close collaboration with curators, conservators and collections management staff.

All those calling for a moratorium looked to the PEI Museums and Heritage Foundation to engage and consult the public in seeking some resolution that could enhance and not detract from a future Provincial Museum development. Some participants advised that if, after due consideration and consultation, the move to Murray River was deemed irrevocable, the Board should address the identified constraints and problems, and then focus on improving policy, process and planning. Others stated their conviction that it would be better to give up the current opportunity, address the maintenance needs of the existing Artifactory and wait until an integrated Provincial Museum development was possible.

Reasons given by those supporting the move to Murray River were twofold. Several individuals saw the move as a way to shore up the local economy of that village. Others voiced their scepticism that the move was already a done deal and was so politicized that it could not now be reversed. They argued that a new and enlarged storage facility was necessary, and this was the only option available, so people should give up and focus attention on development of a Provincial Museum, even if it had to be separate from the storage and research facility. It was pointed out by a heritage professional that a museum separated from its study and display collections in storage would not be a fully professional, working institution.

Conclusions

Although a modest attempt at public consultation, these three meetings served to amply demonstrate the depth and breadth of concern among Islanders for museums and heritage. Attendance was large; discussion was thoughtful, sincere and at times impassioned. Many participants were paid up members of the Museums and Heritage Foundation; others were connected to community museums; some were new to the topic and were stimulated to purchase memberships in order to participate in the AGM of the Museum and Heritage Foundation, which followed closely on the consultation.

Discontent with the recent decision to move the museum storage to Murray River was strong and pervasive, as was the positive desire for a centrally located Provincial Museum that could fill critical gaps in the provinces system. Participants expressed understanding and sympathy for the Museums and Heritage Foundation Board because it was felt that the provincial government had placed them in a difficult position, having to chose between moving the storage facility out of Charlottetown or doing without a new facility. They also expressed deep regret that the Board had not turned to the membership for advice and support that might have placed them in a better position to argue for a more acceptable resolution to the storage problem.

At the AGM of the PEI Museums and Heritage Foundation on March 14, 2007 members voted in favour of a) placing a moratorium on the move of artifact storage to Murray River, and b) taking time to assess the PEI Museums and Heritage system, consult the membership and develop a comprehensive and strategic plan for the Islands museums. A third resolution recommended filling vacant places on the Board of Governors from a list of nominees proposed by members at each AGM.

Acknowledgements

The Institute of Island Studies thanks the volunteers who made these consultations possible; the forum participants for sharing their views, concerns and creative ideas for improving provincial museums; the host communities for providing meeting venues; and the Museum and Heritage Foundation staff for their unflagging good will. It is our hope that this report will assist the process of developing a plan to move forward with sustainable improvements to the museum system that will protect and enhance the heritage that so many Islanders hold so dear.

Final Word

We leave the last word to a forum participant:

"People want the province to be noble and courageous; to articulate a strong vision and commitment; to plan carefully, then move forward with a properly structured, mandated and funded Provincial Museum. To get this, the people will have to have a strong, united voice." (Charlottetown forum general discussion)

References

Diomedea Consultants 1986. A Planning and Development Study for the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation. PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation.

Hennessey, C. 2007 (in progress). The Search for a Provincial Museum.

Lord, B. 1982. The Museums of Prince Edward Island, a Programme for Development. A Report
to the Island Studies Committee, UPEI, 198 pp.

MacDonald, B. 1987. Recommendations on the Development of a Natural History Branch within
the PEI Museum and Heritage System. Prepared for the Natural History Museum Advisory Committee.

Martin, K. 1983. Inventory of Natural Science Specimens of PEI. UPEI Dept Extension and PEI
Dept. Community and Cultural Affairs.

Martin, L. 1983. Recommendations on the Structure, Function and Development of a PEI
Provincial Museum. PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation.

The Search for a Provincial Museum

2007-03-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

Catherine G. Hennessey - January 2006

One might say that the battle to preserve this Island’s heritage has arrived at its 125 year anniversary date. In September 1881 an historical society was formed in Charlottetown and before that year ended “suitable apartments in the provincial building” were made available for holding meetings and storing their collection. By the next year discussions were being held to consider a permanent exhibition with thoughts of a provincial museum; however little seemed to have happened except the odd lecture and a few letters of support to the editor. In 1890 when a Natural History Society was formed, the editorials saw a connection and began, once again, to support the idea of a museum. Although they, too, collected some materials, the museum idea petered out.

In 1905 Mayor of Charlottetown, F.F .Kelly and his council had granted the Natural History and Antiquarian Society a room in the Market House for the establishment of a museum “such as is found in the capitals of all the other Provinces ...”. History is a little vague on just how it developed or was supported because the movement suffered another media gap. It likely had something to do with World War I.

It took a visitor from British Guiana to start the ball a rolling again in 1922. The community picked up the idea and the suggestion was made that Government House be converted into a museum. About this time Historic Sites and Monuments Board had been established and were about to launch into their plaquing program and the National Archives arrived in town to put on an exhibition of “interesting documents, maps and sketches pertaining to the Island” at Old Home Week. These activities obviously created some embarrassment to the Islanders. During the winter of 1927, Chester McLure, MLA addressed the St. James Literary Society on The Influence of Art, Literature and Historic Associations. That evening he elaborated on the idea of a Provincial Library, Museum and Art Gallery. There was another flurry of support in the local newspapers. One writer noted that what was needed was a “good central site and a building to hold a good large library and museum .... “

It is hard to judge how much of all this splash was a set up for the announcement that came in April 1928. Almost a decade after the death of Robert Harris and fifteen years after the death of Willie, the Harris family made a proposal to the city. They were prepared to present over $60,000 worth of paintings to the City of Charlottetown and $20,000 toward a building that would house a Art Gallery, a Library, an archives and a museum if the city would allow it to be built on Queen Square on the comer of Queen and Grafton Streets and IF the city and the province would contribute an equal amount. The Harris’s also would establish a $20,000 endowment for the care of the gallery and the paintings. The meeting at City Hall was large and enthusiastic. The project moved ahead and The Harris Memorial Library opened on Queen Square on March the 10th 1930 and the Art Gallery on August the 4th 1930. The newspaper noted “Charlottetown will for generations to come, cherish, in this building the memory of its gifted son. The new art gallery will become the Mecca and the shrine of lovers of art the world over and our people for all years to come will point with pride to the building ...” The museum section had more difficulty and the extended role of a provincial archives was still unclear. It took a decade before it was clearly recognized that the museum and the archives were not going to materialize in this building.

An effort was made to revive the Prince Edward Island Historical Society to address the problem, and pushed somewhat by former Islander Rev. Edwin Simpson who was living in Wisconsin, a group of prominent Islanders under the auspices of His Honour Lieut-Governor B. W.LePage formed a committee to look into the establishment of a Provincial Museum. Simpson had noted in a letter to the editor that “dumb forgetfulness of the past has had too long a hold on Prince Edward Island” and he did not give up on that either. Soon after the war was over he was back visiting the Island with all his missionary zeal. There is nothing like outside criticism to start the fuses of Islanders. With the end of the war more thought was given to enriching the lives of Islanders. A Childrens’ Art Centre and an Arts and Crafts Guild were under discussion. A field worker from the National Art Gallery spent the good part of a year encouraging the formation of the guild. With the city providing space in the Market House and some dollars and along with the Kinsmen giving financial support, an art centre was formed under the direction of Frances Johnston of London Ontario. It was a big success and operated successfully for over eight years. The Art Society worked with renewed vigour as well and the Little Theatre Guild had a membership of over 400 members.

Out of the blue, a lobby to build a museum in Cavendish brought out this wonderful letter from
Carrie E. Holman in Summerside: [1948]

In November 1949 the lODE held an exhibition of “Articles of Historic Interest” in the Clover Club at the Canadian Legion on Grafton Street.. It was termed a magnificent exhibition and certainly helped to encourage government support for a museum. It turned out to the first of what would become an annual effort for a number of years.

The Massey Commission, a Royal Commission on the Development of Arts, Sciences and Letters was established in August 1949. Government had directed them to look into “activities generally which are designed to enrich our national life and our own consciousness of our national heritage ...” They held hearings at City Hall in January 1950. A number of significant papers had been sent in advance and discussions were held on their content. The one of most interest was the one presented by the Prince Edward Island Adult Education Council. That body represented The Little Theatre, the libraries, the Arts and Crafts Guild, Drama Festival, Music Festival and the Art Society. One point that was made clear was that we needed help to train persons to work in the museum fields. With the usual optimism the reported noted “We anticipate the building of Prince Edward Island's first art centre and provincial museum within the next few years, and this will raise the problem of procuring additional trained persons to carry out its programs. Individuals who have both the technical training and the leadership qualities necessary to work successfully with community groups are not readily found ....”

The Prince of Wales paper advocated a new building for the campus that would be a headquarters for local cultural activities and include everything. “The most cultural building for Prince Edward Island would be a combination archives, museum, library and art centre ... the happiness and progress of a people depend so much on its cultural heritage.”

The final report of the Massey Commission was presented in June 1951. “The report was a strange mixture of mourning for an age that was rapidly passing and of excitement at the era of professional mass culture that lay ahead.” The outcome was the founding of the Canada Council, the creation of a National Library, etc., but most importantly it led to more funding for the arts across the country.

The exposure to the arts with the visit of the Massey Commission brought about a finny of activity. Summerside began to lobby to have the provincial museum in their town and Bramwell Chandler, Preston Ellis, the IODE and the newly-organized Historical Society continued a search for historic material and treasures that might well be presented to a museum. Alas, alack, Premier Jones made firm that a Provincial Museum was simply not in the cards - unless government heard more interest from the people.

At this point Prince Edward Island was on the threshold of our “centennialitis”. In 1955 Charlottetown celebrated its one hundred years of incorporation. In 1964 we celebrated the one hundred year anniversary of the Fathers of Confederation Meeting in Charlottetown. In 1967 Canada celebrated its one hundred years of Confederation and in 1973 Prince Edward Island celebrated its centennial of entry into Confederation. The celebration of such events built pride and recognition among Canadians. We were coming into our own and Prince Edward Island was right there with the rest.

Charlottetown’ s centennial focussed in many ways on our history but more seriously showed just how little we had actually done to preserve and share what it was that was distinctive about us. Mayor David Stewart and his centennial committee in an effort to correct the situation created a small museum at Fort Edward while the Historical Society published their first volume of “Historic Highlights” and set their sights on acquiring the soon to be vacated Post Office on Queen Square for a museum. They went as far as announcing that they would be opening in the spring of 1957. By this time A.W. Matheson was Premier and Mayor Stewart had a couple more years to serve as a very supportive mayor.

The Historical Society was on a high. They brought over Austin Squires, curator of the New Brunswick Museum to speak on “Why Have Museums”. He began by saying how delighted museum people across the land would be to have a museum established on PEI. We were still the only province without a provincial museum and that has not changed to this day. The many points that he stressed are still vital today; exhibits that are unique to our regent should be the focus size is not important - quality and treatment of the display items are the important matters, preserving the relics and passing them on to those who follow, the successful museum is a very effective instrument of mass education etc. etc .. He repeated the goals that are still repeated today that museums are to preserve knowledge, to create new knowledge and to disseminate knowledge. AND they are icebergs, in other words not everything shows.

Sadly not all things worked out as planned. The old Post Office became the interim home of the Royal Bank while they built their new building - now the Arts Guild. They would not move to their new building until January 1958. To add fat to the fire, the Montague Board of Trade with Gilbert Clements in the lead, opened a museum in their old post office and pushed to have it declared the PEl Provincial Museum. An interesting battle took pace in the press between Gilbert and the Historical Society who I think considered the Montague group as upstarts.

In some what of a response to the cultural push Mayor David Stewart procured the support of City Council to hire architect Jimmie Toombs to review and then prepared preliminary plans to turn the top floor of the market building into a civic auditorium with the possibility that substantial financial funding could be secured from outside the province ... likely they thought, from the newly founded Canada Council. Stewart had already seem to it that the Arts and Crafts Guild had space in the building.

The year 1958 was a significant one, directly and indirectly, for the cultural causes. Edwin Johnstone took over as mayor in January 1958. That was good. He was a strong supporter of the arts and would play a significant role during his term of office. [1958-1960]. Frank MacKinnon was appointed to the first board of the Canada Council and gave a significant talk to the Canadian Club on the importance of the arts in our lives and a number of Hungarian Refugees arrived in Charlottetown adding greatly to the cultural scene. The Royal Bank moved into their new building and other in-house uses were found for the old post office and while the cultural groups in the city continued to work together for a fire-proof gallery, museum etc .. The final act was played out with the burning to the ground of the Old Market House in April. That fire brought to an end the small art gallery space and the Arts and Crafts Centre and the plans for a civic auditorium!

The Art Society members high tailed it to City Hall and the province even before the coals were cold.

His worship Mayor Johnstone and Members of the City Council.
We, the members of the Art Society of Prince Edward Island extend our sympathy to the City in the great loss by fire of the Market Building.

We wish to thank the City Council of the past four years for the use of a room in the aforesaid building, in which to work and hold our meetings.

We also wish to thank the former City Council for giving us, in our dire need, the privilege of using Civic Centre tor the purpose of showing exhibitions of paintings and the present Council for continuing the courtesy. Especially do we wish to thank Messrs. Foster, Gaudet, Fullerton, and Commissionaire Llewellyn for their very direct assistance and cooperation at all times.

Whereas, in the light of these past public spirited acts, and whereas, the Prince Edward Island Art Society and the Historical Society are praying our Government to recommend to the Federal Government that Prince Edward Island be granted a Public Art Gallery and Museum as a Centennial Memorial,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that our City Council be humbly requested to hold the Market Building for the anticipated fire-proof Art Gallery and Museum Building.
Charlottetown
Prince Edward Island April 30th 1958
Mrs W. Banfield Ellis, President Prince Edward Island Art Society

Mrs D.R. George, President Prince Edward Island Historical Society

One of the other serious affects of the market fire was the fact that the Library and Harris Gallery was heated from that building. That problem brought into focus a number of other issues. The library was suffering from its success and needed more space, the legislative library and archival material in the basement were not meeting the needs of those departments and the Harris Gallery was in a serious state of neglect. An article in an August issue of the Montreal Star by prominent art critic Robert Ayre stated clearly and embarrassingly the conditions, “O God, O Charlottetown.”

The volunteer groups never gave up working for the arts in Charlottetown and by June 1958 they brought forth a plan for a $300,000 building on the old market building site. It would provide market space, an auditorium and an art gallery. The library would remain where it was and there was no mention of a museum at that point. A committee was struck and Dr. Frank MacKinnon and Mrs. Bayfield Ellis were appointed the chairs. It is at this time we see the nucleus of the Confederation Centre beginning to appear. Every effort was made to get community support speeches were made to every group, editorials and letters to the editor filled the papers. [well almost] Dr. Frank as the Island member on Canada Council and president of APEC was perfectly situated to glean outside support.

In October 1959 Mayor Edwin Johnstone tied the idea of the “new civic auditorium with smaller rooms for Little Theatre groups, a museum, archives, library, art gallery, tourist bureau, bus terminal, offices for the railway, steamships and airlines and should have sufficient underground space to solve the parking problem in the downtown” with a Confederation Memorial concept. Many say he was the first to do so. [That argument goes on, but I know that Adrien Arsenault and Edwin were good friends and when Edwin asked Adrien how we should celebrate 1964, they
talked about that memorial]. He went on to suggests that the building could be constructed from plans submitted by the leading architects of the world. Those words sounded as if they had come directly from his good friend Father Adrien. If only Frank Gehry was active then. The Mayor also had other dreams of celebrating the 1964 Centennial; “the provisions of such a structure along with a complete facelifting of Victoria Park, Government Pond and Government Buildings was necessary if there were to be a proper celebration here in 1964 of Confederation”.

By the time we reached the 60's the '64 Centennial committee had been established and the Confederation Memorial planning had moved behind closed doors - the closed doors of the '64 Centennial committee board room. The story of the Confederation Centre of the Arts hardly needs repeating except to say that when the scope of the project was announced in February 1961 it appeared to be the answer to all the cultural needs of the community. The speakers’ circuit continued - more and more by one person - Dr. Frank MacKinnon who continued to promise all desires in the field of culture were about to be fulfilled.

After the Confederation Centre opened in May 1964 with extra-ordinary support from the volunteer sector of the community - who after all had been convinced that everything they had worked for was about to be realized - it took awhile for realization to sink in. The important point to be made was that the Centre was a National Complex directed by a National Board. At least that was the line because that line would help finance a complex that was beyond the means of the Island community. That line still exists today. Yes it should be a National Complex and it should be funded accordingly. It is a memorial to the founding fathers of our country and they should expect national responsibility. It is big question as to how the community can expect it to solve the provincial cultural and heritage needs or if it should. Is there not enough to say on that National Mandate to leave us out looking after our provincial needs ourselves or must we consolidate. It is important to point out that the library, complicated by the Harris gift and the demolition of the Harris Memorial Library and Art Gallery, fitted into the Confederation Centre complex with a mandate of its own and not under the national board - somewhat just a tenant.

The size of the theatre at the Confederation Centre, the mandate it choose and later the impact of a union house made it impossible to answer the needs of the amateur theatrical community. It has however provide fine professional entertainment and given wonderful opportunities to many to learn the theatre arts. It has without doubt opened up theatre as a career for many Island young people. To answer the local needs a number of venues have since been developed across the island and in the last year we have seen the much improved Arts Guild, in Charlottetown added to the list.

The Harris Library and Art Gallery as I have said was demolished to shape the site for the Confederation Centre after an agreement was entered into with the Harris family. The Art Gallery took over the professional care of the Harris Collection and it also introduced us to many other artists. It has clearly provided a program that has enriched the lives of Islanders. There are those in the community; however that still believe that we need a Provincial Art Gallery, a place that would specialize in exhibiting our own artist’s work and develop a collection of their work. The Province did begin about twenty years ago an Island Collection that they use in their offices etc .. It has usually been chosen by a jury and it has developed considerable merit. I am unsure of its care and cataloguing.

The PEl Art Society who play a major role in the lobbying for better facilities were not even invited to the Gallery opening by Governor General Vincent Massey. Some of the members, however took the high road and were the very pulse of the Women’s Committee of the Gallery. They held monthly meeting, educational sessions, established the Art in the Schools program and the Art Rental to name just a few of their activities. They were truly the link with the community that the centre needed.

The Library and the Archives moved into the space at Confederation Centre in late 1964, but eventually the archives expanded its role and moved into the third floor of the Coles Building after it was refurbished after the 1976 fire and when the court house moved to the waterfront. The archives today is close to outgrowing its space and has already sought storage in a building in Hazelbrook. In addition, rumours continue as to how the library would be better of in a more accessible space . It is a very well used library and the numbers are astounding.

The museum never did develop and really there was little space in the complex for one. That is not to say that the art gallery has not held exhibitions on Island history matters and the Historical Society and later the Heritage Foundation did help [and continues to help]. An exhibition that they shaped when CMA came to town still stands out as a worthy effort. The Camera Club’s exhibition on Historical subjects still is made use of today. But back in the 60's it became clear that the Confederation Centre of the Arts was not going to accept the mandate to collect, preserve and exhibit Island history. The Historical Society was tired and divided. The moaning was so tiresome. It was exasperating to say the least to attend the meetings and debate what was to be done about the situation. It became more evident that if we wished to do something to preserve our past it was up to ourselves. Some decided to role up their sleeves and work on their own. Montague Museum continued, Eileen Oulton opened her museum in her barn in Alberton, St. Antoinette, with the help of Acadian Historical Society, opened the Miscouche Museum and some of us just did research.

The change of government in 1966 provided a new broom and in the government were a number of ministers who had more sympathy for Island history that had been experienced in the past. We were also on the threshold of Canada’s 1967 Centennial. Canadians matured a lot that year. In November 1969 the premier called a meeting of heritage minded people from all over the Island. There was much talk of things lost and bemoaning of nothing being done. The second meeting Ruth MacKenize, Irene Rogers and myself were asked to make a presentation. At that meeting we spoke and showed slides of the many treasures we still had around us and how the sites of importance were spread out all over the Island. That was in the face of the country being in the midst of village building - Upper Canada Village in Ontario, Kings Landing in New Brunswick etc. At another ta1k later we elaborated on how we should take the tack of leaving buildings where they were and create a net work of heritage site with a good strong headquarters to help support them.

Those meetings led to establishment of the Prince Edward Island Heritage Foundation. The act was dated June 1970 and gave responsibility to that organization to develop a policy to conserve and preserve, encourage and guide the Island’s historical resources. The board created was a geographical, political and religious mix that immediately began the long awaited tasks of addressing heritage matter. They opened an office in January 1972 in the Burke Building on Kent Street and I was the first Executive Director. Our main task was to set about connecting with Islanders and building pride in their heritage.

We were just getting our breath when the ‘73 Centennial Committee called for proposals for Capital Projects that would create a legacy. Proposals came in from all over the Island - rinks, ice making equipment, a swimming pool and, yes, even some museums. We, of course, put in proposals. It was a huge decision for the Centennial Committee and they suffered much lobbying. Finally Irwin Jenkins, Fred Hyndman and Jack McAndrew, all members of the Centennial Committee, were appointed to bring a decision to the board. The decision was made in favour of heritage matters and that net work of sites that we talked about a few years before really did get shaped. The Foundation itself, was giving money to acquire a headquarters and just as important, an Endowment Fund was established to help preserve our heritage. Although the decisions divided the Island Community, we proceeded to role up our sleeves and go to work. It was a very busy ten months. We acquired Beaconsfield and refurnished it in time for Queen Elizabeth to official open it on July 2, 1973.

Beaconsfield was not ideal for our needs, but it had a strong provincial presence since it was the Nurses’ Residence for the PEI Hospital for many years before. It had good office spaces and we made good use of the double drawing rooms for exhibitions. We held some pretty good exhibitions there. A few years later the need for storage area had become ridiculous and so the push came to acquire a storage area. The Artifactory in West Royalty Industrial Park was acquired after much planning and filled that need although its weaknesses were clear almost from the start. Our dream to make it a visual storage space never really materialized.

Today almost thirty six years since the Heritage Foundation Act was proclaimed we are again at another threshold. The Foundation Act has been changed to be now known as the Museum and Heritage Foundation the staff are civil servants Beaconsfield has been converted into a house museum with the office space moved into the third floor the Artifactory is over crowded and leaking the network of sites all need upgrading the genealogical activities have moved into the Provincial Archives the Community Museums Assoc. is operating as a separate entity there is no newsletter and the matter of membership is unclear. It is under the direction of an acting director and the professional staff that one might expect to find in a museum is sparse. We can hardly hold our heads high over what we might refer to as our provincial museum.

Other matters have been added to the mix. Founder’s Hall was built with more dollars than the Museum and Heritage has collectively over the years ever put together for programming new museum dreams are rampant and the need for more storage at the archives and at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery are necessary and the preservation of our natural landscapes and buildings especially our churches are all in need of thoughtful leadership. One might say we are a problem developed by our success.

Needless to say, having been involved in the preservation of our culture and heritage for over about 40 years I find myself reviewing our past decisions and wondering. I do believe we have many of the bones in place to build on and we should not let them disappear or let go of the ideas expressed by caring people over the years. I brought many of them out in this paper. I cannot let go of the idea that this Island is worthy of having a strong central body that will as the Heritage Foundation intended to preserve, research and interpret our culture for ourselves and then to share that richness with our visitors. I have come to believe that this can only happen with a centrally located “museum” - whatever that means in 2006. What it means to me is a staff with some professional training who have the ability to multitask. It might mean being taken into the fold by others or by taking others into the fold. It should not mean that there would not be exhibitions held in other venues across the province or even the city. What it should mean is that historic artifacts would be catalogued, studied and preserved and often exhibited, by people trained to do so. It should mean too, that dedicated people who will give time and energy to the cause will be assisted in their efforts by trained persons. It would be a partnership in the best possible way.

Yes, there might be permanent exhibition spaces but more likely there would be changing exhibitions that could travel to different parts of the island and if interest was shown to places like Calgary, Hamilton etc. where Islanders are hungry for home ties. The subjects that could be tackled are endless.

The opening of The Rooms in St. John’s Newfoundland has made me envious.

To move this matter forward will require the combined efforts of the City of Charlottetown, the Province, the Museum & Heritage Foundation and other dedicated believers. Our neighbours have been very helpful in the past - the Nova Scotia Museum, the New Brunswick Museum as has the Canadian Museum Association, and the Museum Assistance Program. Lack of dollars is not the issue at the moment - the shaping of the dream is. We are still the only province in the country without a provincial museum - it seems to me there is a moral responsibility on all levels of government to correct this matter in this our Capital City.

In the words of the Newfoundlanders advertizing The Rooms - they call it the Portal to the Heritage and Culture of their province - WE NEED A PORTAL.

Welcome to PEI History

2007-03-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to - PEI History - a companion site for longer postings and topics that are referenced from the Provincial Museum of Prince Edward Island blog.