Lake Charlotte Museum Looks to Attract More Visitors

Memory Lane Heritage Village on the Eastern Shore is getting support to attract more visitors.

Tony Ince, Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage, joined Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today, Sept. 5, to announce funding to enhance the museum's visitor experience.

Memory Lane Heritage Village, in Lake Charlotte, Halifax Regional Municipality, aims to double admissions over the next five years. Attendance has grown steadily since opening in 2000.

The museum, which offers a stroll back in time, has already upgraded exhibits to attract more visitors. Funding will support developing a marketing plan and technology and infrastructure to enhance visitors' experiences, which will draw more people to the museum and the region.

Visitors can scan new QR codes on village artifacts with their smartphones, tablets or devices available at the museum to view multi-media presentations of how the artifacts were used in daily life.

The provincial government is contributing $125,369 to complete Memory Lane's Visitor Experience Enhancement Project. The Government of Canada, through ACOA's Innovative Communities Fund, is providing $210,550 to support the technology and infrastructure developments. Additional support includes $25,000 from Halifax Regional Municipality.

"We recognize the value and importance of our heritage resources to help preserve and promote our province's culture," said Mr. Ince. "Community-run museums like Memory Lane employ local residents and are the perfect way for visitors to experience life in Nova Scotia many decades ago."

"Our government is pleased to support projects like this one that help stimulate tourism across the province and strengthen the economic capacity of rural communities," said Mr. MacKay. "Smartphone and tablet users will gain a deeper appreciation of the areas built and natural history through the addition of technology that enables online storytelling."

Jim Livingston, chair of the Lake Charlotte Area Heritage Society, said the society has been working hard with all three levels of government to implement the Visitor Experience Enhancement Project.

"A marketing plan is one of the next steps in our business plan and will ensure our long-term sustainability," said Mr. Livingston. "It will position us to be a flagship heritage museum and have a positive impact on the local economy."

MLA Kevin Murphy, on behalf of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Minister Michel Samson, said the society identified an opportunity to grow and has worked to see its vision become a reality.

"When a community organization presents a solid business proposal like this, the province wants to help them make the most of their resources, and, of course, attracting more visitors to the region is good for everyone," said Mr. Murphy.

Provincial government funding for this project comes from the Regional Economic Development and Support4Culture programs, and the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency. For more information, visit http://cch.novascotia.ca/support4culture , or http://www.novascotia.ca/econ/ .