News Release Archive
EDUCATION/CULTURE--VOLUNTEER WEEK, APRIL 21-27 ----------------------------------------------------------------- In almost every community in Nova Scotia can be found an old schoolhouse, temperance hall or church that is no longer in use, or perhaps even is well used. There may a former home of a noted person. There are even unused railway stations, or the trains and railcars that once used them. Some larger ones are purpose built. They all share a common theme; they are museums that collect, preserve and share the collective memories of Nova Scotia's past. Most rely on a regular core of volunteers who help administer them and keep them going. "These are very special people," said Education and Culture Minister John MacEachern. "They love Nova Scotia and its history and we appreciate every minute of time they give to us." Museums across the province expect to log more than 200,000 volunteer hours during the year. "Small or large, our museums make a considerable contribution to the province's economy," said Candace Stevenson, executive director of the Nova Scotia Museum, "and our volunteers are part of that...we have thousands of visitors and we must provide a good experience for them." She said museums are very labor intensive and volunteers help research, catalogue artifacts, host events and perform many other tasks. The visitor count at Nova Scotia's museums is quite considerable. For example, 15 community museums which are open year round host more than 200,000 visitors a year. Naturally, there is a marked rise in the summer months. The Miners Museum in Glace Bay, for example, hosted more than 16,000 visitors during June, July and August last year. There are small seasonal museums, open for a few months in the summer, that together host another 150,000 visitors, in addition to the more than 500,000 people who visit the Nova Scotia Museum's 25 sites each year. "In these times of restraint we rely even more on our volunteers," said Ms. Stevenson, "They not only provide essential services but they also provide that friendly personal experience for our visitors that is an important part of a visit to Nova Scotia." -30- Contact: Joan Waldron 902-424-7398 trp Apr. 15, 1996 - 2:05 p.m.