News release

Province Supports Heritage Organizations

Tourism and Culture (Aug. 1999 - Dec. 2003)

NOTE: A backgrounder following this release lists, by county, projects receiving support under the Strategic Development Initiative Fund.


The province is investing over $140,000 in heritage organizations around Nova Scotia. The investments will help museums and other heritage groups build on community strengths and encourage community economic development.

Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism and Culture joined heritage representatives today, Nov. 28, to make the announcement at the Dartmouth Heritage Museum.

"Nova Scotia has a rich and diverse network of heritage organizations," said Mr. MacDonald. "We're proud to invest in projects that benefit both the heritage sector and local communities. These initiatives will also help attract visitors to our community museums."

A total of $143,939 was distributed under the Department of Tourism and Culture's Strategic Development Initiative fund (SDI). Support is given to initiatives focused on increasing self-sufficiency in the province's growing heritage sector.

Six recipients in the northern region received support, along with two in the southern region and two in Cape Breton. Three projects are provincial in scope. The organizations receiving funding will also contribute to the projects for a total estimated economic investment of about $239,499.

Provincially, the Dartmouth Heritage Museum will lead a project for 17 county museums that are open year-round. The goal of the project is to increase Internet-accessible data that can be shared with other museums and the public.

"This project represents a significant first in developing relationships between community museums across Nova Scotia," said Anita Price, curator of the Dartmouth Heritage Museum and project leader. "Funding for a project like ours, which is provincial in scope, allows for a large number of museums to benefit. It maximizes project funding and allows for greater access to our provincial heritage assets. This is an exciting opportunity for everyone involved."

The project received $57,153 for new computers, training and technological support. The joint venture is worth $100,000.

"The Dartmouth Heritage Museum has shown tremendous leadership in taking on this challenging project," said Mr. MacDonald. "The SDI program was designed to support initiatives like this that make our heritage resources more accessible."

The museum is currently hosting an exhibition of African Nova Scotia quilts called "When Black Women Useta' Fly."

Other recipients of Strategic Development Initiative funds included the Pictou County Genealogy and Heritage Society in the northern region of the province. The society received $6,000 to expand the Hector Exhibit Centre into a central repository for genealogy and historic information about the entire county.

"This will enable the society to move forward with its vision to become a centre for county historical records," said Kathy Chaisson, site manager -- Pictou County Genealogy and Heritage Society.

In Cape Breton, the Glace Bay Heritage Museum Society received $3,235 to hire professional consultants to develop a comprehensive plan for the society's gift shop.

"We're so pleased to have this opportunity to develop a professional plan that will lead us towards financial sustainability," said Elke Ibrahim, chair of the society.

In the southern region, the LaHave Islands Marine Museum is leading a project for museums and historical societies in Lunenburg County. The project received $3,000 to create a common brochure and to explore group advertising in preparation for Acadian celebrations in 2003-04.

The department's Strategic Development Initiative Fund, first announced in the spring of 2000, encourages community museums to partner with other organizations -- such as private-sector not- for-profit groups and municipal governments -- to build relationships for sustainable economic development in rural Nova Scotia. Nine of these 13 projects will affect a broad heritage community within a county, across a heritage region or across the province.


BACKGROUNDER: Strategic Development Initiative Projects

Northern Region The Cumberland County Museum in Amherst received $3,860 to develop a marketing plan and marketing tools that will attract new audiences to the museum.

The Minudie Heritage Association received $4,915 to develop and co-ordinate a county-wide heritage Web site for museums in Cumberland County. The project will link all sites on one server and provide a range of web-based services.

The Colchester Historical Society Museum in Truro received $1,060 to create and sell a unique CD about the museum's Christmas exhibit on musical traditions. The society will partner with a local collector of reed organs on the project. The society will also receive $1,012 for brainstorming sessions that will promote co-operation among the county's heritage organizations.

The Pictou County Genealogy and Heritage Society received $6,000 to expand the Hector Exhibit Centre into a central repository for genealogical and historic information about the county.

The Guysborough County Heritage Association received $2,276 to assist the newly formed countywide heritage network in its efforts to plan and develop exhibits that will grow visitation and increase revenue generation.

The Old Court House Museum in Guysborough received $5,661 to develop an innovative, state-of-the-art genealogy and research service model. The museum will also conduct a provincewide survey about user fees for service.

Cape Breton Region The Glace Bay Heritage Museum Society received $3,235 to hire professional consultants who will develop a comprehensive plan for the society's gift shop.

Iona Connection, a regional heritage network, received $1,875 for a consultant who will write a proposal seeking federal funds for a project that will develop infrastructure and provide training, enabling the island's heritage sector to work toward greater sustainability.

Southern Region The LaHave Islands Marine Museum is leading a project for museums and historical societies in Lunenburg County. The project received $3,000 to create a common brochure and to explore group advertising in preparation for Acadian celebrations in 2003-04.

The Mahone Bay Founders Society received $5,875 to conduct research on marketing. The research will lead to a strategic plan for fundraising that will be supported by a data bank.

Provincial The Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage received $18,275 for a professional development session that will focus on developing dynamic programming for community museums in the province, as well as an countywide inventory of programming.

The Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society received $29,740 to design and publish an eight-panel, full-colour illustrated brochure highlighting Nova Scotia's railway heritage. A comparable Web site will serve to attract new visitors to Nova Scotia.

The Dartmouth Heritage Museum will lead a project for the 17 community museums open year-round. The project received $57,153 for a standard integrated information management systems, as well as training and technological support that will lead to Internet- accessible data and more co-operative endeavours.