News release

Province Continues Investing in Community Museums

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

TOURISM/CULTURE--Province Continues Investing in Community Museums

The province is investing close to one million dollars in community museums across Nova Scotia to help them preserve and promote local cultural, heritage, and natural history.

The Department of Tourism and Culture's Community Museum Assistance Program (CMAP) will provide $827,621 in funding to 66 community museums.

"Museums not only help preserve our rich heritage, natural history and active culture, they also attract visitors to communities all over Nova Scotia," said Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism and Culture. "In most cases, these museums are the pride and joy of their communities."

The Argyle Township Courthouse and Gaol (Jail) in Tusket received $16,558. The courthouse is the oldest in Canada and also contains the first municipally established archives in Nova Scotia. "CMAP funding is absolutely essential to museums around the province," said Peter Crowell, municipal historian and archivist. "We wouldn't be able to operate at our current level without it."

"This funding enables us to build and maintain our collection and make it accessible to the public," said Jocelyn Gillis, manager of the Antigonish Heritage Museum, which received $10,866 from the program.

"I think it's very important that the province offer its support to rural communities," said Kathleen MacLeod, director of the North Highlands Community Museum, which has been in operation for 24 years in Cape North. It received $8,710.

Community museums can receive advisory services and up to 50 per cent of their operating costs through CMAP. The program was established in the mid-1960s to fund non-profit, permanent museums that acquire, conserve, research, communicate and exhibit human or natural history of Nova Scotia for study, education and enjoyment.

Community museums can also apply for funding under the Strategic Development Initiative. The Department of Tourism and Culture provides up to $200,000 under this program, which 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.

The provincial museum system includes 27 museums and operates with an annual budget of about $8 million. More than 28 per cent of all visitors to the province visit museums during their stay.

NOTE--Following is a list of the museums receiving funding in 2003-04 through the Community Museum Assistance Program:

ANNAPOLIS COUNTY

  • Annapolis Valley Macdonald Museum, Middleton, $38,980
  • Historic Restoration of Annapolis County, Annapolis Royal, $16,386
  • James House, Bridgetown, $5,864
  • Tupperville School Museum, Tupperville, $2,299 Total Annapolis County: $63,529

ANTIGONISH COUNTY

  • Antigonish Heritage Museum, Antigonish, $10,866 Total Antigonish County: $10,866

CAPE BRETON COUNTY

  • Cape Breton Centre for Heritage and Science, Sydney, $28,136
  • Cape Breton Miners' Museum, Glace Bay, $64,288
  • Jost House, Sydney, $11,466
  • North Sydney Historical Society Museum, North Sydney, $1,411
  • Sydney & Louisbourg Railway Museum, Louisbourg, $10,208
  • Sydney Mines Community Mines, Sydney Mines, $5,825
  • Whitney Pier Historical Society Museum, Sydney, $5,022 Total Cape Breton County: $126,356

COLCHESTER COUNTY

  • Colchester Historical Society Museum, Truro, $41,481
  • Little White Schoolhouse Museum, Truro, $1,536
  • Sunrise Trail Museum, Tatamagouche, $2,666 Total Colchester County: $45,683

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

  • Age of Sail Heritage Centre, Port Greville, $6,899
  • Amos Seaman Museum, Minudie, $659
  • Cumberland County Museum, Amherst, $27,942
  • Historic Ottawa House Museum, Parrsboro, $5,268
  • Malagash Heritage Museum, Malagash, $4,788
  • Springhill Miners Museum, Springhill, $27,400
  • Wallace and Area Museum, Wallace, $5,000 Total Cumberland County: $77,956

DIGBY COUNTY

  • Admiral Digby Museum, Digby, $6,997
  • Islands Museum and Tourist Bureau, Tiverton, $2,328
  • Musée Ste Marie, Church Point, $1,254 Total Digby County: $10,579

GUYSBOROUGH COUNTY

  • Old Court House Museum, Guysborough, $3,967
  • Whitman House Museum, Canso, $7,503 Total Guysborough County: $11,470

HALIFAX COUNTY

  • Army Museum, Halifax, $15,994
  • Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum, Enfield, $14,504
  • Cole Harbour Heritage Farm Museum, Cole Harbour, $40,925
  • Dartmouth Heritage Museum, Dartmouth, $39,514
  • Fultz House Museum, Sackville, $3,622
  • Musquodoboit Railway Museum, Musquodoboit, $5,606 Total Halifax County: $120,165

HANTS COUNTY

  • Avon River Heritage Society Museum, Newport Landing, $7,279
  • South Rawdon Museum, South Rawdon, $1,811
  • West Hants Historical Society Museum, Windsor, $9,314 Total Hants County: $18,404

INVERNESS COUNTY

  • Chestico Museum, Port Hood, $6,727
  • Gut of Canso Museum and Archives, Port Hastings, $6,640
  • Inverness Miners Museum, Inverness, $2,058
  • Les Trois Pignons, Cheticamp, $7,820
  • MacDonald House Museum, Lake Ainslie, $4,234
  • Margaree Salmon Museum, Margaree, $8,883
  • Orangedale Railway Station, Orangedale, $4,140 Total Inverness County: $40,502

KINGS COUNTY

  • Charles MacDonald Concrete House, Centreville, $6,586
  • Kings County Museum, Kentville, $26,562
  • Randall House Museum, Wolfville, $5,088 Total Kings County: $38,236

LUNENBURG COUNTY

  • DesBrisay Museum, Bridgewater, $49,216
  • Fort Point Museum, LaHave, $3,540
  • LaHave Islands Marine Museum, LaHave, $3,210
  • Mahone Bay Settlers Museum, Mahone Bay, $16,989
  • Parkdale-Maplewood Community Museum, Parkdale-Maplewood, $11,995 Total Lunenburg County: $84,950

PICTOU COUNTY

  • Carmichael-Stewart House, New Glasgow, $3,869
  • Hector Centre, Pictou, $8,538 Total Pictou County: $12,407

QUEENS COUNTY

  • Milton Blacksmith Shop Museum, Milton, $3,881
  • North Queens Heritage House Museum, Caledonia, $4,198
  • Queens County Museum, Liverpool, $31,576 Total Queens County: $39,655

RICHMOND COUNTY

  • LeNoir Forge Museum, Arichat, $3,622
  • Nicholas Denys Museum, St. Peter's, $2,352 Total Richmond County: $5,974

SHELBURNE COUNTY

  • Archelaus Smith Museum, Centreville, $3,622
  • Cape Sable Historical Society Centre, Barrington, $7,409
  • Little School Museum, Lockeport, $2,470
  • Shelburne County Museum, Shelburne, $28,977 Total Shelburne County: $42,478

VICTORIA COUNTY

  • North Highlands Community Museum, Cape North, $8,710 Total Victoria County: $8,710

YARMOUTH COUNTY

  • Argyle Courthouse and Gaol, Tusket, $16,558
  • Musée Acadian de Pubnico Ouest, Pubnico, $4,898
  • Yarmouth County Museum, Yarmouth, $48,245 Total Yarmouth County: $69,701

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