Initiatives Help Museums Ensure Sustainability -- Cape Breton

Community museums throughout Nova Scotia are working on new projects that will help them generate revenues to ensure their long-term sustainability.

The projects are being funded through a strategic development initiative launched by the Department of Tourism and Culture last year. The initiative was budgeted $100,000 for the 2000-01 fiscal year and another $100,000 for fiscal 2001-02.

Thirteen heritage organizations received direct financial support in last year’s program. Projects under way include a provincial guide to genealogical resources, a "heritage in the schools" program, tour packages for heritage attractions, a collaborative acquisition strategy for museum and archival activity, and a promotional brochure linking museums.

The intent of the program is to encourage community museums to partner with other organizations -- such as the private sector, not-for-profit groups and municipal governments -- to build relationships for sustainable economic development in rural Nova Scotia. More than 40 museums and archives are participating in various projects funded through the program.

"We are pleased to lend our support to projects that are contributing to the viability of rural Nova Scotian communities through the preservation of our rich heritage," said Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism and Culture.

"Our community museums add tremendously to the quality of life in our communities," he said. "They also generate employment in rural regions and help ensure that residents and visitors alike can experience our rich cultural roots."

The Council of Nova Scotia Archives will develop a comprehensive guide to genealogical resources in Nova Scotia that will improve service to the general public, especially genealogists, tourists and other heritage researchers.

The Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage proposes a series of workshops across the province to help museum board members develop fund raising plans for their museums, which the federation calls critical to their success.

The IONA Connection, an association of Cape Breton museums, will create a Web page specifically for the IONA Connection that will improve the visibility of its members and help increase visitor numbers. It could also provide marketing opportunities.

"We will have a site that helps tourists find out about the great variety of community museums that they can enjoy on Cape Breton Island," said IONA Connection president Nancy More.

The Port Hastings Museum and Archives will engage the services of a consultant to assess the current museum operation and look toward the feasibility of a new museum/exhibit/retail facility working in partnership with the Strait Area Waterfront Development Society.

"It''s great news for the museum. Funding for an assessment will help us better understand the opportunities that are available to the museum by working in partnership with others," said Elliott Embree, president of the Port Hastings Historical Society.

The Inverness Miners Museum proposes developing a venue for local artisans and craftspeople to retail their products for residents and tourists.

"I''m delighted," said museum curator Ned MacDonald. "This will give us a much-needed boost to our museum site and will enable us to work more closely with our community."

Rural museums currently receiving funding from the province''s Community Museum Assistance Program (CMAP) would be eligible to apply for funding under the new program. Archives, heritage groups or associations, and community organizations working in partnership with CMAP museums are also eligible.

When developing project ideas for their museums, applicants are encouraged to consider key areas identified by the fund’s planners. These critical areas, in order of priority, include:

• developing and expanding retail operations to encourage the sale of arts and crafts made in Nova Scotia and to increase museum income;

• helping museums develop new revenue sources to increase community financial support;

• improving leadership and programming skills of museum boards and workers through training in areas such as: fund-raising, tourist-market readiness, strategic planning/developing business plans, program evaluation and marketing studies;

• developing new audiences to expand the museum''s service base;

• increasing co-operation between the museum and the community.

For more information, contact: Paul Collins, Curator, Community Museum Assistance Program, Department of Tourism and Culture, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, N.S. B3H 3A6; telephone 902-424-6466; fax: 902-424-0560; e-mail: <[email protected].>