Minutes

Iona Connection Annual General Meeting

Held at the Sydney Mines Fossil Centre, Sydney Mines, NS

April 19, 2008

In Attendance:

James Tobin, Sydney Mines Heritage Society

Charles MacKenzie, Cape Breton University

Pauline Thomson, Iona Connection

Cathy Gillies, Chestico Museum

Syd Slaven, Sydney Steel Society

Ray Martheleur, Sydney Steel Society

Ida LeLievre, La Societe Saint. Pierre

Marilyn Ritza, North Sydney Historical Society

Sinclair MacDougall, North Sydney Historical Society

Heather Morrison, North Highlands

Julia MacKinnon, Prot Hasting historical Society

Peggy MacAskill, Gaelic College

Catherine Arseneau, Beaton Institute

Joan MacInnes, Victoria County Archives

Aynsley MacFarlane, Parks Canada

John Gillies, Chestico Historical Society

Jim MacLean, Port Hasting Historical Society

Rilla McLean, Port Hastings Society

Isabelle Harris, Glace Bay Heritage Museum

Elke Ibrahim, Glace Bay Heritage Museum

Pauline MacLean, Lake Ainslie Historical Society

Alexis Richards, Individual member

Rodney Chaisson, NS Highland Village

Mary M. Gillis, Individual Member

Regrets:

Virginia MacIsaac, Centic Music Interpretive Centre

Tom Urbaniak, Individual Member

Jim St. Clair, Individual Member

1.            Call to Order: 10:05 AM

Pauline Thomson thanked Jim Tobin and the Sydney Mines Heritage Society for hosting the meeting.

 2.            Approval of Agenda

Jim Tobin moved the approval of the agenda. Motion seconded by Charles MacKenzie. Carried.

 3.            Minutes

Catherine Arseneau read from the minutes of the 2007 General Meeting.

 4.            Ida LeLievre motioned the approval of the minutes.  Motion seconded by Cathy Gillies.  Motion carried.

 5.            Treasure’s Report:

Marilyn Ritza read and circulated the financial report.  The binder of the full financial accounts was made available for review

 6.            Marilyn Ritza motioned for the approval of the financial report.  Motion seconded by Joan MacInnis. Carried.

 7.            Presidents Report:

Pauline Thomson read the Presidents report, attached.  Highlights included

·      Provincial Strategy released

·      Provincial. Museum level: FNSH restructuring is proceeding

·      CMAP infusion of one time dollars

·      SDI grant not successful. But will continue to work on this proposal

·      Work on Strategic Plan

·      I Notes: going out regularly as part of our Communication Strategy

·      Education: engaging Youth in Heritage Award need sponsors for award: 2008 award sponsored by Jim St. Clair

·      Thank you to retiring Board members: Rodney Chaisson, Ron MacDonald, Peyton Chisholm. Need new student Rep as Charles MacKenzie is graduating.

·      CB is preparing to host a 3 day ICOMOS Post Conference Tour for 3 days

Thank you

 8.            Ida LeLievre motioned to approve the President’s report.  Motion seconded by Pauline MacLean. Motion carried

 9.  A Treasured Past: A Precious Future

Catherine Arseneau spoke to the NS Heritage Strategy and identified potential areas where the Iona Connection could play a role

 10. Discussion of the strategy followed

 11. Engaging Youth in Heritage Award:

Rodney Chaisson reported on the work of the Education Committee.  R. Chaisson thanked the members of the committee, Pauline Thomson, Peyton Chisholm and Joan MacInnis.  The Committee is pleased to award the first Engaging Youth in Heritage Award.  The Award was initiated in 2006 in and effort to recognize those institutions which successfully engage youth in Heritage.  There were 2 submissions received:

·      Lake Ainslie Historical. Society

·      Sydney Steel Museum Association

Both are recognized as excellent programs.  The Sydney Steel Museum was selected and received the Engaging Youth in Heritage Award for 2007.

 12. Representative of Iona Connection to Federation of NS Heritage Conference

Pauline Thomson called for expressions of interest from the members to attend the Spring FNSH Conference as she is unable to attend. Marilyn Ritza, North Sydney Historical Society volunteered.  Ida LeLievre motion to support M. Ritza’s attendance to the FNSH Spring Conference, in the form of a $250 bursary, as the representative of the Iona Connection.  Motion seconded by Charles MacKenzie.  Motion carried.

 ·      13. Member Reports:

 Cathy Gillis, Chestico Museum:

·      Four persons working through a JCP grant.

·      Participated in a Passage Project and Historic Places Project

·      Participated in CNSA workshops.

·      Applications to CHIN through the Community Memories Program and PADP

·      Working with county to develop a County Archive.

 Jim MacLean, Port Hastings Historical Society:

·      Hopeful for a new building; have conceptual plans and have been through revisions. Re-examining museum function and mandate- 1) Port Hastings Museum. 2) Gateway to CB-pre and post causeway themes for interpretation (ie. shipping). Considering renaming to museum to Strait Museum.

·      Unwelcome surprise- bill for sewage and street front municipal work.

 Elke Ibrahim, Glace Bay Heritage Museum:

·      Open two days a week for 2 hours during winter months

·      Work continues on 1^st floor, hopefully complete by cruise ship time

·      Fund raising efforts have included: Christmas Bazaar, Fill the Oil Tank Fundraiser Dance.

·      Meet 1^st Monday each month with speakers

·      Heritage Fair Judges, school tours

 Pauline MacLean, Lake Ainslie Historical Society:

·      Doing structural work (new basement) on MacDonald House through Provincial and County funding

·      Participated in Passage Project

 Rodney Chaisson, NS Highland Village Museum:

·      Raised awareness of regulations regarding the definition of family and how tit impacts hiring practices.  The government definition has meant that you cannot hire family of staff, including the Board chair and contact of grant application.  This raises particular challenges in small communities.

·      Currently working to prepare for summer season

·      New Strategic Planning process to begin soon. Revamping Cultural Program, Farm Program

·      Web projects: Community Memories, Gaelic Learning Site active as NSM site in Heritage Strategy

 Mary Gillis, Individual Member

·      Heritage Fair school judge. Commented on the high quality of projects. 

·      How could we encourage students to do local heritage?

 Jim Tobin, Sydney Mines Heritage Society:

·      After difficult beginning the museum was open for the summer season through funding support through the CBRM. Society is currently preparing for the year.

·      Gift shop does well.

·      Shortage of volunteers

 Charles MacKenzie, CBU:

·      History Society drop in attendance due to new time table and the loss of free time- still largest on campus

·      Successful fund raising initiative

·      Working on job description and by-laws.

·      Volunteered at Beaton Institute’s 50^th Anniversary Open House

 Ray Martheluer, Sydney Steel Museum

·      Mandate to preserve the steel making process of Sydney and Sydney Mines steel plants.

·      Do school programs

·      Researching Sydney Mines plant now

·      Display and video at Joan Harriss Pavilion

·      Auction last year to keep going

·      Hope to have a permanent location in the future – looking into the second floor of the Lyceum.

·      Preparing for cruise ship traffic now- display has been mounted in the Centre for Heritage and Science in Lyceum.

·      Web-site continuously being updated

 Ida LeLievre, La Societe Saint - Pierre:

·      Societies’ application to New Horizons successful and working to transfer heritage rug patterns

·      Revamping web-site.

·      Summer festival program out for the summer

·      Participating in Passage project

·      Received $10,000 one-time grant from CMAP

 Heather Morrison, North Highland:

·      “Spirit of Aspy Bay” Play for summer activity and NFLD play- all volunteer cast

·      Workshop on storytelling

·      Museum- a gift from the Parish and still working out details of transfer.

·      Working on heritage garden

·      SDI grant and ECBC grant

·      Ran square dances; partnered with community centres to access funding

·      Summer program- demonstration in weaving, knitting, dory making, speaker series

 Catherine Arseneau, Beaton Institute:

·      The Beaton Institute has been working on a National Archival Development Program project to provide on line access to its Ethnocultural Resources Inventory.  The inventory will be housed on ArchWay and MUN:DAI.  The project will also support the digitization of representative samples of records (audio. Visual and documentary) for upload to the web.

·      The Beaton has just concluded a SDI project to prepare a Strategic Plan for the archive.

·      The Beaton has revised it hours so that we are closed to the public on Mondays to allow of internal work and meetings to occur.

 Joan MacInnis, Victoria County Archive:

·      7 years in full time operation now; space an issue

·      Busy with genealogists, students

·      Applied to the PADP to remove washroom

·      New web-site for county, and archives will have a page.

 Aynsley MacFarlane, Parks Canada

·      2009 marks the centennial of Flight- February 1909

·      Plan include a new Exhibit Hall- Innovation Centre and Commemorating Flight

·      Community to celebrate and fundraising for Exhibit Hall (15-20million)- Parks Canada agree to operate with Air Force and Aviation museum support

·      Silver dart replica being built

·      Stamp of Silver Dart and Coin

 Sinclair MacDougall, North Sydney Historical Society:

·      $10,000 CMAP grant will go to the building of a flat bed for the LeFrance fire engine thereby making available for parades

·      Building a new museum, hope to turn sod in the fall and open next year

 NEW BUSINESS:

1. Election of Board of Directors

Joan MacInnis presented slate of officers: C. Arseneau, C. Gillies, F James, I LeLievre, A. MacFarlane, J MacInnis, V MacIsaac, C MacKenzie, Morrison, M. Ritza, P. Thomson, Alexis Rudderham-Richards.

 Joan MacInnis moved the approval of slate of officers.  Motion seconded by Charles MacKenzie. Motion carried

2. Change of Address

·      Note change of address to 225 George Street, Sydney, NS   B1P 2V5

Next General Meeting November 01, 2008- Bell Museum Baddeck

 Next Board Meeting: May 6^th

 Council of Nova Scotian Heritage Report

Pauline MacLean reported on the recent activities of the CNSA.  Highlights included:

·      Provincial Heritage Strategy very favourable to archives. CNSA will be looking at the Cooperative Acquisition Strategy for review and updating during its Spring Conference May 14^th-15^th.

·      Council completed a member needs assessment which will inform its future priorities.

·      Top priority identified by the CNSA members was education and training. The Council will also move to a regional delivery model for its Core Curriculum program in 2009-2010.  Cape Breton will be the first region to host the delivery.

·      2010 Association of Canadian Archivists Conference will be held in Halifax.

·      Provincial Archival Development Program has been developed.  This is a new funding program of $85,000 for institutional members of CNSA. The program is included in the new provincial budget, which is still awaiting approval.

·      CNSA saw an increase of its provincial grant to $60,000

·      Provincial Heritage Directory members are encouraged to keep their information up to date.

Other

·      Reminder: Write Minister re $10,000 grants

·      New OH& S standards

·      Jim Tobin noted bulletin boards are for the taking

Pauline Thomson motioned the meeting be adjourned. Motion seconded by Joan MacInnis. Motion carried.