|
By Tom Ayers - The Cape Breton Post
Sydney - The umbrella organization representing museums and heritage groups across Cape Breton Island is looking to gather together as many people as possible to agree on ways to make heritage programs and infrastructure sustain able.
The lona Connection Heritage Co-operative has received a provincial grant and hired a consultant to hold focus group meetings in each of the four counties next month, asking participants for ideas on the future of heritage protection and promotion.
An interim report is expected to be ready at the Iona Connections annual general meeting later in April and a final report is expected to be ready for implementation in October.
“It will provide some direction and how we might be able to
implement ideas: said lona Connection secretary Cathy Gillies, who is
also archives co-ordinator at the Chestico Museum in Port Hood.
Gillies
said the consultant will ask several questions to lead participants to
a consensus on a broad range of important strategic areas affecting
heritage. The sessions will be important opportunities for those
working in the museums and heritage sector to have direct input into
the planning process.
“Funding is always an issue for non-profit
societies like museums, but there’s issues around communications,
programs, how do you get more people involved. But money isn’t the only
issue.
Using the provincial government’s recent heritage strategy
report — A Treasured Past a Precious Future — as a guideline, all
museums, historical and cultural societies and anyone else connected to
heritage are invited to send representatives to these meetings, said
Gillies.
Catherine Arseneau, manager of the Beaton Institute at
Cape Breton University and vice-president of the boa Connection said
some of the questions to be considered in the sessions include: What
are quality heritage programs and services? What are adequate and
appropriate human and financial resources?
The heritage umbrella
group will hold sessions April 6 in Inverness, April 7 in Baddeck,
April 8 in Sydney, and April 9 in St. Peter’s. For more information,
check the lona Connection web- site, www.capebretonisland.org.
Copyright © 2009 The Cape Breton Post All Rights Reserved
|
