Government officials meet with representatives of
archaeology community to discuss Rooms project

Officials from within the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation met with members of the archaeology community today to share their perspectives on the development of the province�s $40 million cultural and heritage facility which is underway at the Fort Townshend site in central St. John�s. The meeting was a frank and honest discussion of the various points of view regarding the development.

Archaeologists acknowledged the quality of the archival review and of the archaeological excavation, both of which were undertaken by government in order to create an accurate record of the site and to determine the impact of the new construction.

Where the two parties differ is in how those archaeological resources which exist at the site should be managed for the future.

Archaeologists argued that the site should be left without further disturbance. As there is no objective within government to develop Fort Townshend as a historic site beyond what is possible within The Rooms development, archaeologists feel that the site should be covered over and left for future generations.

The department officials acknowledged that there would be some dismantling of features of the fort ruins as part of The Rooms development. At the same time, they explained that an Archaeology Museum within The Rooms offers a professional and appropriate manner in which to interpret and present the story of Fort Townshend and, at the same time, meet the objective of providing much needed facilities for the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Provincial Archives and the Newfoundland Museum. Six to seven per cent of the ruins would be removed to make way for some of the features of the new building. Department officials stated that a trade-off of some impact to the historic ruins, in the interests of the broader needs of the cultural and museum community was a balanced approach, especially in an urban setting like St. John�s. This solution also guaranteed that further disturbance of the ruins of the fort would be prevented. Leaving the site alone did not offer the same guarantee.

Media contact: Deborah Glassman, Tourism, Culture and Recreation, (709) 729-5002.

2000 10 18 4:45 p.m.