Minister responds to Danny Williams statement on The Rooms

Sandra Kelly, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation (Acting), stated today that Danny Williams, leadership candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party, should reconsider his opposition to The Rooms project, the new $40 million culture and heritage facility which government is building to house the Newfoundland Museum, the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador.

"The remains of the old fort are not being destroyed, and in fact the tourism benefits are best realized under the existing plan." The archaeological resource is being protected and Minister Kelly is delivering information to Williams today so that he may obtain a broader understanding of the project and reconsider his position.

Mr. Williams has asked Premier Tulk to move the new complex to another location on the Fort Townshend site in order to create a better tourism attraction. He said that something worth millions of dollars to the tourism industry is being destroyed.

"Less than 10 percent of the original fort is being directly affected by the structure of the new building," added Kelly. "Any material dismantled is being meticulously recorded and indexed for future research, interpretation and possible restoration. The rest of the old fort is being left intact."

"The tourism benefits of moving The Rooms would be non-existent," said Kelly. "Government does not have the surplus funds to restore or interpret Fort Townshend as a pure historic site, and even if funds existed there are higher priority heritage projects which would come first." From a tourist perspective, as important as this fort may have been in Newfoundland�s history, and as interesting as it might be to visit in-season, the ruins of Fort Townshend alone will not be a motivating factor for non-resident tourists to visit this province. It will not be the reason why tourists choose to visit Newfoundland as opposed to a different destination.

However, exhibiting a portion of the fort in an archaeology level of a new cultural centre creates an extraordinary year-round attraction. It differentiates our museum from most other museums in the world, which will strengthen convention marketing, cruise marketing and general tourism marketing. From a business perspective, given that The Rooms must be built to protect our cultural collections, the idea of locating at Fort Townshend makes a lot of sense in addition to the advantages of its prominent downtown location, convenience of access and ample parking space. Kelly noted the support of Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador and the Avalon Convention and Visitor Bureau for the project.

"Moving The Rooms now would also cost the project $5 million or more. Redesign implications, possible land acquisition, delays, inflation and other unknowns would be costly and wasteful, especially when compelling reasons to move from the site do not exist," added Minister Kelly. "Mr. Williams is incorrect when he says that the spirit and intent of the Historic Resources Act has been infringed. The Rooms' archaeological assessment has been closely regulated, conducted by outstanding archaeologists and protects and preserves the heritage of the Fort Townshend site. No step in this process was vetoed by the present or former minister, as was suggested by Mr. Williams."

Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Communications, (709) 729-0928

2001 01 09              4:50 p.m.