NOTE TO EDITORS: Minister to speak at Celebrating Our Living Heritage conference, June 8

Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, will be the guest speaker at a luncheon today (Thursday, June 8) during a conference entitled Celebrating our Living Heritage at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

"People tend to think that our heritage is made up of our buildings and artifacts," said Minister Hedderson. "But it is also our music, stories, customs, dialects and so on that represent our intangible heritage or �living heritage� and make up our distinctive identity. In this fast-paced world, we do to want to lose the things that make up the very essence of Newfoundland and Labrador."

One of the key goals of the province�s recently strategic cultural plan is to develop strategies to promote and safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. The four-day event, organized by the Association of Heritage Industries, will provide an opportunity for participants to share concerns and recommendations about cultural preservation.

"Input and ideas gathered at this conference will play an important role in helping to shape our provincial plans as we move forward," said Minister Hedderson.

The event features a line-up of local and international speakers who will share their experiences and perspectives. There will also be showcases on boatbuilding, balled singing and storytelling.

The event takes place at the engineering building (cafeteria) at MUN, 12:15 p.m.

Media contact: Susanne Hiller, Director of Communications (709) 729-0928, 728-7762, susannehiller@gov.nl.ca

2006 06 08                                   9:15 a.m.