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December 13, 1999
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)


Government announces new facility for the Provincial Archives, Museum and Art Gallery

Premier Brian Tobin and Charles Furey, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, today announced a $40 million initiative for the cultural sector of Newfoundland and Labrador. The premier and the minister were joined by Dr. Mary Pratt in making the announcement. "The Rooms", which will be the name of the new building, will provide state-of-the-art accommodations for the Newfoundland Museum, the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador.

"With this project we are renewing our commitment to preserving and promoting our cultural heritage, a heritage unlike any other in the world and one of which we are all justly proud," said Premier Tobin. "What we have in this province is worth protecting for future generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, as well as for the world. The cultural artifacts, natural specimens, archival documents and works of art which have been accumulated over the years in these three provincial institutions are resources of global significance. They exist nowhere else and they deserve to be preserved and exhibited in the best possible manner."

The new facility will be located at Fort Townshend in St. John's, in the historic core of the oldest city in North America. It is the site of a former fort, which will allow for an active archaeological excavation inside the building, making it a rare and unique museum in North America for this type of archaeological program. The site also predominates the downtown core, and will be one of the first things a visitor arriving through the Narrows, the traditional entrance to the city, will see. In addition, government already owns the land, allowing the use of the full $40 million on construction.

The new building will be christened "The Rooms," as a salute to the traditional lifestyle and unique language of the province. "Rooms" were those buildings on the shoreline where fish was processed and where nets and other fishing equipment were stored. The name allows for the separation of functions within the building so that you may have the Museum at "The Rooms," the Art Gallery at "The Rooms" and the Archives at "The Rooms." "The Rooms" is a common link to our heritage and very appropriate for the new heritage facility.

"This will be a landmark project with a memorable presence celebrating our rich cultural heritage. It will serve not only to educate and inspire but also to attract visitors from within and outside the province," said Furey. "It will also be a landmark project which will enhance the city's skyline. The concept of `The Rooms,' is both appropriate and intriguing. The term has a unique connotation in this province, which exists nowhere else, and will reinforce the connection between those living today and those who came before. This name will serve continually to remind us of important historical roots."

Dr. Mary Pratt, co-chair of the premier's advisory committee for this project was very enthusiastic about today's announcement. "We have amazing treasures in this province, and it is vital that we protect them so that future generations can inherit and enjoy them," said Dr. Pratt. "Beauty is not a luxury, rather it helps us transcend the ordinariness of life, so that we may taste the eternal. And beauty is found everywhere in the Museum, Art Gallery and Archives."

The facility will be approximately 140,000 square foot building on five or six levels. Construction is scheduled to begin during 2000, after the necessary archaeological investigation, design and tendering processes have been completed. The construction phase itself is expected to take 2 1/2 years, with the official opening sometime in early 2003.

Media contact: Mary MacNab, Communications, (709) 729-0928.

1999 12 13 11:10 a.m.


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