| February 14, 2008
OMA & OTHER MUSEUM ASSOCATIONS
LOBBY FOR DELAY IN ETS SHUTDOWN
On Friday, February 8th, the OMA joined a coalition
of national, provincial, and territorial museums associations in
signing a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper,
cc Heritage Minister Josée Verner, asking
for a one-year delay in the shutdown of the subsidized art-transportation
service ETS.
The letter states that the "loss of this national service will
have a severe negative impact on the capacity of museums and art
galleries in every jurisdiction to share and promote Canadian heritage
and stories". The letter further asks that the signators be
allowed to form a working committee to look at alternatives, including
the continuation of ETS services in another way.
The letter was signed by the OMA, the Ontario Association
of Art Galleries, Société des musées québécois,
British Columbia Museums Association, Albert Museums Association,
Museums Association of Saskatchewan, Manitoba Musuems Association,
Community Museums Association P.E.I., Association of Museums of
New Brunswick, Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador,
Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage, Yukon Historical and Museums
Association and the Canadian Museums Association.
ETS is a service that transports art and artifacts in climate-controlled
trucks to regions all across Canada, on a cost-recovery basis. The
Canadian Conservation Institute, which administers the program under
the Department of Canadian Heritage, announced that the service
will cancelled effective April 2008.
A February 11th National
Post article covers many of the issues.
Marie Lalonde
ONTARIO MUSEUM ASSOCIATION
mlalonde@museumsontario.com
416-348-8672
or toll-free in Ontario 1-866-OMA-8672
|
|
