Government of Canada Supports the Macaulay Church Museum in Prince Edward County

PICTON, Ontario, July 27, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - On behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Daryl Kramp, Member of Parliament (Prince Edward-Hastings), today congratulated Prince Edward County on the grand re-opening of the Macaulay Church Museum.

This historic building, established in 1825 as the Mary Magdalene Church, has served as a regional museum since the early 1970s. Government of Canada support for the museum has allowed for important upgrades to the site, such as new fire and electrical systems to protect the museum's collection. The museum's interior and exterior have both been substantially upgraded to improve the exhibition spaces, as well as to increase access to these spaces for members of the visiting public.

"Our Government received a strong mandate from Canadians to invest in local heritage facilities like the Macaulay Church Museum," said Minister Moore. "By supporting infrastructure projects that preserve historic facilities like this one, our Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen our communities and support our arts, culture, and heritage."

"It is a great pleasure to be here today to see the tremendous results of our Government's investment in this important local heritage site," said Mr. Kramp. "Residents and visitors to Prince Edward County will benefit from these significant improvements to the Macaulay Church Museum for generations to come."

As part of Canada's Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada previously announced funding of $825,000 in support for the museum through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and arts presentation or exhibition. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing, visual, and media arts, and to museum collections and heritage displays.