SOUTHAMPTON, March 11, 2005 --Member of Parliament (Huron-Bruce) Paul Steckle, on behalf of Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women Liza Frulla, today announced $250,000 in funding for the Bruce County Museum and Archives. The funds will allow the institution to purchase specialized equipment, such as plasma screens, Web cameras, 3-D imagers, integrated audio-video-lighting systems designed specifically for underwater exhibits, and a storage system for the museum's collection."Archiving is one of the best ways to preserve our heritage and make it available to coming generations," said Mr. Steckle. "The Bruce County Museum and Archives offers people from all over our area and Ontario an opportunity to make links between the past and the present, and I am delighted that it will benefit from this funding.""Our government is committed to preserving all aspects of our country's heritage," said Minister Frulla. "Community museums like Bruce County Museum and Archives are excellent places forCanadians to explore and learn. We must preserve these institutions as they represent an essential part of the heritage we will pass on to our children."The Bruce County Museum and Archives opened in 1955. Today it is considered one of Canada's most innovative community museums due to the creative nature of its programming. Its displays and educational activities seek to objectively portray the history of Canada's First Nations and European settlers.Financial assistance is provided by the Department of Canadian Heritage through its Cultural Spaces Program. The program supports cultural infrastructure projects that increase access for Canadians to performing arts, visual arts, media arts and exhibitions, or that improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and innovation.Funding announced today was provided for in the February 2005 federal budget. Information:Jean-Philippe CôtéDirector of CommunicationsOffice of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women(819) 997-7788Greg McClincheyExecutive AssistantOffice of Paul Steckle, M.P.(613) 992-8234Saoirse CarsonCommunicationsCanadian Heritage(416) 973-5400
