LIVERPOOL, NS, Nov. 15, 2012 /CNW/ - Residents of Liverpool and surrounding areas will be able to participate in the commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, thanks to an investment from the Government of Canada. Funding for the Queens County Museum was announced today by Gerald Keddy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade, for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and for the Atlantic Gateway, and Member of Parliament (South Shore-St. Margaret's), on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.
The Queens County Museum will complete the overhaul of their existing exhibit on the role of privateering in Liverpool and Nova Scotia during the War of 1812. The centrepiece of the new exhibit will be a scale version of the schooner Liverpool Packet, which was led by Captain Joseph Barss, a famous Nova Scotian privateer during the War. In total, 15,000 to 20,000 visitors are expected to see the exhibit during the commemorative period.
"This year marks the start of the five-year countdown to Canada's 150th birthday in 2017," said Minister Moore. "Our Government is proud to invest in projects that contribute to our collective identity and define who we are as Canadians. On the road to 2017, let us continue to celebrate all of the things that make Canada the united, prosperous, and free country we are today."
"Our investment in this project will ensure that we can learn more about the role played by privateers on the East Coast during the War of 1812," said Mr. Keddy. "This exhibit will allow us to explore the stories of notable figures such as Enos Collins and Joseph Barss, two of Canada's most successful privateers."
"This is a fantastic move forward for the Queens County Museum," said George Mitchell, Chairman, Queens County Museum. "Our objective has been to recognize the achievement of one of the most successful privateers, Captain Joseph Barss, and his privateer vessel, the Liverpool Packet. This funding approval leads the way to seeing this dream come to fruition."
The Queens County Museum, provincially incorporated in 1934, is a not-for-profit museum located in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. The Museum has the mandate to collect, preserve, study, interpret, and exhibit objects and artifacts that relate to the human and natural history of Queens County.
The Government of Canada has provided funding of $150,000 through Canadian Heritage's 1812 Commemoration Fund. The Fund supports community-based projects to foster greater awareness and understanding of the importance of this conflict.
Visit 1812.gc.ca to learn more about the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.
SOURCE: Canadian Heritage
For more information (media only), please contact:
Sébastien Gariépy
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
819-997-7788
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
[email protected]
(This news release is available on the Internet at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca under Newsroom.)
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