By Erin Isaac and Cady Berardi
Within the weeks after a sudden February announcement that twelve provincial museums had been slated to shut in Nova Scotia, murmurs started to flow into that a few of these websites is likely to be rescued. The controversial determination to take away these rural websites from the Nova Scotia Museum adopted important finances cuts to a number of provincial departments together with the Division of Communities, Tradition, Tourism and Heritage, leading to slashed packages and protests throughout the province.
The provincial authorities backpedaled cuts to incapacity and senior helps, in addition to Indigenous and African Nova Scotian packages within the following weeks. In mid-April, some historic societies started to announce that their museum had been “saved.” Whereas the choice to chop these websites from the Nova Scotia Museum was upheld, six of the twelve had been provided various funding by way of the Group Museums Affiliation Program (CMAP).
In an announcement from the Queens County Historic Society made on Fb, the administrators indicated that that they had “obtained a big and inspiring provide from the Nova Scotia Museum to assist safe the way forward for [Perkins House].” They introduced that the museum’s future was saved by way of “an authorised annual grant—funding that may play a significant function in guaranteeing its continued operation and preservation.” [1] A number of historic societies, ours included, made related statements.
The response to those bulletins and reporting about this new funding stream implied that protests and outcry in opposition to the choice to shut these museums had been heard. We let loose a collective sigh of reduction, regardless of feeling somewhat flustered by the quick discover. Sadly, this sentiment was untimely. These museums are open for the season, however they don’t seem to be saved.
The dearth of transparency that marked the choice to shut these websites has adopted into the current affords to assist save them.
We’ve realized in current weeks that the $50,000 working grant was prolonged to the Barrington Woolen Mill, Cossit Home, McCulloch Home, North Hills Museum, and Ross-Thomson Home and Retailer Museum. Though this grant represents a big finances reduce to the annual funding that the Shelburne Historic Society had obtained to function the Ross-Thomson as a part of the Nova Scotia Museum, we had been fast to just accept it. This funding discount compelled us to put off one among our two seasonal workers members for the museum however we had been decided to make it work.
We tried to substantiate particulars in regards to the CMAP funding to raised inform our determination and accepted it below the impression that this funding can be obtainable yearly. Nevertheless, the communications we’ve obtained have been guarded and made no guarantees of permanence. And now we all know why.
In an announcement given in April, David Ritcey the Minister of Communities, Tradition, Tourism and Heritage defined for the primary time that the CMAP funding we’ve been promised is being thought-about “bridge funding” to assist these museums transition to neighborhood websites.[2] Division workers have now been specific that the province’s long run purpose is to take away these websites from the provincial stock. The $50,000 grant we had been provided this yr could also be provided once more, or it could be pulled simply as rapidly because it was scraped collectively. Within the case that we’re requested to take over the constructing sooner or later—which now seems possible—this grant shall be wholly inadequate. The safety Ross-Thomson had as a Nova Scotia Museum website has not been changed and we shall be on tenterhooks ready to listen to if the museum was saved solely to be closed subsequent yr.
Regardless of the complicated doublespeak that has marked this complete course of, the scenario seems to stay largely the identical because it was in February once we came upon, as a result of it had been introduced to the general public, that our website can be closed. Cease-gap funding that may enable us to function the constructing this yr is not going to safe the museum’s future, nor will it pave a easy highway in direction of a handoff of the constructing and its upkeep to our historic society.
The long-term future at Ross-Thomson is foggy as ever, however the short-term plans for this season are settled. The museum is open to the general public alongside the remainder of the advanced from Tuesday-Saturday every week, 9-4. On June twentieth, we’re bringing again the Backyard Social gathering within the Ross-Thomson yard that was once a staple occasion for our historic society. And this fall, through the Big Pumpkin Pageant and Regatta on October 10, we’re launching our very personal Tiny Turnip Pageant (a competition inside a competition) commemorating the enormous turnip that was proven off at Service provider’s Espresso Home in Shelburne in 1786.
We respect the continued help we’ve obtained within the aftermath of the announcement that Ross-Thomson was to be closed. We’re thrilled that our neighborhood and guests to our city can have the chance to go to the museum this yr. However we stay involved that the provincial authorities continues to sign its intent to shunt its dedication to this constructing to a small, volunteer-led affiliation, as if the expense is healthier borne by native shoulders whereas our tax {dollars} are diverted to Halifax.
Cady Berardi is the Curator of the Shelburne County Museum.
Erin Isaac is a PhD candidate at Western College with particular pursuits in lived expertise in early Shelburne. Erin relocated to Shelburne in 2023 to take part within the Ross-Thomson Renewal challenge.
[1] Assertion of the Queens County Historic Society, Fb, 17 April 2026, https://www.fb.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02MG66v3JKYJ8iAKdNGt8bmEXemFuzj46iCyu1Q32UwzxfgXDgVjhxeJ8jKKhLRX99l&id=100057061076326
[2] Michael Gorman, “Cash saved from closing 12 museums will assist half of them stay open,” CBC, 23 April 2026, https://www.cbc.ca/information/canada/nova-scotia/dave-ritcey-musuems-9.7175269
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