Government of Canada Supports Cape Breton's Highland Village

The Honourable Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament (Sydney–Victoria) announces an investment in Cape Breton's Gaelic culture and history

IONA, NS, Aug. 3, 2019 /CNW/ - The Honourable Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament (Sydney–Victoria), announced today that the federal government is investing $270,000 in the Nova Scotia Highland Village Society for its Highland Village development project. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Pablo Rodriquez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.

This investment, made through Canadian Heritage's Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, will span two years (2020–2022).

The Highland Village is an outdoor living history museum telling the history of Gaelic people in Nova Scotia. The 43-acre site overlooks Bras d'Or Lake in Iona, in the heart of Cape Breton.

The funding will be used to build a new welcome centre for visitors, transform the current welcome centre into a cultural resources centre, and add new features to the site.

Quotes

""History and heritage allow us to better understand who we are as Canadians and help visitors learn more about our culture and roots. I'm proud that our government continues to invest in the Nova Scotia Highland Village and support cultural and heritage infrastructure projects across the country."

—The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism

"The Highland Village is a beautiful example of a community working to preserve and celebrate our culture and heritage. This type of investment supports the economic growth in rural communities. In this case, it also supports the promotion and conservation of Gaelic culture in Atlantic Canada, and stimulates the local economy."

—The Honourable Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament (Sydney–Victoria)

"We very much appreciate this investment in our site development project through Canadian Heritage's Cultural Spaces Fund. This support will enable us to enhance our visitor experience and interpretation of our story through interactive exhibits in our new welcome centre. We will also be able to make improvements in the care and access of our archival and artifact collections in our new cultural resources centre."

— Murdock A. MacPherson, President, Nova Scotia Highland Village Society

Quick facts

Founded in 1995, the Nova Scotia Highland Village Society is a not-for-profit organization.

About 2,000 Nova Scotians speak Gaelic, according to Nova Scotia Gaelic Affairs.

The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund seeks to improve the physical conditions for exhibitions, artistic creativity and arts presentation. It also encourages better access to the performing arts, visual arts, media arts, museum collections, and heritage displays.

The Museums Assistance Program helps heritage institutions and workers preserve and present heritage collections. The program encourages the preservation of Indigenous culture and facilitates better access to heritage collections for all Canadians.

Associated links

Highland Village (English only)

Canada Cultural Spaces Fund

SOURCE Canadian Heritage