Winter 2001/02
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Naidheachd a’ Chlachain (THE V ILLAGE N EWS) Nova Scotia Highland Village Society Sùil ri buaidh EXPECTATIONS OF SUCCESS • Strategic Planning Process • Trip to Gaelic Scotland • Eilean nan Òg • Gaelic Story & Song Selection • News from 2001, Events for 2002, and more... http://highlandvillage.museum.gov.ns.ca An Geamhradh / Winter 2001/2002 Comunn Clachan Gàidhealach na h-Albann Nuaidh - Nova Scotia Highland Village Society Volume 8 Number 1 Inside This Issue… From the Director’s Desk 4 By Rodney Chaisson The Nova Scotia Highland Village Society was incorporated on Eilean nan Òg 6 November 3, 1959 under the Island of Youth Internship Program, by Frances MacEachen Societies Act of Nova Scotia with the purpose of constructing a Our Strategic Planning Process: An Update 8 replica pioneer village at Iona. By Rodney Chaisson The Mission of the Society is: to Turas Rannsachaidh dha ‘n Albainn 9 protect, interpret and further the Research Trip to Gaelic Scotland, by Jim Watson collection of buildings and artifacts at the Nova Scotia Highland Village 2001 Gaelic Matters 21 site at Iona; and to preserve and By Jim Watson promote the Scottish Highland and Island Culture as found in Nova Gaelic Story & Song Selection 22 Scotia. (1979). Collected by Jim Watson In June of 2000, the Highland Naidheachd 24 Village became a part of the News from Hector’s Point Nova Scotia Museum Family (Department of Tourism & Barra SEARCH Project 26 Culture).The Society will contin- News from Hector’s Point ue to operate the site on behalf of the Province.The site is a 43- acre Museum and Cultural com- On the cover: (Main photo) Baile Gean at the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore, Scotland; plex including the Highland Village (Top Inset) 2001 Eilean nan Òg interns; and (Bottom Inset) Attractions Canada 2001 Provincial Museum/An Clachan Gàidhealach, Award winner logo - Highland Village won the Provincial Award for Developed Outdoor Roots Cape Breton Genealogy & Attraction (under $1 million). Our sister site, Sherbrooke Village, won in the over $ 1 million cate- Family History Centre, Highland gory. Village Gift Shop, and outdoor entertainment and theatre facility. The Society is a member of the Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage (FNSH), Canadian Museums Assoc. (CMA), Iona Connection, Còmhairle na Naidheachd a’ Chlachain Gàidhlig, Alba Nuadh (Nova Scotia © Comunn Clachan Gàidhealach na h-Albann Nuaidh (Nova Scotia Highland Village Society), 2002. Gaelic Council), Council of Nova Scotia Archives (CNSA), Naidheachd a’ Chlachain (The Village News) is published in Iona, Nova Scotia twice each year by the Nova Genealogical Assoc. of Nova Scotia Highland Village Society. Comments, suggestions and contributions are welcomed. Scotia (GANS), Nova Scotia Genealogy Network Assoc., Mailing Address: Society for the Study of 4119 Rathad 223 4119 Highway 223 Architecture in Canada,Assoc. of Iona NS B2C 1A3 Iona NS B2C 1A3 Living Historical Farms and Canada Canada Agricultural Museums (ALH- FAM),Tourism Industry Assoc. of Location: Editor & Layout: Nova Scotia (TIANS), Baddeck & 4119 Rathad 223 4119 Highway 223 Rodney Chaisson Area Business Tourism Sanndraigh,Alba Nuadh Iona, Nova Scotia Contributors: Association (BABTA) and Jim Watson, Frances MacEachen & Keith Branigan Printing: Tourism Cape Breton. Guthan/Telephone: (902) 725-2272 Facs/Fax: (902) 725-2227 City Printers Limited, Sydney Colophon: [email protected] Naidheachd a’ Chlachain is created in http://highlandvillage.museum.gov.ns.ca Quark XPress™ 4.1 on a Macintosh PowerBook G3. Most of the photo- ISSN # 1201-4974 graphs are digital images taken with an Mailed under Canada Post Canadian Publications Olympus C2020-Z digital camera. Tourism and Culture Mail Product Sales Agreement #854441 Page 4 Naidheachd a’ Chlachain (The Village News) From the the many people in Scotland that extend- tunity to participate in the National Pilot ed to us hospitality second to none. Project of the Museums Achievement DIRECTOR’S Tapadh leibh. The full report begins on Program through Museums Alberta. We page 9. were one of five sites from across Canada DESK Also this fall, we embarked on one of to participate in this project, the aim of the most significant planning activities which is to increase museum standards By Rodney Chaisson ever undertaken by the Nova Scotia and recognize excellence in museum Highland Village Society. Catherine Cole, work. There are four units to the pro- elcome to the Winter 2001/2002 Dr. Michael Kennedy and Brian MacKay- gram - Museums & Society, Wissue of Naidheachd a’ Chlachain. Lyons are leading the Highland Village Administration, Collections, and First up, I want to apologize for not pub- through a strategic planning exercise that Interpretation. Each museum in the pilot lishing an edition of this newsletter in will see the development of strategies in project tested one unit. Ours was admin- 2001. In the future, I will strive to ensure five key areas. Their report and recom- istration. I am pleased to report that we that Naidheachd a’ Chlachain continues to mendations, due this winter, will comple- passed with flying colours. be published twice each year. It is ment strategic objectives set by an important communication the Board of Trustees this NEW FACES medium with our mem- past year. There is a full Over the past year, we have had a change bers. update of this process in leadership on the Board of Trustees, This issue of on page 8 of this issue. welcomed a new member to the Naidheachd a’ Chlachain A special issue of Management Team and expanded our is titled Sùil ri buaidh Naidheachd a’ interpretive staff. (pronounced sool ree Chlachain will be Last May, Brian Hussey assumed the boo-eye). It means published this office of President of the Nova Scotia expectations of suc- spring with a com- Highland Village Society. Brian, a techni- cess or an eye to victo- prehensive update cian with CBC Cape Breton, recently ry. Our vision is to on this process. completed the Museum Studies become an international Eilean nan Òg, the Certificate program of the Federation of centre of excellence for Crofting Ruins, brainchild of Gaeltalk Nova Scotian Heritage and has a keen the promotion, interpreta- Baile na Creige Communications, is a interest in the wider heritage community. tion and celebration of Nova Isle of Barra Gaelic youth apprenticeship His main goal as President is to see the Scotia’s Gaelic Culture. Creating a program. This past summer saw Highland Village grow especially in new partnership with the Nova Scotia a third and expanded offering of the pro- terms of our interpretive programming. Museum was the first step in making this gram. As you will be able to tell from Welcome Brian. happen. The current planning process Frances MacEachen’s report and the jour- Brian takes over from Bruce MacNeil, and other new undertakings will help us nal writings from the students (beginning who stepped down after 8 years at the succeed in achieving this vision. on page 6), this program has had a posi- helm. During that period Bruce steered This issue will highlight two signifi- tive impact on how these youth view the Society through some rough patches cant initiatives which will help shape our their Gaelic heritage. The Highland and worked hard to achieve a new status operation and ultimately achieve this Village is pleased to have been part of this with the Nova Scotia Museum. Bruce success: (a) a research trip to Gaelic program and is committed to work with will continue to sit on the Board. Thanks Scotland and (b) the development of a Gaeltalk in keeping it alive. Bruce. long term strategic plan for the Other features in this issue include a Keith Ballantyne joined our Highland Village. selection of Gaelic stories and song col- Management Team last June as the In late September, Gaelic Coordinator lected by Jim Watson, an update on the Operations Manager. Keith comes to us Jim Watson and I undertook a 12 day Barra SEARCH project from with a wealth of experience in research trip to Gaelic Scotland. The itin- Keith Branigan, and news property and operations man- erary took us from the industrial belt of from the past year. agement. Welcome Keith. the Scottish lowlands to the Lochaber As always we welcome Our interpretation was and Baddenoch regions of the Highlands your comments and ideas on enhanced last season with the to the Outer Hebridean Islands of Barra, this and every issue of addition of two new permanent North & South Uist and Benbecula. For Naidheach a’ Chlachain. interpreters - Jean MacNeil of me this trip was a wonderful exposure to Grass Cove and Debi MacNeil a variety of landscapes and peoples in AWARDS & of Big Beach. Welcome to both the land from which our ancestors came. ACHIEVEMENTS Jean and Debi. More importantly, it was an opportunity Also, in reference to Sùil ri There is so much informa- to meet with other Gaelic motivated buaidh, I am very pleased to tion to manage from adminis- organizations and begin to lay the frame- report that the Highland trative files, to photographs, to work for trans-atlantic initiatives in Village Museum/An Clachain digital files, to publications, to Gaelic language promotion and preser- Gàidhealach was awarded a Provincial new library books and more. Ian Baker, vation. A significant portion of this issue Attractions Canada Award in May 2001 at of North Sydney, who has been with us of Naidheachd a’ Chlachain has been set a gala in Halifax. Our award was in the off and on for the past three years with aside to report on this trip and the poten- category Developed Outdoor Sites Roots Cape Breton, has joined us to take tial that will come from it. I want to thank (under $1 million). Our sister site, control of these areas.