P.E.I. historians want to hear your thoughts on Canada 150

What does Canada 150 mean to you? That's what the Community Museums Association of P.E.I.wants to know.

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Kelly MacKenzie, executive director of the association, andShana Morrison-Wood, project coordinator, hope to bring Islanders and visitors together to celebrate local and national history.

"To celebrate Canada 150 and bring community museums together through one mutual project," is the goal of the Canada 150 project,Morrison-Wood said.

They're launching the project asa symposium series hosting conversations in museums across P.E.I. and asking visitors what the national event means to them.

'The story of Canada'

There area total of 19 museums participating across the province.

"We set up small exhibits at all of our museums this summer they consist of five artifacts we select because we thought they represent the story of Canada," Morrison-Wood said.

They'remostly smaller community museums, she said, to focus more on the "community aspect of the project."

'What each artifact means'

In each museum, visitors will be able to investigate and reflect on uptofive artifacts.

Once visitors check out the artifacts, Morrison-Woodsaid,they'll be asking people to write down what they think of the artifacts. Writers can then read what others have written, too.

"What we want people to do is take the time to sit down and take their own perspectives," she said, "on what each artifact means to Canada's story."

It's a project designedtosee what Islanders think of the artifacts, MacKenziesaid, and "how they think they represent the story of Canada."

'Inspire some Islanders'

Organizershope to see the varyingperspectives among visitors andwhether they see the artifacts asmore locally significant, or if they see them astelling a story "more broadly of Canada as a country."

The entire project is to"inspire some Islanders to get interested not only in Island history, but in their local museums," MacKenzie said.

It starts this Thurs.,July 27, at theSir Andrew MacPhailHomestead in Orwell, P.E.I.,from 2to 4p.m and runs until Aug. 23.

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