The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Immigration, Skills and Labour today announced $433,500 over two years to support the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador’s heritage conservation training initiative.
Funded through the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Development Agreement, the training will build local conservation knowledge and skills, reducing the need to bring in expensive expertise from outside the province. This includes critical aspects of heritage conservation, such as restoring historic masonry and plasterwork, lime-based mortars and historic wooden windows and millwork.
The training will also help preserve many of the traditional life and work skills once common throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. While some of these skills such as knitting continue to flourish, others are at risk of disappearing and reviving them could present unique cultural and economic opportunities.
The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is an agency created under the Historic Resources Act. The objectives of the foundation are to stimulate an understanding of and an appreciation for the architectural heritage of the province; support and contribute to the preservation, maintenance and restoration of buildings and other structures of architectural or historical significance in the province; and contribute to the increase and diffusion of knowledge about the architectural heritage of the province.
Quotes
“Newfoundlanders and Labradorians share a strong sense of who we are in large part thanks to the diverse traditions we enjoy in the beautiful communities we call home. It takes highly specialized skills to preserve and promote our wealth of historic architecture and cultural activities and our government is very pleased to invest in the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador’s efforts to ensure we have the skills and knowledge to make the most of our heritage right here.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Immigration, Skills and Labour
“The preservation of our built heritage is such an integral part of what the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador does. By providing this funding, we are able to help progress the critical work they are doing as well as expanding skill sets of heritage workers in our province.”
Honourable Bernard Davis
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation
“This funding will help Heritage NL immensely as it seeks to develop much-needed heritage conservation skills and ensure that traditional skills and crafts, once an important part of our economy and culture but that we are now at risk of losing, are preserved. This funding will also support a current initiative of Heritage NL to identify traditional skills and crafts in the province that we are at risk. Keeping these skills alive and finding new ways to put them to use are critical. The training we will offer should also open up employment opportunities, particularly for a new generation of traditional skills practitioners.”
Jerry Dick, Executive Director
Heritage NL
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Media contact
Ryan Crocker
Immigration, Skills and Labour
709-729-1795, 725-9595
ryancrocker@gov.nl.ca
Kathryn Summers
Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation
709-729-4819, 699-6147
kathrynsummers@gov.nl.ca
Jerry Dick
Heritage NL
709-739-1892, ext. 1
jerry@heritagenl.ca