Well, that was nice - Excerpt from Hansard April 26, 2007

Speaker: The hon. Member from Crapaud-Hazel Grove.

Ms. Bertram: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would also like to extend best wishes to all the students and teachers and their educational systems that are working hard on projects in the various schools across the province. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect the community to arts. Through the foundation and support to the Department of Education, it is providing wonderful opportunities to our children across the province from grade 1 to grade 12.

What’s also important, not only are we looking to the ArtsSmarts program, but we’re also looking towards supporting our initiatives in the schools and into the communities. The community 2006 consultations by the PEI Council of the Arts talks about opportunities for our youth and our communities and in the school system, and the professional nature of the arts and how - there are so many artisans in our various communities, urban and rural, in the province, but they’re getting older. We need to ensure that the next generation is taking on those artistic traits.

I think we need to certainly look at the consultations that the arts council did. Darren White, their executive director, does great work and does certainly - anything will support arts in Prince Edward Island. I hope that the minister will continue to support art opportunities in the schools.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My brain hurts...

My brain hurts when I think of everything I ought to have posted but didn’t in the flurry of activity as the Council hit year end, the Board considered some proposals to go the membership, my annual performance review (went well, thank you) and, of course, preparations for the annual audit.

At any rate, it’s time to get back on the blog with my miscellaneous notes on this and that. More to come…

Three Years In...

Today marks the end of my third year at the Council and the start of my fourth. According to some lists, that makes me the third longest serving ED in the Council’s history. Something of an achievement I suppose.

Being an “anniversary” it provides an opportunity to look back over these last three years and remark (to myself) on the changes and progress that’s been made. Are there some highlights you might ask? Sure, plenty, but the things I’m most happy with are not what you might expect. #1 Achievement – Stability. The Council has a Governance, is fiscally sound, and has a Strategic Plan (as of last night – April 01 is the date for the public release).

You just can’t build a thing on a foundation that is shaky or insufficiently strong as to support a growing structure. Now, on the cusp of my fourth year, I am satisfied that the work that needed to be done to build, or rebuild a solid foundation for this organization is largely complete. Sure, there are still some issues here and there, the Bylaws need an update. But on the whole, I’m happy. PEI and the PEI Council of the Arts has provided me with a challenging, and rewarding three years, and I’m looking forward to a few more.