Elimination of the Provincial Archival Development Program (PADP)
On Tuesday, February 24, the CNSA Executive was informed that Service Nova Scotia has eliminated the Provincial Archival Development Program (PADP) as part of recent provincial budget cuts. We were not consulted in advance. While we were told that PADP was under review, we were given no indication that it was at risk of being cut.
While many arts, culture, and heritage organizations are facing cutbacks to their operational funding, we were relieved to learn that CCTH has not reduced the CNSA’s operating grant. We will continue to be here to serve and support you, come what may.
This news comes amid a broader contraction in heritage funding, both provincially and nationally.
As you know, the Province announced it will be closing 12 Nova Scotia Museum sites, and the Community Museums Assistance Program (CMAP) has been cut by 20%. Since nearly three-quarters of our members are also museums, we know the cuts to the museum sector will significantly impact our membership.
What’s more, as some of you may have heard, Library and Archives Canada recently announced they have discontinued the Documentary Heritage Communities Program(DHCP). At the federal level, DHCP was the only grant program specifically focused on archival records. Taken together with PADP, these losses and reductions significantly weaken the infrastructure supporting preservation and access to our documentary heritage both provincially and nationally.
We recognize the significance of PADP to our full Institutional members.
For decades, you have relied on this unique funding program to advance preservation, arrangement and description, and access initiatives in your archives. PADP was also unique in that it was open to many archives that are ineligible for other provincial or federal grants. Its loss may be especially difficult for you; that reality will inform our advocacy efforts.
We also recognize that since eligibility for PADP was a key benefit of full Institutional membership, this change may warrant a review of our membership structure. Any ideas or proposed changes will be brought to members for consultation well before they are tabled for a vote at an AGM.
In the immediate term, we are focused on advocacy and member support.
Over the past year, we have developed a strong working relationship with CCTH and will bring your concerns forward clearly and directly. We will:
- Raise awareness of how recent cuts to museums affect the archival sector.
- Ensure that archives remain eligible for existing and future provincial culture and heritage funding.
- Advocate that core archival functions—such as global preservation assessments and arrangement and description projects—are recognized as eligible activities within existing and future funding programs.
- Compile and share alternative funding opportunities where available.
We invite members to join us on Zoom Friday, March 6, at 10:00 am to discuss the impacts of PADP’s elimination.
Check your email for the Zoom link or contact Sharon, our Archives Advisor.
Specifically, we’d like to hear from you:
- How can we effectively represent your concerns to government about PADP’s elimination and the sectoral cuts more broadly? What do you want us to tell them?
- Are there recent PADP-funded projects that have demonstrated impact on your community, which we can reference in our advocacy efforts?
Last but certainly not least, to members whose jobs are at risk because of the provincial cuts, please know that the CNSA remains committed to supporting you. If you would like to stay connected to the archival community, please reach out to Sharon.
Sincerely,
Catherine Fancy, CNSA President
On behalf of the CNSA Executive Committee and Sharon Murray, CNSA’s Archives Advisor