News Release

Local Archivist Inaugural Winner of Mayor’s Award

(Monday, May 30, 2005) --A Halifax resident is the inaugural winner of the first Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual to a Museum or Archives. She was among 12 nominations submitted for the award from throughout HRM.

Mrs. Amy ( Tinker ) McKay was presented the Award in the Mayor’s office today. She has been the quiet force behind the recovery, restoration and preservation of the St. Paul’s Church archives. These date back to the founding day of the former City of Halifax, and chronicle not only the life of the church, but that of the city and the province.

In 1994, Ms. McKay began to search for information in St. Paul’s records. She found them to be in disarray, poorly housed and in danger of being damaged. Through her efforts, the records were re-housed, conserved and protected. In 1999, she was recognized by the provincial archival community for her work.

The Mayor’s Award has been created to recognize the dedication of staff and volunteers in the care of the municipality’s heritage resources. It is awarded in association with International Museum Day on May 18th, which recognizes that “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, co-operation and peace among peoples”. The theme for 2005 is “Museums Bridging Cultures.”

HRM’s heritage community includes 78 museums, archives, heritage societies and groups. Their work contributes to the definition of a distinctive municipal identity. A recent survey indicates that 50% of Nova Scotians have visited a museum in the past year. In addition, heritage draws 600,000 visitors annually to Nova Scotia, who contribute to the province’s $1.3 billion tourism industry.

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Mayor Peter Kelly

(902) 490-4010