A 26-metre blue whale being exhumed in western P.E.I. is a provincial treasure that shouldn't be handed to British Columbia, says Conservative Mike Currie.
During question period Friday, Currie called on Premier Robert Ghiz, Tourism Minister Valerie Docherty and Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram to do something to stop the big blue whale from being exported to Canada's west coast. He said they have let this "treasure" walk off P.E.I. like a load of gravel.
"This is a Prince Edward Island artifact," Currie said from the floor of historic Province House.
"This is a treasure and we're allowing this treasurer to leave this province."
Dr. Andrew Trites, a University of British Columbia (UBC) professor, is leading a 10-member team that is now collecting the bones of the blue whale.
UPEI and Holland College also has 30 students and staff assisting with the project.
The process from digging up the whale to having its skeleton ready to be put on display will cost about $600,000. The glass atrium being constructed to house the whale will cost close to $3 million.
Bertram said the deal to hand the whale to UBC was made after it came ashore 20 years ago.
She said the university paid for the burial with the understanding that it would return to exhume the carcass.
The minister said one also has to realize the size of the whale. It is the same length as two school buses parked end-to-end.
"The whale is not native to Prince Edward Island," she said.
There are only 20 blue whale skeletons on display around the world. The P.E.I. whale will become the fourth largest on display.
P.E.I. does get to keep something - the blubber.
The agreement signed 20 years ago allows "any flesh flensed or otherwise removed from the blue whale must be deposited back into the hole from which it was removed."
"It is an important artifact. I think it should be preserved here," said Currie.
"But apparently from the answers from the premier, and the other two ministers, is very little work has been done on it. The only thing they want to seem to keep here is whatever flesh is
left after the bones are gone . . ."
Currie said an atrium could have been constructed in Tignish to display the whale, which would have increased tourism in western P.E.I.
He said Island students, especially those at the Atlantic Vet College could have benefited by having it on display in P.E.I.
"We can build buildings here to the same size as British Columbia."
wthibodeau@theguardian.pe.ca
Dead blue whale a 'national treasure'
Dead blue whale a 'national treasure'
- Published on May 17th, 2008
- Published on June 14th, 2010
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Wayne Thibodeau
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Comments
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- lou lou annie
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:43:15
Yes save the bones of a whale, while our we have leaky buildings with our museum pieces stored in it. Maybe mike should stop and think about where it would be put......Let them have it....Pei couldnt even take ownership of digging a hole and putting it in, how on earth would we afford to store it now that its being dug up. Never mind that our word was given that they could have it. Why would you even mention preserving it here ? I would be shaking their hand, telling them that 20 yrs ago they made a good business decision...
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- c.a.
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:36:47
Yeah, it would be nice if this whale could be exhibited here on pei, but where? We don't have a building large enough to do so, are the Island taxpayers willing to put out 2 or 3 million dollars for such a building, I think not. Good go, British Columbia, at least this animal will not be going to waste, at least it is staying in Canada. Then there's Currie blowing off wind about letting it leave the Island, well Mr. Currie, your gov't was in power long enough, not a word from you at that time so don't bother getting on the soap box now, just makes you look like the fool you are.
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- nate
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:25:04
It was buried for 20 years...and now that someone else wants is all of a sudden it's a treasure that the Island shouldn't let go of? Are you kidding me? What would PEI have done with it if no one had showed interest in it? It would have stayed buried in the sand and rotted like it has been doing.
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- J
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:24:47
May to too fargone now though, there was one washed up at lakeside about 15 years ago as well.. not sure what kind it was, but not as big.. I still hate walking across the place it was buried.. waiting for a soft sink hole to develop and suck me into the rotting carcus..
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- Rob
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:20:21
It's going where it should go--to a place that has the people and knowledge to prepare it for display in a place where lots of people visit daily. Just imagine the project in the hands of the PEI government. Just imagine.
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- John
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:14:26
Lets just ask the Norwegian fishing fleet to go and harpoon a fresh one for us.
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- Longer memory
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:12:25
I think it would be an amazing tourist attraction, but Mr. Currie, your party was in power a long time while the whale lay buried and no one from your party thought to dig it up, or to make some alternate arrangements. If the university paid to bury the whale on condition they could have it later, then so be it. I think anyone interested in the whale and the operation of digging it up and removing the bones should go to the site NOW before it is too late. Great outing for the school kids at the end of the year, is it not?
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- Be Nice
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:01:52
It never ceases to amaze me how nasty the people of PEI have become. Maybe it's the lousy climate?
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- mikecurrie
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:51:32
mr currie, you and the rest of your party had 10 yrs to do this, and you did nothing but give away money to your friends.
perhaps its time to wise up and stop playing politics , and get down to the business of helping to run t he province responsibly.
if you cant do that , maybe its time you thought about retiring to the fat pension your going to get for doing basically nothing. -
- o me nerves
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:47:21
6 degrees of separation right ?
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- J
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:43:16
I think it was stupid to make that deal at the time.. BUT we cant back out of a deal 20 years later.. Maybe Mike Currie could get the Ghiz government to go hunt one down thats even bigger? The whale oil could be sold to one of the stove oil companies here and the blubber to the stores for budget meat since the gas prices and heating costs is causing some families not to be able to afford food. Maybe Ghiz could get down with the people and have a whale blubber meal with them while he explains how far down helping the heating/ fuel costs are down on his priority list.
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- My 2 Cents
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:39:20
This 20 year old issue should be as dead as that whale.
National Treasure my patoot!
Can the opposition not come up with something Islanders really care about to argue in th house?
Really now.
Mike Currie and the Conservatives had 11 years to come up with the brilliant idea of building a glass house in Tignish to show off this whale.But they didn't.They buried the whale and were glad it didn't stink.
And now, they want to cast stones at the people who want to preserve and showcase this magnificant animal.
Make up you minds!
Are you all for Islanders or are you instigators for arguments? -
- TO Currie
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:38:42
Well Curley, Have you not noticed that everything that you, Larry and Moe are protesting about was caused by yourselves when you were in power.
Shake you heads?? -
- J
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:37:44
John G: Why bother with the norwegians when we have inmates wanting something to do.. lets give them a boat, few large harpoons, guns, food and set them free, tell them not to come back until they drag a whale behind them.. the whale oil could be then used to offset the fuel costs at the hollow. Win win solution for everyone ;)
