Nova Scotia Museum Act

Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Nova Scotia Museum Act.

Interpretation

2 In this Act,

(a) "Board" means the Board of Governors of the Museum;

(b) "Museum" means the Nova Scotia Museum. R.S., c. 211, s. 1.

Change of name

3 (1) The name of the Nova Scotia Museum of Science is changed to the Nova Scotia Museum.

Body corporate continued

(2) The Museum shall continue to be a body corporate and shall be administered and conducted in accordance with this Act. R.S., c. 211, s. 2.

Board of Governors

4 (1) The work of the Museum shall be under the general direction and control of a Board of Governors, consisting of the Deputy Minister of Education, who shall be chairman of the Board, and such other persons as the Governor in Council from time to time appoints.

Term of office

(2) The Governor in Council may fix the term of office of any member of the Board at any period not exceeding three years.

Re-appointment

(3) A member of the Board, whose term has expired, is eligible for re-appointment. R.S., c. 211, s. 3.

Director of Museum

5 (1) A Director of the Museum shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Act.

Secretary and ex officio member of Board

(2) The Director shall be ex officio a member of the Board and secretary thereof. R.S., c. 211, s. 4.

Personnel

6 (1) All employees of the Museum shall be appointed in accordance with, and shall be subject to, the Civil Service Act and the regulations made under it.

Deemed public service

(2) For the purposes of the Public Service Superannuation Act, every full-time employee of the Museum, whether heretofore or hereafter appointed, shall be and be deemed to have been a person employed in the public service of the Province, and full-time employment, heretofore or hereafter, in the service of the Museum shall be deemed to be and to have been employment in the public service of the Province. R.S., c. 211, s. 5.

Allowance to member of Board

7 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no member of the Board shall receive any payment or remuneration for his services as a member, but each member shall be entitled to actual and reasonable travelling and living allowances while attending meetings or travelling in the interests of the Museum.

Professional services of member of Board

(2) The Board may engage and pay for the professional services of a member of the Board to carry out a specific investigation or make specific collections on behalf of the Museum. R.S., c. 211, s. 6.

Powers of Board

8 The Board may

(a) operate such museums, branches or other institutions as the Governor in Council places in its care;

(b) administer grants to museums, organizations or individuals for the promoting of the purposes of this Act in such manner as the Governor in Council directs;

(c) co-operate with and assist other bodies engaging in museum activities;

(d) acquire, by purchase, gift, devise, bequest or otherwise, specimens, articles or materials relating to natural or applied science and classify, store, study and exhibit them in any manner that it considers desirable;

(e) acquire, by purchase, gift, devise, bequest or otherwise, specimens, articles or materials relating to human activities in the Province and classify, store, study and exhibit them in any manner that it considers desirable;

(f) engage in activities to advance the general knowledge of the natural and applied sciences and of human activities;

(g) enter into agreements with persons, organizations or corporations to advance the purposes of this Act;

(h) receive, acquire by purchase, donation or lease, hold, preserve, maintain, reconstruct, restore and manage property of historical, architectural and cultural interest for the use, enjoyment and benefit of the people of the Province;

(i) support and contribute to the acquisition, holding, preservation, maintenance, reconstruction, restoration and management of property of historical, architectural and cultural interest by municipalities and by associations whose primary objects are equivalent to those set out in the clause above for the use, enjoyment and benefit of the people of the Province;

(j) identify, mark, acquire, preserve and develop sites of significance to the human history and the natural history of the Province;

(k) publish or cause to be published such information relating to its collections and activities as the Board considers advisable;

(l) perform such other functions as may from time to time be required by the Governor in Council. R.S., c. 211, s. 7; 1972, c. 49, s. 1.

By-laws

9 With the approval of the Governor in Council, the Board may make by-laws for the conduct of its business and for the control and direction of the work of the Museum and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, the Board may make by-laws to

(a) regulate the use of the Museum buildings and their contents;

(b) protect the Museum buildings and the fittings, furniture and contents thereof from injury, destruction or mischief;

(c) enable the officers and servants of the Board to exclude from the said buildings persons violating against the by-laws;

(d) impose penalties, not exceeding the sum of ten dollars, for offences against the by-laws. R.S., c. 211, s. 8.

Reports

10 The Board and the Director shall make such annual or other reports as the Minister of Education from time to time directs. R.S., c. 211, s. 9.

Gift or bequest or trust

11 Any gift, devise, bequest or trust to or for the benefit of the Nova Scotia Museum of Science, the Board of Governors of the Nova Scotia Museum of Science or the Nova Scotia Museum shall be a gift to Her Majesty in right of the Province and shall be exempt from tax under any Act of the Legislature, and shall, subject to its provisions, enure to the benefit of the Museum and shall be held and applied for the purposes of this Act. 1972, c. 49, s. 2.