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November 12, 1997
(COOPERATION Agreement)

Flowers Island Lighthouse another scenic stop along the Viking Trail

The Flowers Island Lighthouse, just off the shore in Nameless Cove, may no longer serve as a beacon for mariners but with support from the Canada/Newfoundland Strategic Regional Diversification Agreement (SRDA) the lighthouse will now lure tourists from the Viking Trail and into this Great Northern Peninsula community.

The announcement was made by Gerry Byrne, MP for Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte on behalf of Fred Mifflin, Minister for Veterans Affairs and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Beaton Tulk, provincial Minister of Development and Rural Renewal. Financial support amounting to $72,450 will be administered by the Straits Development Association to construct an interpretation site and viewing area on the shores of Nameless Cove.

"Great things are happening along the Great Northern Peninsula's Viking Trail in the field of tourism. The Flower's Island Lighthouse will serve as another link in the ever-strengthening chain of attractions along the trail," said Mr. Byrne. "These initiatives are presenting private sector entrepreneurs with opportunities for growth to the point that the tourism sector is now the fastest growing employer on the Great Northern Peninsula."

The development of site interpretation and viewing areas along the Viking Trail lends itself well to the marketing strategy used for the trail. Canadian Heritage, the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, and the Viking Trail Tourism Association all aggressively market this region of the province. Plans for the property in Nameless Cove will serve the R/V and bus tour operators who are increasingly identifying the Viking Trail as a destination of choice.

Mr. Tulk said: "Sound economic development projects are built on the strengths of the community. This initiative draws on our historic attachment to the sea and our growing expertise in the tourism sector. The results will be increased opportunity for the private sector and new employment opportunities for residents of the Great Northern Peninsula."

The Nameless Cove site was one identified in a landscape architect design study in 1995. The study was conducted under the Viking Trail Tourism Accord to identify new tourism attractions between the world class heritage sites at Port au Choix and L'anse aux Meadows.

The Strategic Regional Diversification Agreement is a 70:30 cost-shared agreement between the federal and provincial governments respectively. The agreement is administered federally by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and provincially by the Department of Development and Rural Renewal.

Contact:

Paul Murphy
COOPERATION Communication
(709) 772-0219

or

Clifford Grinling
Department of Development and Rural Renewal
(709) 729-7066