April 7, 1998
(COOPERATION Agreement)

Living Heritage Village to be completed

The Cape Freels Heritage Trust Inc. has received support in the amount of $492,000 to complete the development of a Living Heritage Village in Newtown which will celebrate the fishing and sealing heritage along that portion of the province's coast. The trust has already acquired and restored a number of properties in the area including the Alpheaus Barbour House, the Barbour Waterfront Premises and the Greenspond Courthouse. The completed Heritage Village will serve as the newest anchor tourist attraction along the Kittiwake Trail and is expected to generate $1.4 million annually for the local economy by its fifth year of operation.

Today's announcement of support from the Strategic Regional Diversification Agreement (SRDA) was made by Fred Mifflin, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and Beaton Tulk, Minister of Development and Rural Renewal.

"This project is a fine example of a wise public expenditure that is already paying back economic dividends to the communities along this coast," said Mifflin referring to the SRDA's $600,000 commitment to the project two years ago. "The Cape Freels Heritage Trust has implemented the first phase of this development in a professional and productive manner that deserves recognition. They have capitalized on the growing realization that regions of our province must work together, to compete in the ever-more competitive sectors of the emerging global economy - be those sectors tourism, the fishery or information technology."

This phase of development will result in a visitors' reception centre renovated from an existing building in the area. The centre will serve as an entry and exit point for the village. The trust will lease a portion of the building to the private sector to operate a marine aquarium. Another existing building will be renovated to house a general store, also to be leased to a private sector operator. Plans also call for the renovation of a liver factory and a fisherman's stage to the turn of the century state.

"This project demonstrates our commitment to job creation and economic diversification," said Minister Tulk. "Through this project the Cape Freels Heritage Trust will maintain seven seasonal positions, create 15 short-term jobs and provide the private sector with the opportunity to create over 40 seasonal positions in the tourism service sector. He noted that in addition to developing local restoration skills, this project includes the design of computer and audio visual presentations related to the history of the Kittiwake Trail and thematic and interpretative displays. "These types of new skills are becoming increasingly necessary in today's competitive markets," said Minister Tulk.

The Strategic Regional Diversification Agreement is a federal/provincial agreement, cost-shared on a 70:30 basis by both orders of government 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 Communications, (709) 772-0219
Clifford Grinling, Development and Rural Renewal, (709) 729-7066