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Soirees and Times to be an exciting part of Soiree '99 Sandra Kelly, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, announced today the development of a new program to establish the traditional Newfoundland and Labrador "time" as a tourism activity across the province. Soirees and Times is part of the provincial government's planning for the Soiree '99 Celebrations. The purpose of the Soirees and Times program is to offer traditional Newfoundland and Labrador food, music and entertainment to resident and nonresident tourists at designated locations throughout the province. "We want to ensure that the `soiree' of Soiree '99 will extend beyond the name of the year's festivities," Minister Kelly said. "There are certain qualities of that we would want to see consistently reflected throughout the province. It's a great way to promote the immense cultural and culinary talent we have here." The traditional Newfoundland and Labrador "time" is a community social gathering that continues to be a part of the cultural heritage of this province. It is an evening of food and entertainment, such as a kitchen party, where people gather to celebrate and socialize as friends and neighbours. There's usually dancing, music and song to be found as well as recitations of stories and poems, and good Newfoundland and Labrador food. The Soiree '99 Special Celebrations Agency is currently seeking expressions of interest from potential operators who would like to become involved with the program. Potential operators of Soirees and Times will come from a variety of backgrounds including the restaurant business, the hotel industry, various community groups and individual operators. There are a number of existing events across the province that could potentially qualify as Soirees and Times. Minister Kelly said it is her department's intention to include a wide range of events, to be officially designated as a "time" or "soiree" and to be listed in the Newfoundland and Labrador Travel Guide that will be published for Soiree '99 The program for Soirees and Times has been developed and several pilot programs are operating during the summer of 1998. Soiree '99 is now requesting expressions of interest from potential operators for the 1999 season. Successful operators will be able to offer this product on a permanent basis. Anyone interested in operating a Soirees and Times event should contact the Soiree '99 office at 729-1999 for the program information. Contact: Dean Williams Doug Burgess 1998 08 31 4:15 p.m.
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