March 22, 2000
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)

On March 10, 2000, Minister Charles Furey announced $400,000 in funding for the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. The one-time contribution will be applied to the educational, commemorative and granting efforts which the foundation undertakes to ensure that important buildings are preserved in their original state. Government recognizes that this level of effort requires sufficient funding.

Heritage concerns our past, who we are and where we have come from. It is our sense of pride in, and knowledge of, the past which roots us in the present and provides direction for the future. During the Jobs and Growth consultations, many individuals and groups stressed that the province has unique resources in the heritage sector and the additional funding to the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador reflects government�s commitment to this critically important sector.

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador was created by government in 1984 to ensure that the province�s traditional architecture is preserved for future generations. The foundation was created as a part of government�s commitment to preserving and protecting our

built heritage, and has been led by dedicated members of the public with a well-deserved reputation for preserving important buildings and districts.

To date, the foundation has designated 194 buildings around the province as registered heritage structures and disbursed $759,000 in restoration grants. The foundation has also prepared inventories of heritage buildings in Bonavista, the Burin peninsula, Twillingate Islands and the heritage conservation area of St. John�s. The foundation plays a leading role in the

formation of a provincial heritage industries association to address heritage issues and speak for heritage enterprises and organizations in the province.

Media contact: Mary MacNab, Communications, (709) 729-0928 or (709) 682-0366.

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