Attractions Canada Award Winners

I would like to inform my honourable colleagues that last night at the Attractions Canada Awards Gala in Halifax, our Cape St. Mary�s Ecological Reserve received the national award for best Natural Outdoor Site with an area less than 100 square kilometres. This is one of only seven national awards given by Attractions Canada.

Attractions Canada is a program spearheaded by Montreal-based Attractions Canada in partnership with the Canadian Tourism Commission, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Canadian Heritage and others. The purpose of the program is to highlight and promote the diversity of tourism and heritage activities, events and attractions, and to encourage Canadians to be tourists in their own country.

The Attractions Canada Awards Program has various categories for which the public and tourism industry can nominate provincial attractions and events. In total this year, there were 98 winning attractions at the provincial and territorial level throughout the country. The Newfoundland and Labrador provincial recipients include:

• Colony of Avalon Archaeological Site, in the category of Developed Outdoor Site with an operating budget less than $1 million;
• Newfoundland Insectarium, for an Indoor Site with an operating budget less than $400,000;
• Annual Brigus Blueberry Festival, won the Cultural Event with an operating budget less than $350,000;
• Viking Trail Tourism Association-Vikings! 1000 Years, also won the Cultural Event category but in the operating budget of more than $350,000;
• TRI-FEST, a week long event surrounding the International Triathlon Union Cup in Corner Brook this past summer, won for best Sporting Event with an operating budget of more than $110,000;
• Norstead: A Real Life Saga - took the award for New Attraction; and

• Cape St. Mary�s Ecological Reserve also received the provincial award for Natural Outdoor Site.

A national jury made up of five individuals representing tourism, media and business circles were given the responsibility of selecting seven national winners from the 98 provincial and territorial recipients. It has been a great opportunity to build Newfoundland and Labrador�s profile and benchmark our products against the best tourism and heritage attractions in Canada.

I know I join with my colleagues in congratulating the seven provincial winners from Newfoundland and Labrador and our management and staff of the Cape St. Mary�s Ecological Reserve for their prestigious national award.

Tourism is a strong, vibrant and growing industry in this province. I would like to encourage all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to make time this summer to visit the parks, natural areas and scenic attractions throughout the province and see the impressive and award-winning sites and sounds our beautiful province offers.

2001 05 24                                               2:05 p.m.