I would like to inform honourable colleagues about an event, sponsored and organized by the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, designed to help develop our provincial craft industry.

The craft industry provides employment to more than 2,000 people in Newfoundland and Labrador, many in rural areas, and is worth an estimated $38 million with the potential to grow substantially.

To support the growth of the craft industry, INTRD holds an annual trade show and conference for local craft producers. This weekend, March 24-25, we will host the 14^th Annual Provincial Craft Trade Show and Marketing Conference at the Holiday Inn in St. John�s.

The show will feature 39 exhibitors of high quality Newfoundland and Labrador craft and attracts over 100 wholesale buyers from craft and gift shops from across the province who will place orders for the coming season.

Through this event, craft producers have a dedicated venue through which to sell their products to wholesale buyers. We also use this event as an opportunity to provide the industry with professional development seminars. As with previous years, awards for Best Booth and the Heather Stone Award for Best New Product will be presented.

The quality products made by Newfoundland and Labrador craft producers are being recognized outside of this province. Last month, two local companies and a College of the North Atlantic student won awards at the Atlantic Craft Trade Show in Halifax.

Scraps of Beachside won the Award in Excellence in Product Design. Abbyshot Clothiers Limited of Mount Pearl won the Award in Excellence for Outstanding Exporter. Gillian Slaney, a College of the North Atlantic student in St. John's, won the Heather Stone Emerging Artist Award.

2007 has been named Year of the Craft in Canada. This government recognizes the value of the craft industry to this province and is proud to support its growth. I congratulate all Newfoundland and Labrador craft producers on their quality, creativity and achievement.

2007 03 23 1:55 p.m.