Growing Interest in Cambrian Explosion at Fortune Head Results in Expansion

To improve the scope of programs and activities that tell the story of a key period in the earth�s history, the Fortune Head Interpretation Centre is undergoing an expansion with a $100,000 investment from the Provincial Government. The centre interprets the geological and paleontological significance of the Fortune Head Ecological Reserve � the world�s foremost location to view the Cambrian explosion, the seemingly rapid appearance of most major groups of complex animals more than 500 million years ago.

�The Fortune Head Ecological Reserve is widely-recognized as the pre-eminent site to view fossils that represent the geological boundary between the Precambrian and Cambrian periods,� said the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Innovation Trade and Rural Development. �The high accessibility of the site is increasingly attracting people from across the globe. To accommodate this growing interest, expansion of the Fortune Head Interpretation Centre will enable improved programming and activities to be delivered, enhancing the visitor experience and providing much needed infrastructure.�

Officially opened in 2007, the Fortune Head Interpretation Centre is owned by the Town of Fortune, and operated by the Fortune Head ECO Friends Inc. With increased capacity, the Fortune Head ECO Friends Inc. will be able to accommodate travelling exhibits from other museums, new programming and activities, and an environment that encourages visitors to learn and explore.

�We appreciate this funding and acknowledge its benefit in providing additional space to adequately support future programming and development of the Fortune Head Interpretation Centre,� said Alex Noseworthy, Mayor, Town of Fortune. �It is hoped that this expansion will also provide employment opportunities within the community.�

�Fortune Head ECO Friends is elated with the expansion of the Fortune Head Interpretation Centre,� said Kim Price, Committee Chairperson, Fortune Head ECO Friends Inc. �As we move to promote the significance of the Fortune Head Ecological Reserve, additional space will ensure enhancement and development of programming that will provide visitors with a memorable experience.�

Fortune Head is a rugged cape at the southwestern edge of Newfoundland and Labrador�s Burin Peninsula, just 1.6 kilometres west of the Town of Fortune. In 1992, the International Union of Geological Scientists selected Fortune Head as the best example in the world of this significant stratotype, which serves as a reference section for a particular boundary on the geologic time scale. The only other world-class examples from this period are in Russia and China.

�This is an exciting initiative for the Town of Fortune and the surrounding communities,� said the Honourable Darin King, MHA, Grand Bank. �The centre�s expansion will help raise awareness of the ecological reserve and attracting visitors to the area. Through its expansion, the long-term viability of the centre is significantly improved.�

In 2004, the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development invested $50,000 for the initial construction of the centre.

This initiative was funded through the Regional/Sectoral Diversification Fund (RSDF), which through Budget 2009: Building on Our Strong Foundation was increased to an $8 million fund. Administered by the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, the RSDF provides non-repayable contributions to economic development agencies and community groups for initiatives that address regional and sectoral development and diversification.

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2009 07 16                          11:20 a.m.