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August 6, 1997
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)


Farewell to the Matthew

After a 47-day tour of Newfoundland and Labrador, the 15th century-style caravel Matthew will bid farewell to the province on August 9.

The Matthew will conclude its Cabot 500 tour amid fanfare and fireworks when it departs Trinity at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 9. Entertainment will continue throughout the day and evening, leading up to the actual farewell ceremony at 9:00 pm August 9, to conclude with fireworks and a grand finale Matthew Visit concert by the Irish Descendants.

"The Matthew visit has been a great success, and a wonderful focal point of our Cabot 500 Anniversary Celebrations," says Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister Sandra Kelly.

"Leading up to the Trinity departure, over 75,000 people have actually toured the vessel, with close to 400,000 participating in Matthew site activities over 16 ports of call," she added.

Participating in the Trinity departure ceremony will be Fred Mifflin, Minister of Veterans' Affairs, Honourable Max House, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, Doug Oldford, MHA - Trinity, and Alfonso Gagliano, federal Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister Responsible for the Royal Canadian Mint.

The Trinity event gets underway with the arrival of the Matthew at Trinity Harbour at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 8, and an array of entertainment and dramatic performances will be ongoing until the spirited departure festivities at 9 p.m on Saturday night.

The departure ceremonies will also feature the unveiling of the Royal Canadian Mint's commemorative coin, and Trinity will also be the site of the screening of the John Cabot Heritage Minute by the Charles R. Bronfman (CRB) Foundation.

Minister Gagliano will make a special presentation of the Royal Canadian Mint's Cabot Coin to members of the Matthew's trans-Atlantic crew. As well, a commemorative coin will be presented to the province. The 1997 proof silver 10 cent coin has been created to acknowledge the 500th anniversary of John Cabot's (Giovanni Caboto) Canadian Landfall. The coin will sport a contemporary effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on one side, with the image gracing the other side to be unveiled during the Matthew Departure Ceremony.

Tom Axworthy, Executive Director of the CRB Foundation will be on hand at Trinity to present the John Cabot Heritage Minute. This is the newest of a series of 60-second mini-movies which animate the lives of notable Canadian people and events from the past.

The Heritage Minutes are presented in French and English and are broadcast on all major television networks and in some movie theatres across Canada.

"The departure promises to be the sentimental highlight of the entire tour as we bid farewell to the Matthew, a brave little ship which has captured the imaginations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in this Cabot 500 year," Minister Kelly added.

Contact: Doug Burgess, Manager of Communications, Cabot 500 Celebrations, (709)729-4247.

1997 08 06 2:10 p.m.

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