The following statement was issued today by Rick Woodford, Minister of Works, Services and Transportation. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

I would like to invite all Honourable Members to our annual Christmas Lights Across Canada Ceremony being held tonight in front of East Block.

This is the 14^th year the province will be participating in this national tree lighting ceremony. The Christmas Lights Across Canada Ceremony is coordinated by the National Capital Commission in Ottawa and is celebrated by provincial and territorial capitals.

Tonight as Newfoundland and Labrador marks the beginning of the Christmas season, so will Parliament Hill and other provinces and territories in similar celebrations to the one we have planned for tonight.

Premier Tulk will be joining me in the festivities tonight when we light up approximately 45,000 lights on Confederation Hill and along the Prince Philip Parkway. Joining us in lighting up their facilities for Christmas is the College of the North Atlantic, Memorial University, the Health Sciences Centre and Signal Hill.

My department has also placed lights on public buildings in Clarenville, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor, Corner Brook, Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Wabush.

The ceremony at Confederation Hill tonight begins at 6:15 p.m. with entertainment by the St Pius X Elementary School Choir. The Salvation Army St. John's Citadel Band will also perform. Refreshments will be served after we have turned on the lights.

I hope to see members back here at the building tonight to help us celebrate Christmas both here in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada.

2009 12 07              2:00 p.m.