St. John�s Harbour #1 Priority under Strategic Infrastructure Fund

At a news conference today, Premier Roger Grimes confirmed that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will honour its commitment of $31 million for the St. John�s Harbour Clean-Up project.

Premier Grimes was joined by Oliver Langdon, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, Andy Wells, Mayor of St. John�s, Dave Denine, Mayor of Mount Pearl, and Fred Brown, Deputy Mayor of Paradise. Many of the MHAs whose districts are in the capital region were also present.

"No more, will the harbour of our capital city be an embarrassment and a disgrace," said Premier Grimes. "We are going to fix it together. The benefits of this project are beyond question. First and foremost is the health of our residents and visitors and the protection of our environment. There are also economic benefits. With adventure tourism increasing in popularity and the expanding interest of the cruise ship industry, many people are in search of a place of natural beauty. Newfoundland and Labrador has this."

The Premier continued: "Our economy is growing. Our commitment to real change supports the continued revitalization of the downtown area of our capital city, and the economic development of untapped opportunities on the waterfront."

Premier Grimes added: "The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador continues to be supportive of the efforts of the mayors and people of St. John�s, Mount Pearl and Paradise and the St. John�s Harbour ACAP Inc., in their efforts to make this project a reality," and he commended them for their "persistence and hard work."

Minister Langdon was pleased to join the Premier as the province reaffirmed its commitment to the project. "Let there be no doubt about this government�s commitment to a safe and clean environment."

The three municipalities of St. John�s, Mount Pearl, and Paradise also confirmed their financial support today for this important environmental initiative.

The Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund is specifically for large-scale infrastructure that is beyond the scope and capacity of existing programs. This program is for projects of major national and regional significance in areas that are vital to sustaining economic growth and supporting an enhanced quality of life.

Media contact:

Carl Cooper, Office of the Premier, (709) 729-3960
Lynn Hammond, Municipal and Provincial Affairs, (709) 729-1983

2002 10 07                                      10:15 a.m.