NLIS 13
March 30, 2006
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)
The Right Choices:
Newfoundland and Labrador: Vibrant and Strong
The Williams government is committed to
the further development of our cultural and tourism industries and to
promoting the benefits of recreation and sport to all residents. Budget
2006 will invest $15.55 million this year to support this vision of a
more prosperous, creative, healthy Newfoundland and Labrador.
"This represents strategic and aggressive
investment in promising and dynamic sectors that affect people in every
region of the province," said Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism,
Culture and Recreation.
"We want to support economic growth and
employment in the tourism industry, as well as cultivate contemporary
arts and preserve our cultural heritage. At the same time, we want to
celebrate our talented athletes and promote active living to all
residents. These investments protect our past legacy, celebrate our
identity and pave the way for an exciting and healthy future."
Developing our Cultural Sector
As previously announced, Budget 2006 allocates investment of $8.5
million this year, and $17.6 million over the next three years, to
support the continued success and growth of professional artists and
cultural industries in the province through the adoption of the
province�s first strategic cultural plan; Creative Newfoundland and
Labrador: The Blueprint for Development and Investment in Culture.
This represents $6.3 million in new investment and $2.2 million
continued investment in the film and music industries.
Key investments include:
Support for Artists and Cultural
Industries: Government will provide $3.9 million under Budget 2006 in
direct support of professional artists and the creative process, and the
continued growth of cultural industries. Highlights include:
- Increased investment in the Arts and
Letters Awards by $50,000 annually, almost doubling its allocation;
- An additional $300,000 in 2006 for
the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council. In fact, government will
double the budget of the arts council within three years, bringing
its total budget to $1.8 million;
- $200,000 boost in 2006 for the
Cultural Economic Development Program; and,
- $3.25 million to develop our
cultural industries, including the fields of music, publishing, film
and video and export development.
Preserving, Strengthening and Celebrating
our Heritage: Government will commit $760,000 to help fund heritage
organizations, community museums and archives, as well for research and
development in the heritage sector. Highlights include:
$300,000 this year, doubling last
year�s budget, in core funding for heritage sites and community
museums and archives; and,
The development of a heritage
framework, a cultural tourism strategy and an expanded archaeology
program.
Strengthening Key Cultural
Infrastructure: Government has committed $3.8 million in 2006 towards
improving and revitalizing the province�s Arts and Culture Centres,
provincial historic sites, regional museums, and other cultural
institutions, including:
$1,350,000 for improvements at the
Arts and Culture Centres;
$500,000 to renovate and expand the
LSPU Hall;
$790,000 in provincial historic
sites and regional museums, with a total investment of $4,174,000
over three years;
$500,000 in 2006 to develop plans to
restore and interpret the Colonial Building; and,
$125,000 for infrastructure
improvements and interpretation at the Corner Brook Museum, with a
total investment of $325,000 over two years
Growing Our Tourism Industry
Tourism is an integral economic engine
with visitor expenditures exceeding $800 million a year. Newfoundland
and Labrador offers an incredibly unique travel experience. Budget 2006
invests $4.5 million to further develop the tourism industry. Highlights
include:
$2.1 million infusion into the
marketing and product development budget, bringing the total budget
to $10 million, in order to enhance the province�s tourism potential
and remain competitive;
$1 million this year to add
additional campsites and construct comfort stations at Butter
Provincial Park and Squires Memorial Provincial Park; construct a
comfort station and dumping station at Pinware River Provincial
Park; build dumping stations at Frenchman�s Cove Provincial Park and
J. T. Cheeseman Provincial Park. An additional $389,500 is included
in this year�s budget for operational funding for our parks system;
$1.6 million over two years to
create leading edge and technologically-based provincial visitor
information centres; and,
$482,500 over three years to support
the creation and operation of a new visitor information centre at
St. John�s Airport in partnership with the City of St. John�s and
the St. John�s Airport Authority.
Enhancing Sport
Budget 2006 provides $2.55 million to
champion our athletes and to support opportunities for Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians to participate in organized sport and recreational
activities. Highlights include:
$700,000 this year for a total
renewed provincial contribution of $2 million towards the creation
and operation of a new Provincial Training Centre to ensure our
talented athletes have an appropriate training facility.
$400,000 per year to cover a
three-year extension of the Bilateral Agreement-National Sports
Policy program which is cost-shared with the federal government.
This program offsets the costs of hosting regional games and the
Festival of Sport program. It also assists sports teams traveling to
national championships.
Media contact: Susanne Hiller,
Communications, (709) 729-0928, 728-7762
2006 03 30
2:30 p.m. |
