New provincial training facility to be constructed through
Canada/Newfoundland and Labrador Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund

Newfoundland and Labrador athletes will soon have a new place to train thanks in part to a $4 million investment from the Canada/Newfoundland and Labrador Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF). The governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador together with the City of St. John�s in conjunction with Sport Newfoundland and Labrador and the Swilers Rugby Club today announced confirmation of funding for the $6.3 million Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Centre.

�The Government of Canada realizes that the physical health of our citizens is crucial to our well-being as a country,� said Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador on behalf of Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). �This facility will provide the province�s young athletes with a place to strive to achieve their highest potential.�

The facility will be constructed at Crosbie Road in St. John�s, in proximity to existing sports infrastructure including the Swilers Rugby Club and the Wishingwell soccer facility. The new centre will provide a much-needed training facility for the province�s athletes as well as increase provincial sports organizations� ability to host provincial, regional, national and international events.

�This new facility will provide an opportunity for our province�s athletes to train and compete in a first-class training centre year round,� said Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. �The new facility supports efforts to promote physical activity and healthy life choices and sets a new standard for athletic training in the province. The construction of this facility reaffirms the province's commitment from the past two budgets, and we are pleased to see the federal government come on board for this important initiative.�

The new centre will consist of two facilities: a new building will house a boxing/combat room, locker/shower rooms, and a gymnasium large enough to accommodate four basketball courts; an extension to the adjacent Swilers Rugby Club will include a strength and conditioning room, a multi-purpose meeting room and three small offices.

�The City of St. John�s is pleased to see this new addition to the city�s sports infrastructure that will add to the efforts of our provincial sports organizations to attract world-class events,� said Mayor Andy Wells. �This project is a true partnership and we know the City of St. John�s and the people of the entire province will receive economic and health-related benefits and spin-off that will far surpass our investment.�

The federal and provincial share is $2 million each. The City of St. John�s will provide a
$1.3 million contribution, with the $1 million balance being provided by Sport Newfoundland and Labrador, the Swilers Rugby Club and an array of fundraising partners.

The $84 million, six-year Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador MRIF Agreement is administered jointly by the Department of Municipal Affairs on behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, on behalf of Infrastructure Canada. The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities, acting on behalf of communities, helps set the strategic direction of the Agreement and identify priorities under the capacity-building component of the MRIF.

For more information on MRIF, visit //www.gov.nl.ca/mpa/mrifa/default.htm or e-mail MRIF@gov.nl.ca. For additional information on this and other infrastructure programs administered by the Government of Canada, visit www.infrastructure.gc.ca.

Media contact:

Doug Burgess
Director, Public Affairs
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
(709) 772-2935

Susanne Hiller
Director of Communications
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
(709) 729-0928
susannehiller@gov.nl.ca

David Blackmore
Director of Building and Property Management
City of St. John�s
(709) 576-8701

Rod Snow
Sport Newfoundland and Labrador
(709) 576-7101

2006 08 11 10:00 a.m.