Honouring Our Soldiers and Promoting Adventure Tourism in Eastern Newfoundland

Trinity Historical Society is moving ahead with plans to create a virtual Internet site to commemorate the Newfoundland Regiment�s role at the 1916 Battle of the Somme at Beaumont Hamel. The project is being assisted with $18,756 from the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development�s Regional/Sectoral Diversification Fund (RSDF). The department is also providing $6,690 from its Business and Market Development Program (BMDP) to Random Discoveries of Clarenville to promote its new adventure tourism business.

�Culture and adventure tourism initiatives are significant parts of growing our regional economies,� said the Honourable Trevor Taylor, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development and Minister responsible for the Rural Secretariat. �These projects will complement other cultural initiatives and tourism-based endeavours in the area, expand the region�s infrastructure and offer new ways of promoting our distinct culture and attracting additional visitors to eastern Newfoundland.�

Trinity Historical Society�s Battle of the Somme project consists of securing professional services to gather personal stories and pictures about those who participated in the battle, and present the information in a virtual exhibit framework that will be accessible worldwide through the Internet. The Web site will also be linked to the Rising Tide Theatre�s production of Kevin Majors� play, �No Mans Land,� which is based on the battle. The play is an annual presentation of the theatre company�s season in Trinity and is scheduled to do a national tour in 2007. The project provides an excellent opportunity to gather valuable information on details surrounding this historic event, and make it accessible to those interested in this topic. The RSDF funding is leveraging $50,000 from Veteran Affairs for the project. The society expects it will take approximately 30 weeks before the project is completed.

�The Trinity Historical Society is very pleased to have received funding from the Regional/Sectoral Diversification Program to assist towards the development of a virtual exhibit concerning the Battle of the Somme,� said Jim Miller, project coordinator. �To mark the 90th anniversary of this battle, the society is creating an interactive virtual exhibit which will highlight those who lost their lives and the impact on the families left behind. We are very grateful to the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development for offering this program to not-for-profit organizations such as ourselves to enable such projects to proceed.�

�This is a fantastic opportunity to use technology to tell an important Newfoundland and Labrador story,� said the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. �This project will combine history, theatre, art and culture to chronicle the events of 1916 at the Battle of the Somme in Beaumont Hamel � a defining event in our province�s history.�

Random Discoveries is developing a marketing strategy to promote its adventure tourism vacation packages in Clarenville and the surrounding areas. The company will link accommodation and tour packages to extend the tourism period from the summer season to a year-round operation. The company�s tour packages have an adventure-based theme and include hiking adventures, berry picking, kayaking and boat tours through Random Sound, as well as winter-based snowmobiling and skiing excursions. The company�s vision is to enhance tourism activities in the area and provide visitors with more opportunities to experience eastern Newfoundland�s culture and environment. The funding is being used to develop highway signage, a Web page, brochures and other printed promotional material.

The Regional/Sectoral Diversification Fund is a $5 million fund of the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development and a component of the province�s Comprehensive Regional Diversification Strategy. The fund provides non-repayable contributions to economic development agencies for initiatives that address regional and sectoral development and diversification.

The Business and Market Development Program is designed to provide new entrepreneurs and expanding small businesses with funding to help them acquire the necessary expertise to pursue new business ideas and new markets for their products or services. The $1 million program is intended to support new growth opportunities in the economy, such as value-added manufacturing activities and export-oriented opportunities.

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Lynn Evans
Director of Communications
Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development
709-729-4570, 690-6290
lynnevans@gov.nl.ca

2007 02 07                                     10:05 a.m.