Town of St. Anthony to Construct New Civic Centre: Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada's New Government Invest in Centre 

The Town of St. Anthony will construct a regional civic centre, to be called the Polar Centre, with a contribution of $4,576,148 from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and an investment of $540,000 from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). 

"The investment to build a multi-purpose civic centre will improve recreational infrastructure on the Northern Peninsula, and provide opportunity to attract a variety of sporting and conference events," stated the Honourable Jack Byrne, Minister of Municipal Affairs. "The Polar Centre will be an important addition to the Town of St. Anthony and surrounding communities, providing a venue to promote healthy living, expand programs and will be a new modern facility to host and attract new business." 

The facility will house an arena with the capacity to seat 1,295 people, a conference centre and an indoor walking track, and will provide the necessary amenities to enable the town to host significant conferences, trade shows and other events. 

"Canada's New Government is pleased to support initiatives that help build vibrant communities, like this regional civic centre in St. Anthony," said the Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Regional Minister for Newfoundland and Labrador, on behalf of the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of ACOA. "This project will replace the town's current recreational structures, and will enable the area to host larger, more professional events, while providing residents with improved recreational facilities to promote health and fitness." 

The Town of St. Anthony plays a vital role as the major service centre to the surrounding communities on the Northern Peninsula.  St. Anthony provides shopping, professional services, post-secondary educational institutions, entertainment, health and medical services to the region.  The new Polar Centre will provide a significant asset for the business community of the region. 

The town will provide $568,508 towards the cost of the project. 

"Recreation is an important part of people's lives and facilities like the Polar Centre will help to recruit and retain young professionals in rural areas.  This facility ties in with government's wellness initiative and will be an asset for the Town of St. Anthony," said The Straits and White Bay North MHA Honourable Trevor Taylor. 

The provincial contribution is funded under the Municipal Capital Works Program, and the federal contribution for this project is through ACOA's Innovative Communities Fund (ICF).   The ICF focuses on investments that lead to long-term employment and economic capacity building in rural communities. 

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2007 01 19     5 :50 p.m.