22 August 2004 Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, New Brunswick The Association du parc et du quai de Sainte-Marie-de-Kent celebrated today the official opening of its new wharf and park, both of which will help to stimulate tourism development in the region. In the last year, major upgrades were completed at the park and wharf in Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, including the installation of electricity, the installation of water and sewer services; the construction of a building with washrooms and a storage facility; a heritage sign for the region; a patio; an observation platform, as well as a floating dock. Thanks to this project, Kent County now has a new tourist attraction that will complement existing tourism sites and activities in the Bouctouche Bay region. The Sainte-Marie- de-Kent park and wharf will become a place where visitors can participate in activities related to ecotourism, an industry that has grow considerably over the past few years. Visitors will be able to enjoy sport fishing, commercial fishing, boating, and other tourism-related activities, in a well-equipped and visitor friendly environment. This initiative will definitely have a positive impact on businesses located near the site because it will encourage visitors to extend their stay in the community. This could also facilitate the development of new tourism businesses in the region. "Strong tourism infrastructure is essential to developing a thriving industry here in New Brunswick," said the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, MP for Beauséjour. "By supporting the upgrades to facilities at the park and wharf in Ste-Marie-de-Kent, the Government of Canada is investing in a visitor destination that will benefit local vendors, the community, and visitors to this region." "The Province of New Brunswick is proud to invest in key public infrastructure that improves our quality of life, said Claude Williams, MLA for Kent South, on behalf of Premier Bernard Lord, Minister responsible for Regional Development Corporation. "Enhancing tourism infrastructure such as the new wharf and park in Sainte-Marie-de-Kent will be a benefit to the entire community and visitors to the region." "We are very excited about this investment in our historic wharf," said Fernand Girouard, President of the Association du parc et du quai de Sainte-Marie-de-Kent. "With the planned improvements, we hope to see recreational boaters and commercial operations alike using the wharf in greater numbers than ever before." The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) invested $87,806 in this project through its Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF), while the Province of New Brunswick contributed $35,000. SCIF was created to support strategic initiatives that contribute to community economic development in Atlantic Canada. Its purpose is to help communities create opportunities for economic development that will attract investments and stimulate employment. SCIF is a component of the Atlantic Investment Partnership (AIP). Stephen Heckbert Office of the Minister of State for ACOA (613) 948-7293 Stéphanie Bilodeau Senior Communications Officer ACOA NB (506) 452-3304 Bruce MacFarlane Regional Development Corporation (506) 444-4606 Fernand Girouard Association du parc et du quai de Sainte-Marie-de-Kent (506) 850-7161
