Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, September 24, 2004 -- The Honourable Jacques Saada, Minister of Canada Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Francophonie, today announced a financial contribution of $80,102 from the Government of Canada to the La Maison Dumulon Corporation to develop the Saint-Georges Russian orthodox church in Rouyn-Noranda. 'This project consists of setting up a cultural and economic interpretation centre that will enhance Rouyn-Noranda's tourism offering. It will showcase the contribution of immigrants and the English-Canadian culture to the development of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region,' said Mr. Saada. This initiative will make guided tours of this religious museum more dynamic in terms of both animation and interpretation. The theme will focus on immigration to the region's mining towns. 'The Corporation has all the expertise required, since it has been managing La Maison Dumulon for 24 years. The project announced today will enable it to consolidate the one dozen or so jobs within the organization,' the Minister pointed out. Half of this contribution will be paid by Canada Economic Development under its Abitibi-Témiscamingue Regional Strategic Initiative. The other half will come from the Interdepartmental Partnership with Official-Language Communities (IPOLC), a Canadian Heritage initiative. The project dovetails with an issue identified by the Agency's regional business office, namely, developing the region's tourism potential by supporting community economic diversification. The IPOLC was established to create sustainable partnerships and to reinforce existing ones between minority official-language communities and federal organizations. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that federal programs, policies and services reflect the realities of these communities and promote their development. Canada Economic Development's mandate is to promote the economic development of the regions of Quebec. Primarily through financial assistance programs, the Agency elicits and supports the implementation of economic development projects. The two priorities the Agency has set itself are to foster innovation and the knowledge economy in each region of Quebec, and to help communities that are having difficulty adjusting to the new economy. In this way, the Agency contributes to the attainment of the Government of Canada's objective of building the 21st Century economy. Funding for this initiative was provided for in the March 2004 federal budget. - 30 - Sources: François BélisleCommunicationsCanada Economic Development(819) 825-5260, ext. 235Jean-François Del TorchioPress SecretaryOffice of the Honourable Jacques Saada(514) 496-1282 Myriam BrochuChief, Media RelationsCanadian Heritage(819) 997-9314
