September 11 2004 Mount Stewart, Prince Edward Island The Hillsborough River Eco-Centre was officially opened today in Mount Stewart. The Centre, which highlights the culture and ecology of the Hillsborough River, was established by the Hillsborough River Area Development Corporation. The Corporation is a non-profit organization representing the people and communities along the river including Mount Stewart, Fort Augustus and Tracadie. Taking part in today's Opening ceremony were the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Member of Parliament for Cardigan; the Honourable Mildred Dover, MLA for Tracadie-Fort Augustus; Earl Affleck, Chair of the Hillsborough River Area Development Corporation; Tom Duffy, Duck's Unlimited; Don MacNeil, Hillsborough River Association; and Clifford Affleck, Chair of the Community of Mount Stewart. The centre, which includes an elevated observation area from which the River can be viewed, will educate visitors about the natural and cultural history of the Hillsborough River basin through its photo collection, artifacts and story panels. There is also performance space for actors and musicians to tell more interactive tales of the history of the area. "Today marks a major step forward in realizing a viable and prosperous eco-tourism industry for eastern Prince Edward Island," said Mr. MacAulay, on behalf of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). "The Government of Canada is very pleased to support such a worthwhile initiative that will bring more visitors to this region and, at the same time, educate them about the environment." "The Hillsborough River has always been an important part of this community," said Ms. Dover, on behalf of the Community Development Bureau. "The opening of this centre will mean that the river's importance will be recognized and that it will continue to be an integral part of this area. I congratulate the community for its hard work to make this possible." "The Hillsborough is PEI's sole Canadian Heritage River," noted Earl Affleck, Chair of the Hillsborough River Area Development Corporation. "The sense of pride and stewardship for this river within our communities is very strong. We see our future as one in harmony with the health of the Hillsborough River." The Hillsborough River Area Development Corporation undertook this $631,000 project with the assistance from a variety of partners. ACOA's Strategic Community Investment Fund contributed $412,000; the province's Community Development Fund contributed $89,000; the Canada/Prince Edward Island Labour Market Development Agreement, co- managed by HRSDC and the provincial Department of Development and Technology, provided an additional $80,000; and the Community of Mount Stewart provided $50,000. - 30 - Ron Crozier Office of the Minister for ACOA (902) 888-4150 Ann Thurlow Development & Technology (902) 569-0571 Stephen Ramsay Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (902) 566-7686 Earl Affleck, Chair Hillsborough River Area Development Corporation (902) 676-2148 Wes Harrison ACOA PEI & Tourism (902) 368-0842 wes.harrison@acoa-apeca.gc.ca
