22 September 2004 Saint John, New Brunswick The Saint John Horticultural Association (SJHA) received good news today in support of their plans for the restoration of a historically important building on the shores of Lily Lake. Making the joint funding announcement were the Honourable Joseph McGuire, Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA); Paul Zed, Member of Parliament for Saint John; Trevor Holder, MLA for Saint John Portland along with Wallace P. MacMurray, President of the SJHA. Both levels of government announced a combined funding amount of $600,000 for the restoration of the Lily Lake Pavilion in Saint John. "The Government of Canada is proud to invest in a project that will generate important economic returns for the community of Saint John and surrounding areas," said Minister McGuire. "ACOA's investment at Lily Lake is an investment for the future. The revitalized facility will provide an important infrastructure that will allow for the creation of new businesses such as outdoor activities equipment rentals as well as providing an outlet for catering and food service companies." "ACOA's investment in the Lily Lake restoration project is great news for all the residents of this city and the area," said MP Zed. "In fact, this investment is the final piece of the puzzle needed to move this project forward. The restoration of the Lily Lake pavilion will help Saint John continue to grow as a vibrant and prosperous community." "The Province of New Brunswick is proud to invest in key public infrastructure that improves our quality of life," said Holder, on behalf of Premier Bernard Lord, Minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation. "Enhancing infrastructure such as the Lily Lake Pavilion will be a benefit to the entire community of Saint John and visitors to the region." The Lily Lake project consists of restoration work required to make the pavilion a fully functioning community building. The facility will serve Saint John and the surrounding communities and will also be used by visiting tourists to the Rockwood Park campground, the Fundy Trail Parkway and visiting cruise ship passengers. The restored building will also feature an 800-square foot labour and industry heritage exhibit area. "We are sincerely grateful for the contributions from all our partners to our project here at Lily Lake," said Wallace MacMurray, President of the Saint John Horticultural Association. "This is a gift to the citizens of Greater Saint John and to everyone in Southern New Brunswick. With this facility, we are restoring a 100-year old legacy to share with all ages." The SJHA was founded in 1893 and has been working since then to provide a high standard of quality of life in Saint John. The Association has a long history of involvement with the Lily Lake Pavilion, beginning with the construction in 1953. The group is committed to the year-round management and promotion of the facility. The Pavilion and surrounding area will include a waterfront space for the development of equipment rental businesses for outdoor activities such as kayaking, canoeing and bicycling. The building will also include a Saint John labour and industry heritage exhibit area, a dedicated meeting room for Hathaway Trust, a new deck, a take-out/ice cream window, facilities to support swimming in the lake and other tourism activities in the park, wheelchair access, new washrooms, an upgraded beach facility, a new commercial kitchen with year-round capacity and a catering function area including seating space for 250 with a balcony overlooking Lily Lake. ACOA is providing funding of $450,000 through the Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF) and the Province of New Brunswick is providing $150,000 through the Regional Development Corporation. 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). - 30 - Ron Crozier Office of the Minister for ACOA (902) 888-4150 Paul-CJ LeBlanc Senior Communications Officer ACOA-NB (506) 452-3310 Bruce Macfarlane Regional Development Corporation (506) 444-4606 Wallace MacMurray, President Saint John Horticultural Association (506) 652-4117
