September 2, 2004 St. Peters, Prince Edward Island The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Member of Parliament for Cardigan; the Honourable Kevin MacAdam, MLA for Morell-Fortune Bay; and Sheryll O'Hanley, vice-chair of the St. Peters and Area Development Corporation today announced a project to further enhance tourism development in the St. Peters area. Work will soon begin on the construction of an Estuary Interpretive Centre which also includes a retail market space. A key feature of the centre is a lookout tower which will provide a panoramic view of the bay and the river. Exhibits will highlight the St. Peters Bay history as well as mussel and other shellfish production. This development will complement recently completed initiatives such as Bayside Landing, an attractive day use park located in the area adjacent to the turn-off to Souris. The Centre will also be another stop along a system of trails and pedestrian bridges which create a walking link between the Visitor Information Centre and the community core. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) will provide a non-repayable contribution of $371,000 under the Strategic Communities Investment Fund (SCIF) to the project. The Canada/P.E.I. Labour Market Development Agreement, co-managed by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and the provincial Department of Development and Technology, is contributing $150,000 toward participant wages and overhead costs. The Province of Prince Edward Island is contributing $50,000. "The Government of Canada is pleased to support the Estuary Interpretive Centre which along with existing tourism attractions will provide visitors with another reason to stop and stay in the area longer," said Mr. MacAulay. "Through their tourism developments, the community of St. Peters is attracting more visitors including some of the more than 60,000 visitors who annually pass through the area en route to and from the ferry to the Magdalen Islands." "The community of St. Peters is doing an excellent job in highlighting the natural beauty of the area and making that resource attractive and accessible to visitors," said Minister Kevin MacAdam, MLA for Morell- Fortune Bay, on behalf of Development and Technology Minister Mike Currie. "The economic benefits of this project will be immediate and tangible and will serve to make St. Peters an even greater community in which to live and work." "The Estuary Interpretive Centre will be an impressive venue for local entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their products," said Sheryll O'Hanley, vice chair of the St. Peters Area Development Corporation. "This project is welcomed by local business owners as it provides another interesting attraction and activity for the community." - 30 - Ron Crozier Office of the Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (902) 888-4150 Ron Crozier Office of the Minister of ACOA (902) 888-4150 Ann Thurlow PEI Department of Development and Technology (902) 569-0571 Lynn MacDonald ACOA PEI and Tourism (902) 566-7491 Stephen Ramsay HRSDC (902) 566-7686 Sheryll O'Hanley St. Peters Area Development Corporation (902) 961-2824
