SAINT JOHN, November 15, 2004 -- Member of Parliament (Saint John) Paul Zed, on behalf of Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women Liza Frulla, today announced $130,000 in funding for the Imperial Theatre. The funds will enable the organization to purchase a new industry standard sound system. The Government of Canada's funding accounts for 48.5 per cent. The Imperial Theatre is contributing an additional $137,500, which brings the total cost of the project to $267,500."The Imperial Theatre makes a dazzling contribution to the cultural vitality of Saint John and the province of New Brunswick," said Mr. Zed. "This jewel of architectural heritage offers a variety of performing arts experiences to residents and tourists alike and gives exposure to the extraordinary talent of our artists.""Investing in our communities' cultural projects stimulates creativity, encourages development in the arts and helps improve the quality of life," said Minister Frulla. "I am delighted that our Government is able to support the Imperial Theatre in modernizing its theatre equipment."The Imperial Theatre, which re-opened in 1994, is the main performance venue in Saint John. It provides a wide range of programming, including a family series for youth and their parents.Support for this initiative is provided by the Department of Canadian Heritage through its Cultural Spaces Canada program. This program supports cultural infrastructure projects to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and innovation, and thereby increases access for Canadians to performing arts, visual arts, and media arts. It is part of the Tomorrow Starts Today initiative, which has been renewed for a fourth year with $207 million in funding.Funding announced today was provided for in the March 2004 federal budget.Information:Donald BoulangerPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women(819) 997-7788 Claudine DaigleDirector of CommunicationsCanadian Heritage(506) 851-3980 Aaran KennedyOffice of Paul Zed, M.P.(506) 657-2500
