December 24, 2004 Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island Murray Harbour, one of PEI's oldest communities, will undertake a project in the New Year to significantly boost its tourism infrastructure. The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Member of Parliament for Cardigan; the Honourable Pat Binns, Premier of Prince Edward Island; and Faye Fraser, chair for the Municipality of Murray Harbour, announced details of the funding and the scope of the project today. The community will install new lighting and an interpretive structure at the location of the former train station. A bridge look-out will be constructed that will provide a fantastic vantage point to view the river and harbour area. In addition, the project will extend the Confederation Trail from its current location down to the edge of the South River. "This project, part of ACOA's streetscape initiative, is a major step forward in realizing a viable and prosperous 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. "The Government of Canada is very pleased to support such a worthwhile initiative that will provide points of interest for the increasing number of visitors to this community." "The people of this community have done a terrific job of identify a project which will serve the local population and visitors alike, "said Premier Pat Binns. "The project capitalizes on the natural beauty of this area and will be a good fit with other developments. I look forward to seeing the completed project and am pleased to have been able to support the community in its work." "The sense of stewardship in our community is very strong. We're very proud of our village and its history and we're excited to pursue this project that will help us convey the history and beauty of Murray Harbour to all of our visitors," said Ms. Fraser. The Municipality of Murray Harbour is receiving a $233,625 contribution from ACOA's Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF). The Canada/Prince Edward Island Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA), co-managed by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and the provincial Department of Development and Technology, is contributing $47,371 in participant benefits and overhead costs to this project. The Province of Prince Edward Island is contributing $32,400 through the Community Development Fund and Transportation and Public Works and the Municipality of Murray Harbour which will manage the project is contributing $5,000. - 30 - For more information, please contact: 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 Faye Fraser, Chair Municipality of Murray Harbour (902) 962-3835 Catherine MacInnis-Gordon ACOA PEI & Tourism (902) 368-0502
