Montreal, Quebec, May 2, 2005 - The Honourable Jean-C. Lapierre, Minister of Transport, Political Lieutenant for Quebec and Member of Parliament for Outremont, today announced, on behalf of the Honourable Jacques Saada, Minister of Canada Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Francophonie, a non-repayable contribution of $3 million toward the construction of new reception pavilions at the Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal. The Oratory's major restoration and renovation plan, estimated at a total cost of $75 million, includes refurbishing the sacred stairway, green spaces, traffic lanes and parking lots as well as building a new pilgrims' centre and a new reception pavilion. This development project is aimed in particular at enhancing the quality and value of the tourism experience. "Saint-Joseph's Oratory has an international reputation as one of Montreal's hallmark emblems. The city's third most popular tourist site, the Oratory is a rich and vibrant component of Montreal's tourism offering and a monument of great importance for understanding the history of Quebec," stated Minister Lapierre. Canada Economic Development's contribution comes under the Development of tourism and cultural industries component of the federal Action Strategy for Greater Montreal. "The project to improve the infrastructures will have a positive impact on the Oratory's tourist attendance," noted Mr. Saada. "Our financial assistance is keeping with Canada Economic Development's strategy which identifies tourism as one of the growth poles that can contribute the most to the city's international reach." In May 2004, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada designated the Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal as a national historic site. Canada Economic Development's mandate is to promote the economic development of the regions of Quebec. Primarily through financial assistance programs, the Agency elicits and supports the implementation of economic development projects. The two priorities the Agency has set itself are to foster innovation and the knowledge economy in each region of Quebec, and to help communities that are having difficulty adjusting to the new economy. In this way, the Agency contributes to the attainment of the Government of Canada's objective of building the 21st Century economy. Funding for this initiative was provided for in the February 2005 federal budget. - 30 - Sources: Guylaine BeaudoinCommunicationsCanada Economic DevelopmentTel.: (514) 283-0368E-mail: guylaine.beaudoin@dec-ced.gc.caDaniel DezaindePress SecretaryOffice of the Honourable Jacques SaadaCanada Economic Development Tel.: (514) 496-1282Irène MarcheterreDirector of CommunicationsOffice of the Minister, OttawaTransport CanadaTel.: 613 991-0700
