August 23, 2005
Sussex, New Brunswick
The official opening of the expanded Princess Louise Park
(PLP) Show Centre took place today during the Kings County
Agricultural Fair. A first-class venue for agricultural events in Atlantic
Canada, the PLP Show Centre is serving the needs of horse
and cattle associations throughout Atlantic Canada.Having such an active and vital facility in Sussex only
strengthens the key role the community plays in
agriculture, not only in New Brunswick, but in all of
Eastern North America,said the Honourable Andy Scott,
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and
Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. It
will undoubtedly attract first-class events and generate
additional tourism dollars for the community.The PLP Show Centre, operated as a non-profit organization
and led by a volunteer Board of Directors, includes four
barns with 200 stalls surrounding a show ring measuring 90
by 200 feet. The Show Centre can accommodate up to 600
participants per event. The recent expansion of the
facility allowed the PLP Show Center to extend its event
season to include the period from late April through to the
end of October, and an increase in event bookings was
immediate. Since first opening in 2000, the number of
events has more than doubled as of 2005. A strong partnership between ACOA, the Town of Sussex, the
Province of New Brunswick and members of the surrounding
community led to the establishment and the expansion of the
PLP Show Centre. ACOA previously announced an investment
of $550,092 through the Strategic Community Investment Fund
(SCIF) and the Business Development Program for the
establishment and expansion of the PLP Show Centre. SCIF was created to support strategic initiatives that
contribute to community economic development in Atlantic
Canada. Building on the foundation laid by SCIF which
ended this year, the new Innovative Communities Fund (ICF)
will strengthen and diversify the economies of communities
across the region, with a primary focus on rural areas. ICF
was officially launched in July 2005 as part of the new
five-year $708-million AIP The Second Wave. For further
information on ACOA programs, please visit our Website at
www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca.For more information, please contact:
Valerie Poulin
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Joseph McGuire
Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
(613) 941-7241
Nadya Ladouceur
Communications Officer
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
New Brunswick
(506) 451-2677
Ceci Flanagan
Manager
PLP Show Centre
(506) 433-4700, (506) 432-4613
info@plpshowcentre.com
