Carleton-sur-Mer, September 17, 2007 During
today's announcement on the upcoming launch of construction work on the new
Centre de congrès régional de la Gaspésie (CCRG),
Nathalie Normandeau, Member of the National Assembly for Bonaventure,
Deputy Premier of Quebec, Ministre des Affaires municipales et des
Régions and Ministre responsable de la région de la
GaspésieÎles-de-la-Madeleine, and the Honourable
Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of
Canada Economic Development, highlighted that $6,746,730 in government
funding has been awarded to this project under the Canada-Quebec Infrastructure
Works program.
This government assistance will go toward the construction and development of
a regional convention centre, the Centre de congrès régional de la
Gaspésie, located at the back of Hôtel Baie Bleue in the very heart of
the City of Carleton-sur-Mer. The 2,160 square-metre centre will be
composed of three buildings linked together by a central hall and corridors to
facilitate circulation throughout the complex.
More specifically, the two-storey central portion of Hôtel Baie Bleue
will be taken over, renovated and integrated into the project to ultimately
house the convention centre reception, hotel reception and restaurant services,
including a 170-person dining room. A second building will serve as the
site for the convention halls, one of them a 400-person multi-purpose hall
that can be divided into three smaller rooms. Lastly, a multimedia room equipped
with 150 seats and audiovisual equipment for film projection and
videoconferencing will be located in a third building. Additional work will
include building a 280-car parking lot, drop-off area, cloakrooms, meeting
rooms, areas for equipment storage and food distribution, and various
complementary works.
"The realization of this much-awaited project will help position the City of
Carleton-sur-Mer and the GaspésieÎles-de-la-Madeleine region as a whole within
Quebec's network of top business destinations. It also responds to the
locally-expressed need for improved facilities to better meet the needs of
business clients, from local and regional businesses to government, economic,
social and community organizations. The Government of Quebec is proud to be part
of the construction of this Centre de congrès régional de la Gaspésie, a
project that is sure to help create jobs and generate major economic and tourism
spin-offs for the region," stated Minister Normandeau.
"I am delighted to see this project take shape. Having a convention centre
will allow the Gaspésie region to host major events, increase its tourism
offering and extend the tourism season. I am proud to see the local cooperation
and partnerships that have been forged by the Gaspésie business community
to ensure the region's development. Canada's new government intends to
pursue its efforts in the area of infrastructure to see to it that our country
remains a place where dreams are possible, where families enjoy a quality of
life that is second to none and where businesses can achieve excellence on a
global scale," added Minister Blackburn.
"We are very happy to be associated with this project to develop the
Centre de congrès de la Gaspésie. It is with great enthusiasm that we
decided to take up this challenge of making the Carleton convention centre a key
site for the holding of major events and business conventions. We believe that
this region possesses innumerable advantages and intend to highlight the
exceptional qualities of the Gaspésie region as a whole, and Baie des Chaleurs
in particular, as a means of drawing a large number of convention participants
here as of September 2008," added Gilbert Fortin, spokesperson
for the Centre de congrès promoters.
Completion of this major project will necessitate an eligible investment of
$6,996,731. Thus, under the terms of the agreement, the Centre de congrès
régional de la Gaspésie will pay $250,001 of the project's costs,
while the Government of Quebec and Government of Canada will each contribute
$3,373,365 in funding, for a combined total of $6,746,730 in
government assistance.
Carleton-sur-Mer Mayor Michel Lacroix said he is pleased with the
positive impact this project is sure to have on community infrastructure, local
quality of life and the economic development of the region.
The Canada-Quebec Infrastructure Works
program is aimed at helping
communities repair, replace and build water supply, sewer and sewage treatment
systems, develop projects involving experiments with new technologies and create
projects that enhance, restore or construct facilities with economic, urban or
regional side benefits. This aspect of the program is overseen by the
Ministère des Affaires
municipales et des Régions. The program also
supports highway systems and public transportation, under the responsibility of
the Ministère des Transports du Québec and
Infrastructures-Transport. Canada Economic Development
administers the program on behalf of the Government of Canada. The program will
generate work worth a total of $1.686 billion.
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Source:
Johanne LevesqueCommunications AdvisorCommunications
BranchMinistère des Affaires municipales et des
Régions514-873-6910
Information:
Rachèle LeblancPress SecretaryOffice of the
Vice-première ministre and Ministre des Affaires municipales et des
Régions418-392-4184
Yan PlantePress Secretary Office of the Honourable
Jean-Pierre BlackburnCanada Economic
Development819-953-5646819-994-5168
Marie-Claude LemireCommunications AdvisorCanada Economic
Development514-283-2199
