For immediate release
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, July 14, 2009 – The Canada Pavilion will be featured at the Tall Ships Nova Scotia Festival from July 16 to 20, 2009.
“The Government of Canada is pleased to present the Canada Pavilion at the Tall Ships Nova Scotia Festival this year,” said the Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway. “The Pavilion provides an excellent opportunity for Canadians and visitors to learn more about the programs and services offered to them and to find out more about the government's priorities.”
The Tall Ships Nova Scotia Festival is a 5-day event where each year over 800,000 people flock to the Halifax and Dartmouth waterfront. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Tall Ships events in Nova Scotia.
Several government departments and agencies will be showcased in the Canada Pavilion, including the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). This is an excellent opportunity for visitors to learn about ACOA's mandate and role in helping grow the economy of rural communities. The Canadian International Development Agency will also be present with Afghanistan360, a multimedia exhibit on Canada's civilian and military engagement in Afghanistan. Visitors will have the opportunity to read stories from the field and watch short video segments on the training and development projects that Canada supports in Afghanistan. They will also be able to record 15-second video messages to our civilians and soldiers serving in Afghanistan.
Other departments and agencies featured at the Canada Pavilion include: Canadian Heritage, Service Canada, National Capital Commission, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Canada Revenue Agency, Transport Canada, Canadian Coast Guard, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, National Defence and Department of Justice Canada.
This year’s Canada Pavilion theme is the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games—an international event that will give this country a unique opportunity to showcase itself to the world.
Canada Pavilion visitors will have the opportunity to meet representatives from the Government of Canada and learn more about the 2010 Winter Games through a series of educational displays and interactive activities. Come and test your abilities with a memory game about the 2010 Winter Games, see a replica Olympic Torch, find out when the torch relay will be coming near your community using our giant map or Internet station, try out an Olympic bobsleigh and take a closer look at a sit-ski used in the Paralympic ski events.
Visitors will also have the chance to personally meet Miga, Quatchi and Sumi, the 2010 Winter Games mascots – inspired by local Aboriginal mythological creatures – who will be on hand to entertain the young and young at heart.
Each year, the Canada Pavilion visits 10 communities across Canada. As the flagship exhibit of the Government of Canada Exhibitions Program, the Canada Pavilion has won numerous prizes since its creation in 2000 and provided information to more than six million visitors.
For more information on Government of Canada programs and services, visit canada.gc.ca or call toll-free at 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232). For more information on the Government of Canada Exhibitions Program and its 2009-2010 tour, visit http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/expo/index-eng.html.
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