13 December 2009
Site assessment, reforestation and planning for a Mi'kmawey Debert Cultural Centre at Debert, Nova Scotia, will be carried out with the help of a Government of Canada investment totalling more than $400,000.
The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, today announced the federal support for site work required prior to the design and construction of a proposed Mi'kmawey Debert Cultural Centre and trail network.
Federal funding provided through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency includes $150,000 from the Agency's Innovative Communities Fund and $237,588 in support from the Communities Adjustment Fund, a key economic stimulus initiative under the Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan.
“The Government of Canada is pleased to invest in this project which will support the ongoing development of a significant cultural experience, showcasing Mi'kmaq history and culture that will attract visitors to central Nova Scotia,” said Minister MacKay. “This investment reflects the goals of our Government's Economic Action Plan by continuing to provide immediate and targeted stimulus to communities across the country.”
In addition, the Nova Scotia government is contributing $137,000. “We have been working closely with the Mi'kmaq in Nova Scotia to protect historic and cultural resources to help tell and celebrate their story with hands on learning opportunities,” said Lenore Zann, MLA for Truro-Bible Hill, on behalf of Minister of Economic and Rural Development, Percy Paris. “Through the Mi'kmaq Community Development Fund, the province is pleased to invest in this significant site, which we see as the cornerstone of an emerging Aboriginal cultural tourism product in eastern Canada— something which is very close to my heart and I have believed in for a long time.”
“In the long process of working toward the development of the Mi'kmawey Debert Cultural Centre, this funding announcement takes us one step closer to reality, said Dr. Donald M. Julien, Executive Director of the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq. “ It is heartening to know that our federal and provincial government partners recognize the importance of Mi'kmawey Debert as the oldest dated Archaeological site in Canada.”
The project will enable the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq to undertake the detailed site assessment and planning required prior to the design and construction of the proposed Mi'kmawey Debert Cultural Centre. The campus of over 450 hectares will include a Cultural Centre and interpretive trails.
This project will include the archaeological assessment and site delineation for the main building, parking lot, access road and trails for the proposed development. The work is required prior to the start of construction to protect the integrity of the site and create natural buffers between the archaeology within the site and public access areas.
Funding for this project is provided through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency's Innovative Communities Fund (ICF) and thought he Community Adjustment Fund (CAF), a key component of Canada's Economic Action Plan. The CAF program is providing a $1 billion over two years to help create jobs and maintain employment in communities impacted by the economic downturn. In Atlantic Canada, CAF is delivered by ACOA.
To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca .
National Defence Minister Peter MacKay today announced that the Government of Canada is investing more than $400,000 for preliminary work at the site for a future Mi'kmawey cultural centre and interpretive trails in Debert, Nova Scotia.
The federal funding will assist the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq with site preparation for a proposed development. Funding comes from the one billion dollar Community Adjustment Fund, part of the federal government's Economic Action Plan.
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INFORMATION: John Soosaar Senior Communications Officer Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency 902-426-1933 Email: john.soosaar@acoa-apeca.gc.ca Tim Bernard Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq 902-895-6385