Gaspé, Quebec, February 12, 2010 – The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, today announced the awarding of $1,071,185 in total non-repayable funding to seven organizations in the Gaspésie recreational tourism industry. Granted through the Community Diversification program, this financial assistance will serve for, among other things, the acquisition of snow grooming machines to maintain the region’s snowmobile trails, the replacement of culverts, the rehabilitation of certain trails and the construction of an overpass for snowmobiles and quads. These improvements will enable the Gaspésie region to rank among Quebec’s top winter destinations.
“The Gaspésie region, its people and its beautiful natural environment draw a great number of tourists to the area every year. This vast territory not only offers exceptional snow conditions, it is a genuine paradise for snowmobile enthusiasts. The Government of Canada is proud to lend its support to the seven projects being announced today, particularly in that they promise, in addition to generating an overall investment of $2,438,649, to further the growth of winter tourism in the region and to foster the maintenance of jobs in the sector,” explained the Minister of State.
If the total funding granted by the Government of Canada, Les Sentiers Rocher‑Percé will receive $187,000 to build an overpass across Grande-Rivière for snowmobiles and quads to link the northern and southern legs of the Trans-Québec 5 (TQ-5) trail that circles the Gaspé Peninsula. The Association des clubs de motoneige de la Gaspésie, for its part, will receive $166,693 in funding to replace overpasses and rehabilitate the trails damaged by the 2007 floods in the Percé, Rivière-au-Renard and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts sectors.
Four other snowmobiling clubs in the Gaspésie region along with the Chambre de commerce et de tourisme de Murdochville will share the remaining $717,492 for the acquisition of snow grooming machines and other specialized equipment to maintain the trails under their responsibility and to ensure users a safe and accessible network that meets the standards of the snowmobiling industry.
Most of the 1,780 or so kilometres of trails that crisscross the peninsula link up with the TQ-5, a veritable gateway to New Brunswick and the Bas‑Saint-Laurent region. The 13 snowmobiling clubs operating in Gaspésie play an active role in maintaining and strengthening the solid international reputation of the TQ-5 and its 33,000 kilometres of trails spanning the province.
According to Tourisme Gaspésie, snowmobiling accounted for more than 30% of the region’s winter tourism revenues in 2004-2005, bringing in $27 million and contributing to the maintenance of some 600 jobs.
“The Government of Canada is firmly committed to fostering the growth of tourism. That is why the economic action plan we adopted calls for the allocation of $40 million over two years to the Canadian Tourism Commission to promote Canada on national and global markets,” added Minister of State Lebel.
For more on Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
Backgrounder:
Government of Canada invests $1,071,185 in Gaspésie winter tourism development
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Sources:
Claudie Lamontagne
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 418-722-3280 or 1-800-463-9073
E-mail: claudie.lamontagne@dec-ced.gc.ca
Simon Bachand
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 613-996-6236
E-mail: simon.bachand@dec-ced.gc.ca
