11 June 2010
Federal, provincial and municipal representatives put shovels in the ground today to launch construction of the new Discovery Centre at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre (HMSC) in St. Andrews.
The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of National Revenue, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway; the Honourable Rick Doucet, Minister of Fisheries; and John Craig, Mayor of St. Andrews, joined HMSC Executive Director Bill Robertson in the sod turning ceremony for the new Discovery Centre.
“Projects funded under the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) have positive impacts on our communities,” said Minister Ashfield. “The new Discovery Centre project at Huntsman Marine Science Centre will create employment opportunities during the construction phase while increasing economic development activity and improving tourism infrastructure for the Charlotte region for years to come.”
“Today's event is another milestone for this important project for St. Andrews and Charlotte County,” said Doucet, on behalf of Business New Brunswick's Victor Boudreau, who is also minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation. “Investing in this important tourism and educational project will create another opportunity for residents and visitors to experience.”
The new 20,000 square-foot Discovery Centre will replace the existing aquarium complex and will include interpretation of the ecology and economy of the Bay of Fundy, a multiplex aquarium facility, a conference and lecture centre with live video-conference capabilities and a giant exhibit of the Bay of Fundy Tides. “Today we are seeing more positive results of a lot of hard work as we begin the next phase of the Discovery Centre,” said Bill Robertson, Executive Director of the HMSC.
The new centre will house renewed teaching and lecturing facilities and become a four-season tourist destination that complements other initiatives currently underway in the Charlotte County area. The Discovery Centre will offer improved education programs to elementary school students in New Brunswick and improve research capabilities for universities and research organizations that partner with HMSC.
The Government of Canada, through the Community Adjustment Fund, and the Province of New Brunswick each announced an investment of $2.5 million in the project on October 16, 2009. The Huntsman Marine Science Centre is contributing $3 million toward the $8 million project.
ACOA administers CAF, an initiative contained in the Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan, in the Atlantic region.
Federal, provincial and municipal representatives put shovels in the ground today to launch construction of the new Discovery Centre at Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews.
National Revenue and ACOA Minister Keith Ashfield, Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet, and St. Andrews Mayor John Craig, joined officials of the Huntsman Marine Science at the sod turning ceremony.
The new 20,000 square-foot Discovery Centre will replace the existing aquarium complex and will include interpretation of the ecology and economy of the Bay of Fundy, a multiplex aquarium facility, a conference and lecture centre with live video-conference capabilities and a giant exhibit of the Bay of Fundy Tides. The federal and provincial governments each invested $2.5 million while the Huntsman Marine Science Centre is contributing $3 million toward the $8 million project.
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Stéphanie Bilodeau
Senior Communications Officer
ACOA New Brunswick
506-452-3034
Bruce Macfarlane
Corporate Secretary
Regional Development Corporation
506-444-4606
Jim Cornall
Communications Coordinator
Huntsman Marine Science Centre
506-529-1260
jcornall@huntsmanmarine.ca
