Fredericton, New Brunswick, January 12, 2011 - Government officials and community members gathered today to mark the official opening of the new Fredericton Convention Centre. The construction of the centre was made possible thanks to an investment by the governments of Canada and New Brunswick as well as the City of Fredericton.
The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of National Revenue, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, along with the Honourable David Alward, Premier of New Brunswick, and His Worship Brad Woodside, Mayor of the City of Fredericton, were on hand today to celebrate the completion of Fredericton's new convention centre.
"The new Fredericton Convention Centre will promote national and international business as well as tourism in the region," said Minister Ashfield. "The Centre will provide the ability to host important conferences and events in New Brunswick's capital city of Fredericton."
"This new state-of-the-art facility is another feather in the cap for Fredericton and New Brunswick's hospitality industry," said Premier Alward. "The addition of a downtown convention centre will allow the City of Fredericton and other groups to host major events."
"The Fredericton Convention Centre is part of a transformative project for the east end of our downtown," said Mayor Woodside. "Not only will it result in new tourism and event business, but it is sure to serve as a catalyst for additional development. This is a great day for Fredericton, and I want to thank the federal and provincial governments for their investment in our future."
As part of the City of Fredericton's East End Development project, the 66,000 square foot convention centre, which has been built to obtain silver-LEED certification, will be capable of accommodating 1,000 seated persons, and 1,500 persons in a stand-up concert style setting. It includes additional features such as meeting rooms, a ballroom, a business centre, a commercial kitchen, teleconferencing and multi-media facilities. The East End Development project incorporates the flexible multi-purpose event and conference centre, which is connected and integrated with a new office building and parking structure.
The total cost of the initiative is estimated at $27.9 million. The governments of Canada and New Brunswick have jointly committed $8 million with the City of Fredericton providing $19.9 million for the balance of funding. This initiative was part of the 2008-2009 New Brunswick Annual Capital Plan under the Provincial/Territorial Base Fund.
Under the PT Base Fund, Canada is providing $175 million to each province and territory to address core infrastructure priorities. Under this program, federal funding flows based on approved provincial/territorial capital plans and not individual projects. When added to funding provided by the provinces and territories, the PT Base Fund will invest at least $4.5 billion in core infrastructure across the country.
For further information on the Building Canada plan, visit www.buildingcanada.gc.ca
John Babcock
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Bruce Macfarlane
Corporate Secretary
Communications New Brunswick
506-444-4606
Wayne Knorr
Communications Manager
City of Fredericton
506-460-2181
Infrastructure Canada
613-948-1148 or
Toll free 1-877-250-7154
