Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, September 11, 2012 – Nova Scotia's sailing ambassador, the Bluenose II, will officially relaunch in Lunenburg on Saturday, September 29 during an all-day celebration for Nova Scotians, Canadians and international visitors.
The official relaunch will lower the Bluenose II into the water from the 1,200-tonne marine railway and winch it out, link by link, to be towed beside the Fisheries Museum for the event.
"Bluenose II is a Canadian icon that symbolizes Nova Scotia's prominence in the fishing and shipbuilding industries,"
said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Central Nova. "Our Government invested in this project to spur economic growth, create jobs in Nova Scotia and preserve an important part of Canada's maritime history. I congratulate all those who worked so hard to make the Bluenose II relaunch possible."
"So many people have been waiting for this day to come, the excitement is at fever pitch,"
said the Honourable Leonard Preyra, Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage. "We expect thousands of people to see the Bluenose II officially return to the water on September 29. Massive wooden ship launches have changed significantly over the past 50 years. Safety is key nowadays so there isn't the big splash anymore."
"It will be absolutely magical to see her back in the water,"
said Lawrence Mawhinney, Mayor of Lunenburg. "We look forward to this wonderful event with great anticipation."
"It will be the deepest launch ever out of the foundry in Lunenburg,"
said Peter Kinley, President of the Lunenburg Foundry, and one of the partners in the Lunenburg Shipbuilding Alliance. "She will then go to our foundry wharf at the head of the harbour to get rigged and commissioned."
Highlights of the relaunch event will feature family entertainment and local talent in the afternoon. The evening Bluenose ll celebration will include top East Coast talent, a video and a fireworks presentation.
A redesigned website for the sailing icon has also been launched. For up-to-date information please visit www.bluenose.novascotia.ca.
The Bluenose II is in a land-based slipway and will slide into the water, and be raised again, several times in the days before the relaunch for required tests, including watertight integrity.
Webcams providing Internet users around the world with a view of the work have been repositioned and will continue to stream images until the Bluenose II goes back in the water. There have been more than two million visits to the webcams since they began broadcasting in December 2010. To view the Bluenose II webcam, please visit www.novascotiawebcams.com/south-shore/bluenose-ii.html.
The governments of Canada and Nova Scotia contributed $4,937,500 each through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund toward the total eligible project costs of $9,875,000.
Investing in infrastructure is a key part of the Government of Canada's plan to create jobs, promote growth and ensure long-term prosperity. To develop a new long-term infrastructure plan for beyond 2014, the Government of Canada is working with provinces, territories, municipalities through municipal associations and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, as well as other key stakeholders in a series of roundtables. This plan will focus on investments that support job creation and economic growth, while building strong, prosperous communities across the country. Working together to develop this plan will provide new opportunities for all orders of government and the private sector to build partnerships to improve public infrastructure in Canada.
For additional information about Infrastructure Canada's projects in Nova Scotia and to stay up-to-date with Web feeds, visit www.infrastructure.gc.ca.
For further information about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
Contacts:
Geneviève Sicard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Media Contact: Glenn Friel
Communities, Culture and Heritage
Cell: 902-456-7416
E-mail: frielgp@gov.ns.ca
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll-free 1-877-250-7154
