New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, December 6, 2012 – Residents in the Pictou County region now have more opportunities to get fit and stay active thanks to the recent completion of the Pictou County Wellness Centre. The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Central Nova, and Natural Resources Minister and Pictou West MLA Charlie Parker, today marked the grand opening of the Pictou County Wellness Centre.
"Our federal government has been a proud partner throughout the process of creating and building Pictou County's new Wellness Centre and is proud to ensure people in our region get to enjoy a state-of-the-art facility for recreational, sporting and social activities,"
said Minister MacKay. "This project has energized our entire region and I look forward to many gatherings, meetings and sporting events at this incredible facility."
"Promoting healthy, active lifestyles and community involvement is a priority for our government,"
said Minister Parker. "Facilities like the Pictou County Wellness Centre will help get people moving and create vibrant communities across Nova Scotia."
"The addition of the Wellness Centre to our community has greatly enhanced our ability to provide healthy lifestyle options and has added a core piece to our complement of quality recreational assets. It will also provide opportunities for economic development and tourism as well as creating a central community gathering place,"
said Warden Ron Baillie on behalf of the municipalities of Pictou County. "This centre will be a key catalyst in moving our community forward. It will be a significant recruitment asset for our major employers in attracting and keeping skilled professionals to the area and is a source of great community pride. We are most grateful to the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia as well as the many generous businesses and individuals for making this vision a reality."
This project involved the construction of a six-lane, 25-metre pool capable of accommodating a range of aquatic programs and activities; a warm water pool for therapeutic and adapted programs and for recreational activities; an arena with two full-sized ice surfaces; a dedicated fitness centre with studios; multi-purpose community and conference space; a walking track; and a regulation size gymnasium.
The Government of Canada has contributed $11 million towards this $35.6-million project under the Major Infrastructure Component of the Building Canada Fund. The Province of Nova Scotia also provided $11 million to the project. The six municipalities within Pictou County have contributed $9 million to the new facility and the community fundraising was responsible for the remaining project costs.
Canada Economic Action Plan 2012 promotes new opportunities for growth, job creation and long-term prosperity. Strengthening infrastructure across the country is an important part of this plan. Thanks to the Government of Canada's leadership, and our strong economic and financial fundamentals, the Canadian economy has recovered from the global recession better than most other industrialized countries. Canada has been a leader among G-7 countries throughout the recovery with more than 824,000 net new jobs created since July 2009. Find out more about the opportunities in Economic Action Plan 2012 at www.budget.gc.ca/2012/home-accueil-eng.html
For additional information about federal investments in infrastructure and to stay up-to-date with Web feeds, visit www.infrastructure.gc.ca.
To learn more about the construction of the Pictou County Wellness Centre visit: www.infrastructure.gc.ca/regions/process-processus/pictou-eng.html.
Contacts:
Geneviève Sicard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Cassie Naas
Health and Wellness
902-424-3310
Email: Cassie.Naas@gov.ns.ca
Ron Baillie
Chairperson
Pictou County Wellness Centre Building Authority Inc.
902-485-4311
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251 or
Toll free 1-877-250-7154
