The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Solicitor General of Canada, and Premier Pat Binns were in St. Peters today with Sheryll O'Hanley, vice-chairperson of the St. Peters and Area Development Corporation to view the progress of a major infrastructure development designed to enhance the area and help retain tourism traffic in the community.

The project includes renovations to create a theatre and meeting space in the historic Quigley Hall, built in 1874 as a court of law. A small park to be known as "Bayside Landing" is under construction in the area adjacent to the turn-off to Souris, and a system of trails and pedestrian bridges will create a walking link between the Visitor Information Centre and the community core.

"The citizens of St. Peters made this project a priority, putting it forward during consultations for `Building on the Momentum,' our current five-year economic development strategy for Eastern PEI," said Minister MacAulay, on behalf of the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and the Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC). "They recognized that new tourism developments, such as the national park at Greenwich, are attracting more visitors to this region - and we need to give them more reasons to stay. This infrastructure in St. Peters will complement our existing tourism offer and create new jobs and opportunities for Islanders."

The 90-seat theatre in Quigley Hall will be developed and run by the St. Peters Bay Arts Council, a committee of the St. Peters Area Development Corporation. Preliminary plans for operations include three evening shows and one matinee each week, May through September, featuring local story tellers and musical performers.

"I want to congratulate the St. Peters Area Development Corporation for recognizing the need to continue the recent success of attracting and retaining visitors to the area," said the Premier. "Building and enhancing communities has been, and remains, a top priority for our government and we are pleased to be part of the process which will see the construction of this community-driven project."

"After extensive community consultations and planning meetings, it's exciting to see the work progressing. We look forward to welcoming more visitors to the area so they can enjoy the many goods and services we have to offer," said Sheryll O'Hanley, vice chair of the St. Peters Area Development Corporation. "The development will also be a definite asset for local residents."

ACOA will provide a non-repayable contribution of $432,400 under the Strategic Communities Investment Fund (SCIF) to the project. The Canada/P.E.I. Labour Market Development Agreement, a co-managed agreement by HRDC and the provincial Department of Development and Technology is contributing $109,952 to the project.

SCIF provides $135 million over five years to help communities in Atlantic Canada create an environment that encourages the development of strategic sectors such as tourism. The fund is a component of the $700 million Atlantic Investment Partnership (AIP), a five-year Government of Canada initiative designed to help Atlantic Canadians compete in the global, knowledge-based economy. ACOA administers the fund.

Peter A. H. Graham
Office of the Minister of State for ACOA
(613) 957-9959

Lynn MacDonald
ACOA PEI & Tourism
(902) 566-7491

Dennis King
PEI Department of Development and Technology
(902) 368-6574

Sheryll O'Hanley
St. Peters Area Development Corporation
(902) 961-2824

Jim Richards
HRDC
(902) 566-7686