Nova Scotia To Build on Titanic Connections

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/TOURISM-N.S. To Build on Titanic Connections

Nova Scotia is taking steps to protect the integrity of its connection to Titanic and to respond to visitor inquiries for information on this maritime disaster. These initiatives will help build on Nova Scotia's unique marine heritage.

Under the Canada/Nova Scotia COOPERATION Agreement on Economic Diversification, the provincial and federal governments are dedicating $500,000 to a number of projects over the next two years. An additional $100,000 will come from joint initiatives with Halifax Regional Municipality and the private sector.

The province, working in partnership with the Halifax Regional Municipality since February, has developed a plan to provide an orderly and timely response to increased visitor interest in the Titanic sites in Nova Scotia.

"The film Titanic has become a global phenomenon, generating international interest in this event and Nova Scotia's connection to the story," said Manning MacDonald, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism.

"In 1912, the first ships dispatched to the scene by the White Star Line, the Titanic's owners, came from Halifax. Almost 85 years later, part of the film was shot in Halifax, so Nova Scotians had a part in that story, too.

"Working with partners at the federal and municipal levels, our investment will enable us to show how the Titanic was part of our unique marine heritage, which will continue to attract visitors and result in positive benefits for the province," said Mr. MacDonald.

The projects include the preservation and upgrading of Titanic sites, including Fairview Lawn Cemetery, where Titanic victims are buried, an expanded Titanic exhibit at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, informative displays and audiovisual presentations at the International Visitor Information Centre on Barrington Street, improved interpretation at other Titanic sites throughout Nova Scotia, literature and guides for visitors, as well as improvements to sites connected to the Halifax Explosion.

"With the Titanic tragedy in 1912 and the fateful Halifax explosion in 1917, there is no doubt that the early 1900s represent a significant part of this province's history," said Senator Al Graham, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister responsible for Nova Scotia, on behalf of Fred Mifflin, Secretary of State for ACOA. "It is essential that these important Nova Scotia stories are well represented and interpreted for many years to come."

All the initiatives will help to interpret the real story of the province's connection to Titanic, as well as the story of the Halifax Explosion. Sensitivity and authenticity will be paramount throughout all stages of the work.

Education and Culture Minister Robbie Harrison said the museum exhibit honours and respects those who lost their lives, and reminds us of the compassion of Nova Scotians who reached out to help in the wake of this tragedy.

"Nova Scotians and visitors alike are visibly moved when they see the only surviving deck chair, or a flake of rusty metal from the supposedly unsinkable hull. They are silenced when they meet the Titanic's real captain on newsreel footage, or hear the stories of the Halifax sailors who risked their lives to retrieve the bodies. The Maritime Museum preserves, interprets and shares these bits of reality to teach us about the real stories-the tragedies and the triumphs-that are so much a part of Nova Scotia's marine heritage."

Mayor Walter Fitzgerald, of the Halifax Regional Municipality said: "Our municipality has been associated with the preservation and protection of the Titanic grave sites since 1912. We are pleased that this latest effort will allow us to share our part of history with the world, yet ensure that the dignity and public respect for these grave sites, and all grave sites in the Fairview Lawn Cemetery, will be preserved."

According to provincial estimates, Titanic initiatives will inject $20 million in additional tourism revenues into the provincial economy in 1998. That should also generate an additional $2 million in tax revenues.

The Economic Diversification Agreement is managed federally by ACOA and provincially by Economic Development and Tourism.