Boost Anticipated for Southwest Nova Scotia

Visitors to Nova Scotia will soon be able to cruise to the province in record time and enjoy a piece of its history at a world-class facility.

Two significant projects for the southwest region of Nova Scotia were announced today at a news conference in Yarmouth. The Yarmouth County Museum is receiving about $1.2 million toward a $1.8-million expansion project, and Bay Ferries will receive $650,000 toward a $1.3-million co-operative marketing program through the Canada/Nova Scotia COOPERATION Agreement on Economic Diversification.

The announcements were made by 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 the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and Clifford Huskilson, Minister of Transportation and Public Works, on behalf of the Manning MacDonald, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism.

They were joined by Eric Ruff, director curator of Yarmouth County Museum, and Don Cormier, general manager of Bay Ferries, attending the news conference on behalf of company president Mitch MacLean.

"These projects support Nova Scotia's growing tourism industry and will encourage more visitors to this area and the rest of the province," said. Senator Graham. "The positive local economic impact of increased tourism will be significant as money spent by visitors on local attractions and hospitality services stimulates job growth in this area."

"The Yarmouth County Museum project is a wonderful example of a Nova Scotia community identifying strengths and building on them to create jobs and economic opportunities," said Mr. Huskilson. "The Bay Ferries catamaran service will bring thousands of visitors into the province every week. Those visitors will bring substantial economic benefits to our tourism operators all through the southwest region."

The museum project includes the addition of a two-storey preservation annex for displaying more of the museum's artifacts and ship portrait collection. An archival research centre will also accommodate the growing interest in tracing ancestral heritage. The expansion project will encourage visitors to use the facility year-round and ultimately prolong their stay in the area.

"The Yarmouth County Museum is a valued part of this community," said Mr. Ruff. "This project will enable us to better protect our area's historical treasures and to better serve our residents and visitors, while at the same time helping to improve and promote heritage sites across the province."

The Bay Ferries Co-op Marketing Program will promote the 2.5-hour crossing by the new "fast-ferry" catamaran between Bar Harbor, Me., and Yarmouth. The catamaran is the fastest car ferry in North America with the capacity to carry 900 passengers and 240 vehicles across the ocean at highway speeds.

Bay Ferries will be a partner with the province to promote Nova Scotia as a vacation destination for people from Ontario and New England. It will also work with the tourism community in southwestern Nova Scotia to promote day cruises and overnight visits to people in the Bar Harbor area.

"This marketing program is absolutely necessary for the success of the new catamaran crossing," said Mr. Cormier. "It will be a real boost to the tourism industry if we can encourage more people to use the ferries from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth."

The Canada/Nova Scotia COOPERATION Agreement on Economic Diversification is managed by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Nova Scotia Economic Development and Tourism.

NOTE: The following is intended for use by broadcast media.

The Yarmouth County Museum is expanding.

The two-storey annex is being built to provide display

space for more artifacts and the museum's ship portrait

collection.

The existing part of the museum will be converted

into an archival research centre for public use.

The total cost of the expansion is one-point-eight

million-dollars.

A provincial-federal economic diversification

agreement is contributing one-point-two-million-dollars.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Backgrounders on the Yarmouth County Museum expansion and the Bay Ferries marketing program are available by e-mailing <[email protected].>