Trails to Hike Economy in Queens County
Resident and visiting nature lovers will soon have new places to enjoy the great outdoors as the Region of Queens Municipality is upgrading and developing hiking trails in Thomas Raddall Provincial Park.
Three of the park's existing shoreline trails -- Port Joli, Herring Rocks, and Sandy Bay -- are being upgraded to make 2.3-kilometres of frontcountry, multipurpose trail. A new coastal and hiking trail will also be developed with interpretation around coastal habitats and glacial land forms.
"The success of Thomas Raddall Park is an excellent example of the growing tourism appeal of Queens County, the south shore's great outdoors," said Mayor Christopher Clarke. "The trails, campsites and beaches of the park receive rave reviews from visitors, and we are proud to have such an asset in our area."
"Communities around this province know that Nova Scotia's natural beauty is one of our greatest strengths and they're taking full advantage of it by developing these hiking trails," said Senator Bernie Boudreau, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister responsible for Nova Scotia, on behalf of George Baker, Secretary of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). "We're pleased to support these trails projects and we look forward to the economic spinoffs they'll generate."
In addition to its own funds, the municipality is developing the trails with $39,225 of funding through the Nova Scotia Trails Destination Project, which is funded by the Canada/Nova Scotia COOPERATION Agreement on Economic Diversification. The agreement is managed by the ACOA and Nova Scotia Economic Development. The trail has also received $45,000 from Human Resources Development Canada and in-kind support from the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.
"Nature tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of our tourism industry," said Gordon Balser, Minister of Economic Development. "Our investment in trails across the province will ensure that Nova Scotia is an even more attractive destination for those outdoor enthusiasts who will bring their tourism dollars to our communities."
"The tourism industry is active in every corner of this province," said Doug Fawthrop, chair of the Nova Scotia Tourism Partnership Council. "Developing trails that are popular attractions for visitors is another way our communities are contributing to the growth of this billion dollar industry."
The $3-million Nova Scotia Trails Destination Project, which was announced last summer, will help make Nova Scotia one of the world's premier trails destinations and attract 36,000 new visitors to the province each year. The destination project received a total of $2 million in funding under the Economic Diversification Agreement.
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kjd November 9, 1999