Governments of Canada and Quebec celebrate the reopening of the Musée de la Mer in the Îles de la Madeleine
The recently expanded and renovated Musée de la Mer in the Îles de la Madeleine now has more space for its cultural activities and artefacts. Germain Chevarie, Member of the National Assembly for Îles-de-la-Madeleine, today was on-site to celebrate the completion of construction work on this important project. The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, is pleased with the Government of Canada's support to this project.
"Our Government is proud to invest in projects that create local jobs and economic growth, and enable Îles de la Madeleine to continue to prosper," said Minister Lebel. "I am pleased that Canada's Economic Action Plan has supported this important museum, and we look forward to witnessing the positive impact this magnificent facility will have on the community and for tourism in the region."
"For Madelinots, this museum is a source of pride and a symbol of belonging. As of today, the precious collections housed within have larger, customized spaces to meet the artefacts' particular conservation requirements. The Government of Quebec recognizes the contributions of these museums, which invite citizens to take part in enriching encounters with knowledge and cultural heritage. It is for this reason that we help museums carry out their missions," declared MNA Germain Chevarie.
The Musée de la Mer expansion and renovation project consisted of increasing the capacity of the display rooms and providing added storage space for the collection. Urgent renovations to ensure that the building is safe have also been completed as part of this project. Now that the work is done and the facility has been brought up to standard, visitors can enjoy modern facilities in a more welcoming museum.
Opened in 1973 and located on l'Île-du-Havre-Aubert, in the Municipality of Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, the Musée de la Mer welcomes numerous visitors each year. Its mission is to conserve and showcase artefacts related to the Madelinots' history and heritage.
The Government of Canada committed over $2.5 million towards this expansion and renovation project. Infrastructure Canada's contribution of up to $1,660,000 is provided under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, which supported over 4,100 infrastructure projects across the country. In addition to this funding is a $593,160 non-repayable contribution from Canada Economic Development, granted through the Support Initiative for International Cruise Development along the St. Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers. Canadian Heritage has also provided funding of $273,000 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund. This program seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and arts presentation or exhibition. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing, visual, and media arts, and to museum collections and heritage displays.
The Government of Quebec contributed $2,207,800 under the Plan québécois des infrastructures, which was enhanced in January 2009 and now has an envelope of nearly $42 billion for infrastructure renewal in Quebec over the next five years. Of that amount, $1.2 billion has been earmarked for cultural facilities.
The Government of Canada committed over $900 million from the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund to more than 900 projects in communities across the Province of Quebec. Although the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is now complete, the economic benefits of these projects will last for years to come.
Additional information
For more information about investments in infrastructure, visit the following Web sites:
infrastructure.gc.ca and infrastructures.gouv.qc.ca.
To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit actionplan.gc.ca.
Keep up with the latest news from Canada Economic Development by visiting
www.dec-ced.gc.ca or subscribing to @CanEconDev on Twitter.
For more information on Canadian Heritage, visit www.canadianheritage.gc.ca.
To download a short broadcast-quality video highlighting a few of the many successful infrastructure projects across Canada, visit infrastructure.gc.ca/video/video-eng.html.
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Sources :
Pierre Floréa
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
Tel.: 613-991-0700
Infrastructure Canada
Tel.: 613-960-9251 / 1-877-250-7154 (toll-free)
Valérie Rodrigue
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women
Tel.: 418-380-2310
Sébastien Gariépy
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Tel.: 819-997-7788
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
Tel.: 819-994-9101 / 1-866-569-6155
Email:
