Tourism Money will help in development of Bay of Fundy Cruise Welcome Centre
Mayor Norm McFarlane couldn't help but smile Tuesday after the three levels of government announced Tuesday that about $3.5 million will be invested in waterfront development in the city.
Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon
Telegraph-Journal
Appeared on page C1
SAINT JOHN - About $3.5 million will be invested in waterfront development as part of the Bay of Fundy Cruise Welcome Centre, the three levels of government announced Tuesday. Ottawa will kick in the lion's share - $2 million - through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency's Innovative Communities Fund, said Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson, the regional minister for New Brunswick.
The money will be used for the design, construction and landscaping of pedestrian areas around the new Pugsley cruise ship terminal at the foot of Duke Street, expected to be complete by next summer. This "demonstrates our commitment to supporting projects which enhance tourism potential and expand economic opportunities for communities," said Thompson, on behalf of ACOA Minister Peter MacKay, who was in St. Andrews for a diplomatic forum.
The Bay of Fundy Cruise Welcome Centre is expected to directly benefit rural communities throughout Southern New Brunswick by injecting more than $17 million in revenue over the next five years, government officials said. Meanwhile, total spending by return visitors is expected to exceed $59 million during the same period, which will benefit urban and rural communities alike across Atlantic Canada.
"This is a continuation of our belief in New Brunswick and what we can do together," said Thompson.
The provincial government will provide $400,000 for the project through the Regional Development Corporation, while the city will contribute about $1.1 million.
None of the money from the federal government, which got out of the port business years ago, will go toward the new terminal itself, but an undetermined portion of both the provincial and municipal funding likely will, said Ross Jefferson, general manager of the Saint John Waterfront Development Partnership.
The terminal, a two-storey, 16,000-square-foot facility, is expected to cost up to $11 million. The main focus, however, will be on walkways and green spaces along the waterfront for cruise ship passengers and citizens alike to enjoy. Among the plans is a public park at Pugsley Park, which is currently a parking lot on Water Street. It will include trees and benches, a clock tower and eventually, private development, such as restaurants, coffee shops and shopping, with a call for proposals expected to be issued "sooner rather than later," said Jefferson.
Only about 25 parking spots will be displaced by the park initially, he said. They will probably be relocated down the street to another existing lot. It's too soon to say what will happen to the other parking spots once the rest of the lot is filled with private development, said Jefferson, but it's possible one of the proposals could include an integrated parking garage.
Directly across from City Hall, in what is now a bus turnaround area, the plans call for a larger, more developed St. Andrews Park, which will also be the new location of Barbour's General Store as well as the Little Red Schoolhouse. And at the other end of Water Street, by the Three Sisters lamp, will be a larger and more developed Three Sisters Park.
Some of the work is already underway, while the rest is expected to be completed by next spring, in time for the 2008 cruise ship season.
"Most of the cruise passengers visiting here will be doing so for their very first time and it is here they will form their first impression of not only Saint John, but of New Brunswick and all of Atlantic Canada," said Bill MacMackin, president of the Waterfront Development Partnership. "Having a good first impression doesn't only make sense from tourism perspective, it goes a long way in making a positive statement of this entire region as a place to live and visit and invest in."
Supply and Services Minister Roly MacIntyre, the minister responsible for the province's Regional Development Corporation, agrees.He described Tuesday's announcement as "another piece in the very important puzzle in the development of Saint John's waterfront." It will help provide visitors with not only a positive first impression of the region, but a lasting one, he said.
"I'm well aware of how important the cruise ship business is for Saint John and the Fundy region," with an estimated 140,000 passengers scheduled to visit this year, said MacIntyre. "The cruise ship industry is and will remain a top economic generator for the region." The new terminal should also serve as a catalyst for other development, he added.
"Today is another example of what can be accomplished when all three levels of government and community partners work together," said Mayor Norm McFarlane. Despite the federal government;s being Conservative and the provincial government being Liberal, "co-operation has never been greater," he said, thanking both levels for recognizing the importance of waterfront development, including previously announced funding for harbour cleanup.
"Today's funding will allow us to continue the significant transformation of Water Street, that was initiated by this council, from a dark, dreary and under utilized street into a very attractive and comfortable space for citizens and cruise passengers to enjoy."
McFarlane also thanked council for its "bold step" of making the rebuilding of Water Street a top priority, along with harbour cleanup. And he thanked citizens for making Saint John "such a friendly and welcoming destination" for the cruise industry.
