News Release

ÎLE-DE-LAMÈQUE (GNB) – Provincial and federal officials announced more than $2.1 million in funding today for Carrefour Coop to renovate two buildings and create an interpretation centre to celebrate the co-operative movement.

“This community has a 200-year history of co-operation that is based in the fishing industry,” said Réjean Savoie, minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation. “This is a history to celebrate and share with residents and visitors. The Carrefour Coop will serve as an anchor product for the tourism experience in the peninsula, and the province is pleased to invest in this important project.”

The centre will feature videos, immersive experiences, cultural and historical displays, and will allow visitors to climb aboard fishing vessels. The centre will be a unique and integral part of the Acadian Peninsula’s tourism cluster by complementing nearby tourism experiences.

The province is contributing $400,000 towards the project through the Regional Development Fund. The federal government is providing $968,846 through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), $500,000 through Canadian Heritage and and $250,000 through the Canada Community Building Fund.

“We have so much to be proud of in our beautiful region, and so much to share with visitors,” said federal Official Languages Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, who is also the minister responsible for ACOA. “With the support announced today, we are recognizing the tourism sector’s vital importance to our economy and helping tourism businesses and organizations in Lamèque develop the world-class experiences that make Atlantic Canada such a sought-after destination. It is projects like this that contribute to the momentum of a stronger and brighter future in Atlantic Canada.”

“The Carrefour Coop project is very special, not to mention exclusive, with its educational, cultural, heritage, recreational, tourism and environmental components,” said Paul Lanteigne, president of Carrefour Coop Ltée. “We appreciate having had access to different programs thanks to a concerted approach from our funders, whether they be the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Heritage Canada, the New Brunswick Regional Development Corporation or the Canada Community-Building Fund managed by the provincial Department of Environment and Local Government.”