News Release

For Immediate Release

Tall Ships to Visit Cape Breton Communities

Sydney, Nova Scotia – May 20, 2004 – The Tall Ships are returning to Nova Scotia and residents of Cape Breton will be able to take part in the celebrations, Cape Breton MPs Rodger Cuzner and Mark Eyking said today.

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation (ECBC) are combining to contribute $510, 875 to the visit of the tall ships to Halifax as well as a number of other coastal communities.

It’s estimated that as many as 40 vessels will take part in Tall Ships Challenge 2004. It will be the largest gathering of tall ships in North America this year. The ships will hale from Argentina, the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Cook Islands, Poland and Canada.

With the support from ACOA and ECBC, a number of the ships will first visit Halifax and then proceed on to Port Hawkesbury, Isle Madame and Sydney. Another part of the fleet will visit the mainland ports of Lunenburg, Shelburne, Pubnico, Yarmouth, Meteghan and Digby.

Government of Canada support for the visit of the tall ships was announced early today by Fisheries and Oceans Minister Geoff Regan.

In making the announcement, Minister Regan said: “Tourists and local residents are sure to turn out in large numbers to view these majestic ships as they sail into Halifax as well as a number of smaller ports. Local tourism operators and other business owners will also benefit from the visits.”

Mr. Eyking predicted that residents of the Sydney area are likely to show up in large numbers to witness the arrival of the tall ships. “The Sydney waterfront will be the place to be when the tall ships tie up and open for public visitation.”

Mr. Cuzner said the visit of the ships to both Isle Madame and Port Hawkesbury will “be a major boost for tourism and mean additional income for residents and businesses engaged in this important sector.”

The theme of Tall Ships Challenge 2004 is “A Salute to L’Acadie.” The event coincides with the celebrations surrounding the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the French in North America.

FOR BROADCAST USE

Residents and visitors in Cape Breton will be able to share in the excitement of the Tall Ships visit to Nova Scotia this summer thanks, in part, to an investment by the Government of Canada, MPs Rodger Cuzner and
Mark Eyking said today.

Three ports in Cape Breton and six more on mainland Nova Scotia will be visited by a number of the 40 vessels making up the Tall Ships Challenge 2004 fleet. ACOA and Enterprise Cape Breton are together contributing almost half a million dollars to make the visits to the coastal ports possible.

The announcement was made earlier today in Halifax by Fisheries and Oceans Minister Geoff Regan.

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John Coady
Office of Mark Eyking, MP
Sydney-Victoria
Tel: (902)567-6275

Office of Rodger Cuzner
MP Bras d’Or-Cape Breton
Tel: (902) 842-9763

David Harrigan
Media Relations Officer
ACOA (Nova Scotia)
(902) 426-4238

Mike Patrick
Tall Ships Challenge 2004
(902) 424-7348