News Release

For immediate releases                                                           July 13, 2001

SYDNEY, N.S. -- The enhancement of Cape Breton Island's scenic views and lookoffs carried out over the past four years will be maintained and new sites will be restored with assistance from the Government of Canada.

This project helps ensure visitors take away clear and lasting memories of the island's beauty and scenery. Viewscape management also helps ensure the tourism industry remains a strong economic generator for the Island.

Tourism Cape Breton Inc., the industry association for tourism on Cape Breton Island, is spearheading this phase of the project which will create six full-time positions running from April to December. This work to be carried out will maintain all the sites done to date, ensuring that the vistas will remain open for another eight to ten years, and approximately 20 new areas will be enhanced.

The total estimated cost of the project is $177,000 and ECBC will contribute $132,750 through the Fisheries Restructuring Adjustment Measures (FRAM) Program.

"Cape Breton Island's unique scenery is one of its main tourist attractions. Through this project, the Island's reputation as a major site-seeing destination will be maintained. This will assist in the growth and maintenance of other tourism related jobs and activities in the island's strong tourism sector," said Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria, speaking on behalf of Robert Thibault, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation.

The Cabot Trail is the number one attraction for tourists travelling to Nova Scotia and one of the main reasons for travelling the Cabot Trail is to experience the scenery. Over the past number of decades, tree growth greatly hindered this attraction by blocking magnificent views. Well known local photographer Warren Gordon helped get the project moving by identifying locations along the Trail that had grown-in over the years and obstructed views and photo opportunities. A comparison of Gordon's older photos from around the Trail with the views that existed clearly indicated the extent of the obstruction.

"The proper viewscape management carried out through this wonderful project will ensure Cape Breton Island continues to have strong attraction for tourists," said Janet Conner, General Manager, Tourism Cape Breton Inc. "The enhanced scenic views around the Island are the result of partnerships which involve funding, support and cooperation among several government agencies and departments. The partners are demonstrating that they value Cape Breton Island's tourism product."

Due to extreme working conditions and environmental sensitivities under which this project takes place, it is carried out by skilled silviculture workers under safe working conditions adhering to all appropriate safety regulations and on the basis of sustainable forest management. Work is completed under the criteria of selective cutting, pruning and/or thinning to establish views in the most friendly manner possible. Measures are taken to ensure that there is minimal impact on wildlife habitat.

Funding for this project was provided for in the February 2000 budget and is therefore built into the existing financial framework.

In June 1998, the Government of Canada announced that $93.8 million would be set aside for the economic development component of the $730 million Fisheries Restructuring and Adjustment Measures (FRAM) in the four Atlantic Provinces. The amount available for affected communities in Nova Scotia is $21.3 million. This amount is available over three years for long-term, sustainable economic development initiatives in communities and areas in Nova Scotia affected by the permanent downsizing of the Atlantic groundfishery. On Cape Breton Island, ECBC works in partnership with key regional and community development stakeholders to implement the economic development initiatives of the FRAM program.

Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation offers programs in support of economic development initiatives and is responsible for delivering ACOA's programs on Cape Breton Island and in the Mulgrave area.

For Further Information Contact:

D.A. Landry, ECBC
Director, Communications
Tel: (902) 564-3617
Fax:(902) 564-3825

Tom Aucoin, Project Manager
Tourism Cape Breton Inc.
Tel: (902) 563-4636

Sylvie Millette LeDuc
Communications Director
Minister Thibault's Office
Tel:(613) 941-7241
Fax:(613) 941-7844