News Release

For immediate release
March 17, 2004

Louisbourg Playhouse Society Receives Funding

Louisbourg, N.S. – An investment in a local, community driven organization was announced today by Bras d’Or - Cape Breton MP Rodger Cuzner.

The Louisbourg Playhouse Society has received funding through Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation (ECBC) to host 10th anniversary celebrations in 2004. Over a two-year period, the funding will be used for marketing, leasehold improvements and equipment upgrades, as well as to hire a consultant to develop a plan for the celebration events and to provide project coordination and logistics.

“Projects such as the Louisbourg Playhouse are necessary to achieve the goal of creating and maintaining a successful tourism sector on the Island,” says MP Rodger Cuzner. “The project supports commercial activity, as the Society works with accommodation operators from the Louisbourg area to develop packages, offering visitors another reason to stay longer in Cape Breton.”

“The Society is excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Louisbourg Playhouse,” says Gerald Lalonde, chairman of the Louisbourg Playhouse Society. “The Playhouse offers an opportunity for up and coming Cape Breton talent to become better known, while at the same time providing the visitor with a taste of our Island’s culture.”

The total estimated cost of the project is $250,000. Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation will provide a non-repayable contribution of $200,000 through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF).

The Louisbourg Playhouse Society is a non-profit Society that provides nightly entertainment from mid-June until mid-October. A ten-member volunteer board of directors operates the Playhouse.

The Strategic Community Investment Fund provides $135 million over five years to help communities in Atlantic Canada create an environment that encourages and enhances economic development.

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 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephen Heckbert 
Office of the Honourable Joseph McGuire
Tel: (613) 948-7293

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

Gerald Lalonde
Chairman
Louisbourg Playhouse Society Corporation
Tel: (902) 733-2280 ext. 3424

Rick Beaton
Enterprise Cape Breton
Tel: (902) 564-3618