News Release

For immediate release
March 16, 2004

Enhanced Experience for Visitors to the Orangedale Station

Orangedale, N.S. – A tourism infrastructure project aimed at enhancing the experience of visitors to Orangedale was announced today by Rodger Cuzner, MP for Bras d’Or-Cape Breton.

“The Orangedale Station Museum is a popular attraction on the Island,” says Rodger Cuzner, MP for Bras d’Or-Cape Breton. “Upgrading the facility and making it more accessible to visitors improves its tourism potential and that’s good news for the local community.”

The Orangedale Station Association will use the funding to upgrade and refurbish the Orangedale Station complex so that the museum will bring railway history alive for visitors.

The Association’s mission is to acquire, preserve and protect railway related artefacts, as well as to pass on railway heritage to future generations.

“We are looking forward to making improvements that will make the experience of our visitors more enjoyable,” says Martin Boston, president of the Orangedale Station Association. “Visitor attendance has grown over the last number of years. With these improvements we hope to see our visitation grow even more.”

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.

The Orangedale Station Association was established in 1988. The station itself was transformed into a museum in 1990 and is the only remaining intercolonial railway station on Cape Breton Island. It houses museum exhibits and a tearoom. Outside, there is a 1911 caboose, a vintage boxcar, flatcar and snowplow.

The Association is run by a volunteer board of community members and is a member of the Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society and the Nova Scotia Museum.

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

Martin Boston, President
Orangedale Station Assoc. 
Tel: (902) 756-2539

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

Rick Beaton
ECBC Communications
Tel : (902) 564-3618