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News Release
For Immediate Release
September 30, 2005
Government of Canada Supports Celtic Colours International Festival
Sydney, Nova Scotia –Mark Eyking, MP for Sydney-Victoria, with
Rodger Cuzner MP for Cape Breton-Canso on behalf of the Honourable Joseph
McGuire, Minister for Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation (ECBC) and the
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) is pleased to announce
Government of Canada funding for the Celtic Colours International Festival.
Financial assistance of $800,000 will be ECBC’s non-repayable contribution
towards the event under ACOA’s new Innovative Communities Fund (ICF)
program.
The Celtic Colours International Festival is an annual event celebrating
Celtic heritage and music in Cape Breton. The Festival is positioned to
coincide with the brilliant fall foliage for which Cape Breton is famous. It
includes concerts, workshops, Gaelic language events, square dances and
ceilidhs.
“The festival strengthens the tourism shoulder season and heightens national
and international awareness of the arts and culture sectors present on the
Island,” says Rodger Cuzner, MP for Cape Breton-Canso. “The festival injects
millions of dollars into the Island’s economy each year.”
“The Festival is a pillar of the Atlantic Canada tourism calendar and
attracts visitors from around the world,” says Mark Eyking, MP for
Sydney-Victoria. “The festival has a reputation that continues to grow and,
with that, comes the tremendous economic spin-offs that are benefiting the
entire Island.”
Festival Chair Rod Munroe is excited about the support and the upgrade. “The
continued support means we are able to focus on making the festival bigger
and better every year,” says Munroe.
Since 1997, the Celtic Colours International Festival has featured hundreds
of musicians from all over the Celtic world and attracted tens of thousands
of visitors to Cape Breton Island. For nine days in October, Cape Breton
Island is home to a unique celebration of music and culture as the Celtic
Colours International Festival presents dozens of concerts all over the
Island. An equally extensive line-up of workshops, a schools program aimed
at elementary and junior high students, a visual arts series of exhibitions
and a nightly festival club are also part of this annual event.
Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation offers programs in support of economic
development initiatives and is responsible for delivering Atlantic Canada
Opportunities Agency’s programs on Cape Breton Island and in the Mulgrave
area.
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FOR BROADCAST USE ONLY:
MARK EYKING, MP FOR SYDNEY-VICTORIA, WITH RODGER CUZNER MP FOR CAPE BRETON-CANSO
ANNOUNCED GOVERNMENT OF CANADA FUNDING FOR THE CELTIC COLOURS INTERNATIONAL
FESTIVAL TO IMPLEMENT THEIR NINE-DAY FESTIVAL AND EMPLOY THEIR OWN
INDEPENDENT TICKETING SYSTEM.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OF $800,000 WILL BE ECBC’S NON-REPAYABLE CONTRIBUTION
TOWARDS THE EVENT UNDER ACOA’S NEW INNOVATIVE COMMUNITIES FUND (ICF)
PROGRAM.
“THE FESTIVAL STRENGTHENS THE TOURISM SHOULDER SEASON AND HEIGHTENS NATIONAL
AND INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTORS PRESENT ON THE
ISLAND,” SAYS RODGER CUZNER, MP FOR BRAS D’OR-CANSO. “THE FESTIVAL INJECTS
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO THE ISLAND’S ECONOMY EACH YEAR.”
“THE FESTIVAL IS A PILLAR OF THE ATLANTIC CANADA TOURISM CALENDAR AND
ATTRACTS VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD,” SAYS MARK EYKING, MP FOR
SYDNEY-VICTORIA. “THE FESTIVAL HAS A REPUTATION THAT CONTINUES TO GROW AND,
WITH THAT, COMES THE TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC SPIN-OFFS THAT ARE BENEFITING THE
ENTIRE ISLAND.”
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Valérie Poulin
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Joseph McGuire
Minister of Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Tel: (613) 941-7241
Office of the Honourable Mark Eyking
MP Sydney-Victoria
(902) 567-6275
Office of Rodger Cuzner, MP
Cape Breton - Canso
Tel: (902) 842-9763
Rod Munroe
Celtic Colours Festival Society
Tel: (902) 563-3170
Jennifer Crocker
Communications Officer
Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation
Tel: (902) 564-3510
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