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