Governments support the White Wolf Snowmobile Club and Encore Community Arts Association

November 17, 2018 – Labrador City, NL – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Tourism is important to Atlantic Canada's economy, accounting for nearly 63,000 jobs in communities across the region. Supporting tourism in both big cities and small towns throughout Atlantic Canada is essential to growing this important economic sector for Canadians. By reinforcing our tourism sector we attract new visitors, grow businesses and create new jobs.

To this end, the governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador are supporting two initiatives in Labrador West that will improve tourism infrastructure, strengthen tourism offerings and attract more visitors to the region.

Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), today announced Government of Canada support for projects with the White Wolf Snowmobile Club and Encore Community Arts Association. The Honourable Graham Letto, Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment and MHA for Labrador West, on behalf of the Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation (TCII), also announced a provincial contribution for the initiatives.

The White Wolf Snowmobile Club is undertaking a project to enhance its winter tourism infrastructure. The project will enable the club to replace one of its support facilities that is critical to the day to day functioning of the club, while also addressing safety concerns for facility users. ACOA is providing $30,000 through its Innovative Communities Fund, while TCII is contributing $14,756 towards this project.

The Encore Community Arts Association is getting support to implement its youth heritage theatre initiative. The project will enable the association to acquire equipment, undertake marketing activities and engage professional services to support its 70-minute heritage theatre performances. The theatre production includes visual, musical and other sensory effects to recreate the early history of Labrador West. The association is receiving $15,531 from ACOA's Business Development Program and $5,107 from TCII for the initiative.

These investments build on commitments made by the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic Provinces to drive economic growth in the region through the Atlantic Growth Strategy by helping the region's tourism industry attract more visitors and create new jobs across the region. This bold approach is in line with Canada's Tourism Vision, which seeks to make Canada a top-ten global tourism destination by 2025.