The Honourable Don MacKinnon, Minister of Development, met today with the O'Leary and Area Community Development Steering Committee to encourage the process of community development.
Earlier this year, the province of Prince Edward Island hired six community development workers. Their job is to help communities come up with development plans to enhance community life, infrastructure and employment opportunities.
"This process allows communities to decide what is best for them. Community development is very dependant on building strong foundations to serve as the basis from which communities can prosper and grow," Minister MacKinnon said.
The community of O'Leary has already identified it's PEI Potato Museum as an important foundation for growth. The Museum has attracted thousands of visitors to the area and has provided both a source of community pride and economic development.
Under the Community Development initiative, projects identified by the community planning process are eligible for support under the Community Development Fund.
While in O'Leary, MacKinnon presented the Potato Museum with a grant from the Fund. "This project has been determined by the community to be important to its growth and future. This is the kind of project the Community Development Fund was set up to support, " Minister MacKinnon said.
The PEI Potato Museum is building an extension to house displays and museum items pertaining to the potato industry. The display was donated to the PEI Potato Museum by the National Potato Museum.
When it's complete, the display will be the only one of it's kind in Canada.
The expansion will also house a Potato Hall of Fame.
The Community Development Fund contribution to the expansion of the Museum represents the province's share of the project.