Thanks to investments made under the Building Canada Fund and Build PEI, the Fathers of Confederation Buildings Trust is pleased to officially open the Grafton Street Pedestrian Pedway between the Confederation Centre of the Arts and the Shops of the Confederation Court Mall.
The Honourable Mike Duffy, Senator for Prince Edward Island (Cavendish); the Honourable Robert Vessey, Minister of Tourism and Culture; and Mr. H. Wayne Hambly, Chair of the Fathers of Confederation Buildings Trust, participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony today.
“The Government of Canada is pleased to work in partnership with Prince Edward Island and the Fathers of Confederation Buildings Trust on the creation of this pedway,” said Senator Duffy, on behalf of the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and La Francophonie. “Investing in infrastructure is important to the growth of key local business sectors like tourism and it promotes economic development on the Island.”
This project involved the construction of a pedestrian pedway beneath Grafton Street, connecting the Confederation Centre of the Arts to the Shops of the Confederation Court Mall, the Holman Grand Hotel and parkade. This pedway has created an area that is connected and accessible, offering parking, shopping, fine dining, accommodations, world class entertainment, and a cultural experience, all in downtown Charlottetown.
”The Government of Prince Edward Island recognizes the important role our tourism industry plays in building a stronger Island economy,” said Minister Vessey, who attended the opening on behalf of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister, Ron MacKinley. “That’s why we’re proud to invest in projects, such as the pedway, that offer visitors a complete vacation experience and promote Prince Edward Island as a world-class destination.”
The Government of Canada, through the Building Canada Fund, and the Province of Prince Edward Island, through its Build PEI initiative, each invested $525,000 in the pedway. The Fathers of Confederation Buildings Trust invested $1,050,000 towards the total project cost of $2,100,000.
“Infrastructure such as this pedestrian pedway adds so much to making the Confederation Centre of the Arts more accessible to Islanders and visitors. We often view the Centre as a cultural cornerstone, and even as a cultural community centre, for Charlottetown and all of Prince Edward Island,” said Mr. Hambley. “The investment made for this capital improvement from the federal and provincial governments, and the support of our board member Mr. Richard Homburg, have brought this pedway from idea to reality. We are thrilled to be opening it today.”
For more information on the Building Canada Fund, visit http://www.buildingcanada.gc.ca or http://www.gov.pe.ca/go/infrastructure, and for more information on capital projects on Prince Edward Island, visit www.buildpei.ca.