The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue, as well as the Honourable Ron MacKinley, PEI Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development, visited the West Point Lighthouse Inn to view a coastal seawall the West Point Development Corporation built to help protect the lighthouse. Governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island have both invested in this project.
“Our Government believes that tourism is an essential economic driver and community builder in all regions of Canada. The West Point Lighthouse is one of the main tourist destinations on the North Cape Coastal Drive,” said Minister Shea, on behalf of the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and La Francophonie. “Investments like these will benefit the tourism sector in West Prince and also encourage economic growth and development in the area.”
The Government of Canada, through ACOA, has invested $40,000 to help with the construction of the coastal seawall. The Government of Prince Edward Island, through the Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development and the Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning, has invested an additional $50,000.
“The Government of Prince Edward Island is pleased to partner with the Federal Government and the West Point Development Corporation to stabilize the shoreline adjacent to the lighthouse that was decimated during the storm surge of December 2010,” said Minister MacKinley. “This investment will secure the future of this unique lighthouse so that it will continue to support economic activity and jobs in the area for years to come.”
West Point Development Corporation has installed a shoreline protection system along the coast to help protect the West Point Lighthouse Inn, an important tourist attraction along the North Cape Coastal Drive. This system will protect the Inn from erosion and strong storm surges during the winter months.
“The completion of the coastal seawall will protect the West Point Lighthouse Inn, which is a strong tourist attraction for our community, for many years to come,” said Mr. Bruce Smallman, Chair, West Point Development Corporation. “We are grateful for the funding and resources we received from both levels of government and Resources West, as it played a key role in enabling us to complete the wall.”