The province of Prince Edward Island is moving ahead tomorrow with its plan to gauge the level of private sector interest in the four provincially owned golf courses, says Minister of Tourism and Culture Robert Henderson.
“In the 2012 Speech from the Throne government announced its intention to fully explore all options regarding the ownership and management of Mill River, Brudenell, Dundarave and the Links at Crowbush Cove,” said Minister Henderson. “Tomorrow, we begin that process by issuing a call for expressions of interest, which will help determine the level of private sector interest, and will help determine whether or not interested companies are qualified to own, manage or lease these properties.”
By issuing a non-binding expression of interest, the province gains insight into how many companies may be interested in owning, managing or leasing the properties, and whether those companies have the appropriate qualifications, and financial stability, to operate the courses successfully.
Once the initial call for expressions of interest is complete, government will review the submissions and then determine its next step, which could include an invited tender or a call for proposals.
“Our number one priority in this whole process is to ensure the best interests of Islanders are protected,” said Minister Henderson. “We want to make sure that when and if a private company takes control of these properties, they do so in such a way that protects the public purse and creates no further burden on Island taxpayers.”
For more information on the call for expressions of interest visit www.gov.pe.ca/tenders .