The historic Matthew and McLean building in Souris has been given a brand new lease on life. The elegant, 19th century structure has been refurbished, inside and out. The restored Matthew and McLean building, which will serve as the Souris region's new cultural interpretive centre and provide an inspiring focus for future revitalization of the downtown core, was officially opened today.
"I congratulate the people of the Souris area for recognizing the tourism economic potential of the Matthew and McLean building and for working so effectively together to develop that potential," said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Solicitor General of Canada on behalf of the Honourable Robert Thibault, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister for Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC). "The building has been beautifully renovated, and I am very pleased that the Government of Canada has been able to assist the community to begin the revitalization of the downtown core."
Originally constructed as a general store in 1869 by local entrepreneurs John McLean and Uriah Matthews, the building served as a commercial centre for the development of eastern Prince Edward Island for more than 100 years. Upon closing, the Winterhalder family bought the store and operated a successful department store for over 20 years until the mid-1990s. Now its role will be as a historical and cultural interpretation centre for Souris and the Eastern Kings region. It is also the new home of the Visitor Information Centre, and it provides leased space for the Avalanche Restaurant and the Lighthouse Crafts and Gifts store. As well, the property surrounding the building includes a much-needed parking area for the town.
"This is an exciting time for the people of eastern Kings County," said the Honourable Michael F. Currie, PEI Minister of Development and Technology. "Not only does the refurbishing of this building give new life to the downtown, it will be the inspiration for the future development of the tourism industry and the local economy."
The project was coordinated by the Souris Downtown Revitalization Committee, a subcommittee of the Eastern Kings Community Enhancement Corporation. The Corporation is a not-for-profit community group, formed in 1999, with a mandate to develop projects that enhance the entire community of Eastern PEI.
"The downtown of Souris has been on the decline for the last number of years. With the refurbishing of this beautiful building, we will see growth not only in tourism, but growth in the overall economy of Eastern Kings," said Mayor James Hughes.
"We are pleased to announce the completion of phase one of the downtown revitalization. Our future plans include enhancing the streetscape of the downtown area and the installation of a boardwalk. This project was a total community effort with numerous volunteers giving, and continuing to give, of their time. We look forward to starting phase two," said Richard Deveau, Chairman, Souris Downtown Revitalization Committee.
The establishment of Souris as the "Green Tourism" community of Eastern Kings was identified as the top priority in the "Tourism Product Development Strategy for Eastern Kings" report completed in June 2000. The refurbishment of the Matthew and McLean heritage building is the centrepiece of a broader plan to create a network of attractions and activities aimed at the growing numbers of visitors who are interested in ecotourism.
Funding for the project was provided as follows: $125,000 from the Town of Souris; $308,000 from ACOA and $77,000 from the Province of PEI, through the Canadian Fisheries Adjustment and Restructuring Initiative; $150,000 through ACOA's Business Development Program; $124,800 from the Canada/PEI Labour Market Development Agreement, a co-managed agreement between HRDC and the provincial department of Development and Technology; $90,000 from the PEI Department of Development and Technology.