The food pavilion at the SARS relief concert in Toronto next week will feature two tasty Island treats – oysters and baked potatoes. Organizers for the concert, which will feature notable acts like the Rolling Stones and AC/DC, asked each Canadian province to provide food for the concert site.
Approximately 125,000 potatoes are on their way to Toronto. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry has purchased the load of baker potatoes and is working with the PEI Potato Board to get them to the event. The potatoes will be baked on site by event organizers and served along with Canadian beef.
"We want to show our support for the SARS relief effort and our appreciation to the people of Toronto who are an important part of our potato market," said Agriculture and Forestry Minister Mitch Murphy. "We are pleased to be working closely with the Potato Board to promote our potatoes and help our beef producers."
World oyster shucking champion Patrick McMurray will dish up Island oysters to hungry concert goers. The Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment has been working with Mr. McMurray to coordinate the oyster promotion and is contributing $2,000 toward the purchase of the 12,000 PEI oysters for the event. Owner of the Starfish Oyster Bed & Grill in Toronto, McMurray captured the title of World Oyster Shucking Champion, after winning the Canadian Oyster Shucking Championship at the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival last summer. McMurray and several other champion oyster shuckers will be shucking at the oyster bar on the concert grounds.
"Oyster shuckers are great ambassadors for the oyster industry and this is an excellent opportunity to introduce thousands of people to the delicious taste of Malpeque oysters, while at the same time helping those most affected by SARS," said Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Greg Deighan.
In addition to promoting quality PEI oysters, the oyster bar will feature promotional materials encouraging concert goers to come to Prince Edward Island to take in events such as the PEI International Shellfish Festival and the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival.
The oyster industry plays an important role in the economy of Prince Edward Island, providing employment for 1,000 Island fishers, growers and processing plant workers and injecting approximately $12 million into the provincial economy. Toronto is a key market for the PEI industry, and the Province works with several partners in the city on initiatives to promote Island oysters.
The Department of Tourism will also send information for a display at the food pavilion which will encourage concert goers to visit Prince Edward Island.
Prince Edward Island Business Development Inc. is providing $4,000 to purchase oysters and is providing promotional support.
All money raised at the food pavilion will be donated to the Toronto SARS relief fund.