A news conference today at the Confederation Centre of the Arts announced that the East Coast Music Association head office will be moving to Charlottetown after receiving support from the Province of Prince Edward Island, the City of Charlottetown and the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
"We are very pleased that the ECMA office is coming to Charlottetown," noted Kevin J. MacAdam, Minister of Fisheries and Tourism. "This three-year agreement will foster great working relationships with the music industry in the Atlantic provinces and we are very happy they selected PEI for their head office location."
The East Coast Music Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering, developing, promoting, and celebrating Atlantic Canadian music both regionally and globally. To this end, they are continually seeking opportunities to develop in ways that are progressive and at the same time relevant and visible to the membership.
In the fall of 1998, the Board of Directors of the East Coast Music Association sent letters to all of the municipalities asking for support in establishing an office commensurate with the workload and responsibilities of the Association. The Board reviewed the responses with one question in mind - which of the communities, at this time, would provide the most practical and comprehensive support to the ECMA, which in turn would allow the Association to better fulfill the mission? Charlottetown was the choice.
Mayor George MacDonald added, "The City is extremely pleased to be host city of the ECMA office and we look forward to working with them and creating a strong tie between the city and the organization."
The East Coast Music Association has just helped to create a new Pan-Atlantic Music Associations Council. Partners include the Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia, the Music Industry Association of New Brunswick and the Music Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. The council is committed to helping the music industry of Prince Edward Island to form its own association and with the help of the local community, they hope to see the creation of a new Music Industry Association of Prince Edward Island very soon.
Mr. H. Wayne Hambly, Chairman of the Fathers of Confederation Buildings Trust, is pleased to participate in this music industry initiative: "As a major live-performance venue in Prince Edward Island for 35 years, we at the Confederation Centre of the Arts welcome and continue to foster East Coast music as per our national mandate."
By moving through the Atlantic region over the past five years, it has been possible not only to share the experience with the membership as a completely Atlantic Canadian association but it more evenly spreads the economic benefits that are generated by the ECMA Annual Awards and Conference in each community. "We look forward to focusing on the industry as a whole without having the concern that the limited resources of the ECMA must be used primarily on maintaining the administrative offices. We can now develop ways to improve the overall condition necessary for all of us in the Music Industry of Atlantic Canada to thrive and prosper. We are delighted to be moving to a new home and we expect to be settled in by the fall," added Bill Appleby, Chairman of the East Coast Music Association.