The very successful Festival of Lights celebration, held over the Canada Day weekend, suffered a bit of negative fallout due to the resulting condition of the waterfront grounds, post-celebration. A good deal of rain fell over the duration of the event, and the combination of large crowds and rain meant that Confederation Landing Park was a bit worse for wear once the festivities ended.
The City of Charlottetown and the Capital Commission have discussed the issue at length and, while the amount of work may be in dispute, some work is necessary to ensure that the park is returned to its original condition.
Minister of Tourism, Philip Brown, visited the site this week and is putting forward an offer to contribute to the restoration of Confederation Landing Park. “We recognize that this celebration is a great draw for the tourism industry and that Confederation Landing Park is enjoyed by tourists all summer long.” He added, “As a way of supporting both the Capital Commission and its efforts to build on the festival as well as the City of Charlottetown and its efforts to provide a beautiful green space for both Islanders and visitors, we would be willing to draw on our resources to bring the park into its pre-festival state.”
Tourism PEI will call on expertise from superintendents of provincial parks and provincial golf courses to assess and repair damage done to the grass area of the site. In addition, consultation with both the Capital Commission and the City of Charlottetown will determine if there was additional damage beyond the grass area.
“We want to be clear that we whole-heartedly support this event and we also want to make sure that it does not negatively impact on the beauty of our waterfront area,” noted the Minister. “I am confident that we can come to an agreement about the scope of work to be done, and Tourism PEI is happy to offer what we can through staff expertise and equipment to get the work done and put the issue behind us, should the parties agree. Confederation Landing Park is an important element of our city landscape and, working as a group, I am sure we can rectify this issue to the satisfaction of all.”