GOVERNMENTS SUPPORT

HALIFAX MAINLAND COMMON CENTRE

New sports and athletics facility will be venue for 2011 Canada Winter Games

Halifax, Nova Scotia, August 6, 2008 - The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Rodney MacDonald, Premier of Nova Scotia, and Peter Kelly, Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), today announced support for the construction of HRM’s $40.5 million Mainland Common Centre, a primary venue for the 2011 Canada Winter Games, which will be hosted by HRM.

The federal funding comes from Building Canada, the Government of Canada’s long-term infrastructure plan.

“This announcement shows once again our government's support of community infrastructure, such as the Mainland Common Centre, which is an essential part of healthy Canadian cities and towns," said Minister MacKay. “This project will provide an important facility to benefit athletes across the province and Canada, while generating important economic benefits for the Halifax region.”

The state-of-the-art centre will include competitive and warm-up pools and a field house that includes hard-court gymnasium space and a 200-metre indoor track. It will therefore be equipped to host a variety of future provincial, national and international competitions. A local community area will also allow for other sports activities and provide classroom space and meeting rooms. After the 2011 Canada Winter Games, the facility will serve to develop and train high-performance, competitive athletes. The establishment of the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic within the Mainland Common Centre will help the facility to achieve this mandate by attracting athletes to the facility and providing them with a range of specialized services.

“Today’s announcement is good news not only for the community, but also for the entire province and region," said Premier MacDonald. “Investing in the new centre is part of the province’s commitment to encourage more Nova Scotians to live healthy and active lives. This resource will be a great legacy of the 2011 Canada Winter Games.”

“The Centre will be the heart of the Mainland Common, serving as a sports destination for HRM and the entire province as well as providing a venue for building a strong, closely linked community,” said Mayor Kelly. “With our federal and provincial funding partners, we are very excited to begin construction of the Mainland Common Centre and look forward to enjoying the many benefits it will bring to our region.”

With its innovative, environmentally friendly technologies and practices, facility managers will apply for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver designation. Innovations will include a geothermal well system for earth source heat/cooling, energy saving lighting technologies, and the use of recycled and local materials.

The Federal Government will provide up to $12 million through its Building Canada agreement with Nova Scotia. The Province will invest $12 million towards the centre. With federal and provincial funding in place, HRM is now in a position to move the project forward.

Federal financial support is subject to a funding agreement being signed and will reimburse construction costs as incurred. HRM must also demonstrate its share of the remaining funding is secured.

Through its unprecedented $33-billion Building Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada provides long-term, stable and predictable funding to help meet infrastructure needs across Canada. Building Canada supports a stronger, safer and better country. The governments of Canada and Nova Scotia signed the Canada - Nova Scotia Framework Agreement on November 9, 2007 worth $634.38 million under the Building Canada plan.

FOR BROADCAST USE:
The Government of Canada announced today its commitment of up to $12 million towards the construction of the Mainland Common Centre in Halifax. The facility will be a primary venue for the 2011 Canada Winter Games, which will take place from February 11 to 27, 2011. Features include competitive and warm-up pools, a field house with a hard-court gymnasium, and a 200-metre indoor track. The Halifax Regional Municipality expects construction to begin shortly and to finish in late 2010. The provincial government also announced its $12 million investment towards the facility. The federal contribution is from the Building Canada plan.

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For further information on the Building Canada plan, visit www.buildingcanada.gc.ca.

For further information on the Mainland Common Centre, visit www.halifax.ca.

For further information contact:

Karine White
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700

Infrastructure Canada
613-948-1148

Paul Palmeter
Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
Province of Nova Scotia
902-424-6600

Peter Kelly
Mayor of HRM
902-490-4010