March 22, 2006
Hon. Peter Mackay
Minister of ACOA
60 Queen Street, 7th floor
P.O. Box 1665, Station B
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5R5
Re: Garrick Theatre Interior Redevelopment Project and ACOA
Dear Minister Mackay:
Please find attached a copy of correspondence to Paul Mills, Vice-President ACOA, concerning an application under the Innovative Communities Fund seeking support for the interior redevelopment of the Garrick Theatre in Bonavista. We bring this proposal to your attention because we believe it is important that the Minister responsible for ACOA be well acquainted with the efforts of volunteer community organizations such as ours to help revitalize the economies of Atlantic Canadian fishing towns still struggling to recover from the devastating impact of the cod fishery closure in 1992. The Garrick Theatre offers an outstanding opportunity to develop new, long-term economic activity in the heart of Bonavista's old town centre, with the benefits extending to other communities in the region.
The Foundation has undertaken a number of heritage restoration and redevelopment projects since 2000 in support of its Historic Townscape Management Plan. The mandate of the organization is to preserve and manage Bonavista's heritage resources in a manner that generates new economic activity in the town and region. We believe the Foundation has executed that mandate very well.
Bonavista has changed in the last five years. Although the overall economic prospects appear bleak - there is no substitute for the fishery in a fishing town - and despite continuing concerns over the future of the local crab plant, there seems to be a degree of activity and optimism in the town that was not evident before the advent of the Townscape Management Plan. Bonavista has acquired some new residents; other have returned to the town or now spend more time there. Approximately 40 heritage properties were restored since 2001, attracting over $500,000 in direct private investment towards exterior restoration costs. New house construction is also up significantly, and there has been substantial new business investment, especially in tourism-related enterprises, creating a modest level of new employment. We believe the work of the Foundation has been instrumental in effecting this change. The redevelopment of the Garrick Theatre is a logical extension of this work.
We believe that if Bonavista is to survive in the long-term, it must maintain a strong connection to the fishery, its historic primary industry, while diversifying the local economy into other spheres, especially cultural and natural tourism where there are good prospects. However developing sustainable tourism in rural Newfoundland is difficult because the season is short and visitor markets are relatively small. Stand-alone tourism attractions that cater only to visitors always struggle to survive. For that reason, when governments are helping communities develop their tourism potential, they should strive to support initiatives that appeal to both resident and visitor markets.
Therein lies one of the advantages of the Garrick as a tourism infrastructure investment. This year-round theatre with both live performance and cinema, operating several nights per week, would serve both residents and visitors. Residents would form a large proportion of the customer base for the Garrick, helping to make it a sustainable operation. Visitors would appreciate the varied program offer by the Garrick during the tourism season; a program designed to complement rather than compete with Rising Tide Theatre at Trinity. This would be good for all concerned. More people would visit the area and stay longer; tourism-related businesses would benefit. Area residents would benefit by having access to a good quality, purpose-built, cultural venue.
The Garrick redevelopment, therefore, offers a number of social, economic, cultural and educational advantages. ACOA has already funded the exterior restoration and expansion of this structure, along with the planning work required to convert it into a performing arts theatre and cinema. It would be most unfortunate to leave the building as an empty shell after we have made this level of investment in it. We must complete the facility if it is to provide any benefits for the area.
We feel residents are in the best position to know what initiatives hold the most potential for community development. That is why we have asked residents of the Bonavista Peninsula - and others with an interest in this region of Newfoundland - to indicate to us (and to you and others) if they think the Garrick Theatre should be a high priority for development in Bonavista. If they send a clear message that the Garrick merits support, we think it is incumbent on ACOA and other public agencies to give it full consideration.
For more information, please view our web site - www.garricktheatre.ca. We look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Gordon Bradley
Chairperson
cc. Hon. Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Hon. Danny Williams, Premier, Newfoundland and Labrador
Hon. Tom Hedderson, Minister, Tourism, Culture and Recreation (NL)
Hon Kathy Dunderdale, Minister, Innovation, Trade and Rural Development (NL)
Scott Simms, M.P., Bonavista Gander Grand Falls-Windsor
Roger Fitzgerald, M.H.A., Bonavista South
Mayor Betty Fitzgerald and Councillors, Town of Bonavista
Paul Mills, Vice-President, ACOA (NL)