Dear Minister Mackay:

I am writing today in support of the enormous amount of work that has been completed in the Bonavista Area by the Bonavista Historic Townscape Foundation.

Since 1992 the Bonavista Peninsula has been part of a changing era. It has been affected so much by the demise of the fishery. I have personally been involved in these times and have seen the feeling of loss in the eyes of many men and women of the area. Our youth have not experienced the positive feelings of a thriving economy as I did growing up in the 60's and 70's. Our community was alive due to the booming economy associated with the fishery and the feeling of achievement and success. Thus the pride in rural Newfoundland lived on. Many things happening today are short-term and fall to defeat. The Bonavista Historic Townscape Foundation has been working to counteract this feeling in our community. The efforts of the Foundation has brought nothing only optimism to our Community. One cannot help but see the positives just by driving around our town; the beautiful restored homes and the Garrick Theatre being just a few.

Do we now have to lose this positive influence in our lives? We have a historic building that was worthy of ACOA's support on the outside. The restoration of the outside is noble but what is a building without an interior? What is a body without a spirit? I see the completion of the Garrick theatre as a very positive event to aid in rejeuvenating the spirit of the people, not to mention the economic boost it would bring to the area.

If the project was worthy of ACOA's support on the outside, I plead with you as a Government Agency to support the completion of this building. We do not want the Garrick Theatre to become the "white elephant" of Bonavista.

Yours sincerely,

Violet lodge
Igloolik...formerly Bonavista
vilodge@hotmail.com

cc:
Hon. Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Hon. Danny Williams, Premier, Newfoundland and Labrador
Hon. Tom Hedderson, Minister, Tourism, Culture and Recreation
Hon. Kathy Dunderdale, Minister, Innovation, Trade and Rural Development
Scott Simms, M.P., Bonavista Gander Grand Falls-Windsor
Roger Fitzgerald, M.H.A., Bonavista South
Paul Mills, Vice-President (Newfoundland and Labrador), ACOA
Mayor Betty Fitzgerald, Town of Bonavista