Dear Minister MacKay,

TIP - A - VISTA Arts Inc. wishes to express its unequivocal and enthusiastic support for the Bonavista Historic Townscape Foundation and its proposal for the redevelopment the old Garrick Theatre here in Bonavista.

We are a non-profit organization comprised of interested citizens, mainly volunteers, representing the twelve communities on the tip of the Bonavista Peninsula. Our organization was formed stemming from the need to diversify our local economy in the wake of the 1992 Cod Moratorium, which has devastated our area.

An important part of our mandate is to preserve and create awareness of our local history and culture by presenting it through various components of the arts utilizing the talents, skills and abilities of our local residents while contributing to economic development in the area. The main focus of our organization is the performing arts, specifically the local amateur and youth theatre and the benefits it can bring to the Bonavista area, these being primarily social, cultural and educational. With the nurturing of these benefits through social development and cultural exposure the economic benefits will undoubtedly follow. Since its inception in 1994, TIP - A - VISTA Arts Inc. has been involved in numerous projects that relate to its mandate with a vested interest in community development on the tip of the Bonavista Peninsula. Our most recent endeavor was to successfully compile a comprehensive oral history on the tip of the Bonavista Peninsula collecting approximately 900 interviews. Interestingly enough, 90% of residents interviewed relayed that the Garrick Theatre has been an integral part of their growing up. Most residents had their first movie experience at the Garrick, from seeing their first big screen movie, to the blossoming of new love and so many more irreplaceable memories!

TIP - A - VISTA Arts Inc. is now continuing its mandate into the next phase with the development and presentation of interpretative material based on our local oral history collection. What a compliment it would be to the people of the Bonavista Peninsula and a showcase to the rest of the world to be able to come full circle and present our incredible true to life culture and history utilizing our local talent at a venue within our own community that has been instrumental in creating this history. What a legacy to our children to be able to provide them with the opportunity to relive and understand the authentic life experiences of their ancestors which has been the fabric of their very existence. This is the perfect avenue for a better understanding of the future by preserving our past for generations to come.

TIP - A - VISTA has a shared vision through the arts for the future of the Bonavista Peninsula, which includes the restoration of the Garrick Theatre. Give our communities and their people the resources and a voice to play an active role in improving the quality of life in our region while interpreting and preserving our cultural heritage.

It is the view of this organization that the government agencies entrusted with the responsibilities of revitalizing rural economies in our province should join in the initiative for preservation of our cultural history and future sustainability of the Bonavista Peninsula by continuing financial support for the Garrick Theatre.

Yours sincerely,
Executive
TIP- A- VISTA Arts Inc.
TIP - A - VISTA Arts Inc.
Bonavista, NL
tipperformingarts@nf.aibn.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

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