Government of Canada Lends Financial Support to Corporation du Parc des Trois Soeurs

LA TUQUE, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Sept. 27, 2011) - The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, today announced that the Corporation du Parc des Trois Sœurs has been granted $294,032 in funding for the planning of the park's recreational tourism development.

"This project of the Corporation du Parc des Trois-Sœurs has earned wide support among Haut-Saint-Maurice stakeholders because of the role it is sure to have in diversifying the local economy and generating major economic spinoffs for the area," said Minister Lebel.

The Corporation du Parc des Trois Sœurs was founded in 2005 with a mission to establish, develop and manage a more than 39 square-kilometre regional park on the territory of the City of La Tuque. Based on the corporation's development plan, Parc des Trois Sœurs will be ready as of fall 2013 to provide nature lovers and fans of open-air activities with an unforgettable tourism experience. The park will include, among other things, a 160-metre walkway above Saint-Maurice River, a Via Ferrata circuit, giant rope bridges, fours huts, hiking trails, lookouts and four tree houses.

The contribution from Canada Economic Development will serve primarily for the completion of architectural and engineering studies and the preparation of various drawings and specifications necessary for the design and construction of quality infrastructure, including an energy-efficient visitor reception building.

This funding has been granted through the Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec's Forest Economies (TISQFE).

About the TISQFE

The Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec's Forest Economies was brought into force in June 2010 to help communities affected by the forestry crisis diversify their economies in order to ensure their growth and create and maintain employment. The initiative's goal is also to support small and medium-sized businesses in these communities in their efforts to secure their viability and sustainable development.

This measure is one of several put in place by the Government of Canada in the past months to counteract the effects of the forest crisis. Others include, for example, the Community Adjustment Fund, with its $1 billion budget over two years to mitigate the impacts of the crisis, the $1 billion granted to the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program to help enterprises carry out environmentally-friendly projects and the $230 million invested, in collaboration with the Government of Quebec, for silvicultural work and the restoration of bridges and culverts on multi-use forest roads. Workers have also received their fair share of support, with the Government of Canada introducing some of the most generous measures in history to help them through the economic crisis.

For more on the Parc des Trois Sœurs, visit www.parctroissoeurs.org

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