Hants West MLA Chuck Porter, West Hants Deputy Warden Gary Cochrane and Windsor Deputy Mayor Andy Kirk were on hand April 15 to praise provincial investment in Hockeyland. Porter announced $200,000 in funding from the Economic Development Department for the planned hockey heritage interpretive centre.
Jennifer Hoegg
Hockeyland dream gets further funding boost from province
Sod turning in 2009, doors to open in 2010
By Jennifer Hoegg
The Hants Journal/NovaNewsNow.com
Windsor was the scene of yet another provincial funding announcement April 15, bringing the community one step closer to hosting Hockeyland -- a centre devoted to international hockey heritage.
On behalf of Economic Development Minister Angus MacIsaac, Hants West MLA Chuck Porter announced a $200,000 investment in the project from Nova Scotia Economic Development Strategic Funding Initiatives.
Porter said the heritage centre will “highlight the game’s history and further secure Windsor as the official birthplace of the game of hockey.
“Hockeyland will attract more visitors to our beautiful community to experience Nova Scotia’s passion for a game the world has come to love,” Porter said.
In a news release, Hockeyland board of directors chair Wayne Russell said, “we are pleased the province is investing in this dynamic hockey heritage centre.” Board vice-chair Denny Deveau, who was present for the announcement, added, “we’re delighted to have the province on board as a funding partner. This will enable us to move forward aggressively in our fundraising campaign.”
The provincial money, coupled with demonstrated support from Windsor and West Hants, will encourage further private funding such as Transcontinental’s recent $500,000 pledge, board member Ralston MacDonnell hopes.
MacDonnell described the planned centre as “a signature location to celebrate the cultural phenomenon of hockey.” Recent endorsements from Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation advance the project, he added.
Community support is strong, Deveau noted, and many local proponents were present for Porter’s announcement.
Welcoming media, supporters and local dignitaries to the announcement, community board member Lisa Drader-Murphy, Falmouth, dubbed the investment “vital to ongoing growth and development of this exciting, exciting project.”
Windsor Deputy Mayor Andy Kirk was also on hand to support the “really exciting initiative for the town and the county of West Hants; $200,000 is really going to take us to the next level.” Kirk pointed out that the recent string of funding announcements in the area make “an exciting time for Windsor.”
Representing the municipality, Deputy Warden Gary Cochrane praised the “major, major project.”
Billed as a multimedia, interactive tourism destination, Hockeyland hopes to attract 75,000 to 150,000 visitors annually and create upwards of 80 jobs. Plans are in development for a 40,000-square-foot interpretive centre, including a 30-foot high atrium and several interactive display areas. Celebrating the heritage and culture of the sport, the centre will include exhibits celebrating African-Canadians’, women’s and the military’s roles in the hockey story.
Hockeyland’s board, in operation since 2003, hopes to break ground in Windsor in 2009, with a grand opening slated for 2010. One hurdle may be acquiring the desired site southwest of the bridge to Falmouth.
MacDonnell said that discussions with the town, owners of the land, would proceed “in due course.”
Windsor CAO Louis Coutinho said that the announcement was the first confirmation the town had that the Hockeyland board had chosen a site.
Coutinho noted, however, “we had a sense that they were looking at it. We would have to consult with residents.” He added that the town is happy to see Hockeyland plans move forward.
