OREANDA-NEWS. August 10, 2016. Battle Harbour, which is being developed as one of Labrador’s key cultural tourism attractions, received a boost today to help continue efforts to market and transform it into a premiere tourism destination. Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA); along with the Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, provincial Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development; announced a combined contribution of more than \\$100,000 for Battle Harbour Historic Trust Inc. to support the initiative.

Battle Harbour, a small island near Mary’s Harbour in Coastal Labrador, has a rich history dating back to the late 1700s as the unofficial social and economic capital of Labrador. In recent years, the Battle Harbour Historic Trust Inc. led the restoration of the fishing community’s buildings, wharves and flakes to their original state and established Battle Harbour as a tourism destination. It is now recognized as one of Canada’s National Historic Districts.

ACOA is providing a non-repayable contribution of \\$75,737 from its Business Development Program towards the project and the provincial government is contributing \\$26,075. Work will include targeted marketing activities such as trade shows, promotional package development, videos and signage to help increase visitation to Battle Harbour. The project also involves other minor infrastructure upgrades, purchase of equipment along with activities that support the overall Battle Harbour tourism product.

An additional \\$50,430 is provided to Battle Harbour Historic Trust for operational support under the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Cultural Economic Development Program, and \\$12,030 through the Heritage Anchor Attractions Fund.

Quotes

“In regions such as Labrador, the tourism industry and partners like the Battle Harbour Historic Trust Inc. play an important role in helping to grow the economy. Through ACOA, the Government of Canada is making strategic investments in initiatives like this one, which build on competitive regional advantages and support diversification of our communities.  ”