Ottawa spending $1.3M on 13 tourism projects in central P.E.I.

The federal government is spending almost $1.3 million to support the tourism sector in central P.E.I.

The government announced it will give the money to local tourism operators for 13 projects in the region. 

The money is part of the Tourism Relief Fund, which was set up to help the sector adapt to COVID-19. 

"We can't replace the lost the significant lost revenue over the last two years. When it's gone, it's gone," said Fairways Cottages owner Sandi Lowther, which got $100,000 through the fund.

"What these funding programs are doing for our industry is allowing us to reinvest in the product, to be creative and to be innovative… For us, it's about extending the season, moving from a seasonal operation to a full 12-month operation." 

Lowther said her company will use the money to winterize three units and expand some of its offerings during off-peak seasons.

"We invested in new deep water wells, insulation, new decking, new porches so that we can offer this product in the dead of the winter," she said.

"We purchased the coolest, neatest, two-person Canadian custom-made cedar outdoor hot tubs ... We're investing in a pickleball court to improve the offering on the property during the shoulder season before the snow. And then we're going to take this base, this new paved area, and turn it into a outdoor skating rink."

Lowther said she expects to invest about a quarter of a million dollars in the project, including the $100,000.

She said she would probably wouldn't have made those investments if she didn't have the government support.

The 13 projects range from establishing new attractions to renovating or modernizing old accommodations.

Most of the money is non-repayable, the only exception being $500,000 given to Sandspit Entertainment to create new rides and update existing offerings.

Matthew Jelley is the president of Maritime Fun Group, which owns Sandspit amusement park. Jelley said the company plans to use the money for three projects at its Cavendish properties.

"One is a new attraction that we're bringing to the Mariner's Cove Boardwalk this year, and the second project will be actually [a] new ride that we are going to install at Sandspit, which will be most likely for the start of the 2023 season," he said.