VANCOUVER – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today visited Canada Place where he marked the completion of this Canadian landmark – the replacement of the facility’s iconic white sailed roof.

“The Canada Place sails are an internationally recognized feature of the Vancouver landscape, representing the strength, unity and proud maritime history of this country,” said Prime Minister Harper. “The restoration of this landmark is one of several initiatives that our Government is undertaking to keep Vancouver’s waterfront prosperous and attractive to locals and visitors alike.”

A prominent feature of Vancouver’s skyline since 1984, Canada Place’s distinctive five-sailed roof is a symbol of national pride and a gathering place for over three million guests annually. The sails were on display during national and international coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

“This is exactly the kind of infrastructure project that was perfectly timed for Canada’s Economic Action Plan,” said Prime Minister Harper.  “We chose to invest in projects that have a clear beginning, middle and end… and over the past two years, we have funded more than 1,600 projects that are improving communities right across British Columbia.”

Under Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Harper Government has also supported upgrades to the following Vancouver landmarks: Science World, VanDusen Botanical Garden, Stanley Park as well as the Vancouver Aquarium.

For more information on Canada’s Economic Action Plan, please visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

For more information on the Canada Place project, please visit www.canadaplace.ca.



Backgrounder

CANADA’S ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN

CHANGING THE SAILS AT CANADA PLACE

Located in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown harbour front, Canada Place is an inspiring national landmark welcoming local residents, visitors and over 900,000 cruise ship passengers yearly to the West Coast. With its distinctive sailed roof, the facility serves as a symbol of national pride, and is a gathering place for over three million guests annually. It was also home to the main Press Centre during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Designed to represent an ocean liner under full sail, the original sailed roof was erected in 1984 as the Canada Pavilion for Expo ’86. After two and a half decades, the roof and its fabric sails exceeded their expected lifespan and required replacing.

A dynamic, multipurpose facility with striking views of Burrard Inlet, Coal Harbour, Stanley Park and the North Shore Mountains, Canada Place provides guests with the ultimate Canadian experience. It is home to the Vancouver Convention Centre East, the Pan Pacific Hotel and the Port Metro Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal. The facility is also host to a number of annual community events such as Canada Day, the Burrard Inlet Fireworks Show, Remembrance Day and Christmas at Canada Place.

Funded through the Economic Action Plan’s Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, the roof rehabilitation project involves replacing the sails with new tension fabric that mimics the specifications of the original design. The new sails are expected to last 30 years, and will continue to provide a spectacular welcome to local residents, ship passengers and visitors to Vancouver and the West Coast.

The roof replacement project – made possible by a two-year, $21 million funding contribution through the Economic Action Plan’s Infrastructure Stimulus Fund – is helping to ensure that Canada Place remains a viable hub of economic activity in the Vancouver area for decades to come.

Construction on the new roof – which includes replacing the sails with new tension fabric that mimics the specifications of the original design – began in July 2010 and will be fully complete by the end of March 2011. The roof, along with its new sails, is expected to last 30 years.

A key component of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the $4 billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is supporting nearly 4,000 infrastructure projects across the country, including more than 400 in British Columbia.

Thanks to the Economic Action Plan, more than 26,000 projects throughout Canada are currently underway or completed.  Since its launch in 2009, Canada’s Economic Action Plan has contributed to the creation of more than 460,000 jobs and has helped the country emerge from the global economic crisis faster and stronger than most major industrialized countries around the world.

For more information on Canada’s Economic Action Plan, please visit: www.actionplan.gc.ca