Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

Vancouver, British Columbia, May 20, 2012 – The Roundhouse Turntable Plaza — an innovative public urban space in which to socialize, enjoy performances, and explore neighbourhood heritage — officially opened today with a community celebration.

Federal and City dignitaries joined members of the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre, in partnership with the West Coast Railway Association, in celebrating the re-opening of the Roundhouse Turntable Plaza. The event coincided with the 15th anniversary of the Roundhouse, and the 125th anniversary of the arrival in Vancouver of Engine 374, which pulled the first passenger train across Canada. Activities included an aerial dance performance, a brass band, kids’activities, a public art project, and Engine 374’s annual ‘steamed up’ demonstration in the plaza.

“The revitalized Roundhouse Turntable Plaza means great things for Yaletown and the City of Vancouver,” said Minister of State (Seniors) Alice Wong, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “This investment goes a long way to ensuring the plaza will be a key gathering place for residents, tourists and the arts community for years to come.”

“Making arts a part of everyday life is an important aspect of the Vancouver Park Board mandate,” said Constance Barnes, Vancouver Park Board Chair. “This welcoming and exciting community space will bring the plaza to life for residents and visitors alike, while retaining the history of the area.”

The $1.8-million project has revitalized the urban plaza space adjacent to the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre. The project has transformed the plaza into an outdoor public and visual arts/performance space that can hold 500-750 people, for everything from farmers markets and plays, to concerts and festivals.

Designed to create a performance space and showcase the plaza as a social gathering place, the three main features of the project include:

* A crane: reflecting early railway cranes, it supports canopies with cables for lighting, banners, and aerial performances, and increases programming options while enhancing the industrial architectural style;
* A viewing platform: overlooking the turntable pit, it features a bridge-turning mechanism that creates opportunities for visitors to view historical interpretations of the turntable and Roundhouse’s story; and
* A mist feature: with programmable LED lighting, it is reminiscent of the “Age of Steam.”

The Government of Canada committed $600,000 toward the project through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. The City of Vancouver and Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation invested $950,000 in the project and BC Hydro invested $250,000.

The Government of Canada is focused on creating new opportunities for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity, and infrastructure investments are an important part of this plan. Thanks to the Government of Canada’s leadership, and strong economic and financial fundamentals, the Canadian economy has recovered from the global recession better than most other countries. Canada has been a leader among G-7 countries throughout the recovery with more than 750,000 net new jobs created since July 2009. To learn more about the opportunities in Economic Action Plan 2012, visit www.budget.gc.ca/2012/home-accueil-eng.html.

For further information on Canada’s infrastructure investments in British Columbia, visit www.infrastructure.gc.ca. To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

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Contacts:

Geneviève Sicard
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700

Jason Watson
Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation
604-257-8438
Jason.Watson@Vancouver.ca

Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154

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