HALIFAX: The MLA for Inverness is optimistic about his recent appeal to a provincial cabinet minister to provide additional funding for an upgrade to the Broad Cove Scottish Concert site.
Allan MacMaster made the pitch to the Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage, Tony Ince, last week in the provincial legislature, regarding a late-July funding announcement by the federal Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
At the time, ACOA officials confirmed that the federal body’s Innovative Communities Fund (ICF) would provide $112,500 towards the construction of a new outdoor stage and green room building for the concert’s performers, with a further $11,000 in financial assistance from the Municipality of the County of Inverness.
Following MacMaster’s question on the absence of provincial funding for the Broad Cove initiative, Ince said he was “not sure where the application is or if they’ve applied” but invited officials from the concert’s hosts, St. Margaret of Scotland Roman Catholic Parish, to contact his office to kick-start discussions on provincial support.
“I will say my office has always supported any group who has walked through our door,” Ince insisted. “We don’t throw anybody away or push anybody away.”
Speaking to The Reporter Friday morning, MacMaster commended Ince for his “positive” response to the question and spoke optimistically about the possibility of future provincial funding.
“The minister certainly sounded like he wanted to take another look at it,” MacMaster recalled.
“I think that, at this point, if they didn’t, and they didn’t come up with something to partner on [with the other governments], I don’t think that would look very good, considering everybody else is supporting it… So I’ll be working with the committee in Broad Cove and ensuring that they have something to get in front of the minister, and we’re hoping that will go through.”
According to a press release from ACOA, the Broad Cove project includes new concrete foundation, the construction of a new, larger wooden-enclosed stage building, and a new green room building. Landscaping will also be completed, with graveling around the washroom area.
In addition to the concert itself, which takes place every year on the final Sunday of July, the renovations are geared to position the site as an outdoor events venue, for possible rental usage, increasing its ability to host other concerts, art productions, markets, and similar activities.
MacMaster described the funding package as “a good investment” given the Broad Cove Scottish Concert’s 60-year history of attracting visitors to Inverness County.
“There’s always support from the public in terms of people who have been at the concert – the field is full of cars, and a lot of those cars are coming from outside of the province,” MacMaster pointed out.
“You think of how much use they got out of the original stage and talent room, and amortize that over the 60 years that the concert’s been running. So I think that the province should be helping Broad Cove… It’s a part of our tourism product that we offer in Inverness County.”
