Enhanced Visitor Information Centre reopens and ready to welcome visitors

GROS MORNE, NL, May 17, 2024 /CNW/ - Parks Canada protects natural and cultural treasures in Canada and is proud to contribute to the country's world-class tourism destinations. As cornerstones of Canada's tourism industry, Parks Canada administered places are committed to providing visitors with high quality and meaningful visitor experiences and supporting tourism in communities across the country.

Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, welcomed visitors back to Gros Morne National Park's Visitor Information Centre. Following completion of a $12 million investment project by the Government of Canada, the centre now has a safe, accessible and inclusive experience for visitors and community members alike. The event was held as part of a series of federal government announcements and community-based activities including the opening of the Trails Tales and Tunes Annual Festival and the Norris Point small craft harbour infrastructure.

The Gros Morne National Park Visitor Information Centre welcomes tens of thousands of visitors annually from around the globe to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Visitor Information Centre is once again open and ready to welcome visitors with an enhanced sense of arrival to Gros Morne National Park. With phase 1 of the renewal project now complete, the fully upgraded building features a design that properly showcases the site's viewscape and historical interpretation. Accessibility and inclusivity standards have been upgraded throughout the building, with design work that includes green targets and federal sustainability objectives. 

Phase 2 has been underway in parallel, with a focus on the design and installation of Visitor Experience Interpretive Design element. New interpretive exhibits highlighting Gros Morne's remarkable landscapes, wildlife and geology are scheduled to be installed in fall 2024 and ready for the following operational season in 2025, marking official completion of the project.

The Visitor Information Centre is one of many major pieces of infrastructure in Gros Morne National Park to be revitalized as part of the Government of Canada's federal infrastructure investments. Parks Canada has improved all of Gros Morne National Park's campgrounds, completed work to three of the park's more iconic trails, revitalized several day use areas and upgraded bridges and roadways throughout the park to ensure safe, sustainable and inclusive facilities, while protecting the environment and ensuring high-quality experiences for visitors. These investments support the health of our natural heritage, encourage sustainable tourism, create jobs in our local communities and support the Government of Canada's efforts to combat climate change.

"Over fifty years ago, Gros Morne National Park was established and has grown to welcome more than half the tourists who come to explore the magic of Newfoundland and Labrador every year.  We are now ready to really welcome the world again with this LEED Silver facility. This new visitors' centre is a gateway to the park and to the economy of our local communities."

The Honourable Gudie Hutchings
Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, and Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains

• Gros Morne National Park consists of 1,805 square kilometres of wilderness on Newfoundland's west coast. Its natural beauty and a unique, geological showcase earned Gros Morne UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987. It stretches inland from the Gulf of St. Lawrence coastline through lowlands where waterways meander towards the Long Range Mountains and Tablelands.
• Parks Canada has consulted with both Qalipu First Nation and Miawpukek First Nation on the creation of the new interpretive designs for the Visitor Information Centre. The Mi'kmaq language will also be featured in interpretation on site.
• The Visitor Information Centre has been designed to meet or exceed LEED Silver certification as outlined in the Parks Canada Green Buildings Directive. This aligns the design and construction with new government greening strategies by adopting new alternative power sources, energy metering, and implementing carbon capture construction technologies. The design also maximizes the building's life cycle to minimize required maintenance.
• For improved visitor safety and conveniences, the site design has realigned the circulation of parking, separated the bus circulation with its own drop-off/pick-up location, and expanded parking for RVs and trailers. New EV charging systems and parking strategies will support the use of green transportation.
• Parks Canada is working with partners in the Gros Morne National Park region on the Gros Morne Tourism Regional Implementation Project (GMTRIP), a project dedicated to building cooperation among partners with the goal of strengthening the regional tourism industry and achieving sustainable long-term economic growth.
• Over $180 million in federal funding has been invested in Parks Canada administered places throughout Western Newfoundland and Labrador including Gros Morne National Park and L'Anse aux Meadows, Port aux Choix, Red Bay and Hopedale Mission national historic sites.

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SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)