- Renovation of the convent into the Tignish Heritage Inn
This heritage building was sitting vacant in the community, with very little hope of a future when the Initiatives took purchased it in 1993 and carried out a major restoration and renovation the project. It was a huge undertaking and significant debt was taken on by the corporation through an ACOA repayable loan which became difficult to repay. In 2001 after negotiations with ACOA and the province a debt settlement was reached. Tourism is still a little unpredictable in this region and we have years that the property runs a deficit which Tignish Initiatives absorbs because we are committed to maintaining and operating this cherished heritage property in our community.
- Restoration of the Dalton Annex
The Dalton School was vacated in 1989 when the new Tignish Elementary School opened and would have no doubt not have survived had it not been for the formation of the Tignish Initiatives. It currently houses the IWMC, Constituency Office of the Honorable Bobby Morrissey, MP for Egmont, Transportation Infrastructure Renewal Finance Offices, Carla L Kelly Law Office and DFO Catch Certification, Access PEI and Bradley Handrahan Chartered Accountant’s Satellite Office in Tignish. It continues to be strong asset to our community.
- Holiday Island Production
Originally specializing in ceramic figurines this operation has found its salvation in recent years in a line of bath and body product that was developed in-house during the course of a HRSDC JCP project utilizing our local Irish Moss which is harvested on our shores. The product line has been picked up by gift shops throughout PEI and the Maritimes and makes up over 80% of our
wholesale revenues.
- Tignish Cultural Centre
The Tignish Cultural Centre which houses the local museum featuring artifacts and documentation of the local history and culture was the 1999 Bicentennial Celebrations Legacy Project. It was turned over to the Tignish Historical Preservation Foundation who operated it for the first 6 years. In 2005 with mounting debt and lack of capacity the group approached Tignish Initiatives to purchase the asset and take on the operation and mandate. Tignish has in its capacity successfully operated the centre since and has been host to art exhibits both local and provincial as well as quilt shows and cultural experiences. Also located in the building is the Community Library, Community Internet Access Site, Visitor Welcome Centre and Tignish Treasures a small gift shop which features local artisans including paintings, quilts, soaps, knitting etc.
- North Cape Enhancement Project
An extensive expansion a renovation project with the assistance of ACOA, NRCan, Department of Development & Technology and Department of Transportation & Public Works was carried out in 2003 which involved the development of the Wind Energy Interpretive Centre, expansion of the Wind & Reef Restaurant and the North Cape Gift Shop. The project also included the construction of a large paved parking lot and other necessary site upgrades to make the site safer for visitors and locals alike. Our North Cape operation continues to generate revenues to help sustain the corporation. We just participated in an accelerate market readiness program and hope to implement a few recommendations for next season. And most recently a full refresh to the interpretive centre as well us upgrades to the building and site!
- Community Beautification Project
In 2004 & 2005 TIC carried out beautification projects in and around the community with the assistance of the province and ACOA that included street scapes as well as the construction of extensive gardens at the Heritage Inn and a pocket park located at the corner of Phillip and Church. We continue to support the beautification work around the community and partner with community council to hire an individual to oversee and maintain all the gardens and flowers for Tignish Initiatives and the community.
- Wireless Broadband Project
We were the community champion that facilitated the roll out of the wireless broadband network in Western PEI with assistance from Industry Canada and ACOA.. The region in which our project covered was Tyne Valley west. The project made high speed internet available to those throughout the region who would have otherwise not been able to get high speed from the other providers. This will gave everyone an even playing field and has potential to generate economic development in the technology sector.
- STEP
Strategic Tourism Enhancement Program funded by ACOA allowed Tignish Initiatives to hire a consultant to work with a group of community stakeholders to evaluate the current tourism product, to identify gaps and develop a strategic plan to enrich the visitors experience and keep them in the area longer. The STEP process has spawned a number of initiatives such as the Tignish Tourism Ambassador Program, which reached out to area businesses with education and skills development to encourage the use of social media to promote their business and area tourism to keep folks abreast of local activities and events. Though Skills PEI we were able to hire a manager to set up and roll out the program for the community in 2013. This led to TignishArea.com, Tignish Area Twitter, Facebook and more, enhancing and expanding the Tignish area’s exposure online). The MacLeod’s Ledge Bluefin Tuna Cup and Lobster on the Wharf – Tignish Style a direst result of that work as well.
Our Board has supported a number of other initiatives in the community:
- Bicentennial Celebrations in 1999
- Tignish Cultural Centre
- Friends of the Heritage Inn
- Dalton Seniors Complex
- Tignish Downtown Enhancement Plan
- Craft Development Project
- Tignish Shore Tourism Development Plan
- Western PEI Public Transit Study
- North Cape Enhancement and Updates
- Heritage Post Office Renovation & Capital Repairs
- Upgrades to Dalton Annex lower level for DFO and Provincial Finance Dept
- Construction of Outdoor Stage at Fisherman’s Haven Park, Interpretive Panels &upgrade to parking
- Construction of storage building for Heritage Inn & Gardens
- MacLeods Ledge Bluefin Tuna Cup Challenge 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 (Tunacup.com)
- DFO Approved Tag Supplier (DFOtags.com)
- Lobster at the Point celebration 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 in partnership with Royal Star Foods
- Stompin’ Tom Festival Series www.stompintomfest.com
- Canadian Cultural Series www.stompintomcentre.com