The Official PEI Project Thread

[MonctonRad]

Given the extraordinary lack of activity in the PEI thread, I felt (as a native Islander) that I should include this article from the Moncton Times & Transcript regarding an exciting new tourism development about to take place in Charlottetown. BTW, is there anyone prepared to take ownership of the PEI thread?



CHARLOTTETOWN - COWS, the company that brought Canadians Hannah Moontana, Cowches Corner and "udder stuff," is planning a multimillion-dollar tourist attraction next to the factory outlets at the North River causeway in Charlottetown.


COWS will construct a creamery that will house its production facilities that make the award-winning ice cream, cheese, and parody T-shirts.

The facility, modelled after Ben & Jerry's headquarters in Vermont, will also be a tourist attraction and will allow people to see the ice cream, cheese and T-shirts being made.

The U.S.-based Ben & Jerry's creamery receives more than one million visitors annually.

Lindsay Linkletter, manager of public relations with COWS, says it is an exciting time to be part of COWS.

"COWS started making ice cream back in 1983 in Cavendish. We were just young children then, gathered around the ice cream maker," said Linkletter, whose family started COWS .

"It is still an old, Island, family recipe dating back to the time of Anne of Green Gables. Now 25 years later, we have seven on-Island stores and four off-Island stores."

Funding from the federal and provincial governments will enable the company to break ground soon on the 32,000 square foot facility. It will open to the public next spring.

ACOA will invest $350,000 through a repayable loan.

In 2007, the provincial government announced it was providing an $8.1 million loan to help construct the COWS' headquarters. ACOA, Canada Lands and the city are also contributing to the construction of the facility.

COWS currently rents commercial space in the West Royalty Industrial Park. The new headquarters will be company-owned and will house the production of all goods under one roof.

New jobs will also be created as COWS expands its cheese production, opens a new COWS retail store in the creamery and begins tours of the new facility.