Good evening everyone. I'm very excited to be here at the opening of PierScape.

This is a celebration of so many things – cultural diversity, artistic creativity and excellence, and, of course, this wonderful community of Whitney Pier!

And, 10 years! That's an amazing accomplishment – from grassroots beginnings, when a few "movers and shakers" in the local arts and cultural community got together to showcase their talent, to this week-long festival featuring artists and works from all over Cape Breton.

To the Whitney Pier Society for the Arts and all who have a hand in this Pierscape – whether you're an organizer or a participant – congratulations on your great success!

Many artists have taken part in this event over the past 10 years and they've all benefitted from the exposure and support they receive during the festival. As Premier, I am a firm believer that supporting arts and culture creates a healthier, more vibrant society.

The value of Nova Scotia's arts and culture sector is estimated to be $1.2 billion and it employs some 28,000 people in all reaches of the province. But the numbers don't tell the whole story. There is a growing body of knowledge about both the social and economic benefits of arts and culture.

Arts and culture has the power to teach and to heal – we see it being used more and more in schools and in health care. It connects us to our roots, our families, and our communities.

It's interesting that the theme for the very first Pierscape 10 years ago was "Where You're From". Nova Scotians and Cape Bretoners have an incredibly strong pride of place and perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than here in this unique community of Whitney Pier. "From the Pier, dear!" as they proudly say.

Whitney Pier is also a cultural mosaic. Posey McKinnon summed it up well when she said that at a board meeting of the Whitney Pier Society for the Arts, she was counting the number of diverse backgrounds...Italian, African, Chinese, German, Hungarian, Scottish, and Irish. Incredible! The cultural and ethnic diversity here in the Pier – and indeed across Nova Scotia – can be seen and felt in the art we create, the stories we tell, the songs we sing.

On a personal note, I've been involved in music all my life and I've seen first hand how celebrating our culture brings people and communities together, and enriches our lives.

It's easy to see the social benefits of arts and culture. And then there are the economic benefits. Nova Scotia's cultural products – music, cultural productions, literature, and arts and crafts – are exported all around the world. Look at the phenomenal success of DRUM!, for example, a production that celebrates our four founding cultures – African Nova Scotian, Mi'kmaq , Acadian and Gaelic – as it toured North America

Arts and culture is also a linchpin for our tourism industry. People from all over the world come to see our galleries, buy our products and attend our many festivals and events.

The Celtic Colours International Festival – which is just around the corner – is growing in popularity and is a solid tourist draw, creating economic spin offs throughout the region and the province. But beyond examples like these, there are the less tangible economic benefits of arts and culture.

Preeminent thinkers in the field, such as Richard Florida who wrote the book The Rise of the Creative Class, talk about the growing role of creativity in the economy. He argues that the creative class or creative people are having a huge impact on today's economy and that in the future they will determine how the workplace is organized, what businesses prosper or go bankrupt, and even which cities might thrive or wither.

That might seem dramatic, but we do know intuitively that people want to live, work, and raise a family in places that are vibrant and thriving – where they can participate in a cultural life.

Nova Scotia has that rich cultural life – one that we want to support, encourage and enhance so that we can keep our young people here to raise families, lure them back home from away, or attract new immigrants to our shores.

The government of Nova Scotia recognizes all the important benefits of arts and culture. Through the many funding programs offered by Tourism, Culture and Heritage, we support thousands of groups, individual artists, and festivals and events each year.

With the guidance of the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council, we've made some changes to these programs to ensure that all arts and culture funding decisions are made by peer juries and external assessment panels. The Council also delivered a report to government entitled Creative Nova Scotia: How Arts and Culture Can Build A Better Nova Scotia. We accepted all 10 recommendations in the report.

Tourism, Culture and Heritage staff are working with an intergovernmental committee – representing departments and offices such as Education, Aboriginal Affairs, Acadian Affairs, Gaelic Affairs and more – to better understand all the support government provides for arts and culture, and to develop priorities for action.

Last year, the Council also launched the first annual Creative Nova Scotia conference in Pictou. It was a wonderful event – with engaging speakers, an artistic showcase, and the presentation of many prestigious awards such as the Portia White Prize, the Prix Grand Pré and the new Lieutenant Governor's Masterwork Arts Award.

At that conference last year, we also announced $45,000 in new awards and scholarships. The funding for the new awards comes from a portion of the investment interest on the Nova Scotia Arts Endowment Fund, allowing the fund to help grow the sector while remaining protected for the long-term.

The first new award is the $25,000 Established Artist Recognition Awards. Five prizes of $5,000 will be given annually to artists who are recognized and established in Nova Scotia in the area of music, dance and theatre, visual arts, literature or new media and design.

The Community Arts and Culture Recognition Award, valued at $10,000, is for a community that demonstrates initiative and excellence in integrating arts and culture into overall community planning.

The Nova Scotia Talent Trust received another $7,000 to help support young artists with exceptional potential and commitment become established in their chosen fields.

And finally, the new Youth Arts Scholarships, valued at $3,000. Five scholarships of $600 will be awarded annually for disadvantaged children who need assistance to overcome barriers that may prevent or limit their study in any of the arts disciplines.

We're excited to be presenting the winners of these new awards, along with our many other established prizes at the second annual Creative Nova Scotia conference on October 18th right here in Sydney! Do you have your tickets yet? It promises to be a top-notch event at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre and I hope to see many of you there.

Well folks, tonight is just the initial kick-off to celebrate Ten Years of Multicultural Creativity here in Whitney Pier. There's something for everyone, every day of the week. From choir and literary night, to sculpture and creative writing workshops, to a mouth-watering Italian buffet. Make sure you leave room for that!!

And of course, there's the exhibit here in the auditorium featuring over 100 works from talented artists all over this great island. I hope I get to take it in later this evening.

It's nice to see Cyril Hearn as the featured artist. As you all know, Cyril is the creator of the world's largest fiddle at the Sydney Waterfront. Now, as someone who is fond of the fiddle, I'd have to say this piece of art is near and dear to my heart! Congratulations Cyril.

And congratulations again to the Whitney Pier Society for the Arts. You've taken PierScape from humble beginnings to become the vehicle to showcase this community's artistic and cultural diversity.

I wish you all the best with your festivities over the next week. And here's to another 10 years of success!