Whale pavilion underway in King's Point

The second of six whale pavilions planned for the Green Bay Area is almost completed.

The skeletal assembly of a 50ft humpback whale in King's Point was completed Monday, Oct. 12. The pavilion is expected to officially open in early 2010, in time for the next tourist season. The cost of the project is estimated at $700,000.

Ford Adams, one of several volunteers involved in developing the whale pavilion recalled how the project started.

"It goes back to the bowhead whale that came ashore down in Rattling Brook," said Mr. Adams. "And from that spawned the idea that maybe we should exhibit a whale, and of course it went from there."

The bowhead, a rare type of whale, was found in 1998 and was the subject of controversy for some time afterward. The Green Bay Economic Development Association acquired the rights to the bones, and it was debated whether the bowhead skeleton should be displayed at the Springdale or Baie Verte junction. In the end, a bowhead pavilion was never developed.

"Eventually there was a regulatory network committee set up, which was done through the Emerald Zone Corporation, and eventually they sponsored the idea of having a network of pavilions throughout the region as an economic venture to stimulate the economy," said Mr. Adams.

Maurice Budgell, secretary for the King's Point Heritage Society, said research was completed to determine if such a network was economically feasible in the Green Bay area by a consulting firm from St. John's. The heritage society is overseeing the pavilion.

The Great Whale Tour Network is responsible for the projects in the region, under the sponsorship of the Emerald Zone Corporation.

The first whale pavilion to be completed in this network was the sperm whale pavilion in Triton, which celebrated its grand opening in August. Like the Whale Interpretation Centre there, the facility housing the humpback in King's Point will exhibit ecological information regarding the mammal.

The interior of the building is almost completed.

"What is left to do here now is some interpretation," said Mr. Adams. "The interpretive panels are not installed yet, but there are four to go around the whale, explaining different parts of the species, its feeding, mating (habits), all that sort of thing, and that's all here now waiting to be installed."

There will also be displays explaining how the humpback whale skeleton came to be in King's Point from start to finish. The displays are part of an interpretive package that will be installed by a company from St. John's.

"It will explain how the volunteers began processing this whale," said Mr. Adams. "Right from finding the specimen out in Cobb's Arm and towing it into Green Bay, to hauling it on low beds to flensing the flesh off the bones.

"There was a bunch of people involved, right from Cobb's Arm to here, and there were even people from the university involved at some point. They will be recognized in this interpretive package."

Both Mr. Adams and Mr. Budgell are expecting the pavilion to be greatly received by community members and tourists alike. Mr. Adams said it's particularly exciting for local entrepreneurs.

"Businesses are happy that it's happening, especially the tourism-oriented businesses," he said. "It's going to bring in more people, and that's the whole name of the game, to get the economy rolling."