C@P launches modern day treasure hunt to engage Nova Scotia's youth

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release Wednesday, October 22, 2008

C@P launches modern day treasure hunt to engage Nova Scotia's youth








(Halifax, NS) - The Halifax Regional Community Access Program (C@P), in cooperation with the Department of Economic Development and Nova Scotia C@P, have developed the first Limited Edition C@P GeoCoin to be released in Nova Scotia.

Unveiled today, October 22, the coin will be part of the hi-tech global treasure hunt known as Geocaching, which uses Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to find hidden geocaches. Only 250 coins will be released among the over 26,000 geocaches throughout Nova Scotia. Each individual copper and metal alloy C@P GeoCoin is bilingual and features a laser engraved tracking number. Once deployed, adventure seekers can monitor its worldwide travels using an online database.

"This unique sport encourages healthy lifestyles and activity among youth who play an important role in building communities, while contributing to the future prosperity of our economy," says Angus MacIsaac, Minister of Economic Development. "Geocaching is another way that Nova Scotians are demonstrating innovation though our community access sites, while considering the quality of life of future generations."

A player can place a geocache anywhere in the world, pinpoint its location using GPS technology and then share the geocache's existence and location online. The objective is to locate hidden outdoor containers and share your experiences with others via the internet. Many Nova Scotia geocaches contain historical context and are located in areas of interest such as parks, shorelines, waterfalls and even ghost towns.

"We want to encourage all regions of the province to engage in online usage that goes beyond the computer screen, fostering healthy gaming habits and active lifestyles," says Dan Robichaud, executive director of the Halifax Regional C@P Association. "This engagement is an ideal fit with our Connecting Canadians initiative to make Canada the most connected nation in the world."

Several Nova Scotia communities have already explored geocaching and GPS technology, including Terence Bay who plotted the coordinates of businesses and landmarks directly onto Google Earth and Cole Harbour who uploaded its information to Wikipedia creating new promotional and economic opportunities for the community. For more information on Terence Bay and Cole Harbour's GPS projects, visit: http://geo.hrca.ns.ca

Common GPS devices used in geocaching include, Blackberries, cell phones and other handheld systems. These connect with online technologies, including Google Earth, Google Maps, Picasa, Youtube and Wikipedia Several versions of online treasure hunts exist, including Geocaching, Waymarking and Letterboxing.

C@P is a Government of Canada initiative, administered by Industry Canada that aims to provide Canadians with affordable public access to the internet and the skills they need to use it effectively. With the combined efforts of the federal, provincial and territorial governments, community groups, social agencies, libraries, schools, volunteer groups and the business community, C@P helps Canadians, wherever they live, take advantage of emerging opportunities in the new global knowledge-based economy.

For more information on the 2008 Geocoin, visit: http://geo.hrca.ns.ca

For media inquiries, contact:

Erin McGuire, Sonic Entertainment Group (902) 492-0960 / erin@sonicentertainmentgroup.com