"Legislative Assembly

were recommended by the Tourist Loan Committee and were approved by the Exe- cutive Council, amounting to $360,000.

They were for the following types of accommodations: Motels - 10 loans; forcottages - 9 loans: for restaurants - 3 loans; for camp grounds - 2 loans; safety equipment for boats for deep sea fishing — 2 loans.

I would like you to take special note, Mr. Speaker, that these loans were re- commended by the Tourist Loan Committee and approved by the Executive Council as called for in the Tourist Loans and Accommodation Act. During the previous administration these loans were apparently made to friends of the Minister without any approval by the Executive Council as called for in the Act, and because of this we are now having difficulties in making collections on several of these loans that

were made duringrthe past seven years. Hon. Robert E. Campbell: Would that be Dorgan’s loan? Hon. M. Lorne Bonnell: Dorgan’s loan had no security.

The 1967 tourist year was an abnormal one. The overall tourist vehicle traffic was up 4.857}. It appears that, on the whole, expenditures were slightly less. This is explained by shorter visits, and decreased spending on the part of our summer visitors, many of whom had already been at Expo where they spent much of their annual vacation allotment and their previous holiday.

Prince Edward Island, however, was fortunate enough to show an increase in traffic despite Expo during the 1967 travel season. Whereas one of our neigh- bouring provinces with a much larger annual promotion budget than ours reported a decrease in 1967 of 8‘74, whereas Prince Edward Island showed an increase of 4.8%.

Because of staff shortages and budgetary limitations we are not in a position to undertake any searching surveys or to go into research in any great depth. and as a result it is difficult to give an exact statistical analysis of the value of our tourist industry from year to year. Using the Acres survey figures we find that in the year 1967 total incoming vehicle traffic was 136,240 vehicles. The total figure for all the incoming vehicles and deducting those with Prince Edward Island number plates, left 110,327 vehicles. The total incoming tourist by rail and air was 18,618. Acres shows that 3.2 persons were in each party. Therefore the number of parties by rail and air was 5,820. The total number of parties in all types of transportation was 116.147. Bus tours during 1967 totalled 80, with a total of 2,400 passengers. Conventions were 10 with an attendance of 1,230.

The Acres survey shows each tourist party spends on the average of $109.34 during their stay on Prince Edward Island, which would give a total expenditure during 1967 of $12,823,238 which is based on the figures of Acres report of 1965, and if this is calculated on the increased fees and rent and accommodations. etc., since that date it would mean a grand total of tourist revenue of $13,014,625 and a total number of 375,000 tourists, an increase of 4.8%.

Deep sea fishing. During the 1967 year deep sea fishing was enjoyed by more than 30,000 visitors, and during the year 19 vessels operated legally in the tourist

deep sea fishing trade. J. Cyril Sinnott: How many tuna were caught?

Hon. M. Lorne Bonnell: I am coming to that.

An exciting development occurred during the 1967 deep sea fishing season. The first tuna ever caught by sports fishermen in Prince Edward Island waters was landed at North Lake early in September. (Applause) To prove this was not a fluke local fishermen caught four more tuna before the month was out, this brought the total to five. Does that answer your question?

The first fish caught weighed 855 lbs. and measured nine feet two inches in length. It was the largest tuna caught in the world up to that date in 1967. The other four fish weighed slightly less and one of them was caught by a lady angler. The discovery of tuna off the East coast of Prince Edward Island opens the possi- bilities of a new tourist development. This could bring wealthy fishermen to our

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