It’s a big day in Grand Falls-Windsor.

The province has formally handed over possession of Grand Falls House, a century-old mansion and its surrounding property to the town for development as a tourism attraction.

The mansion was built in 1909 by Alfred and Harold Harmsworth and was part of the properties that were built to service the old paper mill, which helped to build the town of Grand Falls.

The Tudor Revival style home sat vacant for years when Abitibi Consolidated shut down and the province expropriated the company’s assets in 2008.

The Grand Falls House Foundation was formed some time after that in an attempt to gain possession of the property and develop its tourism potential.

Chair of the Foundation, Peggy Bartlett says she’s delighted that they’ll finally be able to begin the necessary work to bring the property, which is the pride of Grand Falls-Windsor, back to the people of the town.

Now, she says, the real work begins.