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FedNor pledges $1.1M toward Sudbury’s Place des Arts project

Funding announcement today saw FedNor unveil $2.4M to fund several Francophone initiatives

Several Sudbury leaders gathered today in front of la Place des Arts on Larch Street in downtown Sudbury on Aug. 5 to announce new Francophone funding initiatives. 

Mayor Brian Bigger, Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre and Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré, as well as Stéphane Gauthier and Léo Therrien, the Place des Arts president and executive director, respectively, were on hand for the announcement, which amounted to $2.4 million in funding for four strategic initiatives.

One of those is an investment of $105,395 to help Conseil Scolaire public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario to develop the French River Youth and Economic and Community Development Centre, in partnership with Société économique de l'Ontario (SÉO). The centre will be a place of support for business growth and development, and specifically, a dedicated space for the sharing of resources, training and business services. 

Places des Arts, the under construction site of the announcement, will receive $1.1 million to cover additional construction costs as well as equipment for the multipurpose studio that’s part of the project. 

FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Fund will contribute $564,748 to the arts centre and Canadian Heritage's Canada Cultural Spaces Fund will contribute the remaining $546,748. 

It’s a contribution to what will be an arts-focused downtown, said Mayor Bigger. 

“Very soon this facility will be opening its doors to the community and helping to breathe new life into our arts and cultural sector,” said Bigger.  ”Our arts and cultural sector will be the core, the heart of our downtown.” 

Bigger also said that Places des Arts is “a very good starting point” for downtown, as well as “Junction East, in the future.” (For the latest on the Junction project, click here.)

Léo Therrien, Places des Arts Executive director, was not only pleased with the funding announcement, but happy to be hosting it in front of the building. The first event of sorts hosted by Places des Arts, Therrien was most pleased to see the turnout, and the way that the building now looks exactly as it did in the artist renderings, completed several years ago. 

Therrien said he is more than excited to welcome Sudburians, both Anglophone and Francophone to the arts centre. 

“La Place des Arts is a place for all,” Therrien told Sudbury.com. “Yes, there are seven founding Francophone organizations, but we have other community partners that want to join.” 

Therrien noted that YES Theatre will be moving in soon, and more are in talks. 

“We’ve got state-of-the-art equipment,” said Therrien. “It’s a beautiful facility with two production venues, and we welcome the Sudbury community.” 

Also announced today, Le Conseil de la coopération de l’Ontario (CCO) will receive an investment of $861,269 to enable them to establish a Thunder Bay office in order to better serve the Francophone community. 

Also, FedNor’s Economic Development initiative supported Voilà Community Help (Voilà). An investment of $401,600 will enable Voilà, an educational technology organization, to develop a virtual learning platform to support the Francophone entrepreneur community. The project will involve the hiring of 20 young graduates for its technology department and another 20 employees from the region for its bilingual service department.


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Jenny Lamothe

About the Author: Jenny Lamothe

Jenny Lamothe is a reporter with Sudbury.com. She covers the diverse communities of Sudbury, especially the vulnerable or marginalized.
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