THUNDER BAY – City council has finally endorsed the Centre Francophone as a priority and that will unlock $119,000 in funding for the new centre’s renovation project.
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation requested a formal municipal endorsement to identify the centre among the city’s top three priorities.
The Regroupement des Organismes Francophone de Thunder Bay made a deputation before council in July but administration advised withholding the endorsement until it was certain doing so wouldn’t conflict with its own funding requests.
The NOHFC had placed a $1-million limit per municipality and the city had already committed to endorsing $700,000 to plan the new art gallery’s waterfront location and $181,000 to support Magnus Theatre parquet renovations.
Administration returned to council with a recommendation to support the centre’s formal endorsement as its third and last priority at its meeting on Monday.
“We had in the past a lot of support from FedNor and other federal agencies but we never received financial support from the province,” said Centre Francophone volunteer coordinator Claudette Gleeson.
“Foremost for us, it’s very symbolic that the province is on board with the Francophone Centre to invest in our project.”
The first phase of the three-phase construction is already complete, including office space for the centre’s co-op members. Construction on washrooms in phase two is underway, expected to wrap up in September.
The NOHFC funding will support phase three, which will renovate the largest room in the former arcade into a community hall space.
Gleeson believes having a physical presence will increase the profile of the francophone community, making it more visible and top-of-mind for such projects as cultural planning.
“I don’t believe the building itself will help them remember us but it will give us the strength in numbers to make sure we’re not forgotten at the next consultation.”
