TRURO - Truro's Francophone community will have a new centre with a 60-seat theatre when construction at École acadienne de Truro is complete.
"It's going to be a great asset to the community," Ronald Robichaud, president of the Truro Francophone Community Centre, said yesterday after the federal government announced $500,000 for the new facility.
The community centre has existed for about two years in the former administrative offices of the Home for Girls on Aberdeen Street in Truro's east end. The centre offers a number of activities including after school programs, French classes, seniors programs, movie nights and is a community access program (CAP) site. It is located next to the Grade Primary to 12 school.
The new 1,200-square foot community centre will be built during the addition of a new wing at the school. The centre will be accessible from inside the school, enabling students and community members an opportunity to best utilize the facility.
The final phase of renovations at the school is expected to start in the fall and will include the addition of the new wing. The work is expected to be complete by the end of 2011.
The federal government also announced $13,900 to assist in bringing entertainers to the community to perform at the school and at the Marigold Cultural Centre as well as $36,000 for programming at the centre.
"The school last year increased its population by 65 per cent, so therefore the demands on the community centre to meet the needs of the parents and the Francophone community also increased," Robichaud said. "This announcement of the $500,000 plus the $49,000 for programs and services is really going to enable us to meet the needs that the Francophone community in Truro and Colchester have."
The $500,000 will provide the funding for the facility's shell but will not cover the costs of items like lighting and sounding equipment and seats.
The $49,900 was part of $743,743 the federal government announced Tuesday for Nova Scotia projects through five programs.
Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Minister James Moore said there are 2.5 million Francophones living outside of Quebec. He said they are funding projects in small and large communities across the country.
"This isn't about picking and choosing ridings or picking and choosing political parties ... everybody can apply, everybody can qualify and everybody can get funding," he said. "We try to make sure that the money is available to all communities and that no one is left out."
jmalloy@trurodaily.com
