The Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec Announce Nearly $2.5 Million for Sainte-Marie’s Municipal Library 

News release

Sainte-Marie, Quebec, May 12, 2022 The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Quebec Lieutenant, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, and Luc Provençal, Member of the National Assembly for Beauce-Nord, are pleased to announce financial assistance of $2,473,100 for the construction of a new building to house the Sainte-Marie municipal library.

The new 1,458 m2 facility will be built in the heart of Cité Sainte-Marie, safe from flooding. It will have an access ramp and several parking spaces. The library will be better protected from the weather and more easily accessible to users. It will also provide more space for educational activities.

For this project, the Government of Canada is investing over $1,236,550 through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure stream (CCRIS) of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The Government of Quebec is also investing over $1,236,550 from the programme Aide au développement des infrastructures culturelles (PADIC). Sainte-Marie is contributing $6,760,273 to the project.

Quotes

"Investing in our infrastructure is not just about putting money into brick and mortar. It's about investing in the daily lives of our residents. It's also about giving even more people in our communities places to gather, express themselves, move around and enjoy enriching experiences or simply be able to count on safe infrastructure. We continue to deliver for Quebecers through investments that will make a real difference in their daily lives!”

The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Quebec Lieutenant, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities 

“The vibrant city of Sainte-Marie deserves a fine and modern library in line with 2020 standards. All the more so given that the 2019 historic flood has made it necessary to relocate the building away from the risk zone. I commend the work done by Mayor Gaéton Vachon, and thank our two levels of government for supporting this important project.” 

Luc Provençal, Member of the National Assembly for Beauce-Nord

“These new investments will allow Quebecers to use a library adapted to their needs and today’s realities. This project perfectly embodies our government’s vision, which is working to make culture more accessible and to bring it closer to everyone all across Quebec.”

Nathalie Roy, Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications

“This investment from the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada is excellent news for the municipality. After the 2019 flood, we realized how essential it is to relocate our municipal buildings outside the flood zone. The infrastructure of the new library, which is planned to be paired with our town hall project (pending funding), will optimize our service offer to citizens. Once the construction work is finished, our families, our students and our seniors will certainly benefit from an enhanced experience and I’m looking forward to it.”

Gaétan Vachon, Mayor of Sainte-Marie

Quick facts

  • Under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), the federal government plans to invest over $7.5 billion in Quebec between 2018 and 2028 for projects focused on community, cultural and recreational infrastructure; green infrastructure; public transit; and infrastructure in rural and northern communities. 

  • The Government of Quebec’s programme Aide au développement des infrastructures culturelles du gouvernement du Québec (PADIC) comes under the ICIP and the Integrated Bilateral Agreement.

  • Quebec’s Ministère de la Culture et Communications is implementing the cultural infrastructure sub-stream of the ICIP, which has an envelope of $100 million ($50 million from the Government of Canada and $50 million from Quebec) for improving the quality and accessibility of the province’s cultural infrastructure.

Associated links

Contacts

Jean-Sébastien Comeau
Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities
343-574-8116
Jean-Sebastien.Comeau@iga-aig.gc.ca

Maxime Roy
Director of Communications
Office of the Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications
581-989-6037

Media Relations
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
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Email address: media-medias@infc.gc.ca
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Website: Infrastructure Canada

Media Relations
Ministère de la Culture et Communications du Québec
medias@mcc.gouv.qc
418-380-2388 

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2022-05-12