Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, Quebec, May 17, 2010 – The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, today joined Guy Ouellette, Member of the Quebec National Assembly for Chomedey, acting on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, in announcing that the Municipality of Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan will receive $1,361,110 in joint government financial assistance under the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund – Quebec to convert the former convent into a cultural and social complex.
The municipality’s project consists of converting the former convent, located on Principale Street, into a cultural and social complex. The 15,000 square foot building will include a high-end restaurant, a theatre, an art gallery, artists’ studios and art workshops. Administrative offices are also planned for local cultural and social organizations. The convent, a four-storey building dating back to 1881 and cited as a historical monument, was recently bought by the municipality. It had been abandoned by its previous owners more than three years ago.
“The project to enhance the historic Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan convent by transforming it into a cultural and social centre will serve the interests of the municipality’s residents and businesses. In supporting this initiative, we are seeing to it that the population enjoys the high quality of life for which our country is famous. Indeed, the Government of Canada is committed to equipping every community with modern facilities to ensure citizens’ health and safety. The renewal of public infrastructure is part of a broad action plan that will enable us to thrive and prosper in a healthy environment,” stated Minister of State Lebel.
“By participating in this project, the Government of Quebec is moving forward to ensure the province’s municipalities have infrastructure that meets their unique realities while fostering sustainable development. By injecting new capital into the Quebec Infrastructure Plan, our government is looking to accelerate the execution of numerous infrastructure projects throughout the province, like this one in Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, in an effort to improve Quebecers’ well-being, create jobs and promote a high-performance economy. In this way, we are leaving the municipality a legacy of quality infrastructure with which to face the challenges of the future,” added MNA Guy Ouellette.
Completion of this project will necessitate an overall eligible investment of $2,041,666. The governments of Quebec and Canada will each contribute $680,555 toward the work, for a total of $1,361,110 in combined government funding, while the Municipality of Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan will assume the remaining third, or $680,556, of the project’s costs.
The Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund – Quebec is a cost-sharing initiative aimed at funding infrastructure projects in communities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants. These communities are thus able to use this assistance to improve infrastructure that is in major need of revitalization, including water treatment plants, water supply systems and cultural and sports centres.
For provinces, like Quebec, that have committed all of their funding under the Communities Component, the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides for up to $500 million in additional funding for projects that will be completed by March 31, 2011.
In Quebec, a joint federal-provincial contribution of $232 million will be used to fund 106 infrastructure projects.
The contribution from the Government of Canada has been awarded through Canada’s Economic Action Plan. To learn more about this plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
For further information on the Government of Quebec’s Quebec Infrastructure Plan, see www.infrastructures.gouv.qc.ca.
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Sources:
Simon Bachand
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 613-996-6236
Valérie Sauvé
Regional Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports
Tel.: 450-689-5516
