Ajax, Ontario, July 6, 2011 – Federal, provincial and municipal representatives met in the Town of Ajax today to officially open the St. Francis Centre, a multi-use community arts, performance and cultural facility.
Formerly a church, the 140 year-old heritage building underwent numerous renovations to transform it into the multi-purpose arts centre it is today. Featuring a stage and retractable multi-level seating for 150 people, it can be easily converted from a performance venue to a multi-purpose programming space. Dressing rooms, a catering kitchen and a service bar complete the facility, which promises to boost culture, tourism and economic development in the region.
“The rehabilitation and retrofit of St. Francis de Sales Church has created a wonderful cultural multi-use facility in Pickering Village,” said Chris Alexander, Member of Parliament for Ajax—Pickering, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities. “The rich history of the building combined with the contemporary cultural aspects within has created a truly deserving project.”
“The McGuinty government is proud to support this important project, which will help arts and culture here in Ajax thrive,” said Joe Dickson, Member of Provincial Parliament for Ajax—Pickering. “The beautifully restored and repurposed 140 year-old St. Francis de Sales Church stands as a great example of what we can do for our communities when we listen closely to their needs.”
“This project is one we can all be proud of as an example of how we are preserving a part of Ajax’s heritage while providing a state-of-the-art cultural facility,” said Ajax Mayor Steve Parish. “St. Francis Centre will host a variety of cultural and artistic events year-round for both local groups and those from around Durham Region.”
The governments of Canada and Ontario each committed just over $850,000 toward the eligible costs of the project. The Town of Ajax contributed the balance of the total project cost of $3.4 million.
Federal funding for this project comes from the Government of Canada’s $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, which is supporting over 4,100 infrastructure projects across the country.
Over the last couple of months, Ontario had an increase of 38,000 jobs and the unemployment rate declined to 7.9 per cent.
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For additional information about investments in infrastructure, visit www.creatingjobs.gc.ca.
For further information about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
For more information on how Ontario is revitalizing its infrastructure, visit ontario.ca/infrastructure.
Contacts:
Vanessa Schneider
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Office of MPP Dickson
905-427-2060
Stuart Green, Town of Ajax
905-619-2529, Ext. 3362
Infrastructure Canada
613-948-1148 or toll-free 1-877-250-7154
