Work begins on new home for local theatre group
Ottawa, Ontario, November 8, 2013 – Ottawa residents and visitors will soon experience a new and improved La Nouvelle Scène. Royal Galipeau, Member of Parliament for Ottawa—Orléans and the Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, Ontario Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs broke ground today to celebrate the start of construction of the new theatre.
La Nouvelle Scène is a francophone theatre formed in 1999 by four local theatre companies who combined efforts to establish a permanent home for their productions. Thanks to a joint investment by the governments of Canada and Ontario, the new theatre will be able to welcome more spectators and provide them with a better visitor experience.
"This ceremony represents the official start of construction on a state-of-the-art theatre that will boost Ottawa's growing Francophone arts and culture scene, making it available to residents and visitors alike,"
said MP Galipeau. "Our Government is proud to invest in infrastructure projects like La Nouvelle Scène that will help the showcase great local talent as we focus on creating jobs, promoting growth and building strong, prosperous communities across Canada."
"Re-building La Nouvelle Scène will enhance the role the arts play in promoting Franco-Ontarian identity. This new building will help ensure Franco-Ontarian artists continue to contribute to the artistic and cultural vitality of our community, our city, and our province,"
said Minister Meilleur. "Together with our partners, our government will continue to make strategic investments in this important sector to help drive innovation, create jobs and provide a better quality of life for all Ontarians."
"La Nouvelle Scène is a fine exemplar of the Francophone artistic and entrepreneurial spirit that has shaped the identity of Ottawa's French-language community. Today it is proud to embark upon this new phase, relying not only on backing from major government partners, but also buoyed by the unflagging support of the community and its public,"
said Albert Gabbay, President of La Nouvelle Scène.
La Nouvelle Scène is receiving a joint Canada-Ontario investment of up to $5,460,800. This is one of 44 initiatives in Ontario receiving funding through the Provincial-Territorial Base Fund, for which the Government of Canada is providing $175 million. Ontario is contributing $173 million to these initiatives.
Canada's Economic Action Plan 2013 is delivering $70 billion for public infrastructure, including a $53 billion New Building Canada Plan to build roads, bridges, subways, commuter rail, and other public infrastructure in cooperation with provinces, territories, and municipalities. Thanks to the Government of Canada's leadership and our strong economic and financial fundamentals, the Canadian economy has recovered from the global recession better than most other industrialized countries. Canada has been a leader among G-7 countries throughout the recovery with more than 1 million net new jobs created since July 2009. The New Building Canada Plan, combined with other federal infrastructure investments, will support Canada's infrastructure advantage, a key enabler of economic growth and job creation.
These investments support the Ontario government's economic plan to invest in people, invest in infrastructure and support a dynamic and innovative business climate. Since 2003, Ontario has invested approximately $85 billion in infrastructure. Building modern, efficient infrastructure has created or preserved close to 100,000 jobs each year, on average, making Ontario's economy more productive and improving quality of life, now and in the future.
For additional information about federal investments in infrastructure, visit Infrastructure Canada or follow us on Twitter @INFC_eng.
For more information on how Ontario is revitalizing its infrastructure, visit Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure.
Marie-Josée Paquette (Disponible en français)
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and
Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
613-943-1838
Denelle Balfour
Media Relations Officer
Ontario Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sport
416-212-3928
Geneviève LeBlanc
La Nouvelle Scène
613-241-2727 ext. 6
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
