Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, January 22, 2019—The governments of Canada and Quebec recognize that cultural infrastructure plays a key role in developing dynamic prosperous communities.
Frank Baylis, Member of Parliament for Pierrefonds–Dollard, and Christopher Skeete, Member of the National Assembly for Sainte-Rose, today announced that the governments of Canada and Quebec will each invest nearly $1.3 million to renovate, upgrade and expand the Dollard-des-Ormeaux library.
This financial support comes from the New Building Canada Fund, Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component—Small Communities Fund. The City of Dollard-des-Ormeaux will also invest close to $1.3 million, bringing the total government and municipal investment to over $3.8 million.
Built 25 years ago, the Dollard-des-Ormeaux library needs updating to provide adequate services that meet the current needs of users. As well as general renovations to modernize the building and make it more accessible, the project will expand the space by 150 square meters, allowing the library to provide more books, audiovisual materials, computer terminals, and seating. Special areas for youth will also be added as well as an outdoor garden.
"Investing in cultural infrastructure helps build strong communities and support local economic growth. The Government of Canada is pleased to invest in this project, which will help the City of Dollard-des-Ormeaux enhance its cultural offerings. The extra space and more modern facilities will allow the library to improve services for residents and fully meet it social and educational mandates."
Frank Baylis, MP for Pierrefonds—Dollard, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"These upgrades will allow the library to host more cultural activities for all residents—activities we know will foster a sense of belonging and creativity while encouraging new users to frequent cultural institutions, and bringing people together from all walks of life. It will become a social hub that encourages cultural outreach and supports the development of innovative public projects. I'm grateful to the elected officials and partners who have spared no effort in making this major project a reality."
Christopher Skeete, MNA for Sainte-Rose, on behalf of Nathalie Roy, Minister of Culture and Communications, and Minister Responsible for the French Language
"The City of Dollard-des-Ormeaux is happy to be getting this federal and provincial financial contribution, which has allowed us to reach the funding target we needed to redevelop our library. Our goal is to meet the needs of our citizens and to make this "third place" a space where they can thrive and grow not just in the short term, but also over the next 20 to 30 years. We want to be as forward-thinking as possible about this project and thank the government for sharing this vision with us."
Alex Bottausci, Mayor of Dollard-des-Ormeaux
Quick facts
The Small Communities Fund is a federal-provincial program coordinated by Infrastructure Canada in partnership with the provinces and territories. In Quebec, the Fund is administered by the Quebec Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The goal of this program is to provide financial support to Canadian municipalities with fewer than 100,000 residents to develop infrastructure that enhances their cultural, sports, recreational and tourism assets or safeguards public assets.
Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities. $25.3 billion of this funding is supporting social infrastructure in Canadian communities.
Quebec's 2018-2028 Infrastructure Plan calls for nearly $7.3 billion in investments in municipal infrastructure under the Quebec Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing. When combined with contributions from the Government of Canada and municipalities, this means over $14.3 billion will be invested in municipal infrastructure in Quebec over this period.
