The French and English languages are a treasure for our country. Institutions like Foyer Richelieu Welland serve an official-language minority community and contribute to the sustainability of French. The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of helping these communities create and maintain strong institutions, by assuring their vitality.
Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, announced support of more than $2.7 million for Foyer Richelieu Welland to build a new community and cultural centre. She was accompanied by Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament (Niagara Centre).
This new Government of Canada investment will allow for the construction and development of a community and cultural centre that can accommodate at least 500 people each day. This centre will be designed to encourage gatherings and will improve services to Francophones by offering things such as:
- various training courses in French in fully equipped meeting and training spaces;
- support and respite services in French for caregivers;
- a cultural program, including community shows; and
- a social program, including cooking classes and community barbecues to bring people together in the new space.
These programs and services will be available to all users, including residents, day hospice and day centre participants, and their families.
This project will directly contribute to the vitality of Welland's Francophone community. In addition, it will raise community awareness of the aging population and will encourage intergenerational integration.
The project began in October 2020. Since then, the Government of Canada has provided more than $4.7 million to this project through the Community Spaces Fund.
