Feds fund construction of Francophone community centre in Welland
The Government of Canada has contributed more than $2.7 million toward the construction of a new community and cultural centre in Welland.
Foyer Richelieu Welland is a non-profit organization that provides services to Francophones with long-term care needs. Funding from the government will develop a new facility for the organization that can accommodate at least 500 people each day.
The centre will offer 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.
These programs and services will be available to all users, including residents, day hospice and day centre participants, and their families.
"The federal investment will improve the daily lives of residents because the community will come to their home,” said CEO Sean Keays. “This centre will create a community within a community where Francophones in Niagara and Southern Ontario can come together and celebrate their wonderful culture in a multi-generational environment."
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.
The federal government’s 2021 budget provided funding of $80 million over a two-year period to help build, renovate and develop educational and community spaces serving official-language minority communities.
The funding is in addition to the $67.2 million over five years provided in the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023 to support school and cultural infrastructure building projects in official-language minority communities. A portion of these investments is allocated to the Community Spaces Fund.