The new Centre Culturel La Ronde’s building is expected to open to the public in early 2023.
The groundbreaking for the project located at the corner of Mountjoy and Algonquin Boulevard was held yesterday.
The project is expected to wrap up in January 2023.
Local officials, project partners and residents as well as La Ronde’s staff and members gathered at the site to celebrate the update on the construction process.
"Our dream will become true shortly," the centre’s executive director Lisa Bertrand said in her speech.
La Ronde is planning to construct a new building on the site of its former facility at the corner of the busy intersection. The previous building suffered irreparable damage in a 2015 fire and was demolished in 2017. The centre is currently operating out of the old St-Charles School at 120 Kent Ave.
“It’s a really big announcement,” Bertrand said later in an interview. “We’re very excited.”
The centre received $1 million funding from the province and $2.5 million from the federal government. It still needs $1 million for the project.
“I’m going to be doing government grants, reaching out to the community, I’ll be going door-to-door,” Bertrand said.
The new building will have a big auditorium, a dance studio and an art room.
“I’m really happy that the construction of La Ronde’s site is going to be a go and we’re really anxious to have that,” said La Ronde’s Relais co-ordinator Particia Carrier.
Michelyne Tremblay has been a member of La Ronde for about 15 years.
“I’m so anxious for the new building. We’ve been waiting for that,” she said.
