SUDBURY – The federal government is investing $25 million in the construction of a new cultural hub on the grounds of City Hall and just steps from Place des Arts. The Greater Sudbury Community Health Centre (GSCHC) is considering offering Francophone immigration services there.
The announcement took place Wednesday afternoon at Place Tom Davies, where the Carrefour culturel of the same name will be installed, in the presence of MPs Viviane Lapointe and Marc Serré and Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre.
“This $25 million in funding is an essential investment in our downtown, our arts and our culture. It is also a major investment in our future economy and in the revitalization of our downtown,” said the federal elected official before adding that the construction and renovation of this intersection will lead to the creation of jobs in the short term.
A plan of the front of the Davies Place building dates back about fifty years. Source: City of Greater Sudbury
This hub will house the Sudbury Multicultural-Folk Arts Association (SMFA) office, the Sudbury Arts Gallery, the city’s new central bilingual library and will be located just steps from Place des Arts, which also has an art gallery and is in a precarious financial situation.
Two different mandates
Discussions took place a few years ago to determine whether the Sudbury Art Gallery should be housed at Place des Arts, but were quickly abandoned due to a lack of space in the building that opened in 2022.
“It would have possibly damaged the character of Place des Arts. Yes, it is open to everyone, but it is primarily a French-speaking organization, whereas the Sudbury Art Gallery is not an organization that operates primarily in French,” thinks Denis Constantineau, general director of the Sudbury Community Health Centre, who was present at the time of the announcement.
From left to right, Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre, Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré and Sudbury Community Health Centre Executive Director Denis Constantineau. Source: Marc Serré/Facebook
Still, according to the city, this new cultural hub will not overshadow Place des Arts. “Our goal is to create a thriving, interconnected arts and cultural ecosystem where all institutions complement each other without causing financial constraints. Each project has its own mission and together they will make Greater Sudbury an even more vibrant and diverse city,” Mayor Paul Lefebvre said in an email to ONFR.
At Place des Arts, the cultural hub project at Place Davies is being applauded. “I have nothing to say about the announcement affecting Place Davies, except bravo! The project meets a real need,” said Denis Bertrand, interim general manager of Place des Arts for nearly a month.
French-speaking immigration services in the long term?
Mr. Constantineau says he is currently beginning discussions with the SMFA to offer immigration services for French-speaking newcomers on site.
“The SMFA offers immigration services in English, but we would like there to be a French-speaking counterpart so that French-speaking newcomers have access to services on site,” he says.
The downtown location and the project to build a new community arena could be an asset according to Mr. Constantineau, who imagines that “it will be a center of attraction.”
“There are several projects in the city centre, creating places for people to consume artistic materials, it does good for the city centre,” he concluded.
The Sudbury Art Gallery would occupy the top two floors of the city hall building, and the library and SMFA would join a handful of city services at 200 Brady Street, which adjoins it to the south. YouTube/City of Greater Sudbury
Culture to revive the city centre
For his part, Mayor Paul Lefevre also sees an opportunity: “The Place Tom Davies cultural hub project represents an opportunity for transformation for our community.”
“The facility will be a unique and stimulating community space where residents will be offered a variety of cultural and educational services in a centralized and convenient location,” read the announcement press release, which also highlights “the City’s commitment to accessibility, environmental sustainability, multiculturalism, Indigenous peoples, social inclusion and culture.”
$24,908,530 comes from the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GCCB) Program, and $275,000 from the Northern Ontario Development Program.
The total budget for the cultural hub project is $65 million, including municipal funding of up to $37 million provided by the City of Greater Sudbury.
The construction schedule approved by the municipality last November provides that work should begin in 2025 for an opening planned for the end of 2026.
