The Canadian government has announced an agreement with the Quebec government to deliver a $98 million envelope from the Local Impact Stream (LIS) of the federal government’s Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF), aimed at modernizing local infrastructure and equipment.
According to a news release from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED), because the provincial government has agreed to match the Canadian government’s contribution, the combined investment amounts to $196 million. The federal government will contribute up to $1 million per project.
The announcement came from Mélanie Joly, federal minister of industry and minister responsible for CED; Eric Girard, federal finance and infrastructure minister; and Marie‑Gabrielle Ménard, member of Parliament for Hochelaga–Rosemont‑Est and parliamentary secretary to the minister of women and gender equality and secretary of state (small business and tourism).
“By investing in the infrastructure communities need to prosper, we are helping to build a more resilient, more competitive economy that is better prepared to face the challenges of tomorrow,” Joly said.
CED noted that the new agreement aims to:
- Build and fund local infrastructure projects that host cultural activities and promote community prosperity in their respective locations
- Help cultural institutions achieve their goals
- Improve the accessibility of these institutions’ facilities
First recipients
In CED’s news release, the ministers identified the first three projects supported under the new agreement, with each entitled to the $1 million maximum:
- Montreal’s Théâtre Denise-Pelletier
- Trois-Rivières’ Musée POP
- Laval’s Bibliothèque Germaine‑Guèvremont
“The collaboration between the federal and provincial governments to help fund organizations such as Trois-Rivière’s Musée POP will enable organizations and municipalities to modernize their infrastructure and equipment, while also contributing to the cultural and community vitality of their area,” said Caroline Desrochers, member of Parliament for Trois-Rivières and parliamentary secretary to the federal housing and infrastructure minister.
“This funding will enable us to launch a key project to preserve the heritage character of our theatre and to modernize our facilities,” said Stéphanie Laurin, Théâtre Denise-Pelletier’s executive director. “But above all, it will give us the means to pursue our mission: to democratize theatre access and create major works that provoke striking first encounters among art, adolescent and adult audiences, and artists.”
“It helps the theatre pursue its mission among school-age audiences and provides thousands of people of all ages with privileged access to a professional theatre, in a modern, accessible, welcoming environment,” Ménard added.
Beyond the $98 million envelope, the LIS will enable CED to administer a $119 million budget over four years to back leisure and recreational tourism community infrastructure projects that align with local priorities and seek to spur the region’s economic growth. Of the $119 million total, CED will devote $21 million to Indigenous projects.