Polyvalente des Rivières Auditorium in Forestville to Expand

The Government of Canada supports the Commission scolaire de l'Estuaire as it modernizes the Polyvalente des Rivières Auditorium in Forestville

FORESTVILLE, QC, Aug. 28, 2019 /CNW/ - Investments in cultural spaces build vibrant and dynamic communities, create spaces for our artists to develop and showcase their talents, and give more Canadians opportunities to experience arts, culture and heritage activities. They also support the growth of the creative economy.

The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced the Government of Canada has invested $1,997,125 to support the renewal of the Polyvalente des Rivières Auditorium in Forestville. The assistance was provided through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund Program. Minister Garneau made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.

The support will give the public a greater variety of shows throughout the year. The new hall will accommodate 195 people and will include an accessible area for people with reduced mobility. In addition, the money will be used to improve stage, sound, lighting and multimedia equipment.

Quotes

"Cultural spaces are essential for the development of arts and culture. They help bring our communities together and support artists in developing and showcasing their talents. Investments in projects, like the renovations to the Forestville auditorium, show how our government is standing up for arts and culture and helping Canada's creative economy grow."

–The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism

"I am proud that the Government of Canada is helping to make the Polyvalente des Rivières Auditorium a more welcoming, attractive place dedicated to diverse arts programming. Improvements to the the hall will mean that citizens benefit from a more modern cultural space with the best amenities."

–The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport

"Committed to developing productive partnerships with the community, the Commission scolaire de l'Estuaire is pleased to have the Government of Canada on board, allowing citizens of Haute-Côte-Nord to benefit from a performance space that meets industry standards. On an educational level, we are proud that this agreement will give our academic users new opportunities, while also helping to develop the potential of students interested in performing arts or the technical side of large-scale performances."

– Ginette Côté, Chair of the Commission scolaire de l'Estuaire

Quick Facts

The Commission scolaire de l'Estuaire is a public corporation located in the Côte-Nord region. Spanning 300 kilometres, it provides educational services to more than 4,450 students and operates 29 institutions, including the Polyvalente des Rivières in Forestville, a secondary school with a 195-seat auditorium. This serves as the main performance venue for the Town of Forestville and surrounding municipalities. The town has a population of 4,500.

Since 1983, the Polyvalente des Rivières Auditorium has been the main performance venue of the Comité de spectacles de Forestville, which presents an annual professional arts series of seven to eight shows featuring music, singing, youth theatre and comedy.

The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund helps bolster the quality of the physical conditions to support innovation in the arts, heritage and creative fields. The fund supports renovation and construction projects, the acquisition of specialized equipment and feasibility studies on cultural spaces.

Through investments in Budgets 2016 and 2017, the Government of Canada has invested an additional $468 million over 12 years in this program, on top of $25 million in pre-existing annual funding.

Since 2016, nearly 800 projects have been approved in nearly 300 communities across Canada, which represents more than $350 million in funding.

Associated Links

Canada Cultural Spaces Fund 

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

(media only), please contact: Simon Ross, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, 819-997-7788; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [e-mail]