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The brand new French Canadian Cultural Centre is “tres magnifique,” according to organizers who have been working on the project for years and look forward to giving a permanent home to all of the French language and cultural organizations in the city.
“It’s a sevice that we offer to the Alberta community,” said Kate Gilbert, ACFA Régionale de Lethbridge/Medicine Hat directrice générale.
The new two-floor facility located at 2104 6 St. S., next to École La Verendrye, officially opens March 11.
The building offers a huge new theatre with hardwood floors, a full-service bar, a library, massive kitchen, computer room, a darkroom for film developing, a cafeteria and a lot more.
“We’re here to preserve our language. But you don’t need to speak French here,” Gilbert continued.
For instance, in the case of movie screenings, the film features will be subtitled, she added.
The building will also be home to a variety of classes in the French language, photography, pottery and a lot more. It will also be the spot where holidays are celebrated such as Valentine’s Day and more French holidays like Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. The library is part of the Chinook Arch regional library system and can be used by anyone with a library card.
While the organization has been in Lethbridge since 1979 on 6 Avenue downtown, it has never had a space like this for its 200 members.
“Not a lot of people knew we were over there. But this location gives us more visibility, right on the corner,” Gilbert said.
The community centre was made possible with the help of Heritage Canada, which contributed $2.6 million, the provincial Major Community Facilities Program provided about $1.4 million, the City of Lethbridge $200,000 and construction fundraising with Canbra Foods as a sponsor contributed another $15,000.
“There’s a lot more people (who speak French in Lethbridge). There’s at least 2,000 people. There’s The French Club at the University of Lethbridge and CInéMagine,” she continued, listing just a few French-themed organizations.
She is looking forward to finally bringing all of these different groups together under one roof.
“We won’t have to rent space anymore, because everything is here,” she said.
“We will be able to have events right here and they will always be associated with art and culture.”
Opening day will feature a variety of events beginning at 7 p.m., with the most important being the raising of the Franco-Alberta flag. There will also be speeches from dignitaries, drinks and snacks.
CIneMAGINE will be screening its first movie at the centre March 17. The film will be the 2009 work “Oscar et la dame rose/Oscar and the Lady In Pink. |
