Government of Canada supports Acadie de Chezzetcook with $1,547,459 in funding.
CHEZZETCOOK, NS, Aug. 7, 2024 /CNW/ - L'Acadie de Chezzetcook Association has served the Acadian and Francophone community in Nova Scotia's Chezzetcook region since 1996. It offers a range of services, programs and cultural activities for the region's Francophones and Francophiles throughout the year. Recently, the Francophone community in Chezzetcook has grown, leading to increased demand for French-language services and activities in the community.
Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, announced $1,547,459 in funding for l'Acadie de Chezzetcook. The funding, from Canadian Heritage's Community Spaces Fund of the Development of Official Language Communities Program, will be used to purchase and renovate the former St. Anselm Church and its presbytery, to create the Centre acadien de l'Anse de Chezzetcook.
The former church will become a meeting place, cultural development centre and a space for interpretation, visual arts and performance, as well as cultural awareness.
In addition to the former church building, the association will purchase the former presbytery house and renovate the spaces to transform them into a community centre. This centre will serve the community and non-profit organizations by promoting local initiatives, artists and, above all, the development of Francophone and Acadian cultural identities. The community centre will include multi-purpose rooms, collaborative offices for non-profits, a community kitchen and short-term lodging for artists-in-residence or short-term workers.
The establishment of Centre acadien de l'Anse de Chezzetcook will allow the association to offer more services, activities and events for the region's growing Acadian and Francophone community.
Quotes
"Acadian and Francophone communities deserve access to quality local services. Today's funding announcement in Acadie de Chezzetcook is giving Nova Scotians just that, ensuring they have a dedicated space to learn, celebrate and grow together."
— The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
"The St. Anselm Church has long been the centre of the West Chezzetcook and Grand Desert Acadian community. It also played a key role in preserving the French language in the area. With the closing of the church, the community was at risk of losing part of its culture and rich history. Thanks to funding from the federal government, the creation of the Chezzetcook Inlet Acadian Centre has begun. It will allow the Acadian community to continue to flourish and invite others to experience the magic that is L'Acadie de Chezzetcook."
— Cameron DeBaie, President, l'Acadie de Chezzetcook
Quick Facts
Established in 1996, l'Acadie de Chezzetcook Association represents Acadians and Francophones living in the Grand-Désert and Chezzetcook region of Nova Scotia. It provides summer programming at a historic site with a visitor centre and expands its mission to offer a range of services and sociocultural activities to the region's Francophones and Francophiles throughout the year. The association became a member of the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse in 2014.
The Community Spaces Fund provides funding to official language minority communities for projects to build new community and cultural spaces and to renovate and upgrade infrastructure and multi-purpose spaces in more community centres not attached to educational institutions. These meeting places, conducive to dialogue, will contribute to the individual and social development of the community.
The Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028 will inject an additional $47 million over five years into construction projects related to community educational infrastructure in official language minority communities. These funds are in addition to the $14.8 million per year included in the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023 and the $80 million announced in Budget 2021, earmarked for community educational infrastructure in communities.
Associated Links
Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Mathis Denis, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]
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