Centre culturel La Ronde’s new home is expected to be completed by this summer.
Executive director Lisa Bertrand said that they’re looking forward to a move-in date in July or August of this year.
“We’re not too sure yet, but everything is looking great,” said Bertrand.
Located at the corner of Mountjoy Street and Algonquin, the centre is being built at the same site of its previous building, which was destroyed by a fire in 2015 and demolished in 2017. For the past six months, the community has watched the new modern facility take shape.
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Once complete, the 11,000-square-foot building will have offices, a dance studio, a stage, L’armise bar, a kitchen, a lobby and a parking lot with 10 spots. It will be fully accessible with one floor and a mezzanine for mechanical spaces.
For years after the fire, the cultural centre worked out of the old St-Charles school on Kent Avenue. With work underway to build a new French health centre at that property, La Ronde has been working in space at the Timmins Square since September 2022.
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Bertrand said that their time in Timmins Square, including during Carnaval d’hiver de Timmins this year, has been a great experience.
“They are hosting us and helping us out,” she said. “It’s such a great partnership.”
Bertrand said the process of pulling the funding together and getting the work done on their new space has been incredibly rewarding.
“It’s like a part of history,” she said. “I’m very happy to be a part of the process, and to be part of the construction of this, it’s part of Timmins’ francophone history.”
She said it’s been exciting to see the work go into their new space.
“It’s a lot of teamwork, a lot of meetings and decisions to be made, and I think everybody is on the right track,” said Bertrand.
