Setting the Stage in St. Catharines: Construction of Downtown Performing Arts Centre Moves Forward
St. Catharines, Ontario, August 15, 2013 – Residents of St. Catharines are now one step closer to having a new state-of-the-art performing arts centre that will showcase their artistic and cultural activities. Rick Dykstra, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines; Jim Bradley, Member of Provincial Parliament for St. Catharines; and Mayor Brian McMullan participated today in a special cornerstone ceremony at the future Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines, where representatives were able to leave their permanent mark in the facility's freshly poured cement foundation.
"This cornerstone ceremony represents the official start of construction on a state-of-the-art performing arts venue that will promote music, theatre, dance and film, and make our cultural and artistic performances available to residents and visitors alike,"
said Parliamentary Secretary Dykstra, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec. "Our Government is proud to invest in infrastructure projects like the Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines, as we focus on creating jobs, promoting growth and building strong, prosperous communities across Canada."
"The revitalization of downtown St. Catharines is continuing with the start of construction of our new Performing Arts Centre. The arts centre will provide a place for our own artists to perform, and for us all to see visiting productions,"
said St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley, on behalf of Ontario Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Michael Chan.
"The arts and culture sector has a $595 million economic impact on our local economy,"
said St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan. "With the opening of a new Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines will be at the heart of arts and culture growth in Niagara. This investment by the City will support and stimulate the creative economy in our community."
When complete, the downtown Performing Arts Centre will include four separate performance spaces: a 775-seat concert hall, a 300-seat recital hall, a 187-seat film theatre and a 210-seat theatre/dance venue. Although they are all part of a single building with a large main floor and shared lobby, each theatre will have a distinctive look from the outside.
The Government of Canada contributed up to $18 million to this project from the Major Infrastructure Component of the Building Canada Fund. The Government of Ontario also contributed $18 million, with the City of St. Catharines responsible for the $24 million-balance of the total project cost of $60.7 million.
The Building Canada Fund — Major Infrastructure Component provides funding for infrastructure projects of national and regional significance. Two-thirds of funding, on a national basis, is directed to five national priorities, including drinking water, wastewater, public transit, the core National Highway System, and clean energy.
Canada's Economic Action Plan 2013 is delivering a New Building Canada Plan to build roads, bridges, subways, commuter rail, and other public infrastructure in cooperation with provinces, territories, and municipalities. Thanks to the Government of Canada's leadership and our strong economic and financial fundamentals, the Canadian economy has recovered from the global recession better than most other industrialized countries. Canada's economy has created over 965,000 net new jobs since July 2009. The New Building Canada Plan, combined with other federal infrastructure investments, will support Canada's infrastructure advantage, a key enabler of economic growth and job creation.
These investments also support Building Together, the Province of Ontario's long-term infrastructure plan to repair, rebuild and renew the province's roads and highways, bridges, public transit, schools and postsecondary institutions, hospitals and courthouses. Since 2003, Ontario has invested approximately $85 billion in infrastructure. Building modern, efficient infrastructure has created or preserved close to 100,000 jobs each year, on average, making Ontario's economy more productive and improving quality of life, now and in the future.
For additional information about federal investments in infrastructure and to stay up to date with Web feeds, visit Infrastructure Canada.
For more information on how Ontario is revitalizing its infrastructure, visit the Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure.
Marie-Josée Paquette (Disponible en français)
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and
Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
613-943-1838
Sarah Groocock
Office of the Honourable Jim Bradley, MPP for St. Catharines
905-935-0018
Mayor Brian McMullan
905-688-5601 ext 1540
905-328-8907
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251 or toll-free 1-877-250-7154
