THUNDER BAY – The francophone community’s seemingly simple request to city council for a letter of support has been referred as administration considers whether it may conflict with its own infrastructure funding applications.
The Regroupment des Organismes Francophones de Thunder Bay addressed city council on Monday, asking for a letter to submit to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation’s recreation and culture division.
The group hopes to acquire $100,000 to proceed with phase three of renovations to the Centre Francophone on Van Norman Street.
The province has placed a $1-million limit per community on projects that could be supported under the fund in 2017. Thunder Bay has not only already been granted a $700,000 request to plan an art gallery on the waterfront, but has also received a $181,000 pre-commitment to the Magnus parkette construction.
That would leave $119,000 open to consideration but administration confirmed endorsing the francophone group’s renovation could compromise other applications in the municipality’s interests.
Council voted to defer the issue to administration. The NOHFC, however, meets on Aug. 15 and council won’t meet again until Aug. 22.
The group’s volunteer coordinator Claudette Gleeson hopes the city considering the endorsement will be sufficient to meet the NOHFC timeline.
“We will tell them the results of our presentation,” she said.
“They’re waiting for our answer and that might just be enough to have them consider us seriously.”
A consultant’s report shows the Francophone Centre contributes between $450,000 and $500,000 to Thunder Bay’s economy annually.
The group’s acting president Denyse Culligan estimates the francophone community’s private contributions doubles or triples that economic impact.
“Certainly, our appearance here shows them what the francophone community contributes to this society and this community,” Culligan said.
“We are here and we’re here to stay and we want to make an impact, not only economically but culturally and socially. “
