The Center francophone du Grand Toronto will conduct a feasibility study to determine if there is a need for a community center for Franco-Toronto residents, and if so, to understand what forms it could take. The organization will be granted nearly $100,000 by Canadian Heritage to carry out the study, announced the Minister of Official Languages, Ginette Petitpas Taylor, who was visiting the center on Monday morning.
Since the 1970s, the center has served some 65,000 Francophones in the Greater Toronto Area. Among other things, it offers health services, legal aid and access to housing. According to Canadian Heritage, the study will determine whether the center project should lead to the opening of one or more community spaces. In an interview, the general manager of the center, Florence Ngenzebuhoro, indicates that she would prefer to have a single gathering place.
“There are several organizations [francophones] in Toronto, but to date, we do not have a community gathering place like the Maison de la francophonie in Ottawa,” explains Florence Ngenzebuhoro. However, a project is underway in Toronto for a Maison de la francophonie. The Director General maintains that the consultants hired for the feasibility study will meet with the members of the Maison’s steering committee.
Earlier Monday, Kip Daechsel, chairman of Toronto’s Maison de la francophonie steering committee, told the To have to not having heard of the announcement at the Center francophone du Grand Toronto. A few weeks ago, Canadian Heritage confirmed to him that there were no projects competing with his. The Minister of Official Languages did not give any new information about the Maison de la francophonie in Toronto and did not suggest that the Center francophone project would have an impact on the latter.
Common vision
Florence Ngenzebuhoro hopes that the feasibility study will “define a common vision” for a gathering place long awaited by several players in the Franco-Toronto community. “It’s not feasible to have multiple visions,” she says. Because in addition to the Maison de la francophonie project, another project has been evaluated for some time: a crossroads of Francophone organizations and partners managed by the University of French Ontario. The instigators of the project, however, told the ONfr+ website in 2020 that this hub would not see the light of day until at least 2027.
There are several organizations [francophones] in Toronto but to date we do not have a community gathering place like the Maison de la francophonie d’Ottawa
The Executive Director hopes that the feasibility study will identify two or three possible options for the community centre. The Francophone Center would then canvass to obtain the funds. “We said to ourselves, let’s do some research, let’s talk to each other and see where it goes,” explains Florence Ngenzebuhoro. “The Francophone center is the initiator, but in the end, it’s a community project,” continues the Executive Director.
This story is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.