The Minister of Culture and Communications confirms the abandonment by Quebec of the Espace bleu network project. Only the first four heritage and cultural sites already under construction will be built. They are located in Gaspé, Baie-St-Paul, Amos and Quebec.
The initial promise, unveiled with great fanfare by Prime Minister Legault in June 2021, aimed to install centers dedicated to identity, history, culture and heritage in each of Quebec’s 17 regions. The initial budget of more than $260 million ultimately proved insufficient to build the network. It took less than three years to officially bury this promise, compared by some commentators to a “third cultural link”.
“Considering in particular the explosion in construction costs in Quebec, I have made the difficult observation that it is time to move on to something else,” said Minister Mathieu Lacombe, in an interview with Sun. Several media, including The dutyhave relayed the predictable death of the project in recent months but this is indeed the minister’s first public statement on this subject.
“It is the best decision in the circumstances,” continued the minister. I could have persisted in wanting to continue this network, which is basically a good concept. But in a context of exploding costs, it would have cost us a fortune, while other cultural institutions are asking us for money. If I had done that, I think I would have been blamed for doing it. »
Even the name of the thing goes by the wayside. The remaining quartet of heritage places will receive another name. It is a wing of the former convent of Petites Franciscaines, in Charlevoix, of the Villa Frederick-James, in Gaspésie, of the Vieux Palais, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and of the Camille-Roy pavilion of the Séminaire de Québec. The total cost of the renovations and developments of these four places of memory alone could eat up almost the entire budget planned for the 17 blue spaces.
It remains to find vocations for them. The deputies from the regions concerned will be involved, promises Minister Lacombe, who assures in his interview with Sun that the restored buildings will not become “white elephants” at around a quarter of a billion dollars, while many cultural circles are calling for funds and assistance.