Our Story
The Centre régional de Loisirs culturels inc. is a non-profit organization that contributes significantly to the development and growth of the regional Francophone community.
Located in the heart of Northern Ontario, halfway between Hearst and Cochrane on Highway 11, the Centre régional de Loisirs culturels inc. is a unique cultural and recreational service center for the community. The Centre serves an estimated 9,000 Francophones, stretching from Opasatika to Smooth Rock Falls, including not only the urban population of Kapuskasing but also those of surrounding villages without comparable municipal or community services. Led by a nine-member elected board of directors, supported by ten permanent employees, approximately four hundred volunteers, and five hundred and fifty members, the Centre has become, over the years, the pillar of the regional Francophonie. Several committees made up of volunteers and permanent members meet periodically to plan, implement, and evaluate artistic, cultural, social, and sports programming.
Historical
Le Centre régional de Loisirs culturels inc. has grown steadily. Equipped with technically well-equipped rooms, the Centre now presents a range of activities, from shows, exhibitions, workshops to classes. It organizes social evenings, as well as thematic and educational activities, in addition to promoting local and regional artists and artisans. The Centre conducts fundraising campaigns, supports, and encourages innovative projects to ensure its survival.
- The Center was founded in 1969 and incorporated in January 1973.
- The Center really got its start in 1971 when the Richelieu Club offered it the building that previously housed the Youville Academy to carry out its mandate.
- In 1974, the Center purchased the Club Richelieu building and undertook a major renovation.
- On April 20, 1980, the new building located at 7 Aurora Ave was officially opened.
- On July 16, 1990, the board of directors retained the services of the firm Osburn Cotnam Bélair to carry out a feasibility study concerning the expansion of the Center (study completed on September 16, 1991).
- In 1995, the Catholic Separate School Board agreed to transfer the land required for the expansion. Two squash courts, a stained glass workshop, a carpentry workshop, and an amphitheater were added to the existing structure.
The Centre régional de Loisirs culturels' mandate is to initiate, sponsor and organize activities essential to the development of the region's Francophone and Francophile community (awareness, animation, participation, creation and development).
The Centre de Loisirs aims to develop, safeguard, and disseminate the artistic, cultural, linguistic, socio-community, and sporting aspects of the local, regional, and provincial French-speaking population. It therefore aims to be a place for meetings, activities, and gatherings for people of all ages who share common interests, that is, who wish to live and create in French, in order to preserve and develop their language, culture, and heritage.