The funding to build a new home for the Mouvement d’implication francophone d’Orléans, better known as MIFO, is now in place after Ontario Minister for Francophone Affairs, Caroline Mulroney visited the organization’s temporary offices in Place d’Orléans last week to announce the province’s share of the $54 million project.
The Ontario government, through its $200 million Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund, will contribute $15.7 million to the project, which has received $36 million in funding commitments from the federal government last year. The remaining $2.5 million is being raised through individual and corporate donations.
The project will allow MIFO to increase its annual capacity from 60,000 to 80,000 visitors and increase programming for all age groups, including seniors, youth and people with disabilities. The expanded facil-ity which will include an indoor running track, a gymnasium, and an art gallery, will enable MIFO to introduce new services such as specialized camps, accessible fitness programs and community events.
MIFO was founded in 1979 to safeguard and promote francophone culture in Orléans. The organization was first based out of a small house on St. Joseph Blvd., where they remained until their current home was built on Carrière Street in 1985.
Over the years, MIFO’s programming has expanded considerably. Their first big move was to start booking French language productions in the Shenkman Arts Centre, a move which allowed them to not only offer a greater range of entertainment to francophone residents in Orléans, but also generated additional revenue to help fund their programming.
After the organization celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019, they started exploring the possibility of demolishing the existing building and building a new one. As their plans came together they realized that dream couldn’t become a reality without financial support from both the provincial and federal levels of government.
The federal government came to the table first, announcing it’s $36 million contri-bution in May 2024. That announcement put the funding ball clearer in the court of the Ontario government.
More than 12 months later, they’ve finally decided to write a cheque.
When MIFO first announced they wanted to build a new home in the fall of 2019, they had hoped that construction would begin in 2021, but delays in funding on the part of both levels of government set MIFO’s plans back four years. Now that the provincial government is on board, construction could begin by the end of this summer and completed within two years.
For more information about MIFO and the project visit mifo.ca.
ORLEANS FARMERS MARKET every Thursday from 11 am to 4 pm in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Centre on Tenth Line Road. Shop the freshest seasonal produce, meat and dairy, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts and more while getting to know the folks who grew and made it.
STATION 71 PANCAKE BREAKFAST from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Fire Station 71 in Navan with a freewill donation to the CHEO Foundation. Come enjoy pancakes with local maple syrup Erabliere des Wats Sugar Bush, local coffee from Papa Bean coffee roastery, and sausages and bacon from Lavergne Meat. After breakfast check out the Navan Fall Fest at the Navan Fairgrounds.
