On May 16, big economic news hit the Black communities of Greater Montreal.
An investment of nearly $16 million from the federal government to finance a renovation and expansion project will enable the former École des beaux-arts de Montréal to be converted into a cultural building for the benefit of the city’s black communities. The organization to benefit from the financial spin-off is the CCAM, which was founded in 2021. Allen Alexandre is the founder and current Executive Director of the CCAM.
The announcement of federal financial support was made with the intention of providing future generations with a significant cultural legacy at the end of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent. (2015-2024)***.
From its perspective, the CCAM aims to fill a gap in heritage promotion regarding the contribution of black communities to Quebec society. Through this initiative, they want to leave a legacy for Quebec and Canada with the potential for significant and lasting socio-economic impact. They want to fill a gap in access to the kinds of spaces that allow Afrodescendants to express themselves culturally.
Black communities represent the largest ethnic group in the city of Montreal, accounting for 10.6% of the population. And Montreal has the second-largest and most ethnolinguistically diverse Black population in Canada.
Some questions remain.
We believe that the Black communities will have to mobilize to support this initiative, so that beyond the mere construction of a building, other challenges of mission, concertation, collaboration and sustainability will benefit from everyone’s contribution. Many challenges lie ahead for this promising project. For example, the building has been unoccupied since 2009, so what surprises will the contractors find that will have an impact on costs and planning? An opening is planned for 2026.
CCAM
Foundation 2021
https://ccamontreal.ca/
info@ccamontreal.ca
514-975-CCAM (2226)
*Afrodescendant communities around the world.
In 2018, the Canadian federal government began to recognize the specific problems experienced by Black people.
