Sudbury's Place des Arts opens Friday night

After four years and several delays, Places des Arts, Sudbury's centre for francophone arts and culture, opens its doors for its first public walk through Friday night.

The downtown arts centre, which board president Alain Richard says will "reunite" seven francophone organizations, including the Thtre du Nouvel-Ontario, Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario and the Carrefour francophone, began construction in 2018, with an expected opening date in December 2020.

But that timeline was pushed back due to delays caused by the pandemic.

Despite the wait, Richard said he is "ecstatic" about the festivities ahead, including public tours of the downtown facility.

"The venue is quite action packed," Richard said. "On the first floor, there is going to be a small boutique with Galerie du Nouvel Ontario, with a bistro the main theater, 300-seat theater and a multipurpose black room."

The second floor will feature a daycare with an artistic mandate, Richard said, and the third floor will house office space.

"[The centre] is to showcase a lot of the francophone arts and culture in town, but at the same time, it's to be for everybody to be able to showcase their own performances," he said.

Richard added that they're expecting Places des Arts to help generate tourism, describing it as the "most high-end, sophisticated performance venue of its class."

To reserve a spot on the tour, please reserve your time slot with the official Place des Arts box office.