By Ruby Pratka
Local Journalism Initiative
The town of Farnham is building a new community centre with support from a local foundation, officials announced last week.
The facility will feature meeting rooms of various sizes and a gym and be built on vacant land in the Des Braves neighbourhood behind the town’s existing recreation centre, the Centre Romuald-Potvin. It will be funded by the Fondation Farnham-Rainville and the municipality; town officials also plan to request government grants to further offset the cost to taxpayers. The cost, detailed timeline and appearance of the future multipurpose centre remain to be seen; Mayor Patrick Melchior told the BCN the project was “still at the architects’-sketch stage” and details about the cost of the project would become clear in the coming year. The project is expected to be completed sometime in 2027, in partnership with the Fonds de développement Farnham-Rainville (FDFR), which will contribute a yet-to-be-determined amount.
“This ambitious project…will offer practical and accessible installations, including offices and multipurpose spaces for the municipality,” Annie Lévesque, director of communications and citizen relations for the town of Farnham, said in a statement on Sept. 17. “It will allow us to centralize several activities under one roof, favouring the collaborative development of community activities. It will also offer inclusive and adaptable spaces for residents, community organizations and partners, including meeting and training rooms, family and community event spaces and a large gymnasium-type room for various sports activities.”
Melchior said the project had been the subject of discussions for several years. “We have nearly 50 accredited community organizations, and the population is growing fast,” he said. “We’ve had to refuse proposals from community groups for activities because we don’t have the space.”
The FDFR was founded in 1998 by the town of Farnham, the former neighbouring municipality of Rainville and members of the local business community to encourage businesses to set up shop in the area. Melchior said that now that the foundation has achieved its original goal – “the industrial park doesn’t have any vacancies anymore” – it is in a position to help fund community service-centred projects. FDFR board chair Serge Seney said in a statement that the foundation was “proud to contribute to a project that will reinforce the dynamism and vitality of Farnham.”
“This centre represents a major investment in the quality of life of our citizens and the dynamism of our community,’” Melchior said. “Over time, we’d like for the community to take ownership of it and enjoy it.”