Iron Maple Awarded Contract for Pictou Culture Hub

The Pictou Culture Hub Project partners have awarded the construction contract for the hub facility to  Iron Maple Constructors of Dartmouth. This is a significant milestone for the project, following nearly eight years of planning, community consultation and fundraising. The project team is looking forward to working with the experienced team at Iron Maple.

At its core, the Pictou Culture Hub features a modern public library and an updated and refreshed theatre facility, but there is so much more. The new facility will be highly accessible, featuring expanded meeting and event space, improved ability to host visual art exhibits, a creative area for children and families, a makerspace showcasing new technologies, and many growth-related improvements like enhanced and expanded washrooms and parking. In addition, there will be dedicated studio space for arts and culture activities such as exhibits and workshops. The existing theatre will see many enhancements including a new kitchen, office space and an expanded backstage, allowing the theatre to host a broader mix of events.

“The Pictou Culture Hub is going to transform the waterfront and make a tremendous difference for the town, and the entire region,” says Karla MacFarlane, MLA for Pictou West. “On behalf of the Province, we’re proud to support this important project and pleased to see the next step move forward. Congratulations to all the partners for their dedication and hard work.”

“We faced many delays along the way, but patience and perseverance has paid off. The pandemic had a double impact, delaying the project by over two years and causing significant price escalation. On the flip side, our working group took advantage of the time to improve the design and continue fundraising. The building we are constructing today is a better building than we initially envisioned and designed. This is a generational project. We only get one chance to do it right,” shares Mayor Jim Ryan.

“The community can expect to see work begin soon. We have been so pleased to have the steadfast support of our federal, provincial and local representatives. They have helped us to navigate many roadblocks, keeping the project moving forward, without having to downsize our plans. This is a wonderful example of what can happen when municipalities and community organizations work together,” says Warden Robert Parker.

The Pictou Culture Hub Project Committee includes representation from the Town of Pictou, the Municipality of the County of Pictou, the deCoste Centre for Arts and Creativity, and the Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library.

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia.