PCs pull back from Liberal promise to pay off French-language theatre's debt

The Ontario government has withdrawn nearly $3 million in funding that would have helped pay off a sizeable debt at Ottawa's main French-language theatre company.

La Nouvelle Scène found out recently that the Progressive Conservatives had withdrawn the $2.9-million grant, a theatre spokesperson told Radio-Canada.

The King Edward Avenue theatre has been in debt since reopening in 2016 following a major renovation project.

The grant had been promised by the previous Liberal government.

"In the wake of the provincial government's cuts to Ontario's Francophonie, we are not surprised by the withdrawal of the promise to invest in La Nouvelle Scène," said Chantal Nadeau, the theatre's executive director, in a French-language statement.

Last week, the PCs announced they were pulling back on plans to open a French-language university in the Toronto area and were eliminating the position of French language services commissioner.

Despite the grant's withdrawal, theatre officials said they plan to keep operating.