Ontario Government Announces $2.2 million for The Corleck: Toronto’s New Irish Cultural Arts Centre
The weather on the morning of April 12, 1928, was unforgiving in south Dublin but probably the best the area had seen in over two weeks. Three men—Hermann Köhl and Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr von Hünefeld of Germany, and James Fitzmaurice of Ireland—had been studying the British Air Ministry’s meteorological reports religiously as they prepared to embark on a historic journey: completing the first-ever east-to-west transatlantic flight.
Their plan was to depart the Baldonnel Aerodrome at six o’clock in the morning and arrive in New York City between three and five o’clock the following day. And while they never made it to the Big Apple, their journey was ultimately a success. The trio overcame navigational and weather issues, and concluded their flight with a firm landing on Greenly Island, a small patch of Canadian land in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The celebrations that followed this momentous milestone included a two-month tour of American and European cities and a permanent place for their names in the pages of history.
This journey—and, more importantly, its fortuitous landing site—left another lasting footprint in the shared history between Ireland and Canada. Yet in that same year, 1928, another Irish-Canadian connection was quietly beginning to take shape, though we didn’t know it quite yet.
Over 2,000 km away from Greenly Island, the Canada Malting Company was building a new malt house on the shores of Lake Ontario. The silos and factory would increase capacity for its growing business while becoming a staple of the Toronto skyline for decades to come. Almost 100 years on, the former administration offices on this now-abandoned site will become the home of a new hub for Irish arts and culture.
As part of their 2025 Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Ontario announced a $2.2 million investment to support the final phase of construction for The Corleck, Canada’s newest Irish cultural arts centre. Bolstered by additional contributions from the Government of Canada, the Government of Ireland, the City of Toronto, and private donors, the building will feature a theatre, gallery, museum, and more, opening its doors in March 2026. The Corleck will serve as a tangible celebration for the 4.6 million Canadians of Irish descent, remarked Premier Doug Ford, and their “lasting cultural and economic contributions to Ontario.”
As dignitaries from all levels of government gathered at The Corleck to make this historic announcement, Ontario’s Minister of Francophone Affairs and President of the Treasury Board, Caroline Mulroney, noted that the project will not only recognize the Irish diaspora in the province and beyond but attract new tourism to an area of the city that has seen significant revitalization in recent years. The Corleck will become a point of convergence for the Irish-Canadian community, offering new opportunities to celebrate and share Irish culture with all who visit. Minister Mulroney concluded her remarks by saying the project will ensure that “Irish eyes are always smiling,” a nod to her father, former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and his famous Shamrock Summit performance.
This funding announcement from the Government of Ontario marks the final step in an intergovernmental effort to transform a site originally constructed back in 1928—a period during which Irishman Captain Fitzmaurice was enjoying his newfound fame—into the flagship home for Irish arts and culture in Canada.