Jean Roy: Our indispensable project manager…
Transforming a barn
How do you make sure that everything runs smoothly when you undertake a project as grand as the transformation of a century-old barn into a multimedia space? It's not really complicated, but maybe just a tiny bit: it's a matter of finding the rare gem, someone who loves to learn, who loves to help, in short someone who commits to the projects that appeal to him. That's how D'Arts et de rêves ended up with Jean Roy, a super nice high-caliber manager with a solid experience in project management.
Finding a project manager
We must thank Joannie Leroux-Côté, co-founder of D'Arts et de rêves and former manager at Les 7 doigts, who met Jean as he was finishing the project for the new facilities of Les 7 doigts. While talking with Jean, Joannie learned that he had a residence in Sutton so she told him about the barn and the challenges of such a transformation project, this quickly piqued Jean's curiosity as he was unfamiliar with the organization, the residence, and the seven-acre cultural park. Some time later, Nicole Côté, founder of the organization, met with Jean and took the time to present the project in more detail, the steps, the needs, the costs... and Jean wholeheartedly agreed to give freely of his time to see the project through. Did he know that he would eventually find himself on the board of directors of D'Arts et de rêves and that he would be named vice-president? Maybe not, but he is very happy to be part of the team. Hence he has discovered a cultural Sutton that he barely knew, being quite busy in Montreal and sitting on other boards, including that of Pointe-à Callières and the Agora de la danse.
Jean Roy, Project Manager
Elisabeth Bouchard, architect, and Jean Roy, project manager
A guardian angel
Jean is our guardian angel on the construction site; he visits it at least once a week, assesses the progress of the work, makes sure that everything is going as planned, and if changes need to be made, he analyzes them, evaluates them, and gives his opinion. The biggest challenge of this project is most definitely the funding, says Jean, because it's a large amount of money for such a young organization, not yet eligible for certain aid programs. Jean can already see how this project will contribute to Sutton's cultural life, visibility, and reputation. He also looks forward to the natural amphitheater that will eventually be built in the cultural park. Jean Roy has seen more than one construction site, including the Grande Bibliothèque de Montréal, UQAM, Université de Montréal, CHU Ste-Justine, to name a few, but he is particularly attached to the transformation of our barn on which he has already been working for a year and a half.