Canadaville, Louisiana facts for kids

Canadaville was a unique community located in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, near the town of Simmesport. It was also known as Magnaville. This project was started by a businessman from Austria and Canada named Frank Stronach. His idea was to build a special place for people who had lost their homes after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Canadaville covered a large area of land, about 912 acres, close to the Atchafalaya River. It opened in December 2005.

What Was Canadaville?

Instead of just giving people a temporary place to stay, Frank Stronach wanted Canadaville to be a long-term home. He hoped residents would become part of a community focused on farming. They would raise animals and seafood. The goal was for this food to be used at a place called Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida. Even though the official name was Magnaville, the people living there chose to call it Canadaville.

Homes in Canadaville

The community had 75 mobile homes. Each home was quite large, about 1,420 square feet (132 square meters). They had three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The homes also came with air conditioning, washing machines, dryers, and other useful things. A former Canadian government official, Dennis Mills, said that these homes were much better than the temporary shelters often provided by the FEMA.

Who Lived in Canadaville?

By August 2006, about 200 people were living in Canadaville. These residents could stay rent-free for five years. The main rule was that if they were able to work, they needed to help the community. This meant learning new skills or using the skills they already had. Many people who had been affected by Hurricane Katrina were very poor and didn't have much education. The people behind Canadaville hoped this experience would help them become more independent. Frank Stronach explained that he wanted to create a place where people could build a new life filled with hope. He wanted them to be able to support themselves and not need government help.

The End of Canadaville

In 2007, a Canadian TV channel called CTV Television Network made a documentary about the project. It was called "Welcome to Canadaville." This film showed that some people in the nearby town of Simmesport, including the mayor, were not happy about the Canadaville project. Another documentary called "Canadaville, USA" was also made. Canadaville officially closed down at the end of 2010. Today, the area is known as Port of Avoyelles.