Mont-Joli, Quebec, Monday, March 29, 2010 – Residents of the Regional County Municipality (RCM) of La Matapédia and the Municipality of Sayabec will soon benefit from improvements to two major sports facilities in the region. This was announced today by Bernard Généreux, Member of Parliament for Montmagny–L’Islet–Kamouraska–Rivière-du-Loup, acting on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, and Laurent Lessard, Quebec Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy.
These two projects, the total cost of which is estimated at $4,540,315, are to be carried out thanks to a government investment of $3,026,876. The governments of Quebec and Canada will each contribute $1,513,438 toward the work, while the RCM of La Matapédia and the Municipality of Sayabec will assume the remaining third, or $1,513,439 of the projects’ costs.
The project of the RCM of La Matapédia, authorized agent of the Route Verte (green route), is aimed at enhancing Quebec’s cycling network by further developing the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie circuit segment. This extension will have a positive impact on economic and tourism activities in both of these regions, while contributing to the health of their populations.
The project of the Municipality of Sayabec is aimed at renovating the Centre sportif David-Pelletier. Work on the sports centre involves re-roofing and exterior wall repairs, upgrading the exits, improvements to the zamboni area and stands. The carrying out of this project will consolidate the centre’s role in the community, ensure sports activities in Sayabec for years to come and improve the quality of life of local and regional residents.
“The upgrades to the Route Verte and renovation of the Centre sportif David-Pelletier are sure to meet the expectations of the population. Projects of this kind offer clear socioeconomic benefits for the region. The federal government has made it its commitment to help fund sports and recreational facilities across the country by establishing the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program and allocating $500 million over two years to that end,” explained MP Généreux.
“I am delighted that the Government of Quebec is working with the RCM of La Matapédia and the Municipality of Sayabec to bring up to standard recreational facilities that will meet the needs of residents in a perspective of sustainable development. These sports facilities will be getting a major facelift! We are encouraging citizens to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle,” said Minister Lessard.
The governments of Canada and Quebec signed an agreement to accelerate the execution of recreational infrastructure projects in Quebec over the next two years. To that end, the Government of Canada will invest $76 million and the Government of Quebec at least that amount in recreational infrastructure projects carried out in cost-sharing partnership with municipal administrations or local organizations. These investments are thus expected to generate greater financial leverage, as is the case with the other infrastructure programs.
The funding announced today has been awarded through the Government of Canada’s Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program and the Government of Quebec’s Programme Infrastructures de loisirs.
Established under the economic action plan adopted by the federal government in January 2009, the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program is aimed at stimulating immediate economic recovery and reducing the short-term impacts of the global recession. Government investment in this area will help create new jobs and improve the population’s health and quality of life. For more on this plan, see www.actionplan.gc.ca.
For further information on the Government of Quebec’s Quebec Infrastructure Plan, see www.infrastructures.gouv.qc.ca.
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Sources:
Sylvain Bourassa
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy
Tél. : 418-691‑2050
Simon Bachand
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tél. : 613-996-6236
