Rivière-Rouge, Quebec, April 7, 2010 – The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament for Pontiac, acting on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, today joined Stéphanie Vallée, Member of the National Assembly for Gatineau, acting on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Quebec’s Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, in announcing that the City of Rivière-Rouge will receive $1,252,760 in joint government financial assistance under the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund – Quebec for renovation of the Vallée de la Rouge sports and cultural centre.
The City of Rivière-Rouge sports centre was built in 1989. This centre, which houses an arena, is the only one of its kind in the region. After more than two decades of use, it is in major need of renovation. Specifically, the project involves replacing the ice rink refrigeration system and the roofing membrane, installing an elevator, rectifying the structure of the exterior north wall and upgrading the parking lot.
“The project to renovate Rivière-Rouge’s sports centre will benefit the city’s residents and businesses alike. In supporting this initiative, we are ensuring that the population enjoys the high quality of life for which our country is famous. Indeed, the Government of Canada is committed to equipping every community with modern facilities to ensure citizens’ health and safety. The renewal of public infrastructure is part of a broad action plan that will enable us to thrive and prosper in a healthy environment,” stated Minister Cannon.
“By participating in this project, the Government of Quebec is moving forward to ensure the province’s municipalities have infrastructure that meets their unique realities while fostering sustainable development. By injecting new capital into the Quebec Infrastructure Plan, our government is looking to accelerate the execution of numerous infrastructure projects throughout the province, like this one in Rivière-Rouge, in an effort to improve Quebecers’ well-being, create jobs and promote a high-performance economy. In this way, we are leaving the municipality a legacy of quality infrastructure with which to face the challenges of the future,” added Gatineau MNA Stéphanie Vallée.
“I am proud and pleased to see the financial assistance being awarded to the City of Rivière-Rouge under both the Building Canada Fund – Quebec, Communities Component, and the PRECO program. This assistance will contribute significantly to improving infrastructures in our region, not to mention our efforts to protect the environment and the quality of life for our seniors, our mobility-impaired and all of our citizens,” said Déborah Bélanger, Mayor of Rivière-Rouge.
Completion of this project will necessitate an overall eligible investment of $1,879,139. The governments of Quebec and Canada will each contribute $626,380 toward the work, for a total of $1,252,760 in combined government funding, while the City of Rivière-Rouge will assume the remaining third, or $626,379, of the project’s costs.
The Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund – Quebec is a cost-sharing initiative aimed at funding infrastructure projects in communities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants. These communities are thus able to use this assistance to improve infrastructure that is in major need of revitalization, including water treatment plants, water supply systems and cultural and sports centres.
For provinces, like Quebec, that have committed all of their funding under the Communities Component, the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides for up to $500 million in additional funding for projects that will be completed by March 31, 2011.
In Quebec, a joint federal-provincial contribution of $232 million will be used to fund 106 infrastructure projects.
The contribution from the Government of Canada has been awarded through Canada’s Economic Action Plan. To learn more about this plan, visit 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:
Simon Bachand
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development:
Tel.: 613-996-6236
Valérie Sauvé
Regional Press Secretary
Laval, Laurentides, Lanaudière
Office of the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sport
Tel.: 418-689-5516
