Boisbriand, Quebec, May 21, 2010 – The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, today joined Vincent Auclair, Deputy Whip for the Government of Quebec and Member of the National Assembly for Vimont, acting on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, in announcing that the City of Boisbriand will receive $1,549,618 in joint government financial assistance under the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund – Quebec to convert a soccer-football field in the regional park along highway 640.
Boisbriand’s project consists of replacing the natural turf of the regional park’s soccer-football field with a synthetic turf of about 9,700 square metres. The work also provides for site development, the installation of lighting, scoreboards and various sports equipment. These improvements will increase playing time for football and soccer clubs and reduce maintenance costs. The City of Boisbriand is hopeful that the new synthetic-surface field will attract regional and provincial sports tournaments likely to have a positive impact on the local economy.
“The project to convert a soccer-football field in Boisbriand regional park will benefit the city’s residents. In supporting this initiative, we are seeing to it 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,” said Minister of State Lebel.
“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 the City of Boisbriand, 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 MNA Vincent Auclair.
Completion of this project will necessitate an overall eligible investment of $2,324,428. The governments of Quebec and Canada will each contribute $774,809 toward the work, for a total of $1,549,618 in combined government funding, while the City of Boisbriand will assume the remaining third, or $774,810 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:
Ève Cardinal
Special Assistant, Communications
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-997-3319
Valérie Sauvé
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports and Minister responsible for the Laval, Laurentides and Lanaudière Regions
Tel.: 450-689-5516
