Stanstead, Quebec, October 6, 2010 – On the occasion of the official launch of construction of the new municipal arena in Stanstead, the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, today joined Pierre Reid, Member of the Quebec National Assembly for Orford, acting on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy and Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in underscoring the $5,361,636 in joint government financial assistance awarded to the City of Stanstead under the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund – Quebec.
The new 3,750 square metre arena will seat more than 350 people. It will serve the population of Stanstead, the residents of neighbouring municipalities and students of Stanstead College. The future sports facility will help maintain and expand the activities of the College, especially the hockey-study program, while meeting the ice time demands of the municipalities of Magog and Coaticook and giving the community an essential gathering place for its continued vitality. This project will directly benefit some 7,000 people in the area.
“By contributing financially toward this project, we want to ensure that the population enjoys the high quality of life for which our country is famous. The renewal of public infrastructure is part of a broad action plan that will enable us to thrive and prosper in a healthy environment,” explained Minister of State Lebel.
“In supporting the construction of a new municipal arena in Stanstead, 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 Stanstead, 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 Pierre Reid.
Completion of this project will necessitate an overall eligible investment of $8,042,453. The governments of Quebec and Canada will each contribute $2,680,818 toward the work, for a total of $5,361,636 in combined government funding, while the City of Stanstead will invest $2,680,817 in the project.
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 (in French only).
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Sources:
Benoît Fortin
Special Assistant, Communications
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-997-3319
Nicole Ronaldi
Political Attaché
Orford Constituency Office
Tel.: 819-847-3911
