La Sarre, Quebec, December 13, 2010 – Pierre Corbeil, Quebec's Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister responsible for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec regions, today officially inaugurated Cité étudiante Polyno's recently-renovated swimming pool on behalf of Education, Recreation and Sports Minister Line Beauchamp. The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, welcomed the completion of this project, which was partially funded by the Agency he heads.
"The Government of Canada was happy to lend its support to this project, an initiative that is sure to improve the quality of life of LaSarre residents by giving them a modern and safe place to practice their water sports and activities," noted Minister of State Lebel.
Necessitating an overall investment of $1,256,972, the renovation of the Cité étudiante Polyno pool was made possible by a $314,243 contribution from each the Government of Quebec and Government of Canada, with the Lac-Abitibi school board and Municipality of La Sarre assuming the remainder of the costs.
"This project has been particularly close to my heart because of the key role that the regular practice of sports and physical activity plays in maintaining good health. I believe it is of the utmost importance that the residents of La Sarre have access to a quality sports facility in the vicinity. I am very pleased that that is now the case," stated Minister Corbeil.
The project involved replacing the plumbing, ventilation and heating systems at the community pool. The building's premises, including corridors and lifeguard rooms, were also renovated. This infrastructure work has helped improve the quality of the installations around the pool and reduce energy consumption.
The governments of Canada and Quebec signed an agreement to accelerate the execution of recreational infrastructure projects. To that end, the Government of Canada is investing $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 thus generate greater financial leverage, as is the case with the other infrastructure programs.
The funding was granted to this project through the Government of Canada's Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program and the Programme de soutien aux installations sportives et récréatives of the Government of Quebec's Fonds pour le développement du sport et de l'activité physique.
About the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program
The economic action plan adopted by the federal government in January 2009 and under which the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program falls has helped offset the impacts of the global economic downturn. Government investments in recreational infrastructure have contributed to the creation of jobs and improved quality of life for Canadians. For more on this plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
About the Fonds pour le développement du sport et de l'activité physique
The Fonds pour le développement du sport et de l'activité physique was created by the Government of Quebec to ensure all of the province's regions access to new and improved sports facilities in order to promote healthier lifestyles among their populations. For further details on this initiative, see www.mels.gouv.qc.ca.
- 30 -
Sources:
Dave Leclerc
Press Secretary
Minister of Education,
Recreation and Sports
Tel.: 418 644-0664
Benoît Fortin
Special Assistant, Communications
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819 997-3319
Hélène Sauvageau
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister responsible for
Aboriginal Affairs
Tel.: 418 646-9131
