Saint-Léonard-d'Aston, September 14, 2011 The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, today joined Claude Bachand, Member of the Quebec National Assembly for Arthabaska and Chair of the Committee on Public Finance, acting on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy and Minister responsible for the Centre‑du-Québec region, in hailing the official opening of the Centre multifonctionnel Richard-Lebeau, a project toward which the Municipality of Saint‑Léonard-d'Aston received $3,409,236 in joint government funding under the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund – Quebec.
Minister Lebel, who was unable to be present for the official ceremony, saluted the completion of this important project. "This new multi-use centre will benefit the entire population of Saint-Léonard-d'Aston. In helping to fund this initiative, we are ensuring that these citizens enjoy the high quality of life for which our country is known," he commented, reiterating the Government of Canada's objective to equip every community across the country with modern infrastructure essential to the population's health and well-being.
"Health is our government's number one priority, and we are well aware of the impact the Centre multifonctionnel Richard-Lebeau will have on promoting sports and recreation. By investing in this new facility, a safe and healthy environment, our government is encouraging the residents of Saint-Léonard-d'Aston to engage in physical activity as a means of maintaining good health and fostering personal growth. We also hope that this new facility will become an important gathering place for the population, as much to practice sports as to attend sporting, cultural and social events," saidMr. Bachand.
The aim of this project was to build a multi-use centre housing a skating arena, a gymnasium composed of several rooms, bathroom facilities, a storage garage and the various connected services. With this new complex, the Municipality of Saint-Léonard-d'Aston is now able to address its population's need for a venue for the practice of sporting activities, particularly ice sports, as well as for the organization of sporting events and the improvement of training sites for Quebec athletes. The Centre multifonctionnel Richard-Lebeau is now open to serve the interests of the local and regional population.
Completion of this project necessitated an overall eligible investment of $5,113,855, toward which the governments of Quebec and Canada each contributed $1,704,618, for a total of $3,409,236 in joint government funding, with the Municipality of Saint-Léonard-d'Aston investing the remaining $1,704,619.
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 build or modernize infrastructure in major need of revitalization, including water treatment plants, water supply systems and cultural and sports centres.
The contribution from the Government of Canada was 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:
Pierre Floréa
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 514-496-1282
E-mail: pierre.florea@tc.gc.ca
Julie Boivin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs,
Regions and Land Occupancy
Tel.: 418-691-2050
Chantale Marchand
Political Attaché responsible for Communications
Office of the MNA for Arthabaska
130 Notre-Dame East, Suite 150
Victoriaville, Quebec G6P 3Z6
Tel.: 819-758-7440
Caroline St-Pierre
Communications Branch
Department of Municipal Affairs, Regions
and Land Occupancy
Tel.: 418-691-2015
