Quebec City, January 17, 2012 – The new indoor soccer-football stadium at Laval University was inaugurated today. Participating in the event were Jacques Gourde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, for Official Languages and for the Economic Development Agency for the Regions of Quebec and Member of Parliament for Lotbinière-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière; Sam Hamad, Quebec Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade and Minister responsible for the Capitale-National region, on behalf of Line Beauchamp, Quebec Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports; and Dr. Yves Bolduc, Member of the National Assembly for Jean-Talon and Quebec Minister of Health and Social Services. Régis Labeaume, Mayor of Quebec City, and Denis Brière, Rector of Laval University, also took part in the ceremony.
Today’s inauguration marked the completion of construction on an indoor soccer-football stadium that will be called the stade TELUS-Université Laval. The 60-by-100‑metre playing field is covered in synthetic turf and the facility boasts 12 locker rooms and bleachers with a 500-seat capacity.
“The Government of Canada is proud to have invested in this infrastructure project, which will contribute to the health and well-being of families and residents in the region for years to come,” said MP Gourde. “By investing in projects such as this one, we are reaffirming our objective to support job creation, while promoting Canada’s long-term economic success.
During the ceremony, the installation of a lighting system was also highlighted because it will make it possible for the outdoor stadium to be used for longer periods in the evening.
“People have been anxiously awaiting the opening of this playing field today. It will be available not only to university athletes, but also to Quebec City residents. It will provide another way for people in the region to adopt and maintain physically active lifestyles,” said Minister Hamad.
The project to expand Laval University’s Physical Education and Sports Pavilion (PEPS) also includes the construction of a sports amphitheatre that can be converted into training areas for clubs that play gymnasium sports, such as badminton, basketball and volleyball, as well as the construction of a regional aquatics centre equipped with an Olympic-sized pool open to the public and to regional swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming clubs. The work should be completed in the spring of 2013.
“This grand opening is a very happy announcement for the region’s soccer, football and rugby enthusiast. The stadium will provide players from the university community and the general public with a field they can use year-round. This new regional facility will also help to position Quebec City as a sports city that is ready to meet the challenges of hosting major national and international sports competitions,” said Mr. Labeaume, Mayor of Quebec City.
“We are very proud of today’s announcement. It reaffirms the regional vocation of the PEPS, which for the past 40 years has been providing the university community and the general public with a wide variety of sports activities. It is also a high‑quality training centre for athletes in the region and, in particular, for the some 350 university athletes in the Rouge et Or program whose achievements across Canada and internationally make us proud. The opening of the stade TELUS-Université Laval also paves the way for it to become one of the most important sports complexes in Canada, which will not only help further our excellence in sport and improve our user services, but also enhance our ability to host major sports events. The stadium’s spinoffs and positive influence will be felt throughout Quebec City and the entire region,” said the University Rector, Denis Brière.
This project was made possible through investments from the Government of Canada’s Building Canada Fund – Major Infrastructure Component, and from the Fonds pour le développement du Sport et de l’activité physique of the Quebec Department of Education, Recreation and Sports. The two levels of government each contributed up to $35.73 million. Quebec City provided $10 million toward this project, which the total project cost is $81.46 million.
About the Major Infrastructure Component of the Building Canada Fund
The Major Infrastructure Component of the Building Canada Fund provides funding for infrastructure projects of national and regional significance. This program supports major infrastructure projects that contribute, among other things, to cultural, economic, sport and tourism development.
About the Fonds pour le développement du Sport et de l’activité physique
The Quebec government created the Fonds pour le développement du Sport et de l’activité physique to ensure that all regions benefit from new sports facilities. Access to sports infrastructure encourages healthy lifestyles. For more information on this fund, visit www.mels.gouv.qc.ca.
Additional information
For more details about infrastructure investments, go to www.infrastructure.gc.ca.
For more information on Canada’s Economic Action Plan, please visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
For more information on the Fonds pour le développement du Sport et de l’activité physique, go to www.mels.gouv.qc.ca.
Aussi disponible en français au site Web: www.infrastructure.gc.ca.
Pierre Floréa
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Paul-Christian Nolin
Press Secretary for the
Mayor of Quebec City
418-641-6434
Dave Leclerc
Press Secretary for the Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports
418-644-0664
Harold Fortin
Press Secretary for the Minister of Office of the Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade and Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region
418-691-5650
Sylvain Gagné
Media relations
Communications Directorate
Laval University
418-656-3952
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll-free: 1-877-250-7154
