Saint-Raymond, April 5, 2012 5 avril 2012 – Acting on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Quebec Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, Michel Matte, Member of the National Assembly for Portneuf and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister for Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs and the Canadian Francophonie and Minister for the Reform of Democratic Institutions and Access to Information, took the opportunity during today’s official inauguration of the new Saint-Raymond multi-purpose centre to announce that $1,192,932 in joint government funding was invested in the project through the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF). The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, though unable to attend today’s ceremony, expressed his delight at the completion of this important project.
“The residents of Saint-Raymond have good cause to celebrate: they now have a modern facility suited to their needs and better equipped for the arts, culture, sports and recreation,” commented Minister Lebel.
“I am pleased to be part of this inauguration of the new Saint-Raymond multi-purpose centre. This new facility answers a need expressed by the city’s population, who will now have access to modern and safe infrastructure for the enjoyment of cultural, community and sports activities. I am also proud of the Government of Quebec’s efforts to leave our municipalities a legacy of quality infrastructure that is adapted to their reality, which is an indispensable tool for facing the challenges of the future,” said Michel Matte.
This government funding served for the construction of the Saint-Raymond multi-purpose centre, a two-storey, 2,140 square-metre building erected in the place of the former parish hall that, built in 1949, was no longer adequate for the needs of the community. The larger, more modern centre includes, among other things, a 300-person capacity multi-purpose hall that can be divided into three equal sections, a meeting hall, rooms for community organizations and equipment storage areas for the minor hockey association. Other work carried out in the adjoining arena, notably in the reception area, girls’ locker rooms and players’ entrance, made it possible to connect the new centre to the existing arena building, thereby making the access to the complex more functional and practical for users. The large hall can also be converted into an additional sports court to supplement the gymnasium facilities of the two local elementary and high schools as well as to serve as a venue for sporting events open to the citizens. This project benefits the entire local and regional population, which represents some 47,000 residents.
Completion of the project necessitated an overall eligible investment of $4,474,029 under component 3 of the MRIF. The governments of Quebec and Canada each contributed $596,466 toward the work, for a total of $1,192,932 in combined government funding, while the City of Saint-Raymond invested $3,281,097 in the project.
The Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund was a cost-sharing initiative of the Government of Quebec and Government of Canada through which $470 million in funding was made available to Quebec municipalities and non-governmental organizations. With the financial participation of these municipalities and organizations, the initiative, the objectives of which included improving community infrastructure, environmental quality and citizens’ quality of life and promoting long-term economic growth, led to the execution of more than $700 million in infrastructure work in the province.
The program remains under the responsibility of the Quebec Department of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, with Canada Economic Development mandated to deliver the federal portion of the MRIF on behalf of the Government of Canada.
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Julie Boivin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs,
Regions and Land Occupancy
Tel.: 418-691-2050
Geneviève Sicard
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 514-496-1282
Nicole Gingras
Political Attaché
Office of the MNA for Portneuf
Quebec National Assembly
Tel.: 418-268-3860
Caroline St-Pierre
Communications Branch
Department of Municipal Affairs,
Regions and Land Occupancy
Tel.: 418-691-2015
