Government investment of $852,656 in Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce to bring recreational facilities up to standard

Canada-Quebec Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program Agreement

Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce, Quebec, Monday, March 1, 2010 – Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce municipality residents will soon benefit from upgraded recreational facilities and an expanded arena, today jointly announced the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Member of Parliament for Beauce, acting on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, and Robert Dutil, Quebec Minister of Revenue and Member of the National Assembly for Beauce-Sud, acting on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy.

The project, which will cost an estimated $1,278,984, will be carried out thanks to a government investment of $852,656. The governments of Quebec and Canada will each contribute $426,328 toward the work, with the organization Les loisirs de St-Éphrem de Beauce Inc. assuming the remaining third, or $426,328, of the project’s costs.

The project mainly involves renovating and expanding the municipal arena by 64 square metres and installing an outdoor water play area on the adjacent land. The Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce arena belongs to the non-profit organization Les loisirs de St-Éphrem de Beauce Inc. Built in 1972, the arena’s aging infrastructure needs to be upgraded to meet current building code standards and continue operations while ensuring the safety and comfort of users. These improvements will provide more adequate facilities for hockey tournaments and shows put on by the local figure skating club, events that require plenty of lockers and sufficient seating for spectators.

“The Government of Canada is proud to lend its financial support to projects that, like this one, serve to improve the quality of life in our communities. The renovation of Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce’s arena is the fruit of concerted efforts by various local stakeholders. Our funding has been awarded under the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program, an initiative through which we have committed to investing $500 million over two years in the modernization of our sports and recreational facilities across the country,” explained MP Maxime Bernier.

“I am delighted that our governments have partnered with the Municipality of Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce to upgrade recreational infrastructure that will meet the needs of residents in a sustainable development perspective. These sports facilities will be getting a major facelift! We are encouraging citizens to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle, in a modern environment and up-to-date standards,” said Minister Robert Dutil.

The governments of Canada and Quebec signed an agreement to accelerate the execution of recreational infrastructure projects in Quebec over the next two years. To that end, the Government of Canada will invest $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 are thus expected to generate greater financial leverage, as is the case with the other infrastructure programs.

The funding announced today has been awarded through the Government of Canada’s Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program and the Government of Quebec’s Programme Infrastructures de loisirs.

The Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program, part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan adopted by the federal government in January 2009, is intended to stimulate immediate economic recovery and reduce the short-term impacts of the global recession. Government investment in this area will help create new jobs and improve the population’s health and quality of life. For more on this plan, see www.actionplan.gc.ca.

For further details on the state of advancement of the Quebec Infrastructure Plan, visit www.infrastructures.gouv.qc.ca.

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Sources:

Mathieu St-Pierre
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Revenue
Tel.: 418-652-6835

Renée Farrell
Responsible of communications
Office of the Member of Parliament for Beauce
Tel.: 418-227-2171