Government investment of $1,915,140 in City of Baie-Comeau for new sports infrastructure

Canada-Quebec Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program Agreement

Baie-Comeau, Quebec, March 3, 2010 – The population of the City of Baie-Comeau will soon benefit from new soccer/football facilities, today jointly announced the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, and Serge Simard, Quebec Minister for Natural Resources and Wildlife and Minister responsible for the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte-Nord Regions, acting on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy.

The project, which will cost an estimated $2,872,711, will be carried out thanks to a government investment of $1,915,140. The governments of Quebec and Canada will each contribute $957,570 toward the work, with the City of Baie-Comeau assuming the remaining third, or $957,571, of the project’s costs.

The project involves replacing the natural surface of the soccer/football field of Polyvalente des Baies School with a synthetic cover and rehabilitating the running track that circles the field. The new synthetic surface will offer users a place to practice that is better adapted to climate variations. This infrastructure will meet high standards, ensuring the municipality’s ability to host major sporting events.

“These new facilities are sure to satisfy the expectations of the Baie-Comeau population. A project of this kind provides socioeconomic benefits to the region. The federal government has made it its commitment to help fund sports and recreational facilities across the country by establishing the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program and allocating $500 million over two years to that end,” explained Minister of State Denis Lebel.

“With the growing popularity of soccer and football on the Côte-Nord, I am delighted that our governments are working together with the City of Baie-Comeau 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,” said Minister Serge Simard.

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.

Established under the Economic action plan adopted by the federal government in January 2009, the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program is aimed at stimulating immediate economic recovery and reducing 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 information on the Government of Quebec’s Quebec Infrastructure Plan, see www.infrastructures.gouv.qc.ca.

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Sources:

Sylvain Bourassa
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy
Tel.: 418-691‑2050

Danny Desbiens
Communication Advisor
Constituency Office of Minister Serge Simard
Tel.: 418-544-8106

Simon Bachand
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 613-996-6236