Investments of $5,115,881 in Uniprix Stadium

Canada-Quebec Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program Agreement

Montréal, Quebec, August 16, 2010 – Major renovations will be made to the Uniprix Stadium in Jarry Park, today jointly announced Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament for Lotbinière–Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, acting on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, Line Beauchamp, Quebec Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports, and Raymond Bachand, Quebec Minister of Finance, Minister of Revenue and Minister responsible for the Montréal Region.

Completion of this project will be carried out thanks to a government investment of $2,557,940. The Government of Quebec will contribute $1,557,940 toward the work. For its part, the Government of Canada will invest $1,000,000 in the project. The City of Montréal has confirmed a financial contribution of $1,278,720, and Tennis Canada will invest the remaining $1,279,221 in the initiative.

“Many of our recreational facilities are in need of renovation and improvement. But restoring public infrastructure entails costs that municipalities are simply unable to assume on their own. That is why the federal government introduced the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program, through which $500 million will be invested over two years in the modernization of our sports and recreational facilities across the country. I am delighted to see this project come to fruition because in future, tennis players in the Montréal region, whether top competitors or simply amateurs, will have a choice of surfaces to perfect their game,” noted MP Gourde.

Planned improvements include building four new clay tennis courts, a room for trainers and a change room for the national tennis training centre.

“The new facilities will mean that tennis players will be able to train year round under conditions similar to those of international competitions. I hasten to add that the Uniprix Stadium courts will also be open to the public. Tennis Montréal and Tennis Québec will be the other users,” added Minister Beauchamp.

In 2007, the Uniprix Stadium became the first national training centre in Canadian tennis history. The four new clay courts will complement the 24 existing hard tennis courts (12 indoor and 12 outdoor).

The governments of Canada and Quebec signed an agreement to accelerate the execution of recreational infrastructure projects in Quebec by March 31, 2011. 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 Programme de soutien aux installations sportives et récréatives of the Fonds pour le développement du sport et de l’activité physique and through the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program.

About the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program

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.

About the Fonds pour le développement du sport et de l’activité physique

The Fonds pour le développement du sport et de l’activité physique was created by the Government of Quebec to ensure all of the province’s regions access to new and improved sports facilities in order to promote healthier lifestyles among their populations. For further details on this initiative, visit http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca.

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Sources:

Dave Leclerc
Press Secretary
to the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports
Tel.: 418-644-0664

Benoit Fortin
Special Assistant, Communications
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-997-3319