Government investment of $327,940 in Saint-Georges for sports infrastructure upgrade

Canada-Quebec Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program Agreement

Saint-Georges, Quebec, August 30, 2010 – The population of the City of Saint-Georges will soon enjoy access to improved sports facilities, today jointly announced Robert Dutil, Quebec Minister of Public Security and Member of the National Assembly for Beauce-Sud, acting on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy and Minister responsible for the Chaudière-Appalaches Region, and the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Member of Parliament for Beauce, acting on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development.

Necessitating a total investment of $491,910, the project will be carried out thanks to $327,940 in combined government funding contributed in equal part by the governments of Quebec and Canada, with the City of Saint-Georges investing the remaining third of the costs, or $163,970.

The initiative involves renovating an existing softball field by installing a lighting system, fence and outfield net in order that the park may also serve for the practice of baseball. The City of Saint-Georges currently has no baseball field equipped with a lighting system adequate for the bantam, midget, junior and senior levels.

These improvements will make it possible for the city to host minor baseball tournaments and events and will help facilitate expansion of a baseball league that includes teams from neighbouring municipalities. The renovated field will be part of a downtown complex consisting of existing sports infrastructure, including an arena, outdoor swimming pools and tennis courts.

"This financial support from the Government of Canada illustrates our commitment to equipping municipalities with adequate facilities that meet community needs. Quality infrastructure is a key element of any modern, wealth-building economy," explained Maxime Bernier.

"Given the growing popularity of baseball in the Beauce region, I am delighted that our governments are joining forces with the City of Saint-Georges to upgrade recreational infrastructure in a way that promises to meet the needs of residents in a sustainable development perspective. This facility will be getting a real makeover! In supporting this project, we are encouraging citizens to adopt an active and healthy lifestyle," added Minister Dutil.

"This government funding will allow us to upgrade this sports infrastructure and promote the development of baseball players from our city, which will help enhance quality of life and the practice of recreational and sports activities for our young people and citizens of all ages," commented Saint-Georges Mayor François Fecteau.

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 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 Public Security
Tel.: 418-652-6835

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