Government investment of $1,770,844 in Sainte-Catherine to bring sports infrastructure up to standard

Canada-Quebec Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program Agreement

Sainte-Catherine, Quebec, September 2, 2010 – The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Mégantic–L’Érable, today joined Pierre Moreau, Chief Government Whip and Member of the Quebec National Assembly for Châteauguay, acting on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, in marking the kick-off of renovation work on the City of Sainte-Catherine's Fleur de Lys park. Taking part in the sod-turning ceremony, Mr. Moreau took the opportunity to announce $1,770,844 in joint government financial assistance for the project through the Recreational Infrastructure Program (RIP).

Necessitating an overall investment of $2,656,268, the project will be carried out thanks to $1,770,844 in combined government funding contributed in equal part by the governments of Quebec and Canada, with the City of Sainte-Catherine investing the remaining $885,424 in the initiative.

The project involves the renovation and refurbishment of Fleur de Lys park, located on Saint-Laurent Boulevard between Bédard Avenue and Place Leblanc in downtown Sainte-Catherine. The majority of the city's recreational and sports facilities, including a basketball court, baseball diamond, tennis courts, play structures and water play areas, are situated in this multipurpose park.

"This financial support from the Government of Canada illustrates our commitment to equipping municipalities with facilities that meet the principles of sustainable development. Quality infrastructure is a key element of any modern, wealth-building economy," stated Minister Paradis.

"The refurbishment of Fleur de Lys park will serve the interests of the municipality's residents and families. I am delighted that our governments are joining forces with the City of Sainte-Catherine to upgrade recreational infrastructure in a way that promises to meet the needs of residents in a sustainable development perspective. This sports infrastructure will be getting a real makeover! In supporting this project, we are encouraging citizens to adopt an active and healthy lifestyle," added Pierre Moreau.

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:

Andrée-Lyne Hallé
Press Secretary
Office of the MNA for Châteauguay
Tel.: 450-699-4136

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