MCMASTERVILLE, QC, June 29, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The governments of Canada and Quebec recognize the importance of having good recreational infrastructure that encourages people to adopt healthy lifestyles, and helps make communities vibrant inclusive places to live. Thanks to joint government funding, the Town of Beloeil and the Municipality of McMasterville are each getting new sports facilities that will enhance residents' quality of life while contributing to the growth of sporting activities and enduring community prosperity.
The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, and Lucie Charlebois, Minister of Rehabilitation, Youth Protection, Public Health and Healthy Living, and Minister Responsible for the Montérégie Region, today announced that the governments of Canada and Quebec will each invest almost $4.8 million in the construction of an aquatic centre in Beloeil. The Town will also invest almost $4.8 million, bringing the total government and municipal investment to over $14.3 million.
Among other features, the aquatic centre will have a semi-Olympic-sized pool, recreational pool, relaxation area, change rooms, administrative offices, exterior landscaping and a new parking area.
The federal and provincial governments will also each invest close to $600,000 in upgrades to a covered outdoor rink in McMasterville. The municipality will invest close to $600,000, bringing the total government and municipal investment to nearly $1.8 million. This project includes installing a new refrigeration system and constructing a new facility to house it, and adjustments to the rink boards.
Funding for these two projects comes from the New Building Canada Fund, Small Communities Fund–Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component.
Quotes
"Recreational infrastructure helps build inclusive communities where families can have fun and get together. Recreational infrastructure helps keep our communities healthy. Our government is proud to be making investments like these in Beloeil and McMasterville, which offer residents new opportunities to engage in a variety of sports year-round, while fostering economic growth and the creation of well-paid jobs to build a strong middle-class."
The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"By supporting construction projects such as these, we are demonstrating our desire to make safe, accessible facilities available to local residents and help municipalities ensure the durability and quality of their infrastructure. The realisation of these projects in Beloeil and McMasterville will allow Montérégie residents to engage in regular sports and physical activities, promoting the adoption of active lifestyles."
Lucie Charlebois, Minister of Rehabilitation, Youth Protection, Public Health and Healthy Living, and Minister responsible for the Montérégie Region, on behalf of Sébastien Proulx, Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports, Minister of Families and Minister Responsible for the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region
"This investment will undoubtedly contribute to the health of the entire region and demonstrate that, by working together, we can improve the daily lives of our community members by promoting healthy lifestyles. We sincerely believe that municipalities play a key role, as local governments, in ensuring the health of their residents, and that is what we hope to accomplish with the implementation of this regional infrastructure."
Diane Lavoie, Mayor of Beloeil
"We believe that it is necessary, in order to ensure the longevity of our majestic skating rink, that it be equipped with a refrigeration system. We believe that the covered rink, with its refrigerated surface, will promote healthy lifestyles for all generations."
Gilles Plante, Mayor of McMasterville
Quick Facts
- The Small Communities Fund is a joint federal‒provincial program coordinated by Infrastructure Canada in partnership with the provinces and territories. In Quebec, the Fund is administered by the Quebec Department of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy. The goal of this program is to provide financial support to Canadian municipalities with fewer than 100,000 residents to develop infrastructure that can enhance their cultural, sports, recreational, and tourism assets or safeguard public assets.
- The Government of Canada will provide more than $180 billion in infrastructure funding over 12 years for public transit, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, transportation that supports trade, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
- Budget 2017 proposes $21.9 billion to support social infrastructure in Canadian communities.
- Under the 2017-2027 Quebec Infrastructure Plan, the Department of Municipal Affairs, Land Occupancy, and Public Security will provide $15 billion through its programs for investments in infrastructure, thanks to $7 billion in government funding.
Associated Links
For more information about the government of Canada's $180-billion+ infrastructure plan in Budget 2017: http://www.budget.gc.ca/2017/docs/plan/chap-02-en.html
Federal investments in infrastructure projects in Quebec: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map-carte/index-eng.html
The New Building Canada Plan: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/nbcp-npcc-eng.html
New Building Canada Fund, Small Communities Fund: http://www.mamot.gouv.qc.ca/infrastructures/programmes-daide-financiere/nouveau-fonds-chantiers-canada-quebec-volet-fonds-des-petites-collectivites-fpc/
2017-2027 Quebec Infrastructure Plan: https://www.tresor.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/PDF/budget_depenses/17-18/infrastructuresPubliquesQuebec.pdf
SOURCE Infrastructure Canada
Contacts: Brook Simpson, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-219-0149; Marie B. Deschamps, Press Secretary, Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports, Minister of Families and Minister Responsible for the Region of Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, 418 644-0664; Bianca Boutin, Press Secretary, Minister of Rehabilitation, Youth Protection, Public Health and Healthy Living, 418 266-7181; For information: Infrastructure Canada, 613‑960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected], Twitter: @INFC_eng, Website: Infrastructure Canada; Pierre-Luc Lévesque, Communications, Department of Municipal Affairs, Land Occupancy, and Public Security, 418‑646-6777, ext. 3746
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