Québec City, Quebec, June 21, 2011 – Acting on behalf of Line Beauchamp, Quebec Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports, Michel Pigeon, Member of the National Assembly for Charlesbourg, today officially inaugurated the new skateboard park facility in Québec’s Parc Victoria. The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, who was unable to attend the event, welcomed the completion of this project.
“This new skateboard park is sure to enhance the quality of life of young people who practice this sport. This modern state-of-the-art sports facility, which is of top-notch quality, safe and lit in the evening, is already delighting enthusiasts.”
“In addition to meeting the sport’s highest quality and safety standards, this park fills a gap for local and regional skateboarders. Who knows, these cutting-edge facilities may perhaps become a benchmark at the national, even North American, level! Our government is proud to have contributed to the realization of this project,” stated MNA Pigeon.
The facility was submitted for consultation and validation to users during the winter of 2010. The park therefore meets the needs expressed by skateboarders and roller skaters. It was designed and carried out by Quebec and Canadian experts and built with local materials used specifically for this type of construction.
This partnership project was made possible thanks to a total investment of $1,117,654, toward which the Government of Quebec contributed $279,414 and the Government of Canada, $279,413, while the City of Québec, which owns the park, provided the remainder, or $558,827, of the funding.
The two-year Canada-Quebec Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program Agreement was signed by the two levels of government to accelerate the execution of various recreational infrastructure projects in Quebec. Under this agreement, the Government of Canada is investing $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 government funding for this project was awarded through the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program and the Programme de soutien aux installations sportives et récréatives of the Government of Quebec’s Fonds pour le développement du sport et de l’activité physique.
About the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program
The economic action plan adopted by the federal government in January 2009, and under which the Recreational Infrastructure Canada program falls, has helped offset the impacts of the global economic downturn. Government investments in recreational infrastructure have contributed to the creation of jobs and improved quality of life for Canadians. For more on this plan, visit 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 www.mels.gouv.qc.ca .
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Sources:
Esther Chouinard
In charge of media relations
Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports
Tel. :418-528-2265, ext. 3144
Benoît Fortin
Special Assistant, Communications
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel. :819-997-3319
E-mail: benoit.fortin@dec-ced.gc.ca
