2023-09-14 04:00:00
Faced with significant investments to bring their arena up to the standards of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), the 12 Quebec cities hosting junior teams have officially come together to find solutions and facilitate the search for funding.
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This committee has already met twice during the summer and a third meeting is planned before the end of the year.
“The team owners have meetings, meetings, once or twice a year, where they can talk regarding their situation. We didn’t have any in the cities,” explains the mayor of Rimouski, Guy Caron, who instigated the creation of this committee.
In its five-year capital expenditure program 2024-2028, the City of Rimouski plans investments of more than $17 million for the upgrade of the Colisée Financière Sun Life, home of the Océanic de Rimouski.
In Baie-Comeau, investments of more than $1.5 million are planned over the next three years for the Center Henry-Leonard du Drakkar.
In Drummondville, a project to modernize the Center Marcel-Dionne, where the Voltigeurs play, is estimated at more than $50 million and will include modernization to meet the requirements of the QMJHL.
The installation of new so-called “flex” bay windows, which are more flexible – to prevent accidents like the one that occurred during a preparatory match between the Remparts and the Océanic last August – is notably planned in Rimouski and Baie -Comeau.
The installation of so-called “flex” bay windows, which are more flexible and therefore safer for players, is planned in several arenas in Quebec.
“It allows us to work together and see how we can improve things or do them differently,” explains the mayor of Baie-Comeau, Michel Desbiens. “We are experiencing similar issues […] and we can find solutions for them. »
Guy Caron, however, highlights “vagueness” in what is permitted in terms of funding from cities to junior teams.
For example, under the Municipal Grants Prohibition Act, a team that formed as a non-profit organization might receive more municipal grants than another team formed as a private company.
Guy Caron also highlights the situation of the six QMJHL teams located in the Atlantic provinces and which “live under different municipal laws”.
“We want to ensure that the league can operate on a level playing field,” he adds.
The office of the Quebec Minister responsible for Sport, Isabelle Charest, did not want to comment on the creation of this committee. However, we assure that we are sensitive to the priority of installing new, safer bay windows for players.
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