Montreal North is making a last-ditch attempt to convince Quebec and Ottawa to invest in its integrated sports center project at a cost of 155 million.
The district announced Thursday that it had received the support of numerous personalities from the sporting world, including basketball players Bennedict Mathurin and Chris Boucher, ex-footballer Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, as well as ex-sprinter Bruny Surin.
“Everyone agrees that this project should be at the top of government priorities,” argued district mayor Christine Black at a press conference. “It’s a cry from the heart that we make. »
In the absence of rapid commitment from higher levels, Montréal-Nord will have to use municipal funding already secured for the aquatic component of the project and build only an indoor swimming pool, indicated Mme Black.
“It’s certainly our big fear at the moment. Our wish is to do a single project. It was always about a sports center and not [seulement] of a swimming pool,” she said, indicating that there were advantages and savings to proceeding in an integrated manner.
“The time is urgent, because […] If funding confirmations do not arrive, we will unfortunately have to let the aquatic part go alone and build a dry plateau in the second phase,” she added.
The project hit a snag this summer when the federal government announced its refusal of funding. The proposal was not green enough for its Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (BCVI) program.