News 7 May 2024
BLEU BLANC BOUGE rink in Quebec City: work is underway!
The City of Québec held the groundbreaking ceremony for the future covered refrigerated BLEU BLANC BOUGE rink located in Victoria Park in the borough of La Cité-Limoilou, in partnership with the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation.
Built to the standards of a National Hockey League (NHL) regulation rink, the facility will offer the versatility needed for ice skating from mid-October to mid-March, with basketball and ball hockey activities utilizing the surface for the remainder of the year.
“This milestone marks the realization of a project eagerly awaited by the citizens of Québec,” rejoiced Quebec City Mayor Mr. Bruno Marchand. “More than just a skating rink, this space will allow for sports activities regardless of weather conditions. It’s a demonstration of our resilience in the face of the impacts of climate change on outdoor sports. By investing in a versatile infrastructure, we support sports development and accessibility.”
“The BLEU BLANC BOUGE rink is located at the intersection of two boroughs with a high concentration of young families,” noted Jean-François Gosselin, member of the executive committee responsible for sports, leisure and community life. “With this new facility, we make it possible for children who want to stay active year-round to engage in sports, thus contributing to improving the quality of life for residents of the area.”
The total cost of the project is estimated at $10.8 million. Similar to other BLEU BLANC BOUGE rinks built by the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation in various regions throughout the province of Quebec, the organization will invest $2.5 million in its flagship program in Quebec City. This amount will cover the construction costs of the rink, refrigeration systems, boards adapted for sledge hockey, player benches, and four basketball hoops on pivoting bases. The Foundation will also provide the City of Quebec with 100 helmets, 100 pairs of skates, 100 sticks, and two hockey goals. Other equipment and structures, including the roof and a service pavilion, will be provided by the City.
“For the past 15 years, the BLEU BLANC BOUGE program has been expanding across Québec, allowing the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation to be changemakers for the health of disadvantaged youth in the province,” added Geneviève Paquette, General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation. “This new rink reflects our commitment to providing underserved communities better access to safe and high-quality sports and recreational facilities, ensuring equal opportunities for all children to embrace the benefits of an active and healthy lifestyle. Alongside donations totaling nearly $2 million from the Foundation to youth organizations in the Capitale-Nationale region over the past 24 years, the rink will serve as an additional platform for physical activity for children and families, encouraging them to stay active throughout the seasons.”
Construction of the rink will take place from May to December 2024, with its opening scheduled for the winter of 2024-25. The new service pavilion will be completed by summer 2025.
In the coming years, the City of Quebec aims to build a covered outdoor refrigerated rink in each of its six boroughs.