Nouvelles
December 02, 2025
Salaberry-de-Valleyfield will receive the next Bleu Blanc Bouge rink
On Giving Tuesday, the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation announced a $2.6 million investment for the construction of a 17th refrigerated outdoor rink in Quebec
MONTREAL – On Giving Tuesday, the global day of giving, the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation is proud to announce the selection of the City of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield as the home of its 17th Bleu Blanc Bouge community rink. Construction will begin in Lionel-Groulx Park in summer 2026, with the new facility scheduled to open in winter 2027.
The donation of this rink from the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation to the City of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield represents an investment of $2.6 million. The Bleu Blanc Bouge program consists of building refrigerated, multi-sport outdoor rinks in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods, providing residents with local sports and recreational facilities that are both safe and inclusive. These rinks serve as vibrant community hubs, promoting physical activity and fostering healthy lifestyles.
The Foundation is overseeing the construction of the rink, which will feature a CO2-powered high-efficiency refrigeration system, accessible player benches and boards designed for sledge hockey, as well as four basketball hoops on pivoting bases. The donation also includes 100 pairs of skates, 100 helmets and 100 hockey sticks that local youths will be able to borrow for free to fully enjoy the rink.
“By offering a Bleu Blanc Bouge rink to the city of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, we are investing in the health, well-being, and success of the community’s youth. This new high-quality multisport facility will allow children and families to experience the benefits of physical activity all year long in a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment. We are proud to help create a space where young people can thrive, stay active, build connections, and adopt healthy habits now and for years to come”
Pierre Boivin, chairman of the board of the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation
The City of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield will invest an additional $7 million to enhance the rink project by adding a permanent roof, which will extend the ice season and protect the surface from weather conditions year-round. The project will also include a service pavilion with locker rooms, restrooms, and an equipment lending counter, as well as a parking lot developed by the City.
"Being selected to receive the 17th refrigerated Bleu Blanc Bouge rink is a real opportunity for our community. As a leading city, we want to offer all our youth, especially those in more vulnerable areas, free access to activities that promote health and participation. This project represents much more than a sports facility: it is an investment to improve the quality of life of our population and strengthen the sense of belonging for our young people and families"
Miguel Lemieux, Mayor of the City of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
To ensure the initiative's success and longevity, the Foundation is collaborating with M361. This dynamic partnership is based on a shared goal of improving the health of children in disadvantaged areas. M361 supports the Foundation in selecting the communities where these rinks will be established, identifying community partners, developing effective activation and programming, and assessing the program's impact.
The City of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield stood out due to its commitment to investing in local infrastructure that promotes physical activity, social cohesion, and the prevention of risky behaviors among young people. There is also a strong and ongoing commitment from local community partners who are mobilized to improve access to sports and recreational activities. Projected population growth of nearly 46% by 2034 highlights the territory’s dynamism and the importance of providing the community with facilities adapted to its growing needs. Lionel-Groulx Park was chosen as the site for the new rink due to its multifunctional nature, proximity to several schools with high deprivation indices, and accessibility. Located in an area underserved in sports infrastructure, with one elementary school already nearby and a new school planned for 2028-2029, the park represents an ideal location to maximize the project’s impact for local youth and families.
About the Bleu Blanc Bouge program
Since the launch of the Foundation’s flagship project in 2009, 15 refrigerated community rinks have been erected through the Bleu Blanc Bouge program across the province, with a 16th one currently under construction in Sorel-Tracy. Built to NHL regulation size (200 x 85 ft), these rinks feature ice quality that meets professional standards, while offering the versatility to host a variety of sports year-round. While the skating season runs from late November to mid-March, the facilities are converted in spring, summer and fall for basketball, ball hockey and other sporting activities. To this day, six Bleu Blanc Bouge rinks have been built in Montreal — in the boroughs of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, Montreal-Nord, Verdun, LaSalle, Cote-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grace, and Ahuntsic-Cartierville — as well as in Longueuil, Laval, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivieres, Joliette, Val-d’Or, Saguenay, Saint-Jerome, and Quebec City.
About the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation
The Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation is a non-profit organization that encourages physical activity and the adoption of a healthy lifestyle among underprivileged youth aged 4 to 17 years old. Since its inception in 2000, the Foundation has invested over $54.4 million in the community. The Foundation fulfills its mandate in two ways: first, through a unique flagship project—the Bleu Blanc Bouge program—which consists of building and activating community refrigerated and multisport rinks; secondly, by providing financial support to more than 1,000 charitable endeavors, working for the well-being of the most vulnerable children across the province of Quebec, whose projects and programs enable children to adopt healthy lifestyles by being more active.
