In Montreal, journalist Louis-Philippe Messier travels mostly on the run, his desk in his backpack, on the lookout for fascinating subjects and people. He speaks to everyone and is interested in all walks of life in this urban chronicle.
Part of the ultra-resistant Teflon and fiberglass textile that covered the Olympic Stadium now serves as the hull of a naval boat whose wooden skeleton comes from trees cut down by Hydro-Québec and the City of Montreal.
The new sailboat from the Jeunes Marins Urbains organization, which offers thousands of hours of free sailing to Quebecers of all ages who want to get started, will not have cost much.
The wood, mainly ash, was donated.
“We had to find a use for all these felled trees,” says Yves Plante, the founder of Jeunes Marins Urbains, referring to the trees victims of the emerald ash borer.
The boat will spend the winter outside in a park in Pointe-aux-Trembles.
Photo LOUIS-PHILIPPE MESSIER
As his NPO’s budget is limited, he seeks to obtain all the free materials possible.
The 57-year-old builds the boats himself with the help of volunteers.
Making the sailboat with the old Stadium canvas took a month.
Courtesy photo
In addition to wood, in the structure of the boat, there are also fiberglass ladder uprights which were donated by the company SOS Échelle.
The yellow structures are made of fiberglass ladder posts.
Photo LOUIS-PHILIPPE MESSIER
The originality of the two-sail boats used for Young Urban Sailors activities is that they have canvas hulls. (Yes, it can be done!)
“Initially, I used ballistic nylon… but it had to be waterproofed for it to work,” explains the man who has crossed the Atlantic by sail too many times to tell me the exact number (but it’s at least 12).
“Then, we used PVC, the same material as the famous Zodiacs, but it is relatively fragile.”
With the white exterior canvas which protected the Olympic Stadium from bad weather, the shell will probably be extremely solid.
“This material should combine the impermeability of PVC and the resistance of ballistic nylon,” hopes Mr. Plante.
Another quality of this unique material is that it is free.
The Olympic Park is trying to find ways to revalorize its old canvas, which is in the process of being dismantled and stored.
“This is not a material you find at Canadian Tire!” exclaims Mr. Plante.
Here and there, we see patches, old repairs to the roof, subjected to sometimes extreme conditions under the leaning mast.
“Everyone was excited to work with an authentic piece of Montreal heritage,” says Mr. Plante.
A sailor happy with his work during the launch two weeks ago.
Photo provided by YOUNG URBAN SAILORS
“I worked there for a month, and a dozen volunteers came to help me.”
There was no question of “sewing” this extremely durable canvas: the folded parts had to be welded to fix them.
The new boat was tested two weeks ago, but the real moment of truth will come next spring.
Yes, it floats!
Courtesy photo
If the canvas shell of the Olympic Stadium fulfills all its promises, Young Urban Sailors will contact the Olympic Park to obtain even more pieces.
Jeunes Marins Urbains mainly sails on the river, off Pointe-aux-Trembles, and on the Rivière des Prairies.
Since 2023, all activities offered to the general public by this organization are free.
Word to the wise, hello.
