(Quebec) The mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, does not beat around the bush when it comes to a team from the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF) in Quebec. “If there is an expansion to two clubs, we want to be there and we will do everything to be there,” he says on the phone.
Posted yesterday at 6:38 p.m.
The LPHF has not yet launched an official expansion process, but it has made it clear that its Grand Tour, which will stop in Quebec this Sunday, aims to study different markets with a view to future expansion.
The match between the Montreal Victory and the Ottawa Charge at the Videotron Center will be an opportunity for Quebec to promote a possible candidacy. To remember that it is “a sporting city, both in its practice and in its enthusiasm for a professional league like this”, says Mr. Marchand.
On Saturday, at the time of writing, there were only “a few tickets” left to sell, according to Victoire publicist Charles Rooke. Remember that the amphitheater can accommodate up to 18,740 spectators.
“We are in the process of asserting ourselves, of showing our interest, our commitment, our abilities. To show that we have the infrastructure and, above all, to show that there is enormous enthusiasm in Quebec,” says Mr. Marchand.
The mayor was also due to meet certain representatives of the League on Saturday, on the eve of the duel. “I will take this opportunity to reiterate what I am telling you: what can be done, how we can work in collaboration with them. »
Asked about the long-term viability of a professional women’s team in Quebec, Mr. Marchand does not hesitate for a second: “It would work because it’s 2025! », he says.
This is a context that goes beyond Quebec City. It’s a context that is certainly North American. There is a lot of interest growing and it’s about time for Tabarnouche – to say the least!
Bruno Marchand, mayor of Quebec
“Quebec is largely capable through its economic vitality, its developers, its private businesses, its infrastructure. Not all cities have infrastructure like ours. »
“Create an active city”
According to Mr. Marchand, this Sunday’s match is part of the values of his administration, which wants Quebec to be an “active city”. Because if professional players form “the tip of the iceberg” of what he calls the “pyramid of participation in sport”, their presence alone contributes to building the “bottom of the pyramid”, made up of people “ which are set in motion.
It takes these events where young and old alike are inspired. It’s the best way to tell young girls: “There’s something for you too, you can dream.”
Bruno Marchand, mayor of Quebec
“Yes, dreams change along the way, as we get older, depending on our talents and interests, but it all starts with a dream,” he continues. This dream allows young people to want to move, to discover, to think that it is for them too. That’s miraculous. »
-“A fabulous gain”
Currently, the Videotron Center is the home of the Quebec Remparts of the Maritimes-Québec Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) – the team actually finished first in the Canadian Hockey League for the number of spectators, despite its exclusion from the playoffs. The amphitheater also hosts various shows and events.
PHOTO CAROLINE GRÉGOIRE, LE SOLEIL ARCHIVES
The Videotron Center
Obviously, however, this infrastructure of the caliber of the National League is not close to welcoming the new Nordiques. The arrival of a professional women’s team would allow greater use of the amphitheater whose construction, remember, cost 370 million dollars.
“It’s a secondary objective,” maintains the mayor. Does this correspond to this? Yes. Does it help financially? Yes. Do we want it to be used? Yes. But our goal is not to do something to fill it, no matter what it is,” he insists.
We are not in the mode where we are looking for an excuse. We are in a mode: we believe in that. It’s one of our priorities.
Bruno Marchand, mayor of Quebec
The mayor also says he is excited by the idea of a return of the Quebec-Montreal rivalry, which has so animated the province in the past…
“For Quebec, it would be a fabulous gain,” he said. “Women and men of Quebec, spectators, everyone would find something to suit them. The Montreal Victory too. A craze like that in sport creates enthusiasm, even more commitment. A commitment that is deep at all levels. »
Reserved time slots
Quebec City inaugurated its first Bleu Blanc Bouge ice rink on Tuesday and ensured that a time slot was reserved for women. While the ice rink has already welcomed more than 4,000 people since its opening two weeks ago, only the time slot reserved for women was not full. However, there is no question of offering it to other customers, insists the mayor. “We care deeply about it because it’s the way to allow women to play. Some wouldn’t come with guys. It’s a way of ensuring that they take ownership of the sport, that they have it for themselves. We maintain these beaches. »
Amy Scheer looks towards Quebec
Nearly twenty cities, including Quebec, have raised their hands to welcome a new LPHF team, but the call for tenders process is still underway in the league offices. It is only once all applications have been submitted that the League will study the different options available to it. “We will establish a list of essential criteria and we will evaluate each application,” explains Amy Scheer, vice-president of operations at the LPHF. If we feel that two cities meet all the criteria, we will study the possibility of going there with two expansion teams. Otherwise, there won’t be any. We really want to act in a very thoughtful way and not launch new teams simply to do so. » The decision to move forward with an expansionist strategy or not will be made by the end of the season, therefore in the next three or four months.
The Sun
