A few dozen citizens, mothers, a ringette player, a hockey coach and tournament organizers among others, raised the urgency of replacing the Conrad-Parent arena. Elected officials unanimously adopted a notice of motion for a loan of $78.5M to build a new sports center.
The general manager of the Basques Senior AA Nylan Bouchard was the first to intervene, recalling the unprecedented enthusiasm for Senior hockey over the past 3 years and the concerns surrounding the obsolescence of the former Palais des sports de Sept-Îles. A citizen mother insisted on the versatility of the arena also used for the Orange volleyball tournament and the senior proms. The longer we wait, the more the costs explode, she believes.
Mobilization for ice sport
An organizer of the Fer-O Hockey Tournament, member of the board of directors of the Sept-Îles Minor Hockey Association, also expressed her concerns. She specified that the organization must provide a Plan B, an agreement to use the Port-Cartier arena, to guarantee the presentation of the sporting event with 80 teams from Quebec and Labrador.
The co-president of the Hockey Tournament Fred Chiasson testified to the same type of disadvantages for his organization. A mother and a young ringette athlete described with emotion the inconveniences and shame linked to the closures of the Conrad-Parent arena and the lack of indoor ice in Sept-Îles compared to Baie-Comeau.
The councilors and the mayor visibly appreciated the numerous interventions to move forward, despite costs which far exceeded estimates. The City hopes to reduce the loan with the $20M grant from the Quebec government. She increases her objective to $10M to find private partners for the arena project.
Political will
City Director General Catherine Lauzon described the next steps. Opponents of the municipal infrastructure project will be able to come forward by signing a register in December to request a referendum on the idea of borrowing up to $78.5 million.
The municipal council has put everything in place to respect the schedule for the inauguration in the fall of 2026. If there are not 2,000 signatures in the referendum register, the city’s elected officials will be able to move forward with the financing by loan settlement, then the signing of the contract with EBC Construction, the lowest bidder for the main contract at $62.2M. The quote is valid for 120 days.
The most critical councilor facing a loan of more than $78M for the arena in closed sessions in recent days, Alexandre Leblanc, is the one who tabled the notice of motion, just to show the determination and unanimity of the council.
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