Grand celebrations to mark the reopening of the Aréna Raymond-Bourque

1200 People Celebrate the Renovated Arena and the Return of Raymond Bourque in Saint-Laurent

SAINT-LAURENT, QC, Sept. 7, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - More than 1200 people passed through the doors of the Aréna Raymond-Bourque on September 3 for its grand reopening celebrations. Alan DeSousa, Mayor of the borough of Saint-Laurent; Caroline Bourgeois, Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee, responsible for major parks, Mount Royal and sports; Raymond Bourque, former hockey player and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame; Marwah Rizqy, Deputy for Saint-Laurent; Danièle Sauvageau, President, Chief Executive Officer and Coach of Centre 21.02; and Kim St-Pierre, former goaltender of the women's National Hockey team, took part in the puck drop officially marking the reopening of the facilities in the presence of the main partners of the project and the members of Saint-Laurent's borough council.

Public skating and a variety of activities and entertainment were on the agenda for this event. Starting at 12:30 p.m., youngsters and adults alike therefore had the chance to attend shows and demonstrations by the Club de patinage artistique (CPA Saint-Laurent), Hockey Saint-Laurent and Ringuette Saint-Laurent?the three Saint-Laurent clubs that use the Aréna Raymond-Bourque. The celebration continued with an amusing presentation of the role of a resurfacer and ended with a show by The 7 Fingers collective. 

Funding
As it may be recalled, the renovations were made possible through Ville de Montréal's program to support the upgrading of municipal arenas, which targets the city's 34 arenas. The project represents an investment of $28.8 million. It was financed 65.23% by Ville de Montréal's Service des grands parcs, du mont Royal et des sports and 34.77% by Saint-Laurent. Financial assistance of $7,500,000 was also granted in the same percentages by the Ministère de l'Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur.

Useful links
Reopening of the Aréna Raymond-Bourque / Two Olympic Champions Become Ambassadors for  Saint-Laurent (press release of July 21, 2022)
Raymond Bourque Back in "His Arena" in Saint-Laurent on September 3! (media advisory released on July 29, 2022)
Video presenting the renovations at the Aréna Raymond-Bourque (December 14, 2021)
Danièle Sauvageau (website)
Kim St-Pierre (website)
The 7 Fingers (website)

About the borough of Saint-Laurent
A city established in 1893, Saint-Laurent became one of Montréal's 19 boroughs in 2002. Located north of the island of Montréal, Saint-Laurent is the largest borough of all, with its 42.8 square kilometres. Its population of over 100,000 is one of the most multicultural. With the borough having become a "sustainable municipal territory" in 2019, its Administration places sustainable development?and environment protection, in particular?at the heart of all its decisions: a challenge that is all the greater since more than 70% of its territory is devoted to industrial and commercial activities, with over 4500 companies and 110,000 jobs. In fact, it is home to one of Québec's main industrial and technological hubs. Already boasting great accessibility to the main highways and public transit, Saint-Laurent is getting ready to welcome 5 train stations within the new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light rail network. And last but not least, with Saint-Laurent's two libraries, its Centre des loisirs (recreation centre), its modern Complexe sportif, its arena and some 50 parks, a wide range of services are offered in many areas of activity, such as culture, sports and recreation. In this way, Saint-Laurent's Administration ensures a high quality of life for families living in the borough as well as a stimulating environment for businesses.

SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Arrondissement de Saint-Laurent