Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot ratified a resolution during an extraordinary council session on June 20 that the town, along with Pincourt and Terrasse-Vaudreuil, will manage the Cité-des-Jeunes arena in Vaudreuil-Dorion. 

The three municipalities announced their intention last year to acquire the sports facility located on the Cité-des-Jeunes high school campus in Vaudreuil-Dorion.

"We said we were going to do our due diligence and that's what we did. We met with Vaudreuil-Dorion officials and opted for a service agreement. They will acquire the arena and the three municipalities will manage it," said Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot mayor Danie Deschênes. 

The three towns on Île Perrot will assume the arena's mortgage for the next three to five years in exchange for all the generated revenues.

The municipal council sees this short-term agreement as an opportunity to increase sports and cultural activities. "Since the arena is completely closed during the summer, we will be able to use it 12 months a year," said Deschênes.

A profitable project?

Asked whether the project would be profitable and what impact it would have on citizens, particularly in terms of taxation, Danie Deschênes said: "We don't yet know the purchase price of the arena. Once we know the cost negotiated between the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion and the current owner, we'll have a better idea."

"The arena generates a lot of profit so there should be no tax increase. According to our estimates, the arena should generate as much revenue as it spends. The worst-case scenario is that in the first year, there will be a loss of $68,000 for the three towns," said Deschênes. 

The agreement will have little environmental impact, according to Deschênes. "It's a good environmental choice when you consider that many of our residents travel to Hawkesbury to skate," she said.

"Vaudreuil-Dorion is the closest town ready to welcome our community. And for the next three to five years, we'll be using an existing infrastructure rather than building a new one so we won't need any subsidies," added Deschênes.

Sports infrastructure on Île Perrot

Despite the agreement, Danie Deschênes says a sports infrastructure is sorely needed on Île Perrot.

"Our objective remains the same - create our own sports infrastructure. There's a real political will to do so within the three towns. Our council sees this agreement as an interesting lever that will enable us to achieve our goal," said Deschênes.

The municipalities have already set their sights on a number of sites. "There are lots. The one just behind the Metro is earmarked for the construction of a sports facility. There's also one near the golf course in Pincourt. There's no shortage of options," Deschênes added.

"That said, until it's done, we're going to manage the Cité-des-Jeunes arena, which is not only profitable, but also in acceptable condition to survive field hockey players, figure skaters and ringette players for the next three to five years," she said.