At the regular Town Council meeting held in Les Coteaux on Monday, November 20, many citizens, young and old, wore jerseys from sports teams playing on the ice at the Centre sportif Soulanges. During the question period, the future of the regional sports facility was discussed. 

"What is your position on the issue of saving the Saint-Polycarpe arena?" a citizen living on Richer Street asked the elected officials. 

"We're currently studying the situation, since major investments are at stake. We obviously don't want it to close, but the contribution requested is considerable. To give you an idea, it represents 1% of our annual budget for the next twenty years. So we really want to take the time to study the question carefully before making a decision," replied Mayor Sylvain Brazeau. 

He went on to say that he wanted "the decision taken to truly reflect the opinion of our taxpaying citizens. We're going to try to find a way of polling them on this issue to get the general pulse of the population. Then we'll be in a better position to make an informed decision," he added. 

The municipal council should have made its decision by the December 31 deadline set by the Municipality of Saint-Polycarpe. "I'd like to thank the young people who are here tonight with their parents. This is probably the first time you've attended a municipal council meeting. I want to reassure you that we are thinking hard to make the best decision for everyone," concluded municipal councillor Véronique Lefebvre.

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