A new dek field hockey surface will be built at the Cité-des-Jeunes arena, thanks to a partnership between the Association de field hockey balle du Suroît (AHBDS) and the towns of Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, Pincourt and Terrasse-Vaudreuil.

Starting in spring 2024, the new playing surface will be built inside the sports facility located in Vaudreuil-Dorion, but managed by the towns of Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, Pincourt and Terrasse-Vaudreuil. 

"Mainly, it will enable us to welcome more junior players. We were already overflowing at Saint-Lazare. We're getting a lot of requests for a greater presence in the eastern part of the MRC.  This agreement will enable us to develop dek field hockey in the region," explained AHBDS president Stéphane Côté. 

According to Mr. Côté, the addition of this new dek hochey platform will enable the region to catch up in the development of the sport. 

"You have to understand, in the region we're probably 15-20 years behind the rest of the province. Everyone else is ahead of us. It's easy to see that with their facilities, but also when you do tournaments and go out. It's not easy to compete with the other teams," he adds, adding that the installation of this third surface will enable the AHBDS to welcome some 500 junior players for the coming season.

"For us at AHBDS, it's a great source of pride to be able to take a step forward and have a third surface and the support of the towns. It allows us to move forward towards our goal of introducing dek field hockey to youngsters and adults alike".

For the mayor of Terrasse-Vaudreuil, Michel Bourdeau, the agreement reiterates the deep desire of the three towns to make the arena a dynamic, universally accessible and unifying venue.

"I hope that in many years' time, we'll be able to walk around, look in the parks of the region and see dek platforms, just as we see soccer fields. I'd like to see community dek field hockey fields where young people can have fun, and practice, and in the evenings, organized leagues can also play. That would be ideal. For us, that's the ultimate goal," concludes Mr. Côté.