Access to school sports facilities | Amateur sport compromised
No Comments
A surge of concern is gripping numerous sports organizations in Quebec, as they face the possibility of losing access to school gymnasiums for their soccer, volleyball, basketball, and badminton enthusiasts, among others, due to budget cuts by the Legault management.
Key Developments
The Education Ministry has ceased reimbursing schools for opening their sports facilities to the public during evenings and weekends.
Municipalities are concerned about their ability to provide recreational activities to residents, especially since they have been sharing their facilities with students under a 2018 agreement.
Sports federations, whose members rely on school gyms, are alarmed by the potential effects of this decision on youth physical and mental well-being.
“This is a disaster for us, with far-reaching consequences,” says Stéphane Clementoni, executive director of soccer Montréal, who has been in distress as discovering the news.
What are we teaching the next generation? Should they spend their days glued to screens rather of being active?
Stéphane Clementoni, General director of Soccer Montréal
He describes the sudden implementation of this budget cut as “fully reckless,” emphasizing the lack of prior warning or consultation.
The Ripple Effect on Health and Well-being
Across Quebec, thousands of individuals engaged in diverse sports face potential disruptions. Isabelle Ducharme,General Director of Sports québec,warns that canceling these programs or substantially increasing participation costs could severely impact both physical fitness and mental health.
“Out of our 67 sports federations, approximately 75% are directly or indirectly affected,” she explains. The repercussions extend from seniors practicing yoga in school gyms to children learning to swim in school pools.
Guillaume Proulx-Goulet, General Director of Volleyball Québec, highlights that volleyball teams rely almost entirely on school facilities for training and competitions.
This decision jeopardizes the future of sports growth in our communities. We’re risking the health and engagement of our youth.
Guillaume Proulx-Goulet, General Director of Volleyball Québec
In Montreal alone, 4,000 to 5,000 soccer players, predominantly young athletes, rely on school gyms for winter training. A recent government decision to halt funding for schools that open their sports facilities to the public outside school hours has put this access at risk.
This policy shift not only threatens organized sports but also undermines community health initiatives. As an example, local fitness classes, martial arts training, and recreational leagues often depend on these shared spaces to operate affordably.
A Broader Impact on Community Engagement
Beyond physical health, the loss of accessible sports facilities could diminish social connections and community engagement. Schools have long served as hubs for local activities, fostering a sense of belonging and teamwork among participants of all ages.
“This isn’t just about sports—it’s about the fabric of our communities,” says ducharme. “When people lose access to these spaces,they lose opportunities to connect,grow,and thrive together.”
As Quebec grapples with this policy change, advocates urge the government to reconsider its approach, emphasizing the long-term benefits of investing in accessible sports and recreational facilities.
We need to prioritize the well-being of our communities. Cutting access to sports facilities is a step in the wrong direction.
Isabelle Ducharme, general Director of sports Québec
It is imperative that we identify a enduring solution to preserve these activities. Emerging from the pandemic, we are acutely aware of the detrimental effects on individuals when access to sports and physical activities was restricted.
Isabelle Ducharme, General Director of Sports Québec
Numerous sports federations have been notified by school service centers that activities will continue until Febuary 1st, allowing time for ongoing discussions to reach a resolution. However, the future remains uncertain beyond this date.
On December 13, the Quebec Ministry of Education (MEQ) revealed its decision to halt funding, which had been allocated since 2018, to schools for expenses related to the use of sports facilities by the public during evenings and weekends. This funding was crucial for covering the costs of maintainance staff during non-school hours when facilities were shared with local municipalities.
School service centers were further informed that the termination of funding would be applied retroactively, effective from September 2024.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL rnrn
, LA PRESSE
Thousands of amateur athletes across Quebec could face significant disruptions due to this decision. Potential outcomes include canceled programs or increased participation costs,impacting communities province-wide.
Under the 2018 agreement, municipalities were granted free access to school gyms, sports complexes, and swimming pools to organize community activities. In exchange, students gained complimentary use of municipal assets like arenas, outdoor rinks, libraries, and cultural centers.
This arrangement eliminated the need for financial transactions between schools and cities, ensuring that publicly funded facilities—frequently enough idle during school breaks—were fully utilized.
“One Community, Shared Resources”
On Monday, Montreal’s city council unanimously criticized the current situation, which impacts all boroughs. Mayor Valérie Plante is set to address the issue at a press conference this thursday alongside Martin Damphousse, president of the Union of Municipalities of Quebec (UMQ) and mayor of varennes.They will announce a collaborative effort to preserve the sharing of sports and cultural resources between schools and municipalities.
“Municipalities across Quebec are deeply concerned,” stated Mr. Damphousse, who criticized the government’s approach as an attempt to “cut corners.”
Resource sharing benefits our youth, nonetheless of whether they engage in school or community programs. These are the same children, and their opportunities should not be limited by bureaucratic decisions.
Martin Damphousse, president of the Union of Municipalities of Quebec (UMQ) and mayor of Varennes
What financial impact does the MEQ achieve by removing this initiative? This inquiry has remained unresolved for the past 48 hours.
The Marguerite-Bourgeoys school service center (CSSMB), responsible for the western region of Montreal, reported expenses of $1.8 million for the 2023-2024 academic year related to facility-sharing costs. When approached by The Press, other school service centers declined to disclose similar figures.
Municipalities Bear the Brunt of Spending
Given the stringent budget constraints faced by school service centers, they are unable to “subsidize municipal and district activities,” explains Mélanie Simard, CSSMB’s communications director.
Dominique Robert,deputy president and CEO of the Federation of Quebec School Service Centers (FCSSQ),suggests,“Implementing fees for access to sports facilities,especially for municipalities,could ensure continued community access while addressing infrastructure-sharing challenges.”
Though, municipalities are critical of this additional financial burden. “It’s yet another expense being pushed onto local governments,” laments Martin damphousse.
He highlights that in 2020, the provincial government shifted a multimillion-dollar responsibility onto municipalities by mandating them to provide land for new school construction.
“If we’re expected to pay for school gyms, we’ll likely be billed for municipal arenas next. This could lead to reduced services,underutilized facilities,and widespread dissatisfaction,” warns the president of the UMQ.
Isabelle Ducharme of Sports Québec emphasizes the importance of maintaining all sports activities. “We must avoid reaching a point where a young person is denied access to a gym. Encouraging physical activity among youth remains a priority.”
Explore the article “Montreal’s School Sports Facilities: Is Shared Access at Risk?”
The article discusses the termination of funding for school service centers in Quebec, which will have significant repercussions on community activities and amateur sports programs. The funding was crucial for covering maintenance staff costs during non-school hours when school facilities were shared with local municipalities. the termination of this funding will be applied retroactively, effective from September 2024.
Under the 2018 agreement, municipalities were granted free access too school gyms, sports complexes, and swimming pools for community activities, while students gained complimentary use of municipal assets like arenas, outdoor rinks, libraries, and cultural centers. This arrangement ensured that publicly funded facilities, which often remain idle during school breaks, were fully utilized without the need for financial transactions between schools and cities.
Montreal’s city council unanimously criticized the current situation, which impacts all boroughs. Mayor Valérie Plante and Martin Damphousse, president of the Union of Municipalities of Quebec (UMQ) and mayor of Varennes, are set to address the issue at a press conference. They will announce a collaborative effort to preserve the sharing of sports and cultural resources between schools and municipalities.
Mr. Damphousse expressed deep concern over the government’s approach, describing it as an attempt to “cut corners.” He emphasized that resource sharing benefits youth, regardless of whether they engage in school or community programs, and that bureaucratic decisions should not limit thier opportunities.
The article highlights the potential disruptions thousands of amateur athletes across Quebec could face, including canceled programs or increased participation costs, impacting communities province-wide.
