JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West
The City of Beaconsfield has approved a $39.8-million loan bylaw to undertake an ambitious redevelopment of its aging recreation centre.
The bylaw, which was adopted at the April 22 council meeting, is the largest loan the city has taken in the past 15 years, Beaconsfield communications director Anabel Dumont confirmed to The 1510 West.
The project, which is part of the city’s three-year capital expenditures program, will see major repairs and upgrades carried out on the 51-year-old recreation centre, located along City Lane in the park by the same name.
This project aims to give the building “a second lease on life,” according to a statement by Mayor Georges Bourelle, who added redeveloping the centre “will be about half the cost of building from scratch and is less disruptive, as improvements can be phased in over time.”
The redevelopment of the building, which includes both an indoor pool and an ice rink, will include upgrading the infrastructure to accommodate visitors with reduced mobility, including the installation of access ramps and an elevator; updating the heating and ventilation systems; renovating and enlarging the gymnasium, arena, changing rooms and lobby area; and repairing the pool’s concrete basin. The project will also bring the building up to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec’s standard by removing asbestos, adding a sprinkler system and updating its emergency exits.
The proposal for the redeveloped centre, designed by Montreal architecture firm Cardin-Julien, offers a sleek minimalist look that offers lots of natural light. Quebec City-based engineering firm CBTEC has been given the mandate to carrying out the construction work for the project.
Figures obtained from the city indicate approximately 150,000 visitors used the facility in 2023, including 70,000 who used the municipal pool. A survey by the city also indicated that seven out of 10 residents believed the centre’s facilities needed to be upgraded.
Dumont said construction will begin in 2026 and take approximately three years to complete.
As with all loan bylaws, residents who oppose the financing plan can sign a register to block the project. According to the city, if a minimum of 1,407 residents sign the register, council would be forced to either drop the redevelopment plan or hold a referendum to allow all residents the opportunity to weigh in on the project. The register is open today, April 30, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Beaconsfield City Hall.