JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report
Pincourt’s 22-year saga to build an arena is finally entering the home stretch, the town announced last week, as it moved forward with a plan to build a sports centre.
In what municipal officials called “a major milestone,” Pincourt signed an agreement in principle with a construction company to conduct a feasibility study that would see a new sportsplex built across from the École secondaire du Chêne-Bleu on Pincourt Boulevard, the site of a former abandoned arena building.
“The people of Pincourt have been waiting for this project for a long time,” said Pincourt Mayor Claude Comeau last week, adding that the town was taking “an important step forward with caution and commitment.”
The feasibility study, which will be carried out by construction company Médifice Investissements, will provide Pincourt with details on the timeline and cost of building an arena.
“This stage is non-binding for construction and aims to lay the concrete foundations for a structured and feasible project,” a statement from the town said.
The planned facility would include an indoor ice rink that can double as a multifunctional amphitheatre for musical, cultural and community events.
22-year imbroglio
The project would also mean the abandoned building still on the site, which has been covered with graffiti and has long been an eyesore in the neighbourhood, will finally be torn down.
The dilapidated structure, which was never completed, near Fifth Avenue, was abandoned not long after construction of what was to be an arena began in 2003 due to financing issues.
Pincourt had subsequently faced a lawsuit by the building’s contractor. The dispute lingered in the courts for seven years before the town decided to purchase the building in 2012 for $3.25 million.
There had been multiple attempts since then by the town to sell the property to private firms for development, but each attempt failed to move the project forward. In 2019, the town had announced it would demolish the decrepit structure, but that plan was delayed as well.
Shortly after the 2021 election, Comeau promised to relaunch the project. With support from Vaudreuil MNA Marie-Claude Nichols, the town sought financial assistance from the Quebec government in 2023, but that bid was ultimately declined.
The town has since “deemed it appropriate to explore new avenues to bring this project, which is eagerly awaited by the population, to fruition,” the statement continues.
Over the past couple of years, the town has been meeting with officials of the neighbouring municipalities of Terrasse Vaudreuil, Notre Dame de l’Île Perrot and L’Île Perrot pitching the project as one that would benefit all concerned, as there is currently no arena on the island. All the towns have agreed to collaborate to see this project through.
“I am convinced that we can all work together to finally deliver this project, which is crucial for all citizens of the island,” Comeau added.
There is no precise timeline for when the study will be completed, but the town is hoping to have it by the end of this year, Pincourt communications director Vicky Sauvé told The 1019 Report.