Young Montreal athletes need aging sports infrastructure improved

Montreal athletes are struggling to find places to play as infrastructure ages and needs renovations.

The annual Jeux de Montreal brings together competitors from across the city every year, and while the athletes are young, some of the venues are showing their age.

The around 5,500 athletes, the parents and the supporters in the stands, primarily head to the Centre Claude Robillard, a relic of the 1976 Summer Olympics.

The site is still under renovation, and it is not big enough for the competition.

“It’s a matter of capacity,” said Sports Montreal general manager Philippe Bourret. “We would like to have everything here, but it’s so big now, The Montreal Games, we have to be in 14 different sites.”

That fact is renewing questions about the state of Montreal’s sports infrastructure.

In recent years, the Lachine Catalogna Soccerplex was torn down and a fire at the Olympic Stadium closed the pool for months. Other facilities were closed for renovations, leaving teams looking for places to practice and play.

• READ MORE: Soccer under threat in western Montreal after Catalogna Soccerplexe closure

On top of that, finding staff is not always easy.

“In mid-August, some pools are being closed,” said Montreal Sports Council head Danielle Sauvageau in October. “The reason? Well, it’s hard to find personnel to be able to manage those.”

During the Montreal municipal election campaign, Ensemble Montreal promised free parking at Claude Robillard. That is now in place.

It also pledged to rebuild Verdun’s Natatorium in its first mandate.

On Saturday, the city said there is no updated timeline on the project.

“I would say that’s the main problem for sports to grow in Montreal, it’s the accessibility of these installations. It’s a challenge,” said Bourret.

With the Jeux de Montreal growing, having a place to play is proving an important first step.