Coderre vows to build aquatic, sports centre for Lachine residents
Mayoral candidate says rival Dauphin failed to deliver on promised complex
Four years from now, there will be a new sports complex and aquatic centre in Lachine, Montreal mayoral candidate Denis Coderre says.
Speaking near Lachine city hall and in front of the Lachine Canal Tuesday morning, Coderre promised that his administration would build a facility in the western borough that will have a double gymnasium, a 50-metre swimming pool and wading pools.
This was the second time in less than a week that Coderre visited the spot to make a campaign announcement. Équipe Lachine leader Claude Dauphin and four councillors from his team swept Lachine during the 2013 election. Dauphin is running again in this election under the same party banner.
Catherine Ménard, who is running to be mayor of the Lachine borough under Coderre’s banner, pointed out that there are facilities available to Lachine residents at Collège Ste-Anne and in a former school, but they no longer meet the demand of Lachine’s sports organizations.
Building the new complex would allow Lachine to give the Centre communautaire Albert-Gariépy back to the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school board, because there is a need for another public school in the borough, Ménard said.
The borough has identified a lot behind Dalbé Viau High School as a possible site for the new sports centre, but Coderre said that is one of several sites being evaluated.
Coderre pledged the city will identify the spot and build the complex all within his next fouryear mandate.
Coderre pointed out that Dauphin promised an aquatic complex in the last election, and it was not built. “With me, what you see is what you get,” said Coderre, who is running for a second term as mayor of Montreal. “Did I promise something in the last four years here? No. I’m saying now it’s our priority and we’ll make it happen. We have a pretty good batting average in the last four years.”
Speaking of reusing promises, Projet Montréal has promised to fulfil one Coderre made in 2013 to institute a special transit rate for those with low incomes. Projet Montréal’s Craig Sauvé denounced Coderre for not following through on this pledge, saying it’s hard for many people to afford transit fares.
He said although the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain now governs fares, and is working to come up with a uniform structure for the region, a Projet Montréal administration would insist on a social fare, and would cough up the money to make it happen.
Speaking to reporters at Place Vauquelin, next to city hall, on Tuesday morning, Projet Montréal leader Valérie Plante said those with lower incomes would get a fare reduction of 40 per cent.
Children and people older than 65 will ride for free.
Questioned on why so-called social fares never came to fruition during his mandate, Coderre said he is working on it, but it’s up to the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain to put in place such a fare. “We’ve been talking about it; we talked about it years ago,” he said. “But there is a new agency now, and it’s the (ARTM). “