UQTR Unveils Its New Sports Facilities
The following story is courtesy of the UQTR Athletics by JEAN-FRANÇOIS HINSE on May 12, 2021 https://neo.uqtr.ca/2021/05/12/nouvelles-infrastructures-sportives-de-haut-niveau-a-luqtr/
Repair of the soccer field and athletics track
New high-level sports facilities at UQTR
MAY 12, 2021 JEAN-FRANÇOIS HINSE NEWS , CAMPUS , PRESS RELEASES , UQTR FOUNDATION , MEDIA , PATRIOTS
After repair work that lasted nearly a year and required an investment of more than four million dollars, the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières (UQTR) now has a synthetic soccer field and an athletics track. most modern. The renovation of these sports facilities thus consolidates the important place occupied by UQTR in the provincial sports world.
This much-awaited repair had become necessary since the facilities no longer met the standards and requirements of the sports federations. Remember that the running track was built in 1975 for the Quebec Games in Trois-Rivières and that the soccer field was inaugurated in 2004.
However, the wait will have been worth it. The synthetic field can now accommodate, thanks to its lineage, soccer with eleven or seven players. The 400-meter athletics track has eight lanes as well as a section dedicated to 100-meter sprints. In addition to sportsmen, spectators and members of the media will appreciate the improvements made to the site, which has new stands that can accommodate 800 people, as well as a large, fully-equipped press gallery.
“As soon as you enter the field, you notice the high quality of the facilities and the full potential of the site. It will become a valuable asset for the development of our student-athletes, but also for the practice of recreational sport and the hosting of large-scale competitions that will promote UQTR and the city of Trois-Rivières, ”confides Rector Christian. Blanchette.
The champions find their home
Canadian champion during the last season contested in 2019, the Patriotes’ men’s soccer squad has returned to its home after having played its last three seasons on the grounds of the Seminary of Trois-Rivières, whose quality must also be emphasized. Home. Coach Shany Black’s players have already started training on the new surface, along with members of the women’s soccer team as well as the Patriots’ track and field and cross-country rosters.
“It’s a great pleasure for us but also a real advantage from a logistical point of view to train and play on our own ground. With the 2019 national championship and the excellent reputation of our development program, this new infrastructure is added to the long list of arguments that favor the recruitment of student-athletes within the Patriots, ”explains Shany Black.
Many partners involved
Funded by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education ($ 1,749,062), the City of Trois-Rivières ($ 1,000,000), the UQTR Foundation ($ 750,000) and UQTR ( $ 555,562), these facilities offer new opportunities for the development of sports tourism, a sector in which the City of Trois-Rivières would like to rank among the five main destinations in Quebec.
“Trois-Rivières has a large portfolio of sports facilities and UQTR, through its facilities and its expertise in the presentation of events, is a partner of choice to help us make our city a must in the field of sports tourism. . We are very proud to have contributed to the refurbishment of UQTR’s facilities and we hope to present there soon major championships and events that will benefit our notoriety and the quality of life of our citizens ”, underlines Mayor Jean Lamarche. .
On the side of the UQTR Foundation, we are delighted to participate in this project, which will contribute to university life, once gatherings are allowed again.
“We are happy to participate in the creation of these high-level facilities that will allow our student-athletes to reach their full potential, here in Trois-Rivières. This is an additional strategic asset thanks to which our university contributes to the development of our young people and the influence of our city. We can’t wait to see the stands crowded with spectators coming to cheer on our Patriots or attend unifying events, ”said Daniel Milot, Director General of the UQTR Foundation and former Patriots captain.
About UQTR:
In 1969, the Patriots took over from the Gris et Or. This name was retained following a competition within the student community. The Father of the Patriots, Gilles Boulet, who was the rector at the time, is the one who believed in the importance of sport as a complement to university life.
In April 1970, through a competition organized within the student community, the denominational “les Patriotes” was awarded to the sports teams of the UQTR. Suggested by Gérald Baril, history student and hockey player, the current name is retained because of its deep sense of rallying, dynamism and attachment to the community. Importantly, in October 1970, the names of the teams were called into question, being the same as a political grouping. However, the rector Gilles Boulet insisted on keeping the name chosen by emphasizing the definition given to the word. According to the Larousse dictionary , a patriot is ” one who loves his environment and who does everything possible to improve it. », Which demonstrated all the expectations and ambition of the heads of the teams at our young university.