The City of Vaudreuil-Dorion was recently notified by the Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec that its request for financial support for its project to build an aquatic complex submitted as part of the call for projects under the Programme d'aide financière aux infrastructures récréatives, sportives et de plein air - volet 1 (PAFIRSPA) was not accepted.

The application was for financial assistance of $20 million, the maximum available. This is the second time the city has been turned down for this same project, which had been improved since it was first submitted to the government in 2019, notably in terms of its scope with the addition of regional partners.

"We were disappointed to hear the news. Our teams worked hard to put together a substantial and convincing file. However, as the large number of projects submitted for this financial assistance exceeded the budget envelope reserved for the program, ours was not selected, nor were any other major projects in Vaudreuil-Soulanges. The need for an aquatic complex is very real in the region. We're not giving up on the idea of building a new pool. We will analyze the avenues now open to us, including the possibility of a citizen consultation, to determine the next steps," commented Mayor Guy Pilon.

The aquatic complex project is planned for the municipal hub, located behind the Centre multisports André-Chagnon and adjacent to the Vaudreuil train station. As early as 2018, aquatic-related associations were met to find out their needs, and a functional and technical program was drawn up in conjunction with professionals specializing in the design of this type of infrastructure.Estimated at $39 million in 2019, the project budget has now been updated to $59 million.