The parking lot at the Centre Sportif Claude-Robillard in Montreal — used to be free to park your vehicle. Now, it’ll cost those coming to play sports and train – $2.50 an hour and $11 a day.
Many athletes here left frustrated.
“I was surprised because I was not expecting that, but also a little bit disappointed because what we’re trying to do is promote sport with the kids and adults. And this is going to, this is going against what we are trying to promote,” said Celia Boumaza.
There are about 20 sports clubs and associations that rely on the complex. It’s a key destination for athletes and sports enthusiasts.
They say the new pricing goes against the Montreal Commission on Culture, Heritage, and Sports’ advice to make sports facilities more affordable, especially for low-income families, and they want the City of Montreal to reverse their decision.
“I mean, it’s already complicated, right? Because we have to come from Rivière-des-Prairies where we live. So we drive here and then we get here and usually we park for free. And we found all these different, payment terminals,” explained Sabrina Moshanes.
Sabrina has been bringing her son to the Complexe Sportif Claude Robillard for hockey practices for the past four years. She is unhappy about the extra costs, and for some people the costs may end up exceeding a thousand dollars a year.
“We were a little bit upset with the fact that we have to pay more so often with the price, right? I mean, we’re paying $2.50 an hour. We’re here for three to four hours. It’s a lot of money. You know, you can calculate that on a weekly basis and then you look at it over months and then over the year. It can actually be, you know, about $800 to $1,000 for a season,” explained Sabrina.
“It’s unacceptable not only for our hockey players but all the athletes that come, the baseball players, the dojo. I mean, it’s all over the news. We’ve heard about it. We’re really not happy with the fact that we have to spend all those extra costs and some families can afford it.”
The City of Montreal implemented this measure to limit parking lot use by individuals not utilizing the CSCR facilities.
In a written statement to CityNews, the City noted ongoing efforts to enhance accessibility in the area through cycling infrastructure, efficient public transportation, and drop-off zones.
However, some CSCR users, including Celia, feel that these measures do not align with the actual needs and realities.
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“So it’s quite challenging for us. It’s quite challenging for a kid playing hockey to take public transportation, but we are living far from here,” said Celia.
By noon Sunday, an online petition on Change.org aimed at reversing the City of Montreal’s decision had collected more than 3,700 signatures.
For Kenny D’amours, “Because sports is expensive and it’s not everybody that can afford to put their kids in sports.”