Sommet de l'est: Collaborating to promote sport in the east of the metropolis

On November 13, as part of the Sommet de l'Est organized by the Chambre de Commerce de l'Est de Montréal, the Conseil du sport de Montréal presented a collaborative workshop on the theme: Sport in the East End of Montreal: Strategies for inclusion, accessibility and opportunities.

For the occasion, four passionate and committed panelists came to share their experience and open the discussions. Among them were Pour 3 points founder Fabrice Vil, Fillactive's Director of Operations and Programs Kim Marois, RSEQ Montreal General Manager Jacques Desrochers and François Persico, President of the Centre d'excellence en karaté du Québec.

Sport has no place in the development of Montreal's east end

An initial workshop on the main issues delaying or preventing the realization of sports development projects in the East End of Montreal highlighted a number of points.

Among the difficulties cited were those related to territorial scope, the ecosystem approach, financial constraints, and the lack of support and recognition from coaches.-e-s, lack of territorial equity, challenges related to social values and issues, and many others.

When it comes to the family, for example, even though there are many nationally and internationally recognized athletes in Quebec, the value of sport is not entirely ingrained in Montreal families. Also, children from disadvantaged backgrounds and families inevitably face financial difficulties. Getting involved in any sporting discipline comes with a price tag, and this can unfortunately be the reason why the sport ends.  

A lack of media visibility 

The second workshop, on the role of sport in the development of the East End of Montreal, highlighted a crying lack of visibility for sport. Yet sport in the East End cannot flourish without the help of the media.

The Montreal Canadiens team, for example, occupies too much media space. This focus on the Tricolore greatly limits coverage of local sporting events, as well as other disciplines in which we have champions.

Don't be afraid of innovation

A final discussion identified the tools and resources needed to facilitate the implementation of sports development projects in the east end of Montreal.

Promoting sport as an effective dropout prevention tool, highlighting its positive effects on discipline and concentration in young people, seems an undeniable part of this. Increasing the number of sports arenas in the east end of Montreal, giving greater recognition to sports practitioners and coaches, encouraging flexible work schedules within companies to encourage adults and parents to participate in sports activities, and many other strategies were discussed.

Balance sheet

Finally, this participatory workshop highlighted a growing need for players in the East End sports community to meet regularly to exchange ideas and keep abreast of available programs, projects and solutions. In addition to the financial, structural and governance issues at stake, an effort must be made to raise the profile of amateur sports and clubs through the emergence of leaders, to enable the development of sport in the east end of the metropolis.