Eastern Summit: Working Together to Promote Sports in the Eastern Part of the City

On November 13, the Montreal Sports Council, as part of the East Summit organized by the Chamber of Commerce of East Montreal, hosted a collaborative workshop to discuss the theme: “Sports in East Montreal: Strategies for Inclusion, Accessibility, and Opportunities.”

For the occasion, four passionate and dedicated panelists came to share their experiences and kick off the discussions. Among them were Fabrice Vil, founder of Pour 3 points; Kim Marois, Director of Operations and Programs at Fillactive; Jacques Desrochers, Executive Director of RSEQ Montréal; and François Persico, President of the Quebec Karate Centre of Excellence.

Sports are not given their due in the development of East Montreal

An initial workshop focusing on the main challenges that delay or prevent the implementation of sports development projects in East Montreal highlighted several key issues.

Among the challenges identified were those related to geographic scope, those concerning the ecosystemic approach, financial constraints, and the lack of support and recognition for coaches·, the lack of territorial equity, challenges related to values and social issues, and many others.

When it comes to family, for example, even though there are many nationally and internationally recognized athletes in Quebec, the value of sports is not fully ingrained in Montreal families. Furthermore, children from disadvantaged backgrounds and families inevitably face financial difficulties. Participating in any sport involves costs, and unfortunately, this can be the reason why children stop playing sports.  

A lack of media coverage 

The second workshop on the role of sports in the development of East Montreal highlighted a glaring lack of visibility for sports. However, sports in the eastern part of the city cannot thrive without media support.

The Montreal Canadiens, for example, take up too much media space. The attention given to the Tricolore greatly limits coverage of local sporting events as well as other sports in which we do, in fact, have champions.

Don't be afraid of innovation 

A final discussion helped identify the tools and resources needed to facilitate the implementation of sports development projects in East Montreal.

It seems undeniable that promoting sports as an effective tool for preventing school dropout by highlighting its positive effects on young people’s discipline and concentration is part of the solution. Increasing the number of sports facilities in East Montreal, giving greater recognition to sports professionals and coaches, encouraging companies to adopt flexible work schedules to promote adult and parent participation in sports activities, and many other strategies were discussed.

Summary

Ultimately, this participatory workshop highlighted a growing need for stakeholders in the sports community in East Montreal to meet regularly to exchange ideas and stay informed about available programs, projects, and solutions. In addition to financial, structural, and governance issues, efforts must be made to increase media coverage of amateur sports and clubs by fostering leadership to support the development of sports in the eastern part of the city.