New BLEU BLANC BOUGE Rink in Jonquière
Geneviève Paquette, General Manager and Vice President of the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation, Sébastien Ross, Managing Director of Quebec Operations at Rio Tinto, Michel Thiffault, President of the Commission des sports et du plein air de la Ville de Saguenay, and Josée Néron, Mayor of Saguenay, broke ground for the construction of a BLEU BLANC BOUGE rink at the Patro de Jonquière.
Rio Tinto is proud to contribute, through the Rio Tinto Aluminium Canada Fund, to the construction of a BLEU BLANC BOUGE refrigerated outdoor rink at the Patro de Jonquière. Sébastien Ross, Managing Director of Quebec Operations, was on site for the official groundbreaking.
The BLEU BLANC BOUGE programme of the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation aims to encourage physical activity and the adoption of a healthy lifestyle among young people through the construction of refrigerated and multisport community rinks that meet National Hockey League standards and dimensions. The programme also donates sports equipment and provides entertainment services that are free for children.
“Rio Tinto has been a leading partner of the Foundation since 2007, and we are very pleased to continue this close collaboration with the Foundation,” said Ross. “We are contributing $450,000 to support the health and wellbeing of young people in our community.”
Rio Tinto’s funds will be used primarily to support the implementation of the program in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. This will include activities such as skating lessons and ball hockey games, in collaboration with local schools and partners.
“We are very pleased to be associated with the BLEU BLANC BOUGE programme to give families in the Jonquière borough and surrounding area better access to sports activities while also promoting a healthy lifestyle,” added Ross.
The rink represents an investment of $1.9 million by the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation. Construction is expected to be completed this fall, just in time for the upcoming hockey season.
