Courtesy Photo
	Children at day camp enjoy the brand new turf of the CEPSUM stadium.

The University of Montreal is investing $8.6 million to renovate and modernize its physical education and sports centre, known as the CEPSUM.

The project includes both interior and exterior work at the complex that stretches along Edouard Montpetit Blvd. next to the campus. The federal, provincial and municipal governments are subsidizing half the cost while the university is financing the rest with its own revenues.

The job is well underway and should be completed by the middle of September. Already sports teams and children at the CEPSUM day camp are enjoying the newly laid synthetic turf on the stadium field, which flanks the eastern side of the facility. “We always have to invest, to do upkeep,” says Paul Krivicky, the CEPSUM’s executive director. “We’re responsible for the needs of our current and future clientele by having proper facilities and equipment for their training. Now they can train and work out in comfort and safety with up to date equipment,” Krivicky says.

The 10,000 square foot cardio training room, which features exercise machines such as stairmasters and treadmills, has been revamped with the newest models and now has a total of 80 machines. The university’s 375 elite student athletes will now have their own dedicated training area with machines designed for high- performance workouts. Another new installation is a multi-sport gym space with synthetic rubberized flooring to be used for tennis, volleyball and track and field. A new locker room and office space to accommodate the University of Montreal’s new women’s hockey team are also part of the renovation project.

And to top it all off, the CEPSUM is also getting a new roof.

One million users per year

The CEPSUM was built in 1964 with just an arena and stadium. The main building was added in 1976. Today, one million people per year use its facilities. Three-quarters of them are University of Montreal students while one-quarter of the users come from the surrounding Montreal area, many by metro, as the Edouard-Montpetit station goes right into the building. Each year 15,000 children take part in CEPSUM programs and its day camp. Raymond Bachand, the MNA for Outremont says the Quebec’s government’s share of the investment is profitable because “it ensures the University of Montreal’s outreach, it provides elite sports people with optimum training conditions and gives many Quebeckers the means to stay in shape and in good health.” The last major renovations of the CEPSUM were done in 2002. “We now have beautiful, highest-quality installations,” says Krivicky.

[Gerri Barrer]