SAINT-JÉRÔME – Saint-Jérôme Mayor Marc Bourcier delved into his memory and suggested that the current connection between the Montreal soccer club and the city of Saint-Jérôme is completely natural. He immediately recalled the existence of a team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1972 called the Alouettes de Saint-Jérôme.
In 1970, these Alouettes were defeated in the QMJHL grand final by one Guy Lafleur and the Quebec Remparts… We hope to have more success this time.
When the Montreal Alouettes informed the mayor of Trois-Rivières that the team would be leaving Mauricie to set up its training camp in Saint-Jérôme, Jean Lamarche only jokingly recalled that his city had recently had a conquest to its credit.
That puts a little pressure on Saint-Jérôme, doesn't it?
“We will do anything,” Mr. Bourcier immediately replied when Alouettes president Mark Weightman told the anecdote during a press conference at the Claude-Beaulieu sports center on Tuesday. The valuable Canadian Football League championship trophy was also there.
Marc Bourcier, mayor of Saint-Jérôme, and Mark Weightman, president of the Alouettes. Photo Benoit Rioux
Exceptional facilities
If the Alouettes have decided to turn their backs on Trois-Rivières, that is not a rejection. Still, the change will bring some advantages, including being a little closer to Montreal.
“As a professional football team, we have a duty to provide our players and coaches with first-class working conditions and that is exactly what we find here,” noted Mr. Weightman, thanking Trois-Rivières.
“We have truly exceptional facilities,” the president added, praising the quality of the infield and meeting rooms available in the building.
Restore the image
The agreement between the Alouettes and the city of Saint-Jérôme, also announced last week in a text published by Le Journal, is valid until 2026. The mayor of Saint-Jérôme wants to use it to restore his image city.
“We are paying an amount of $184,000 for the Alouettes, which is part of a visibility program,” Mr. Boucier said when questioned by the author of these lines. It's a question of the city's popularity. Since the beginning of my term, I have wanted people to talk about Saint-Jérôme for the right reasons. […] For us, this amount is not much considering what it can bring. It also positions Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, as a place where a professional team can train.”
For the youth
Among the benefits, Mr. Bourcier is quick to mention the young people in the Saint-Jérôme region who could be positively influenced by the presence of the Alouettes in the spring.
Before serving as mayor and previously a member of the Parti Québécois, Mr. Bourcier was a teacher and physical education instructor. During the Comètes' heyday, he coached hockey, but also mini-basketball at the Notre-Dame school in Saint-Jérôme. Thanks to the agreement we will ensure that Alouettes players go to schools to give workshops to young people.
“The training camp is a great opportunity to meet our fans and give young and old the opportunity to get to know our players,” said Mr Weightman.