Officially condemned, Golf Beauport must cease operations on October 31, pending the future construction of a secondary school and a primary school that can accommodate 1,500 students.
• Read more: A bleak future for golf Beauport
The die is cast. After years of rumors about the future of the Golf Beauport, after 40 years of operation, nothing can stop it from disappearing now.
The Center de Services Scolaire des Premières-Seigneuries (CSSPS) will claim most of the land, conveniently located in the Saint-David sector, far from the highway.
Education legislation requires Quebec City — which owns the site — to turn it over for free.
Jacques Bélanger, the lessee and operator of Golf Beauport, received a letter from the city on March 23. His lease will not be renewed. He must vacate the premises of all his possessions by the end of October.
Photo by Jean-Luc Lavallee
Golf Beauport’s operator, Jack Belanger.
In the interview NewspaperThe director general of CSSPS, Marie-Claude Asselin, hopes to receive the government’s green light to fund her project by early June to begin planning for this major project.
This does not exclude the start of construction of the first elementary school in 2024.
In case of denial, the request will be renewed each year until the budget is met.
Trailers while waiting
As in Charlesbourg – where two new schools are under construction on the rue de la Faune – the lack of space in Beauport’s existing schools is obvious, Ms Asselin explains.
Starting next school year, temporary modular classrooms, commonly known as “trailers,” will be set up at La Seigneurie High School, La Courvilloise and Samuel-De Champline.
“When people tell me there’s no need, I invite them to come and see the high schools,” he says.
There is no secondary school in the north
Mayor Bruno Marchant says he returned “all the stones” to meet CSSPS requirements, but he said Golf Beauport was the only piece of public land that met all the criteria.
“We have no choice. It is our duty, not our choice. Unfortunately, that will be the end of golf,” the Quebec mayor recently confirmed, knowing he was breaking his election promise to save golf.
Asked about Councilor Jean-Francois Gosselin’s proposal, he said he wanted a high school north of the high school.
“It’s clear and obvious that we’re not going to move toward that. Students, we’re moving them across our territory so they have a wide variety of electives (programs),” he said.
Project in brief at Beauport
New High School
- 35 classes (around 1000 students)
- Implementation of outdoor sports infrastructure
- Parking for school buses, staff and students and a drop point for parents
New Primary School
- 23 classes (around 500 students)
- Layout of the school
- School bus landing
- Parking for staff and drop-off for parents
►Both schools will be built on the Golf Beauport course, on rue Blanche-Lamontagne, near Étienne-Parent Park and the library.
►Budget and timeline unknown. Once funding is approved, it takes about two and a half years to plan and build a primary school and about 4 years for a secondary school.
The operator requests accommodation from Quebec City
Businessman Jacques Bélanger has asked authorities to give him time and allow him to operate his golf course in Beauport while construction of the schools has not started.
Resigned to see his golf disappear, the enthusiast comes away with the idea that he can no longer save it. Nevertheless, he is dismayed by his discharge, which he considers premature.
Accustomed to long-term lease (15 years), Mr. Bélanger spoke directly to the Quebec mayor last Tuesday at City Hall, asking him to consider renewing his lease on a short-term, annual basis, pending that. Start of construction.
“Before construction, could it continue to operate year-round? In Montreal, there are currently eight school projects and nothing has been built for three years,” he said, adding that he would lose his land very quickly and leave it fallow.
No one knows when construction will begin because the Legault government has yet to provide funding for the school project.
Mayor’s Inauguration Ceremony
Not putting an end to the idea, Mayor Bruno Marchant replied that his question was “very reasonable” and promised to see what he could do. He reiterated that in a press conference on Thursday.
In his cabinet, it has been repeatedly stated that the CSS des Premières-Seigneuries has an opening “to continue its operation with Golf Beauport if there is no immediate need to exploit the land”.
In an interview, Mr. Belanger welcomes this transparency and crosses his fingers for more.
“I’m getting ready to sell my equipment. Whatever happens, happens. We’re losing golf the same way. But it could be two years, three years, five years. Unless they build, can we continue to run it year-round?” he insisted.
Furious Beauport residents
Shocked and disappointed by the announcement that it will close at the end of the 2023 season, many golf Beauport regulars took to social media to criticize Mr. They sent messages of encouragement to Belanger, who criticized the mayor for breaking his campaign promise.
“We have hundreds of retirees living in this area to enjoy this golf course. It makes me want to move,” protested Mark Trollett on Facebook.
“Music geek. Coffee lover. Devoted food scholar. Web buff. Passionate internet guru.”
