Quebec Metropolis’s Colisée enviornment is greater than a relic of town’s hockey historical past for Nicole Bouchard.
Whereas it was dwelling to lots of Quebec’s most well-known groups, together with the Aces, Citadelles, Remparts and Nordiques, it was additionally the place Bouchard bought her first internship and job.
The assistant common supervisor of the Quebec Remparts, she says the amphitheatre is extra like her second dwelling.
“That is the place I began my profession a very long time in the past in 1981,” mentioned Bouchard. “I spent over 30 years strolling in[to] that constructing.”
On Monday, town confirmed it can quickly be demolished.
Mayor Bruno Marchand’s administration is contemplating the way forward for the Colisée de Québec, previously often known as the Colisée Pepsi. As a replacement, town desires to suggest a mixed-use actual property challenge for the neighbourhood, which would come with housing.
“It is onerous to consider that that constructing will disappear,” mentioned Bouchard. “It is a part of the historical past of town.”
She labored within the enviornment till the Remparts moved out in 2015 when the amphitheatre was changed with an 18,000-seat neighbouring enviornment often known as the Vidéotron Centre.
Since then, the Colisée has been sitting empty.
“Even when there was nothing in [it] since 2015, that is a constructing filled with historical past and I do not suppose you’ll be able to simply blow it down and simply neglect about it,” mentioned Bouchard.
The constructing was constructed in 1949 and enlarged in 1980.
In 2000, for its fiftieth anniversary, former NHL stars Jean Béliveau, Man Lafleur and Peter Stastny gathered on the Colisée for a particular ceremony.
Stastny recalled scoring a goal with just one glove on in 1985. He mentioned the “roof lifted off the auditorium.”
‘We’ll have the ability to commemorate it,’ says metropolis
Metropolis councillor Mélissa Coulombe-Leduc, chargeable for heritage in Quebec Metropolis, says the constructing has been used for storage functions since 2015.
“I perceive the general public’s attachment to the Colisée, and I feel we’ll have the ability to commemorate it,” mentioned Coulombe-Leduc.
“We hesitated far an excessive amount of over the previous 15 years, ever since we knew the Vidéotron Centre was going to be constructed.”
Coulombe-Leduc says town thought of doing partial demolitions to maintain points of the older construction. In the long run, she says demolishing the newer construction from 1980 to maintain the older one would significantly alter the heritage of the constructing.
“We maintain all the pieces, or we deconstruct,” mentioned Coulombe-Leduc. “The longer we wait, the dearer it is going to be, each technically and environmentally.”
She estimates that the construction might be dismantled over a two-year interval — the prices of which might exceed $20 million.
Richard Martel has amassed hours, if not days, in Quebec Metropolis’s beloved enviornment through the years.
It is the place he watched hockey video games, rock concert events and skipped faculty to line up for tickets. It is the place his dad would drop him off at 7 a.m. so the teenager might line as much as safe a spot closest to the stage.
“[He was] a cool dad simply [to] drive me there with my pals,” he mentioned. “There have been individuals who slept all evening lengthy to get tickets.”
“My dad was extra into classical music, so, rock he did not like that quite a bit,” he mentioned with a chuckle.
Martel estimates he is seen 300 reveals within the Colisée — his first when he was simply 13 years outdated.
Although he says the constructing’s demolition was inevitable, he is “form of unhappy,” to see it go.
“I’ve bought nice reminiscences,” he mentioned.
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