The Colisée Arena of the Quebec city is more than a relic in the city’s hockey history for Nicole Bouchard.
While it was the home of many of Quebec’s most famous teams, including Aces, Citadelles, Remparts and Nordiques, it was also where Bouchard obtained his first internship and work.
The assistant of the General Manager of the Quebec reports says that the amphitheater looks more like his second home.
“This is where I started my career a long time in 1981,” Bouchard said. “I spent more than 30 years walking[to] that building “.
On Monday, the city confirmed that it will soon be demolished.
The administration of Mayor Bruno Marchand is considering the future of Québec colisee, previously known as Colisée Pepsi. Instead, the city wants to propose a mixed real estate project for the neighborhood, which would include homes.
“It’s hard to believe that building disappears,” Bouchard said. “It is part of the history of the city.”
He worked in the sand until the Remits moved in 2015 when the amphitheater was replaced by a 18,000 -seat neighboring sand known as the Vidéotron center.
Since then, the Colisée has been empty.
“Even if there was nothing in [it] Since 2015, that is a building full of history and I don’t think you can explode and forget about it, “Bouchard said.
The building was built in 1949 and expanded in 1980.
In 2000, for their 50th anniversary, the former NHL stars Jean Bélenau, Guy Lafleur and Peter Stastny met at the Colisée for a special ceremony.
Stastny recalled having scored a goal with just one glove in 1985. He said the “roof raised the auditorium.”
“We can commemorate it,” says City
Councilor Mélissa Coucombe-Ledu, responsible for heritage in the city of Quebec, says that the building has been used for storage purposes since 2015.
“I understand the public’s attachment to the Colisée, and I think we can commemorate it,” said Course-Ledu.
“We doubted too much in the last 15 years, since we knew that the Vidéotron center was going to be built.”
Coulombe-Leduc says that the city considered to make partial demolitions to maintain aspects of the previous structure. In the end, she says that demolishing the newest structure since 1980 to keep the older altering the heritage of the building.
“We maintain everything, or deconstruct,” said Coucobe-Ledu. “The more we hope, the more expensive it will be, both technically and environmentally.”
She estimates that the structure will dismantle for a period of two years, whose costs would exceed $ 20 million.
Richard Martel has accumulated hours, if not days, in the beloved sand of the city of Quebec over the years.
It is where he saw hockey games, rock concerts and omitted the school to align for tickets. It is the place that his father would leave him at 7 am so that the teenager could align to ensure a place closer to the stage.
“[He was] A great dad alone [to] Conduct there with my friends, “he said.” There were people who slept all night to get tickets. “
“My dad liked classical music, so he didn’t like that very much,” he said with a smile.
Martel estimates that he has seen 300 shows in the Colisée, the first when he was only 13 years old.
Although he says that the demolition of the building was inevitable, it is “a bit sad”, seeing it leave.
“I have great memories,” he said.
