Following Tennis Canada’s recently announced plans to build a new stadium at Jarry Park, some people living in the area worry they’re going to lose more green space in the process. The president of the Coalition des Amis du Parc Jarry, Michel Lafleur, calls Jarry Park the lung of the neighbourhood. “It’s next to Park Extension, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Canada, and people live in crowded apartments,” he said. “Jarry Park for them, is the place where they can connect with nature, where they can walk and where they can breathe fresh air.” Tennis Canada has been under pressure to modernize its facilities to ensure The National Bank Open tennis tournament stays in Montreal. Following a feasibility study, Tennis Canada determined it was better to build a new stadium rather than renovate the existing one. “The preliminary analysis in terms of cost, there’s about no difference, between the renovation and the construction of a new stadium,” said the tournament’s director Valerie Tetreault. “We believe that, of course, there’s more risk when you work with an existing structure versus a new structure, and with the new structure, it gives us a lot of opportunities.” The new build would have a retractable roof, indoor and outdoor courts, and increased seating. “We have 12,000 seats in the current stadium,” said Tetreault. “We could potentially go up to 15,000, which is pretty much the capacity that you see in most of the most important tournaments around the world.” The project is still in the early planning phase, but the old stadium would remain until the new one is built. Tetreault says community groups will be consulted, and the park and green space will be considered in the planning process. “(We’re) rethinking the way that our site is structured right now, when we go into the next phase of this project, so that we can protect the green spaces and make sure that when you look at green spaces before the project and after the project, we’ve been able to keep the same square meter,” she said. In a statement to CTV News, Christine Black , the city’s executive committee member responsible for family, seniors, youth, sports and recreation wrote: “Jarry Park is an iconic sports venue in Montreal. We want to preserve its public and accessible nature while ensuring the long-term future of the National Bank Open, an event that contributes to our city’s international sporting reputation and inspires the next generation of athletes,” the statement reads. “It is in this spirit that we are continuing our discussions with Tennis Canada, local partners, and the community in order to develop the park in a way that respects its recreational, public, and green spaces.” Lafleur’s group formed in the early 2000s, during one of several periods of expansion the tennis facilities have undergone over the years. He doesn’t see Tennis Canada’s expansion ending with this project and wants to see the city and the organization consider other options. “Tennis Canada now occupies one-fifth of the park (…) so what we feel is it’s enough now," he said. “In three years, four years, six years, what are going to be the requests of the tennis organization? They will need more, they will need more, they will need more.”
