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The City of Pointe-Claire inaugurates Tony-Proudfoot Park

The mayor of the City of Pointe-Claire, John Belvedere, and members of City Council today inaugurated the new Tony-Proudfoot Park in the presence of Mr. Proudfoot’s family.

“It is with great pride that we are gathered today for the inauguration of this new Pointe-Claire park in the presence of the family of the late Mr. Proudfoot, an exceptional man in our community: a Pointe-Claire resident who was very involved with youth,” Mayor Belvedere said.

Due to the pandemic, an intimate ceremony was held, but it can be viewed on the City’s Facebook page. The event was attended by Mr. Proudfoot’s widow Vicki, his brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren, all of whom were able to pay tribute to their late family member and discover this place that reflects his values: Tony Proudfoot was a man of action who cared deeply about young people’s health and including everyone.

Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Tony Proudfoot graduated from John Rennie High School in 1966, and went on to play in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Montreal Alouettes and British Columbia Lions. He won the Grey Cup with the Alouettes in 1974 and 1977. He was also involved in the community as a journalist, teacher and coach.

After he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2007, he created the Tony Proudfoot Fund to improve the living conditions of people with the disease and support medical research.

A park for everyone

It is one of the first parks on the island of Montréal to provide a wide variety of adapted amenities. It features:

  • an area reserved for children aged 2 to 5 years old;
  • a play structure for children aged 6 to 12, including:

– an access ramp for people with reduced mobility;

– an adapted swing that can accommodate wheelchairs; and

– a hearing aid-compatible tactile roller slide.

  • several interactive features, including musical and sign-language panels;
  • a wheelchair- and stroller-accessible picnic area;
  • a bench set off to the side for a quiet retreat; and
  • a climber dome featuring a calm interior space for children in need of a break or those with sensory disorders.

Throughout the development of the park, the Pointe-Claire community was invited to contribute to the design process. As a first step, a contest was held for citizens to choose the name of the park. They were then invited to contribute to its planning and development.

“It was an incredible opportunity for us to be able to build a new neighbourhood park because our city is already almost completely developed. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to creating this park, which improves the quality of life in our community,” Mayor Belvedere concluded.

Tony-Proudfoot Park has been open to the public since the end of August. It is located at the corner of Gendron and Des Frênes avenues in the Quartier Greenwich development in Pointe-Claire.