Centre sportif Mégantic

On September 16, 2011 was held the inauguration of the Centre sportif Mégantic (CSM), a new leisure infrastructure in town. This event is also the advent of the first indoor pool of the town.

At Centre sportif Mégantic, citizens can use quality sports equipment and enjoy fun activities. The semi-Olympic-sized indoor pool, the gymnasium, the arena and the bowling alleys attract an important crowd in the heart of the town.

Moreover, an art gallery and an exhibition on the railway history can be visited. An intergenerational space was created by the members of the Commission de la famille et des aînés. Including interpretation panels about the solar system (we are located in the first International Dark Sky Reserve), this space allows families to relax and amuse themselves.

The Centre sportif Mégantic (CSM) was spared during the railway tragedy of July 2013. The whole community breathed a huge sigh of relief. Downtown being confined, the building became the heart of the town.

On July 27, 2013, it reopened to welcome dignitaries and grieving families for the memorial mass. A number of citizen support organizations and other affected people were housed in the vicinity or inside the building.

For several months, Canadian Red Cross, Emploi Québec, Service Canada, Poulet Frit Idéal and the Department of Justice took up residence there.

After the July 6, 2013 tragedy, the Galerie d’art de la Gare patrimoniale was no longer accessible. Members of the Commission des arts, de la culture et du patrimoine (CACP) demonstrated creativity and made special efforts to implement a new art gallery.

The Centre sportif Mégantic’s hallway was spacious and readily available. It was rapidly arranged and received its first exhibition in November 2013. Many envy the Galerie d’art du Centre sportif Mégantic’s lighting and hanging system quality. 

Besides elevating the aesthetic aspect, the easy contact with art was an important element for the population’s recovery, and contributes every day to the community life in Lac-Mégantic.

Every year, the Galerie d’art du Centre sportif Mégantic presents around ten exhibitions from local artists and artists from abroad. Also, an exhibition is organized for tomorrow’s artists, continuing its educational mission. Over 2,000 people of all ages flow through this gallery every week.

Adding beauty to the walls became an essential service in this gathering place. Visual art is present; all you need to do is look at it and discover it.

Source: France La Pointe, CACP member

The story allows us to dream: hundreds of gold coins lost in the riverbed of the Chaudière River. However, no treasure has been found yet. Legend or reality?

We are in 1775, at the beginning of the War of Independence. George Washington believes he would deal a fatal blow to England if he mobilizes his troops to capture Montréal and Québec City. To conquer the later, he sends an army of 1,100 men, led by Colonel Benedict Arnold.

The troop must run up the Kennebec River, get to Lake Mégantic, find the Chaudière River and besiege Québec City. Punctuated with uncertainty, the expedition is a disaster. Only 674 men of the 1,100 will reach the Lake Mégantic: desertion, disease and disruptiveness wreak havoc in the troops. When they reach Lake Mégantic, there is no more food, no clean clothes. Only four rowboats and the general’s pirogue made it this far.

It is now time to descend the Chaudière River. Rapids destroy the four remaining rowboats. Soldiers have to walk. Then, the general’s pirogue breaks against the rocks. The loss is huge! This pirogue contained all of the general’s personal belongings and documents, as well as a precious chest containing 30,000 sterling pounds. Empty-handed, the general keeps moving forward. It is the beginning of a treasure hunt.

The exact location of the accident, should it be true, is uncertain. In Beauceville or in Saint-Martin, many tried to get their hands on the lost treasure. Professional divers explored the riverbed, in vain. Though the treasure never made anyone rich, people keep talking about it.

Along the river’s pathways, if you look at the banks carefully you might find a lost coin or two...