Rivière-du-Loup has been waiting for this moment for a very long time and the organizers have pulled out all the stops. Drums, juggling, acrobatics and aerobatics launched the festivities of the 56e final of the Quebec Games during the opening ceremony, initially scheduled for 2021.
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The 4,000 or so athletes and supporters first entered the noisy Premier Tech center full to capacity as heroes.
Already you could feel the excitement and the group spirit that animated the young people. It was their moment, a small-scale replica of what they usually see on TV during the Olympics.
The mayor of Rivière-du-Loup Mario Bastille was the first to speak.
“We finally meet again”, he launched under the applause of a delirious crowd.
The flame
After a few speeches, Serge Chouinard, who had carried the torch during the first Quebec Games in 1971, made the transition between the past and the present, passing the flame to a young athlete from Rivière-du-Loup in badminton Amélia St-Pierre.
“It’s a great honor, it represents the continuation. At first it was stressful, but when you do it it’s beautiful, wow!” commented the 14-year-old girl.
It was then that Yannick Gagnon, the right arm of the Minister responsible for Sports, Recreation and the Outdoors, officially declared the 56e open Quebec games final.
Subsequently, the artists of Cirque de la Pointe Sèche – led by Élyme Gilbert who worked for 10 years for Cirque du Soleil – stole the show.
The acrobatics on the bike and the aerobatics of three artists on the trampoline particularly delighted the athletes since the artistic aspect combined perfectly with the sports performances.
Legault on site
A few hours before the opening ceremony, Prime Minister François Legault honored the young people with his presence.
He took the opportunity to greet the athletes and take a walk with the Lanaudière delegation which had just arrived at Rivière-du-Loup high school.
Mr. Legault also participated in a private cocktail with the dignitaries of the 56e final of the Quebec Games before hitting the road again for other engagements.
Again this afternoon, the main outdoor site that will host the shows during the games was swarming with volunteers who were making the final preparations.
The Mayor of Rivière-du-Loup Mario Bastille, who had just spoken at a press conference for the launch of the Games, quickly took off his mayor’s hat to put on that of a volunteer and carry some refreshments.
Start of competitions
As of tomorrow, the athletes of the first block of competition will be in action in ten disciplines on the schedule. The first to hit the floor will be the gymnasts at the Premier Tech stadium starting at 7:50 a.m.
For the first days of competition, a few athletes will have to watch, including Sherbrooke’s Raphaëlle Perreault, who will be participating in the Quebec Games for the third time.
The 17-year-old athlete finished fourth at the last Canadian Championships.
In women’s hockey, Arielle Côté of Chaudière-Appalaches is already attracting attention. The goaltender was the first girl in history to be recruited into the Corsairs hockey program at École Pointe-Lévy.
She is still the only girl on the team in which she has been playing for four years.
