The archery range at Parc Louis-Cyr in Joliette, Quebec, has been officially dismantled, marking the complete of a decades-long fixture for the city’s archery community. The removal, confirmed by municipal authorities in early April 2024, follows years of declining use and mounting maintenance costs, according to city officials who spoke with Journal L’Action, the original French-language outlet reporting the development.
Even as the news may seem localized, it reflects a broader trend affecting niche sports infrastructure across smaller Canadian municipalities. Archery, though not a mainstream spectator sport, maintains a dedicated grassroots following in Quebec, particularly through clubs affiliated with Tir à l’arc Québec and Archery Canada. The Joliette range, which featured both outdoor targets and a covered shooting line, had served as a training hub for recreational archers and occasional provincial qualifiers since the 1980s.
City planners cited structural deterioration of the wooden backstops and safety netting as primary reasons for the dismantling. A 2023 municipal audit, reviewed by Archysport through access to Joliette’s public works documentation, estimated repair costs at over $85,000 — a figure deemed disproportionate to the range’s annual usage, which had dropped to fewer than 50 active permits in the last two years.
“We had to craft a tough call based on safety and fiscal responsibility,” said Joliette’s Director of Leisure and Community Life, Martine Gauthier, in a verified statement to Journal L’Action. “The range hadn’t met provincial safety standards for over a year, and with minimal participation, reinvesting public funds wasn’t justifiable.” Gauthier emphasized that the decision was not a reflection on the sport itself but on the facility’s viability.
Local archers expressed disappointment but acknowledged the reality. Pierre Dubois, a longtime member of the Club de tir à l’arc de Joliette, told the newspaper that the club had already shifted most of its activities to indoor facilities in nearby Terrebonne and Laval due to weather limitations and aging equipment. “We lost our outdoor home, but the sport continues,” Dubois said. “We’re still shooting — just not in Joliette anymore.”
The dismantling removes one of the few publicly accessible outdoor archery ranges in the Lanaudière region. Nearby alternatives include the Centre de plein air air in Saint-Jacques and private clubs in Rawdon and Saint-Esprit, though none offer the same combination of free access and municipal maintenance that the Joliette site once provided.
Archery Canada confirms that while participation in target archery has grown nationally — up 18% since 2020 according to its 2023 annual report — much of that increase is concentrated in urban centers and tied to school programs or competitive pathways. Rural and semi-urban areas like Joliette often lack the infrastructure to sustain year-round outdoor practice, especially without dedicated club ownership or volunteer maintenance.
There are no current plans to rebuild the range at Parc Louis-Cyr. The city says the cleared space will be repurposed for general green space and potential community gardening initiatives, aligning with Joliette’s 2022–2027 sustainable development plan. No timeline has been set for the next phase of landscaping.
For now, the Joliette archery community adapts. Club officials say they are exploring partnerships with regional recreation commissions to establish a shared indoor winter range, potentially at a school gymnasium or community center. Until then, members travel up to 45 minutes to shoot in compliant facilities.
The loss of the Joliette range underscores a quiet challenge in growing niche sports: grassroots access depends not just on interest, but on sustainable, safe, and affordable spaces. As one archer put it, “You can have passion, but if there’s nowhere to shoot, it doesn’t matter how good you are.”
Archysport will continue to monitor developments in regional archery infrastructure across Quebec, and Canada. For updates on facility changes, club relocations, or provincial funding initiatives, follow our coverage or share your local sports news tips at tips@archysport.com.
