Football Field Silence Upheld After Contentious Referendum at Saint-Louis Academy
The Saint-Louis Academy (ASL) football team will be forced to play in silence following a recent referendum decision,despite efforts to gain approval for limited use of amplification and noisemakers during games. The vote, held with 101 participants, resulted in 76 “no” votes, effectively blocking a proposed regulatory change.
The dispute centers on noise levels emanating from the Academy’s football field, with nearby condo owners citing a desire to “preserve the tranquility of their living environment.” An agreement reached with these residents was unexpectedly withdrawn at the end of August, solidifying the opposition to allowing increased noise during the approximately 15 home games scheduled over ten days each year.
“Without noise, we feel as if we were doing a practice,” explained Xavier Michaud, a member of the ASL juvenile team, to Journal earlier this year.
Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand expressed his disagreement with the referendum outcome, stating, “I continue to believe that the regulatory change that was proposed is reasonable. We are not talking about operating a bar up to the short hours of the night every week, but allowing young people to practice a unifying sport, a dozen times a year, in broad daylight.”
Despite the setback, Marchand assured the team would continue to play, and announced a special motion to be presented on September 16th, intended “to give legitimacy to the Academy to continue the football season until the end of the season.” He further commented on social media that “some citizens cannot give the power to go against the will of the municipal council – and a large proportion of the population.”
The Academy attempted to address concerns and build goodwill with residents, inviting them to attend games for free this weekend and offering complimentary hot dogs. Prior to the referendum, on June 3rd, school representatives and students engaged in door-to-door conversations with concerned neighbors, attempting to explain their position. Though, these efforts were met with resistance, with some residents preventing the outreach and even threatening to contact the police.
The situation has also raised concerns about equity, with parents and students arguing that the restrictions placed on the ASL field are inconsistent with those applied to other schools in the Capital-National region and throughout Quebec. “We want our student athletes and their families to benefit from the same conditions as elsewhere,” stated Ann Webber, the Academy’s director general, in June.
