Baie-Comeau Recreation Center

Baie-Comeau Recreation Center

The Baie-Comeau Community Association (BCCA) was incorporated on September 18, 1937. The organization’s mandate was to organize, promote and manage the social and sporting activities of its members.

In 1937, thanks to a loan from the Ontario Paper Company, the Association built a large sports and cultural center. The Baie-Comeau Recreation Center was the building that brought together local recreation, sports, and cultural activities. It included a skating rink that doubled as a tennis court and performance hall, two gymnasiums (badminton, basketball, trampoline, dance hall, etc.), a squash court, four bowling alleys, billiard tables, a restaurant, offices, a study room, a library, a tea room, and a bar. The Association was also responsible for outdoor venues such as the Champlain Avenue swimming pool, the Laval Avenue ball field, and various ski slopes.

In 1967, the City of Baie-Comeau municipalized recreation, and the assets of the Baie-Comeau Community Association were transferred to the city. Two years later, the wood and brick building on Place La Salle, which had become dilapidated from years of neglect, was demolished to make way for a Hudson’s Bay Company department store. A large mural commemorates its existence.