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LACHINE SPORTS CLUB QUESTIONS ARBITRARY BOROUGH'S DENIAL OF RECOGNITION AND PERMITS



Montreal, June 25, 2015 — The Montreal Rapids Recreation Club, a registered non-profit association dedicated to soccer and basketball activities for youths aged 5 and up, is challenging the Lachine Borough’s persistent denial of official recognition in the past four years.

Lachine borough officials have year after year denied the Club’s “official recognition” with the city, without offering any reason. This denial has made it impossible for the Club to access borough parks and other facilities at no costs, and severely limits its effort to raise funds. Its more recent application for a fundraising Basketball tournament in Aug. 22 & 23 at Grove Hill Park in Lachine was turned down, which means that the Club will to pay $5,000 in rental fees.

“What frustrates our members is that both Mayor Claude Dauphin and other borough officials have never given us a clear explanation of why we are denied official recognition, despite the fact that we have many parents and youths from the borough of all racial, ethnic and social backgrounds getting involved in soccer and basketball,” said Club President Edwin George.

The Club membership is multicultural and multiracial (mostly Black and Arabic).

“The secretive process and the lack of transparency in the borough’s handling of our requests in the last six years have been troubling, and it goes against the Montreal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities,” said George.

The MRRC has contacted CRARR for assistance.