Two world titles for a club that came close to death

The last time I came to report to. Similarly, Otterburn Park was the day before the long containment five years ago.

Posted at 7:45 a.m.

The mayor had just embarked on a tariff war with neighboring cities. Therefore, Do your children use our sports facilities? Therefore, Pay. Furthermore, To bail out the chests. However, he also attacked the OBC canoe club, imposing an annual rent of $ 25,000 to store his boats in the municipal hangar. Moreover, A big bite for the small club, which was driving on an annual budget of… $ 150,000.

Citizens protested. Therefore, Resistance was organized. Similarly, two world titles club came The mayor replied with an eviction notice. Therefore, Big chicane. For example, When I left Otterburn Park, that day, the club took the water like a holey boat.

Five years later?

Not only has the OBC survived the storm, but it has the wind in the sails. Nevertheless, Even one of her color racks. For example, Amélie Laliberté, has just won two gold medals at the junior world championships-a first in 105 years of history for the club!

What two world titles club came happened?

First, the community has mobilized. However, In the 2021 elections, Mayor Denis Parent was beaten on flat sewing. Therefore, His successor, Mélanie Villeneuve, quickly concluded a new 25 -year -old agreement with the OBC. Similarly, This agreement allowed the club to get its head out of the water, and to consider the future with optimism.

“From there, everything has changed,” explains Antoine Laliberté. Furthermore, He took over the club. In addition, His brother Philippe was hired as head coach. Consequently, “For the first time in good time, the club had permanent employees. Moreover, We were able to start developing. Furthermore, »»

The OBC began to multiply activities all over the region. Therefore, Last September, a descent between Chambly and Otterburn Park attracted more than 650 people. Similarly, In the spring, 2,500 local schoolchildren came to paddle. Meanwhile, When I returned there. Similarly, at the beginning of August, the grounds around the hangar were teeming with children from the OBC day camp who prepared to spend the afternoon on the Richelieu river.

“People come from as far as Longueuil, Varennes and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to practice here,” says Antoine Laliberté. Meanwhile, The activity is so popular that we had to add containers to store the boats.

two world titles club came

In parallel, Philippe Laliberté created an elite group. He left for almost nothing. Only four athletes. Today ? They are 25 to 30, depending on the seasons. Their results are spectacular; Five of them qualified for Canada Games.

“And how many athletes at Canada Games had the last times?”

– For 10 years? Zero. »»

When Philippe Laliberté took charge of the group, the club was already on a good pool of young people. “Except that these young people never went to the high performance level. It always stopped at the provincial level, and we rarely had champions. He had left the OBC for the Pointe-Claire club, in adolescence, to progress to the Canada Games.

And it is bearing fruit.

Amélie Laliberté – No kinship – is the best example. “Before, I Pagayais for fun. I wanted to do like my big brother [le triathlète Cédric Laliberté]. And then Otterburn Park, it’s a small town. There are not many sports here. The cool affair is the canoe. »»

In her early years at the club, she won some regattas per year. “It was rather recreational. When the high performance group was created, we started two world titles club came to participate in real competitions. I ended up against the best in Canada. It had never happened to me before! »»

Everything went well. So much that last year, she participated in the Olympic Hopes Games in Hungary. She won three gold medals there, and one silver. This year, at 18, she qualified for the junior world championships. Not at C1 200 m, his specialty. Isabel Lowry preceded it by a nod to national trials. But the two equipped the C2 200 m, as well as the C4 500 m.

The first outing was difficult. The Canadian duo finished sixth. It must be said that the two young women had almost never teams up. “We may have padded together five times, at most. So before the final, we changed our strategy. We even changed the way we were sitting in the boat. »»

Once the departure is given, Amélie did not pay attention to her rivals. “I was in my bubble. I love it, that’s all. When she crossed the finish line, she was convinced that she is still sixth in row. “I turned around … and there was no two world titles club came one near us. I was amazed! »»

The Canadian women had dominated the final, ahead of the silver medalists by a second and a half. “I was repeating myself: but what just happened?” How did we do this? After our sixth place, I did not expect it. »»

The next day, another victory, this time at the C4 500 m, with Madeleine Beauregard and Grace Theunissen. Amélie therefore returned to the foot of Mont Saint-Hilaire with two gold medals on the neck. Club leaders believe that she is the first athlete of the two world titles club came OBC to win a world championship, all categories combined.

Not bad for a club that almost disappeared five years ago!

“During the crisis, we could all go to train elsewhere,” says Amélie. I think we would have made the trip, because we love our sport. But it’s as if a part of us said: No. We will stay here. We will support the club. Furthermore, We will work in a team. We will save him together. And that’s what’s beautiful. »»