In the swim of things at Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board

The plans call for the four gymnasiums used by the two schools to be linked to the new amphitheatre, to be built on land owned by the school board.

The Mouvement Aquatique Laval (MAL) has been working on the project since 2005. "It took three years to complete the plans, but the City Council's executive committee moved very quickly on the resolution. It was done fast, but without the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, we would have been nowhere," admitted Philippe Comtois, one of the major forces behind the project. "The school board has no swimming pools linked to its Laval schools. It wants its aquatic centre," emphasized Mr. Comtois, who believes the centre can open its doors in 2011. "I'd like the centre to open sooner, but we have to be realistic. It's a very big project."

The director-general had no idea as to the time frame for the completion of the project, indicating that the school board is presently looking for partners in the venture. "It will all depend on the answers we get to our requests for government subsidies, and on the time needed to confirm partnership agreements."