Montreal seniors score deal to keep beloved bocce club open until 2025
After months of uncertainty, an agreement has been reached to keep a bocce club in Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough open until 2025.
The Acadie Bocce Club has 450 members, about half of who play bocce, a sport that combines elements of bowling and curling.
Many fought to keep the facility open after the borough said it would not renew the club's lease.
This past November, members protested outside city hall, hoping to nudge the borough and the city into reaching a deal.
At the time, borough mayor Emilie Thuillier said the $211,000 price tag per year for the lease was too steep. The borough had been paying rent for the club for more than two decades.
Then on Saturday, the borough announced it reached a deal with the Regional Council of Italian-Canadian Seniors and agreed to lease the club for just over $333,000 until December 2025.
"This renewal will allow the Club de Bocce de l'Acadie and the Club de l'âge d'or Marcelin-Wilson to continue their activities, which for 20 years have attracted a large number of seniors," it said in a release.
The long-term future of the club remains uncertain, as the borough says this is the last time it will renew the lease.
With files from CTV Montreal's Max Harrold and Angela Mackenzie
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates: Category 4 Hurricane Milton approaches Florida coast
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
BREAKING Increased risk of crash prompts recall of 239K vehicles in Canada
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
COVID-19 may increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and deaths for three years after an infection, study suggests
COVID-19 could be a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as three years after an infection, a large new study suggests.
New actions announced to encourage building of secondary suites, more homes in Canada
The federal government introduced a number of measures related to housing on Tuesday, which include measures for homeowners wanting to add a secondary suite, taxing vacant land and building homes in place of underused federal properties.
'A cause for concern': Canadian universities slip down world ranking list
An organization that ranks the best universities across the globe says its latest report shows a concerning trend that several of Canada’s institutions are slipping down its list.
What women should know about their breasts, according to a doctor
One in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States, with 42,000 women dying every year from this cancer.
Time to evacuate is running out as Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida
A steady rain fell in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday morning as a mighty Hurricane Milton churned toward a potentially catastrophic collision with the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay even after millions were ordered to evacuate. Stragglers face grim odds of surviving, officials said.
Andrew Garfield shares the gift he's discovered in grieving his mother
Andrew Garfield’s ability to so lovingly and poetically express his grief for his mother, Linda, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, offers a gift of connection, and, perhaps, catharsis, to anyone experiencing loss.
Worried about porch pirates? Amazon now offers in-garage delivery across Canada
Amazon has just launched a new service in Canada where delivery drivers can drop packages off directly in garages for those who want to protect their parcels from being swiped by porch pirates.