Ottawa·NewThe mayor of Thurso, Que., and the family of hockey legend Guy Lafleur are calling on the Quebec government to help restore the 77-year-old arena bearing his name after a beam partially collapsed this summer.Thurso, Que., arena was shuttered this summer after beam collapsedCBC News · Posted: Sep 15, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 29 minutes agoThe Guy Lafleur Arena in Thurso, Que., was forced to close after a beam partially collapsed inside in August 2025. Both the city and the family of the hockey legend are calling on Quebec’s CAQ government to fund the renovation work. (Maxim Saavedra-Ducharme/Radio-Canada)The mayor of Thurso, Que., and the family of hockey legend Guy Lafleur are calling on the Quebec government to help restore the 77-year-old arena bearing his name after it was forced to close.Part of a beam inside the arena fell earlier this summer, forcing the city to close the facility in August, Mayor Mélanie Boyer told Radio-Canada.The town is now waiting for an engineering report before deciding if the arena can be reopened. If that isn’t an option, Boyer said those who use it will have to go elsewhere.”He’s a great man. It saddens me greatly. In my heart, I hope the Guy Lafleur Arena stays in Thurso,” Boyer said in a French-language interview with Radio-Canada.Thurso Mayor Mélanie Boyer holds a piece of beam that fell at the Guy Lafleur Arena. (Maxim Saavedra-Ducharme/Radio-Canada)Lafleur was born and raised in the western Quebec community and went on to win five Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens. He died at the age of 70 in April 2022 and was laid to rest in his hometown.Lise Lafleur, Guy’s sister, said her brother “would have been disappointed to see the arena abandoned.””It means something to us, the family. It’s still Guy’s arena [where] he started out,” she told Radio-Canada in French. “For the people of Thurso — not just the Lafleur family — this arena is part of history.”Opposition critic calls on Legault to save the arenaThe facility, which was already near the end of its lifespan, was built in 1948 and last renovated in 1988.According to the city’s website, it was the first indoor arena in Outaouais region and was where Lafleur took his first skates The arena was renamed after him in 1990.Before its closure, it was used by the Thurso Figure Skating Club and the Association du hockey mineur Petite-Nation.In May 2022, Quebec Premier Francois Legault vowed that work would be done to refurbish the arena. But in 2024, the city’s funding request of $18 million so that it could carry out that work was not approved by the province.Guy Lafleur’s sister, Lise Lafleur, remembers having a great time during her youth at the arena. (Alexandra Angers/Radio-Canada)Enrico Ciccone, the Quebec Liberals’ critic for sports, recreation and healthy lifestyles, called on Legault to fulfil his promise.”He [made that pledge] in front of Guy Lafleur’s family, in front of the residents of Thurso … and he said ‘I will take care of it,'” Ciccone said.”After three years now, it’s not done.”Boyer told Radio-Canada that she’s been in touch with Mathieu Lacombe, Quebec’s minister for the Outaouais, and that he’s said he would support a new funding request for the renovation.With files from Radio-Canada’s Alexandra Angers and Mathieu Nadon
Family of Guy Lafleur asks for province’s help after namesake arena forced to close
