An homage to a pioneer - Sylvie Daigle has her monument

In meeting the artist Pierre Chouinard some time ago, the maire Jean Perreault had the idea to give homage in a particular way to the speed skater Sylvie Daigle, who is the pride of the city of Sherbrooke.

The project was finalized yesterday: a four meter high concrete monument was raised in front of the Palais des sports and will immortalize the exploits accomplished in her 15 years of competition.

Sylvie Daigle, surrounded by a hundred guests for the unveiling had tears in her eyes yesterday.

It’s the maire Perreault, himself a retired athlete, who went out and recruited financial partners to create this 30,000$ monument, without using city funds.

The monument represents a speed skater inside a loop. The sculpture symbolises the movement, the action and the efforts of the athlete. The loop represents the medals that were won. The space inside the loop represents the athlete’s passage in time. The pedestal supporting the sculpture represents the skating rink, the loop of speed.

TQS Inc., the Permacon Group and Longer Construction contributed to the creation of this monument in honour of Sylvie Daigle. Innovators as always, they used moulded concrete to create this sculpture, with the help of Bolduc Concrete, the University of Sherbrooke, the Teknika Group, as well as the companies of Interstar and Stef.

The retired speed skater Sylvie Daigle was present and delighted yesterday at the unveiling of the concrete monument in her honour. The four meter high sculpture, was conceived by the artist Pierre Chouinard, on the right, and was erected just in front of the Palais des sports in Sherbrooke. It is the maire of Sherbrooke, Jean Perreault, himself a retired athlete, who instigated the project.

La Tribune (Sherbrooke, Qc)
Friday december 20 2002
Jean-Paul Ricard