Post-secondary athletes calling on Quebec government to allow them to play

As Quebec continues to ease restrictions like cinemas, concert halls and indoor events resuming at half capacity with the vaccine passport, games and tournaments are still not on the list leaving student-athletes unmotivated and frustrated.

In response, the #onveutjouer meaning “we want to play” – has been used more than a thousand times all across social media – calling on the government of Quebec to allow for these games to continue like some provinces in Canada have already done.

“Our life is to get up get on the ice go training eat well train and play that’s our life,” said Audrey Belzile, the captain of the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team.

“It’s our life, I came to Concordia University to play hockey and to do my studies, but mainly to play hockey and I just want to close a chapter and I don’t know if we will be able to start again, or how many games I will play. So, it’s just a bit disappointing because everyone else is playing.”

Belzile opted to take another year of University to continue to play hockey at the University but has not been able to since December 5.

“Just practicing for practicing and not knowing when the games are coming that’s the hard part to stay motivated,” she told CityNews.

“Every time we think it’s the end of it, it’s not the end of it and we backdate it again,” added Gregory Antoine, head coach of the CÉGEP de l’Outaouais Griffons women’s volleyball team.

Antoine says, while he has no answers to his players in terms of when they will play again, the #onveutjouer movement is a good push to make this happen.

“It was right spot on and the message is simple, we just want to play let us play,” he explained.

“There’s always a risk. We are ready for masks, we’re ready to commit to rapid tests, we are ready to take risk in a safe way and just take measures just so we can play,” added Belzile.

“I don’t think there is a major scientific reason why some things are prioritized over the other,” said Dr. Christopher Labos, an epidemiologist. “I think the overall strategy is a reasonable one being that you want a phase and staged based approach.

Starting Feb. 14 – spas, gyms, and indoor recreational activities will also reopen but are limited to 25 people.

Quebec says it’s readying a calendar to lay out its full deconfinement plan which is expected very soon.