Well it’s about time, some would say as they cast envious gazes toward so many other municipalities and boroughs with their brand-spanking-new, ultra-modern arenas and pools.

Meanwhile, back home in Westmount, the existing facilities are older than most of us would care to admit. And while our indoor rinks and outdoor pool have been carefully and lovingly maintained to the point where they still give thousands of Westmounters great pleasure and healthy exercise each year, the new upgrades currently being proposed by the City would certainly be beneficial to all concerned.

And the price tag isn’t too bad, either. The estimated cost of $26.5 million may prompt a quick double-take at first — especially since these figures always seem to go up, never down. But when you consider that the current facilities date back to the 1950s, it suddenly sounds more like a worthwhile investment in the community’s future — one that might still be enjoyed by the grandchildren of current Novice hockey players who have yet to wear out their very first pair of skates.

As can be expected with anything to do with the sports facilities, there will be a group of concerned residents — mostly neighbours — closely overseeing each stage of the plans and subsequent construction, no doubt expressing their opinions along the way. Fair enough, but if last year’s prolonged synthetic turf debate has taught us anything, it is that there is room for healthy dialogue. And although it's far from a done deal, the City’s sound proposals are not likely to meet with much opposition.

Now, with the imminent emergence of a new arena and pool, perhaps the City might take this opportunity to give the complex a proper name. The Westmount arena, however pithy and traditional, is a bit too generic for the 21st century.

Short of following Cote St. Luc’s example of renaming their municipal facilities in honour of contemporary directors (though many Westmounters would eagerly vote for Aréna Michael-Deegan), we should be able to honour a worthy Westmounter in this way. Names like Roch Carrier (whose hockey writings have made it all the way to our $5 bill) immediately spring to mind. Perhaps the new pool could be named after Dick Pound, the Olympic swimmer whose subsequent contributions to global sport in general, including his position as founding chair of the World Anti-Doping Agency, have been immeasurable.