Centre du Sablon is a small community center with lots of services to offer. It’s well equipped with a fitness center, a semi Olympic-sized pool, a large gymnasium, an aerobics studio and boxing room, 2 multi-purpose rooms and a pre-school. It offers services such as; sports, aquatics and cultural activities for adults, children and people with physical disabilities. There are activities for parent & tots, children with special needs and day camps (3x a year). You can even rent out rooms or use our beautiful backyard for parties! New and exciting projects are starting all the time. Such as, our new outdoor paths equipped with natural exercise opportunities.

This “jewel” is located in Chomedey Laval…Laval! I lived in Laval all my life and I always heard comments like “you live all the way in the booneys” or “Laval is too far, let’s meet somewhere in Montreal”. Well, times have changed! People are becoming attracted to Laval for its well known restaurants, new stores and even a little community center like Centre Du Sablon.

For over 4 years, I have been the co-ordinator of the Family Life Department at Centre du Sablon. I actually started working here back in 1988 animating special needs programs on Sunday mornings. 20 years later and many jobs in between, I returned and landed my current position. I am now the director of the preschool and manage the parent & tot groups, day camps and have re-created the special needs department.

To my surprise, we are getting clients from different areas of Montreal ``trecking out`` to Laval to use the services I provide. In my school, for example, I have 3 families coming from the Saint-Laurent area and 1 family from the West Island.

This is the second year, a mom of three kids brings her youngest to our school every morning. She fights through the morning rush coming from Saint-Laurent to Chomedey just to drop off her 3 year old to pre-school. When I asked her why she prefers to travel all this way just to come to our school, she replied; “I had a preschool placement in Saint-Laurent which was walking distance from my house; but, chose to drive my son to Sablon in Laval because of the quality of its educational program and the flexibility of the schedule. There is a clear structure in the program that I like which puts an emphasis on early reading, writing and math skills. Every day the teachers touch on these skills in some form of activity and tie it in to the monthly themes (I love that you have so many monthly themes and stick with it). There's a variety of art and other activities every day (gym, swimming, music & movement and/or outdoor play) that I love to know my child it participating in. I also appreciate the bilingual environment. Because Sablon has such high standards, it allows me to have peace of mind. I actually stay at the center and do my work in their solarium until it is time to pick him up. Last year, I would even workout in the Sablon gym after dropping him off. It was all so convenient.”

I even have a family who had their older daughter at our pre-school for several years. The family moved to the West Island after her graduation year. To my surprise, I received a phone call from that mom. She wanted to send their younger daughter to the preschool. When I asked her; “Why? You live out in the West Island. There are so many pre-schools and daycares out there.” The mom told me that she went all over looking for a school for her youngest; but, nothing compares to Sablon Educational Preschool. So, having one child at school in the West Island and two working parents, the family still made arrangements to drive their child to Laval for quality education, caring staff and lots of physical activity.

I’ve also had unsatisfied people who took parent & tot activities in the West Island who find their way back to the parent & tot activities here at Sablon. Same thing goes for my day camps. Not too many day camps offer camp during the Christmas break. And not too many day camps have an indoor pool on the premises. Parents feel at ease that their child/children do not have to take busses or walk to the crowded city pools.

So, sometimes it is important to look at what’s in your backyard Lavalers! Centre du Sablon has everything you need. Even Montrealers are flocking here for our great services.

For more information about our pre-school or on our next session for Parent & Tots, Special Needs or day camps, please call Susie Nemes at 450-688-8961 ext. 226 or dial 0 for any other information concerning our other programs.