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The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and Montréal centre-ville: joining forces to make downtown the place to be this summer

Press release | For immediate release

Montreal, March 18, 2021 – The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and Montréal centre-ville are pleased to announce that the Ville de Montréal and the Government of Quebec have committed to significant financial support, totalling $3 million, for the two organizations to move ahead with a project they developed and proposed jointly. The large-scale initiative is aimed at relaunching the city’s downtown, which has been hard-hit by the pandemic. To make the relaunch a success, the project will focus on the extensive and fundamental ties between culture and the economy. The project promises to reshape the city’s downtown into a unique, experience-oriented destination.

Synergies between the respective organizations’ visions, values and goals were evident last summer, when they laid the foundations of a strong alliance that mobilized the cultural and business sectors of the city’s vital downtown core. The proposal submitted for the summer of 2021 redraws the two organizations’ operating territories and focuses primarily on culture as a tool for bringing crowds back, for the benefit of the downtown core’s unique and complex ecosystem.

Details of the initiative, which will bring new facilities and activities to a large area, will be released in the coming weeks. The summer program will delight and entertain workers, residents, students, tourists and everyone who enjoys culture, satisfying their desire for safe experiences and social activities. This summer, downtown Montreal will be the hot entertainment destination.

“Although our battle with COVID-19 is not over, the arrival of warm weather and the acceleration of vaccine distribution allow us to envision a fine summer and a lively downtown this year. The Ville de Montréal wishes to give our downtown the boost it needs to reboot its economy effectively, including its cultural venues and food scene. Thanks to the creativity of our partners, we are confident that we can give residents, workers, tourists and students a summer to remember,” said Montreal mayor Valérie Plante.

“As Quebec’s cultural and economic hub, we are proud to join forces with a prominent cultural partner in the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and embark on a shared mission to make downtown thrive. After months of lockdowns and curfews, we are all eager to get together, whether for drinks on a terrasse, indoor shows, shopping trips or simply to take a stroll in a stimulating setting. With travel shut down, some people have rediscovered the beauty of Quebec’s forests. But this summer, the urban forest of downtown Montreal will be the place to be,” said Glenn Castanheira, executive director of Montréal centre-ville.

“The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership is enthusiastic about this key collaboration between our organizations, and grateful for the city and the Government of Quebec’s contribution. Downtown Montreal remains Quebec’s economic and experiential core, and the cultural industries are essential for revitalizing the economy. The Quartier and its Partnership represent the artistic heart of the city, and our city’s creative essence will be central to this summer’s relaunch,” said Monique Simard, chair of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership’s board of directors.

ABOUT MONTRÉAL CENTRE-VILLE

Montréal centre-ville is the Downtown Business Development Corporation (SDC), a non-profit organization whose mission is to contribute to the development, animation and promotion of downtown Montreal. The association has nearly 5,000 member businesses located between Atwater Avenue, Saint-Urbain Street, and between Sherbrooke and Saint-Antoine Streets. Montréal centre-ville was founded in 1999 and is the largest organization of its kind in Canada.

More information: montrealcentreville.ca

ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES PARTNERSHIP

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization with more than 85 members active in the district. It is responsible for animating the Quartier des Spectacles by programming cultural activities, managing and animating public spaces, providing distinctive illumination and promoting the Quartier as a must-visit cultural destination. The Partnership is supported by the Ville de Montréal.

More information: quartierdesspectacles.com

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MEDIA CONTACT

Montréal centre-ville
Dany St-Jean
dstjean14@gmail.com
(514) 212-5457

Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
Vincent Lefebvre
Advisor – Strategic Communications, Partners and Media
vincent.lefebvre@quartierdesspectacles.com
(514) 716-3731