LIGHT AND LIFE IN THE HEART OF MONTREAL THIS WINTER

LUMINOTHÉRAPIE, JARDINS D'HIVER AND THE FOLLOW SANTA CLAUS TRAIL

Montreal, November 13, 2020 – The heart of Montreal will be alive and well this winter! From November 15 to mid-March, the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, SDC Montréal centre-ville, Le Village de Noël de Montréal (Montreal’s Christmas Village), XP_MTL and their partners will present a complementary set of rich experiences showcasing the city’s creativity. Montrealers are invited to come downtown to enjoy the winter safely with a multitude of free activities this Holiday Season. Luminous installations, enchanting decorations and inviting spaces will be in place along Sainte-Catherine Street east of Atwater and in the Quartier des Spectacles, while Sainte-Catherine Street will be a pedestrian zone between De Bleury and Saint-Laurent.

Downtown is the perfect place to make the most of winter in the city. It will welcome visitors for their holiday shopping, set the stage for heartwarming family moments and invite everyone to be part of the city’s beating heart.

“The last few months have not been easy for Montrealers, who have been preoccupied with the multi-front battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. With winter and the Holiday Season fast approaching, I am delighted to see that creativity will once again take centre stage to bring joy to what will be a challenging winter. Downtown needs your support more than ever, and I invite the public to come out in force to see what’s taking shape in the heart of our city. Come support our merchants – they’re eager to welcome everyone with open arms,” said Montreal mayor Valérie Plante. 

ORIGINAL AND ENCHANTING WINTER EXPERIENCES

Lights on Peel: honouring the Kanien’keha:ka clans

Starting November 15, 2020
Peel Street
An initiative of SDC Montréal centre-ville in partnership with the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, Heritage Portfolio, Korlcc and the borough of Ville-Marie

Be transported by the magic of festive lights on downtown streets, especially on Peel Street, where you’ll travel back in time and discover the history and origins of the Kanien’keha:ka clans. The stunning decorations and lighting will complement downtown shopping excursions, which promise to be anything but dull this year. In addition to the various activities, a Christmas contest and a “Win your purchases” campaign will help support the area’s merchants and restaurants this Holiday Season. For more information, visit montrealcentreville.ca

Follow Santa Claus

November 21 to December 28, 2020
Sainte-Catherine St.
A co-production of SDC Montréal centre-ville and Dotti&cie

By setting out in search of Santa, the whole family will discover a fun trail to launch the Holidays safely. Christmas-related items have been hidden in downtown merchants’ windows. With the Follow Santa Claus pass, you can help Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer put on a party for all the children by participating in two fun and challenging free activities: the journey of the mischievous elves and Rudolph’s Mission. Participants will have a chance to win one of several prizes valued at a total of more than $20,000! The walk will also feature three favourite floats from Montreal’s Santa Claus Parade: the toy workshop, the post office and the ever-popular Santa’s sleigh.

Luminothérapie | Cœur battant

December 3, 2020, to March 14, 2021
Quartier des Spectacles

This year’s Luminothérapie experience will be a series of luminous, auditory, participatory and thought-provoking experiences throughout the Quartier. Visitors will be able to explore ten installations by local creatives, to be added incrementally until mid-March. The result will be a dazzling series of sound and light experiences along Sainte-Catherine St.

The works include the iconic Loop, created by Olivier Girouard, Jonathan Villeneuve and Ottoblix, which will return to Place des Festivals with new visuals celebrating Quebec literature, thanks to the support of SODEC. Loop comprises 12 giant zoetropes; visitors activate the devices to trigger flip-book-style animations of images by Quebec illustrators, inspired by timeless literary works by Joséphine Bacon, Dany Laferrière and Wajdi Mouawad, among other authors. To complement the animations, a video projection titled Index, by Ottoblix, will be shown on the façade of UQAM’s Pavillon Président-Kennedy.

Jardins d’Hiver

December 5, 2020 to January 3, 2021
Place des Arts Esplanade and Sainte-Catherine St. in the Quartier des Spectacles
An initiative of Village de Noël de Montréal (Montreal’s Christmas Village)

A magical stroll! The Jardins d’Hiver – winter gardens – will delight visitors of all ages as they explore a very special trail leading to the big Christmas tree and to cozy little cottages displaying enchanting dioramas. Whether you visit with family or friends, take some time to relax at the Forgerie or the Fabrique, a pair of terrasses featuring a unique and inviting ambiance and festive lighting. Between shopping trips or after a meal from a nearby restaurant, the Jardins d’Hiver will be a great place to take a break and enjoy the beauty of the Holiday Season in Montreal

Buy Local

An XP_MTL initiative

XP_MTL invites Montrealers to buy local and support downtown merchants with their holiday shopping. Need ideas? Six influencers were asked to share their favourite downtown stores and restaurants. Visit xpmtl.com to get inspired!

Stay tuned for some Holiday magic: XP_MTL plans to bring some comfort to Montreal this season. Everyone is invited to come downtown to find the best seasonal window display for a chance to win a grand prize on our social media feeds. An experiential odyssey featuring several giant installations in the heart of downtown will delight visitors of all ages, bringing back fond childhood memories and making new ones.

PARTNER QUOTES

“Our studies show that downtown’s competitive advantage over online shopping is a high-quality customer experience. Everything is in place to support the efforts of our thousands of member businesses: better accessibility, Montréal centre-ville’s cleanup crew on the job 7 days a week, more than 700 lighting arrangements already installed in public places, and a full program of activities organized by Montréal centre-ville and our partners.”
Émile Roux, executive director, Montréal centre-ville

“ In the current situation, our city’s core and all Montrealers need an energy boost for the upcoming winter. With that in mind, and continuing in the same vein as our summer initiatives, we and our partners have created an enjoyable and safe experience that invites the public to experience winter and the Holidays in the city differently.”
Éric Lefebvre, executive director, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership

“With the Jardins d’Hiver, we’re creating a soothing experience for Montrealers after a difficult year, and we’re doing it safely. This beautiful project, produced in collaboration with Place des Arts, is made possible by the support of the Ville de Montréal, the Société de développement commercial Montréal centre-ville, Complexe Desjardins and the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership. We thank them and the rest of our partners warmly. Their support has been invaluable at this difficult time.”
Line Basbous, executive director, Village de Noël de Montréal

“Our goal is to spread joy, magic and reassurance throughout the winter, to improve Montrealers’ downtown experience and support local business. With the support of our partners Ivanhoé Cambridge, Montréal Centre-ville and the Ville de Montréal, we are pleased to be part of this community effort and to help support local merchants from Black Friday through the Christmas shopping season.”
Jean-François Daviau, founder of XP_MTL

HOW TO GET TO DOWNTOWN MONTREAL?

• Public transportation: the area is served by numerous STM bus routes and more than ten metro stations on the green and orange lines.

• Driving: free street parking on weekends from November 14 to December 31 and reduced-price parking at Complexe Desjardins until December 31, plus more than 530 underground spaces available through the P$ Montréal Centre-Ville app.

• Cycling: there are countless bike lanes in downtown Montreal.

• The area includes access points for persons with reduced mobility. Please visit the websites for specific places for details.

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 in the area bounded by Atwater, Saint-Urbain, Sherbrooke and Saint-Antoine. Montréal centre-ville was founded in 1999 and is the largest business development corporation of its kind in Canada

Plus d'information :  montrealcentreville.ca

ABOUT DOTTIE&CIE

Dotti&cie is, first and foremost, a collaborative company. Our motto: a great achievement is always backed by a strong team. Its passionate, dynamic team has made Dotti&cie’s a local and international leader in its industry. The company’s credits include numerous projects in a variety of cultural niches, including the production of live shows, major events, live broadcasts and original television programming. Dotti&cie has produced marquee events for clients such as 375^e de Montréal, Loto-Québec, C2 Montréal and many more.

ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES AND THE PARTNERSHIP

The Quartier des Spectacles is Montreal’s cultural heart, boasting North America’s most concentrated and diverse group of cultural venues. Year round, the district is home to countless festivals and events, and hosts innovative urban installations involving cutting-edge lighting design, immersive environments or interactive digital spaces. The Quartier des Spectacles is a showcase for new multimedia technology, making Montreal a global leader in the urban exhibition of digital content.

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 benefits from the support of the Ville de Montréal.

More information: quartierdesspectacles.com

ABOUT VILLAGE DE NOËL DE MONTRÉAL

Village de Noël de Montréal (Montreal’s Christmas Village) is a non-profit organization based in the city’s Sud-Ouest district. Thanks to the success of its Christmas Market outside Atwater Market, whose 2019 edition attracted more than 100,000 visitors, the organization has emerged in just a few years as a major player in Holiday Season special events and facilities in Montreal.

More information: noelmontreal.ca

ABOUT XP_MTL

XP_MTL is a non-profit organization whose mission is to produce annual indoor and outdoor events and festive programming, backed by a strong online presence. The organization contributes to the district’s economic, cultural, social and tourist development as well as the city’s international profile. The XP_MTL project focuses on the quality of the experience offered to people living, working, studying or having fun in the downtown core by presenting programming that highlights the major lifestyle trends: fashion, design, music, beauty and shopping. Last year, XP_MTL presented nearly 170 activities and worked with more than 700 local artists and artisans.

More information: xpmtl.com

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
Mélanie Mingotaud
Communications Mingotwo
melanie@mingo2.ca
(514) 582-5272

Montréal centre-ville
Olivier Lapierre
olivier.olpr@gmail.com
(514) 583-3868

Dotti&cie
Junior Bombardier
Roy & Turner Communications
jbombardier@roy-turner.com
(514) 941-3794

Le Village de Noël de Montréal
Line Basbous
prod@noelmontreal.ca
(514) 550-7646

XP_MTL
Solneige Diaz
Thara Communications
solneige@tharacommunications.com
(514) 449-7219