MONTREAL, May 31 /CNW Telbec/ - Approximately 350 members of the national
and international press covering the Canadian Grand Prix, as well as
1,000 Formula One members now have modern facilities that provide more space
and comfort.
At a cost of $5.5 million, the new international press centre and new
paddock installations at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve were opened today in
the presence of Mr. Normand Legault, president and CEO of the Grand Prix of
Canada, the Honourable Michael M Fortier, Minister of Public Works and
Government Services Canada and Minister responsible for the Region of
Montreal, the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of the Economic
Development Agency of Canada, Mr. Raymond Bachand, Minister of Tourism,
Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade and Minister
responsible for the Region of Montreal, and Gérald Tremblay, mayor of
Montreal, and Mr. John Dunn, executive vice-president of Tourism Montreal.
Mr. Legault thanked the Government of Canada, the Government of Quebec
and Tourisme Montreal for offering financial support to this project to
modernize important facilities of the Canadian Grand Prix. "I am convinced
that journalists who use the services of our press centre to talk about
Montreal, Quebec and Canada throughout the world, will greatly appreciate the
fruits of this investment," he said.
The new press centre is installed at the Olympic Basin. For the first
time, all media services will be grouped together: the media centre, the media
cafeteria and the photo area. Photographers, who had to go to the opposite end
of the Olympic Basin to process and send their images, will be no longer
isolated.
Until last year, accredited Canadian Grand Prix journalists were crowding
into the control tower to cover the event. Becoming too cramped, this tower no
longer met their needs.
On the other hand, some 1,000 paddock members can also gather in renewed
area. In addition to the usual facilities, the Canadian Grand Prix now offers
each of the teams new modules, built on two floors, which will allow them to
work in a much more spacious, more functional and more comfortable
environment.
Mr. Legault said that the press centre and new paddock installations were
temporary accommodations. After each Grand Prix, they will be dismantled and
reinstalled for the next edition. "They will not have to suffer the effects of
our harsh winters," he said.
In addition, the existence of the new press centre and new paddock
facilities will enable representatives of Formula One Management (FOM) and the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to occupy the installations in
the control tower.
"We have had to live with a site that presented a lot of challenges with
the space available to handle everything involved around a Formula One race.
And that's why today I am very proud of what we have achieved for our great
event next weekend. So, I would like to thank our team for the superb work
they have accomplished inside the very limited area. They succeeded
brilliantly, and in a short period of time, to maximize the limited spaces
still available on this section of Ile Notre-Dame," said Legault.
Lastly, Mr. Legault emphasized the financial participation of the City of
Montreal to improve the electrical power supply for the circuit
Gilles-Villeneuve. Power supply systems will be installed nearby the garages
by the Société Jean-Drapeau. They will replace the existing generators, which
were to be leased annually to ensure the electrical power required. This work
will be completed in time for the 31st edition of the Canadian Grand Prix in
2009.
The 30th edition of the Canadian Grand Prix will be held from June 6 to
8, at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Ile Notre-Dame.
www.grandprix.ca
For further information: François-Olivier Gagnon, Communications André
Bouthillier, (514) 732-4114, (514) 686-1463
