Montréal's 375th anniversary - La Grande Tournée celebrates Montréal: 19 boroughs in 19 weekends!
MONTRÉAL, April 3, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - A major 375th event, La Grande Tournée, presented by Cirque Éloize, will be travelling from end to end of the city throughout the summer to celebrate its history and its people, have fun and live it up in our communities. Each one of the city's 19 boroughs will become the hub for a party that will showcase its one-of-kind character, featuring an array of entertainment from May 12 to September 17. It will give everyone who loves Montréal the chance to discover the city's charms and secrets, celebrate with their families and get to know their neighbours better.
Each weekend, a neighbourhood park will host a panoply of activities, under the artistic direction of Cirque Éloize, that invites you to explore the neighbourhood's charms, have fun, be dazzled and make exciting new discoveries. The entertainment will also spill out onto an adjacent street or back alley where other events also await. This is a fantastic opportunity to experience the dynamism and energy of the city's boroughs during Montréal's 375th and Canada's 150th.
"For me, La Grande Tournée is synonymous with the city's diversity, because when you visit all these boroughs and neighbourhoods, you get to see Montréal in a new light and fall in love with it all over again," said Stefano Faita, chef, restaurateur, television host and author as well as La Grande Tournée ambassador. "My family and I can't wait to visit to all these parks that will be showcased – and it's free for everyone. I'm also really excited to discover all the businesses and their products and our local artists and artisans. You'd be crazy not to take advantage of an event that has so much to offer!"
"Celebrating the 375th anniversary of the founding of Montréal gives us a chance to build bridges between history, cultures and, of course, Montréal's boroughs, as well as to underline the strong sense of community and togetherness that defines Montréal. Our goal for this anniversary was to create an event that unites people and that is meaningful and fun for all Montrealers, and La Grande Tournée does exactly that. This is an incredible chance to celebrate Montréal, the 375th, the diversity of our neighbourhoods and the diversity of Montréal," said Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montréal.
"Our city is renowned for its authentic neighbourhoods, which provide Montrealers with a strong sense of belonging. The Gouvernement du Québec is proud to support La Grande Tournée. It's an initiative that brings people from every neighbourhood together and underscores the pride Montrealers feel in their city, » said Martin Coiteux, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy, Minister of Public Security and Minister responsible for the Montréal region.
"In 2017, we'll be highlighting our communities through Canada 150 celebrations," said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage. "Thanks to La Grande Tournée, several Montréal neighbourhoods will be at the heart of the festivities. What a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and to see our creators, artists and artisans at work!"
PROGRAMMING
Cirque Eloize à ciel ouvert
Activities on the program for every moment of the day. A magical crew will invite the young and the young at heart to participate. On Saturday night, l'Heure magique, a thrilling play with dazzling acrobatics.
La ville suspendue - The McCord Museum Tells the Stories of Montreal
Immerse yourself in the human experiences that have shaped our city. Photographs, stories and historical events intersect to offer an exhibition-installation dedicated to Montréal that is reinvented each weekend and highlights each borough's historical cachet.
Radio-Canada radio live from your park!
Come meet the teams from the ICI RADIO-CANADA PREMIÈRE and ICI MUSIQUE programs, catch live music performances and take part in an array of activities. Weekend-long, experience Radio-Canada radio while lounging on the grass!
Grands Apéros – Quebec's Food Truck Association
We've set the table for a giant picnic that showcases the cream of the crop of each neighbourhood's businesses, restaurants and food artisans.
Les postes du futur – Comptoir public
Give the future a peek at your past by writing a postcard to the address of your choice… that will arrive 25 years from now, just in time for Montréal's 400th. What part of your history will you be sharing with the future?
Chats de ruelles – Presented by Le Comité cooperative in partnership with La Tohu
Chats de ruelles is a party that will take place each weekend in different back alleys of Montréal's 19 boroughs. Urban agriculture workshops, circus performances and augmented reality are all on the menu!
Talking Windows – Diasol
Residents from your borough will be lending artists their windows to exhibit their artworks. One street in every borough will be transformed into an open-air art gallery and meeting place. Don't miss this truly unique exhibition!
Neighbourhood Treasure Hunts – VDM
Think you know Montréal's boroughs? Two treasure hunts (one for children, one for adult), in paper or 375MTL app format, will test participants' knowledge of Montréal's neighbourhoods in a fun and educational way.
Vélo Paradiso – Wapikoni
Projector bikes will be visiting Montréal's 19 boroughs to present short films and video clips created through collaborations between First Nations musicians and the city's cultural communities on giant screens.
Sucré Salé celebrates the 375th
Every Friday between May 12 and September 15, Patrice Bélanger and his team of cultural correspondents will delve deeper into one of Montréal's 19 boroughs through cultural interviews held in iconic and off-the-beaten-path locations.
Sustainable involvement for a sustainable legacy!
President's Choice will be bringing modern, multigenerational, sustainable and unique picnic tables, created by design students at the Université de Montréal, to all of Montréal's boroughs. Thanks to the Amplifier Montréal movement, the Maison de l'Innovation Sociale will use this opportunity to speak with the children and teens from each neighbourhood to find out how they envisage the future of the city. Following this, Desjardins will propose VivaCité, a fun activity for the whole family that will raise money for local youth organizations. Sustainable involvement for a sustainable legacy!
ABOUT THE SOCIETY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF MONTRÉAL'S 375TH ANNIVERSARY
The Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary is a non-profit organization whose mission is to organize the celebrations and socioeconomic contributions that will mark Montréal's 375th anniversary in 2017. With a focus on promoting Montréal expertise, it acts as a catalyst for local forces in carrying out its mandate: to mobilize the community, implement a funding strategy, rigorously manage public funds, develop quality programming and ensure the visibility of the celebrations.
The Society benefits from the support of the Ville de Montréal, the Québec government, the Canada government and private funding from 12 Great Montrealers. For more information, see http://www.375mtl.com
- You can find all our press releases and additional pictures and videos in our virtual press room.
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- To learn more about the contribution of the Québec government to Montréal's 375th Anniversary celebrations, click here.
SOURCE Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal
For further information: Véronique Lavoie, Public Relations Manager for La Grande Tournée, C. 514-554-2161, [email protected]; Isabelle Pelletier, Head of Media Relations, Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary, C. 514-238-4178, [email protected]
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