Peel Street festivities for the Grand Prix of Canada - The pioneer festival celebrates its 25th anniversary!

    MONTREAL, June 4 /CNW Telbec/ - Peel Street is revving up, as usual, to
welcome the most exciting motorsports event of the year. More festive than
ever, the street is celebrating the 25th edition of the "Peel Street
Festivities" on the occasion of the Grand Prix du Canada, organized by the
Regroupement des commerçants de la rue Peel, which is the Peel Street
merchants' association.
    Every night of Grand Prix weekend, from Thursday, June 7th to Sunday,
June 10th, Peel Street will turn into a pedestrian street, between de
Maisonneuve Blvd. and Ste- Catherine Street, from 5:30 p.m. to midnight,
except for Sunday, and it will be closed to traffic from 9 a.m. Some
250 outstanding cars, of the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, Austin-Healey, Fiat
500 and Alfa Romeo will respectively take over this section of the street for
the pleasure of Montrealers and tourists gathering by the hundreds of
thousands in the downtown core for the festivities.
    Initiated in 1982 by Alain Creton, owner of Chez Alexandre restaurant,
the Peel Street Festivities went from a one-night party to a four-night
festival, becoming an exciting annual event open to the general public. Peel
Street was the first to become pedestrian during the Grand Prix.
    "All of the Peel Street merchants are delighted to be actively involved
in this tremendous Grand Prix spectacle by welcoming locals and visitors alike
to the glamour of the Peel Street Festivities, which embody the panache and
elegance that are on a par with this elite sport," said Mr. Creton, the Peel
Street merchants' association spokesperson. "We're thrilled to see that by
getting the ball rolling on Grand Prix week festivities we have helped make
the Montreal race one of the most highly regarded events on the F1 circuit,"
he added, speaking at a news conference today at Alexandre & Fils, with a
number of dignitaries on hand for the occasion.
    The Peel Street Festivities, which has been in existence almost as long
as the Montreal Grand Prix itself, got its start almost by chance. When the
event was in its fourth year, the catering services of the restaurant
Alexandre were required for a party organized by a neighbouring merchant for
the Luigi Ferrari Club of Quebec. This resulted in a throng of people on Peel
Street admiring the guests' sleek Ferraris. Police eventually arrived to
disperse the traffic jam, and they suggested to the restaurant owner that
proper arrangements be made in the future to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
    The following year, Alain Creton, owner of Alexandre & Fils, and
spokesperson of the Peel Street merchants' association, took the initiative to
close Peel Street to traffic, making it a place where pedestrians could
leisurely stroll and take a look the magnificent collection of Ferraris.
Today, hundreds of thousands of people are able to admire, free of charge,
these impressive vehicles.

    2007 Peel Street Festivities schedule
    -------------------------------------

    Inaugurating the festivities on Thursday, June 7th around 5:30 p.m. the
Club Luigi Ferrari of Quebec will make its grand entrance with a fleet of some
40 gleaming Ferraris accompanied by a Montreal police motorcade and will take
over Peel Street until midnight.
    On Friday, June 8th from 5:30 p.m. until midnight, the Club Austin-Healy
of Quebec will be the star attraction, with the participation of its
president, Mr. Roger Hamel and, visiting from his native England, Mr. Jerry
Cocker, the car's designer who just celebrated his 83rd birthday.
Austin-Healys are the official cars that transport the racers during the Grand
Prix parade.
    On Saturday, June 9th starting at 5:30 p.m., Fiats and Alfa Romeos will
occupy center stage, in the presence of Mr. Paolo Spataro, president of the
Club Fiat 500 of Montreal.
    Then, on Sunday, June 10th from 9 a.m., Peel Street will welcome the Club
Porsche of Quebec, displaying more than 60 exotic cars. The festivities will
end with a post-race "Mumm Cordon Rouge" night at the restaurant
Alexandre & Fils.

For further information:

For further information: Alain Creton, spokesperson, Regroupement des
commerçants de la rue Peel, (514) 240-7831, resto@chezalexandre.com