The City of Montreal launched Tuesday evening The bright moments of the heart of the island, an initiative that promises a “memorable winter experience” in the city’s downtown core. Some two million dollars are granted there to ensure the vitality of the neighborhood hard hit by the pandemic.
Montreal invited the media on Tuesday evening in the heart of Square Phillips to announce the winter relaunch of the city’s downtown area, overseen by the Downtown Alliance.
Illuminated squares, shows, festivals and public art. This is what the initiative promises The bright moments of the heart of the islanda “profitable” project for Quebec, believes the director of Montreal downtown, Glenn Castanheira.
“The gateway to tourism in Quebec is downtown Montreal, which generates major economic spinoffs,” he said.
“If people don’t enjoy coming downtown, they won’t come. Neither for work, nor for shopping and nor for the rest. It is an essential base for the revival of the city centre, ”he said.
By the way, a recent Léger survey revealed that 91% of Montrealers travel downtown for pleasure. No less than 56% of the Quebec population and 62% of tourists also visit the area for entertainment.
A partnership between the City of Montreal, the Quartier des Spectacles, the Downtown Montreal Commercial Development Corporation, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and Tourisme Montreal, The bright moments of the heart of the island thus aims to “radiate” the city center and the Quartier des spectacles, “the largest cultural district in North America”, specified the chair of its board of directors, Monique Simard.
No less than half a million lights will be suspended in the heart of the city to highlight the architectural heritage, as well as public and commercial spaces. Glenn Castanheira also specified that all of these 12 kilometers of lights represent in energy consumption seven and a half clothes dryers.
“Montreal is a world-class northern metropolis. It is important for the City of Montreal to celebrate this northernness and to associate it with a cultural offer accessible to the entire population and to tourists,” said Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon.
The Luminothérapie interactive works trail in the Quartier des Spectacles will once again be set in motion for a 13e edition, near the refrigerated ice rink on the Esplanade Tranquille.
“You haven’t seen anything yet. Last year, we were unable to deploy [l’esplanade Tranquille] in all that she would be […] Rockefeller Center just has to stand. Our rink is going to be very competitive in North America,” said Monique Simard.
The Montreal Chamber of Commerce is also getting hands-on with the installation of several creative and sensory projects, as part of its “I like working downtown” initiative.
Since the pandemic, about 80% of workers return to downtown towers at least one day a week, Glenn Castanheira noted. “We want to continue the momentum we have right now. We are clearly going in the right direction, he claims. You have to build the destination first and everything else follows. »
Visitors and Montrealers will also be able to enjoy several other winter activities in the heart of the city, including the Grand Christmas Market, digital artistic projections, Montréal en lumière and the Noël dans le Parc festival.