Save our festivals as we did with the Grand Prix

Jacques Primeau could not leave the management of Montréal en Lumière without raising a cry of alarm to protect the major festivals of the metropolis which are currently going through a major crisis.

“A few years ago, we saw an incredible mobilization to prevent the Grand Prix from slipping away from us. There, it’s more than that. We could lose part of Montreal’s DNA. The city center is the lungs of Montreal. We have to take care of it. »

I spoke with the man who became known as the “manager of RBO” when he had just experienced his last edition of Montreal in Lights. The man had a lot to say.

Jacques Primeau is bowing out at a time when a Montreal flagship, the Just for Laughs festival, is seriously failing. On this subject, he wants to make one thing clear. “We must make a distinction between the Just for Laughs problem and the situation affecting other festivals. What is happening now is that the Quartier des spectacles has developed, people are coming as much, if not more, but they are spending less. There is therefore a loss of income. »

Among the solutions that could enable the survival of Montreal festivals, Jacques Primeau targets financial assistance from those who “benefit from the spinoffs” of the Quartier des spectacles: merchants, bar owners, restaurateurs and even real estate developers.

“We need to analyze the economic benefits of festivals and see who benefits,” he says. We must then ask ourselves whether we are supported equitably by them. In my opinion, there is more effort that can be made. Could it come from the property owners who have benefited enormously from the boom in the Quartier des spectacles? Should we look at the real estate value of this sector which has greatly increased? I do not have the answer. You have to scrutinize everything. »

Many discussions between the City of Montreal, the Quartier des spectacles Partnership, Tourisme Montréal, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, downtown Montreal and numerous festivals have taken place in recent months.

This was confirmed to me by Ericka Alneus, responsible for culture on the executive committee of the City of Montreal. “It is too early to announce a plan, but one thing is certain, we are in a new paradigm and we must adjust things accordingly. […] Concerning a special tax, we lack a lot of data to make an informed decision. »

If the public comes in such large numbers to festivals, it is because many major events are free. Would we be ready to revisit this model? Interviewed last Saturday on the show Facts FirstJacques Primeau recognized that the paid system put forward by the Festival d’été de Québec is a good thing, but felt that this would be difficult to achieve on the Place des Festivals site.

“I defend free access because it plays an important role in the development of the public and the democratization of culture. And then, it must be said, it encourages social gatherings at a time when we send invectives to each other on social networks. »

Another aspect that could improve the fate of Montreal festivals is the permanent pedestrianization of Sainte-Catherine Street (De Bleury–Saint-Laurent section). You will tell me that this has already been quite the case for several years, but Jacques Primeau believes that a lasting closure would offer more latitude to the organizers.

“With the creation of a huge public square, we could see sustainability and imagine urban furniture and installations differently. We could have a bolder artistic vision. »

Ericka Alneus hesitates to confirm this, contenting herself with saying that there is an “appetite” for pedestrianization. “For the moment, we apply the renewal formula every year. » But when I presented to her the idea of ​​connecting the section of Place des Festivals to that of the Gay Village (Saint-Hubert–Papineau), she told me this: “I listen to your suggestion carefully. »

The development of the Tranquille Esplanade completed the vast picture of the Quartier des spectacles on rue Sainte-Catherine. Work now remains to be done on the Saint-Denis street side. The projects of the School of Humor and the Maison de la chanson will be important assets. “That’s what we wanted at the start, to create a concentration of cultural organizations,” says Jacques Primeau. But the most important thing to realize is the quality of the content. You have to be able to afford that. »

I can’t believe that with his rich background (president of ADISQ from 2000 to 2003, president and vice-president of the board of the Partenariat du Quartier des spectacles from 2012 to 2019, member of the board of directors of the Société de development of cultural enterprises), Jacques Primeau will now manage the careers of his artists while growing tomatoes?

“I’ll be honest, I have nothing against the concept of retirement, but at the moment, I’m not practicing. I’m going to continue to take care of my artists, but for the rest, we’ll see! »