MONTREAL - At its annual conference on tourism prospects, an event that kicks off Montreal's fall tourism season, Tourisme Montreal presented the city's new tourism products in the areas of infrastructure, attractions and legacy projects that will help the city stand out as a premier tourist destination.
Here are a few notable examples:
The new Fort Ville-Marie building at Point-a-Calliere Museum. This project will give the public a glimpse of the city's birthplace by showcasing the vestiges of Fort Ville-Marie. Dating back to 1642, this building is where Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve and Jeanne Mance founded Ville-Marie.
In addition to moving forward with the construction of several works of public art -like the creation by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa at the Bonaventure entrance to the downtown core- the city will refresh its look with the development of several public spaces. This includes a future square outside Champ-de-Mars metro station that will act as a pivot point between the city's old and new districts. It will simultaneously serve as a gateway, meeting place and space for discovery.
The Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal is a jewel in the city's religious and cultural heritage. It also happens to be strategically located for tourism in the heart of Old Montreal. A new multimedia project called A ciel ouvert will be created for 2017 in collaboration with Moment Factory. This project will illuminate the basilica's beauty and spiritual richness through a spectacular immersive experience designed to appeal to Montrealers and tourists alike.
Among the legacy projects being developed for 2017, five works integrated directly into the architecture will make up the Sentier de la paix at the new Pavilion for Peace at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Scheduled for inauguration on November 9, the new pavilion will showcase MMFA's international collections dating from the Middle Ages through to Picasso's time. These collections are unequalled in Quebec and among the best in Canada. The collection includes a considerably expanded Old Masters section thanks to the Hornstein donation.
Also, a new 3.8-kilometre Promenade Fleuve-Montagne is planned. Starting from Pointe-a-Calliere Museum, it will take pedestrians up to Mount Royal via a path featuring a variety of signature Montreal experiences. The inauguration is scheduled for May 2017.
Finally, Montreal's top museums have some exciting exhibits on the agenda. Leonard Cohen – A Crack in Everything will be presented at the Musee d'art contemporain throughout 2017. Pointe-a-Calliere Museum will present Allo, Montreal ! Les collections historiques de Bell Canada until January 2018. Works from Notman, the visionary photographer, will be exhibited at the McCord Museum.
"I would like to salute all these enthusiastic efforts to make the city such an appealing destination. Montreal's tourism product shows true innovation and these latest additions are sure to delight tourists coming to Montreal," said Pierre Bellerose, Vice President, Tourist Product Development at Tourisme Montreal.
This conference, which was presented to leaders from Montreal's tourism industry, was also an opportunity to rally the sector around the festivities planned for Montreal's 375th anniversary. The celebrations will include more than 150 events across the city. These will range from special lighting projects to shows on the river, and include opportunities to connect with the city's varied neighbourhoods and heritage. In short, it will be an opportunity to rediscover Montreal. "We invite all Quebecers to come rediscover the city and see just how welcoming Montrealers are."
