Montréal, September 24, 2021 – The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal is proud to announce today eight creative projects selected as part of its “I love working downtown” initiative. This initiative, launched last March with the financial support of the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation, aims to deploy actions to encourage the return of workers to the downtown core and enhance the area’s attractiveness. The signature creative projects unveiled today will unfold over the next few months in several private and semi-private spaces in the downtown area.
In June, the Chamber issued a call for projects under the theme “Back to abnormality.” Local creators, originators and designers were invited to propose original projects to enhance spaces frequented by workers, in collaboration with downtown property owners. In total, 73 high-quality projects were received, reflecting the vitality of the creative community and the high level of engagement of downtown stakeholders. After a rigorous evaluation process, the Chamber selected eight projects that stood out for their originality and impact. Overall, they will receive funding in the amount of $3.1 million.
“Downtown Montréal continues to be restrained by the public health measures that limit the return of workers to the office buildings. The recovery of commercial activities in this area therefore remains very fragile. However, we can make decisions today that will have a positive impact in the coming months. It was with this in mind that we launched a call for projects and today we are pleased to announce the winners. What is special about this initiative is that it creates a framework for collaboration between the creative industries and the real estate sector,” said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.
“Our businesses have once again shown their inventiveness with these new projects, which will encourage Montrealers to return to the heart of the metropolis that the downtown area represents. It’s a major economic driver for Québec, which is why it’s essential for our government to support it,” said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy and Innovation and Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development.
“These projects build on what Montréal is known for: its creativity and innovation. The amounts invested will help our downtown area regain the vitality that we are so familiar with and that workers, consumers and tourists enjoy. I’m delighted to see these initiatives move forward,” added Chantal Rouleau, Minister for Transport and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal Region.
“We hope these projects will be the starting point for a great creative movement in the downtown area, with more and more players seeking to enhance these private and semi-private spaces in order to attract the curiosity of visitors and contribute to the vibrancy of the sector. I would like to congratulate all the contributors to the winning projects and thank Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon for his support in the deployment of these major projects in the downtown area,” added Michel Leblanc.
The financial assistance is distributed as follows:
|
Project name
|
Name of applicant
|
Target areas
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Season of unveiling
|
Contribution offered
|
|
Festival Art Souterrain XL (project name)
|
Art Souterrain
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Several areas
|
Spring2022
|
$315,000
|
|
Projet d’art mural des Canadiens de Montréal
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Montréal Canadiens, LNDMRK and Lumenpulse
|
Cour Rio Tinto and Plaza des Canadiens
|
Fall2021
|
$415,000
|
|
Jardin d'hologrammes, de l'autre côté de l'écran (project name)
|
Collectif Escargo and Multicolore
|
Tour CIBC
|
Spring2022
|
$400,000
|
|
Les Espaces temps (project name)
|
Complexe Desjardins
|
Complexe Desjardins
|
Winter2022
|
$195,000
|
|
Bouchées sonores (project name)
|
Daily tous les jours and Nicolas Fonseca
|
Le Central
|
Winter2021
|
$385,000
|
|
Normal Mtl
|
Harrison Fun
|
Delta Hotels
|
Spring2022
|
$320,000
|
|
Projet d'animation et d'installation artistique à Place Ville Marie (project name)
|
Ivanhoé Cambridge
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Esplanade Place Ville-Marie
|
Summer2022
|
$500,000
|
|
Les jeux augmentés (project name)
|
Moment Factory
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Location to come
|
Winter2022
|
$595,600
|
Details of the projects will be disclosed over the coming months. The contributions announced will be issued subject to a formal agreement with the developers. Consult the full program on the Chamber website.
About the “I love working downtown” initiative
“I love working downtown” is an initiative of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal carried out with support from the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation. Its objective is to accelerate the revival of downtown Montréal.
About the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM)
With a network of 8,000 members, the CCMM is active on two fronts: being the voice of the Montréal business community and delivering specialized services to businesses and their representatives. With its finger on the pulse of current events, it acts on issues that are decisive for the prosperity of the city’s businesses. With the support of the Acclr experts, the CCMM’s goal is to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes, at home and around the world.
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Source:
Dominique Talbot
Advisor, Media Relations
Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514-871-4000, ext. 4052
dtalbot@ccmm.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
To continue the discussion: #ccmm