Piece co-signed by a collective, including Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, and published in La Presse+, Le Devoir, Le Journal de Montréal and The Gazette. List of signatories follows.
This week, Montreal is celebrating its 375th anniversary. This milestone is an opportunity not only to celebrate who we are, but to highlight who we aspire to become. Our resolutely forward-looking outlook, deeply rooted in our history and heritage, is embodied in our signature projects, which is why we feel it is important to acknowledge the true value of the lighting of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, an extraordinary project we can all be proud of.
In lighting one of our city’s most emblematic landmarks, our project partners are ushering Montreal into the limelight, joining cities such as Paris, London and Sydney. Having a monumental illuminated landmark enables these cities to reinforce their status as leading tourist destinations and join the ranks of the most photographed attractions of the planet. Montreal now has a new signature: an illuminated architectural monument that combines its rich heritage with its incredible potential for the future. We need only to see it to truly appreciate it, and we know it will become our best ambassador in this era of social media. The Jacques-Cartier Bridge will be our Eiffel Tower, our London Eye, our Sydney Harbour Bridge!
This new icon is not only a boost for the local tourist industry, already a key part of Montreal’s economy. It will also give our creative industries, especially the thriving new-media sector, a flagship project that will figure prominently in their portfolios. We applaud the foresight of the project’s developers, who brought together an experienced team of design and multimedia studios, and engineering and construction firms. Each of these Montreal companies can look forward to continued growth as a result of the project’s high profile, as well as benefiting from the technological advances needed to successfully execute a project of this scope.
But we must not stop there. The challenge given to local companies and creative minds will continue to have a multiplier effect. Indeed, the lighting of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge has produced numerous new collaborations. These new business ties and affinities will drive our economic growth, enabling us to pool our strengths and take on new markets. Montreal could well become an incubator for consortiums that can offer their services around the world. Who knows how far our creativity will take us!
Beyond its benefits for tourism and the economy, we believe it is important to highlight the power of this endeavour. The success of this unique project of the highest artistic quality means we can declare loud and clear that Montreal is now more than ever a city of possibilities. The bridge is a hallmark of our renewed confidence, which drives us to surpass our limits.
The Jacques-Cartier Bridge, in all its splendour, sends a powerful message to the planet. Montreal is a world-class city, and its vitality is its greatest asset. With our vitality and our bold mindset, we will keep surprising the world.
The Jacques-Cartier Bridge light display begins Wednesday, May 17 at 9:45 p.m.
Signatories:
Paul Arseneault, Transat Chair in Tourism at UQAM and director of the Tourism Intelligence Network
Hubert Bolduc, president and CEO of Montréal International
Stephen Bronfman, executive chairman, Claridge
Claude Cormier, landscape architect; Christiane Germain, co-president, Groupe Germain Hotels
Michel Leblanc, president and CEO, Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
David McAusland, partner, McCarthy Tétrault
Andrew Molson, chair of the board, RES PUBLICA Consulting Group
Andy Nulman, CEO Play The Future and co-founder Just For Laughs
Alan Shepard, president and vice-chancellor, Concordia University