Montréal, November 18, 2014 – The I see mtl event took place yesterday in a dynamic, creative atmosphere, with more than 1,500 participants in attendance at Place des Arts. At the end of the day, L. Jacques Ménard, Chairman of BMO Nesbitt Burns and president of BMO Financial Group, Quebec, and Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, both spokespeople for I see mtl, handed Montréal Mayor Denis Coderre a book with commitments for 180 projects signed by leaders who are passionate about Montréal and are mobilizing to revitalize its economy.
“The energy, level of commitment and synergy between I see mtl participants show that there is a new movement among the city’s vital forces and that Montréal’s revitalization is already well under way,” said L. Jacques Ménard.
“The challenge we issued Montrealers with I see mtl was to dare to see the city in a new light,” Michel Leblanc said. “With I see mtl, we have managed a tour de force: creating a change in the state of mind of Montrealers. Yesterday’s event was a collective inoculation against cynicism. This is definitely a turning point for the city.”
After getting the ball rolling in the presence of the Mayor of Montréal, Denis Coderre, and Minister of Transport and Minister responsible for the Montréal region, Robert Poëti, participants in I see mtl presented their projects to revitalize Montréal and offered suggestions to enhance those of others. In total, close to 240 projects made headway, through 120 workshops and a Lab Zone where project leaders had the benefit of the expertise of strategic advisors.
The workshops were followed by a discussion among journalists Karima Brikh (TVA), Simon Durivage (ICI Radio-Canada), Peter Hadekel (Montreal Gazette) and René Vézina (Les Affaires), who shared their impressions after acting as observers for the day. Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard then addressed participants, calling I see mtl a “major event in the contemporary history of Montréal and Quebec.”
The spokespeople for I see mtl would like to thank the organizing committee, made up of organizations from every sphere of Montréal society, the partners, the suppliers and the many volunteers who made the event possible. The complete list of organizing committee members and partners is available at iseemtl.com. The November 17 event was hosted by business journalist Gérald Fillion.
Launched by BMO in partnership with the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, I see mtl is a movement driven by leaders from every sphere of society who want to help restore confidence and pride in the city and its economy. The goal of the November 17 event was to adopt a sustainable revitalization program for the city, structured around three priority areas: attracting and retaining talent, business vitality and reinvigorating our living environment. Each priority area was made up of concrete, measureable projects that will be carried out by leaders, companies and organizations from the city. The ambition is to help restore Greater Montréal’s momentum and bring more prosperity to the region.
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Information:
Michelle LLambias Meunier
Advisor, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4042
mllambias@ccmm.qc.ca
Valérie Doucet
Director, Media Relations
BMO Financial Group
Tel.: 514 877-8224
valerie.doucet@bmo.com