Announcement of the winners of the 2009 Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal:
TELUS, Les Brasseurs du Nord and Mr. Maurice Forget

MONTREAL , Dec. 9 /CNW Telbec/ - The co-chairs of the Honorary Committee for the Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal, Michel Leblanc , President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal , and Louise Roy , President of the Conseil des arts de Montréal, have announced the names of the three winners of the 2009 edition of the Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal. This year, TELUS (Large enterprise category), Les Brasseurs du Nord (SME category) and Mr. Maurice Forget , a partner at Fasken Martineau (Arts/Business Personality category), take home the honours.

Every year, these prestigious prizes are awarded to a large enterprise, an SME and a business personality who have been actively involved in culture. Their support can take a variety of forms: the loan of a collection, a fundraising campaign, sitting on a board of directors, etc. Cultural organizations in the Greater Montréal area nominate the companies and businesspeople that have offered them invaluable support.

"Montréal's cultural sector is a source of wealth: it generates $12 billion in annual economic benefits, $8 billion of that in direct benefits, or 6% of the city's GDP," says Michel Leblanc , President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal . "In spite of this, the city's creative core remains fragile. The income of artists, authors, composers and performers is half the average salary in Montréal. The private sector is already an important player in funding culture, but the challenge is to find the means to further our support. The Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal have been created specifically to encourage the worlds of business and the arts to come together. By recognizing the major patrons and making their commitment known, we hope to inspire others to follow in their footsteps."

"The three winners of the 2009 Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal demonstrate that the commitment of companies and businesspeople has a significant and formative impact on the development of arts organizations," says Louise Roy , President of the Conseil des arts de Montréal. "But the reverse is just as true. It's difficult to measure the effect of a work of art on the wall of an office, a noontime concert, an evening at the theatre or a simple discussion with an artist. And yet, the impact on the performance and creativity of employees and managers is just as significant and formative for companies. The two communities have a lot to gain from working together."

In the Large enterprise category, TELUS earned the Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal, sponsored by the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS). Thanks to the involvement of TELUS, for over three years the NTS has been able to offer its students an additional stream of training, called Theatre for Young Audiences. TELUS has also received letters of support from eight other cultural organizations.

The winner in the SME category is Les Brasseurs du Nord, which has supported not only Vues d'Afrique for almost 10 years now, but also a large number of cultural events, particularly related to the emergence of new talent in Quebec music.

Finally, Mr. Maurice Forget , a partner at Fasken Martineau, has won the Prix Arts-Affaires in the Arts-Business Personality category. A well-known figure on the Montréal cultural scene, Maurice Forget is being honoured for his outstanding contribution to the Stewart Hall Art Gallery , but also to 22 other organizations that he actively supports.

The jury was made up of Mr. Wah Keung Chan , publisher and editor of La Scena Musicale, Ms. Arlette Côté, Corporate Director, Communications and Public Affairs at Loto-Québec, Mr. Daniel Dion , General and Artistic Director of Oboro, Mr. François Forget, a consultant with Forget Idéation-conseil, and Ms. Véronique Lacroix, Artistic Director of the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal.

About the Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal

The Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal are an initiative of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and the Conseil des arts de Montréal, in collaboration with daily newspaper Le Devoir and ARTV, that aim to reward businesses and individuals who have shown their support for Montréal arts and cultural organizations.

About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal

The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has some 7,000 members. Its primary mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec's leading private economic development organization.

About the Conseil des arts de Montréal

A dynamic partner of Montréal artistic creation, the Conseil des arts de Montréal supports and recognizes excellence in professional artistic creation, production, and distribution through financial support, advice, and cooperative and development actions. For over 50 years, the Conseil des arts de Montréal has contributed through its actions to the development of "Montréal, cultural metropolis."

For further information: Sylvie Paquette, Coordinator, Media Relations, Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, [phone], extension 4015, [email protected]; Christian O'Leary, Director of Communications and Development, Conseil des arts de Montréal, [phone], [email protected]