Minister Shelly Glover and Members of the Montréal, Cultural Metropolis Steering Committee Discuss and Share Artistic Interests and Passions

Minister takes the opportunity to announce a major investment from the Government of Canada in the Montréal en Histoires - Memory City project

MONTRÉAL, Feb. 28, 2014 /CNW/ - Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Shelly Glover was pleased to attend the meeting of the Montréal, Cultural Metropolis Steering Committee. This committee consists of members of the cultural and business communities and the municipal, provincial, and federal governments, including Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.

The meeting was an opportunity to review the achievements that have fostered Montréal's cultural influence and development since the creation of the 2007-2017 Action Plan, and to discuss actions that will be taken to further raise the city's cultural profile on the world stage.

The meeting was followed by the launch of At a Glance 2013, an annual publication listing the city's major cultural achievements. Minister Glover then revealed her own favourite artistic experience of the year, the film Gabrielle by director Louise Archambault.

Minister Glover also took the opportunity to announce, on behalf of the Government of Canada, an investment of $3.5 million in the Montréal en Histoires - Memory City project, part of the programming for Montréal's 375^th anniversary celebrations. Of this total, $1 million comes from Canadian Heritage's Canada Cultural Spaces Fund and $2.5 million from the Quebec Economic Development Program of Canada Economic Development.

Quick Facts

• At the first Rendez-vous Montréal, Cultural Metropolis in 2007, cultural and business community representatives and government partners agreed on a 10-year action plan to make Montréal a world-class cultural metropolis.
• The organization's priorities include greater citizen access to culture, investment in cultural infrastructure, funding for arts organizations, and an expansion of Montréal's influence in Quebec, the rest of Canada and abroad.
  
• The Montréal en Histoires - Memory City project consists of producing a media work made up of multimedia projections that will trace the history of the city in the historic district of Old Montréal. This project is part of the programming for the celebrations of Montréal's 375 ^th anniversary, which coincide with the 150^th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.

Quotes

"Our Government is pleased to take part in major initiatives like Montréal, Cultural Metropolis. The Steering Committee, composed of representatives of three levels of government and members of the business and cultural communities, is committed to enriching communities through the promotion of arts and culture."
- Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

"By providing funding to the Montréal en Histoires - Memory City project, our Government is demonstrating that tourism, culture, and technological innovation are central to our strategy for growth. This technological showcase, which recounts chapters of Montréal's history, is also a unique opportunity to promote creativity and innovation as major assets for development."
- Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.

Associated Links
Montréal, Cultural Metropolis
Montréal en Histoires
Canada Cultural Space Fund
Quebec Economic Development Program

SOURCE: Canadian Heritage

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Contacts

Marisa Monnin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages
819-997-7788

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
[email protected]

Michèle-Jamali Paquette
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
514-496-1282
[email protected]

Media Relations
Canada Economic Development
514-283-8818
[email protected]