Tourisme Montréal launches its list of sustainable restaurants Français

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Tourisme Montréal

Jul 31, 2013, 08:18 ET

MONTREAL, July 31, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - During their travels, leisure travelers and business tourists have become increasingly sensitive to issues related to the respect of the environment. In the array of initiatives aimed at developing sustainable tourism in the city, Tourisme Montréal has launched a brand-new useful tool: a list of sustainable restaurants. A first in its field, this list of 19 member restaurants will allow food lovers from here and afar to locate, in one single click, an establishment that has adopted sound eco-friendly and socially responsible practices.

Over the past several years, a significant number of requests by tourists, especially in the business tourism sector, has convinced Tourisme Montréal of the need to list sustainable restaurants.

"Since 2008, Tourisme Montréal has been working in concert with the tourism industry to make Montréal a greener destination," says the Honourable Charles Lapointe, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal. "Sustainable gastronomy is a boon to the local economy and our environment and it satisfies a demand on the part of tourists. Showcasing it makes perfect sense for everybody."

With no existing program to certify restaurant owners' management systems that are accessible or adapted to the Montréal market, Tourisme Montréal joined the firm Viatao, which specializes in sustainable tourism. Among the 31 Montréal restaurants that were listed1, 19 distinguished themselves by their commitment in sustainability.

Numbering among this brand-new list is the restaurant Toqué!, considered a pioneer of Québec gastronomy for shining the spotlight on local products and producers.

"The produce growers, fishermen, wine growers and livestock producers of Québec have been in the DNA of Toqué! from the very beginning," says Toqué's and Brasserie T's chef and co-owner and Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux, Normand Laprise. "The list proposed by Tourisme Montréal is a relevant tool in a world where consumers want to stay better informed of where their food is coming from, all while continuing to enjoy the pleasures of eating."

The restaurant also sets itself apart by using ingredients that are 90% local, often from organic agriculture, its LEED EB-certified building that integrates recycling and composting, as well as its very good employment conditions. The restaurant has also recently built a rooftop garden, allowing it to grow its own vegetables right in the heart of the city.

The list of sustainable restaurants, which can be consulted on Tourisme Montréal's Web site at www.tourisme-montreal.org/Cuisine/Restaurants/greenpractices, includes the following establishments:

For event and meeting planners, Tourisme Montréal and Viatao have also enlisted two catering services that use sustainable practices. They are Bernard et fils traiteur and Avec Plaisirs.

Certain Montréal restaurants and caterers that are not on the list may still employ eco-friendly and socially responsible practices. An update of the list is planned for 2014 in order to include more establishments with a sustainable development focus.

About Tourisme Montréal
Tourisme Montréal is responsible for providing leadership in the concerted efforts of hospitality and promotion in order to position the "Montréal" destination on leisure and business travel markets. It is also responsible for developing Montréal's tourism product in accordance with the ever-changing conditions of the market.

For more information, please visit www.tourisme-montreal.org.

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1 The 66-criteria eco-rating selection comprises the three pillars of sustainable development: environment (supply, waste and energy management, etc.), economy (local producers, local economic spin-offs, etc.) and social commitment (promoting local culture, working conditions, etc.).

SOURCE: Tourisme Montréal

Alexandra Graveline
Manager - Corporate Public Relations
Tourisme Montréal
514 844-3558
[email protected]

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Tourisme Montréal