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www.fiertemontrealpride.com/en_press_conference.htm
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Éric Pineault |
Laurent McCutcheon |
Nicole Brossard |
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Jasmin Roy |
Benoit Labonté |
Sammy Forcillo |
Montréal, August 12, 2008 — The 2008 Montréal Pride Celebrations will build on the incredible success of the 2007 edition with an array of activities, open to all, celebrating Montréal’s vibrant and dynamic gay and lesbian community. “The event has been able to double its operation budget and programme, thanks to the incredible support we’ve received from the community, the SDC du Village, the City of Montréal, the Borough of Ville-Marie and Tourisme Montréal, as well as with the generous support from the private sector. The Celebrations promise to give the city its best Montréal Pride ever,” said today Mr. Éric Pineault, President of Célébrations LGBTA Montréal.
With the presence of Mr. Benoit Labonté, Mayor of the Borough of Ville-Marie and Leader of the Official Opposition of the City of Montréal, Sammy Forcillo, Vice-chairman of the Executive Committee and Responsible for Infrastructures and Finances of the City of Montréal and Mr. Laurent McCutcheon, President of Gai Écoute and the Fondation Émergence, M. Éric Pineault unveiled the official programme of this year’s festivities.
The Montréal Pride Celebrations will host for the first time three days of free events that are open to all at parc Émilie-Gamelin. Here’s the programme overview:
Thursday, August 14 |
6 pm | Launch of the festivities at Sky |
| Friday, August 15 | 11 am to 8 pm | Avenue of Health and Well-Being |
| At parc Émilie-Gamelin: | ||
| 7 pm | Launch of the official theme song: Humanity | |
| 7:30 pm | Trojan and TD Financial Group Presentation | |
| 8 pm | Dream Académie | |
| 9 pm | Émily Bégin Show | |
| Saturday, August 16 | 11 am to 8 pm | Avenue of Health and Well-Being |
| 11 am to 6 pm | Community Day (Sainte-Catherine Street East) | |
| At parc Émilie-Gamelin: | ||
| 2:30 pm | Franklyne | |
| 4 pm to 9 pm | Samedi Pop T-Dance (DJs Bobzilla and Mario Bross) | |
| 9 pm | Dorion chante Dion | |
| Sunday, August 17 | 1 pm | The Parade: Here comes the circus! |
| At parc Émilie-Gamelin: | ||
| 1 pm to 11 pm | Mega T-Dance (DJs Mark Anthony and Stéfane Lippé) | |
| 9 pm | Closing Show: BIG BANG ! with the RadicalQueens 2008 |
Also present, the Montréal Pride Celebrations prestigious Grand Marshals:
Mr. Jasmin Roy
Jasmin Roy is no stranger to the world of television. From Chambres en ville to Salut
Bonjour and Caméra Café, he is equally at ease in the role of host, reporter and actor. He also has extensive experience in radio, both as a host and cultural reporter. M. Roy strongly believes in the social recognition of Montréal’s LGBTA community as well as the importance of visibility for LGBTA communities worldwide.
Ms. Nicole Brossard
Very early on, Nicole Brossard, poet, novelist and playwright, was involved in many different avant-garde movements in Québec poetry: she was co-founder of the influential literary magazine La Barre du jour (1965-75), organizer of jazz and poetry performances at the Youth Pavilion at Expo’67, co-founder of the feminist newspaper Les Têtes de pioche (1976-1979), and was associate director of La Nouvelle Barre du jour (1977-1979) and the “Réelle”’ collection (1979-1981). She has won the Governor General’s Award twice, once for Mécanique jongleuse (1974) and again for Double impression (1984).
In 1991, she was awarded Québec’s highest literary honour, the Athanase-David Prize. In 1994, she was made a member of L’Académie des Lettres du Québec. Most of her books have been translated into English. Nicole Brossard is a committed feminist and her book of essays, La Lettre aérienne, influenced an entire generation of feminists.
In 2003, she was awarded the W.O. Mitchell Literary Prize and, in 2006, she won the Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prize. In 2006, she published Baiser vertige, the first anthology of gay and lesbian writing in Québec. Her books have been translated into many different languages, earning her the international reputation she enjoys today.
The Parade
The 2008 Montréal gay Parade is scheduled for Sunday, August 17 beginning at 1 pm. The parade will start on the corner of de Lorimier Avenue and René-Lévesque Boulevard East and travel west, through the Village, culminating on Saint-Hubert Street. The parade will feature floats from hundreds of local sports teams, cultural groups as well as other gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organizations. The parade will also feature both gay and gay-friendly businesses that join us in celebrating the significant contributions of their LGBTA employees and clients. The Parade honours an important tradition that began in Montréal in 1979 and this year, the participating groups and businesses will be encouraged to design their floats incorporating the theme of “Here comes the circus!” A host will announce each group that will pass under the Pride arch and will animate the crowd. A panel of distinguished judges, formed by Richard Burnett, Myriam Ginestier and Émilie Poirier will present six awards for the most exciting, crowd-pleasing and unforgettable floats.
Avenue of Health and Well-Being
On Sainte-Catherine Street East, between Alexandre-de-Sève and de Champlain streets, the organizing committee proposes to give this year’s event a new dimension by launching the all-new Avenue of Health and Well-Being. There, you will find information regarding the prevention of STI, HIV and AIDS and you can learn about organic, ecological and homeopathic products. You can even treat yourself to a relaxing or therapeutic massage. As the saying goes “Health is Wealth” so come out and experience the Avenue of Health and Well-Being.
Official Theme Song: Humanity
“For the first time in its history, the Montréal Pride will have its official theme song, written and interpreted by James Dean Trépanier, with Julie Vaillancourt as vocals”, concluded M. Éric Pineault.
Here comes the circus! Come on and see us!
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High Resolution Pictures are available for downloads at:
www.fiertemontrealpride.com/en_press_conference.htm
Jean-François Perrier, Marketing Director
jfperrier@fiertemontrealpride.com
Telephone: (514)750-4491 #25 | Cell. (514) 730-3685
Éric Pineault, President
epineault@fiertemontrealpride.com
Telephone: (514)750-4491 #27 | Cell. (514) 616-7170
David Lesage, Project Manager — Marketing
dlesage@fiertemontrealpride.com
Telephone: (514)750-4491 #24 | Cell. (514) 928-1809
About Célébrations LGBTA Montréal
Célébrations LGBTA Montréal was formed by the LGBT community, following the Divers/Cité decision, in May 2007, to cease the organization of the Pride Parade and Community Day. Célébrations LGBTA Montréal (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders and their Allies) is a non-profit organization created in June 2007 that proudly organizes the Community Day and the Montréal gay and lesbian Pride Parade. The strong support provided by the business community, the City of Montréal, the Borough of Ville-Marie, the SDC du Village (the Village merchants and business association) and more than 100 groups and community associations resulted in the highly successful Montréal Pride Celebrations in 2007.
