Montréal, April 22, 2010 — Building on the success of the first three editions, Montréal Pride Celebrations is preparing another exciting and colourful program that will underscore the energy and pride of the vibrant LGBTA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Transvestite and Allies) community.
The Montréal Pride Celebrations will be held from Thursday, August 12, to Sunday, August 15, under the theme, “Share the Pride”. This theme was chosen to create awareness of the fact that, although there have been significant social and legal advances in Québec and in Canada, many members of the LBGTA community around the world face the violation of their fundamental rights on a daily basis. The Montréal Pride Celebrations will reach out to some of these communities, to try to work together to improve the current human rights situation.
One of the major highlights of this year's event will be the brand new route on René-Lévesque Boulevard West, from Guy Street to Sanguinet, right in the heart of downtown Montréal. With easy access to the Métro, the parade is sure to attract thousands of spectators. As well, the 2010 parade route will be extended from 1.25km to 2.35, almost doubling the length of previous years.
The parade will take place on Sunday, August 15 at 1 p.m. with the concept of “Our Superheroes” guiding the artistic direction of the floats. This is sure to provide an entertaining flashback to childhood memories for participants and spectators alike. The parade will definitely have something for everyone, especially families, promising to be one of the most original events organized in years. The parade route will finish near Émilie-Gamelin Park, the heart of the festivities, where the celebrations will wrap up with an outdoor mega T-Dance.
Community Day, one of the key events in the Montréal Pride Celebrations, will be held again this year all along Sainte-Catherine Street between Berri and Papineau on Saturday, August 14. Visitors will be able to discover a wide variety of booths, most of which will be run by LGBTA community organizations, including various gay and lesbian organizations, ethnic, cultural, religious and community groups as well as corporations, sponsors and sporting clubs. Many shows and activities will take place during the 4-day event. The full schedule of events will be announced in the coming weeks.
Jasmin Roy will once again be the spokesperson for the 4th edition of the Pride Celebrations and he is confident that this year's numbers will exceed those of 2009, when attendance was estimated at 209,000—a record for the event! “This year, the Pride Celebrations wanted to refine the program even more, to surprise visitors and do everything in its power to get the attention of an even greater audience and reach the threshold of 250,000 tourists and visitors,” said Jasmin Roy.
Montréal Pride Celebrations would like to thank its public and private partners and underscore their role in making the Pride in Montréal possible in 2010: TD Canada Trust (which became the official Presenter), the City of Montréal, the Borough of Ville-Marie, Tourisme Montréal, the SDC du Village, Trojan, VIA Rail Canada, Eska Water, the Delta Centre-ville and Lord Berri Hotels.
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Éric Pineault, President
epineault@fiertemontrealpride.com
Telephone: (514) 903-6193 ext. 27 | Cell. (514) 616-7170
Jean-François Perrier, Marketing Director
jfperrier@fiertemontrealpride.com
Telephone: (514) 03-6193 ext. 25
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.
