Canada Pride Montréal 2017 will shed the light on Montréal’s diversity and attractions on the occasion of the city’s 375th anniversary. The very first edition of this Canada-wide LGBT festival has been selected as an associated project of the 375th anniversary and will be part of the celebrations’ official events calendar. The 10-day festival will take place August 11 to 20 and is expected to attract between 700,000 and 800,000 visitors to the city.
"Canada Pride Montréal 2017 will be a high-quality event that will celebrate the position of Montréal as a leader in terms of LGBT rights in the world," explains Éric Pineault, President of Montréal Pride. We are delighted that the Society for the Celebrations of Montréal’s 375th Anniversary recognizes the importance of LGBT communities by making Canada Pride Montréal 2017 one of the associated projects for the celebrations. It is also with great pride that we will host the very first Canada-wide Pride right here, in our home city."
"Montréal takes pride in being a diverse city that champions the advancement of LGBT human rights. To reflect these qualities, Canada Pride Montréal 2017 will be an event with a rich social, gastronomic, sporting and festive program. This great celebration will also welcome hundreds of thousands of tourists to our beautiful city," says Gilbert Rozon, Commissioner for the Celebrations of Montréal’s 375th anniversary.
"Throughout its history, Montréal has positioned itself as an agent of change and an example to follow among the world’s major cities. We are delighted to continue this tradition by having a large-scale event like Canada Pride be created here as part of the celebrations for our 375th anniversary," says Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montréal.
"Montréal’s 375th anniversary will be the opportunity to celebrate cultural vivacity and diversity, which are part of the unique signature of our metropolis. The Gouvernement du Québec is delighted to support the initiative of Montréal Pride. The 2017 event, which will be a Canada-wide first, will put the spotlight on Montréal’s festive and inclusive spirit," said Martin Coiteux, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy, Minister of Public Security and Minister responsible for the Montréal region.
Program highlights
Among the program highlights confirmed to this date are a weekend of sporting events as well as a three-day conference about the advancement of LGBT rights here and abroad. On the cultural side, festivalgoers will be able to enjoy a major outdoor concert each day of the festivities and, of course, the iconic Pride Parade, which will be held on an unprecedented scale to highlight the 375th anniversary of Montréal in a festive and colourful manner. As well, an outdoor gourmet market will offer food lovers the chance to taste a thousand and one Montréal-made delicacies. Finally, the Canada Pride House will bring together the over 80 Canadian LGBT festivals in the form of an exhibition to raise awareness about the country’s LGBT movement among the general public.
About Canada Pride Montréal
Canada Pride is a national festival that aims to shed light on the Canadian LGBT movement and to reaffirm Canada’s position as one of the leaders in terms of LGBT human rights. Created in partnership with the organization Fierté Canada Pride, the event will take place in a different Canadian city every four years and will provide a unique opportunity for national and international tourists to discover the diversity and attractions of the host city. The very first edition of Canada Pride, hosted by Montréal Pride, will take place August 11 to 20, 2017 on the occasion of the 375th anniversary of Montréal and 150th anniversary of Canada. For more information: fiertemontrealpride.com
About the Society for the Celebrations of Montréal’s 375th Anniversary
The Society for the Celebration of Montréal’s 375th Anniversary is a non-profit organization whose mission is to organize the 2017 celebrations. With a focus on promoting Montréal expertise, it acts as a catalyst to realize its mandate: mobilize the community, implement a funding strategy, rigorously manage funding, devise quality programming and ensure visibility of the celebrations. It does not look after the legacy, which falls under the responsibility of different public authorities. The Society is supported by the Ville de Montréal and the Gouvernement du Québec. For more information: 375mtl.com
