New Entertainment Complexes Announced!

On June 22, 2005, Cirque du Soleil and Loto-Quebec announced a proposal to establish a world-class entertainment complex in Montreal. This announcement confirms years-old rumors about Cirque involving themselves in entertainment venues that would offer a wide range of entertainment options branded with Cirque du Soleil’s flair.

The facts of this announcement are as follows:

– The location of this complex is proposed for the Peel Basin in the du Havre sector of Montreal.
– The project would create approximately 6500 new jobs.
– The project is budgeted at approximately $1.2 Billion CDN; $997 Million CDN coming from Loto-Quebec and $178 Million CDN from private partners.
– Loto-Quebec will manage the project while Cirque du Soleil will provide design aesthetic and creative and artistic direction.
– The complex would encompass a 300-room hotel, a 2500-seat performance hall, a spa, an “Artists’ Wharf”, and a park where Cirque can set up their Grand Chapiteau.
– The Casino de Montreal would be relocated to the site.
– Further development of the site could include an exhibition center, and the development of a monorail to interconnect the complex and a soccer stadium.
– Cirque du Soleil and Loto-Quebec are looking to inaugurate the new complex in 2010/2011.

You can read the full press release on Cirque du Soleil’s Website: < http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/pressroom/prinfo/news/news100.htm >

And see the project website, with lots of illustrations and planning documents, at < http://www.bassinpeel.com/default_en.htm >

With every large project comes controversy, and such has not escaped this new project. To us it looks on the surface like a great match; the Montréal Casino has suffered as “high roller” customers have taken their business to other, more exciting, cities. Lotto-Quebec obviously feels they must modernize or risk falling further behind. Yet they aren’t insensitive to concerns about gambling in general – noting that though this huge project will have many facets, it will not include an increase in space allocated to gambling.

But there are concerns. Placing this new project in the Peel Basin/Point St-Charles area (which, on our map is marked as an industrial area) has activists concerned that any move will mean more crime and traffic in the area, in what some consider to be a residential area. But Lotto-Quebec officials insist that the area was selected because it is out of the way of most residential areas of the city, yet close to the big hotels and Old Montréal.

It will take years for this proposal to move its way through the planning and approval process. In the meantime, check out the website and pictures, they present exciting possibilities.