happy Montrealers at festival

In honor of the Festival of laughs , the popular travel guide called Montreal one of the 10 happiest places.

The popular Lonely Planet travel guide picked Montreal for its list of cheerful locales, noting that Canada’s second-largest city hosts one of the world’s biggest comedy events every July.

“Clean, welcoming and refreshingly multicultural, Montréal is happy enough year-round. Come July, though, it’s downright hilarious. Just For Laughs takes over the city in summer, packing venues with the best in both Anglo- and Francophone comedy. It’s one of the biggest comedy gatherings in the world, hosting many a top-drawer wisecracker. Shows sell out fast, as even the less known acts are virtually guaranteed to be a riot. But even if you can’t get a ticket you can giggle along – every night the city’s Latin Quarter is abuzz with street performers, parading puppets and a fantasia of fireworks.
First mention on the list went to the South Pacific island paradise of Vanuatu — which has the advantage of being considerably warmer than the next city listed, Montreal.

Lonely Planet’s list highlighted some lesser-known spots. Montreal is the only Canadian location selected, along with places in China, Japan, Colombia and Africa.

The selection was made in May but when it was picked up by the Huffington Post it caused a stir.

photo by Carre

Montreal has always been the city of festivals and the city of lovers of the outdoors
The world’s largest bike festival is slated take place between May 30th and June 6th.
Posted at ibackpackcanada.com/montreal-bike-fest-lighting-up-in-june-2/

28th edition: March 18 to 28, 2010 PROGRAM

FILMS IN COMPETITION
43 films from 14 countries
9 Canadian productions, including 8 from Quebec

Highlights

• The International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) is unique in North America and the largest of its kind in the world. In 2000, it was awarded the prestigious Grand Prix by the Montreal Arts Council.
• Films on art allow viewers a special contact with artists that no other mode of expression can provide. They employ a variety of approaches, including analysis of the works, recreation of artistic currents and eras and artist biographies.
• FIFA’s mission is to increase public awareness and appreciation of art. It thus promotes artists and professionals working in the fields of cinema, television and video, as well as the world’s finest productions of media art and films on art.
• The importance and popularity of documentary films worldwide has increased dramatically. According to a study done in 2006, the audiovisual industry in Europe alone produced nearly 10,000 documentaries in 5 years.
• FIFA receives close to 700 films annually. This year, 290 films from some 30 countries were selected, representing 27 disciplines: architecture, theatre, video art, dance, art history, painting, photography…
• Films on art, which preserve artists and their works for posterity, are instrumental in safeguarding our cultural heritage and collective memory. The Festival has amassed over the years a treasure trove of films and videos, numbering close to 5,000 works, which includes both the selected films and those submitted during the preselection process. Added to this total is a large number of photographs, as well as a collection of posters. In addition, for each film submitted to the Festival, a file containing its relevant documents is preserved. The Festival has thus stockpiled 10,000 files over the years. Finally, the Festival has an ever-increasing collection of over 500 books and journals relating to films on art.
• Every year, the prizewinning films of the latest edition of FIFA are presented on an international circuit that includes the Louvre in Paris, the Studio national des arts contemporains Le Fresnoy in Tourcoing, the AIA/Center for Architecture, the Mid-Manhattan Library and the Morgan Library in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Musée national des beaux-arts in Quebec City, the National Gallery of Canada and the Tate Modern in London

pres release at: http://artfifa.com

Montreal billionaire , founder of Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberte

The first ever widely acknowledged artistic performance from space will be broadcast from the International Space Station on Oct. 9.

Orchestrated by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, who is set to launch to the station as a space tourist Sept. 30, the event will feature artists performing from 14 cities around the world, as well as Laliberte broadcasting from space.

Laliberte described the event, called “Moving Stars and Earth for Water,” as a “poetic social mission” to communicate the importance water has for the planet and its people.

Scientists have warned that water shortages rank with energy and food issues around the globe as top governmental issues now and in the future.

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The pilot project will run from July 17 to Aug. 3.

St. Paul St. will be open exclusively to pedestrians between Bonsecours and St. Gabriel Sts.

The Ville-Marie borough will grant permits that will allow for street entertainers, a kiosque at Place Jacques-Cartier and a number of small terraces along the sidewalk.

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the Jesta Group and Groupe  Canavar announced the joint

acquisition of the  Hilton Montreal Airport Hotel.

The acquisition was completed on March 30. The purchasers intend to rebrand the Hotel under a marquee international banner, and to implement a multi-year renovation program to update and transform the hotel to meet current hotel industry standards demanded by discriminating guests. The rebranding and renovation program is expected to commence shortly.

The hotel, situated at 12505 Côte de Liesse in Dorval, Quebec, currently houses 486 guest rooms, 23 meeting rooms comprising more than 20,000 square feet, a business center, health center, several restaurants and bars, a twenty-three metre indoor swimming pool, a Jacuzzi and boasts several acres of beautifully landscape gardens for events and recreational activities: All within minutes drive from Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Dorval, Quebec.

“We continue to expand our portfolio of properties to acquire and improve what we consider to be prime resort and leisure properties that will meet the demands of the marketplace. With Groupe Canvar, we identified a strategic partner that has similar goals to Jesta Group and also compliments our expertise. We are very excited by this project and look forward to sharing in its’ success”, stated Eric Aintabi, CA Vice President of Jesta Group.