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A special presence in Paris and a registration week in France with reduced fees

Montréal, 13 April 2005 — “From 3 to 8 May 2005, Montréal 2006 will have several special offers for residents of France and for choral singers participating in Various Voices Paris 2005, whether they wish to participate in sports or cultural events, or in the International Conference on LGBT rights,” Ms. Louise Roy, CEO of Montréal 2006, announced today.

As part of the Various Voices Paris 2005 Festival, which brings together gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) choruses from around the world, Montréal 2006, in association with Ensemble Vocal Extravaganza from Montréal, will have a registration booth that will be open from 10:00 to 19:00, from 3 to 8 May at the Espace Richelieu (60 rue de Richelieu, métro Palais Royal ou Bourse), the hub of the festival’s activities. The festival will allow the public to enjoy performances by almost 60 LGBT choruses.

Many other promotional activities and information sessions will also take place during the week of the festival with the support of the Canadian Embassy in France and the Délégation Générale du Québec in Paris, as well as that of our partners in France: Dakota Voyages, Préférences Mag, Pink TV, Je-Mag, Citégay.fr, l’Autre Cercle and LeGayParis.com.

FRANCE AND MONTRÉAL 2006
The almost four centuries of strong and friendly ties between Québec and France continue to grow with the ever-increasing participation of LGBT community in France in the 1st World Outgames. In fact, while the Sydney games in 2002 had 162 participants from France, Montréal 2006 has already received more than 200 registrations for the 2006 Outgames from French participants.

“The many ties that have been established between the Québec and French sporting communities,” explained Ms. Roy, “the high calibre of French delegates associated with the conference, and the richness of our cultural exchanges are all factors that help to explain our success in France.”

Those who register during the festival can also take advantage of a specially-priced travel package, including hotel and airfare, offered by Dakota Voyages, Montréal’s Official Travel Partner for France.

As well, Montréal 2006 is pleased to enjoy the continued support of its media partners in France: Préférences Mag, Je-mag, Pink TV, CitéGay.fr and LeGayParis.com. These partnerships are valued at more than half a million dollars Canadian (315,000 €) and provide excellent visibility and networking opportunities for Montréal 2006 on the French market.

Three respected members of the France’s LGBT community are members of the International Scientific Committee for the International Conference on rights: Mr. Daniel Borrillo, professor at the University of Paris X, Co-Director at the Centre for Studies and Research on Fundamental Rights; Mr. Philippe Liotard, professor and researcher at University of Lyon, European specialist on discrimination in sport; and Ms. Judith Silberfeld, Associate Editor of Têtu magazine.

THE 1ST WORLD OUTGAMES
The opening and closing ceremonies for the Outgames will be held in Montréal’s Olympic Stadium before 55,000 spectators. Exactly 30 years after the opening of the 1976 Olympic Games in Montréal, the Stadium will once again be centre stage with spectacular performances by world-renowned artists that will also be televised on Radio-Canada, Canada's national public broadcaster.

Currently, more than 4,000 people, representing almost 100 countries, have already registered to participate in the Outgames.

“We are now confident,” said Ms. Roy, “that Montréal 2006 will be the largest sport and cultural event ever held in the LGBT community worldwide. It will also be both a financially viable event, and a truly international one. Montrealers are looking forward to welcoming friends from around the world to our beautiful city, and the participation of French-speaking visitors—particularly those from France—will add a special touch to the Outgames.”

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