Montréal’s Gay Village is one of the largest gay neighborhoods in the world. Its commercial strip runs along Montréal’s main thoroughfare, Sainte-Catherine Street, from Berri to Papineau Streets. All along the way cafés, bistros, boutiques, antique shops and restaurants compete with bars, discos, saunas and exotic-dancer clubs. In the centre is the Beaudry métro station with its rainbow-coloured pillars, and across the street from that is the Village Tourist Information Centre, operated by the Québec Gay Chamber of Commerce (CCGQ).

On 9 February 2005, Montréal 2006 finalised agreements with key organizations in the city’s Gay Village to assist in the promotion of the 1st World Outgames. (To read the full press release, click here.)

 Le Parking, the Sky Cabaret and Unity II

Montréal 2006 will be working in concert with three of the most popular clubs in the Village in a series of fundraising activities for the 1st World Outgames.

Mr. Greg Thibault of Le Parking, of Mr. Peter Sergakis of Sky and and Mr. André Bousquet of Unity II announced that their establishments will be holding simultaneously fundraising events for Montréal 2006 on the third Friday of every month until the Outgames in 2006. The first such event was held on 28 January 2005.

De gauche à droite
Daniel Dufour, Labatt Breweries; Lucie Duguay, Co-President of Montréal 2006; Grégoire Thibault, le Parking; Peter Sergakis, Complexe Sky; André Bousquet, Unity II; Louise Roy, CEO of Montréal 2006.

 The Québec Gay Chamber of Commerce

An important partner for Montréal 2006 since the project’s inception, the Québec Gay Chamber of Commerce will be a partner in the International Conference of LGBT rights and will develop content targeted specifically at chambers of commerce and at professional and business associations in the international LGBT community.

Founded in 1997, the Québec Gay Chamber of Commerce is a network of businesspeople, entrepreneurs, managers, professionals and independent workers from all areas of economic activity in Québec. The CCGQ’s mission is to promote and defend the interests of the Québec gay and lesbian business community and to promote its members.

(2005) From left to right:
1st row: Marielle Dupéré, Montréal 2006 board member, Linda Brault, 1st Vice President of the CCGQ, Lucie Duguay, Co-President of Montréal 2006, Louise Roy, CEO of Montréal 2006, Louis Charron, outgoing President of the CCGQ.
2nd row: Pierre Paquette, President of the Board - CCGQ, Jonathan Sauvé, Vice President – Public AffairsCCGQ, Pascal Lépine, new President of the CCGQ, Patrick Desmarais, Marc Bruneau, Executive Vice-President and Head of Strategy for BCE.

 Action Séro Zéro

Action Séro Zéro will partner with the 1st World Outgames to assist, in collaboration with the Clinique du Quartier Latin, in developing and assessing the logistic aspects of prevention and health promotion activities for the 2006 Outgames.

Action Séro Zéro is a non-profit community organisation that promotes health and the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other STDs for gay and bisexual men in Montréal. Over the years, Action Séro Zéro has become an important influence in Montréal’s gay community and works actively to develop strategies and action plans.

Jean-Yves Duthel (back row, third from left), Head of Public relations for Montréal 2006 with the Board of Directors of Action Séro Zéro