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STM
announces a series of activities
Montreal, 3 October 2006 - Claude Trudel, Chairman of the STM Board of Directors, and Yves Devin, STM Director General, today announced a slate of events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the city’s métro, which was officially inaugurated on October 14, 1966. They were accompanied by Montreal mayor G�rald Tremblay. A distinctive signature has been created for the occasion, in order that the special festivities being planned for this important milestone will inspire pride and a sense of belonging. Starting today, the 65 métro stations, as well as the buses, will be decorated with this symbol. To mark this significant anniversary, the STM has planned a series of activities, which will be held in the métro all through the week of October 9, for Montrealers' enjoyment. A 30-minute concert will be held at Berri-UQAM métro station, on a specially-built stage, on each of the following days: On October 10, a gospel choir will lead the celebrations. The next day, the STM will host a vibrant and colourful performance by Chico Band, a group specializing in Latin music, who will be accompanied by two dancers. And on October 12, this top-flight musical program will conclude with an exclusive show presented by Dan Bigras and a group of subway musicians. From October 12 to 30, STM customers will be invited to participate in the “40 Years of Our métro” contest, at which 40 annual CAM monthly pass subscriptions will be given away as prizes. On October 14, the STM will make available to all Montrealers a special commemorative book honouring the métro’s 40th anniversary. This keepsake will be inserted into all of the city’s major dailies. In seeking to affirm Montreal’s expansive scope and creative potential, the STM will implement a métro public art program, for which the inaugural project – to be installed this year – will feature art installation in a métro car. The exhibit could take various forms, including special treatment of the car’s interior surfaces, the placement of sculpture or the addition of sound. Claude Trudel also announced that, on Saturday, October 14, the STM will allow Montrealers, on a one-time basis, to travel for free anywhere on the integrated bus/metro network beginning at 5:00 a.m. that morning – when the métro opens – until closing time that night, at 1:30 a.m. on October 15. As it approaches its 40th anniversary of métro service in Montreal, the STM is strongly committed to anticipating future needs and working to improve transit in Montreal: “The realization of our major plans for the métro further exemplifies this commitment. Projects that are currently underway include the reconfiguration of our MR-73 cars and replacing the MR-63 cars,” said Trudel. "In working to achieve our objective of ensuring optimal quality of life for Montrealers and a sound future for our city, we must focus on mass transit, in particular the métro, as a growth vector for the 21st-century metropolis that Montreal has become today. As an essential feature of life in Montreal from both an economic and an environmental perspective, our métro – a key element of our technical and artistic heritage – is an instrument that denotes progress for both the Montreal community and the Quebec metropolis,” declared Montreal mayor G�rald Tremblay. Mayor Tremblay also took this opportunity to unveil a mock-up of the Mur de la paix, on which the word “peace” will be depicted in 34 languages. This piece of graphic art is intended to pay tribute to the cultural diversity embodied by the STM’s clientele and to our community’s collective values of tolerance and peace. The Mur de la paix will be installed at the Berri-UQAM station sometime in the next few months. "We hope that the celebrations being planned for this event will be a source of many happy and pleasant memories for everyone. Without any further ado, let’s move on to celebrate the métro’s 40th anniversary together!” concluded Yves Devin, Director General of the STM.
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