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Le 28 février,
Montréal, January 28, 2009 –
During Montréal’s High Lights Festival, the entire population can take part in the All-Nighter, held late night February 28 to early morning
March 1. Indeed, to mark the 6th edition of this unique event, the métro will exceptionally run all night and be accessible to anyone holding
a valid transit fare. The decision by the STM goes back to September 2008, following meetings with High Lights festival officials.
“Throughout its long history, the métro has stayed open all night only twice. The first time was during the storm of the century, March 4, 1971,
while the second time was for the countdown to the year 2000. I can tell you without hesitation that allowing the métro to run all night is truly
an exceptional gesture, any way you look at it,” emphasized Marvin Rotrand, vice-chairman of the STM board of directors.
“In light of the fact that using public transit really is the best way to reach the festival site and then go from one activity to the next, our
hope is that people will make full use of the métro service and that large numbers of people will be taking it all-night,” concluded Mr. Rotrand.
“The STM’s gift to Montréal’s HIGH LIGHTS FESTIVAL is truly a wonderful one. We are even happier because we are celebrating the festival’s 10th
anniversary this year. It is also excellent news for anyone living off-island, particularly for residents of Laval or Longueuil, because they can
ride the métro to take part in the All-Nighter and then ride it back home,” declared Festival founder and chairman, Alain Simard.
There is no doubt in Mr. Simard’s mind that keeping the métro running will have an impact on the attendance level of the night’s activities. “Knowing that,
last year, over 20% of participants came from Montréal’s north and south shores, we are confident that percentage will increase thanks to the metro’s
availability,” added Mr. Simard.
The STM is also pleased to lease its buses to the Montréal High Lights Festival at a special rate, so that organizers may provide participants with a
shuttle service to transport them to and from the different sites where cultural events and other activities are being held.
Moreover, in association with Heritage Montréal, the STM is organizing a rather original activity, the
Rallye des œuvres d’art du métro, that will
allow participants to discover and appreciate the wonderful works of art in the métro.
Indeed, anyone presenting a valid transit fare can take advantage of the one-time-only all-night métro service, easily accessed from any one of the 20
bus routes providing night time service. To find out more about night time bus routes and timetables, clients should consult the STM website at www.stm.info,
where they will find more transit-related information.
Finally, when planning their transportation, transit users are invited to consult their Planibus timetables or call A-U-T-O-B-U-S (514 288-6287). For all
other information, including travel directions in Montréal, they can call STM-INFO (514 786-4636).
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