Government of Canada Supports Festival International De Jazz De Montreal

MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - June 28, 2012) - Mr. Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament for Lotbinière-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, acting on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, and on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, announces that the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal has been granted financial assistance from the Government of Canada.

"By lending its financial support to the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, the Government of Canada is, among other things, helping to extend the reach and renown of Montréal and stimulate its economy, which will benefit from the spinoffs generated by the presence of the many foreign tourists attending the festival," said MP Gourde.

"Our Government received a strong mandate from Canadians to invest in important festivals like the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal," said Minister Moore. "By investing in this festival, which is an exceptional showcase for musical artists from Canada and abroad, we are delivering on our commitment to strengthen our economy and support our arts and culture."

The Festival, which is in its 33^rd edition this year, will feature up to 1,000 concerts, two-thirds of them free outdoor performances. Some 3,000 artists from 30 countries will display their talent, wowing the tens of thousands of visitors who pour into the city each year for the event.

Information:

Canada Economic Development granted $1,316,000 in non-repayable funding through its Community Diversification program to support the international commercialization of the 2011 and 2012 editions of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

The funding of $2,000,000 from Canadian Heritage for the 2012 and 2013 editions of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is provided under the Canada Arts Presentation Fund. This program gives Canadians increased access to the variety and richness of Canada's culture through professional arts festivals and performances, and other artistic experiences.

For more details on the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, visit http://www.montrealjazzfest.com

Keep up with the latest news from Canada Economic Development by visiting www.dec-ced.gc.ca or subscribing to @CanEconDev on Twitter.

This news release is also available on the Internet at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca under Newsroom.