Government of Canada Supports Les FrancoFolies de Montreal

MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - June 7, 2012) - The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, joins the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, in announcing funding from the Government of Canada to Les FrancoFolies de Montréal.

"By lending its financial support to Les FrancoFolies de Montréal, the Government of Canada is helping to, among other things, extend the reach and reputation 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 Minister Lebel.

"Our Government received a strong mandate from Canadians to invest in important festivals like the FrancoFolies de Montréal," said Minister Moore. "We are proud to invest in this festival. In so doing, we are delivering on our commitment to strengthen our economy and support our arts and culture, including French-language song from Canada and beyond."

The festival, which is in its 24th edition this year, will feature more than 250 shows over the coming days, including some 180 free outdoor performances, to satisfy the expectations of the tens of thousands of visitors who make their way to the city every year for the event.

Information:

Canada Economic Development granted $602,000 in non-repayable funding through its Community Diversification program to support the international commercialization of the 2011 and 2012 editions of Les FrancoFolies de Montréal, particularly on United States and European markets.

The funding of $175,000 from Canadian Heritage for the 2012 FrancoFolies is provided through the Canada Arts Presentation Fund. This program gives Canadians increased access to the variety and richness of Canada's culture through professional arts festivals, presentations of live professional performances, and other artistic experiences.

For more about Les FrancoFolies de Montréal, visit http://www.francofolies.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.