Salon du livre 2015: Awards

Last day November 23, 2015

A number of prizes for literary excellence are awarded at Le Salon du Livre de Montréal. These events are open to the public, and the majority take place at Espace Archambault. On the very first day of the Salon, right after the official opening ceremony, the prestigious PRIX MARCEL-COUTURE 2015, that has been awarded annually for 15 years, was presented by La Presse. It included an ad placement worth of $10,000.

The Prize went to the SEPTENTRION Publishing house for the first volume of CURIEUSES HISTOIRES DE PLANTES DU CANADA by Alain Asselin, Jacques Cayouette et Jacques Mathieu (Éditions Septentrion). The photo of both volumes is just below. Volume 1 is on the left.

Another prestigeouse Prize at the Salon du livre is PRIX QUÉBEC/WALLONIE-BRUXELLES for Children's Literature. It is awarded every two years concurrently to authors or illustrators from Quebec and also the those from French Community of Belgium. This award comes with a cash prize of $ 3,500 for the winners and an additional financial assistance of $ 6,000 to their publishers so that they can ensure the book's promotion and marketing in their respective regions. This year, the award specifically targeted the category "First novel for beginning readers".

The winners of thee PRIX QUÉBEC/WALLONIE-BRUXELLES 2015 for Children's Literaturefor:

For Wallonie-Bruxelles, author and illustrator Mélanie Rutten (photo just below on the left) for her book L'ombre de chacun (éditions MeMo).

For Québec, author Alain M. Bergeron (photo just below on the right) and illustarator Pierre-Yves Cezard (bottom photo) for the book Le géant qui sentait les petits pieds (éditions Québec Amérique).

If you are planning to visit the exhibition, check the Salon's website first:
Salon's website.

Salon du Livre 2015: 38th Edition

Le Salon du livre de Montréal 2015
November 19-23, 2015

If you like books and reading, you will once again enjoy the annual Le Salon du Livre de Montréal being held, as always, at the Montreal's Place Bonaventure. There are many rows of shelves with books of various kind, directed to divers age groups, interests, fields of knowledge, and all presented and promoted by a great number of different publishing houses.

Some book displayes at the Salon du livre are arranged in quite an artistic way.

A special tribute is being held at this year's Salon to Agatha Christie, whose exclusive exhibition will open at Montreal's Pointe-à-Callière (PAC) Museum on December 8, 2015. You can read more about it in my article here.

Find the time to visit the Salon du livre, especially keeping in mind the quickly approaching holidays season and thus the upcoming traditional presents exchanges.

For more information, visit the Salon's website.

AFP Quebec Awards

Philanthropic Achievement Award Winners, 2015

National Philanthropy Day
2015 Excellence in Philanthropy Awards

The Association of Fundraising Professionals – Quebec Chapter (AFP Quebec) celebrated National Philanthropy Day by presenting awards to eight individuals and organizations for their outstanding commitment to social causes. The awards presentation banquet was held at the  Montreal's Hyatt Regency Hotel, on November 13, 2015. It was attended by over 300 philanthropy professionals and their guests.

Cocktails Before the  Banquet Awards Ceremonies

AFP Quebec (The Association of Fundraising Professionals) strives to advance philanthropy throughout Quebec. It brings together fundraisers working in the province’s non-profit organizations. Their 240 members represent some 160 organizations with an overall budget of over $4 billion. They are important agents of positive change in our society.

Hyatt Regency Hotel Banquet Hall - Awards Ceremony

Created in 1986, National Philanthropy Day, November 15th, celebrates individuals, businesses and organizations for the altruistic contributions they make every single day. Every year, over 100 AFP chapters across North America organize events to mark this special day.

Awards Ceremony - Head Table

Award Winners 2015, photo at the top of the article:

From left to right:

John A. Rae, C.M., Executive Vice-President, Power Corporation of Canada (and one of three keynote speakers); 

Alain Bouchard, Sandra and Alain Bouchard Foundation (Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year);

Jean-Philippe Towner, Head, Strategy and Business Management, BMO Capital Markets (and keynote speaker);

Julie Méthot, receiving the award on behalf of Richard Marchand, volunteer, Opération Enfant Soleil (Jury’s Special Choice in Philanthropy); 

Francine Laplante, Fondation des Gouverneurs de l'espoir and Fondation Néz pour vivre (Special Tribute);

Fabrice Vil, Pour 3 Points (Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy –18-35 years);

Sandra Chartrand, Sandra and Alain Bouchard Foundation (Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year); 

Robert Clermont, Chair of the Board, Caisse Desjardins La Prairie (Outstanding Corporation of the Year – fewer than 250 employees);

L. Jacques Ménard, C.C., O.Q., Chair, BMO Nesbitt Burns and President, BMO Financial Group, Quebec (and keynote speaker);

Nicole Beaulieu, Executive Director, Special Olympics Québec, and AFP Quebec’s Chair of the Board.

Front row:

Serge Tremblay, volunteer, Leucan (Outstanding Volunteer of the Year);

Gabrielle Bleau-Côté, 8, ambassador, Opération Enfant Soleil (Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy – under 18 years).

Present for her award but absent from this photo:
Martine Turcotte, Vice Chair, Quebec, Bell (Outstanding Corporation of the Year – more than 250 employees). 

La Grande Dégustation de Montréal 2015

La Grande Dégustation de Montréal
5th Edition

November 5 -7, 2015

La Grande Dégustation de Montréal is back with its 5th editon showcasing a program full of sunshine and variety! With close to 1,500 products to discover and over 13,000 wine, beer and spirit lovers, La Grande Dégustation de Montréal is once again pulling out all the stops to feature its three-themed formula which has solidified the event’s reputation.

The Show is organized by the Associaton québécoise des agences de vins, bières et spiritueux (AQAVBS) and co-presented by the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ).

In 2015, the spotlight is on Spain, Grenache and bubblies from around the world, not to mention producers from 15 other countries, all here for the occasion! La Grande Dégustation de Montréal is part of Happy November, a month-long celebration of wine and gastronomy in Montreal.

Some speciality Spanish food products are offered for tasting.

The world famous wine list Le Palmarès de La Grande Dégustation de Montréal honours bubblies from around the world. Over a hundred products were tasted in the course of a professional competiton. A jury made up of wine experts and presided over by Guénaël Revel, a.k.a. Mr. Bubbles, performed a blind tasting of the products by category in order to shine a light on the best Spanish cavas, Italian proseccos, French crémants and other sparkling wines from the world of viniculture. Below is a group photo of the winners.

Here is the list of the winners of the Palmarès Bulles du monde de La Grande Dégustation de Montréal 2015:

CAVAS
These Spanish wines, mainly produced in the region of Penedès, Catalonia, are a favourite of wine lovers as they offer great quality for their price. The winners are:
1. SEGURA VIUDAS, Reserva Brut.
2. PERE VENTURA, Clos Amador, Cava Brut.
3. J. GARCIA CARRION, Jaume Serra Cristallino, Cava Brut.
4. FREIXENET Ellysia, Gran Cuvée Brut.
5. BODEGA MUGA, Casa Conde de Haro, Brut Vintage 2011

PROSECCO
Made from its namesake variety of grapes, these Italian bubblies are mainly produced in Venetia. The winners in this category are:
1. CANTINE, Riondo Millesimato Prosecco 2014.
2. LA GIOIOSA S.P.A., Prosecco D.O.C. Treviso Il Fresco Villa Sandi.
3. MARCELLO DEL MAJNO / MARCHESI MAZZEI, Prosecco Villa Marcello.
4. NINO FRANCO, Rustico Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G.
5. PALADIN, Prosecco Extra Dry 2014. 

CRÉMANTS
Crémant wines are made in Burgundy, Alsace, Luxembourg and several other regions of France, using different varieties of grapes. The winners as chosen by our judges: 
1. VITTEAUT-ALBERTI, Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Blanc de Blancs.
2. VEUVE AMBAL, Veuve Ambal Prestige, Crémant de Bourgogne. 
 3. LOUIS PICAMELOT, Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc Brut 2012.
4. CAVE VINICOLE WOLFBERGER, Crémant d’Alsace Brut.
5. SAGET LA PERRIÈRE, Barbule, Crémant de Loire Blanc Extra Brut. 


OTHER SPARKLING WINES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Including New World wines and the traditional varieties, the winners in this category made quite an impression on our judges:
1. CA’DEL BOSCO, Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige (Italy).
2. MUMM NAPA VALLEY, Mumm Prestige Brut (California).
3. CARPINETO, Cuvée Brut Farnito, Vino Spumante di qualità (Italy).
4. ANTECH, Cuvée Émotion, Crémant de Limoux Rosé 2013 (France)
5. YELLOWGLEN, Vintage Perle Rosé 2009 (Australia).

CRÉMANTS REIGN SUPREME
The jury was asked to award five prizes in four categories of sparkling wines, and to highlight the category with the highest scoring average. Crémants ranked first with 85.31%. 

Click on images to enlarge them.

For more information, visit La Grande Dégustation de Montréal website.

Italian Wines - The Italian Trade Commission

A Tasting of Wines from Italy

November 4, 2015

The Italian Trade Commission has held yesterday an annual event, The Tasting Of Wines from Italy. It was held at the MARCHÉ BONSECOURS' Salle de Ball (Ballroom), in Montreal's Old Port. It is a very popular event with the wine producers, wine specialists and distributors. Especially this year the attendance was overwhelmingly impressive.

The Italian Trade Commission is serving businesses and is an ambassadors of all that is Made in Italy. This event demonstrated that they did an great job to promote Italian wines in Quebec and Canada.

The event featured over 80 wine producers from all over Italy, so one had to choose and pick with discernment what to taste.

There was also plenty of food. 

Click on images to enlarge them.

For more information, visit the Italian Trade Comission Wine Tasting webpage.

International Tourism & Travel Show 2015

The International Tourism and Travel Show Montreal 2015
October 23 - 25, 2016

This is the 27th Edition of the annual International Tourism and Travel Show, held as always at the Montreal's Place Bonaventure. It is a great place to visit when thinking about or planning the next destination.

The themed travel is showing no signs of cooling. More and more people are building a lifestyle around their various interests, hobbies and passions, and this extends to their choice of destinations. They’re making the most of their vacation time combining travel with their favourite pastimes. From gastronomy to thalassotherapy, to rock climbing and more, the options are endless.

Cruises are also very popular, regardless of the size of the ship. According to Manon Martel, Quebec Regional Manager for the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA), there’s no indication this trend is about to run out of steam. She states that the river cruises are particularly popular among baby boomers, but many older people also enjoy them. “The destinations tend to be more cultural and attract vacationers who sometimes want a change from all-inclusive resorts. A number of packages exist, and in some cases, excursions are included in the price of the trip. Meanwhile, the large cruise ships are constantly upgrading both their décor and their on-board activities. They have truly become floating cities and offer a wide array of activities for all ages.”

At Transat, staying ahead of market trends is a way of life. “We’ve observed that these days, fewer travellers are interested in long trips,” says Manon Doucet, Sales Manager, Europe and Transat Discoveries. “In the past, it was not unusual to see vacationers visit five countries in 18 or even 21 days. Today’s consumers prefer to escape more often during the year, but for shorter periods of time. However, the biggest change is that now, travellers want to take the time to explore a destination, slow down the pace, and spend consecutive nights in the same location. We’re therefore focusing on specific regions and themes. For example, one of our very popular tours is Beer, Wine and Champagne. Over a 13-day period, vacationers discover beers in Brussels, sip wines in Alsace and enjoy champagne in Reims. It all makes for an exceptional experience.”

Many destinations never go out of fashion, such as France, Vietnam and Italy, but others are also starting to attract travellers. Transat added Prague to their offer in 2014, Budapest in 2015, and in 2016, they will add Zagreb, Croatia. Beginning in March 2016, they will be offering flights to Portugal. South Africa is another sought-after destination. In addition to the tour’s cultural and gastronomic components, safaris are also featured. One day, travellers are at the Cape, where the atmosphere is very European, and just hours later they’re in the heart of the breathtaking African landscape. 

You can book your tours or buy suitcases right at the show, and also admire the camels.

Over 400 free conferences are offered to visitors to the show. The conferences highlight a wide range of exciting destinations. Lasting about 30 minutes each, the talks are presented (in French only) about some 10 different locations. There’s no need to reserve.

Click on images to enlarge them.

For more information, visit the International Tourism and Travel Show's website.

http://www.salontourismevoyages.com/en

Voiles en Voiles Theme Park

Voiles en Voiles
Montreal Old Port

July 1 - September 7, 2015

An official inauguration of a new theme park took place in the Montreal's Old Port. This family oriented amusement park is quite unique in the world. It consists of life-size replicas of two shipsfrom the 18th century: a royal boat and a pirate ship. The ships are close to each other, in a near collision situation, as one ship is most likely trying to overtake the other. To either escape an imaginary collision, or to board the other ship, the visitors can cling to and navigate through 7 different aerial courses. They are placed at different heights and consist of varying degrees of difficulty each with specific features and elements.

The theme park offers a total of 61 games in 7 different challenge courses suitable to all age groups starting from the age of three years. There are:

• 5 air routes of varying difficulty and different heights (from 1 to 10 meters);
• 2 collision courses (48 meters downhill and 6 meters high) that will launch a visitor for the attack of one of the boats
• 4 climbing routes (2 starters, 2 intermediate)
• 3 courses for the little ones in huge inflatable thematic structures

In addition to many visitors and tourists, the site can also accommodate school groups, day care and children's parties. It will be open every day of the week until Labour Day. After the Labour Day, it will be open only on weekends until November 1, 2015.

The Voiles en Voiles Theme Park is located in the Old Port's Place des Vestiges, right in front of the Marché Bonsecours.

For more information, visit the Voiles en Voiles webpage and their activities page, or their Facebook page.

Click on images to enlarge them.