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Old Montreal: History & Magic
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Signature Projects
Since its founding, and especially in the last 10 years, the SDC Vieux-Montréal has managed to add to its list of accomplishments more than one hundred highly constructive projects that have proven significant for the overall betterment of its business community. Some initiatives helped develop business intelligence, corporate relationships and the friendliness/attractiveness of the historic district, while others revealed the outstanding human potential of the Old Montreal community.
In just a few lines, you're invited to discover some of the notable projects that make our organization proud.
The Fabricants d'émotions Web Series
This project emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when all initiatives aimed at local networking and neighbourhood goodwill were impossible to carry out. The SDC Vieux-Montréal therefore envisioned a way to highlight its resilient entrepreneurs and community spirit through a medium that would transcend the restrictive constraints in effect at the time. This gave rise to a unifying and communicative web series project that allowed the soul of the neighbourhood to be experienced through its amazing and big-hearted entrepreneurs at a time when solidarity was very much needed.
*All episodes are available in French only
The Soirée District Party
Envisioned in 2013, when the SDC Vieux-Montréal was looking for ways to counter the seasonal drop in foot traffic experienced by many neighbourhood businesses outside the summer months, the Soirée District Party emerged as a refreshing and innovative new concept. The initial goal was for local workers to discover the breadth of the old quarter's commercial offerings, as they represented a potential base of valued local consumers... in addition to being on-site all year round! The underlying premise was to create a network between Old Montreal's business office clientele and its many merchants. To achieve this, the SDC would provide the "container" for the event, inviting partner businesses to then provide the "content", namely a Signature Offer that would allow them to entice guests in a speed-dating format within a unique setting.
To add to the sense of discovery, the event – which was intended to be nomadic in nature – would take place in a different venue for each edition, thus allowing partners and guests to experience a new, beautiful location in the neighbourhood each year.
Little by little, this project has become a must-attend event for the entire community (including for residents, who quickly recognized the immense benefit of discovering local businesses). In its ten years of existence, the initiative has facilitated thousands of intra-neighbourhood connections, fostering B2B business development in a concrete and streamlined way.
At its peak, the Soirée District Party welcomed a total of 70 local merchant partners and more than 1,000 guests from the Old Montreal community and the media. Some iconic locations visited over the years thanks to this event include: Montreal City Hall, 360 Saint-Jacques (Crew Collective), Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal, Phi Center, Dalhousie Station, the Old Port of Montreal Belvedere, and the Marché Bonsecours.
The Classique Vieux-Montréal
The Old Montreal Business Community's Official Pétanque Tournament
Eager to introduce unique and innovative activities to the neighbourhood, the SDC Vieux-Montréal saw in the pétanque trend a perfect, unconventional opportunity to bring together its business community and facilitate networking and good neighbourliness among its members. The idea of this annual tournament also resulted in the creation of recurring team-building activities within the participating companies.
In 2014, the very first amateur tournament was held: the Apéro-Pétanque (which would become the Classique Vieux-Montréal in 2022). The event, geared toward the Gens du Vieux, took place at Place d'Youville for two editions before moving in 2016 to professional pétanque courts set up by the SDC Vieux-Montréal and the Ville-Marie borough, in collaboration with the Old Port of Montreal. The new site, located under the trees along De la Commune Street near the Marché Bonsecours, quickly proved to be perfect for hosting the annual tournament. It even allowed for further development of the event, as a dedicated space for the general public was established in 2022, effectively turning the occasion into a neighbourhood back-to-school celebration for everyone!
Thus, for 10 years and running, this highly anticipated event within the district's business community has taken place every September. It attracts between 300 and 400 amateur players each time it is held, in addition to hundreds of members of the public who come to enjoy the festive atmosphere.
The Colloque Avenir Vieux-Montréal
With a view to research and development in matters of local economic growth, the SDC Vieux-Montréal identified an opportunity – in 2013, 2014 and 2015 – to design a program of relevant topics for the future of the neighbourhood that would gather highly qualified panelists and experts from different sectors and fields related to the economic vitality of Old Montreal and the city at large.
Various topics such as trends in retail, reflections on the planning and development of a historic district, the importance of business tourism, social coexistence, public safety, and the role of culture in Old Montreal were discussed and presented to the members of the SDC Vieux-Montréal.
The Colloque Avenir Vieux-Montréal provided access to the insights of prominent figures such as Mr. Jean-Paul L’Allier (former minister and former mayor of Quebec City) and Mrs. Phyllis Lambert (founder and director emeritus of the Canadian Centre for Architecture, Companion of the Order of Canada, and Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec). It also provided the opportunity to gather key stakeholders from organizations directly linked to the economic development of the historic district in a single corporate event.
*Available in French only
Watch a preview of the 2013 edition
