The Esplanade tranquille skating rink is open : A great place to enjoy winter downtown

Press release | For immediate release

Montreal, November 30, 2022 – The Ville de Montréal and the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership are pleased to announce the official opening of the Esplanade Tranquille skating rink for the 2022-23 winter season. From Thursday, December 1^st at 5 p.m. until March, Montrealers, visitors and tourists can enjoy skating day or night, in a magical setting in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles.

The 1500 m² rink is free to access and has a capacity of 400 skaters. It is Montreal’s largest outdoor refrigerated rink. A diverse free program including a new interactive experience on the ice surface invites everyone to make the most of northern life!

“What a pleasure it is to see the rink on Esplanade Tranquille open again, this time for a full season! Last winter’s success showed that Montrealers love places that inspire discovery and connection, and that help them enjoy the winter. This rink in the heart of downtown invites residents and visitors to have a unique cultural and sporting experience. With the Holidays just around the corner, it’s a great way to discover downtown from a fresh and festive perspective,” said Valérie Plante, mayor of Montreal.

“It is wonderful that Esplanade Tranquille has been so enthusiastically embraced by Montrealers and visitors in the last few months, both in summer and winter. The rink and pavilion are lively gathering places that offer endless opportunities to get together, have fun and warm up. It’s a special place for families to experience winter in the Quartier des Spectacles,” added Monique Simard, chair of the board of directors, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership.

A unique interactive experience

Starting December 1, as part of the 13^th edition of Luminothérapie, the on-ice interactive experience Au bord du lac Tranquille, by Normal Studio and Mirari, will invite skaters to interact with fascinating aquatic fauna. The work immerses the public in Nordic biodiversity through a journey into Quebec’s vast bodies of water. Each evening, a dreamy world comes to life on the ice! The unique work will be presented until March 5. Au bord du lac Tranquille is part of the Moments lumineux du cœur de l’île initiative.

Winter pleasures on Esplanade Tranquille

A counter operated by Patin Patin offers skate, helmet and padlock rentals as well as a sharpening service. Skating lessons for all ages are offered for free on Sundays, starting December 3. Children ages 2 to 10 and their parents are invited to discover the Jardin de glace, a playful ice garden. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, skaters can get free help from expert skating instructors.

The rink on Esplanade Tranquille also offers musical skating sessions with several different themes, including the Midis classique every Wednesday at noon and La fièvre du disco, which will get Montrealers dancing on the ice on Saturday nights.

Inside the pavilion, visitors can warm up and enjoy the view of the rink from the heated patios or while sitting by the central fireplace in the Grand Salon. A library for on-site reading and a large selection of board games make the Grand Salon a very comfortable urban chalet! More programming details for Esplanade Tranquille will be announced soon.

ABOUT ESPLANADE TRANQUILLE

Esplanade Tranquille is the newest public space in the Quartier des Spectacles. Located at the intersection of Clark and Sainte-Catherine streets, it is a human-scaled space: a backyard for all Montrealers. This versatile, all-ages, all-seasons plaza in the heart of downtown features a warm design and a diverse cultural program, as well as a refrigerated skating rink in winter and a large terrasse in summer.

The public space pays tribute to Librairie Tranquille, a bookstore once located on the site, and its owner, Henri Tranquille (1916-2005). It is an important place in contemporary Quebec history, since the store hosted the launch of the Refus global manifesto in 1948. The Esplanade Tranquille project is the result of a collaboration among stakeholders, with funding from the governments of Quebec and Canada and the Ville de Montréal. The work was done as part of the major projects component of the Fonds Chantiers Canada-Québec.

To learn more about this new public space in the Quartier des Spectacles and its constituent spaces, see the online press kit.

ABOUT MOMENTS LUMINEUX DU CŒUR DE L’ÎLE

Les moments lumineux du cœur de l’île is downtown Montreal’s collaborative winter project. It is the result of a fruitful collaboration among the Alliance centre-ville partners: the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, SDC Montréal centre-ville, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Tourisme Montreal and the Ville de Montréal. The initiative is a continuation of a series of summer projects launched in 2020. The winter Moments comprise a variety of outdoor activities organized by the partners and other cultural and economic stakeholders active in the area bounded by Atwater, Sherbrooke and Papineau streets and the St. Lawrence River. The Moments include a host of original winter activities to be enjoyed outdoors in the downtown core: interactive and luminous installations and experiences, festivals and events, exceptional opportunities to meet talented local artisans, beautifully illuminated public spaces and other delightful surprises. From November to March, these initiatives have been brought together under the communication campaign Les moments du coeur de l’île and invite Montrealers, visitors and tourists to enjoy the luminous winter wonders of the heart of the island that make Montreal a unique winter destination.

More information: lecoeurdelile.com

ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES AND THE PARTNERSHIP

The Quartier des Spectacles is Montréal’s cultural heart, boasting North America’s most concentrated and diverse group of cultural venues as well as numerous festivals and events. The Quartier also hosts innovative urban installations involving cutting-edge lighting design and immersive environments. The Quartier des Spectacles has become an international showcase for digital public art.

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization with more than 85 members active in the district. It is responsible for animating the Quartier des Spectacles by programming cultural activities, managing and animating public spaces, providing distinctive illumination and promoting the Quartier as a must-visit cultural destination. The Partnership benefits from the support of the Ville de Montréal.

More information: quartierdesspectacles.com

- 30 -

PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

Download link.
Please include captions and credits.

MEDIA CONTACT

Ville de Montréal
Catherine Cadotte
Senior Press Officer
Office of the Mayor and Executive Committee
catherine.cadotte@montreal.ca
514 465-2591

Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
Mélanie Mingotaud
Communications Mingotwo
melanie@mingo2.ca
514 582-5272

SOURCE

Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
Chloé Goldstein
chloe.goldstein@quartierdesspectacles.com
514 812‑2193