Copps Participates in the Reopening of the Cinémathèque Québécoise
MONTREAL, February 25, 1997 -- The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage, Sheila Copps, participated today in the reopening of the Cinémathèque québécoise in its new premises."Thanks to these new facilities we are opening today, the Cinémathèque québécoise will be able to accommodate its new mandate of assuming the conservation and distribution of television and video productions," said Minister Copps.
A contribution of $3 million by the Federal Government was granted to the Cinémathèque québécoise under Component IV of the Canada-Quebec Infrastructure Works Program.
The new facilities will permit the Cinémathèque québécoise to adapt to changes in moving image technology and to provide better public access to its substantial collections. The renovations consist of a refurbished film documentation centre, a new screening room fully adapted to modern conservation techniques, as well as new presentation areas which will highlight the Cinémathèque's large and varied collections. As a result of this modernization and expansion program, the Cinémathèque québécoise will be a unique centre for the dissemination of documentation on film and television.
The reopening of the Cinémathèque québécoise and the relocation in the same building of its new partners, l'Institut national de l'image et du son, la Phonothèque québécoise and the Bell MediaSphere Center, which shelters the Consortium multimédia CESAM and the Centre national d'animation et de design (NAD), along with the proximity of the National Film Board and the Université du Québec à Montréal will add to the already energetic cultural scene of Montreal's Latin Quarter.
Funding for this project was provided for in the federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework. This initiative is an example of how this government is prioritizing its spending so that it can better serve Canadians by making efficient use of their tax dollars.
Information:
Julia Arnsby
Press Secretary
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Canadian Heritage
(819) 997-7788
Michel de Courval
Canadian Heritage
(514) 283-1544
[ Media Room ]
