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Here is a press release about the new facilities for journalists and F1 teams unveiled Saturday at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve:
$5.5 million investment - The Canadian Grand Prix opens its international press centre and new paddock installations
MONTREAL, May 31 /CNW Telbec/ - Approximately 350 members of the national and international press covering the Canadian Grand Prix, as well as 1,000 Formula One members now have modern facilities that provide more space and comfort.
At a cost of $5.5 million, the new international press centre and new paddock installations at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve were opened today in the presence of Mr. Normand Legault, president and CEO of the Grand Prix of Canada, the Honourable Michael M Fortier, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada and Minister responsible for the Region of Montreal, the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada, Mr. Raymond Bachand, Minister of Tourism, Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade and Minister responsible for the Region of Montreal, and Gérald Tremblay, mayor of Montreal, and Mr. John Dunn, executive vice-president of Tourism Montreal.
Mr. Legault thanked the Government of Canada, the Government of Quebec and Tourisme Montreal for offering financial support to this project to modernize important facilities of the Canadian Grand Prix. "I am convinced that journalists who use the services of our press centre to talk about Montreal, Quebec and Canada throughout the world, will greatly appreciate the fruits of this investment," he said.
The new press centre is installed at the Olympic Basin. For the first time, all media services will be grouped together: the media centre, the media cafeteria and the photo area. Photographers, who had to go to the opposite end of the Olympic Basin to process and send their images, will be no longer isolated.
Until last year, accredited Canadian Grand Prix journalists were crowding into the control tower to cover the event. Becoming too cramped, this tower no longer met their needs.
On the other hand, some 1,000 paddock members can also gather in renewed area. In addition to the usual facilities, the Canadian Grand Prix now offers each of the teams new modules, built on two floors, which will allow them to work in a much more spacious, more functional and more comfortable environment.
Mr. Legault said that the press centre and new paddock installations were temporary accommodations. After each Grand Prix, they will be dismantled and reinstalled for the next edition. "They will not have to suffer the effects of our harsh winters," he said.
In addition, the existence of the new press centre and new paddock facilities will enable representatives of Formula One Management (FOM) and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to occupy the installations in the control tower.
"We have had to live with a site that presented a lot of challenges with the space available to handle everything involved around a Formula One race. And that's why today I am very proud of what we have achieved for our great event next weekend. So, I would like to thank our team for the superb work they have accomplished inside the very limited area. They succeeded brilliantly, and in a short period of time, to maximize the limited spaces still available on this section of Ile Notre-Dame," said Legault.
Lastly, Mr. Legault emphasized the financial participation of the City of Montreal to improve the electrical power supply for the circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Power supply systems will be installed nearby the garages by the Société Jean-Drapeau. They will replace the existing generators, which were to be leased annually to ensure the electrical power required. This work will be completed in time for the 31st edition of the Canadian Grand Prix in 2009.
The 30th edition of the Canadian Grand Prix will be held from June 6 to 8, at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Ile Notre-Dame.
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