PRESS RELEASE

Quartier des arts du cirque Unveils Its Development Vision for the Saint-Michel Neighbourhood

A Transformation Project to Build the East’s Cultural Hub

Montreal, July 9, 2026 – Quartier des arts du cirque (QUAC) today unveiled its development vision for the Saint-Michel neighbourhood, an ambitious initiative aimed at making this area a cultural, creative and innovative hub where art becomes a driver of social, economic and environmental transformation.

Presented in the presence of the Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal Region, Chantal Rouleau, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada, and numerous institutional, cultural, community and private partners, this vision marks an important milestone in the development of eastern Montreal. Included in the Quebec government’s Eastern Development Plan, Quartier des arts du cirque aspires to become a major cultural, creative and tourism hub.

At the heart of this vision lies a clear ambition: to make Quartier des arts du cirque the East’s cultural hub where local and circus artists, residents and visitors thrive in a vibrant, open, creative neighbourhood in harmony with nature.

Quartier des arts du cirque is far more than an urban planning project. It is a collective vision that places culture at the heart of territorial development. We want to demonstrate that it is possible to sustainably transform a neighbourhood by creating spaces where citizens can learn, create, build businesses, find housing and connect with one another. Saint-Michel has all the ingredients to become an international-calibre cultural destination while remaining deeply rooted in its community.
Charles-Mathieu Brunelle, Executive Director, Quartier des arts du cirque

Montreal’s strength as a cultural metropolis is rooted in its neighbourhoods. In Saint-Michel, Quartier des arts du cirque demonstrates what a community can achieve when it invests in culture, creativity and collaboration. As mayor, I am very proud to see this neighbourhood I love help build a more dynamic, inclusive and ambitious Montreal. This is a project that Saint-Michel, eastern Montreal and the entire metropolis can be proud of.
Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Mayor of Montreal

Quartier des arts du cirque is an urban transformation project that will help shape the future of eastern Montreal. Our government is proud to have invested in building a solid foundation so that this neighbourhood becomes a lasting legacy for the metropolis. This is how we make eastern Montreal an increasingly attractive, dynamic and forward-looking area.
Chantal Rouleau, Minister Responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action, Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal Region, and MNA for Pointe-aux-Trembles.

An Urban Development Laboratory by and for the Community

More than a cultural project, QUAC acts as an urban development laboratory by and for the people of the neighbourhood. Projects are imagined, tested and refined together with citizens, artists, entrepreneurs, community organizations and institutional partners to meet the real needs of the community.

QUAC’s vision rests on an integrated approach where culture becomes a catalyst for economic, social and environmental innovation. It unfolds through several complementary projects that contribute to the lasting transformation of the neighbourhood:

Galerie LA 40 and the activation of spaces under the Metropolitan Expressway;
the Saint-Michel Entrepreneurial Lab, which supports local entrepreneurship and youth success;
the revitalization of rue Jarry Est as a commercial, cultural and community-friendly artery;
the development of creation, presentation and gathering spaces accessible to the community;
the revitalization of TOHU’s outdoor spaces, creating a large public square;
the transformation of the former sorting centre into a future cultural hub;
the greening and development of public spaces promoting active mobility and quality of life.

Together, these initiatives contribute to the emergence of a more inclusive, creative, prosperous and resilient living environment.

A First Major Private Investment to Support the Neighbourhood’s Transformation

The event also allowed for the announcement of the first major private investment in Quartier des arts du cirque. Groupe HD confirmed the launch of the first phase of a residential project representing a $150 million investment for the construction of 380 housing units on rue Jarry Est. This first phase is part of an overall development estimated at over $527 million.

We chose to invest in Saint-Michel because we believe in the potential of this neighbourhood and in the ambitious vision carried by Quartier des arts du cirque. The creation of complete living environments, where housing, culture, quality public spaces and community initiatives coexist, represents in our view the future of urban development. We are proud to contribute concretely to this transformation.
Jean-Philippe Hébert, Co-President, Groupe HD

Galerie LA 40: A First Tangible Demonstration of the Vision

Alongside the unveiling of this vision, QUAC inaugurated the new phase of Galerie LA 40, one of the neighbourhood’s flagship projects. This year, 20 new monumental murals created by 11 mural artists under the artistic direction of MALICIOUZ are being added to the pilot project launched in 2025. More than 100 participatory works created by youth, community organizations and Montreal artists have also been installed under the Metropolitan Expressway. The 2025 pilot project welcomed more than 1,200 visitors over four weekends, demonstrating the potential of this space as a Montreal cultural destination.

Long perceived as a scar in Montreal’s urban landscape, the Metropolitan Expressway is gradually becoming a space for creation, gathering and cultural discovery accessible to all.

This project is made possible through the financial support of the Quebec government and the City of Montreal as part of the Montreal Cultural Development Agreement.

The murals of Galerie LA 40 make it a new iconic destination in Montreal. Public spaces take on the character of the people who inhabit them, and here, human presence prevails over concrete! With this growing artistic project, this section of the A-40 reflects the creative energy of Saint-Michel and the artistic uniqueness of Montreal.
MALICIOUZ, Artistic Director, Galerie LA 40

A Development Model Rooted in Its Community

Already recognized as a key partner in the transformation of Saint-Michel, Quartier des arts du cirque continues its mobilization to make culture a lasting lever for economic, social and environmental development.

Partner Quotes

As MNA for Viau, I am intimately familiar with the realities and needs of the Saint-Michel neighbourhood, where local cultural offerings remain too limited. The vision carried by Quartier des arts du cirque restores creative power to youth and transforms neglected spaces into genuine gathering places. I am proud to support an initiative that strengthens the social fabric and collective pride of our community.
Frantz Benjamin, MNA for Viau, National Assembly of Quebec

Saint-Michel possesses unique assets: strong cultural institutions, an engaged community fabric, spaces for creation, areas to transform and a youth that carries the neighbourhood’s future. The funding granted by the borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension to Quartier des arts du cirque supports this dynamic and acts as a concrete lever for its activities. In this way, we contribute to positioning Saint-Michel as a future knowledge neighbourhood, where culture, education, innovation, entrepreneurship and community anchoring come together to sustainably transform the territory. For our borough, it is a source of pride to support a project that reveals the full potential of Saint-Michel and is built with and for its community.
Jean-François Lalonde, Mayor, Borough of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension

As a financial partner committed to social economy and cultural vitality, Caisse d’économie solidaire is proud to support the vision of Quartier des arts du cirque. This project powerfully illustrates how solidarity financing can catalyze lasting economic and social benefits for a community like Saint-Michel.
Martin-Pierre Nombré, Director of Strategic Development, Caisse d’économie solidaire Desjardins

For more than twenty years, TOHU has been contributing to the transformation of Saint-Michel through culture. Today, with our partners at Quartier des arts du cirque, we are taking a new step by building a living environment where art, social innovation and territorial transformation advance together. Our ambition is clear: to create in Saint-Michel a cultural, events and civic hub recognized across Montreal, while remaining deeply rooted in its community.
Benoit Mathieu and Pascale Bélanger, Co-Executive Directors, La TOHU

Having been established in Saint-Michel for more than thirty years, Cirque du Soleil shares the conviction that the sustainable economic development of a neighbourhood depends on the direct involvement of its residents and the recognition of its local artists and entrepreneurs. We are proud to contribute to this vision, which embodies the very essence of our history with Saint-Michel.
Nicolas Panet-Raymond, Chief Director of Health, Safety and Sustainable Development, Groupe Cirque du Soleil

Having been present in Saint-Michel for more than two decades, the National Circus School welcomes every opportunity to collaborate with the community. This project is a unique occasion to create lasting bridges between the School and the neighbourhood, and to continue demonstrating how circus arts can contribute to the emergence of the next generation and to local economic and social development.
Olivier Leblanc, Interim Co-Executive Director, National Circus School

This project perfectly embodies our mission to develop a local, inclusive and accessible entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly in underserved communities. PME MTL Centre-Est, as a founding member of Quartier des arts du cirque, is proud to contribute to the integrated economic development of the area by fostering lasting commercial and cultural vitality that creates opportunities for entrepreneurs, positive benefits for the community and a dynamic and attractive living environment.
Anyle Côté, Executive Director, PME MTL Centre-Est

The Saint-Michel Entrepreneurial Lab is a natural partnership in synergy with our mission and values: while we support the most vulnerable youth in their social, academic and professional integration, QUAC provides them with the infrastructure and ecosystem needed to bring their projects to life. We are proud to give the youth of Saint-Michel, many of whom come from diverse backgrounds, the tools and support to define and develop a life plan that reflects who they are. Together, we make this project a true engine contributing to equal opportunity for Saint-Michel’s young people, allowing every talent to emerge and achieve its full potential regardless of background or origins.
Linda Bourassa, Executive Director, CJE Centre-Nord

As a local coordination organization, we are proud to support a project that demonstrates the strength of Saint-Michel’s mobilization. Quartier des arts du cirque transforms spaces into places of creation, gathering and pride, while enriching the local cultural offering. It is an ambitious vision that helps make Saint-Michel an ever more vibrant, inclusive and unifying neighbourhood.
Dominique Perrault, Executive Director, Vivre Saint-Michel en Santé

Our collaboration with QUAC, particularly during the outdoor cinema pilot project in the summer of 2025, allowed seven young women from the neighbourhood to access employment and develop new skills, thanks to the support of our youth workers and equipment loans. This initiative perfectly illustrates our mission to support the overall development of Saint-Michel’s youth, particularly those from vulnerable backgrounds.
Chrystelle Robitaille, Executive Director, Centre Lasallien

Our experience during the 2025 pilot project near the murals under the A-40 allowed us to witness the full potential of these initiatives to showcase the artistic talents of our youth. We are proud to continue this collaboration with QUAC and to keep offering our young people opportunities to create and push their limits.
François Beaudoin, Executive Director, Loisirs communautaires Saint-Michel

This project creates a genuine space for expression designed by and for the youth and artists of Saint-Michel. By focusing on co-creation between youth, community workers and artists, Quartier des arts du cirque fosters the emergence of local jobs and opens concrete future prospects, in perfect alignment with our mission.
Simon Leguay, Executive Director, La Grande Porte

PARI Saint-Michel fully supports the land development project led by QUAC, which is perfectly aligned with our mission. The terrace from Galerie LA 40’s 2025 pop-up boutique even found a second life by becoming the terrace of our solidarity market, a great example of the solidarity that unites our organizations.
Éric Jr Allen, Executive Director, PARI Saint-Michel

We are pleased to collaborate with Quartier des arts du cirque to help create a safe and reassuring environment conducive to the flourishing of these cultural initiatives in our community.
Salvatore Serrao, Commander, Precinct 30 SPVM

It is with pleasure that REMAX Infinité participates in the Lab boutique of Quartier des arts du cirque by making a portion of our land on rue Jarry Est available to install a shipping container transformed into a seasonal micro-retail space. We wish to contribute concretely to the socio-professional integration of youth and to the commercial vitalization of our area.
David Bélanger, Steve Valiante and Tony Valenti, Associate Owners, REMAX Infinité

À Portée De Mains was proud to contribute to the outdoor cinema pilot project by lending equipment, a collaboration that reflects the spirit of solidarity that drives the Saint-Michel neighbourhood. Through our own events, such as the Festival des saveurs interculturelles de Saint-Michel, we share with QUAC the conviction that culture is a powerful tool for gathering and belonging for our community.
Alban Maréchal, Executive Director, À Portée De Mains

Our successful participation in the 2025 pilot project under the A-40 confirmed the value of our approach: giving youth concrete technical skills in sound, lighting and production management that promote their autonomy and employability. We are proud to continue this collaboration with QUAC to keep training Saint-Michel’s next generation of technical professionals.
Marie-Ève Dagenais, Executive Director, Productions Jeun’Est / Prodigium services techniques

I found my work experience quite enjoyable and surprising. It is clear that working at QUAC is far from an ordinary job for a typical student. I appreciated taking on tasks that had a direct impact on the project. Investing my time in work that directly affected the neighbourhood allowed me to feel that I was participating in its development. I learned a great deal about how non-profit organizations operate, as well as how to work in this type of organization.
Nacer Ait Amara, Coordinator, Quartier des arts du cirque

It was a wonderful experience, very instructive and with a real impact on my professional life. What I appreciated most was being able to work and learn alongside other young people my age. Being surrounded by peers made the experience even more extraordinary. I also appreciated the support of the QUAC team toward us and our project. Not only did they make us feel heard by helping us develop our project, but they also demonstrated real solidarity by accompanying us throughout the entire implementation, encouraging us and suggesting better solutions. That was very encouraging for me as a young person.
Mélida Fleuzinord, Outdoor Cinema Facilitator Saint-Michel, Quartier des arts du cirque

I truly enjoyed my experience as an exhibition facilitator at QUAC. It was a very enriching experience for me, as I had the opportunity to be involved in a creative space where I could accompany many artists with varied backgrounds and artistic styles, while making new connections. I loved the welcoming atmosphere and the opportunity to be surrounded by works of art while helping visitors feel welcome during the exhibitions. I learned to better organize myself, improve my customer service skills and quickly adapt to a professional environment. I also gained confidence in communicating with people and working as part of a team.
Sylvina Desilus, Galerie La 40 Facilitator, Quartier des arts du cirque

I honestly really enjoyed my work experience. The freedom we were given to put together various activities made every day different. What I appreciated most was the interaction with visitors during guided tours. It was really interesting to learn more about them and the reasons for their visits. For example, there was a family that came from Quebec City specifically to see the exhibition after hearing about it in the media. I had a wonderful time with them. One thing I learned from my experience at QUAC is to keep in mind the space we have to create and/or undertake, even in a work context. During the exhibition, it was up to us to put together the activities we wanted to see happen. That pushed me to be entrepreneurial.
Adem Bougelite, Galerie La 40 Facilitator and Coordinator, Quartier des arts du cirque

About Quartier des arts du cirque

Quartier des arts du cirque is a territory where citizens, artists, researchers and entrepreneurs work together to create a prosperous and integrated neighbourhood by implementing innovative urban, ecological and social solutions activated by culture, for the benefit of the community, youth and the environment. The NPO was founded in 2022 by La TOHU, Groupe Cirque du Soleil, the National Circus School and PME MTL Centre-Est.

Information:
Justin Meloche
514-995-9704
jmeloche@national.ca