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Anne-Marie Desautels
Division Manager, Public Relations
La Ronde, Member of the Six Flags family

PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
The Montreal Fireworks Festival turns 20!

LA RONDE INAUGURATES SUMMER FESTIVITIES FOR LA COUPE DU MONDE SAQ, SPECIAL 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Montreal, June 11, 2004

The celebrations surrounding the 20th anniversary of the Montreal International Fireworks Competition now known as Le Mondial SAQ will begin on Saturday, June 12, from 10 a.m., La Ronde's opening. For the inauguration of the 20th season of pyrotechnical celebrations, La Ronde and the SAQ will host a day filled with activities that include a pyromusical show with Ginette Reno, as well as a grandiose opening fireworks display (non-competition) ready to brighten up summer skies.

La Coupe du monde SAQ Special 20th anniversary edition

From June 12 to July 18, 2004, Le Mondial SAQ presents La Coupe du monde SAQ, a special edition event for the 20th anniversary of the Montreal International Fireworks Competition at La Ronde. To honour the occasion, 8 world-class pyrotechnic firms from 7 different countries, each of whom has been awarded a Golden Jupiter in Montreal, will face off in a showcase of talent and audacity in the pursuit of one of the most sought after awards in the field of pyrotechnics: the Platinum Jupiter. Fans of the Grand Montreal can expect a unique pyromusical event that takes the art of fireworks to the very next level. During the anniversary edition, 20 popular former jury members will have the task of evaluating each performance based on the quality of the pyrotechnics, the pyromusical presentation, synchronicity, as well as their overall appreciation.

Official opening ceremony Saturday, June 12, 2004

The official opening ceremony for the Coupe du monde SAQ will be hosted by Michel Lacroix at 9 p.m. on the floating stage at La Ronde's Lac des Dauphins, in the presence of Madame Nathalie Normandeau, delegated Minister of Tourism, and Madame Jane Cowell-Poitras, Montreal's Deputy Mayor. At 9:30 p.m., Ginette Reno and La Ronde's fireworks team will present a 4-minute pre-fireworks show on Lac des Dauphins floating stage to honour all the pyrotechnical artists who, year after year, has dazzled Montrealers with some of the most creative and innovative fireworks displays in the world.

La Ronde's opening fireworks "As time goes by"

At 10 p.m., La Ronde will present a pyromusical display (non-competition) created by the Canadian company Ampleman Pyrotechnie. Eric Cardinal, the creator of As time goes by, hopes to delight audiences with a magical pyrotechnical journey through time. The show is presented chronologically and designed to illustrate the evolution of pyrotechnical technology since the first Montreal International Fireworks Competition in 1985. This wonderful journey also features an additional floating stage upon which acrobatic fireworks artists from Circus Orange will showcase 3 spectacular 2-minute presentations a very first at La Ronde. Since the creation of the Montreal International Fireworks Competition in 1985, Ampleman has presented 12 shows, winning a bronze Jupiter in 1989, a silver Jupiter in 1999, and a bronze Jupiter in 2002, as Canada's official representative.

Opening day at La Ronde

In order to inaugurate the 20th anniversary edition of Montreal's International Fireworks Competition, La Ronde and the SAQ have organized a series of activities and entertainment for the whole family, and accessible to all park visitors, beginning Saturday, June 12, 2004.

From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., La Ronde's Bistro SAQ, which is located next to the Jardin des etoiles near Lac des Dauphins, will host an abundance of celebrities and invites visitors to stop by to say hello and to sample a free glass of Brutus Tradition Charles Meunier.

Dancing and musical show

Beginning at 1 p.m., a dance troupe comprised of 8 talented dance artists will perform various dance shows from around the world, including salsa, flamenco, meringue, bachata, hip-hop, afro-Cuban, as well as the cancan. There will be two 12-minute presentations each hour until 8 p.m. Come dance with them
International kiosks

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., students from College Saint-Paul will showcase 12 international kiosks under the theme Ouverture sur le monde near La Ronde's Esplanade entrance. Visitors can learn more about South Africa, Belgium, Brazil, Spain, Greece, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, the United Kingdom, Tahiti, Thailand and Venezuela.

Arts and crafts and makeup

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., kids of all ages can head to the Esplanade tent to put their craft-making skills to the test and create items themed on the competing countries. And from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., kids can have their faces painted with colourful fireworks desings.

The Explosive Regulatory Division, Natural Resources Canada

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., visitors interested in learning more about what goes on behind the scenes at the Montreal Fireworks Competition can visit the Explosive Regulatory Division's kiosk, by Natural Resources Canada, where representatives will be on hand to answer questions. This activity allows visitors to learn more about Canadian regulations on explosives, as well as the fireworks course offered the division.

The closing ceremonies, announcement of the grand prize winner, as well as the awarding of the ultimate Jupiter will take place on July 28, starting at 9 p.m. on the floating stage at La Ronde's Lac des Dauphins. A grandiose fireworks display will close the special 20th anniversary edition of the competition.

Useful information

The Coupe du monde SAQ fireworks will be presented at 10p.m., rain or shine. On fireworks nights, the Jacques-Cartier Bridge is closed to all vehicles from 8 p.m. until the end of the show.
During all evenings between June 12 and June 28, 2004, visitors are invited to drop by La Ronde's Bistro SAQ, which is located next to the Jardin des Etoiles. The Bistro is open from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and offers a wide range of alcoholic beverages and delicious platters of cold cuts and cheese.

It is possible to buy reserved seating tickets for La Ronde
s Place du Canada (including unlimited access to rides), by calling the ADMISSION Network at (514) 790-1245 or toll-free at 1-800-361-4595, or online via their Web site at http://www.admission.com

History

The Montreal International Fireworks Competition (today the Mondial SAQ) was created in 1985 to inaugurate the La Ronde theme park's season in spectacular style. Audiences were immediately won over by the universal appeal, beauty and magic of the displays, and the love affair has been ongoing ever since. Through their loyalty, Montreal audiences have become knowledgeable critics of fireworks displays over the years to the extent that they're now recognized internationally as true connoisseurs of the pyromusical art form.

Until the year 2000, the Montreal International Fireworks Competition was sponsored by Benson & Hedges. In 2001, following the adoption of legislation on tobacco sponsorship, the SAQ became the title sponsor of the event, and the Benson & Hedges International became the Mondial SAQ. That same year, Six Flags, La Ronde's new owner, took over production of this major event. Together, not only have the two enterprises ensured the continuation of a popular tradition that has long since become a fixture on the Montreal summer scene, they have also taken the calibre of pyrotechnical performances to unprecedented heights.

Six Flags, Inc. is the world's largest regional theme park company. Through its subsidiaries, it owns and operates a total of 31 parks in North America and Europe. Six Flags parks serve 34 of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Six Flags, Inc. is a publicly held corporation with corporate offices in New York City and Oklahoma City. The Company's stock trades on the NYSE under the symbol: PKS.

I'm really impressed! Some very useful information mentioned in this release, let alone surprises.

We're really in for a treat this year!

I want this year's competition to be something to remember!

Regards,

Trav.