In exactly two weeks from now, the 34th edition of the Montreal International Fireworks Competition,
L’International des Feux Loto-Québec, will begin. Here are some information, “fun facts,” and comments to entertain us before this anticipated season. Don’t hesitate to add yours!
Overview
- The 2018 edition will start on Saturday, July 7th. This is the latest opening date in the competition history and it continues a long-time trend (in the old time, it used to start in late May).
- This is the first line-up in the event history to list only one European entrant as part of the competitive program.
- Three contestants will perform for the very first time in Montreal : steyrFire (Austria), Dancing Fireworks Group (China), and Dragon Fireworks (Philippines). Apogée (Canada), who did the off-competition opening show in 2016, will also compete for the first time in Montreal.
The shows
- Dancing Fireworks Group will launch the 300th display in the Montreal competition history. The Chinese entrant has chosen a similar theme (“The Butterfly Lovers”) than Sunny International, which represented China in 2008.
- Long-time forum member “Reflections of Earth,” Vander, who used to comment the Montreal displays on a regular basis, works for Dragon Fireworks and is expected to be part of the team. This is the first Philippine entrant in the competition history.
- Pyrotecnico (USA) is (finally!) back in Montreal, 10 years after its debut performance which was awarded by the Gold Jupiter. Its stirring show “Rock Loves” featured a finale so intense that Paul’s camera turned to be overflowed. My “Pyrotecnico-proof” camera could capture the whole extravaganza and I put some segments on YouTube ; the video is still available
here. This year, Pyrotecnico bets on the same theme with “Rock Loves... Redux.”
- Howard & Sons Pyrotechnics (Australia), which has already won a Bronze Jupiter (2011) and a Silver Jupiter (2008), will certainly struggle to reach the highest position on the podium. Their 2011 show was pivotal to the storyline of a National Geographic television documentary, which can be seen
here.
- The American and Australian shows, scheduled at the end of the competition, are arguably among the most anticipated this year. Furthermore, both teams competed against each other in 2008 and won, respectively, the Gold and Silver Jupiter that year. What an epic battle on the horizon !
Politics and corporate
- As a result of the local election held in November 2017, Ms. Valérie Plante is now the Mayor of Montreal. She succeeded Denis Coderre and she is the first woman to fill that position. We will monitor whether the new mayor attend the fireworks competition at La Ronde this summer. No Montreal mayor has officially been present since Pierre Bourque in 2001.
- Six Flags has nominated Ms. Janine Durette President of La Ronde (the press release is available
here. She is also the first woman to fill that position. According to her Linkedin profile, Ms. Durette was previously La Ronde Director of Finance and she had worked at Just for Laughs and Harris Decima, among other companies.
- Ms. Durette and other La Ronde officials are still registered to the Quebec government Registry of lobbyists. Their mandate is to negotiate changes to the lease between Six Flags and the City of Montreal regarding the sections on the rental and the International des Feux Loto-Québec. That mandate has been posted in the Registry in July 2015, and it has been renewed each year. That negotiation has apparently not succeeded with former mayor Denis Coderre.
- Contrasting information between 2016 and 2018 in the same registry allow us to know that Loto-Québec, the provincial Ministère du Tourisme, and Tourisme Montréal have reportedly increased their annual sponsorship, respectively, from $1,000,000 to $1,250,000, from $330,000 to $440,000, and from $10,000 to $15,000. (Details are available [url=
here. )
The people
- Assuming he is going to return, Michel Lacroix is the official voice of the Montreal fireworks competition for the 29th season. Hopefully we will celebrate his 30th one in 2019!
- The 2018 jury is the 11th supervised by current coordinators, Lynda Normand and Denis Lono. They break the record held by Ms. Suzanne Morin who coordinated the popular jury during 10 seasons (1992-2001).
Online
I end this post with more self-centered items !
- We celebrate this year the
15th anniversary of the montreal-fireworks.com forum ! It was added by Paul Marriott on June 25, 2003 to his already well-known website.
- This topic is the 150th thread I start in the montreal-fireworks.com forum.
- This year, I also launch a Twitter feed (@pyro_fred) dedicated to the Montreal fireworks competition, which shall feature links to my main posts in this forum.
Que tombe la nuit ! Que la fête commence !
Fred
@pyro_fred (Twitter)
