Longueuil, June 1, 2017 – Today, The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI) launched the Stories and Bridges multimedia tour, which people can experience using the free Montréal en Histoires app. This technical and historical tour, which you can do on foot or by bicycle, connects the Jacques Cartier Bridge and Champlain Bridge to the Champlain Bridge Ice Control Structure via the Greater Montreal bicycle path network.

The city’s bridges have played an important role in its history and development. For Canada’s 150^th anniversary, JCCBI is offering a heritage experience that shows how its transportation infrastructure has helped build the communities of yesterday and today. JCCBI’s contribution to the city’s festivities and cultural offerings is in the form of a historical multimedia journey developed in collaboration with Montréal en Histoires.

“JCCBI is taking on its role as a social and urban contributor to showcase our assets and help enhance the city’s local community. We have been working on this project with Montréal en Histoires for over a year, and we are very proud of this first phase,” explained Catherine Tremblay, Senior Director, Projects, Construction and Operations, JCCBI. “Other historical content, such as information about the Honoré Mercier Bridge, will be added to the current tour in the next two years.”

Stories and Bridges lets people use smart phones and devices to discover the people, places and events that have forged Montreal’s history. Residents, motorists, and tourists can choose between a 30- or 60-minute tour, which they can do at their own pace. Stories and Bridges reveals five points of interest through educational audiovisual material that includes texts, images and illustrations as well as 3D augmented realities. Thanks to immersive videos, these augmented realities bring alive historical facts, anecdotes and animated characters against a historical backdrop.

“Montréal en Histoires is very pleased to tell the story of Montreal’s bridges through our mobile app. This new tour is accessible, educational and fun. It’s a wonderful enhancement to our current app content, as it gives people more places to visit. Montréal en Histoires thanks The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated for their help to launch this major technical and historical tour,” says Martin Laviolette, Executive Producer at Montréal en Histoires. 

Jacques Cartier Bridge

At the entrance to the Jacques Cartier Bridge on the Montreal side, the first point of interest explains why the Jacques Cartier Bridge is “crooked.” The tour then shows four augmented realities that scroll images of the construction of La Ronde and the Jacques Cartier Bridge. Two workers from that era talk about their pride in taking part in this major project. The final augmented reality features Montreal in the 1880s and recounts the history of the ice bridges.

At the second site of the Quai de l’Horloge in the Old Port sector, users learn more about the Jacques Cartier Bridge’s unique construction.

Champlain Bridge Sector

Near the Champlain Bridge, the construction of the Champlain Bridge (from 1957 to 1962) comes alive through spectacular images. In this sector, three sites explain the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway (one of North America’s largest construction projects of the 20^th century), the role of the Champlain Bridge Ice Control Structure, as well as the many environmental protection programs launched by JCCBI.

The free Montréal en Histoires app provides content in French, English, Spanish and Mandarin. Available day and night, these tours let you explore the bridges in your own way and learn more about their history at your own pace.

For more information, visit our website at www.JacquesCartierChamplain.ca.

About JCCBI

As a manager of important infrastructure, The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated is a Crown corporation established in 1978 that is responsible for the Jacques Cartier Bridge, the Champlain Bridge, the Champlain Bridge Ice Control Structure, the Île des Sœurs Bypass Bridge, the federal sections of Bonaventure Expressway and the Honoré Mercier Bridge, as well as the Melocheville Tunnel. The Corporation manages, maintains, and repairs these important Greater Montreal structures to ensure the safe passage of thousands of users every day. It also ensures that these critical structures remain safe, fully functional and aesthetically pleasing both today and in the future. www.JacquesCartierChamplain.ca

About Montréal en Histoires

Montréal en Histoires’ mission is to develop and produce various projects to enable Montrealers and visitors to discover, explore and celebrate Montréal’s history. Montréal en Histoires activities are focused on three projects: producing Cité Mémoire, a major work by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon with the collaboration of Michel Marc Bouchard, and creating the techno-historic walking tour as well as an educational platform about Montreal’s history.

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For more information

Julie Paquet, Director, Communications
Office: 450-651-8771, ext. 2232 / Cell: 514-458-6925
[email protected]

Claudia Carbonneau, Communications Advisor

Office: 450-651-8771, ext. 2533 / Cell: 514-236-4093

[email protected]