Rolled out for the first time in 2022, and back from February 16 to March 5, 2023, the Skating Loop, a unique multimedia experience produced with major support from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) and Tourisme Montréal, attracted nearly 25,000 Montreal skaters last year. It quickly became a must-experience at the Montréal en Lumière festival, presented by Loto-Québec in collaboration with Scotiabank. Now, this gem of Québec engineering is ready to be presented for the first time to visitors from around the world!

Creating a “first ever” 

An original and innovative concept, designed with Montreal’s winter-loving spirit in mind, the Skating Loop inspires citizens to return to downtown Montreal and reclaim space vacated after the pandemic: a play of illuminated installations, exciting musical atmospheres, constantly heated comfort, and an optimal skating experience in an urban environment.

All of the senses are engaged during the Skating Loop experience. From the elevated structure, rising 2.5 meters above the ground, skaters are treated to a breathtaking view of the urban panorama, enhanced by large-scale video projections on the facades of surrounding structures, including the Wilder Building and the UQAM President Kennedy Pavilion. Hundreds of LED tube lights add enchantment to the icy course, while a state-of-the-art sound system disseminates a playlist compiled just for the event.

Heating things up north of the 49th parallel

Erected in the heart of the city's bustling social and culinary hub, Place des Festivals, the Skating Loop is surrounded by heated oases specially designed to ensure skater comfort: a chalet, sheltered from the cold, for putting on skates, as well as a covered, heated terrace at the SAQ Bistro, where visitors are invited to relax after taking a few laps.

Skating Loop facts:

• Comprises 300 meters (1,000 feet) of artificial ice

• 85m3 of ice is on a cooling mat

• The elevated structure rises 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) above ground level

• Offers breathtaking views of the urban panorama

• Path is illuminated by 265 LED tube lights

• Features giant projections on surrounding building facades

• State-of-the-art sound system

• Maintained by a custom-built Zamboni, unique in Canada!

Skating, a tradition embedded in Montreal's DNA

Jacques Primeau, Chief Executive Officer of Montréal en Lumière, initiated the far-reaching project that is now in its 24th year. Along the way, the Festival has developed unparalleled expertise in Nordic-context events and illuminated animation. Highlighting skating as a central activity of the festival seemed a natural extension, given the intimate and historic link between skating and the City of Montreal.

Public rinks have long been important socio-cultural gathering places that, much like hockey, unite communities. A true hallmark of our “Montréalness,” hockey has been played in small and large arenas across the city forever. Montréal d'hier et d'hiver, a work by artist Karine Lanoie-Brien, illustrates this rich history in the form of large-scale projections around the Skating Loop, using archival images from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) to document the long love affair between Montreal and skating.

“In 2022, we knew that the City was going to open a large new skating rink on Esplanade Tranquille. The idea of the Skating Loop was to create a strong and dramatic symbol that would celebrate skating as emblematic of Montreal. We are extremely proud to offer Montrealers and their families this unique creation that brings residents together, and we look forward to welcoming visitors to this exceptional outdoor rink. From concept to realization, it required extraordinary involvement from both creators and craftspeople.”

- Jacques Primeau, Chief Executive Officer, Montréal en Lumière

Brilliantly met technical challenges

Bringing a project as elaborate and audacious as the Skating Loop to life presented its share of challenges. The team wanted the installation, which would occupy the entire Place des Festivals, to have a positive visual impact, not only for skaters on the ice, but also for people admiring it from outside the rink. The design of this impressive aerial structure had to also support the weight of bystanders, as well as 4 inches of ice, coolant…and an 8,300-pound Zamboni! Additionally, the ice would require frequent resurfacing, given that the Skating Loop attracted an impressive number of skaters in 2022: between 250 and 300 people per hour took advantage of this unique winter experience!

But the technical challenges were brilliantly met by the Montréal en Lumière team and its supplier, Échafauds Plus, all in the name of making Place des Festivals a winter gathering place that would be as welcoming as it is magical. The creative thinking, incessant calculations, and great ingenuity of the teams involved made this aerial structure with an immersive visual and sound experience possible. With this project, the experience of the traditional skate trail has literally been taken to the next level.

Success at every turn

In 2022, nearly 25,000 skaters enjoyed the magical Skating Loop experience. The popularity of the project was evident as soon as it was announced; it generated 153 times more traffic than usual on the Festival's social networks!

Completely reimagined and exhilarating, this multimedia installation illuminates the city center in the middle of winter, enabling citizens to reclaim public space. It also forms part of the social mission of Montréal en Lumière, which endeavors to ensure that the site is accessible to as many people as possible through hundreds of free activities, including skate rentals offered on site by CCM, so that everyone can indulge in a unique Montreal experience.

And that's just the beginning. This year, the Skating Loop is one of the flagship activities of the 2023 edition of the Montréal en Lumière festival. Come experience the brilliance and excitement of this one-of-a-kind installation that will amaze you... and stimulate your eyes and ears!

Acknowledgements 

The Skating Loop was created in 2022 after being selected among a call for projects initiated by the Fonds de maintien des actifs stratégiques touristiques (FMAST) of Tourisme Montréal, supported by the Ministère du Tourisme du Québec.

The 2023 MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE, presented by Loto-Québec in collaboration with Scotiabank, could not take place without the support of invaluable partners and sponsors. Thank you to the Société des alcools du Québec, Rogers, Société de transport de Montréal, Air France, Tim Hortons, Skip, and the Association des hôtels du Grand Montréal, as well as to our media partners, Radio-Canada and La Presse. Finally, we would like to thank the Government of Canada through Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions and Canadian Heritage, the Government of Quebec through the Ministère du Tourisme and Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine, and the City of Montreal, Tourisme Montréal, and Montréal Centre-Ville for their renewed confidence.

The 24th edition of Montréal en Lumière, presented by Loto-Québec in collaboration with Scotiabank, takes place from February 16 to March 5, 2023 at Quartier des Spectacles.

The complete program can be found here:

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