Culture and Recreation Department
The Culture and Recreation Department organizes or supports a wide range of cultural activities and events, and places many recreational and sports facilities at the disposal of the people of Mont-Tremblant and local organizations.
Located respectively in Saint-Jovite sector (centre-town) and in the Village sector, the Samuel-Ouimet library and du Couvent library provide their 3,000 or so members with collections that are the latest word in literary works. Each library has free Internet stations, and entertainment focusing on books or stories is presented regularly.
The Alphonse-Desjardins room, which annually houses a dozen or so exhibitions of works by local and Québec artists, and the Place de la Gare, where the works of three resident painters are permanently exhibited, play an important role in having the visual arts seen and valued in the Mont-Tremblant area. In summer, the Place de la Gare becomes an important entertainment site where an increasing number of residents, part-time residents and tourists stop to chat with the artists or to enjoy the mini-concerts.
Also in summer, thanks to a partnership with the Tremblant Resort Association, the Culture and Recreation Department offers a delightful range of outdoor musical shows as part of the International Blues Festival and, for the first time in 2009, the Fête de la musique. There are also several indoor and outdoor concerts during the Festival classique des Hautes-Laurentides and the Festi Jazz, two events supported by the Ville de Mont-Tremblant.
The organization of popular events that bring together cultural and recreational activities is another aspect of the mandate of the Culture and Recreation Department. From the Québec National Holiday to Tremblant Citizens' Day, via Halloween and Christmas events, there's something for all tastes and all ages. The Féerie des Glaces ice carnival and the Summer Market are two other events that receive financial, technical and logistical support from the Department.
Finally, in addition to being responsible for the summer camp, the Culture and Recreation Department manages the meeting rooms; the arena; and sports and games fields, the skateboard park and the school gyms; which are often lent free of charge to community organizations and local sports persons. The department is also responsible for issuing the Mont-Tremblant Citizen's Card, which provides free access to numerous services and facilities (beaches, cross-country ski trails, etc.)
In short, the Culture and Recreation Department does all it can to develop a cultural and recreational activities program that responds appropriately to the expectations and needs of a population in constant evolution.
Gabriel Lemelin
Director of the Department of Culture and Recreation
