MONTRÉAL, July 3, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - The Société du parc Jean-Drapeau (SPJD) announced today that work is set to start on renovations and expansion of the paddocks at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. The project is being funded through an $18 million investment by the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Occupation du territoire (MAMOT), the provincial government department overseeing municipal affairs and land occupancy, and a $41 million contribution by the City of Montréal. The completed project will provide the SPJD with state-of-the-art infrastructures, thereby ensuring the longevity of the Formula One race, the Grand Prix du Canada.

Today marks the start of a new chapter in the Circuit's history with the demolition of the existing infrastructures. The SPJD is confident the installations that will be taking shape over the coming months will befit the prestige of the circuit of which it is a part.

Cutting-edge installations

The start of the renovation and expansion work is timely, in conjunction with the recent renewal of the Grand Prix du Canada contract, which now runs from 2017 to 2029, because the original Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve infrastructures had served their useful purpose. Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve will now, more than ever, be able to meet the requirements of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Formula One World Championship (FOWC) once it officially reopens for the 2019 edition of the Grand Prix du Canada. The Circuit will also gain even more international exposure during this event, which receives extensive media coverage.

Groupe Geyser inc., the entrepreneur awarded the contract after the public call for tender that went out on December 14, 2017, will first begin working on the demolition of the existing paddocks, the renovation of underground infrastructures, which date back to the 1976 Olympics, and the replacing of the electrical system, Once the land has been cleared, new paddocks, on the cutting-edge of technology, will be erected on the same site.

The building conceptually designed by Les Architectes FABG will be contemporary and will feature an attractive arrangement of windows and openings on the façade. Its architectural design is inspired by certain aspects of Expo 67, including the ceiling grid which is reminiscent of the triangular shapes of the Biosphere (the former United States Pavilion) and the Canada Pavilion. The new building will also add to the inventory of rental halls the Parc will be able to offer.

The new, three-storey facility, which will have its loge accommodation capacity go from 1,800 people to 5,000, will be divided thusly:

1 st store : F1 teams' garage, control tower and offices for staff

store : F1 teams' garage, control tower and offices for staff 2 nd storey: Loges, control tower, podium, media areas

storey: Loges, control tower, podium, media areas 3rd storey: Loges and terraces

The population is invited to follow the progress of the renovations and expansion on the parcjeandrapeau.com website.

A famed race track with a memorable past

Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve has been an iconic part of the Montréal landscape for 40 years, and it is now one of the most highly regarded tracks on the Formula One circuit. In 1978, the Canadian stop on the Formula One circuit was at the race track in Mosport, Ontario. But when this track was no longer able to meet Formula One requirements, the decision was made to build a new facility on Île Notre-Dame at Parc Jean-Drapeau. In a record three-months' time, the track and temporary infrastructures were built, just in time to host the 1978 Grand Prix, at which Gilles Villeneuve earned his first Grand Prix victory. A permanent structure for the paddocks was built 10 years later, in 1988.

Formula One drivers and fans like Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve for its setting, in the heart of nature, yet close to downtown Montréal, and for the layout of the track itself: 14 turns, including the famed Hairpin Turn and Senna Corner, the extreme braking and acceleration areas, and the many barriers.

About the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau

The Société du parc Jean-Drapeau is a para-municipal organization of the City of Montréal whose mission is to manage, administrate, develop, protect and animate Parc Jean-Drapeau.

For further information about the project or to download the technical designs, please go to www.parcjeandrapeau.com.

SOURCE SOCIETE DU PARC JEAN-DRAPEAU

For further information: Geneviève Boyer, Communications Chief, Société du parc Jean-Drapeau, 514 872-7322, [email protected]