Quebec - 400 Anniversary Celebrations


Come to celebrate with us 400 years!!!

400 years means:

146 000 days

3.5 million hours

210.4 million minutes during which millions of people have existed.

The 400^e Anniversary is:

10 months of celebrations

130 events on the program

More than 150 events, of which close to 70 conventions, hosted by the Québec Convention Centre in 2008

About thirty conventions and events will take place in Québec because of the 2008 celebrations, generating $80M in tourism spin-offs

5.5 million visitors expected in 2008

270 100 tourists should visit Québec because of its 400^th anniversary

$160 million in permanent installations (Legacy to Québec City) : Espace 400^e, Pointe-à-Carcy, Brown Basin, Bay of Beauport, Promenade Samuel-de Champlain

Espace 400^e means :

$24 million for the complete renovation of the Interpretation Centre at the Old Port (Espace 400^e pavilion) adding up to 1 300 m² of exhibition space

Over 2 000 street arts performances, over 100 children’s workshops, over 100 opportunities to meet in round tables, conferences, debates and master classes.

Over 700 artists of every denomination

11 Ephemeral Gardens combining in a unique fashion mineral and plant matter, odours and light

The Image Mill:

40-minute of architectural megaprojection, 400 images and short films and 40 tableaux celebrating 4 centuries of development.

A 600-meter-wide and 30-meter-high unusual and gigantic screen.

Programming

A Spectacular 160-foot-large stage for celebrations Kick-Off

1 000 artists and extras at the heart of the Urban Opera

1 000 canadian athletes at the Québec 2008 National Winter Games

Over 270 pieces grouped in 4 themes for the “Le Louvres à Québec. Les arts et la vie” exhibition

1 conductor and 1000 musicians for Mahler’s Symphony for a Thousand

The best 16 teams at the 2008 IIHF World Championship

1 000 SME leaders meet at Futurallia Québec 2008

400 000 2008 remembrance trees distributed to residents

350 young musicians in classical training will compete in the Canada Music Contest in Québec.

Over 100 artists will take part in the Beethoven 1808-2008 concert

7.6 km of swimming + 360 km of biking + 84.4 km of running for the 40 best ultratriathletes hailing in from 10 different countries, all present in Québec City for the 2008 Double Ironman 2008 World Championship

Over 80 hot-air balloons will take flight during the 400^th Magic Nights

400 original small sized prints produced and exhibited in the Landscape of the Soul project

50 6-meter giants and their court (750 people) will attend the Meeting the Giants event

600 young people from over 120 countries, involved in development projects, will get together for the ReGeneration 2008 event

1 000 young people will come to Québec City to participate in the Citizenship Summer School of the INM

44 representatives from each of the 100 founding families at the Marathon des familles-souches

Over 100 visual arts artists gathered at the Rencontre des arts au Trait-Carré

5 nations showcased at the Envol et Macadam festival

Over 150 French cities, departments, regions, associations and federations will celebrate Québec’s 400^th from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean

***************
Québec City's economy hinges on a variety of industries. The job market thus needs workers of all backgrounds and skills-from technical specialists to university graduates.

In the last few years, the need for skilled workers has touched a number of industries, particularly optics, photonics, biotechnology, and information technology.

Working for the Government
In the next ten years, 21,000 jobs will open up in the Québec public service. Considering that half of the Québec government's workforce is in Québec City, it is clear how attractive this city is for those seeking stable, well-paying careers.

Cultural communities enjoy appreciable benefits from this state of affairs as current legislation prescribes that one-fourth of all new employees must come from such communities.
Working in the Private Sector
People of foreign descent find that Québec City offers not only warm hospitality but also an open and stimulating work environment.

Already, a number of companies specialized in high tech sectors count a good proportion of immigrants among their ranks. Others are directly recruiting their specialized workers from outside of Canada.

For example, EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering has a staff that includes people of over 25 nationalities. And the research center at Québec City's university hospital employs over
150 immigrants, or 13% of its staff.

Testimonial "Red tape is noexistent here. Interpersonal relations are friendly and on an equal footing, regarles of your position in a compagny." - David Daubioul, Self-employed Worker

Some Statistics

	According to a study by Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate is lower in Québec City than in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
	The unemployment rate is only 5.9% in the Québec City area compared to 8.4% in the province as a whole.
	From January to June 2002, 55,000 jobs were created in the Capital area, and most of these were full time positions. This is one-fourth of all new jobs in the province of Québec, whereas the region itself only makes up 10% of the Québec workforce.
	The overall employment outlook calls for the creation of 48,000 new jobs in the Québec City area by 2005.