One of the strengths of Montreal is the fact that we have always appreciated the arts. We’ve got a passion for it that other cities don’t have at a very basic level. What is disturbing to me today is that perhaps the arts are not being supported like they used to be, and it is sadly one of the parts of the economic evolution that we’re going through. But theater, film, dance, art in virtually any one of its forms, is a cornerstone for society, because it makes people think, it evokes reactions, it evokes emotions, it gets people understanding life at a completely different level.

And because art in its various forms has been so important in Montreal, it has created a society that is always more appreciative at a truly, for lack of a better expression, artistic level. It’s not just about buying a painting that’s gonna be worth a lot in 20 years, it’s not about going to a play that is going to be on Broadway, it’s about going to see and going to hear things that are real and resonate.