Montreal has been chosen to host the 54th World Congress of IFLA, the International Federation of Landscape Architects, which will be held in 2017. IFLA is an international body representing Landscape Architecture professionals from 62 countries.
The delegation, headed by Helen Fotopulos, executive committee member, responsible for Culture, Heritage, Design and the Status of Women of the City of Montreal, and directed by Alain Dufour, executive director of Mission Design, was supported by the consul general of Canada in Shanghai, Nadir Patel, and the Quebec bureau director of the Quebec office in Shanghai, François Gaudreau. The delegations of 32 countries represented at the 47th IFLA World Congress in Suzhou (China) unanimously agreed to grant Montreal their 2017 congress.
The first of a series Mission Design is striving to bring to Montreal, this congress will be an integral part of a larger multidisciplinary event planned for 2017, the year Expo celebrates its 50th anniversary, Canada its sesquicentennial and Montreal its 375th. These inter-related congresses are expected to attract thousands of designers, architects and urban planners to the city.
“I am thrilled by the delegates’ decision,” says Helen Fotopulos, president of the delegation. “Creativity, innovation and knowledge are in Montreal’s DNA. Design derives from these, which will play an important role in the development of Montreal as a UNESCO City of Design. The 2017 project initiated by Mission Design is an excellent illustration of the city’s 2007-2017 Action Plan-Montreal Cultural Metropolis.”
Adds Jean Paul L’Allier, president of Mission Design’s board of trustees, “This is great news, not only for the creative professionals directly concerned but also for those of us that grasp the importance of design for business development. Montreal is positioning itself as a leader in this forward-looking sector.
“We are very proud to have successfully accomplished this first step,” says Dufour, the delegation director. “This is an important milestone for us because it opens the door for this event, an exceptional opportunity for Montreal, Quebecois and Canadian architects, designers and urban planners to showcase their talents on the world stage. The collaboration of the Quebec and Canadian associations and the support of the Ville de Montreal, as well as the provincial and federal governments were key in obtaining IFLA 2017.”