Cirque du Soleil to design Canada Pavilion!

On Monday January 21, 2008, the Government of Canada and Cirque du Soleil announced their collaboration to create Canada’s 6000-square-metre Pavilion for  Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China. The theme of Expo 2010 is “Better City, Better Life”, and Canada’s theme will be “The Living City: Inclusive, Sustainable, Creative”.

The announcement was held at Cirque du Soleil headquarters in Montreal with a number of distinguished guests in attendance, including China`s Ambassador to Canada, Lu Shumin, the Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages, and Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil.

Speakers from left to right: The Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages, China`s Ambassador to Canada, His Excellency Lu Shumin and Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil.



From left to right: China`s Ambassador to Canada, HU, His Excellency Lu Shumin, The Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages and Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil. 


General concept of Canada Pavilion

Collaborative Arrangement

• Together with the Government of Canada, Cirque du Soleil will develop the creative concept for the Canada Pavilion, create the public presentation, organize the cultural program, and develop corporate alliances. 
  
  
• Canada will contribute $13.5 million to the value of the collaborative arrangement; Cirque du Soleil has pledged to use its world-wide brand and network of contacts to obtain corporate alliances and promote Canada’s participation at Expo 2010.
  
  
• The Government of Canada will ensure the contract for the arrangement is managed with a clear accountability structure.

Canada’s Theme

• Canada’s theme for Expo 2010—The Living City: inclusive, sustainable, creative”—was developed following cross-Canada discussion with nearly 200 organizations and experts representing the private sector; municipal, provincial, and federal government departments; and community-based ethnocultural, Aboriginal, official‑language, and youth organizations.
  
  
• Canada’s theme also reflects Canadian government priorities, additional research findings, and China’s overall Expo 2010 theme, “Better City, Better Life.”
  
  
• Canada’s theme of “The Living City: inclusive, sustainable, creative,” provides direction to Cirque du Soleil for the creative development of the Canada Pavilion.

The Canada Pavilion

• The Canada Pavilion is expected to welcome up to 5.5 million people or about 30 000 visitors a day. 
  
  
• The Government of Canada will build a 6000‑square‑metre Pavilion rather than “fitting up” an existing modular structure. The Pavilion will have a public presentation area about the size of two and a half NHL hockey rinks.
  
  
• Cirque du Soleil has developed a concept for the Canada Pavilion based on the public places found in cities. The Pavilion will be anchored by an open public place, surrounded by three large structures. Visitors will enter the pavilion through the public place, which will include a performing area, then circulate through the larger structures that house the public presentation.
  
  
• Portions of the Pavilion’s exterior walls will be covered in a special type of greenery.  Rainwater will be recuperated by the drainage system for use in water projects at the Pavilion.
  
  
• The design has no large impediments in the interior of the Pavilion, in order to maximize the presentation space and contribute to an airy, open feeling.
  
  
• Consideration is being given to including a restaurant and/or gift shop. Cirque du Soleil will research the feasibility of undertaking these commercial activities in the Canada Pavilion.
  
  
• A public tendering process is now underway for the architecture and construction of the Pavilion.
  
  
• The Canada Pavilion will be completely accessible and be a non-smoking environment.

Opportunities for Canadians at Expo 2010

• Outside of the collaborative arrangement with Cirque du Soleil, a range of other opportunities will be available to Canadian companies, including the construction and technical operation of the Canada Pavilion.
  
  
• In addition, Canadians can become involved in the Expo through Business Promotion, Protocol, Public Affairs and Engaging Canadians programs.