Quebecor has proudly released its 2018 report on its contribution to Québec’s cultural industry, which describes the outstanding work of all the associates and partners who help create, disseminate and promote Québec culture every day.

Again this year, the accomplishments outlined in our report demonstrate our commitment to energizing Québec’s French-language culture. Quebecor is a Québec company that is proud of its roots and its language. Not only is it our business to create original content, produce concerts and publish newspapers, magazines and hundreds of books, but we also support more than 150 cultural organizations across Québec each year through our philanthropic programs

Highlights of the 2018 Culture Report

Philanthropy with a cultural focus

• Provided support worth nearly $20M in funding to more than 150 cultural organizations and events throughout Québec, accounting for nearly half of Quebecor’s donations and sponsorships;
• Awarded two $50,000 prizes to singer Patsy Gallant and actor Andrée Lachapelle at the Quebecor Tribute Evening in recognition of their brilliant careers and contributions to Québec culture;
• Mounted and presented the Refus global : 70 ans exhibition at Quebecor’s Espace musée gallery;
• Created the Quebecor Diversité à l’écran scholarship, in conjunction with the Montreal International Black Film Festival, to help a young member of the black community pursue audiovisual studies;
• Created the Fonds MELS, which grants Québec directors and producers making low-budget feature films equipment rental, visual effects, and image and sound postproduction services worth a total of $1M;
• Renewed support for some of Québec’s biggest music festivals: the Festival en chanson de Petite-Vallée, the Fête de la musique de Tremblant, the Festival de la Chanson de Tadoussac, and the Festival de musique émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue;
• Celebrated the 10^th anniversary of Éléphant: The Memory of Québec Cinema, Quebecor’s biggest philanthropic project.

 

Support for the production and dissemination of French-language original content in Québec 

• Videotron contributed $224.6M to culture, including $23.4M to the Canada Media Fund for content production and $154M in subscription fees to French-language specialty channels that carry cultural content;
• Club illico celebrated 5 years of success with 6 new original productions created by Quebecers, shot in Québec and starring Québec talent;
• TVA Group contributed $263.3M to culture, including $255.2M in programming expenses for Canadian content;
• Quebecor Content was involved in over 75 original productions broadcast on TVA Group’s platforms and Club illico;
• A number of original programs were sold in foreign markets: Révolution and Pour Sarah in France, Victor Lessard and L’imposteur in English Canada, Fugueuse in France, Italy and Norway, Boomerang in France and the UK;
• The outstanding work of MELS professionals earned high acclaim, including two Canadian Screen Awards for Hochelaga, Land of Souls in the Achievement in Visual Effects and Achievement in Overall Sound categories.

 

Rich and diverse cultural content for Quebecers

• QUB radio, Quebecor’s first digital radio station, was launched, offering live talk radio and a large library of podcasts;
• Quebecor’s 19 publishing houses published 372 print books and 247 e-books, including 9 of the top 30 bestsellers in Québec;
• The Videotron Centre, Gestev and Musicor Spectacles presented 230 concerts in Québec, including Lara Fabian, Marc Dupré, Eric Lapointe, Patrick Watson, Karkwa, the musicals Belles-Sœurs and Saturday Night Fever, and Plug & Play nights at Baie de Beauport;
• Disques Musicor released music by Jean-Pierre Ferland, Corneille, Alex Nevsky, Sarahmée and Yama St-Laurent; MP3 Disques released offerings from 2Frères, Paul Daraîche and Natasha St-Pierre; Ste-4 Musique released music by Caravane, Joseph Edgar and Pépé et sa guitare;
• Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec carried the Weekend sections, Québec’s most popular cultural weeklies;
• 7 Jours, La Semaine and Échos Vedettes magazines devoted over 50% of their space to covering and promoting Québec culture.