Round 2 for Jacques Cartier bridge light show is tonight
As promised by Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, the second light show atop the Jacques Cartier bridge will happen tonight after thousands of protesting police officers crashed the city's big birthday bash last month.
Two weeks ago, Montreal's 375th anniversary organizing committee announced it would hold an encore of the lights' inauguration show first held on May 17, the city's official birthday.
Coderre vowed there would be a rerun after thousands of protesting Montreal police officers marched to the Old Port that night where the large crowd had gathered to watch.
As the show was about to start, they projected the police union's logo on one of the bridge's pillars.
"People have the right to protest, but they have to do so in a way that respects Montrealers," Coderre said the following day, announcing there would be a second show.
About 400,000 people had watched the first, setting up camp somewhere near the bridge as another 1.8 million watched on television or online, according to the federal bridge corporation.
There's no mention of the protest in news releases of the re-inauguration of the light installation on the bridge, one of the city's legacy projects celebrating its 375th anniversary. It costs $39.5 million.
The committee also won't say how much each show costs, nor whether the second is part of its $110 million budget for 375th festivities.
Where to see and hear the show
The lights don't go as high as the Loto-Québec fireworks, so you will want to pick a spot from which you can see the bridge. The committee suggests the following locations:
- The Old Port of Montreal, especially the Clock Tower pier.
- Notre-Dame Street, east of the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
- From any of several vantage points on the riverbank on the South Shore, including Marie-Victorin Park in Longueuil.
Organizers are also asking people to walk, bike or take public transit if they want to see the light show.
If you're driving, you'll want to plan a different route as the bridge will be closed for the show as of 9:30 p.m. until 11:45 p.m. Gradual lane closures will start at 9:00 p.m.
You can also tune in to the live soundtrack by the Montreal Metropolitan Orchestra directed by Yannick Nézet-Séguin on 107.3 Rouge FM.
The LED lights designed by Moment Factory are to light up the 87-year-old bridge every night for the next decade. They'll change according to the seasons and tweets from the public.
