Montreal’s revitalized entertainment district, Quartier des Spectacles, has received one of four 2011 Phoenix Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), in recognition of the quality of its work in recent years to enhance the downtown Montreal neighborhood’s identity as a cultural hub grounded in its rich history.
Created in 1969, the Phoenix Awards recognize conservation, preservation, beautification, and environmental accomplishments as they relate to travel. Four outstanding tourism projects were chosen this year: Quartier des Spectacles in Montreal, Quebec; Railroad Park in Birmingham Alabama; Vandenberg Reef in Key West, Florida;and Herbert Kohler in Wisconsin for rehabilitating polluted land and turning it into an award-winning golf club.
Regarding the Canadian city’s award, the committee stated, “At the very core of downtown Montreal, an extraordinary revitalization is underway on streets that, over the years, have reflected the city’s best and worst of times. This one square kilometer of Montreal’s downtown hub has had many faces, but until the Quartier des Spectacles (QDS) was conceived, it was a crumbling blight at the very heart of the city.”
“Can’t wait to see, enjoy and write about QDS, in one of my favorite cities,” a committee member wrote.
SATW’s membership includes writers, editors, photographers, journalists, filmmakers, and communications professionals who specialize in the travel industry.