Conference Venue
Palais des congrès de Montréal
201 Viger Avenue West / 1001 De Bleury Street
Montréal (Québec) H2Z 1X7 Canada
Tel.: +1 514 871-8122 / 1 800 268-8122
www.congresmtl.com
The Palais has two entrances, one located on
Viger Avenue, the other on De Bleury Street.
Please follow the signs to Viger Foyer for
the Ecocity World Summit 2011. Easy access
by bus and metro (Place- d’Armes Station)
or a short walk from downtown and Old
Montréal hotels. The Palais is a non-smoking
environment.
Conference Secretariat Contact
c/o Opus 3 inc.
417, rue Saint-Pierre, bureau 203
Montréal (Québec) H2Y 2M4
Tel.: +1 514 395-1808
Fax: +1 514 395-1801
info@ecocity2011.com
During the event, please go to Room 521 A,
the onsite Summit Secretariat.
Its hours of operation are the same as the
Registration counters.
Airport
For more information about the Montréal-Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport, visit www.admtl.com.
Rate for a taxi ride from Montréal-Trudeau to Downtown Montréal: CAD $38.
Banks
Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 and sometimes on Saturdays. You will find automated teller machines mostly everywhere. Please note that most tellers will charge a transaction fee of approximately CAD $1.50.
Book of Abstracts
sponsored by Bombardier
The Summit Book of Abstracts is available online.
Car Rental
Cars can be rented in Montréal from local or international companies. Average cost per day for a medium-sized car is CAD $85. All cars are left-hand drive. Most hotels in Montréal offer parking space for CAD $20 a day.
Cloakroom
The Palais cloakroom is closed during the
summer season. However, it will be open on
Friday, August 26, for participants who wish to
store their luggage for the day.
Cost $5 CAD – per person.
Conference Language and
Simultaneous Translation
The official language of Ecocity 2011 is English. However, all sessions presented in rooms 517 D and
520 BC, as well as the STM Public Keynote and the TD Symposium, held in room 516 ABC, will be translated simultaneously into French and English.
Currency exchange
Currency units are dollars and cents. Canadian notes are: $100, $50, $20, $10, $5. Coins are: $2, $1, $0.25, $0.10, $0.05, $0.01. Bank of Canada Currency converter.
You will find many exchange offices in and around downtown Montréal, especially on Sainte-Catherine Street.
Disclaimer
The Organizing committee cannot be held responsible for any losses incurred by participants in the event of labor disruptions or cancellation of the World Summit.
Duplication, Recording
Photography, audio-taping, video-recording,
digital taping or any other form of duplication
is strictly prohibited in the session rooms and
poster areas without the auhorization of the
Summit Management.
Eco Practices
The Ecocity World Summit 2011 organizers
are proud to adopt fair-trade and eco-friendly
practices. For all details on those practices,
please visit the about the conference »
Eco Practices section of the website. Please note that water
will not be sold in bottles on the event site.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own
containers or reusable bottles.
Electricity
Electrical outlets in Canada provide 110 volts (60 cycles) current, the same as in the United States. If you are travelling from Europe or elsewhere, you will need an adapter to use small appliances designed for a different standard (220/240 V).
Facilities for disabled persons
If you require specific facilities, please notify the World Summit Secretariat.
Food court and health breaks
Light meals (at an extra charge) are served in
the restauration area located in the Exhibition
Hall (Room 517 ABC) from Tuesday, August 23
to Thursday, August 25. Note that on Monday,
August 22 and Friday, August 26, participants are
invited to come to the food court, located on the
Metro level.
Health Break stations are conveniently located:
– In the Sessions Rooms Foyer on Monday,
August 22;
– In the Exhibition Hall (Room 517 ABC) from
Tuesday, August 23 to Thursday, August 25;
– In the Foyer Viger on Friday, August 26.
In the interests of eco-responsibility, the Summit is proud to offer local produce, some of which comes from the Palais Terrace itself.
Free Access to the Biosphere
Participants can use their conference badge
for a free visit to the Biosphere, a museum
dedicated to the environment. Architectural
masterpiece by Buckminster Fuller and
symbol of Montreal’s World’s Fair Expo 67, the
Biosphère is a unique and spectacular structure,
located in Montréal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau.
Health
Vaccination is not required.
Health Insurance & Hospitals
Canadian hospitals and medical services are excellent. The vast majority of hospitals are publicly managed and rates are set by provincial and hospital authorities. Hospital care for non-residents of Canada is charged at a daily rate or on the basis of the medical condition and length of stay. Charges vary from province to province and from hospital to hospital, but generally range from CAD $1,000 to CAD $2,000 a day. It is therefore important to obtain travel health insurance before leaving home, since your regular health insurance might not include coverage outside your country of residence.
Information Counter
To find out more about conference-related activities, please stop by the Summit Information Counter located in the Foyer Viger, near the Registration Counters.
Its hours of operation are the same as the
Registration Counters.
Internet Access
sponsored by Québec en forme
Two Internet Cafés are located in the
Exhibition Hall (Room 517 ABC). Internet
Access is free of charge in this area. Note
that Wi-Fi service is available in all the Palais
des congrès at a cost of $10 CAD per day
(24 hours basis).
Liability
The Summit Organizers* shall not be held liable for personal accidents or losses or damage to private property of registered Summit participants. Participants should make their own arrangements with respect to personal insurance.
Name Badges And Tickets
sponsored by AECOM
Please wear your name badge at all times,
including during evening social activities.
Note that participants are invited to return
their name badges at the end of the event
for recycling.
Color codes for name badges are as follows:
Green: participants and speakers
Blue: exhibitors
Black: media
Red: organizing committee and staff
Passport and Visa Requirements for participants from the U.S.A. and other countries
If you are visiting Canada, a valid passport is necessary. It is the responsibility of the visitor, before entering Canada, to ensure that he or she has the necessary documents, including those for entry into another country or re-entry into his or her own country. Visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada Website for further details.
Press Room
The Press Room is located in Room 522 A.
Its operating hours will be the same as the
Summit hours.
Registration Counters
The Registration Counters are located in the
Foyer Viger of the Palais des congrès de
Montréal. It is possible to register on site.
Registration Counters Opening Hours
Monday, August 22 7:30 am – 7:00 pm
Tuesday, August 23 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Wednesday, August 24 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Thursday, August 25 7:30 am – 7:00 pm
Friday, August 26 7:30 am – 12:00 pm
Rental of a Self-serve Bike
A leader among North American cities, Montréal has made thousands of self-serve bicycles available to the public in strategically located stations. Complementing the public transit system, this new mode of active transportation, referred to as BIXI, offers a practical, ecological and inexpensive alternative to the car. BIXI won the Gold Edison Award in the Energy and Sustainability category, a prestigious American prize designed to reward the most innovative products in certain defined categories. For details, go to www.bixi.ca.
Sales tax
A federal sales tax (5%) and a Québec sales tax (8,5%) are to be added to all advertised prices. Visitors may apply for a tax refund under certain conditions. For more information, visit www.cra-arc.gc.ca
STM Transportation Pass
The Ecocity World Summit 2011 registration package includes a transportation pass that is valid for the entire conference period (August 22 to 26, 2011), giving free access to the subway, bus, and the shuttle 747 to the airport (in partnership with Montréal Public Transit Authority (STM)). You can get this card along with your badge at the Summit Registration counters, if you did not already pick it up at the airport upon your arrival!
Tipping
Service is not included in restaurants and it is customary to add a 15% tip to the total. If you are with a group, a 15% service charge may be automatically added to your bill. Just ask when you are not sure if the tip is included. Taxi drivers, hairdressers, etc. are also normally tipped 15%. Bellhops, porters, doormen, etc. generally receive at least CAD $2 per suitcase or per service rendered. Coffee and food counters often have a tip cup next to the cash register; spare change is always appreciated.
Weather
The weather in Montréal in August is usually sunny with an average temperature of 15°C (maximum: 20°C, minimum: 11°C). Montrealers like to take advantage of the fine weather to enjoy the numerous outdoor cafés and restaurants open from morning to the middle of the night.
* Summit Organizers include the Local Organizing Committee, the Montréal Urban Ecology Centre and the Professional Congress Organizer.
