MONTRÉAL, January 17, 2013 – Videotron and the OSMO Foundation today announced that they have formed a major partnership to support the Notman House project. As founding partner, Videotron has pledged $2.5 M to back the creation of a hub of technological innovation and enterprise in Montréal. Helping young entrepreneurs express their talent is very much in keeping with Quebecors traditions.
This is a big day for Notman House, said Alan MacIntosh, President of the OSMO Foundation. Videotron's significant support will give entrepreneurship in Montréal a major boost, helping an entire community achieve its full potential and giving some of its amazingly talented members a chance to shine.
The launch of the Notman House restoration project is the ideal occasion for us to announce the broad strokes of what promises to be a temple of enterprise and innovation in Québec, said John Stokes, Secretary of the OSMO Foundation. Notman House, a place for young entrepreneurs and Web developers, as well as students and investors, will be dedicated to enhancing Montréal's already vibrant high-tech ecosystem. We are confident that it will provide a conducive environment for the emergence of bold creative spirits in Montréal, said Mr. Stokes.
Developing the entrepreneurs of the future
Quebecor President and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau, who has long been engaged with the entrepreneurial community, said the agreement will directly benefit creative young developers: More than a generation ago, leaders mobilized and created Québec Inc. Today, it is our turn to join forces and support young startups that have the potential to become the flagships of Québec Inc. in the future.
Sharing homegrown expertise
Robert Dépatie, President and CEO of Videotron, promised the partnership would be an active one: Our efforts will be focused on supporting the next generation of developers, fostering the emergence of new talent outside our walls, and nurturing digital development in Montréal. Our entirely homegrown expertise will give these young entrepreneurs access to a unique pool of skills and knowledge. The fact that we are making an initial 10-year commitment to supporting Québec developers shows that we are in this for the long haul.
Videotron already has plans to support the Notman House community in a number of ways: serving as a bridge between local developers and Videotron's major partners, providing special access to practices developed by its engineering and product development teams, organizing exchanges with Videotron's Android and Web experts, and testing the feasibility of some projects.
The Notman House project will really get off the ground in the summer of 2013. Until then, people interested in the project may visit the www.notman.org site or go directly to Notman House, 51 Sherbrooke St. West, Montréal.
About the OSMO Foundation
The OSMO Foundation, a non-profit entity, was established in July 2009 to fund, by way of grants, grassroots initiatives that support community building and networking. The Foundation was created by investors, technology and media executives and the community itself to support the growth and development of Montreal's next generation of technology entrepreneurs.
About Videotron
Videotron (www.videotron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, and Internet access, cable telephone and mobile telephone services. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its interactive Digital TV service and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. As of September 30, 2012, Videotron was serving 1,852,900 cable television customers, including 1,457,800 subscribers to its digital service. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,369,600 subscribers to its cable service as of September 30, 2012. As of the same date, Videotron had 378,300 subscriber connections to its mobile telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to 1,249,700 Québec households and organizations. For the seventh consecutive year, Videotron was named Québec's most respected telecommunications company by Les Affaires magazine, based on a Léger Marketing survey.
Follow us on the Web | facebook.com/videotron
Follow us on Twitter | twitter.com/videotron
- 30 -
