Simon Earned as an ambassador of Quebec

Photo By Stephanie Martin
The mayor Régis Labeaume has met this week with his counterpart in Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, with whom he wants to build a new collaboration.

Stephanie Martin

Sunday, 28 January, 2018 00:00

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Sunday, 28 January, 2018 00:00

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WASHINGTON | Régis Labeaume wants to do more business with Philadelphia. And it can count on the hockey player Simon Gagné as a facilitator to open doors to companies of Quebec.

The former player of the national hockey League, the native of Sainte-Foy, is a celebrity in Philadelphia, where he played with the Flyers for several successful seasons. The mayor of the place, Jim Kenney, is a staunch supporter of hockey.

The mayor of Québec, Régis Labeaume, took advantage of his visit to the US Conference of Mayors this week in Washington, d.c., to negotiate a future partnership with the city of brotherly love.

The two men are also heard as the guys in the fair during their meeting, where it was a matter of hockey, football, heritage, biotechnology and classical music.

“We want to do business together. I spoke to Simon Gagné and he is ready to come to act as a facilitator, ” said Mr. Labeaume. “He is so well known in Philadelphia, it is sure that it will help. In addition, it is a business man himself. “

Photo courtesy

Simon Gagné, Ex-hockey player

Meeting in September

A first meeting between the two cities will be held in September, in order to ratify the cooperation agreement. It is not determined yet if it is Mr. Kenney or Mr. Labeaume, who will make the move.

But already, the two cities have identified several points they have in common.

Philadelphia and Quebec city are the only cities in North America, with San Antonio, to be part of the Organization of world heritage cities. “Philadelphia wants to work with us in heritage. “

The mayor would also like to organize exchanges. He thinks, among other collaborations of a cultural type. Approaches will be made to the conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra, to be able to make an exchange with the head of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec.

Biotechnology

The two cities also have a common interest in biotechnology. Moreover, the convention of BIO, the biggest congress of the biosciences industry in the world, will stop in Philadelphia this year. A congress that mayor Labeaume has already admitted to wanting to attract them to Quebec.

During the election campaign, he had argued that he wanted to position Québec among the five biggest centers of research in the life sciences and bio in North America in order to bring high-level researchers and capital in the region.

Quebec forsake not to the extent Boston, with which it wanted to increase its exchanges, says the mayor of Quebec city. “We will focus on New York, Boston and Philadelphia. “