Airport expansion adds 200 jobs
New eateries, outlets will include Cirque boutique
Five new stores, six more restaurants, 200 jobs added — and more than two years to go.
The expansion and spiff-up of Dorval’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport continued apace Thursday with the latest addition of retailers, including a Cirque du Soleil boutique and an Archibald Microbrasserie restaurant, in the commercial space.
In addition, Aéroports de Montréal president James Cherry said during an opening ceremony, travellers can move freely and seamlessly from the domestic jetty to the international one.
“This is a first in Canada,” said Cherry. “Transport Canada approved it after very carefully studying it, and it’s been in effect since (Tuesday) April 1.”
The two areas were formerly strictly segregated for security reasons. The only restriction is that domestic passengers cannot shop at the duty-free shop.
The relaxed provision will be good for business, he said, giving more travellers greater access to retailers and services.
“The point is to make passing through Montreal Trudeau a more efficient and convivial experience, and less of a generic one,” Cherry told about 100 guests.
The new shops include clothing store Tristan, La Source electronics specialist and local products outlet Les délices d’érable, while Sushi Shop, Vino Volo, Jugo Juice and Vasco da Gama are among the new airport eateries.
The 11 new retailers employ about 200 people, Cherry said, and boost the airport’s total to 95 shops and restaurants.
The improvement and expansion program for the international jetty began in 2011 and runs until 2016, Cherry said.
Jack MacGowan, chief executive officer of Dublinbased Aer Rianta International, which operates Montreal’s duty free shop, said that he employs about 160 people at the much-expanded Dorval shop, one of about 25 he operates in 12 countries.
Duty free shops offer “a 25-per-cent discount compared to downtown stores,” he said.
“And we’ve come a long way from (cigarette) -and-whiskey joints. We offer cosmetics, cigars, perfume — our range is much greater into luxury goods.”
His shops carry a wide array of local goods, he added, “for the tourist from France who wants some maple syrup from Quebec, that sort of thing.”
His firm has several banners at the airport, including Oakley, and they are all being rebranded under a new name, The Loop.
Archibald Microbrasserie sales and marketing director France Taschereau said that the Quebec City-based firm’s third outlet employs 60 people and opened a month ago, the first outside the capital area.
“Airport people approached us and we thought it would be a great adventure,” she said.
It’s too early to say if the restaurant that she called “a hunting and fishing chalet motif with rustic decor” is a financial success.
“But it was a $1.2-million investment, so both us and the airport authorities want this to be a big success. We’re getting great collaboration from them.”
Pierrette Hade, area manager for French firm LS Travel Retail North America, which owns the Cirque du Soleil shop, said that another will open at the airport next month.
The existing one sells Cirque paraphernalia, including fancy-ball cat masks and skin-tight multicolour tunics similar to the one worn by the contortionist who gave a performance at the launch ceremony. Prices for the masks ranged from $59 to $299, while the tunics were $99.
Hade said that “the Cirque started here in Montreal and this gives it a lot of visibility for travellers.”
The merchandise at Cirque stores is mostly made by the Cirque in Montreal, but are not items that are related to any specific show, she added.
Just before the ceremony began, about 30 airport bluecollar maintenance workers banged drums and shouted slogans during a demonstration.
Union official Denis Vigneault said they were protesting against stalled contract negotiations, as well as their afternoon break time being cut.