Princeville, July 15, 2026 — Tourisme Centre-du-Québec and BLOOM Site Furniture (BLOOM) announce the deployment of the first Espaces accueil et découverte (Welcome and Discovery Spaces), a concept which reimagines the tourism experience by combining public art, immersive design, and interactive technologies. In these inspiring an engaging gathering places, visitors and residents can find tourism information covering the immediate area and the broader Centre-du- Quebec region.

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Designed and produced by Quebec-based firm BLOOM under the artistic direction of its founder, artist-designer Marie-Ève Bourassa, these spaces take the form of metallic ornamental arches, each featuring a colour and patterns specific to the area where it is located. In the evening, lighting transforms these arches into vibrant landmarks integrated into the region’s scenery. This project, conducted in collaboration with the City of Bécancour, the City of Plessisville, the RCM of L’Érable, the RCM of Nicolet-Yamaska and Tourisme Odanak, stems from the tourism services improvement strategy established by Tourisme Centre-du-Québec, an initiative made possible through the financial support provided by the Ministry of Tourism as part of its 2023-2026 Bonjour Accueil Action Plan.

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“Tourism is a powerful driver of vibrancy for our regions, and projects such as this are a prime example”, stated Amélie Dionne, Quebec Minister of Tourism. “By focusing on distinctive tourist information spaces, these communities enhance the visitor experience, while also fostering further pride among local residents. I commend this wonderful regional collaboration, which directly contributes to the visibility of these destinations.”

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“Quebec has a lot to offer our visitors, and these Espaces accueil et découverte are a unique and innovative way to introduce them to what our region has to offer”, expressed Sébastien Schneeberger, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister Delegate for the Centre-du-Québec Region and Member for Drummond-Bois-Francs. “I am proud that our government has supported this initiative, as it showcases our region so beautifully while simultaneously helping to boost our economy.”

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A project rooted in its communities

The project stands out through the diversity of its partners - cities, Regional County Municipalities, an Indigenous community, tourism organizations, and BLOOM - all united by a shared vision: to transform visitor information centres into genuine meeting places, on a human scale, that inspire the desire to explore the region. This initiative focuses on four sites:

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• Bécancour: Sainte-Angèle-de-Laval Pier (City of Bécancour);

• Plessisville: Tourist Information Office of the L’Érable region, located at Carrefour Jean-

  Louis-Vallée (City of Plessisville, in collaboration with the RCM of L’Érable);

• Nicolet-Yamaska: Joseph-Duval Pier, located in the Port Saint-François sector (RCM of Nicolet-Yamaska, in collaboration with the City of Nicolet);

• Odanak: Grounds of the Musée des Abénakis (Tourisme Odanak and the Abenaki community of Odanak).

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At each arch, visitors and residents enjoy a different experience and access tourist information in a variety of ways, such as seasonal display panels, interactive information stations, QR codes, video screens, and audio content. This combination of technologies is the result of local expertise implemented at each site, while the deployment carried out by regional companies demonstrates the unique proficiency of the respective areas.

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A Quebec signature poised for expansion

“This project was born out of a clear regional vision: reaching out to visitors wherever they are and offering them a welcome that reflects the richness of our territory. Each space tells the story of its community, while also reflecting a style which is characteristic of the Centre-du-Québec region”, explained Marie-ÈveLambert, Coordinator for the Development, Promotion, and Marketing of Tourism Offerings at Tourisme Centre-du-Québec. “The collaboration with our local partners and the BLOOM team has been exemplary. We hope that this first wave will inspire others, as our ambition is to deploy these Espaces accueil et découverte in several other municipalities across the region.”

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“We are creating gathering places where art and design intertwine to showcase the very best that Quebec has to offer, making it accessible to everyone at all times”, added Marie-Ève Bourassa, BLOOM’s Founder and Artistic Director, whose structures have been gathering attention in both Quebec and France for five years now. “Each arch is its own work of art, designed in partnership with the local community. But our ambition goes further: by setting up such spaces on a larger scale, our dream is to create the first national network of outdoor exhibition areas. This is open-air culture, enhancing the quality of life within communities while also promoting tourism.”

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An initiative supported by the Bonjour Accueil Action Plan

This project was made possible through the financial support of the Quebec Ministry of Tourism’s Bonjour Accueil Action Plan, which is dedicated to improving visitor and tourist information services, and the Tourism Growth Program (TGP), an initiative supported by Economic Development Canada and managed by Indigenous Tourism Quebec. Tourisme Centre-du-Québec developed the initial regional strategy; the participating Tourist Information Offices and the Abenaki community of Odanak then carried out the implementation on the ground, in collaboration with BLOOM, which was responsible for the design and layout of the spaces.

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The first Espaces accueil et découverte were recently installed in Odanak, Bécancour, and Plessisville. The space planned for Nicolet-Yamaska will be set up later this summer, due to the addition of a digital component which differs from the other installations.

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About Tourisme Centre-du-Québec

Commissioned by the Quebec Ministry of Tourism, regional tourism association Tourisme Centre-du-Québec has served as the primary regional point of contact for tourism matters since 1999. Its mission is to guide and enhance the regional tourism industry and to actively contribute to regional economic prosperity by supporting, in a coordinated and integrated manner, the promotion, marketing, and development of the industry and the welcoming of visitors, all with a focus on responsible and sustainable tourism. Tourisme Centre-du-Québec brings together over 250 organizations active within its territory, providing its expertise in order to support their development and success.

tourismecentreduquebec.com

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About BLOOM Site Furniture

Founded in 2021 and led by artist-designer Marie-Ève Bourassa, Quebec-based BLOOM designs structures that merge the concepts of public art and urban furniture. Its signature style: luminous arches that are both functional and works of art, tailored to the history and identity of each location, and which immerse passersby and visitors in a visual experience blending light and shadows. The company deploys its structures in Quebec and France.

bloomsitefurniture.com · Instagram and Facebook : @bloommobilierurbain