24 WRITERS PRESENT THEIR VIA RAIL OCEAN-INSPIRED WORK AT THE SALON DU LIVRE DE MONTRÉAL

Montreal, November 20, 2015– Sur les traces de Champlain, un destin extraordinaire en 24 tableaux, the work created by 24 writers while travelling onboard VIA Rail Canada’s (VIA Rail) Ocean train, will be presented tomorrow, November 21, during the 38^th edition of the Salon du livre de Montréal.

This beautifully crafted mosaic of stories – created by a group of French-language authors from Acadia, Ontario, Quebec, Belgium and France – was penned during an unprecedented event that brought the writers together on the Ocean, where they were challenged to write the novel in just 24 hours. The initiative, put forth by L’écriture en mouvement, whose mission is to promote French-language writing, was launched to celebrate the 400^th anniversary of the French presence in Ontario.

“We are pleased to have been part of this great journey of literary creation, by providing the writers with an inspiring Halifax-Toronto rail travel experience,” stated Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, President and CEO of VIA Rail. “VIA Rail proudly celebrates French literature and supports this form of expression in Canada.”

“VIA Rail’s support is what made this wonderful adventure possible,” added Anne Forrest-Wilson, Executive Director of L’écriture en mouvement. “No sooner were they onboard the Ocean than our 24 writers were inspired by this route - replete with history and enchanting landscapes - to give reins to their imagination. From Halifax to Toronto, the train provided an entirely unique creative framework and allowed them the freedom to write… hence their particular attachment to this work, which we are all proud to launch at the Salon du livre de Montréal.”

Representatives from Prise de parole publishing house, along with Anne Forrest-Wilson, who spearheaded the project, will be on hand at the Salon du livre, Booth 100, to encourage the public to discover this extraordinary work.

About L’Écriture en mouvement
L’Écriture en mouvement is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote writing in all its forms, to explore the infinite possibilities, to dive into the unlimited universe of language, using words as its means. In bringing together this small group of writers to create a story with many voices, the organization seeks to highlight 400 years of the Francophonie in Ontario.

About VIA Rail
As Canada’s national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada (viarail.ca) and its 2,500 employees are mandated to provide safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across Canada, and safely transports nearly four million passengers annually. The Corporation was presented seven Safety Awards by the Railway Association of Canada over the past eight years, and was the recipient of the 2012 Agent’s Choice Award voted by Canadian travel agents and presented by Baxter Travel Media. Since 2007, the Government of Canada has invested almost a billion dollars in VIA Rail. About VIA Rail: www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail.