Yves Desjardins-Siciliano to be the honorary chair of the 2018 Jour de la Terre's Banquet Urbain

MONTRÉAL, Dec. 21, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - VIA Rail President and Chief Executive Officer Yves Desjardins-Siciliano will succeed Sophie Brochu as the honorary chair of Jour de la Terre's 6^th Banquet Urbain. VIA Rail and Jour de la Terre are keeping the location of the event secret until the last minute, promising to be unlike anything guests have seen before.

The Banquet Urbain — being held on April 5, 2018 — is an unparalleled experience where guests will have the opportunity to explore business affairs and environmental issues in a unique setting. After holding some of its previous banquets under the de la Concorde overpass, as well as in an STM dispatch centre, and in the boiler house under the Olympic Park, this year's Jour de la Terre venue is sure to surpass guests' expectations.

Helping the planet, one ticket at a time!
The goal of the event is to raise funds for Jour de la Terre's year-round projects, allowing them to pursue their mission of helping individuals and organizations reduce their impact on the environment.

Together, Yves Desjardins-Siciliano and the team at Jour de la Terre, invite a diverse range of business figures who share a vision for sustainable entrepreneurship, to join them for an out-of-this-world benefit cocktail party.

Where innovation, the environment and business come together
Jour de la Terre and the honorary chair and committee for the Banquet aim to inspire Quebec's business community to take innovative, environmentally friendly approaches to entrepreneurship.

"Jour de la Terre has shown great leadership in its ability to implement tangible initiatives that have a real impact on the environment. I am excited to be the honorary chair of the 2018 Banquet Urbain, an event that rallies stakeholders in the business community around the need to prioritize sustainable development projects and reduce our environmental footprint. At VIA Rail, we are committed to building a more sustainable future for Canada by offering an alternative to driving. By doing so, we help Canadians fight climate change, make Canada's economy more productive and enhance their quality of life," said Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano.

"Jour de la Terre identifies with VIA Rail's values of sustainability and innovation. Our collaboration for this new edition of the Banquet Urbain promises an evening that will take us deeper than ever into the most innovative green entrepreneurial practices," said Pierre Lussier, Director of Jour de la Terre.

On the program for the 2018 Banquet Urbain

• A gourmet cocktail party with live music
• A special trip from Montréal to behind the scenes at VIA Rail
• A great opportunity to network with the Banquet's honorary chair and committee

Get your advance tickets at last year's lower price now: jourdelaterre.org/banquet-urbain

Ready to Tweet
We're proud to support @JourdelaTerreQc at the 2018 Banquet Urbain! Save the date for a 6^th amazing evening on 05/04/18. jourdelaterre.org/banquet-urbain #BanquetUrbain

Yves Desjardins-Siciliano @VIARailPrez, President and CEO of @VIA_Rail, will be the honorary chair of the 2018 @JourdelaTerreQc Banquet Urbain! jourdelaterre.org/banquet-urbain#BanquetUrbain

About Jour de la Terre
Tous les Jours | Jour de la Terre Québec is a charitable organization whose mission is to help individuals and organizations reduce their impact on the environment. It relies primarily on the support of three main partners: TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, IGA and Quebecor. jourdelaterre.org/qc

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail (viarail.ca) and all its 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 about 180 more communities through intermodal partnerships, and safely transports nearly four million passengers annually. The Corporation has been awarded five Safety Awards and three Environment Awards by the Railway Association of Canada since 2007. Visit the "About VIA Rail" section at: viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail.

SOURCE VIA Rail Canada Inc.