L'International des Feux Loto-Québec was founded in 1985 at La Ronde, Québec's largest amusement park, which was created for Expo '67. From the very first year, the Competition was a smash success. On the evenings when there were fireworks presentations, La Ronde was filled to capacity and the city of Montréal witnessed unprecedented levels of crowd movement. More than 5.7 million people attended the displays in the first season, setting a record in Canada for this kind of event. As a result of this extraordinary level of success, the Competition was repeated the following year. Since then, it has been an annual event, gathering crowds of enthusiasts, including citizens from the greater Montréal area and numerous tourists.
In the beginning, the Competition included two types of shows: traditional, so-called "classical" fireworks shows; and pyromusical displays, which involve the careful synchronization of fireworks to a musical score. Since 1987, the displays have been exclusively pyromusical.
Over the years, the Competition has carved out a place for itself at the summit of the pyrotechnical industry. The leading firms in the world set their sights on participating in the Montréal event in order to attain the highest distinction in their field. During the 16 years of the Competition, spectators have welcomed the representatives of 19 countries from all over the globe. All in all, 46 individual firms have participated in the Montréal International Fireworks Competition, presenting a total of 141 displays!
You would think that after so many years Montrealers would have become somewhat blasé . On the contrary! Year in, year out, an average of 2.3 million fireworks enthusiasts gather together at La Ronde, on the Jacques Cartier Bridge, or on either side of the river to enjoy the spectacle. In fact, Montrealers are now one of the most informed publics in the world when it comes to fireworks, and they genuinely value the work of the participating pyrotechnicians.
Moreover, in Montréal, pyrotechnicians have become the true stars of the evening, while they are accustomed to playing a supporting role during festivities in their native countries. At La Ronde, pyrotechnicians are considered to be artists in their own right, not just technicians of explosives.
In its third year, the Montréal International Fireworks Competition enlisted the services of Giovanni Panzera as artistic director. He brought to the event his vast experience in the field. He was the initiator of the first musical fireworks displays ever held in Europe and an organizer of the Cannes Fireworks Competition from 1973 to 1983. Mr. Panzera also fine-tuned the famous Roman Candle for his own company, Panzera S.A.S., based in Turin, Italy. The year 2000 marked the end of the close association between the "maestro" of pyromusical arts and La Ronde for Giovanni Panzera died on September 6 at the age of 70. His fine artistic sense and his unsurpassed knowledge of the fireworks industry enabled him to set the tone for the Competition and to play a significant role in the event's success. His mission was to make Montréal the hub of pyrotechnic arts and to bring about an expert appreciation among the public. From 1987 to 2000, he had the honour of presenting the closing night displays for the event; all those who saw them acknowledged, unanimously, that they reflected the work of a master of the pyromusical arts.