Audio of interview audio (in French) click here

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

MINUTE 2:00 IN AUDIO FILE

Louis-Philippe Guy

And now, we’re heading to Paris because you’re going there in person.

Fadwa Lapierre

Yes, I’m leaving tonight. And I wanted to take a look at the creativity in Quebec, to see how we were represented at the Olympics, in addition to the athletes. And with us in the studio is Anthony Hachez, who is the Creative Director at Mosaic [North America].

Fadwa Lapierre

Hello Anthony

Anthony Hachez

Hello everybody.

Q: So he and his team designed and produced Canada House. First of all, what is Canada House?

Anthony Hachez: Essentially, Canada Olympic House is really a home away from home, where we invite all Canadians who are present on site to come together to celebrate and support the athletes. So, it's really a gathering place for all those people, with many activities being offered.

Q: And I imagine a wood cabin with the RCMP moose.

Anthony Hachez: It's a bit of a more modern version.

98.5 Reporter:Luckily, it’s not you who designed and produced Canada House.

98.5 Reporter:You know, when we think about Canada, we think about that.

Anthony Hachez: There are many Canadian touches in the design, with nods to the culture, as well as in the programming. We also have Canadian artists performing on site, such as Loud and Arkells, and major Canadian brands offering activities to entertain people there. So it’s definitely Canada, but in France.

Q: Do we make many changes to Canada House for each Olympic Games, or does it generally have a similar design?

Anthony Hachez: There are elements that will be consistent from year to year, such as the celebration areas, but the design is adapted to each location. We also try to incorporate subtle nods to the local culture. For example, in Paris, French will be the primary language in Canada Olympic House, such as on the signage, etc.

98.5 Reporter:That’s interesting. Previously it might have been more bilingual or English. In Paris, French will take precedence.

Anthony Hachez: It will be a 50-50 split, but with French as the primary language.

98.5 Reporter:The Olympic language is French this year, and in Canada, it’s one of our languages that also happens to be spoken in France, so French will certainly have its place.

Anthony Hachez: Exactly, so this is something we’ve considered and incorporated into the design of the house, including the signage and so on. Each Olympic Games has its own unique touch, and the house is making a return after being on pause due to COVID. This is the first time it’s back since then, and we want it to be an exceptional experience for all visitor

Q: And what was the process? I imagine there was a period of ideation, then the setup, and now your team is on site to finalize the last details.

Anthony Hachez: Yes, it’s been a long project, stretching over a year now. We started the design process more than a year and half ago, with site visits and so on, to the location where we’ll be, which is the Cité des Sciences in Paris, in the Parc de la Villette. We designed and worked with all the partners to ensure everyone’s needs were met. Then, there are many logistical elements to consider. Some components are manufactured in Canada and transported to France, while others are made in Europe and transported there. So, in terms of production, there are many exciting challenges to tackle to create this experience.

Q: Given that countries are represented this way with their own houses, is there a certain competitiveness to stand out as a nation?

Anthony Hachez: Not necessarily competitiveness, but each country wants to be represented proudly. An interesting element for this edition is that at the Parc de la Villette, where the Cité des Sciences is located, there will be over a dozen Olympic houses from other countries. For example, we’ll be just next to the French Club for example, the Netherlands are close too, Brazil will also be nearby, so visitors to Canada Olympic House will have the opportunity to see the other houses close-by.

Q: For journalists and athletes who are coming to the house, will there be distribution of peanut butter, maple syrup, and poutine?

Anthony Hachez: There will definitely be food and drink services on site. So, indeed, there will be nods to Canadian culture in the menu offerings.

Q: You’re originally French, we can tell.

Anthony Hachez: A little bit.

98.5 Reporter:But you’ve been here for seventeen years; does that help, given your roots, to work there?

Anthony Hachez: Well, first of all, it’s an honour for me to work for Canada, in my country of origin, so it was really a personal pride. And knowing a bit more about the city of Paris and working with Parisians on site does sometimes make things a bit easier. But it’s truly an honour for me to be able to contribute to this experience.

Q: How do you handle the political aspect? I imagine you have to integrate multiculturalism, which is also part of Canadian identity, for example, the First Nations. How do you manage the balance between not altering the essence of Canada, staying true to your mission of dazzling, and at the same time, ticking certain boxes, whether you want to or not?

Anthony Hachez: Yes, so basically, when we work on the entire ideation process, we present everything we do to Team Canada, who then provide us with directions and approvals to ensure that we respect those elements

Q: Excuse me, one of the debates I saw about this subject is Radio-Canada's new house. They include “Hello” in all the languages of the First Nations and the languages represented in Canada. I saw the same thing at the Little Canada Museum in Toronto. I’m not sure if this is something you’ve done or if you’ve gone further in representing the diverse nations that populate Canada.

Anthony Hachez: For Radio-Canada specifically, their studios will be inside the Olympic House.The idea is really to organize a lot of activities and entertainment for the people on site and for the athletes. It also makes it easier for them to participate in interviews and so on.

98.5 Reporter:How many people can it accommodate? Because if the studios are inside, we’re hosting athletes, families, and journalists ...

Anthony Hachez: Oh, it can easily accommodate several hundred people. There are more than three floors, two outdoor terraces, so it’s really a vast space where we’ll be able to host as many Canadians as possible.

98.5 Reporter:It's like Expo ‘67, but a pop-up version for a limited time

Anthony Hachez: Exactly.

Q: Will it be there for the entire duration of the Games and the Paralympic Games as well?

Anthony Hachez: It will be there for the entire duration of the Games, so from July 27 to August 11.

Q: After that, what happens, is everything dismantled? What exactly will happen?

Anthony Hachez: Exactly.

98.5 Reporter:Yes, it’s temporary. They are not going to stay like at Expo ’67

98.5 Reporter:That’s sad.

Q: To finish, can you give us a little scoop about something that will be in the house?

Anthony Hachez: I’ve already given you a little sneak peek of the musical programming. But there will undoubtedly be athletes who will be present. Everything is set up to welcome them; they will have a private lounge as well as a space to welcome them with their families. So there will be athletes coming to celebrate and gather directly with the fans, so it will definitely be a great experience for everyone.

Q: Are you going back there? Will you go see people appreciate the work that has been done?

Anthony Hachez: Yes, I will go for the last few days, in fact.

CLOSING: 98.5 Reporters

Great, thank you very much. I look forward to seeing that with great pleasure. Anthony Hachez, Creative Director at Mosaic.

Thank you, Fadwa, and thank you to your guest as well. Louis-Philippe - we’ll take a break now, and when we return, we’ll address the topic of electric vehicles—production issues and wait times. We’ll provide an update on the situation.