A heartfelt appeal from the Premier of Quebec to the founder of Cirque du Soleil : please stay in “La Belle Province.”

Premier Philippe Couillard says Guy Laliberte is one of Quebec’s great entrepreneurs and the Cirque is a huge source of pride for the province – so he’s appealing to Laliberte to keep Cirque’s head office in Montreal – along with some 1,500 employees.

A published report says bidders have been given until next week to submit offers to purchase Laliberte’s controlling stake in the Cirque – saying he has agreed to sell all but 10 per cent of his share.

In the province’s national assembly today, Jacques Daoust, the Minister of Economy and Innovation, said a Quebec group has been involved in the process, but he would not go into detail.