Montreal Times 25 18 February 1 2020

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Vol. 25 No. 18

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Covering Montréal & Surrounding Areas

* Call for details Front page + Home page website with link

Bring your sweetie for a treatie!

Montreal’s favourite place for Spare-Ribs and Chicken

Montreal will soon be the first fully electrified bus route in Canada. See inside or online for more details: mtltimes.ca

STM ELECTRIC BUS

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February 1, 2020 •

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Montreal's electric bus route the first in Canada

Above: STM Electric Bus (Top Left): STM - Slow charging station (Bottom Right): STM - installation of a quick-charging station ontreal will soon have the first fully electrified bus

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By Bonnie Wurst mtltimes.ca route in Canada. The first three of 40 new long-range electric buses have arrived at the STM's Stinson

• February 1, 2020

garage and within a few weeks, the Monk36 bus line will have them on the road. The remaining buses will be gradually delivered starting in June 2020.

The fleet will have 30 slow-charging electric buses and 4 fast-charging electric buses, allowing the 36 Monk bus route to be fully electric. The will also have air conditioning, two spaces for wheelchairs, 440-kWh LiNMC batteries for a range of approximately 250 km and roof rails allowing for conductive charging (slow charging).

They can be easily

recognized by their distinctive colours illustrating its environmental qualities. More importantly, they will produce zero GHG emissions, reduce dependence on oil, have a quieter ride and support industry growth in the province as they are being made in Quebec. Because they can be charged in 5 minutes maximum (at the beginning and end of the line using a quick-charging station) the buses will be able to run all day.The STM further explains how they will maintain the charges: once the bus pulls up at its stop and

into position below the recharging station, the pantograph extends and lowers itself next to the roof of the bus. Through conduction, the batteries of the bus are recharged.

Once done, the arm retracts itself and the bus turns around for its next run. The bus will charge up its batteries again at the other end of the line, repeating the pattern throughout the day. At night, the bus will be plugged into a slowrecharging station, allowing the batteries to be fully recharged.

The STM chose the quick-charging tech-

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nology after a number of studies were conducted. They took several criteria into consideration in order to test technologies that would meet every aspect of their operating environment such as; the transit experience for customers and drivers, service planning and delivery, maintenance and more. Quick-charging technology using a pantograph is a proven method in Europe and it matches well with the bus line's needs, in addition to having proven itself under winter conditions.

The whole project

has a $16.7M budget with $11.9M in financial support from the Quebec Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Electrification, $100,000 from Hydro-Quebec and a $4.7M contribution from STM. The project was also made possible with Volvo and Nova Bus having contibuted an investment of $8M into research and development of the electric bus transportation system. You can watch a short video on how the charging happens at: https://youtu.be/8XgLJUi 0-fQ

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Montreal Boat Show 2020 Montreal Boat Show 2020 will take place at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal from February 6th to 9th. A Nautisme Québec presentation in collaboration with Aviva and Desjardins, the Montreal Boat Show will be in its 21st Edition and is considered to be an annual new boats and

products showcase second to none. In a new venue for 2020, the Montreal Boat Show will be home to some 400 boats of all types showing the latest trends in design and technology the industry has to offer at the onset of new decennia!

“The Montreal Boat Show is

also a people’s experience”, points out Alain Roy, General Manager of Nautisme Québec..

To see more please visit: https://mtltimes.ca/Montreal/s ocial-life/montreal-boat-show2020/

Osheaga 2020 Line-up Osheaga 2020 Full lineup with 3 major headliners for this coming OSHEAGA Music and Arts Festival, presented by Bell Alt TV in collaboration with Coors Light, is going

down this July 31st, August 1st and 2nd at Parc Jean Drapeau in Montreal.

Dave Grohl and his band of merry musicians are playing the festival for the first time, and when they

take the stage on...

To see more please visit: https://mtltimes.ca/Montreal/entertainment/festivals/osheaga-2020-full-lin eup/

JAPANESE GERMAN ARABIC CATALAN

Where to eat on Valentine’s Day in Montreal?

Day : March 2nd and 30th 2020 Evening : March 9th 2020 Teen : Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese: March 14th 2020 English: April 4th 2020

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option #1

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and a lot of us are still planning the perfect date for our partner.

If you are looking for great

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foodie date ideas, we’ve got an interesting list of choices for you. So, where to eat on Valentine’s day in Montreal?

To see more please visit:

https://mtltimes.ca/Montreal/montrealrestaurants/amazing-foodiedate-ideas-for-valentinesday-in-montreal/ February 1, 2020 •

Montreal Recycling – A good idea in crisis

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By Sergio Martinez mtltimes.ca boxes and bins made their appearance in the urban landscape of Montreal, they were hailed as a significant breakthrough in the way how we should deal with objects that we discard. The idea of recycling was an important step toward environmental awareness, and it also made us think about the possibilities it was opening.

The ubiquitous plastic objects, from bottles to bags and discarded toys; glass in all its various forms, and old newspapers would find a new life, as new objects which probably, in turn, could be recycled as well. A sort of virtuous circle would come to replace the old throw-away culture so much ingrained in our consumer's society.

Unfortunately, things • February 1, 2020

haven't gone the way they were envisioned.

Just last week Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante was calling on the province to take some action in view that four sorting plants were to be shut down by the company that operates them. She also made clear her opposition at any attempt to take the recyclable materials stored in a facility in St. Michel that may be closed down, to landfills.

For its part, RSC Group which operates that plant in St. Michel and three others, issued a statement in which it indicated that "it sells much of the paper it recuperates (in Montreal), in countries like China and India, which have said they would no longer buy waste paper from Western countries because of a high contamination rate." If you wonder what happens to paper, glass, plastics and other materials you put in the recycling bin, they get collected, taken to a local materials recovery facility where they are sorted using different means, from sophisticated computerized machines to old-fashioned manual separation.

Once the materials are sorted, cleaned, and squeezed into cubes,

they are sold to "end markets," i.e. places, mostly in China and other countries where they are transformed into new materials. But it is here where the crisis looms: the end markets are saturated and don't need more recyclables.

In dealing with the difficulties created by an excess of recyclables that far exceed the demand, Montreal is not alone. There seems to be a recycling crisis that probably affects most of the country by now. Moreover, it appears that it is also becoming a global one.

In an article on the subject, Matthew Halliday wrote in The Walrus this December 17, 2019: "More than a public service, recycling is largely a commodity business, as dependent on supply and demand as any other.When municipalities produce more recyclable garbage than end markets can absorb, the value of the product decreases. In the selling market, Canada faces competition from countries across the world."

Other situations aggravate the problem since Canada, in general, has dismantled most of its manufacturing industry, materials that in the past, could have been

recycled in the country now depend on foreign buyers. Also, despite the time that recycling has been around, people still lack education on the subject and place dirty plastics and lots of non-recyclable items in the containers.

Not only individuals act irresponsibly, but some companies do too: last year The Philippines even threatened war over a ship sent from Canada which, disguised as recyclables, had intended to introduce lots of garbage into that nation.

Recycling, a good idea then, in crisis now, and with a difficult way out.

The facilities are full and there are no buyers in the traditional

markets. Only a small fraction of what is collected is recycled in Canada, a situation that to be reverted it would need a new industrial strategy, in the meantime, recyclables continue to accumulate in the materials-recovery

facilities in Montreal and in other cities in the country. A good idea now in need of new good ideas to be relaunched, because after all, recycling is beneficial for the environment.

010-051020

hen about twenty years ago the green

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Contributors: • Catherine Maisonneuve • Marco Giovanetti • Sergio Martinez • Bonnie Wurst • Stuart Nulman • Deborah Rankin • Martha Shannon • Helen (Eleni) Akrivos

SUBSCRIPTION General subscriptions in Canada: 1 year $150, 2 years $275 Subscription to the U.S. and outside North America:1 year $250 US All contents of this publication are sole property of The Montreal Times Newspaper. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily intended to reflect those of the publisher. Any reproduction in whole or in part and in print or in electronic form without express permission is strictly forbidden.

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inister of Finance Bill Morneau and Governor Stephen S. Poloz today announced that the Bank of Canada is launching public consultations to select an iconic Canadian to appear on the next $5 bank note. Canadians can submit nominations by using the Bank of Canada's submission form by March 11, 2020.

This call for nominations is similar to the Bank's 2016 campaign that resulted in the selection of Viola Desmond, a defender of human rights and social justice, as the portrait subject of the vertical $10 bank note. The redesigned $10 bill won the Bank Note of the Year Award from the International Bank Note Society.

"When we launched the last round of consultations, we never could have anticipated the enthusiasm of Canadians, both for the process or for the historic bank note that featured a Canadian woman for the first time, civil rights pioneer

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Viola Desmond," said Minister of Finance Bill Morneau. "We're excited to see who the public will nominate for the $5 bank note and look forward to celebrating another incredible Canadian."

Governor Poloz encouraged Canadians from all parts of the country to nominate people who have inspired them and to talk about their achievements.

"This open call for nominations is another great opportunity to highlight the many stories of heroes, sometimes unsung ones, who have helped shape the Canada we live in today," he noted. "I hope this process sparks conversations and encourages us all to learn more about our great country and its remarkable people."

An independent advisory council composed of eminent people from academia, the cultural sector and civil society will review all nominations who meet the criteria outlined below.

With the support of historical and public

opinion research, the advisory council will develop a short list of candidates for submission to the Minister of Finance. The Minister will announce his decision on the portrait subject of the new $5 bank note later this year. The Bank of Canada will then begin the design process for the new bank note.

Nominees must meet all the following criteria: They are a Canadian by birth or naturalization who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, achievement or distinction in any field, benefiting the people of Canada or in the service of Canada.

They have been deceased for at least 25 years (before March 11, 1995).

They are not a fictional character.

Additional information: Like the $10 note, the new $5 note will have a vertical design.

Up to five names can be submitted in one submission form. Participants can return to the Bank's website to submit more names if they

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, twitter, Instagram

www.mtltimes.ca www.mtltimes.ca

so choose.

Participants can suggest images and symbols they associate with their nominee(s).

From the start of the

public consultation campaign, it takes three to four years to design, produce and issue a new bank note.

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Rodents infesting Pierrefonds woman's backyard T here are not many people who would welcome rodents

By Bonnie Wurst mtltimes.ca scrambling all over their backyards, especially rats.

And when the number of them are growing, it can become a very serious problem especially for a woman in Pierrefonds who claims her backyard is being increasingly infested.This past Tuesday January 28th, resident Tracey Featherstone said her son had called her over to a window

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overlooking their backyard and what she saw shocked her. Rats were all over, scampering into her yard from the other side of a neighbour's fence. She blamed them for the problem and said she sees rats regularly, even a dead rat in her backyard over the summer, according to a Global News report.

“Over the last several years, they (the nextdoor neighbours) have been feeding the wildlife excessively,” she told them, showing a hole in the fence apparently leading to a large, openair composting bin her neighbours keep on the other side. "The homemade compost that’s up against my fence seeps through into my yard, literally piled up.There’s like shells coming into my yard, it seeps through and I have to clean it up,” she also said.

Featherstone claimed she reached

out to the city of Pierrefonds to help find a solution, but nothing had been done. “I wanted an inspector to come shut that compost down, and hopefully get them (the neighbours) to stop feeding the wildlife."

She said her shed near the fence is full of mouse and rat traps.

Her partner David Pelletier added that a storage bin near the fence is often full of mice and they have put glue traps near the fence in an effort to catch and kill the rats. But their neighbour, Sandy Forrester, claimed her compost had never been a problem in the over 30 years she and her husband have been maintaining it.

"It’s natural, organic composting. There are no meats, no greases, nothing. We’ve been feeding the birds, and never had an issue until last summer,” she said

to Global. She even hired an exterminator to deal with the rats, but they told her the rats might have sought refuge in her compost pile after being displaced by roadwork, or the closure of the quarry on Oakwood.

“He said it’s a colony," she continued with tears, "they have to have come from somewhere.

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He’s put of 48 pieces of poison, which will not only kill the rats but all the birds and the squirrels."

Pierrefonds Mayor Jim Beis told Global News he is aware of the problem. “The information was given to our services, our inspectors, to make sure they go investigate and apply the necessary bylaws if we

could, to correct the situation,” he said, and that if he finds no one acted on Featherstone’s first complaint, he will seek an explanation.

After they spoke with the Mayor,Tracey Featherstone said city inspectors showed up to investigate and that the exterminator would return for a follow-up visit.

February 1, 2020 •

British citizens on Wuhan flights quarantined as more airlines cancel flights wo hundred British citizens are being flown back to the UK

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By Bonnie Wurst mtltimes.ca from Wuhan in China, the epicenter of Coronavirus outbreak, and will be put into quarantine for two weeks.

When they arrive, they will be put in 'supported isolation' for 14 days with 'all necessary medical attention', according to a BBC News report. A Downing Street spokesperson said the government would confirm the location they will be held 'in

due course' but offered no comment on reports that it would be a military base. "Our priority is to keep British nationals and their families together," he added. Those returning from other parts of China will not be affected, but have been advised to 'self-isolate' for 14 days.

British Airways operates daily flights to Shanghai and Beijing from Heathrow but have announced the suspension of all flights to and from mainland China 'with immediate effect' until the end of January while the situa-

slash cross-border travel between the city and mainland China.

According to the Chinese National Health Commission, the number of deaths from the virus has risen to 132 in China as of January 29th and has spread to at least 16 other countries. Four cases have been confirmed in Gertion is assessed. "We many, making it the secapologize to customers for the inconvenience, but the safety of our customers and crew is always our priority," they wrote in a statement. Other airlines, inir Canada said cluding United Airlines, today that folAir Canada, Cathay Palowing the Govcific Airways and Inernment of donesia's Lion Air have Canada's Advisory to already cancelled some avoid non-essential flights to China. Russia's travel to mainland Ural Airlines said it had China it is temporarily suspended some serv- suspending all direct ices to Europe popular flights to Beijing and with Chinese tourists, Shanghai effective Januincluding Paris and ary 30, 2020 until FebRome, because of the ruary 29, 2020. outbreak. Hong Kong Air Canada's last announced plans to flights departing Canada

ond European country to report cases, after France. The United Arab Emirates has also confirmed its first cases of the virus and Finland confirmed its first case as well. In Canada, a second case of coronavirus was confirmed in Toronto and B.C. has its first 'presumptively' confirmed case. China now has 5,974 con-

firmed cases and 9,239 suspected cases. An expert at China's National Health Commission (NHC) said it could take 10 more days for the outbreak to peak.

Like the similar Sars and influenza viruses, the new coronavirus is a particular risk for elderly people and those with pre-existing illnesses.

Air Canada suspends flights to Beijing, Shanghai

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will operate today and the return flights will operate from Beijing and Shanghai tomorrow, January 30, 2020.

Affected customers will be notified and offered options, including travel on other carriers where available, or a full refund. Air Canada regrets this situation and apologizes for the serious disruption to our customers' travel plans.

Air Canada will continue to monitor this evolving situation closely in consultation with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Transport Canada and Global Affairs and will adjust its schedule as appropriate.

Air Canada currently operates direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Montreal’s favourite place for Spare-Ribs and Chicken

• February 1, 2020

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February 1, 2020 •

Have you ever heard of salty wine?

e regularly talk about the fruit notes in wine, but have you ever heard someone describe a white wine as“salty?” As bizarre as it may sound, it’s a regular flavour profile, and a delicious one at

crunchy tropical fruit. Vibrant and energetic with a salty deliciousness and a sensual roundness that finish off in a wavy lingering finale. Amazing wine for under $15.00. Perfect with sushi or salmon tartar.

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Amazing wines to try: Château du Coing de Saint-Fiacre MuscadetSèvre et Maine sur lie 2016. SAQ # 11154259. $18.00

water and saltwater elefrom the ocean,

By Marco Giovanetti ments carried over by air currents, are deposited in the mtltimes.ca soil or even on grape that. Whether you’re de- skins Talking of dirt, soils vouring a platter of oysthemselves, such as volters or sipping a glass on canic or chalky, could conyour patio in the summer, these intriguing whites are tribute to that flavor sure to give your palate a profile as well. It is commonly acknowledged that nervy shock The wines are not made the chemical composition with salt – no winemaker of a particular parcel of has salt bags in their cellar land affects the wine’s un– but there are several taste. Although founded, certain grape vareasons why these wines rieties may also have obtain that saline note.

Geography is one of the organic compounds, much important factors; many like terroir, that render of the vineyards are lo- them “salty.”

To finalize, grapes with a cated near large bodies of high acid content bestow

as well to the salty sensation on the palate. That wrinkling feeling could be interpreted as saline. As a matter of fact, vines with on a beachfront tend to produce higher-acid grapes; climatic influences from the sea keep temperatures cool and stable, so grapes ripen slowly and retain acidity.

Salty may not sound refreshing at first, but that salty crispness can be quite refreshing. It is important to note that a saline wine is a great partner with shellfish and dishes.

The wines below all have different degrees of salinity and are great in-

troduction to the sensation. Some of the world wine appellations that yield the greatest saline wines include Côtes de Gascogne, Loire Valley and Saint-Bris in France. In Spain, there are the Canary Islands and Rias Baixas. Greece has Santorini while Italy is lucky to have the intriguing world of Campania whites.

Pyrène Beau manseng 2017 SAQ# 13188778, $14.80 Fun on the nose with

Aromas of quince, hay and white tea. Crisp and juicy with delicate rocksalt flavours. Medium finale. Try it with a plate of cold oysters.

BaillyLapierre Saint-Bris 2017. SAQ #10870211. $19.35 Beautiful nose featuring green bell pepper, lime complemented by dill as well. Mouth Watering with a cleansing finale. A stellar wine to pair with shrimp and goat cheese pasta.

Château de Nages, Michel Chassier Buti Nages Blanc, Costieres de Nimes 2017 SAQ # 13808682 $15.95 Very floral with fragrant hints of citrus and exotic tropical fruits in a delicious mineral coating.

Medium to full body. Crisp and fleshy with a wonderful balance. It has to be the best white under $16 at the SAQ at the moment.Tilapia vegetable stir fry.

Château de Pocé Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2017 SAQ # 10689606 $14.95 Delicate citric fruit undertones with herbal flavors and a touch of flint.

On the palate, medium body with a crisp acidity and lingering finale.

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Amazing Angus beef hamburgers (Picture is totally an exaggeration, but freshness isn’t)

All You Can Eat Fries!

• February 1, 2020

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Opening hours extended for Montreal record stores ecause of a 1970 bylaw, that does not allow retail stores to remain

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By Bonnie Wurst mtltimes.ca open after 5:00pm on weekends, in April of 2019 several record stores in Mile End area were given fines that amounted to over $2000 each for being open past the allowed time. They including Sonorama, La Rama, Phonopolis and La Fin du Vinyle. Soon after, fourteen local records stores worked together and sent an open letter

to the CAQ's Minister of Economy and Innovation, Pierre Fitzgibbon.They requested the record stores be added as an exception to the 1970 bylaw. A copy was also sent to the Mayor of Montreal, Valerie Plante.

The bylaw already had exceptions for businesses such as bookstores, grocery stores and pharmacies, as well as some shops selling artistic crafts and products in tourist areas and they could see no reason why record stores should not be exempted as well. A spokesperson for the Minister said he was was open to revisiting the exemptions to the bylaw. Mayor Plante had said her administration was open to using its special powers as a metropolis to change the rules about store hours to help local record shops and other small

businesses. After giving a speech to the Chambre de commerce de l’est de Montréal she said to the media, “When I heard about it, that they were receiving fines from Quebec, I was disappointed… when we looked at the rules, we realized the bylaw is not flexible enough. So it’s our job now, to work on adapting the bylaw to give

more flexibility for opening hours, because how people consume and their shopping habits are changing, so we have to adapt to this.”

Plante took their concerns seriously and on this past Wednesday January 28th, she took to social media and made an announcement. And it was what the record stores were

hoping for. "Good news!" she wrote in a Tweet and posted on her Facebook page. "As of this spring, the City of Montreal will extend the opening hours of record stores. We will also be inviting merchants and boroughs to make the rules surrounding opening hours more flexible. You have to know how to adapt and that's what we do!"

The letter from the record store merchants also requested that the government drop the fines against them, but when the Mayor was asked if they would be dropped, said she has no power to do so because they came from Quebec. Nonetheless, it is a victory for Montreal's local businesses.

Elevation Gay Ski week returns to Tremblant LEVATION, the largest series of annual LGBTQ ski and snowboard events in the world, returns to Quebec this January.

LGBTQ skiers and snowboarders now have three weeks, three locations, and three times the fun with ELEVATION MAMMOTH in California, ELEVATION UTAH in Park City and ELEVATION TREMBLANT in Quebec.

ELEVATION Tremblant: January 30th – February 2nd, 2020 ELEVATION Utah: February 26th – March 1st, 2020 ELEVATION Mammoth: March 18th – 22nd, 2020 After 17 years of promoting ELEVATION Mammoth in Mammoth Lakes, one of the largest gay ski weeks in the world, and 9 years of ELEVATION Utah in Park City, event producer Tom Whitman announces that the new

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addition to the winter gay ski calendar, ELEVATION Tremblant in Mont Tremblant, Quebec is now officially an annual event! ELEVATION offers gay skiers a chance to play hard both day and night with great skiing, great parties and great company.

With strong growth last year across all events, and expecting to nearly double the size of ELEVATION TREMBLANT, Whitman expects more than 6000 attendees between the three events. By itself, ELEVATION Mammoth is already the third largest gay ski week in the world and with the addition of Utah and Quebec, the combined crowds will make ELEVATION the largest series of gay ski and snowboard events in the world. “We created ELEVATION at Mammoth Mountain seventeen years ago, and nine years ago expanded to Park City for ELEVATION UTAH. Each

year, we have watched the events grow in attendance.We are so excited that Tremblant is now part of the family after an amazing launch year in 2019. Mont Tremblant is the perfect place for Elevation – ranked #1 Ski Resort in Eastern North America for a 20th time by SKI Magazine readers, with very easy access from Toronto, Montreal, Boston and NYC.” “With the addition of

Tremblant, we can now offer gay skiers more choices all across North America, in the best places to ski,” says Tom Whitman. “Our goal for each ELEVATION is simple: Great skiing, amazing parties, new friends, and memories that will last forever.”

ELEVATION TREMBLANT 2020: January 30th – February 2nd, 2020 ELEVATION Trem-

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blant returns to Quebec from January 30th to February 2nd. “I am so excited about our newest Elevation. Last year, our LGBTQ attendees were split evenly between Canadian and American attendees, which was perfect. We had a ton of Quebecois and Ottawan attendees, joined by US attendees who got to experience Tremblant, sometimes for their first time. Not only is Tremblant one of

the best ski towns in North America, Quebec is an amazing place to visit not only for the Quebecois culture and the natural beauty, but also for its welcoming attitude towards the LGBTQ community.

The community of Mont Tremblant was such an integral part of making ELEVATION Tremblant 2019 a success,” says Tom Whitman. “And I’m not going to lie, the friendly and sexy Quebecois and Toronto boys and girls don’t hurt.”

ELEVATION Tremblant will feature aprèsski and night-time events over 4 days, with go-go dancers and DJs from LA, London and Montreal, and themed events, including the Onesie Après-Ski, the Neon Party and the naughty GEAR party.

And of course, hundreds of sexy snowboarders and skiers from Montreal,Toronto, NYC, Boston, DC and beyond.

February 1, 2020 •

What’s going on! ow that we are in a new decade, somehow it seems

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conforms with the CSLDS’ mission of accommodating and including as many people as possible in their productions. This time, there is a good mix of returning CSLDS veterans and newcomers amongst the 20-member cast. For example, Adam Koren stars in the title, with newcomer Riley Wilson as stunt woman/lover interest Flips Montague, as well

By Stuart Nulman as Herbert Brownstein, Justin Calla, Janet Garmtltimes.ca maise and Judy Kenigsthat people are fondly berg. “The characters in looking back 100 years ‘Merton’ are really to the days of jazz, Pro- funny, and the cast play hibition, speakeasies and them in a hammy, wacko gangsters that was the manner, but with plenty “Roaring 20s”, as the of nuance and subtlety.”

“Roaring 20s 2.0”.

“Cote St. Luc is a city This month, the Cote of arts and culture, and St. Luc Dramatic Society this time, we are going (CSLDS), for their to bring the audience newest production, will back in time to the era relive the excitement of silent movies in a and hoopla of our world show that is interesting, 100 years ago, as they light and funny that will present the hit stage have you feeling good comedy from 1922 and upbeat. It will also “Merton of the show you that you can Movies”. realize your dreams, but Written by Pulitzer sometimes not the way Prize-winning playwright you originally thought, George S. Kaufman and and that you can accept Marc Connelly, “Merton the fact that your dream of the Movies” tells the is coming true, but in a story of Merton Gill, a different way,” said Cote naïve young man from St. Luc mayor Mitchell the dusty small town of Brownstein, who reSawbury, Illinois who turns to the CSLDS has dreams of making it stage with “Merton of big as a dramatic actor the Movies” as slapstick in silent movies. So comedy movie director young Merton brushes Jeff Baird. off the dust of Sawbury Ms. Cameron also from his shoulders and added that “Merton” makes his way west to will also show audiences Hollywood, circa 1922, that when it comes to to pursue that dream, as celebrities and the he meets his share of celebrity-obsessed culstars, starlets, struggling ture, the more things actors, stunt people and change, the more they eccentric directors in stay the same.“That also the burgeoning movie applies to popular culcapitol. ture as a form of enter“I saw the musical ver- tainment, in which the sion of ‘Merton’ about movies, during its first six years ago and it re- 20 years when it ally stuck with me. Not evolved into an art form, only because of the had to deal with the large cast, but it was prejudices of small town quite funny in the folk, who thought the screwball comedy tradi- movies were the work tion, and lampooned the of the devil,” she said. business of show, like The Cote St. Luc Dra‘Noises Off’,” said Anisa matic Society’s presenCameron, the CSLDS’ tation of “Merton of the Artistic Director who is Movies” runs for seven also directing this show. performances from Feb“George S. Kaufman’s ruary 12 to 16 at the own frustrations with Harold Greenspon AuHollywood and show ditorium, located at business come right out 5851 Cavendish Bouleof the page, and with his vard. Tickets cost $28, satirical approach, you $25 for students and see that it’s an impor- seniors and can be purtant tool of communica- chased at the Eleanor tion, where you can London Public Library look deeper into the on Cavendish Boulesubject in question.” vard, the ACC on And Ms. Cameron Parkhaven Avenue, or adds that the large cast online at www.CSLDrathat is part of “Merton” maticSociety.com; they • February 1, 2020

will also be available for sale at the door one hour prior to showtime. *** Geordie Theatre will present the third annual Geordie Theatre Fest from February 5 to 9 at 3680 Jeanne Mance Street. For this year’s festival, Geordie will hold four staged readings in conjunction with the National Theatre School of Canada from February 5 to 7; the featured readings are “When We Grew Up”, “Celestial Bodies”, “The Granddaughter” and “The Ugly Ones”.

As well, there will be 52 two mainstage productions for children and teens that are being developed in partnership with the Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal.

“The Water Chronicles” (Ages 5+) is a fun, playful examination of our relationship with water and how it plays an important role in our environment; “Fear of Missing” Sun - Thurs 11 a.m. - 1 a.m.

(Ages 13+) is about a Fri - Sat 11am - 1 am curious teenager named Olive who wants to conduct her own investigation into a string of assaults at several bus stops in her neighborhood for her school paper; however; her parents are against this, and have her working at the family’s delicatessen as a form of punishment.

Tickets for either of the two mainstage productions cost $22.43 for adults, $20.13 for seniors and students, $17.25 for teens between the ages of 13 and 17, and $15.53 for children, with a paywhat-you-decide format for the staged readings.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to www.geordie.ca, or call 514-845-9810. *** The Dorval-Strathmore United Church, located at 310 Brookhaven in Dorval, will be holding its “Leap Year Lark” event on February 29 starting at 6 p.m. The evening will include a full dinner (with wine and beer available for purchase), along with the Six Wing Combo, which will provide the music with plenty of tunes from yesterday and today.

Tickets are $25 each, and for more information, call 514-793-9879, or email: dsuc13churchevents@g mail.com www.mtltimes.ca

13

YUL Let's Talk or the first time, the Bell Let's Talk logo is being displayed on the façade of YUL MontréalTrudeau International Airport.

For the first time, the Bell Let’s Talk logo is being displayed on the façade of YUL MontréalTrudeau International Airport. By doing so, ADM Aéroports de Montréal aims to provide high visibility to mental health and pro-

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mote community action and awareness about this issue.

(CNW Group/Aéroports de Montréal) Through this initiative, ADM Aéroports de Montréal is aiming to provide a higher visibility to mental health and promote community action and awareness about this issue.

“Mental health is an aspect of individual wellbeing that is often overlooked, but deserves

our full attention. When we were given an opportunity to get involved in this cause, we saw it as a small gesture that will help support this important campaign," said Philippe Rainville, President and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal.

"We thank ADM Aéroports de Montréal for taking action to support Canadian mental health with this creative and high-profile acknowledgment of the Bell Let's

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Let’s Talk logo at the Montreal airport Talk campaign," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk. "The theme of this year's campaign is Mental Health: Every Action Counts, and we hope everyone travelling through Montréal-Trudeau International Airport will be inspired to undertake their own actions help create positive change for people living with mental illness."

Bell Let's Talk Day is January 29 ADM Aéroports de Montréal joins Bell in inviting everyone to take part in the mental health conversation on Bell Let's Talk Day. Bell will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for each of these

communications on January 29, at no extra cost to participants beyond what they would normally pay their service providers for online or phone access: Talk: Every mobile and every long distance call made by Bell wireless and phone customers Text: Every text message sent by Bell wireless customers Twitter: Every tweet and retweet using #BellLetsTalk, featuring the special Bell Let's Talk emoji, and every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at: Twitter.com/Bell_LetsTalk Facebook: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at: Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk and every use of the Bell

Let's Talk frame Instagram: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at: Instagram.com/Bell_LetsTalk Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let's Talk filter and every Bell Let's Talk Day video view YouTube: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view at: YouTube.com/BellCanada About ADM Aéroports de Montréal ADM Aéroports de Montréal is the airport authority for the Greater Montréal area responsible for the management, operation and development of YUL Montréal-Trudeau International Airport and YMX International Aerocity of Mirabel.

Rodents infesting Pierrefonds woman's backyard

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here are not many people who would welcome rodents scrambling all over their backyards, especially rats.

And when the number of them are growing, it can become a very serious problem - especially for a woman in Pierrefonds who claims her backyard is being increasingly infested. This past Tuesday January 28th, resident Tracey Featherstone said her son had called her over to a window overlooking their backyard and what she saw shocked her. Rats were all over, scampering into her yard from the other side of a neighbour's fence. She blamed them for the problem and said she sees rats regularly, even a dead rat in her backyard over the summer, according to a Global News report.

“Over the last several years, they (the next-door neighbours) have been feeding the wildlife excessively,” she told them, showing a hole in the fence apparently leading to a large, open-air composting bin her neighbours keep on the other

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side. "The homemade compost that’s up against my fence seeps through into my yard, literally piled up.There’s like shells coming into my yard, it seeps through and I have to clean it up,” she also said.

Featherstone claimed she reached out to the city of Pierrefonds to help find a solution, but nothing had been done. “I wanted an inspector to come shut that compost down, and hopefully get them (the neighbours) to stop feeding the wildlife."

She said her shed near the fence is full of mouse and rat traps. Her partner David Pelletier added that a storage bin near the fence is often full of mice and they have put glue traps near the fence in an effort to catch and kill the rats. But their neighbour, Sandy Forrester, claimed her compost had never been a problem in the over 30 years she and her husband have been maintaining it. "It’s natural, organic composting. There are no meats, no greases, nothing. We’ve been feeding the birds, and never had an issue until last summer,” she said to

Global. She even hired an exterminator to deal with the rats, but they told her the rats might have sought refuge in her compost pile after being displaced by roadwork, or the closure of the quarry on Oakwood. “He said it’s a colony," she continued with tears, "they have to have come from somewhere. He’s put of 48 pieces of poison, which will not only kill the rats but all the birds and the squirrels."

Pierrefonds Mayor Jim Beis told Global News he is aware of the problem.

“The information was given to our services, our inspectors, to make sure they go investigate and apply the necessary bylaws if we could, to correct the situation,” he said, and that if he finds no one acted on Featherstone’s first complaint, he will seek an explanation. After they spoke with the Mayor, Tracey Featherstone said city inspectors showed up to investigate and that the exterminator would return for a followup visit.

February 1, 2020 •

A happy new bike recipient from 2017 photo provided by Sun Youth Organization

The Avi Morrow new bicycle distribution selection is now officially open!

or the 35th consecutive year, Sun Youth Organization announces the return of the Avi Morrow New Bicycle Distribution event.

These bicycles will be handed out to youths whose actions have had a positive impact on their community or have shown extraordinary courage when facing exceptional circumstances. Sadly Mr. Bike Man, the anonymous donor behind this distribution passed away last year. Following his death, it was revealed that he was none other than successful businessman and great philanthropist Avrum (Avi) Morrow. In his memory, Sun Youth is inviting the public to tell the story of exceptional young people for the distribution that is now named after him.

Here is how to proceed. Do you know of a young person in the Greater Montreal area, aged between 3 and 17 years, who did something that deserves to

F

be highlighted and rewarded with a new bike, a safety helmet and a bike lock? Then, send, in writing, the following information: the name of this young person, the age, a little about family background, and tell us what that young person did that you feel is noteworthy. Please do not forget your name and telephone number so that we can contact you for further information.

Please send all submissions: • by mail at: Sun Youth - Selection Committee for the Avi Morrow Bicycle Giveaway, 6700, Parc Avenue, Suite 100, Montreal, QC, H2V 4H9 • by fax at: 514-8425241 • by email at: bicyclettebike@sunyouthorg.co m • or directly on our website: you may use the application form which can be found at sunyouthorg.com/services/bicycle-distribution

mitment of sharing and generosity. For more secure online donation Names of candidates caring in 2020, Sun details on how you can form, visit: can be submitted no Youth counts on your help, and to access our sunyouthorg.com later than February 29th, 2020. No application shall be considered after this date.

Throughout the following weeks, Sun Youth’s bicycle committee will make a selection from the names submitted. The young heroes will be honored in a ceremony taking place at Sun Youth’s headquarters in late May. This ceremony will also mark the birthday of Avi Morrow who would have turned 95 this year. For 35 years, under the pseudonym Mr. Bike Man, he anonymously allowed Sun Youth to distribute over 1,800 new bicycles to deserving young people.

We invite the media to communicate this information to the public so they can submit the candidacy of these exceptional young heroes before the February 29th deadline.

To maintain its com-

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, twitter, Instagram

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hether you are considering a move into a retirement home or if you are part of the “Sandwich Generation” that is concerned about the health and well being of your parents, the thought process of potentially making the big move is very often emotional, overwhelming and confusing.

the lines of communication open with parents and family members.

By Matt Del Vecchio mtltimes.ca

Here are some pitfalls to avoid when considering a move: Waiting Too Long It is only human nature to want to stay at home as long as possible.

However, you will be in a much better position to move into a retirement home when you are in control of the situation. Be proactive instead of reactive. Be aware of warning signs such as risks of slips and falls, mobility challenges, cognitive issues, safety and security, nutrition, loneliness and caregiver stress.

Rushing Into a Move At the other end of the spectrum, you should try not to rush things if you have the luxury of time. This can be an emotional, challenging time for families. Try to plant seeds, do your research, take some tours and keep

Geographic Convenience for Adult Children Avoid the trap of choosing a residence solely based on geography.

The question needs to be “What is best for mom?” and not “What is best for me?”. Important features such as proper care levels; staff-toresident’s ratios; 24/7 nursing care; culinary options; environment; activities; safety and security all play an important role in the decision making process.

Finding the Ideal Retirement Home on Your Own The search process can be confusing, stressful, overwhelming and timeconsuming. Talk to friends and other family members that have been through the process for guidance and support. Perhaps the easiest thing to do is to call a transition specialist like Lianas Services whose services are FREE. About the author. Matt Del Vecchio is the founder and president of Lianas Services. He is a Certified Professional Consultant on Aging (CPCA). Matt and the Lianas Senior Advisors provide a FREE service which assists families with retirement residence searches and transition support. Matt can be reached at 514-622-8074 or mdelvecchio@lianasservices.com.

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• February 1, 2020

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Book Review - By: Stuart Nulman - mtltimes.ca

he year of 1973 was a good year for me, especially when it came to

T

By Stuart Nulman mtltimes.ca appreciating rock music on record.

That year, I was a devoted listener of CKGM (I was a year away from being introduced to CHOM), in which popular deejays like Robert G. Hall and the late Ralph Lockwood gave me my introduction into the world of Top 40 radio and pop/rock music.

And thanks to the station’s ongoing record giveaway call-in promotion, I got the opportunity to own my very first rock music LPs.The first one was Paul McCartney & Wings’ landmark “Band on the Run”; the other was “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John.

The latter album was a rarity at the time, because it was a double album, and very few artists released that much vinyl to the public at one time, because you had to have quite a lot of material (and hopefully, good material) to take up four sides (the few exceptions of double albums that were hits were The Beatles’ “White Album” in 1968 and George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” in 1970 … and that was a threerecord set!).

What struck me about “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” that it was a perfect rock album to me. Every track on both records was great to listen to; there were no wasted or throwaway tunes that you wanted to skip. From such hits as “Bennie and the Jets”, “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” and “Candle in the Wind”, to such unheralded classics as “Harmony”, “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” and “Sweet Painted Ladies”, this album was a masterpiece that was filled with fun, joy, 18

Me by Elton John

melancholy and introspection thanks to the genius of Elton John and his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Which is why I repeatedly played – and wore out – “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” on vinyl, cassette and CD. Not bad from a rock music superstar who started out as Reginald Dwight 73 years ago, and in December of 1967 was a bespectacled pianist for a British blues group called “Bluesology”, and decided that spending his music career playing the tony supper clubs of England was not in the cards for him.

The following year, Reg Dwight changed his name to Elton John, took his career on a different musical path, and he never looked back.

Yet throughout his more than 50 years in music, Elton John has enjoyed and reviled the trappings of superstardom, which at times led to great moments and the edge of self-destruction, which are all chronicled in great detail in his best-selling memoir Me. What Elton John’s fans will get from this book is a very honest and unabashed account of a life in music and superstardom that’s told with plenty of blunt humor, which acts as a shield of resistance against the harsh upbringing he had in the austerity of 1950s post-war Britain, when his father believed that showing any sign of emotion was a sign of weakness, and that young Reg used music as a personal retreat whenever his parents had another loud argument.

As well, the book has many interesting behind-the-scenes stories of how some of his greatest albums were recorded in a brief period of time (a matter of a few short weeks, to be exact), and just as quickly shot up to the top of the album charts.

But it’s the personal side of Elton John that makes up the bulk of his memoir. The near destructive addiction to alcohol and cocaine, his quest for male partners and wild sex, his brave battle to dry out from his addictions, the establishment of his foundation to battle AIDS (the chapter dealing with his friendship with

the late teenage AIDS victim Ryan White makes for heartbreaking reading) and his constant seeking out for the attention and approval of his parents.

Elton gives a great deal of introspection to the many aspects that made up the highs and lows of his life and career. One interesting bit of reflection dealt with how his remake of “Candle in the Wind” in 1997 in memory of Princess Diana became the fastest selling single in music history, sold millions of copies around the world and raised nearly $80 million for charity … which got swallowed up by legal fees as a result of a lawsuit over Diana’s image on merchandise.

“In the end, it reached a point where I started feeling really uncomfortable with the charity single’s longevity. Its success meant there was footage of Diana’s funeral week after week on Top of the Pops – it felt as if people were somehow wallowing in her death, like the mourning for her got out of hand and they were refusing to move on. It seemed unhealthy to me – morbid and unnatural. I really didn’t think it was what Diana would have wanted.”

And one demon that Elton somehow couldn’t shake off was his mother, who throughout her life criticized her son for his career choice, how he ran his business and was just a difficult, unhappy person to get along with. The portion that deals with his civil union ceremony with his partner David Furnish, and how Elton’s

mother nearly ruined such an important moment in his personal life (almost like a “monsterin-law”) is laced with tragicomedy.

“Mum was never one of life’s tactile, nurturing,

Across 4. Asian area 11. Rapture 14. Hidden winner, ___ in the hole 15. Get too many 16. Lode load 17. Wizard of Oz footwear 20. African flower 21. Encounterer 22. Card game 25. Footnote abbr.

29. Live 30. Airs 33. Drudge 34. Bust 35. Pan type 37. Field of play 41. Flowering plant 42. Cheer starter 43. Flock 44. Principle of life, in Hinduism 46. Fancy neckwear 49. Military Order, for short 50. Overcoats 52. Darth Veda's side 57. Cool one's heels 58. Destructive pest 63. Family 64. Astronomer

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come-here-and –giveme-a-hug mothers, and there was a mean streak to her that went beyond just being prone to bad moods, or a victim of the Dwight Family Temper, into

something else entirely, something I didn’t like to think about too deeply, because it frightened me,” he reflects shortly after her passing in 2017.

Me is probably one of the best rock ‘n’ roll memoirs since Keith Richards’ Life. Elton John gives us his own brutally frank story of true survival in the fast track way of life in the rock music world and is still standing to prove it.

Through a lot of honesty and reflection, the reader gets to travel with Elton John through his long, difficult path of transformation from Reginald Dwight, bluesman to Elton John, rocketman.

Or as Elton states quite eloquently and to the point: “The great thing about rock and roll is that someone like me can be a star.”

(Henry Holt, $38.50)

65. Life basic 66. Antiquity, once 67. Arranging hair, perhaps 68. Pa and ta ending Down 1. Rattle 2. Eyepiece 3. Fillet 4. In place of 5. Blvd.

6. Saxophonist, Joshua 7. Leprechaun land local 8. Fully fit 9. Legal action 10. Create an email 11. "Mud" 12. "Catch-22" pilot 13. Go word 18.Vote of support 19. Before the finals 23. In a consistent manner 24. Eustacian area related 26. Poi source 27. Cosmetics company 28. Advance 31. Elaborate display 32. Bummed 33. Spots 34. Nor partner 36. Agave rug fiber 37. Bee ___

38. M___: Chinese owned area 39. Craft 40. Meadow 45. Granola cereal 46. Goatees 47. Familiarize 48. Off course 51. Wee hour 53. Periodical publications 54. Surveyor's work 55. Without purpose 56. Commuter line 58. Squeeze (out) 59. "Cool" amount 60. Call off 61. Biddy 62. Swamp Please see answers on-line Saturday edition Page 25 ,February 1st, 2020 edition: www.mtltimes.ca February 1, 2020 •

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Notice is hereby given that John Bleakley (the “DeE-mail or fax your classified to: ceased”), in his lifetime last residing at 13219 Sunbury Tel.: 514.951.3328 • info@mtltimes.ca Street, Pierrefonds, Province of Quebec, H9A 1E5, died in Montreal, on December 7, 2019.

NOTICE OF CLOSURE An inventory of the Deceased's property has been OF INVENTORY made in accordance with the Notice is hereby given that law and can be consulted by Gary Jocondo (the “De- creditors and other interceased”), in his lifetime last ested parties by contacting residing at 111 – 329 Hymus the executor Wayne Bleakley, Boulevard, Pointe-Claire, 506 Ennis Road, Ennismore, Province of Quebec, H9R Ontario, K0L 1T0, no later 2Y6, died in Montreal, on than March 25, 2020.

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February 1, 2020 •

Should I sell my house in a seller’s market?

efore I go into the top reasons why selling your house in a hot seller’s market may make sense for you, let’s look at the

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By Eleni (Helen) Akrivos

mtltimes.ca Montreal real estate market in detail. The stats are now available for the third quarter of 2019 and they indicated a sharp rise in prices and an increase in number of sales when compared to 2018. The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (QPAREB) compile all the sales registered in the provincial Centris database for the Montreal Census Metropolitain Area, which consists mainly of the Island of Montreal, Laval, South Shore, North Shore, Vaudreuil-Soulanges and Saint-Jean-surRichelieu.

We are witnessing record-breaking statistics and shifts in the market. In September of 2019 a sharp increase in sales of 14%

• February 1, 2020

was noted.This is a new sales record for a month of September.

Condos for the first time are outpacing single family homes in price increase, as inventory declines. In terms of prices, new records were set for all home categories. Condos and plexes posted a 10% price increase since 2018- and single-family home prices rose by 6%. The other recordbreaking stat has to do with the number of properties for sale. This has decreased by 21%.

The result is another record-breaking event which is that homes are selling much faster than ever, on average 5-22 days faster. We haven’t seen this since the fall of 2004-2005.

With all the recordbreaking data, you can understand why I would strongly advise someone to sell their house, and perhaps get a little more than expected in terms of price. Some economists are predicting an overall slow down and perhaps a recession in 2020 or 2021.

Other local economists are predicted continued growth in the Quebec real estate market. I believe prices will continue to rise slightly in 2020. If you have been thinking of selling and the time is right for you

on a personal level, then I would advise you not to hesitate. Take advantage of the fall and even this winter to sell your home.

Here are three reasons to sell your home in 2019: • Inventory of properties is down 21% on average • Interest rates are still low • Demand is high Inventory of properties is down 21% on average The less supply there is available the higher the value of the good.

The fact that there is 21% less homes for sale on the market, coupled with the high demand for certain neighborhoods and types of properties, is driving the prices up. This decrease in properties for sale will vary from one neighborhood to the next, so make sure to get the stats from your realtor to make sure not to over price your home. Even though prices have gone up, and continue to do so, the

best strategy is always pricing at market value.

Buyer’s will come, and if there is more than one interested, you will most likely receive multiple offers.

Interest rates are still low Mortgage interest rates have been on a bit of a bumpy road over the last few months, but they have come down.

While it’s reasonable to expect mortgage rates to perhaps climb gradually throughout the next year, they’ll remain much lower than the historic high of more than 18 percent in 1981.

It’s important to keep in mind that while mortgage rates tend to mirror the Fed’s interest rate activity, mortgage rates are based on the market in that moment, your financial status and the property you’re looking to purchase. A sudden increase in rates in highly unlikely, so buyers will take advantage of this now.

Demand is high There is a higher demand for certain neigh-

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borhoods and types of properties. Due to the increase positive net migration we are experiencing in Montreal, the demand for condominiums has jumped significantly. Neighborhoods with predominantly English schools and services are in higher demand as well as off-island affordable housing near transportation. Small plex type properties which allow for families to pool their money and live together is also in high demand.

Contact a realtor who can provide you with the market knowl-

edge and guide you to make the right decision for your situation.

Source: Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards Eleni Akrivos is a Chartered real estate broker and President of North East Realties, Real Estate Agency in Montreal. Eleni is a lecturer in the Residential Real Estate Program at College Lasalle and Co-Hosts “The Real Estate Show” on CJAD AM800 radio every Sunday at 1:00pm. To send her questions or comments please write to eleni@nordestimmobilier.ca and visit www.northeastrealties.ca for articles and videos.

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February 1, 2020 •

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eleni@nordestimmobilier.ca www.northeastrealties.ca 24

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800 Decarie boulevard Saint-Laurent, QC, H4L3L5

514-716-6188 February 1, 2020 •

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