Another successful Sports Celebrity Breakfast

I always like to begin my recaps of the annual Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors Foundation Sports Celebrity Breakfast with a little bit of history. Twelve years ago former Côte Saint-Luc City Councillor Harold Greenspon approaches to me to help create such an event from scratch. A deal was reached when he agreed to back me in the next municipal election and endorse me to succeed him in District 2.

PK Subban and young Daniel Lebovits

The Sports Breakfast began as an event to bring some recognition to the Centre and raise a few dollars. I believe we netted $10,000 at the inaugural event. But when Greenspon recruited Michael Wagen, the Senior Vice-President of Delmar International, to succeed him the Breakfast took on a different image. Over the past 11 years we have raised well more than $1 million for senior in crisis. It is perhaps the only event of its kind in the city and regularly sells out. The 600 tickets for this year were gone weeks ago. See this report from CTV.

Wagen has now been joined by Bram Naimer, president of Union Lighting, as co-chair. Morden "Cookie" Lazarus is the honourary chair, but really much more than that. Without his wealth of contacts we would not be able to recruit many of the marquee guests on our list.

Coordinator Susan Rozansky, Foundation boss Cathy Simons, and a dedicated committee make this is one well oiled machine.  

Mahovlich, Lazarus, Fisher and Irvin,

This year's event at the Gelber Conference Centre featured a special tribute to Mitch Garber while former Montreal Canadiens star Peter Mahovlich was honoured as the Sports Personality of the Year.

Garber is the CEO of Caesars Acquisition Co., a public company (CACQ) on the NASDAQ which owns the World Series of Poker, Playtika, the second largest social and mobile games business in the world, Las Vegas strip casinos Planet Hollywood, Bally's, The Cromwell, The Linq, as well as Harrah's New Orleans and The Horseshoe Baltimore. For many years he hosted a popular sports talk show on Montreal radio and along with Breakfast Honourary Chair Morden “Cookie” Lazarus he was instrumental in bringing the Montreal Alouettes franchise back to town. He also a noted philanthropist, supporting many charities in Canada and Israel.

Melnick, Garber and Leonoff.

Mahovlich was a member of four Stanley Cup championship Montreal Canadiens teams. He enjoyed a breakout season in 1970–71, scoring 35 goals in the regular season and another 10 in the playoffs. His best year came in 1974–75, when he racked up 117 points. He hit the 100-point mark again the following year, finishing with 105.In his 16-year NHL career, he totalled 288 goals and 485 assists for 773 points in 884 games. Internationally, he was a member of the 1972 Summit Series.

Joel Leonoff and sports talk show host Mitch Melnick paid tribute to Garber. Leonoff is a friend and former business partner; Melnick a friend as well who has an interesting broadcast history with Garber. Leonoff shared a story that he and Garber had a chance to buy hotmail.com for $80 million. They laughed at the owner for asking that much, but giggled no more when Microsoft picked it up for $450 million. Garber, who like Leonoff, is a self-made millionaire and gigantic success story, is also a great public speaker and he hit all the right notes in his address.

Mahovlich was presented with his plaque by Lazarus and then interviewed on stage by legendary broadcaster Dick Irvin and equally legendary writer Red Fisher, who covered the Habs for 58 years. Fisher, at 88, is sharp as can be and had everyone roaring in the aisles with his anecdotes of years past.

Stubbs with Lafleur, Savard and Cournoyer.

A few of  Mahovlich’s high profile former teammates were on hand: Guy Lafleur, Yvan Cournoyer and Serge Savard. Present-day superstar defenceman PK Subban was in the house as was Habs  Chief Operating Officer Kevin Gilmore.  Former Montreal Alouette star receiver Ben Cahoon flew in from Utah while  current Als Jeff Perrett and Kyries Hebert were there. Former Montreal Expos pitcher Don Stanhouse, Montreal Impact technical director and Herzliah High School grad Adam Braz and Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre were among the others with us.  Coderre was a real hit, with his heart very much into  the return of the Expos to this city.

Stubbs, Zurkowsky, myself and my brother Chuck in honour of our late dad.

The event also honoured Montreal Gazette sports reporter Herb Zurkowsky with the Larry Fredericks Media Award.  Larry (Lawrence Frederick Cohen) was my dad. He passed away two and a half years ago and served on the committee. As a sportswriter for more than 40 years he met Herb early on his career and the two became close.  Here is a great story Herb wrote about the event.

Kyries Hebert

Other media on hand were  Dave Stubbs from The Gazette, Rick Moffat from TSN 690 and CJAD, Mitch Melnick from TSN 690, Dave Kaufman from CJAD,  Matthew Ross from TSN 690 and Randy Tieman from CTV.

Moffat  brought two kids from the audience to try and replicate his signature "goal" call for Impact broadcasts. The key is to say goal!!!!! as long as possible without taking a breath. This turned out to be quite a hit.

I served as emcee with broadcaster  Charles André Marchand.

Ben and Kim Cahoon.

The Cummings Centre is a leader in the provision of quality programs, professional social services and a wide range of volunteer opportunities to the 50+ community. The Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors Foundation aims to meet the philanthropic challenges and needs of the 50 plus population. For more information visit cummingscentre.org. 

Cheryl Besner and CJAD dive into a whole different kind of "singles" show

You must hand it to CJAD program director Chris Bury. He continues to add unique and interesting programs to the weekend lineup. On the Record with Jason Rockman, where the host interviews noted personalities about their careers and then plays some of their favorite songs, is solid. Now comes Solo in the City with Montreal-based dating coach and event planner Cheryl Besner on Saturday evenings at 10 p.m.

Cheryl Besner

When I last interviewed Cheryl more than two years ago she was launching a high profile blog called 365 Days to Find Love, which  chronicled her journey in the hopes of connecting, inspiring, and educating single women everywhere.The online journal of her then newly single life developed a nice  following, focusing on women over 40 who were remerging in the dating scene. She  shared advice from international matchmakers, explored various Internet dating services, and developed some of her own ways to discover serendipitous encounters at places like the gym or grocery store.  She introduced readers to other searchers of love: the cynics, the starry-eyed and the star crossed, and the men she met. Although she only got involved in a committed relationship recently, her 365 day experience which started on Valentine’s Day in 2013 was a great experience.

“I learned a lot about myself,” Cheryl now admits. “I did have a few relationships, but because of what I was doing this became a bit of a catch 22 situation. A lot of the men were worried I would blog about them. I did, but I never mentioned names. I merely described the type of people they were.”

Cheryl, a mom of three,  says the one thing that stood out from the experience was her desire to step up and assist all of the single people out there spending most of their time at home alone. “I realized that nobody was really putting this topic under one umbrella,” she notes. “I went to a conference in Los Angeles and from there I went to New York and got my coaching certification in dating.”

It was soon after that Cheryl coined the term Solo in the City. “I wanted to help people find a place to go,” she explained. “One of my messages to singles was that you are not going to meet someone by staying home. Go to a restaurant, an event or a library. Odds are you will meet someone and start  a discussion. Everyone loved Solo in the City term because it is non-threatening and non-invasive.”

Enter the new CJAD show, which made its debut on March 21. It is her hope that the multiplatform show will actually get singles out from behind their computers and into the urban dating jungle with ease. 

“Connecting people is something I have always done naturally throughout my career, so why not apply my skills to the most important connections of all?” Cheryl  said. “I’ve finally found the networking niche I truly adore. What can be better than helping people find love connections?”

The show takes a multifaceted approach to meeting new friends and potential partners. She aims to take the pressure out of awkward blind dates or superficial online chatting by simply connecting Montrealers on a human level first, through events or designated meetup locations across the city. Encouraging singles to be, above all, sociable will maximize their chances of making new friends and eventually finding love.

 “Very few people find love at first sight, or first swipe on Tinder,” added Cheryl, touted by her publicist as a fixture of Westmount’s social scene who has created exclusive events like The Angel Ball benefiting the Jewish General Hospital, thrown dinner parties for Dom Pérignon and hosted elite soirees for celebrities like Mia Farrow and Sir Richard Branson. “Let’s take the pressure down a notch and just get people talking! Maybe the person next to you at a Solo event won’t be the one, but knows a friend who could be. If you can’t be a little sociable and comfortable in your own skin, it will be that much harder to find love.” 

Check out the all-new website, solointhecity.tv,   featuring event listings, blogs and content geared toward Montrealers looking for love. A parallel Solo in the City dating site has also been launched with  the theme: Coffee, tea and we -  meet local singles at designated spots in town for a low-pressure cup of coffee!

If you cannot catch the show live, you can access the podcast anytime at solointhecity.tv.

Segal Centre for Performing Arts unveils blockbuster 2015-16 season schedule

While the Segal Centre for Performing Arts has not yet completed its present season, Artistic and Executive Director Lisa Rubin opened the curtain for the media and the VIP crowd on March 25 for what’s in store in 2015-2016.

It has been a great year for the Segal so far on stage, highlighted by blockbusters Les Belles Soeurs and Forever Plaid. Still to come, of course, Mordecai Richler’s landmark coming of age novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz will  be getting the all-star musical treatment in a world premiere musical adaptation   from June 7  to 28.   Duddy Kravitz has an original score by Alan Menken, the Tony- and Oscar-winning composer of Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and The Little Shop of Horrors. The legendary composer is responsible for some of the most beloved songs and musical scores of our time. But here is our first look at next year and what a lineup it is, with no less than seven  spectacular Montreal premieres .

Funny Girl,  the poignant musical rags to riches story of Vaudeville sensation Fanny Brice made famous by Barbra Streisand in film, will kick off the new season (October 11 to November 1, 2015) in an 18-person song and dance spectacular under the direction of  Peter Hinton. Multi-talented Canadian musical performer Gabi Epstein will hold down the  titular role immortalized by Streisand in the classic 1968 movie.

“I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world,” Epstein actually sang out in a video message recorded from Toronto where she is performing for Mirvish Entertainment.

Next up  (November 29 to  December 20, 2015) will be British playwright Nina Raine’s internationally-acclaimed play Tribes, a powerful look at the meaning of language, love and what it means to be understood. Jack Volpe (Seeing Voices Montreal) makes his professional theatre debut as Billy, the only deaf member of an eccentric, intellectual family.  Volpe, who works by day at the Mackay Centre School in NDG, is deaf. He attended the press conference and delivered words of appreciation for getting the role via  sign language interpreter.

Jack Volpe at the press conference

 “When Jack completed his audition, the electricity in the building was palpable,” said Rubin. “This show will be done with American Sign Language. We are very excited to see how the deaf community can be involved and see what the story can bring to them.”

From January 31 to February 21, 2016, The Secret Annex will invite audiences  to use their
imaginations of what life would have been like for beloved historical icon Anne Frank, had she survived the war. In what is being described as “a stirring and romantic new play out of Winnipeg by young playwright Alix Sobler and directed by Marcia Kash,”  Sara Farb will take on the lead role. She will soon be starring in the Stratford Festival’s Diary of Anne Frank. In Montreal she will portray the same title character as a 25-year old coming of age in New York City. Farb expressed her joy with the role via a video message. “Doing the Secret Annex is something I am really excited about,” she said.

Gemini and Dora Award-winning performer Rick Miller (MacHomer, Venus in Fur) will explode  on to the Segal stage (March 20 to April 10, 2016) with his newest one-man, tour-de-force Boom. This Kdoons & Wyrd production will be co-presented by Copa de Oro Productions, the folks behind Les Belles Soeurs and Forever Plaid. Part explosive performance, part riveting documentary, and part nostalgic trip, Boom is expected to capture the defining historical and musical moments of the baby-boom generation. 
  
In what promises to be a comedic highlight of the season (May 1 to 22, 2016), Joshua Harmon’s breakout hit Bad Jew will  ask the biting question: what do you choose to believe, when you’re chosen?  It will focus on three cousins gathered in a cramped Manhattan apartment to mourn the death of their grandfather and fight over a precious family heirloom. Rubin herself will direct this  critically-acclaimed exploration of faith, family and legacy that has had North America abuzz since its Off-Broadway premiere in 2013. “I always thought my directorial debut would have been a musical,” said Rubin, whose golden pipes blew away many an audience during her performing career.

Also co-produced with Copa de Oro, will be a new production of Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro’s laugh-out-loud musical comedy  I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (May 8 to 29, 2016), directed by Wade Lynch. Witty and whimsical, this incredibly popular Off-Broadway musical sensation deftly lampoons the stages and stumbling blocks of romantic relationships.

Lisa Rubin, Anisa Cameron, Aron Gonshor, Anthony Housefather, Mitchell Brownstein and myself.

The lights of Broadway will also shine brightly on the explosive final production of the season,  the world Yiddish-language premiere of Mel Brooks’ record-breaking musical The Producers, winner of twelve Tony Awards. The hysterically-funny tale of scheming showbiz producers Bialystock and Bloom will be revived in Yiddish by the esteemed Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre (June  19 to July 10, 2016).  The company is proud to be associated with the Côte Saint-Luc Dramatic Society and director Anisa Cameron for their most ambitious production to date. “Mel Brooks is on Twitter so we will all be harassing him to come to this show,” says Rubin.

A very proud Mitchell Brownstein, my colleague on Côte Saint-Luc City Council who created the Dramatic Society with Cameron from scratch only three years ago, was pinching himself. Ditto for Mayor Anthony Housefather, whom by the time this show hits the stage hopes to be the Liberal Member of Parliament for Mount Royal.

Beyond the stage the Segal will  welcome Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre film series. 
Audience Engagement plays a vital role in the Segal Centre’s mission. To complement the productions being presented on stage, the Segal offers the ever-popular Sunday @ The Segal pre-show lecture series, an opportunity to explore the history, themes and ideas behind each production, and Monday Night Talk backs a post-show chat with the creators of the play.

New next season, as part of the Segal’s Beyond the Stage programming, will be Shakespeare`s Globe on Screen film series, presenting critically-acclaimed performances from Shakespeare’s home, London’s World Famous Globe Theatre. Screenings will take place in the intimate 77-seat CinemaSpace and be preceded by a pre-show discussion hosted by Repercussion Theatre, Montreal’s home for Shakespeare in the Park. Official programming to be announced soon.

Finally, the Segal continues to be an artistic resource and hub for Montreal’s independent, emerging and community artists and organizations to play, explore and grow. Next year they will  welcome  back such diverse guest theatre companies as Teesri Duniya Theatre (State of Denial by Rahul Varma: October 8-25), Tableau D’Hôte Theatre (Angélique by Lorena Gale: November 30 – December 13), Youtheatre (Dreaming Now: January 11-15, 2016 & P@ndora: February 2-5, 2016) and Les Productions Pas de Panique (Le Visiteur by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, in French, March 20 – April 3, 2016).

Six-time Grammy nominated American jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton will launch the Segal’s Power Jazz   music Series in October. The eighth season, always as rich and diverse, also features the Jason Rosenblatt Quartet, Laila Biali, Piano Chameleons (John Roney & Matt Herskowitz) and a concert in partnership with the Consulate General of Israel.

Also as part of the Segal’s additional programming: Broadway Café, an intimate open mic night for musical theatre aficionados to sing or simply enjoy their favourite showtunes; the Segal’s own performing arts Academy. with unique after-school courses for aspiring performers running from October to May, and many more guest events with such valued community partners as the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre, the Hebrew Theatre of the Jewish Public Library and The Communauté Sépharade Unifiée du Québec (CSUQ).

Segal subscribers enjoy world-class theatre plus many outstanding benefits, including free indoor parking, up to 30 percent off ticket prices, free ticket exchange and exclusive savings.

Log on to www.segalcentre.org.

Edgy Montreal-made TV drama 19-2 comes to emotional concluding season 2 finale

When I interviewed actor Conrad Pla  in January before this second season of BRAVO TV's edgy police drama 19-2 began to air he warned me that I would not believe where the storyline would take different characters. He could not have been more correct. Spoiler alert for those who did not yet see the season finale on March 23 or the series at all. Go to Crave TV and catch up and what you missed.

During the first season and the first eight episodes of season two Pla, as Sergeant Julien Houle, came across as a likeable and trustworthy character. He was the one keeping the officers in order, giving briefings and determining who teamed with whom. The series of courses focuses on squad car 19-2 of the Montreal Police and officers  Nick Barron (Adrian Holmes) and Ben Chartier (Jared Keeso). From the get go Chartier arrived on the scene he was working undercover for the Quebec Provincial Police, trying to uncover a "mole" at the station. Barron was the prime suspect, up until episode eight when in a shocking turn of events Houle was fingered as the double crosser. Adding to the darkness of the plot, Houle was exposed as a pedophile who was clearly being blackmailed to rat on his fellow officers in order to keep his dirty little secret safe.

The season finale was not kind to the character of Brouillard (left) and Houle.

A credit to the producers. The "pedophile" sequences were all done in very good taste given the disturbing subject matter. When Houle goes to a hotel and has no more than 12 year old prostitute join him he refuses to touch her and flees the scene. At the conclusion of the finale he calls Barron and Chartier to a remote location, hoping they will shoot him.. "I am a cop!" he shouts, explaining why he could never face prison. Barron refuses to his dirty work and the last scene Pla turns the gun on himself.

As an actor, this may of been Pla's finest moment. I am sorry that the producers chose to make him the mole for we won't see him again on this fine drama.  I spoke to Pla today about this challenging storyline.

"I knew from the French version of the 19-2 series that Houle was the mole and a pedophile," Pla said. "I asked the director if that would be the same for our series. They said maybe not.  When we started shooting season two, they still had not decided. Then about six episodes in they gave me the news. I was reluctant and told myself 'No way I can do this.' They assured there would be nothing graphic. It was amazing for me to have a regular role in a Montreal shot program. That is over now. There is nothing I can do about it. I guess it is better to go out with a bang."

One of the messages Pla feels viewers can gain from his storyline is this: "A lot of times sexual molesters turn out to be the most unsuspecting persons."

Pla is the father of four, aged two, 13, 14 and 21. "I asked the three eldest not to watch the last two episodes," he says. "I told them there was some disturbing stuff and they respected that. As an actor it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. On the show ReGenesis my character was gay and I had to have intimate scenes with another man. This was harder because there is nothing morally wrong with homosexuality."

Barron (left) and Holmes make a good team in squad car 19-2.

The season began with a violent school shooting in which Barron and Holmes became the heroes and brough down the perpetrator. It was an all too familiar scenario for Montrealers who have had to witness shootings at École Polytechnique, Concordia and Dawson. We then watched Barron hang out with his crooked cousin Kaz. The station 19 commander Marcel Gendron (Bruce Ramsay) dealt with his troubled daughter, whom we later learn was one of the victims of Houle. Officer J.M. Brouillard (Dan Petronijevic), shown as a wife abuser during the first season, seemed to have his act together. In the finale he beats his wife to a pulp and is later pounded into submission by Barron. We thought Officer Tyler Joseph (Benz Antoine) had his drinking problem under control. Clearly not we see in the season finale. Officer Beatrice Hamelin  (Mylène Dinh-Robic) has some very torrid sex scenes with her ex-girlfiend on the steps near Place des Arts.  Audrey Pouliot (Laurence Leboeuf) is still very much traumatized by being attacked last season.She loses her cool on the job often and this is picked up on YouTube.  Rookie Vince Legare (Tyler Hynes) has sex in a washroom with a woman whose purse he has reclaimed. She becomes a fatal attraction and with Brouillard double crossing him ends up losing his job.

I am fortunate to have known Pla, a former professional kickboxer, for many years. On the eve of the season premiere I got to interview Holmes and Keeso, friends in real life. They reside in Vancouver and love our city. They are superb actors whom I had zero trouble seeing as real police officers.

A shout out to noted Montreal publicist Janis Kirshner, who had a small role in the season finale as the daughter of a senior citizen who fell on hard times.

What a season! I certainly hope that the people at Bell Media bring it back, complete with the replica Montreal Police uniforms and vehicles.  I can tell from the people I meet who have followed my blogs and stories in The Suburban that they have followed the series religiously and become hooked, something which is pretty easy to do.

New 1994 Expos documentary is a spectacular piece of work

Has it really been 21 years since an outstanding Montreal Expos baseball team were robbed of what could have been their first and only World Series triumph? Yes, in 1994 they were indeed the best team in major league baseball and headed towards greatness. Boasting the best record through mid-August, everything came to a halt when the players went on strike and the season was ultimately wiped out.

The Expos left town for good in 2004, moving to Washington. In recent years a movement was established by former Expo Warren Cromartie and broadcaster Matthew Ross to build momentum and bring the team back via their MontrealBaseball Project and ExposNation groups respectively.

Four years ago I was part of the organizing committee of the Cummings Jewish Centrefor Seniors Foundation annual Sports Celebrity Breakfast which honoured the ’94 Expos. We had many of the greats on hand – Pedro Martinez, Marquis Grissom, John Wetteland, Felipe Alou, Cliff Floyd and Rondell White to name a few.  Last year Cromartie brought them all back, in much bigger numbers, for a tribute dinner and a very memorable appearance at Olympic Stadium prior to a sold out exhibition game between the Toronto Blue Jays and The New York Mets.

Enter Sean Menard, a former producer for TSN who had decided the time was right for him to go out on his own. Only 29 at the time, he had grown up as a Blue Jays fan. He felt that the 1994 Expos’ brush with greatness was a story that needed to be told. The end result is a stunning 23 minute documentary  called The Perfect Storm – The  Story of the 1994 Montreal Expos. “Very naively I jumped into this project,” Menard explains. “I had to finance it myself and sell it to networks. I had no idea how hard it would be to get it approved by Major League Baseball for the licensing costs.”

Sean Menard

Menard eventually turned to Kickstarter, the world’s largest online funding program,  and 312 people stepped forward with cold hard cash to enable him to complete the project. The film premiered at a special screening recently at TSN 690, organized by  Matthew Ross of  ExposNation. It will make its  Canadian television debut prior to the Blue Jays –Cincinnati  Reds  two-game pre-season series April 3 and 4 at the Big Owe. Air times are as follows: March 30 (1 p.m. on TSN 5 and 11 p.m. on TSN4); March 31 (4:30 p.m. on TSN3 and 8:30 p.m. on TSN1) and  April 2 (11:30 p.m. on TSN4)

I had the good fortune of getting an advance preview of the film, courtesy of Menard and Chomedey native Rich Lenkov. The latter is now a successful Chicago attorney who is presently producing a much anticipated documentary on the 1985 NFL Bears and recently made a connection with Menard. To say I was glued to the screen is an understatement. This is a work of art that had me very emotional as the closing credits appeared. I was a working member  of the media back then, covering many of the Expos game for an all-sports network in Toronto called The Fan. I even took a brief holiday to South Florida and covered an Expos game versus the Marlins in Miami on the eve of the strike call. I got to know many of the players. Yet watching Menard’s film brought forward a wide array of anecdotes I was never aware of.

 

Felipe Alou

Menard had reached out to best-selling author Jonah Keri, a Montreal native noted for his exceptional;  book Up, Up, and Away: The Kid, the Hawk, Rock, Vladi, Pedro, Le Grand Orange, Youppi!, the Crazy Business of Baseball, and the Ill-fated But Unforgettable Montreal Expos. Keri’s first piece of advice was to ensure that Menard made his way to Montreal for the Blue Jays 2014 exhibition series where many of the ’94 Expos would be in town. He did so and the end result is a series of fabulous interviews with former skipper Felipe  Alou, outfielders  Moises Alou, Larry Walker and Marquis Grissom,  first baseman Cliff Floyd, catcher Darrin Fletcher, pitchers John Wetteland and Ken Hill, broadcaster  Dave Van Horne, talk show host Mitch Melnick,  former beat writer Jeff Blair and former president Claude Brochu.  He went and met with former GM  Dan Duquette in Baltimore and  also travelled for a one-on-one with Pedro Martinez.

“I could not do this film without Pedro,” Menard says. “His agent told me I had 10 minutes; he gave me 45.”

 

Pedro Martinez

The documentary includes some terrific archived footage, dramatic background music and wonderful clips of the ’94 players on the bus towards Olympic Stadium and their emotional appearances on the field.

“This is truly one of the greatest teams in major league history and they were only going to get better,” Melnick said. “That is the sad part of this. We didn’t know how great they would have been.”

Moises Alou was part of the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins. He maintains the ’94 Expos were better. “We were like a family,” he says. “We saw in my dad a father figure.”

Moises Alou

Martinez, who went on to win a Cy Young Award with the Boston Red Sox,  left no doubt that it was Felipe Alou’s guidance that placed him on the road to stardom.

Duquette recalled being panned by the media for trading fan favorite Delino Deshields  to the LA Dodgers for Martinez. He had the last laugh. “I knew he could be  a good starting pitcher,” commented Felipe.  “LA did not believe that.”

Walker called himself, Alou and Grissom the best outfield in baseball. “It is too bad we did not play together for a decade,” he  said.

Brochu said he still cannot believe the ’94 season was cancelled. At the time he felt the strike would be short lived and the season would continue. “It never crossed my mind that we would not play the season out and that the post season would be cancelled,” he said. “I never once thought that was a possibility.”

Wetteland perhaps put it best this way:  “There is a vibe when we get together. It is almost as if we were champions.”

Menard's next task is to get the film broadcast on American television channels “to remind the rest of the baseball world just how good this ’94 team was, how big of a fan base there still is in Montreal and how great it would be to get a Major League Team back in the city.”

Menard’s current project is a documentary on anticipated number one NHL draft pick Connor McDavid.

 You can hear Menard’s interview with Melnick here.

Cromartie and company will be back in town for their annual  gala on Wednesday, April 1 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel featuring the likes of Rusty Staub, Tim Raines, Andre Dawson and Andres Galarraga as special guests. All of the details are here.

The Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra and Brigitte O'Halloran set for Irish concert

This coming Saturday evening, March 21, The Musicians of the World  Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Milo, will join soprano Brigitte O’Halloran for the St. Patrick Symphonic Concert of The Year at the Rialto Theatre.

Also on stage will be Kate-Bevan-Baker at the fiddle, Sean-Paul O'Brien with his warm tenor voice and the celebrated Celtic dancers from the Bernadette Short School of Irish Dance. 

Brigitte O'Halloran

The program will include ballads such as Toora loora looral (Irish Lullaby), Danny Boy, Galway Bay, the magnificent Enya piece Smointe, the duet You Raise Me Up, famous drinking songs, the original string arrangement of Sunday Bloody Sunday, Symphonic movements from Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, all accompanied by Milo’s orchestra.

Impact provide quite a show at Olympic Stadium in CONCACAF action

My first real exposure to professional  soccer came in  1981 when the Montreal Manic arrived in this city, part of the then thriving North American Soccer League. I was very green 18 year old reporter for The Sunday Express Newspaper, part of the Quebecor empire, and given this beat as my very own. It was quite exciting. The names of many of the players - Tony Towers, Gordon Alec Hill, Thomas Usiyan, Andy Lynch, Carmine Marcantonio, Bob Rigby and others - still ring in my head to this day.

Le Manic caught the attention of Montreal sports fans and on September  2, 1981 they attracted  58,542 fans to the Olympic Stadium in a playoff match versus the Chicago Sting. By the end of the 1983 season interest had dissipated and Molson Brewery, the club owners, pulled the plug.

The Montreal Impact, of course, have had a long and successful journey in this city. In 2012 owner Joey Saputo moved them into Major League Soccer. While I still have an easier time remembering the names of Manic players, than those of the Impact, there is no doubt this is one fine oiled operation.

Moffat, Needham, Joey Alfieri and  Giancarlo Aimone in the booth.

I was in attendance at the Big Owe Wednesday night to watch an exciting 2-0 victory by the Impact over Alajuelense of Costa Rica in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal. There were 33,675 fans on hand and the place was indeed rocking, especially for the first 13 minutes as they team notched both of its tallies. TSN 690 play by play announcer Rick Moffat had to once again test his vocal chords with those endless goal calls of his. "I listened to a lot of English soccer play by play men," Moffat told me before the game. "I guess I am following their leads and others who broadcast soccer. It is not the same as a goal in hockey."

Moffat and his broadcast partner, former Impact star and Dollard des Ormeaux native Grant Needham, will be in Costa Rica  for the second and final game of this series in just over two weeks. Hats off to these guys and TSN 690 for bringing us these games and for Simon Tsalikis and his excellent post-game show for really stirring up some excitement for this team. The Impact normally play next door at Saputo Stadium, an absolutely beautiful complex which is worth attending a game at even if you do not love soccer. They will return there when (and if ever) we get some warm weather in this city.

CONCACAF has no doubt created a buzz in this city. While it is hard to keep track of who exactly is on the Impact roster, on a night when 33,000 plus are cheering the hometown on what we are looking at is more of an "event" than a "game."

Patrice Bernier

There is no question that the Impact need to step up their efforts in community relations. Team captain and Montreal-raised Patrice Bernier is a true fan favorite. He was benched against Alajuelense. That was the decision of head coach Frank Klopas, who was suspended for this  game. His assistant Mauro Biello, probably with the blessing of Klopas, did indeed send Bernier into the game near the end; the crowd erupted with a standing ovation. I must say I had goosebumps. It was just one of those moments - and a message to Klopas, Biello and owner Saputo that there is something to be said about a hometown hero. His benching has been the talk of local talk shows, English and French, for a week. That is not the kind of distraction a team that wants to draw consistent crowds for the regular season needs.

The Impact return to regular MLS play Saturday versus New England. But a win or tie in Costa Rica in April could move them towards international glory, something this city will definitely toast to.

r  SSimon Tsalikis

 

Universel Déjeuners et Grillades: a new find for evening breakfast

Readers should be well aware by now that one thing I love to do on the weekends is have breakfast for supper. A day does not go by that I do not miss Picasso Restaurant on St. Jacques Street. When it closed several years ago, property owner Peter Sergakis promised me he would revive it but the spot remains boarded up - with  Les Amazones gentleman's club seemingly thriving in the basement. 

Nick's on Greene Avenue used to stay open until 7 p.m. on Saturday nights and serve breakfast, but no more. Eggspectations opened a new locale at Hotel Ruby Foo's last May and  offered breakfast until 11 p.m. But now they close at 4 p.m.  B&M on Somerled will serve breakfast until closing, with an extra $2 tacked on to the bill.

Well I have discovered a new place - at least a new one for me. Universel Déjeuners et Grillades  has two Montreal locations - one on Peel and the other on St. Denis below Pine. The latter locale will serve a full breakfast (with lots of choices) until 7 p.m. each night (the downtown spot only until 5 p.m.). Check out what they have to offer. We went there Saturday night after a movie and I was beyond impressed. I ordered one of the most delicious cheese omelets I have ever tasted. Service was excellent. We wanted our breakfast potatoes baked, not fried.  The manager on duty, Jason,  came to our table and made it happen. Even the toast was perfectly prepared and nicely buttered. They even included some fresh fruit on the plate.

The rest of the menu has a variety of choices. Apparently this place has been around since 1995, originally on nearby Cherrier Street near Lafontaine Park and now in this warm spot consisting of comfortable booths and tables.
Hats off to owners Anna and Steve Manousakis for this excellent establishment. It is time to add a third franchise in the West End!

Bureau en Gros CSL closed; Somerled restaurants in limbo

So what does this say about the economy?

Bureau en Gros has finally shuts its doors at the Quartier Cavendish, a real loss for the community and a shopping centre which has been doing reasonably well since it was sliced in half to make way for a large residential development.

Bureau En Gros Cavendish all shut down

This was no surprise. The head office made the announcement last June. Now the Quartier, still affectionately referred to as "the Mall" by many, has this massive space to fill. Bureau en Gros was in place there for more than a decade. Living close by, I so much appreciated the novelty of dashing over when I needed any  type of office or computer supplies, not to mention a telephone or an electronic wire. It seemed to be doing well, but I guess the head honches felt otherwise. What could fit in this spot? A large restaurant? A second grocery store? Maybe Eaton can be revived?  

Meanwhile, as reported on this blog on July 3, 2013, I guess we can now formally begin eulogizing Restaurant Antico Martini. The NDG Somerled Avenue institution actually shut its doors on June 22, 2013. Nonetheless, the owners refused to acknowledge that it would not reopen. Even last summer I got a call big boss Thomas  who indicated a comeback was not impossible. Well, the tables have been left set for 20 months and finally this week I saw a big sign in the window signalling the end is indeed near.

Luc Vaillancourt of Pagex Real Estate is advertising the sale on his website.  Not only is the restaurant property up for grab, so are  10 apartments on the top floors and  another commercial unit which has been rented by  dry cleaner for many years. As for Antico Martini, the ad acknowledges  it "is now closed."   All restaurant equipment is included in the selling price of $1.45 million.

The Antico Martini building is for sale

Sticking with  Somerled, the future of two other restaurants seems to be in limbo. There are signs in the windows of both Restaurant Agostini and Olympic Agora that they will be "open soon." But why are they closed in the first place.

One restaurant where business continues to boom on Somerled is B&M. I was there Saturday night and we were lucky to get a table. Hats off to the management for being perhaps the only restaurant in the West End to make a full breakfast menu available throughout their opening hours. Sometimes I feel like having breakfast for supper, an option which was easy to fulfill in the days of Picasso on St. Jacques. I had high hopes for Eggspectation at Hotel Ruby Foo's when they stayed open until 11 p.m. But they now shut down at 4 p.m. There is a new spot called Il Figo, but sadly they have not maintained a breakfast menu.

New reality TV Show: Up Close and Personal with Brandon Prust and Maripier Morin

Montreal Canadiens forward Brandon Prust and his beautiful girlfriend, French language television star Maripier Morin, are about to become reality TV stars. Hockey Wives will premiere on  Wednesday March 18 at 10 p.m. on the W Network. 

Brandon Prust and Maripier Morin

The cast includes also includes  Nicole Brown, wife of Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown; Hollywood  actress Noureen DeWulf (Anger Management, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), wife of Vancouver Canucks goalie Ryan Miller;  fashion designer Tiffany Parros, married to recently retired and former Hab George Parros; model and new mom Martine Forget, engaged to Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier; Hockey wives’ connector Brijet Whitney, married to recently retired Ray Whitney; social activist Kodette LaBarbera, wife of Anaheim Ducks goalie Jason LaBarbera; former Intelligence Specialist for the U.S. Military Emilie Blum, wife of Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonathon Blum; athlete and Communications expert Jenny Scrivens, wife of Edmonton Oilers goalie Ben Scrivens; and Arizona real estate maven Wendy Tippett, wife of Arizona Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett.

Judging from the preview this looks like one “must watch” series and I was lucky enough to get to talk to Prust and Morin.

Montreal hockey fans all adore Prust , the rugged forward now in the third of a four year  contract he signed for $10 million. The Habs number eight is known for keeping the other teams honest, always ready to drop his gloves to protect a teammate. He and Morin actually met when in 2009 in New York. Prust was then playing for the Rangers. “I was at a bar with my friends and I did not speak English,” Morin recalls. “I had a little too much to drink, so  I did not even remember meeting him. The clue was that I had a new contact in my phone. I had no idea who he was. Brandon ended up coming to Montreal and he invited to go with him to a UFC  fight card. Well, it was a ‘bloody’ first date and I kind of wondered ‘what kind of guy asks a girl to a UFC fight for their first date?’ But it worked.”

That summer Prust invited Morin to his native London, Ontario to meet the family. “I was embarrassed because I went with his sister for a spa day and I could not speak English,” he said. “I wondered what people were thinking about me.”

“Her English was a lot better than she thinks,” Prust chirped in.

Morin is  a former figure skater who gas graced the small screen since 2007 on a number of different shows for TVA and V. She is currently the co-host of Ménage à trois on V télé. She was a face for Revlon in Quebec, a partner with Prust in the Montreal restaurant Laurea in Mile-End  a partner in the Canadian cocktail line UNIK. She actually became close friends with Tiffany Parros during enforcer George’s brief  one season stay here. Tiffany, the mom of twins, runs her own fashion line, with celebrity clientele including Mariah Carey, Lindsay Lohan, Amy Smart and  DeWulf.

Hockey Wives delivers a rare opportunity for fans to meet ten sexy, accomplished “captains” off the ice and explores the meaning of being married to the game.

With an exclusive look into the high-stakes lives of WAGs (wives and girlfriends) of the NHL®, the series reveals that it takes an incredible woman to manage fulfilling personal careers and stick handle life off of the ice with some of today’s top pro athletes. There are incredible perks to being a hockey wife, but, make no mistake, balancing the pressure of trades, relentless travel, long periods of separation, injury, retirement and living for the game takes an extraordinary and self-sufficient woman. Though they are based in cities all over North America, the wives cross paths throughout the course of the regular NHL season and are deeply affected by one another. From wives who are new to the league, to those whose partners are Stanley Cup winning superstars or entering retirement, these women form a team of their own, supporting and encourage one another through personal and professional highs and lows.

Morin and Prust already passed the true test of commitment, with a two year long distance relationship. Not only was Prust living and playing in New York City, but during the hockey season he of course travelled a lot. “I was basically going to New York every other week and doing so by bus,” Morin explains. “It was only six hours overnight and less expensive than flying.”

When Prust was a free-agent two years ago he had good offers from many teams, but his relationship with Morin clearly played a role in his final decision. “I knew it would be a good place for me to play,” Prust said. “Obviously it was good for Maripier and her career. It was really a perfect match for me and I think the Canadiens knew it too.”

So how did the happy couple, who generally enjoy their privacy residing in the Plateau, end up on reality TV. Morin said it was Tiffany Parros who recommended her to the producers. It was quite a commitment as the cameras began recording them in September and only stopped filming in December. “To be honest, when she first told me about it I did not grasp the concept,” Prust said. “I thought it would be one weekend.”

“The cameraman they assigned to us was super,” Morin intervened. “I would basically tell him what we were doing each week and we’d make a schedule. It was a blast! Once you get into a project like this you just need to have some trust.”

There is one clip from the preview where Morin asks Prust why he doesn’t want to marry her. “It is funny what the camera picks up,” Morin laughs. “We are not engaged or close to being engaged. I am always teasing Brandon about marriage, but I want to say that I am really comfortable with our present situation. I think Brandon says that I have not passed all of his tests yet."

Morin’s English is excellent now. The gal from Rivière-du-Loup  credits Prust and her early trips to New York for that. Prust, meanwhile, co-stars with her in a TV commercial for St. Hubert BBQ in which he orders a poutine. “I am working on my French,” said Prust. “I can pick up some of the language. Speaking it is still pretty difficult.”

The Hockey Wives. Morin is  fourth from the right.