Citytv and its plans for Montreal: an interview with Scott Moore

While then folks at Rogers Media await formal Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approval for their purchase of CJNT Metro14 TV in Montreal and transforming it into trendy Citytv, an  affiliation agreement officially kicked in on Monday. It is anticipated that the CRTC will rule on the overall deal within the next few months and when that happens we can look forward to some new local programming.

Scott Moore, the president of Rogers Broadcasting, was in Montreal last Thursday for a very slick presentation to advertising executives at the Corona Theatre. Moore and his team provided a comprehensive look ahead to Rogers programming on Citytv, FX, Omni, Sportsnet, G4, Bio and OLN. There was naturally a lot of hype for the Bachelor Canada, starring Hudson’s Brad Smith, which will air Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. beginning in the fall. Everyone leaving the Corona was presented with a red rose. Smith is currently filming in Western Canada and was unavailable to attend. But we did learn that one of his televised dates will occur here.

Moore, who was born in Montreal, plans to spend a lot of time here over the next few months to try and determine what local programming would be the best fit.  A morning news show, which would go up against Shaw Media’s plans for a Global TV wakeup program, is a possibility. So are shows focusing on music, sports and current affairs.

Here is my video interview with Moore. Please see The Suburban Magazine on Friday for a detailed look at the Citytv fall schedule and interviews with Moore, programming chief Malcolm Dunlop and Julie Lafontaine, the Pierrefonds mom who made it to the finals of Canada's Got Talent.

P.F. Chang's restaurant chain Montreal bound

 P.F. Chang’s International Bistro, always a favorite stop for me when travelling to the United States, is finally coming to Canada. Montrealer  Michael Aronovici, the president and  owner of Interaction Restaurants Group Inc, a restaurant management and holding company that has been operating in the Canadian restaurant industry for over 20 years, has announced that the  first Canadian P.F. Chang’s’  will open in Toronto at Cadillac Fairview's newly redeveloped Shops at Don Mills in late July. This will be followed shortly after by a new restaurant in Montreal  at the Smartcentre Shopping Centre located adjacent to the former Hippodrome – presently the home of Walmart, Baton Rouge. Restaurant Orotoro just closed there after just more than a year in operation. 

I caught up with Aronovici, a native of Côte Saint-Luc and a present-day resident of Hampstead, He told me that work will begin very shortly on the old  Dumoulin Électronique building. "It is a very big construction job which we hope to complete before Christmas," he said.

P.F. Chang’s intends to expand throughout Canada, with plans to open restaurants in additional Canadian cities in 2013 and beyond. “It is with great partners like Interaction that we at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro are taking our brand further out into the world,” said Mike Welborn, president of Global Brand Development at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc. “We are excited and confident that Canadians will drop in to our newest restaurants to experience our unique twist on Chinese cuisine.”

It is likely that after the Decarie location opens, others will follow on the West Island, in Laval, on the South Shore and downtown. I can already envision the lineups out the door.

"We have had to create an entirely new team," Aronovici said. "The training is intense and we send them to California for several months. We are also getting a lot of inquiries from people who want to join us."

P.F. Chang’s has more than 200 restaurants in the United States and over 18 internationally, delivering an outstanding casual dining experience in a stylish, high energy bistro and wine bar. The menu offers cuisine inspired from five regions of China (Mongolian, Sichuan, Beijing, Shanghai and Hunan) along with unique desserts and signature drinks while also delivering impeccable service. The restaurant caters to different dietary and cultural needs, offering also a vast selection of gluten free and vegetarian dishes.

Fans of P.F. Chang's love the lettuce wraps.

“Many Canadians have expressed to us, both in person and over social media, how much they love P.F. Chang’s, and wished it was closer to home.” explains  Aronovici, “Given this existing fan base, a commitment to fresh, Chinese-fusion flavour combinations in a distinctive dining setting, we have no doubt that this bistro experience will resonate with Canada’s sophisticated dining population.”

Aronovici, 50, a highly experienced restaurant brand investor and operator, controls and operates Interaction Asian Restaurants L.P. and is based here in Montreal. Interaction works in partnership with Claridge Inc., a privately-owned investment firm also headquartered in Montreal and actively involved in the management of a broad range of investments alongside high quality operators. 

Michael Aronovici

“P.F Chang’s is a unique and successful casual dining concept that is going to delight Canadians everywhere.” declared Pierre Boivin, president and CEO of Claridge and former boss of the Montreal Canadiens. “We are proud to partner with Interaction and be associated with this much-loved brand.” 

 The Canadian market will continue to offer a great growth opportunity for P.F. Chang’s to expand its brand in the international market. P.F. Chang’s is already in talks to open additional restaurants in central and eastern Canadian provinces in the coming years, among them Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland following the Montreal opening in late 2012.

To keep up to date on P.F Chang’s Canadian expansion and openings, follow them on Twitter at @pfchangscanada or on https://www.facebook.com/PFChangsCanada .

Interaction Asian Restaurants, L.P. was created and is controlled by Aronovici. Under his leadership, Interaction has been successfully involved with four different restaurant and food service concepts, including Starbucks Coffee and Pizza Hut.  Aronovici has served on the board of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association since 1997 and was chairman of the board in 2009.

 Aronovici developed an affinity for the foodservice business when Interaction acquired the development rights for Pizza Hut on Montreal’s North Shore in 1990 and grew the business to 45 restaurants in the Greater Montreal Area. In 2001, Interaction sold its Pizza Hut interests to a company controlled by John Bitove.

From 1990 to 2001, Interaction also operated the Salisbury House restaurant chain, a Winnipeg institution for more than 70 years. The company ultimately sold the 25-unit chain to a Winnipeg consortium that included musician Burton Cummings.

In 1992, Interaction acquired the Cultures chain of 45 franchised restaurants in Ontario and Quebec, which it successfully operated until 1999 when it sold the chain to a company controlled by the Serruya family, the creators of the Yogen Früz concept.

In 2000, Interaction was awarded the exclusive license to develop and operate Starbucks coffee shops in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. While retail Starbucks coffee shops in North America were usually corporately owned and operated, Interaction was selected to introduce the brand to the distinctive Quebec market. Interaction developed and operated the Starbucks business until August 2008 when it sold its Starbucks interests to Starbucks Coffee Canada

In 2010, Interaction was awarded the exclusive license to develop and operate PF Chang’s China Bistro restaurants in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces.

 Aronovici earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Great Distinction) from McGill University, followed by his chartered accountant designation, but chose to specialize in mergers and acquisitions. It was through this work that he joined Interaction in 1990 as Vice President, Investment and Development. He was named president of the company in 1997 and acquired 100% ownership of the company in 2009. 

Aronovici joined the board of directors of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association in 1997 and has served as its vice-chairman and as chairman of the board .In addition, he served as chairman of several committees including Government Affairs, Succession, Nominating, Finance, and as Treasurer. He also sat on the board of directors of the American National Restaurant Association in 2009 and 2010.

Aronovici was also an independent member of the board of directors of Meditrust Pharmacies from 1994 to 1999. He was nominated in order to represent the interests of a group of blue chip Canadian institutional investors that had participated in an $18 million private placement.  Moreover, Aronovici is  active on the board of a social services agency in Quebec.

Hill Times Newspaper quotes my blog

 The prestigious Hill Times Newspaper in Ottawa quoted my blog and interviewed me about the recent CJPAC Action Party. Here is the link.

Big Pet Fair and Family Fun Day in Beaconsfield

If you are a pet lover like me then I recommend you consider checking out the Bearepaire Village Pet Fair and Family Fun Day this Saturday (11 am to 3 p.m,) in Beaconsfield. Should Mother Nature rain on the parade, the event will be moved to  Sunday. Hilarie Harubin, the owner of  Boutique Woof! Meow! and director of the  Beaurepaire Village Business Association, is behind this sixth annual event.

 “We had 4,000 people attend last year’s event and 55 animals were adopted on this one day alone,” she says. “  It was a great success and I expect both events this year to be just as successful. Twenty  animal rescue organizations will be at this event with the perfect pet waiting for you. I believes that awareness of animal welfare is an important part of our community life as well as giving back to the community that supports local business.

This event gives you the chance to either adopt a new pet or, if you already have your companion,   gives you the chance to have your questions answered by the exhibitors on site. We have reps from dog training organizations, dog boarding facilities, pet food companies and groomers to answer your questions. We have the blessing of the pets, various dog contests, such as best pet trick, doggie musical chairs and the parade of adoptees which we call “Strut Your Stuff,” to amuse and entertain our visitors.

Many village businesses will be participating as well, for example, Beauty Evolution will be hosting a human/canine  fashion show, Homestyle/Blacklion Pub  will be firing up the BBQ and the art galleries will be exhibiting animal themed works of art.

Info: woofmeow@videotron.ca

Cousin Vinny's first interview at 925 The Beat FM

Following three months of silence regarding his decision to leave the drive home show on Virgin Radio for the same slot over at rival 925 The Beat FM, Cousin Vinny Barrucco made his on air debut Monday afternoon.

“I gave my notice at the end of February, but due to a non-compete clause I was not able to talk about the deal or even communicate about it via social media until now,” the happy go lucky 28 year old Dorval native and current St. Laurent resident told me.

Here is my video interview with Vinny. Please read my column in Wednesday's paper and a feature story in the Friday Suburban Magazine to learn more.

It's official: Cousin Vinny joins The Beat

The best kept secret in Montreal is finally out there. Cousin Vinny Barrucco joins  92.5 The Beat  today, May 28, as their  weekday drive home show host. He left Virgin Radio three months ago, but because of a non-compete clause he was not able to discuss the move until the day of his on air debut.

Cousin Vinny

“Cousin Vinny will fit right in with the rest of the gang at The Beat. He’s a local guy with a tremendous passion for radio, music and this city,” said Leo Da Estrela, Program Director of 92.5 The Beat. “We’re excited to publicly announce that he is now part of our famiglia.”

Cousin Vinny joins fellow broadcasters Cat Spencer & Sarah Bartok (The Beat Breakfast), Donna Saker (The Beat of Your Workday), Paul Hayes (Heartbeats), Ken Connors (Weekend Breakfast), Anne Marie Withenshaw (All-Access Weekend), Nat Lauzon (Feel Good Weekends) as well as TB1 (Beatmix).

Stay tuned  to this space later for my interview with Vinny, his first since jumping to The Beat, and to this week's Suburban.

  

CJPAC "Action Party" was the place to be in Montreal

It was quite the scene last Thursday night at the Arsenal in the now very trendy Griffintown area as CJPAC (the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committtee) held its fourth annual Action Party. More  than 800 people from the Jewish and pro-Israel community jammed the large hall  to enjoy an open bar, deejay music by Total Events, live entertainment, sumptuous appetizers and desserts from caterer Danielle Bitton and most importantly one-on-one access to politicians and their advisers  from all stripes.  

The event was planned many months ago, with every intention of having  representatives from all levels of government. This included the governing Quebec Liberals. What would the odds be of the National Assembly actually sitting for a rare Thursday evening session to adopt special legislation to deal with student unrest? “We lost 15 MNAs from this,” one of the organizers lamented.

Justin Trudeau and Montreal real estate queen Anita Benabou

Rozenblat.

New Democratic Party leader Thomas Mulcair was there with a number of his MPs. The charismatic Tyrone Benskine told me how much  he has enjoyed his first year in politics. “The next election may be three and a half years from now, but we are already working hard to prove to Canadians that we deserve to be the next government,” he shared. Mulcair was spotted having a little chat with easily the most sought after man in the room, Liberal MP Justin Trudeau, who sounded most definite that he will not seek the party leadership this time around.  Interim party leader Bob Rae, with his charming wife Arlene, on the other hand was clearly a man with his eyes on becoming the permanent head of the Grits with many of his handlers working the room. John Walsh, the national president of the Federal Conservative Party, was shaking hands and sending a message that the Tories still hope to cash in on some seats next time around. Municipally, Montreal Executive Committee boss Michael Applebaum represented the mayor, with a few members of council on hand as well.

Glenn Nashen and I chat with Tyrone Benskine

 “It’s amazing to watch so many people who might otherwise avoid politics break through that barrier,” said Kim Heilpern, one of the ACTION Party chairs. “Bringing the community and politicians together for a fabulous party with great food, music and drinks is a great way to show that becoming politically active can be both easy and fun.”

Now in its fourth year, the party once again broke previous records for attendance by both community members and politicians, welcomed two busloads of attendees from Ottawa, and has become a cornerstone of CJPAC’s work in Montreal,  helping to define the organization.

 “CJPAC’s work in Quebec and around the country focuses on Jewish and pro-Israel political engagement, especially among young people,” said Mark Waldman, CJPAC’s executive director. “If our community is going to be heard and have an impact, it will be because average Jewish and pro-Israel Canadians participate in the democratic process; young people are especially open to this message.”

Founded seven years ago, CJPAC is a unique national, grassroots, independent organization. With an office in Montreal, lead by Quebec Regional Director Steeve Azoulay, CJPAC hosts multiple events throughout the year helping activate Jewish and pro-Israel Quebecers in the political process. Having worked for Canadian Jewish Congress for 11 years – an organization which only recently was abolished after nearly a century of existence – I am thoroughly impressed with the work of CJPAC. I remain a steadfast supporter of B’nai Brith Canada, for which I serve as the Quebec bureau chief for their Jewish Tribune Newspaper. CJPAC, of course, is quite different. Created from scratch, CJPAC has made political activism trendy. Never has that been so evident than at the Action Party. There were people of all ages on hand. It was indeed “the place” to be and even individuals who had other things on their agenda that night made it a point of being present and being seen, even if it was for just a short time.

Nashen and I with Saulie Zajdel

The Yuppies (Young Urban Professionals) were indeed out in force and I met many twenty something guys and gals soaking up the atmosphere.  Besides the politicians I already mentioned, others in attendance  included from the governing Tories Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney, Federal Minister of State of Foreign Affairs for Americas and Consular Affairs Diane Ablonczy,  Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs  Deepak Obhrai, Rick Dykstra,  Sheryl Gallant and Cheryl Gallant. Representing the NDP were Pat Martin,  Isabelle Morin,  Mathieu Ravignat,  Pierre Nantel, Jamie Nicholls, Françoise Boivin,  Mylène Freeman, and Jonathan Genest-Jourdain. With Irwin Cotler out of town to see his daughter graduate from university with distinction, his able chief of staff Howard Liebman was on hand. Neil Drabkin, chief of staff to Federal Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver, was spotted arriving late in the evening. Saulie Zajdel, who ran for the  Tories in Mount Royal in the last election, was working the floor. Joining Applebaum from Montreal were councillors Peter McQueen and  Andrée Champoux.  My council colleagues  from Côte Saint-Luc included  Dida Berku, Glenn  J.Nashen, Ruth Kovac, Steven Erdelyi and Mitchell Brownstein.  Bonnie Feigenbaum and Michael Goldwax represented Hampstead council while Herbert Brownstein was there from Dollard des Ormeaux, accompanied by his son Ryan Ryder Brownstein – now doing some producing for CJAD Radio with an eye on joining his dad on council in 2013.

A big round of applause for the organizing committee.  Co-chairs Heilpern,  Avi Krispine- 
Jonathan Abecassis  and Julien Newman. Their committee consisted of Montreal movers and shakers Adam Daifallah, Aimee Schnitzer, Alexandre Borduas, Bonnie King, Bram Paperman, Bruno Brami, David Desbaillets, Dominic Mailloux, Eric Prud’Homme, Eva Derhy, Evan Paperman, Gilbert Tordjman, Gillian Eliahoo, Hugo Tremblay, Ian Quint, Janna Boloton. Jason Zuckerman, Jeff Bernstein, Lauren Tatner, Laurence Barchichat, Marc Poisson, Marie-Claire Laflamme-Sanders, Maximilien Roy, Monique Assouline, Natasha Albilia, Noam Schnitzer, Olivier Duchesneau, Orlli Kessel, Rina Scrim, Stephanie Ohnona, Todd Lipstein and Zeynab Diallo plus a cast from Ottawa.

See Glenn J. Nashen's blog about the event.