Youthful Pierrefonds Dollard riding chief hopes Liberals can bounce back

In the last federal election, the NDP wave  scored surprising victories in many ridings across Quebec, including long time Liberal stronghold Pierrefonds-Dollard when Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe's upset veteran Liberal Bernard Patry.   With the next vote about two years away, riding associations are starting to prepare themselves.

 

Jordan Gentile

In  Pierrefonds-Dollard, the future is being entrusted in an energetic 21 year old Concordia University Political  Science student. Jordan Gentile has been on the job for a little more than a year now.  He worked on present Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s Papineau riding election in 2011 and decided  to pursue the helm of his own local riding when their president, Jean Raymond, stepped down. As if he is not busy enough, Gentile also works as a supervisor of customer service at the head office of the Aldo Group.

Gentile told me that Pierrefonds-Dollard was one of the few ridings in the country not to be affected by redistribution. “Once all of the riding boundaries in the country are formally announced, we will go about picking our candidate,” he says. “We know it will not be easy as the NDP MP has done a lot of work in the riding.”

Who would my star Liberal candidate be? Former Lester B. Pearson School Board president Marcus Tabachnick did not dismiss the possibility when I raised it with him recently. 

Suggestions for new TSN 690 Program Director Chris Bury

Chris Bury says he is excited to get to work on his new project as program director for TSN 690 Radio, while retaining his role as brand and news director for CJAD.  I have known Chris since he was a young reseacher  for Jim Duff on CJAD. He moved on to 940 News for a number of years, then to Q92 (now The Beat)  before returning to NewsTalk 800 AM.

Having Bury oversee the programming duties at another station is a huge task, on top of his already heavy load. "It kind of makes sense as there will be a lot of synergy between the two stations," he told me. "There is a logical connection and a lot of opportunity for cross promotions. I can't wait to get going on this!"

Bury said at this point he wants to begin a discussion and evaluation process. He did not dismiss the possibility that some changes could be implemented in time for Montreal Canadiens broadcasts. TSN 690 will soon vacate their Greene Avenue facility in Westmount and join CJAD, CHOM and Virgin Radio at the corner of René-Levesque and Papineau. They are also across the street from CTV Montreal and RDS.

Bury was not ready to speculate on any potential programming changes. Well, here are some lucky guesses and suggestions.

Jess Rusnak

HABS BROADCASTS: Everyone agrees that play by play man John Bartlett and colour commentator  Sergio Mommesso are a dynamic team. But will  CJAD sports director Rick Moffat and Abe Hefter find their way back into the mix?  The pre and post game shows are definite possibilities. Jess Rusnak does a fabulous job covering the Habs and could be a valued asset for CJAD as well. Connor McKenna has also come into his own with the Delmar Post Game  Show.  UPDATE- Clearly Bury has been listening as Conor McKenna became the first TSN 690 personality to cross the floor. On Friday, August 16 he was chosen to fill in for Rick Moffat to handle morning show sportscasts with guest host Barry Morgan and he did not sound out of place. A good omen for McKenna?

Connor McKenna

MORNING SHOW: While Ted Bird clearly seems to adore his gig on TSN 690 mornings, will we see him cross the hall to CHOM FM and rejoin his pal Terry DiMonte for some sportscasts? And how about Moffat or whomever  is doing the sports on CJAD handling the same duties on TSN 690 with Shaun Starr and Elliott Price? I would love to hear Michael Farber and Dave Stubbs on both stations.

Tony Marinaro

THE MONTREAL FORUM: Tony Marinaro has a loyal following and provides good radio. If anything, Bury should strengthen his show The Montreal Forum and continue to use him on Habs broadcasts. Just look at the man`s Twitter followers! Not since the late Ted Tevan have we had a more opinionated and well liked talkshow host. Marinaro is also a walking encyclopedia on international soccer and the dad of a young boy who is already so prolific at the sport that many say he is destined for the pros.

Barry Morgan

OFF THE CUFF: Will Chris Nilan remain as co-host with Marinaro for the Intermission and host of Off The Cuff from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m or will someone like Barry Morgan or Hefter be offered that slot? Nilan is still a rookie at doing his own show and continues to approve. He also has a huge list of "A" level contacts.  Perhaps Morgan and Nilan?

MELNICK IN THE AFTERNOON: Mitch Melnick is already a legend in this city. He spent many years on CJAD. He is definitely an "untouchable." Hopefully he can access the likes of Farber, Stubbs and others.

Matthew Ross

EVENINGS: When the Habs are not on, TSN 690 airs a variety of programming weekday evenings. Bury would be well advised to take a long look at Matthew Ross and Dave Kaufman in particular, two talents who could be plucked up by the soon to debut AM 600 English station.

ALOUETTES AND IMPACT: It makes sense to move these broadcasts over to TSN 690, reverting back to CJAD in the case of  a conflict. That means the great Noel Butler could return to the Impact broadcast team.

MANAGEMENT: There must be a place for Wayne Bews, who has played a critical role in keeping Montreal's all-sports station alive. Wayne has done it all: sales, programming, promotions. He is an amazing fellow who gets out there in the community. His experience could be a benefit to the new Bell Media English radio group here.

To be continued...

A tough loss for the Als, but memorable experience for one young fan and his parents

The August 8, 2013 game at Percival Molson Stadium pitting the host Montreal Alouettes against the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts had so many things going in its favor.

-An original forecast of rain and thundershowers turned out to be one of the nicest evenings we have seen all summer;

-Als general manager Jim Popp was the new head coach, taking over from the over matched Dan Hawkins;

-The Als did win their last  game and with a 2-3 record a win would place them in a tie with the 3-2 Argos.

Well the Als lost 38-13, falling behind   28-0 at one point. Nonetheless,   family members who saw the game with me from the 10 yard line behind the visitors bench (their first visit ever to the refurbished stadium) had only good things to say. Of course the final score was a disappointment, but there is such  a warm ambiance in this place it is fun to be there. It is fitting that just before the opening kickoff they play the song  Beautiful Day by U2. As I explained to my family, if it were not for a U2 concert at Olympic Stadium many years ago, forcing the Als to switch a game to Percival Molson, we probably would not even have a CFL team now.

Mark Weightman

The Big O  was not working for the Als, a team which had already folded once before. They were brought back to life when the Baltimore Stallions needed a new home. The U2 fix showed that a smaller stadium in the downtown area was just what they needed. After countless years with capacity crowds, the  provincial and municipal governments teamed up with Als owner Robert Wetenhall to invest nearly $30-million in the stadium on the McGill campus. This  included 19 new luxury boxes and 5,000 additional permanent seats, including an upper deck on the south side of the stadium, bringing capacity to 25,012. There is a diamond vision scoreboard, proper concession stands and bathrooms, a good sound system and plenty of in-between the whistle promotions.

Chief Operating Officer Mark Weightman is doing all of the right things, with staffers like community relations manager Denburk Reid making sure the Alouettes branding is strong year-round. Weightman is responsible for the business side of things. Popp must deal with the on field product. The season is only six games old; there are 12 regular season matches to go. Give Popp some time and the Als will be back in the playoffs.

Bernie Lebovits, Natalie Castiel, Daniel Lebovits and Charles-André  Marchand.

When I visited the Als press box at half time, the happiest people in the stadium were probably the father and son team of Bernie and Daniel Lebovits. At the Cummings Centre for Seniors Foundation Sports Celebrity Breakfast last April, Bernie outbid everyone in the room for a chance to sit in the French language radio broadcast booth of 98.5 FM with Charles-André Marchand and Bruno Heppell for a  regular season game.  This was the game. Bernie's wife and Daniel's mom Natalie took in the experience as well. Daniel, wearing a set of earphones and wearing the shirt of his favorite Al ever - the now retired Etienne Boulay - was leaning over the ledge of the broadcast booth breathing in the entire experience.

"Even though the Als lost, Daniel, Nat and myself had a great time being in the booth of 98.5," Bernie told me after the game. "Our wonderful hosts Charles-André Marchand and former Al  Bruno Heppell made it a night to remember. Seeing how a game is called, was thrilling. Along the way, we also met former Al, Anwar Stewart and Danny Deriveaux. These are memories that Daniel will remember for a long time. Most importantly, the donation we made to enjoy this football evening went to help the seniors at the Cummings Centre."

Don't despair Als fans! Suport your team and win or lose you will enjoy the experience of attending a home game.

Auditions set for WISTA's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

WISTA, the West Island Student Theatre Association, is a non-profit organization founded in December 2006 as a way to allow post-secondary students to interact and perform in the wonderful world of musical theatre. I have seen them in action and this is one well oiled machine.

Well it is already that time of year again! Auditions for the first of the upcoming season's two musicals, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, slated for an opening night in January 2014, are happening. Originally appearing as a movie, it has been revived twice since then as a Broadway musical featuring Matthew Broderick and Daniel Radcliffe as the leading man. WISTA is now looking for the cast of business go-getters to support their  leading man.

Individual auditions are going to be held over two days, August 4 and 11 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Church of the Resurrection (99 Mount Pleasant) in  Pointe-Claire.  Call-backs will take place on August 18 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the same location.

To book your audition, e-mail info@WISTA.ca. Upon receipt of your request they will be in touch to give you the exact time of your individualized audition time.

This is a non-Equity and non-paying production. You must be a student enrolled in a post-secondary institution and be between the ages of 17 to 29. Here is a clip from the Broadway show.

Two hundred potential candidates in line for New AM 600 Radio Station

TTP Media may not have finalized plans for a launch date yet of its English news talk radio station at 600 on the AM dial, but that hasn’t stopped the man pegged by Paul Tietolman to run the show from getting ready.

 

Paul Tietolman

“Since January I have been using social media to let Montrealers know there will be a new choice to get their news and to talk about issues of the day on the radio,” says Steve Kowch from his home in Mississauga where he too is waiting for a launch date.

“Two months ago, I reached out on LinkedIn to connect with people in the Montreal area. The results have been overwhelming. More than 1,200 people in Montreal’s English and cultural communities have connected with me on LinkedIn since May.

"My new connections on LinkedIn include young entrepreneurs, college and university grads, actors, entertainers, artists, sales people, office workers, CEOs and moms and dads who are all integrated in Quebec society and are proud to call the Greater Montreal area home.”

 

Steve Kowch

Steve says some are potential contributors to the radio station because of their commitment to Montreal’s English community through their involvement in charities, social services, business or the arts and entertainment scene.

In January, Steve used social media to reach out to people whose dream is to be on the radio to send their resume to steve@kowchmedia.com and tell him what they can bring to the new radio station. So far his inbox has more than 200 potential candidates, including some well known broadcasters who want to work at the new radio station.

“It is amazing the talent out there for not only talk show hosts, but reporters, anchors, producers, sales staff, production and operators,” says Kowch. “It is a gold mine of emerging talent. We will not have a problem of living up to our promises at the CRTC to introduce new and diverse voices on the radio station”

Steve’s latest On The Kowch blog at http://kowchmedia.com/blogs/on-the-kowch provides more information on what the New AM600 – his working title for the new radio station – is going to be all about.

“Choice … this is what it’s all about,” he says. “With the CRTC decision allowing Bell Media to own four of the five English radio stations in Montreal – including the city’s only newstalk station -  the time is right for another English radio station in Montreal with new compelling, opinionated talk show hosts and live local newscasts 24/7.”

To find out what Montrealers want to hear and what they think is missing on Montreal radio, Kowch has launched the montrealneedsam600@gmail.com email address.

“I have a track record in Montreal and Toronto of bringing stations closer to the community by making myself available to listeners to hear what they like and don’t like,"  Kowch says.  "I just want to get the jump on what Montrealers want to hear by providing them a forum to express their opinions before we launch.

“We’re building this station from the ground up. So it is important we get this right before we throw the switch to go on air. What better way to do this, than to ask Montrealers for their input by sending an email with their ideas to montrealneedsam600@gmail.com .”

Day camp enjoys a truly multicultural experience

From the files of Rabbi Menachem Posner.

Over 800 Jewish children from all across the Montreal area joined together to laugh and sing with a Mexican comic and enjoy the antics of two French-Canadian acrobats. How’s that for a multicultural experience?

Rabbi Dovid Weinbaum, coordinator of the annual event, explained: “We call it the inter-camp day, and it’s an opportunity for Jewish kids from a rainbow of Jewish day camps to see kids just like them deepening their connection to Judaism and having a blast. With kids from eight camps servicing preschool to pre-teen, we work hard to create a program that is fun, meaningful, and memorable for everyone.”

A special feature of this year’s program was guest comic Rabbi Benny Hershcovich, who also directs the Chabad center in Cabo S. Lucas, Mexico. A quasi-celebrity due to his popular weekly Youtube videos, which blend slapstick humor and fast-paced Torah thoughts, Hershcovich led the children in reciting Torah verses and singing classic Jewish camp songs as well as an original humorous composition.

A Montreal native, Hershcovich says he was in Montreal, “to give my children a dose of Jewish community. Back at in Mexico, they can sometimes think they are the only Jewish kids in the world. Having them spend a month in Montreal every summer is crucial to their identities. An event like this is by far the biggest Jewish gathering they have ever experienced in their lives, so it is really exciting.” 

Hershcovich was followed by Circo Comedia, a globetrotting duo of daredevils, whose frolics ranged from silly to downright frightening at times.

“It was so awesome,” said six-year-old Veronique Levy of Hampstead, QC, a camper at Camp Gan Israel of TMR and VSL, “I got to see my friends who are in other camps. Rabbi Benny was super-funny, and the acrobats—especially the guy in roller-skates—were so crazy!”

But most important according to Weinbaum, was “the fact that hundreds of children gathered together to learn Torah, strengthen their commitment to Judaism and celebrate. This was our largest crowd ever. It was amazing to see the happy children, singing, clapping and dancing to new and old Hebrew tunes.”

The brainchild of Rabbi Moshe & Dina Krasnanski of Chabad of TMR, and Rabbi Schneur & Leah Silberstein of Chabad of VSL, inter-camp day has become a summer highlight for Quebec campers. The over 800 children in attendance represented: Camp Gan Israel branches in Town of Mount Royal (TMR), Ville St. Laurent (VSL), and Dollard; Camp Ohr Menachem in Côte Saint-Luc; Yeshivah Levi Yitzchak, Beth Rivkah Pre-School, and the boys and girls divisions of Camp Geulah in Côte des Neiges.