Witnessing some Justin Trudeaumania in St. Michel; tough talk about PQ

I experienced a little Trudeaumania today—as in Federal  Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau- when he dropped by John F. Kennedy High School in St. Michel for the inauguration of a new student support centre bearing his late father’s name. The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Student Support Centre will provide comprehensive support service to all students, Secondary I through V. It is designed to provide additional assistance to students who request this help or for those who are referred by school staff. 

Now I should say that I have used this headline in previous articles about Justin and he has personally shared with me that he is not crazy about the comparative wording used for his late dad, our  former Prime Minister. However, when you see the reaction when Justin shows up to speak the excitement in the audience is overwhelming.

This all started well before Justin went into active politics as the Member of Parliament for East End Papineau in 2008. His memorable speech at his dad’s funeral made him an instant icon. We all knew he was destined for politics, even when he began his vocational career as a high school teacher in British Columbia. Now he is preparing to run for Prime Minister of Canada. The next federal election in October 2015 will be one amazing race to watch: incumbent PM Stephen Harper,charismatic NDP leader Tom Mulcair and Trudeau.

Following a brief ceremony to unveil a plaque in the student support centre, Justin headed to the auditorium where an excited room full of students greeted him with a rousing ovation.

 

Justin Trudeau

Now this school is situated in his Papineau constituency, so he has made previous visits. Following a few opening remarks he invited students to ask questions and they did on a variety of topics.

Justin said that it is good news the PQ is no longer in power. “I was worried by the way the PQ was going about trying to win an election by creating division and stoking fear,” he declared. “The politics of identity and division were rejected. People also did not want another referendum or the threat of one. I do not believe that the best way to protect the French language  and culture is separating from Canada.”

Thursday, April 17 will mark the 32^nd anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “Madame Marois’ divisive plan would not have passed mustard around the Charter of Rights,” he said. “Her plan would have ended up in the courts. It works out much better that this was resolved at the ballot box.”

Ottawa has become Justin’s main home now. It makes sense given his major travel schedule. He and his wife Sophie have three young children ages six, five and six weeks. “I resisted this job as leader for a long time,” he said. “But I looked at the way the federal government was running things and I decided that this is the best way I can help my family and the country.”

The PQ just does not get it and I have the proof

Now that former Quebec Premier Pauline Marois is mulling over retirement options, perhaps she would consider a trip to the Super Expo Sciences Hydro-Québec in Terrebonne with her colleagues Bernard Drainville, Pierre Karl Peladeau and Jean-François Lisée. There are two more days to go and yes, bilingualism is alive and well in this province and there is no reason to be ashamed of it.

I have been at this provincial Science Fair since Wednesday. There are 159 students from 12 regions in Quebec. Virtually all of the proceedings have been conducted in French. For the kids I am chaperoning that has not been an issue. They understand everything just fine. We are all staying together in a Laval hotel, dining “ensemble” and I see a lot of bonding taking place. And when  the subject of last week’s Quebec election comes up, folks from the Saguenay to the Mauricie and Outaouais seem content to see the Parti Québecois out. 

“We don’t want to separate from Canada,” said one.

“I never liked their Charter of Values,” added another. “It made me uncomfortable.”

One chaperone, who is Muslim, said that the entire Charter debate prompted her daughter to come home from school one day questioning whether she should change her last name. “I may not have been born here, but this is her native land and she should feel welcome,”  the mom told me.

This is a perfect example of how the PQ misread the electorate.  And thank goodness for that.  The next Quebec election will not take place for four and a half years as the fixed election law brings that vote to October 2018.

So what happened? Here are some of my thoughts. 

PKP helps send the Liberals to victory.

-Thank you Pierre Karl Peladeau. Your entry into the campaign with a famous fist pump and a call that you wanted to build a country for your children gave the Liberals an extraordinary shot in the arm. There was no turning back. PKB handed Philippe Couillard a gift. Now the PQ may reward him with the party leadership.

-Mr. Drainville really thought that his xenophobic Charter would bring the PQ a majority. But just look at the Cremazie riding, where former Commission scolaire de Montréal chairman Diane De Courcy was defeated after only 18 months as their MNA and the Minister of Immigration and Responsible for the Quebec Language. The Charter was clearly her undoing.

-Good for Fatima Houdin Pepin. She chose to embarrass Couillard and her party over the Charter. Wisely, the leader ousted her from the party. After 20 years of service and a very health pension in sight, she should have done the right thing and walk away. Instead she ran as an independent in her South Shore La Piniere riding  and was trounced by star candidate Gaetan Barrette. 

-I wonder how Henri Paul Gautrin feels now? The veteran MNA for Verdun went public before the election was called that he foresaw a PQ majority. What was he thinking? Couillard wisely replaced him. To Gautrin’s credit, he walked away quietly.

I feel great relief today. Real estate agents I speak to our elated. Businessmen who contemplated closing up shop if a PQ majority came to pass are now thinking the opposite.

If the PQ wants to take power again, their members should think clearly before selecting a new leader. Separation and the Charter do not sell. Just ask people at the Science Fair.

Demers, Lafleur and Calvillo headline another superb Sports Celebrity Breakfast

High profile personalities from the world of sports were on hand for the 10th annual Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors Foundation Sports Celebrity Breakfast on Sunday, April 6 at the Gelber Conference Centre. It was once again my great privilege to sit on the  organizing committee and shared the emcee duties with Charles-André Marchand for this sold out event with 600 people on hand. Here is a video of the introduction of our head table guests.

Jacques Demers receives his award from (left to right) Federal Minister Denis Lebel,  Sentaor Judith Seidman, Senator Leo Housakos and Mark Routtenberg.

The event featured a special tribute to the Honourable Jacques Demers, a Canadian senator and former Stanley Cup winning coach for the Montreal Canadiens.  Legendary Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who recently announced his retirement, was honoured as the Sports Personality of the Year. The Gazette's Herb Zurkowsky delivered an outstanding introduction.

Here is a nice video done by The Gazette

More than $190,000 was  raised from the event to support "Seniors in Crisis," a program that delivers much needed assistance to seniors.  Since the inception of the Breakfast, more than  $1 million has been raised.

New Alouettes head coach Tom Higgins, players Josh Bourke, Scott Flory, John Bowman and Luc Brodeur-Jourdain were on hand. So were Canadian Olympic diving legend Alexandre Despatie (now of City's Breakfast TV), RBC athlete and Canadian Olympic Snowboarder Caroline Calve,  former Quebec Nordiques enforcer Wally Weir, former Habs Guy Lafleur, Patrice Brisebois and Mathieu Darche, now a senior executive with Delmar International.

See Despatie talking about the event with highlights here on BT Montreal.

Red Fisher and I present Dick Irvin with the Larry Fredericks Media Award.

Dick Irvin was presented with the Larry Fredericks Media Award (named after my late dad Lawrence Frederick Cohen by Red Fisher, the 2013 recipient.  Members of the media on hand included André Corbeil of CTV, Bob Babinski and Wilder Weir from City Montreal and  Conor McKenna and Matthew Ross (the chairman of Expos Nation) from TSN 690.  See this excellent CTV report.

New this year was a live feed and special interviews from the VIP Room, with McKenna and Ross.  We also had the team from Montreal Hockey Talk broadcasting live. This amazing internet show, hosted by the great Ted Bird, has been posted here on their website so give it to a listen. Superb interviews with Guy Lafleur, Tom Higgings, Scott Flory, Anthony Calvillo, Jacques Demers and Wally Weir. Hats off to producer Kosta Papoulias and  his team.

 

Fan Daniel Alon meets Guy Lafleur.

Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors Foundation Past President Michael Wagen and businessman Bram Naimer served as co-chairs of the event. Morden “Cookie” Lazarus was honourary chair. 

The Cummings Centre is one of the largest senior centres in North America and its doors are open to all seniors, regardless of religion. One in five Montreal seniors lives below the poverty line. This is a shocking statistic that is expected to increase over the next few years. 

 

In 2013 the Cummings Centre saw a 35 percent increase in dollars spent for crisis needs. This includes the cost of medication, rent, Hydro, clothing, dentures and eyeglasses. This past winter was the coldest winter in 45 years. Without the help of the Cummings Centre how many of our seniors would have been without a roof over their heads, heat & hot water or a warm winter coat? When our seniors are in crisis the Cummings Centre is there for them and the dollars raised at this event will help us continue to be there for them.

 

Diane Dupuis Kallos of the Cummings Centre meets the Alouettes cheerleader.

Close to 500 Meals on Wheels are delivered to needy seniors per week. In many cases this is the only full meal these people will have all week.

Over 3,000 clients are served annually through our Social Services department. This includes a team that is dedicated, and trained, in helping Holocaust survivors and their unique needs. Every person that comes through our doors is treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

When people bought raffle tickets or participated in the silent auction at the breakfast we told them to consider the following:

• $20 will buy two Meals on Wheels;
• $40 will buy two hours of Homecare Services. This can include help with bathing, dressing, shopping, meal preparation, routine household tasks, respite from caring for an ill relative or just simply keeping someone company;
• $100 will help buy a senior a warm coat for the winter;
• $150 will help pay a senior’s hydro bill so their electricity won’t be turned off;
• $500 will help pay a senior’s rent so they are not evicted;
• A minimum of $1,500 is needed to replace a senior’s dentures, $700 for a hearing aid, $250 for a new pair of eyeglasses, and the list goes on. 

For more  information log on to www.cummingscentre.org.

 

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Great news for fans of 19-2: Montreal-based police drama renewed for season two on Bravo

I am thrilled to hear that my favorite new television show, Bravo's 19-2, has been renewed for a second season.

Conrad Pla

After a break-through inaugural season, Bravo announced today that Season 2 of the character-driven drama has been given the green light. The announcement comes in advance of the heart-stopping Season 1 finale airing this Wednesday, April 2 at 9 p.m. ET, exclusively on Bravo, and just before Content Television & Digital introduces the series internationally at MIPTV next week. An additional 10, one-hour episodes have been ordered of the series that has become a critical and ratings success and that continues to attract social media buzz.

Since its premiere in January, 19-2 has averaged 190,000 viewers an episode, making it a top three program on Bravo, just behind Dallas and Perception this year, and making it Bravo’s top new series of the season. More than 800,000 unique viewers watch 19-2 a week, and the series has reached nearly three million Canadians to date. For viewers who have not yet seen the series, you can catch up on all of the  episodes of on Bravo.ca, and the Bravo GO app after their broadcast premiere. 

I was a big fan of the show Adam 12 growing up. In the case of 19-2, it is much more dark and certainly not for pre-teens. There are a lot of violent, adult and sexual situations. The storylines are gripping and  I especially like the fact this is not only shot in Montreal, but our city is the true backdrop. The characters are attired in replica Montreal police cars and attired in replica uniforms. We frequently hear the names of landmark streets, buildings and parks. Incidents are often ripped from the headlines. I find the whole series very addictive. Lead actors Adrian Holmes and Jared Keeso are superb and my old pal Conrad Pla, the Montreal kick boxer turned actor, is great as Sergeant Houle.
 

“With brilliant acting and captivating storylines, 19-2 is as emotive as it is intense,” said Phil King, President, CTV, Sports, and Entertainment Programming. “This character-driven series resonates with Bravo viewers who have come to expect the best in drama. We’re extremely happy to work with such creative and dynamic partners as Sphère Média Plus and Echo Media for a second season.”

“We’re excited to introduce this fantastic new, original drama series to our international buyers. 19-2’s intelligent, character-driven storylines offer truly immersive primetime content which we are confident will engage viewers globally,” said Greg Phillips, President at Content Television & Digital. “The launch of this new English-language version on Bravo is already generating huge buzz, and we’re looking forward to expanding its success to the international stage.”