Louis Douville and Jed Kahane taking on bigger roles with Bell Media in Quebec; Kahane heads all Quebec news operations

Louis Douville

Louis Douville and Jed Kahane have received well deserved promotions at Bell Media.  The former has gone from vice-president and general manager of CTV Montreal to occupying the same title as well for Bell's six Montreal radio stations (CJAD, TSN 690, Virgin Radio, CHOM, Rouge, NRJ). Kahane, who has been director of news and public affairs at CTV Montreal since 2008, retains those responsibilities but takes on the new role of news director for Bell Media in Quebec. In addition to the six stations listed above, he will also oversee the journalists and their work at stations in Abitibi, Drumondville, Sherbrooke, Gatineau, Quebec City, Saguenay, Trois Rivieres, St. Jean, the Gaspe, and Rimouski.

Kahane is one of the nicest guys in the business and  made an impressive transition from reporting to management. He began his media  career at CKO Radio in 1989, moved to CBC from 1992 to 1997 and then CTV's Alberta bureau in Calgary for three years. In 2000 he returned to Montreal as Quebec bureau chief for CTV, a post he held for eight years until replacing Mike Piperni at CTV Montreal. He has quite the responsibility right now, with more than 50 radio journalists plus the team at CTV under his wing.

Jed Kahane

Basically, Kahane is now  responsible for pretty much everything to do with news: from news policy and standards to hiring and cooperation between Bell Media's various platforms. He  will keep his CTV office on Papineau and have another right across the street which houses the six radio stations. While Kahane will have the overall responsibility for news,  Chris Bury remains the news and program director for CJAD and TSN 690. 

There have already been a number of changes at CTV Montreal, with crossovers involving Lori Graham doing weather on CJAD and Aaron Rand and Terry DiMonte doing noon spots with Mutsumi Takahashi. With Kahane dealing with these personalities on a daily basis one can only assume this could increase and that is a good thing.

Dean Stock's courageous battle with ALS; car wash raises $12 k for the cause

Last summer former NHL tough guy and present-day Hockey Night in Canada commentator PJ Stock took the Ice Bucket Challenge, the hugely successful worldwide fundraising initiative for ALS– a progressive neuromuscular disease in which nerve cells die and leave voluntary muscles paralyzed.   PJ subsequently challenged his brother Dean to do the same thing.

Four months later, on December 11, 2014, Dean was diagnosed with ALS. Happily married, the father of three gorgeous young children and employed at Vanguard Pharma, Dean and his brother decided to go very public on this issue. They established Team Stock via the ALS Society of Quebec to raise money for research and to assist the families of those suffering from the disease.

Dean (in blue) and all of his supporters at the car wash.

On May 30, Dean’s colleagues from Vanguard Pharma held a fundraising car wash at Pennzoil in Dollard des Ormeaux. With Allison Dorval leading the way, a number of people stepped forward and pledged before the event took place. Some colleagues actually drove in from Quebec City. When all was said and done, more than $12,000 was raised for the ALS Society of Quebec.

I got to meet Dean in person. He still remains physically fit, six months after the diagnosis. However, Dean is now experiencing difficulties with his speech. Problems communicating with others and difficulties with eating and drinking are frustrating symptoms that people with ALS experience. As the disease progresses, it weakens the muscles of the mouth and throat by causing atrophy (a decrease in the size of the muscle) or spasticity (decrease in control caused by “tightening” of the muscles). These changes affect various aspects of the speech   and swallowing.

Dean, wife Paula, their beautiful kids and the Stanley Cup.

“I am going back to work,” Dean said. “I am on disability now, but I will go back part=time. From there, who knows?”

As Dean noted, doctors told him that everybody with ALS progresses differently. “It might go to my body or localize here,” he said, pointing to his throat.”

Dean realizes how lucky he is to have a loving family and colleagues like Dorval, Normand Rousseau, Sophie Hamel and others. Dorval even brought her three teenage sons to volunteer on what was a baking hot Saturday afternoon.  “Much of our success was with our ‘pre-event’ push,” she said, “yet we washed over 50 cars and rarely stopped for a minute.  We had over 25 volunteers present and each and every one of them gave everything in honour of Dean, his family and all those affected by this devastating disease.”

I spotted folks like noted communications guru Jean-Claude Torchia at the Pennzoil location supporting the cause. PJ Stock was in Toronto working for Hockey Night in Canada.

“On behalf of team Vanguard Pharma Quebec, we would like to extend a huge thank you to the owners of Pennzoil and Mandevco  Properties, who graciously accepted us to use their location and to bombard their washroom facilities,” Dorval said. “We thank Melodie Prince of the Quebec ALS Society, who provided us direction on our event and to each and every individual who donated to this special cause.”

Vanguard Pharma  matched each  employee’s donations by 1.5.  “In their tremendous support of Dean Stock, they are also supporting all those affected by ALS in Quebec,” said Dorval. “As our president and general manager, Kevin Danylchuk, likes to say ‘thank you for keeping Vanguard Pharma on the move.’ It was a successful endeavor.” 

The Stocks grew up in Dollard des Ormeaux, where their parents still live. PJ and Dean both settled in St. Lazare with their families.

Here is my video interview with Dean Stock and Allison Dorval. It was very windy outside, so excuse some of the choppiness. 

Sorry folks but the Tour de l'Île de Montréal is a "disgraceful" inconvenience

It is time to put an end to The Tour de l'Île de Montréal and its sister event the Tour de Nuit. For one reason or another, I was able to stay put in the West End while this "Tour of Inconvenience" took place in recent years. Today, I had no choice but to deal with it.

Saturday I went on the  Vélo Québec website to try  an navigate my routes respectively. It did not help very much.

The day began at 8:30 a.m. when I had to drop someone off in LaSalle. It was smooth sailing. Since I had  to go to the new super hospital for the first time on Monday, I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to check out the parking situation there. St. Jacques Street near Girouard is already blocked until 2017 as part of The Turcot Yards reconstruction, so I drove along Upper Lachine Road. As I reached Girouard, a police officer waved the endless of  vehicles like mine away. That entry was blocked in favor of  the cyclists, so I sat in traffic for 15 minutes. What if there was an emergency and  I had to get to the hospital quickly? Nope, it seems a recreational cycling event which does not raise one penny for charity takes precedence.

What a mess!!

I gave up on going to the hospital and headed home. A few hours later I had to return to LaSalle. On St, Jacques Steet cars were lined up for almost a mile to get through the Turcot Yards. I slowly made my way through this mess and into LaSalle, but as I crossed the Angrignon bridge I saw an endless array of frustrated drivers not moving. You see the main boulevard of St. Patrick was shut off to traffic for the holier than thou cyclists, forcing all traffic to Angrignon. Furthermore, we could not travel back via Ville St. Pierre on Dollard Avenue because of the St. Patrick bottleneck. This is an instance where a GPS really does not help a lot. I used my own smarts and drove towards  Boulevard  De La Vérendrye, crossed through Ville Émard and got on to Highway 20, which helped me avoid the traffic.

There are other places I had to go on this day, but I got tired of being a hostage on my own city.

Sorry folks, I know there are thousands of cyclists who love this event. But it is really not fair to inconvenience the larger proportion of the population who have nothing to do with it! How much money is spent on the huge police presence? How many tickets are not handed out because the cops are on cyclist patrol duty? I saw people running red lights like there is no tomorrow. How many businesses are negatively impacted? The Carrefour Angrignon parking lot did not look as crowded as usual.

Known as well as  the "Go Bike Montréal Festival,"  the event has some heavy duty sponsors: Les Producteurs de lait du Québec, the Jean Coutu Group, Gaz Métro, Desjardins Group, MEC, Provigo, TELUS and the Société de transport de Montréal (STM). What if they all pulled out unless the organizers added a charitable slant? 

It is time to move this event to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve where they won't get in the way of anyone and perhaps allow money to be raised for something worthwhile. I have had it!

See my Facebook page. It seems that a lot of people agree.

 Sunday, May 31, 2015

This famous cycling event offers no fewer than five route options. For a recreational o

Local travel agent gets mugged in Detroit - now he wants to help the homeless there

As a veteran travel agent and syndicated radio show  host, Beaconsfield’s Stephen Pickford has circled the globe safely  for decades. However, that all changed over US Thanksgiving  Day Weekend when he travelled to Detroit, Michigan to review a hotel, attend a Red Wings game, and have dinner with broadcaster Tom Sumner of WKUF-FM in Flint. 

Stephen Pickford

“I stopped for gas at the BP station, I-75 and Seven Mile,” Stephen recounts. “The pumps would not accept a Canadian card, forcing me to go in to the store. On my way in, a fellow jumps out from behind the ice machine, opens his jacket to show he has a gun, says ‘you have a gift for me?’ and grabs and twists my right shoulder. It  still throbs. I have been for xrays, an MRI, and go to weekly physio and take Oxycodone for the pain. I gave him $120 as my ID and credit cards were separate and in the car, as was my phone.”

Pickford  never went in to the store. Instead, he got into his  car shaken and  called the police. There was hardly any sympathy on their part.  They merely took the report by phone, saying the suspect wasn't present, they were short staffed and they would  call  if they needed him. That “call” has still not come.

Pickford retained an attorney on a contingency basis to pursue the owners of the gas station where the robbery occurred and the brand franchisor, BP, for their negligence. “Gas stations are the number one  location for robberies in Detroit,” Pickford maintains, believing that they deliberately set him up by not taking his card.

 You would think that the last place Pickford would ever want to visit again is Detroit. Yet his trauma counsellor has suggested a unique way to recover, while at the same time assist others, by means of a gift project to abet hunger and assist the homeless in the Detroit area. “By helping others, following the path of Jesus Christ, not only will I assist in my trauma recovery, others will also possibly be able to gain a new path towards salvation,” Pickford says.

Pickford is calling upon anyone who has served in the field of corporate travel management at Aladdin or Zagury Travel, people he has been connected to politically, those whom he has worshipped with at church and  individuals who have been  guests or had their product/service profiled on Travel World Radio to join in, and help in this project.

“Each gift card we buy is $50,.thus if each person were to donate $50 or $100, then one or two indigent persons could eat for a week or more,” he explains. “This will allow them to keep the money they would have spent on food and apply it to one of the nearby low-cost shared accommodations locations....a win/win for the community, a win/win for the destitute who are helped, and a win/win for me to regain my health and excise the demons which took over after the November event in that area.

The GoFund me link is — http://www.gofundme.com/DTWrecovery

Pickford  hopes  to hit the road in mid-June and to assist as many as 4,000 people during the few weeks that he will stay there. “And by doing this, in partnership with my counsellor, I walk the path towards my own personal recovery,” he says.   

CIBC Mindstrong Fitness Event to benefit youth mental health at JGH

The Jewish General Hospital Foundation has always been a powerhouse when it comes to fundraising, primarily because its members constantly think outside of the box. A case in point is the upcoming CIBC Mindstrong Fitness Event, set to take place on Sunday, June 7 at Midtown Le Sporting Club Sanctuaire in Outremont. This event will benefit the youth mental health program lead by Dr. Karl Looper, Chief of the Psychiatry Department at the JGH.

Jodi Mintz

This all day fitness event will include training, spinning and  yoga led by Midtown's top professional trainers, capped with lunch, snacks and entertainment. “We are very excited and grateful that Midtown Le Sporting Club du Sanctuaire is covering all costs of this event which means that almost 100 percent of the money raised will be allocated to the cause,” states  Mary Etzitian, coordinator or third party events for the Foundation.

Tony Marinaro, the charismatic mid-day host of TSN 690, has agreed to serve as the event’s honourary chair. Jodi Mintz and Stacey Herman Serero are the actual co-chairs. Together Their goal is to attract 300 participants who will raise $500 or more each and attend the fitness event.  

Marinaro and Stacey Herman Serero

"This event will be epic!" promises Stacey.

As a result of this event, Foundation officials  note that the Department of Psychiatry  will be extending its program to include youth between the ages of 22 to 25. It currently caters to those aged 15 to 21. 

Committee member Elana Fogel has written a superb blog about her personal experience with depression. You can read it all here.

For Elana, it was post-partem depression and she opens up as follows: "Bouncing baby boy, husband, career, fabulous friends, devoted volunteer, and postpartum depression. You read that correctly, postpartum depression. I was scared, ashamed, and alone. I didn’t want my friends to judge or label me as weak. was in denial for months as I tried to make sense of my illness. I had ruminating thoughts. Should I have educated myself more on motherhood while I was journalizing each moment of my 'perfect pregnancy?' Should I have spent more time understanding how my life would change after I gave birth? The truth is that it didn’t matter. I was determined to be well again. To be the fun, wacky, benevolent, passionate, ambitious person who I once was." 

 

Elana Fogel

Elana says there were times when she felt others did consider what she was going through to be a real illness and that she could easily "snap out of it."

Over time, Elana says, "I learned that cycling, consistent therapy, and seizing opportunities to give back to the community is what makes me tick. Research on anxiety, depression and exercise show that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can help ease anxiety and improve mood. Experts have known that exercise enhances the action of endorphins.  Exercise may also help keep anxiety and depression from reoccurring once you’re feeling better. This is why I have made the decision to be an active participant, ambassador and fundraiser for the  CIBC Mindstrong event."

Proceeds from the event will empower the JGH Department of Psychiatry to expand its services for youth with mental health issues, notably in the following areas: Specific help for youth with autistic spectrum disorder who are transitioning from childhood to adolescence and adulthood; the innovative use of social media in order to reach out to and aid youth who are reluctant to engage in treatment, attend school or work and participate in a social life outside of their homes; interventions for youth who are dealing with substance abuse, aggression, and unlawful behaviours; services to ease the transition from youth to adult psychiatric care; and couple and family therapy to strengthen the family environment for youth in need.

The Department of Psychiatry of the Jewish General Hospital currently serves a territory that includes 220,000 people, treating patients from childhood to old age. Approximately two-thirds of mental illnesses begin between the ages  of 15 and 25. The department’s Youth Service is expanding to serve this age range, which covers several critical developmental transitions as well as the onset of illnesses, such as psychoses, depressive, personality and anxiety disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders and sexual orientation conflicts. The transition from childhood to independent adulthood involves establishing healthy life roles at school and work, developing family and interpersonal relationships, as well as taking part in the community. This life transition can be stressful for many youth, which is why interventions during this critical period can make an enormous difference. 

Currently, the Youth Service engages three part-time psychiatrists, a half-time psychologist, two part-time therapists, as well as psychology interns. The service offers individual and family assessments for patients who are referred from first line services. Treatments include individual, family psychotherapy, as well as psychopharmacology. There is always a waiting list for assessment and treatment. Additional resources are urgently needed to fill the gaps in the range of services for this highly vulnerable population, which the department is presently unable to offer due to lack of funding. 

For more information go to  www.jghmindstrong.org, log on to their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JGHMINDSTRONG. Info: 514-340-8222 ext. 3986.   Organizers are still looking for participants and sponsors.

Thoughts on the Montreal Canadiens season and where they should go from here

The Montreal Canadiens had a successful 2014-2015 season. But now that it is all over here are some of my thoughts and hopes.

Will General Manager Marc Bergevin continue to to pad his payroll like he is playing with monopoly money?  Two years ago he acquired no name defenceman  Davis Drewiske from the LA Kings. It was a useful move, yet for some reason he felt compelled to give him a two year contract. Drewiske has spent his Habs career in the minor leagues and will likely be released. Did he need to sign Manny Malhotra, a good faceoff man who cannot score and barely played down the stretch? Was defenceman Tom Gilbert worth $2.6 million a year? Bergevin's first blunder upon being named GM was to sign Travis Moen to a four year $7.2 million contract. He traded him to Dallas last fall and took on defenceman Sergei Gonchar's remaining one year $5 million cap hit. Gonchar basically saw little, if no action, the last few months. And why was Mike Weaver given a contract last summer? Depth? He spent way too much time in the press box as well.

If The Habs resign forward Torrey Mitchell, it would be nice to see the South Shore native have a presence in the community.

Tom Gilbert

Why did head coach Michel Therrien feel that 19 year old forward Jacob De La Rose had to dress for every playoff game?  Defenceman Jeff Petry was a good rental. Bergevin should try to sign him.

Marc Bergevin

Now that the Habs season is over, it will be nice to see the major Montreal sports media focus its attention on something else.

What happens if the Habs do not make the playoffs next year or start the season off poorly? Will Therrien walk the plank?

Tough guy Brandon Prust enters the final year of his contract next season. His girlfriend Mariepier Morin made it clear on the W Network reality show Hockey Wives that if he was traded, it would be devastating for their relationship. She is a French language TV star. Prust loves it here. Give him an extension.

It is strange that the Habs went the entire season without a captain. Max Pacioretty, to me, is the only choice and that should be decided before training camp.

Time for sports fans to really get behind the Impact

While the Montreal Canadiens were on their way to a third straight loss in their best of seven division final series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, I was at Saputo Stadium to watch the hometown Impact soccer team defeat Toronto FC 1-0 in the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship, which involves the five top professional clubs in Canada, in the race to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League. This is an international competition between professional clubs from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.  Montrealers are quite familiar with it all now since the Impact went all the way to the finals against Club America of Mexico, with more than 61,000 people pouring into Olympic Stadium last  week.

Saputo Stadium, which is a work of art, was hardly filled to capacity on this night as many fans no doubt stayed home to watch the Habs self destruct. Sorry folks, but it is curtains for the Canadiens. They will not win four straight. Hats off to them for a terrific 2014-15 season. It is now time to get behind the Impact and the Alouettes.

On  a warm and sunny evening as it was Wednesday, there is  no better place to be than an open air stadium the likes of Saputo. It kind of brings to mind all of the talk about how the Expos would have survived if that downtown outdoor stadium had been built near the Bell Centre.

There was great end to end action and  Jack McInerney's goal at the 68th minute was a thing of beauty, bringing the crowd to its feet.

O Canada is sung at Saputo Stadium

I was delighted to see an Impact first on this night - a first at least in some time. A young lady was brought on to the field to sing the national anthem. What a breath of fresh air! For years the Impact have either completely ignored  the anthem or just played the instrumental version. "This was just a test," a senior staffer told me. Let's hope owner Joey Saputo gave this test a thumbs up!

Adam Braz

Adam Braz

Before the game I chatted with Adam Braz, a former star defender with the team. When he retired a few years ago, he was appointed club manager. The role mostly dealt with logistical matters and support for players getting settled in the city. He left two seasons ago to join the family real estate business, but when the team's technical director Matt Jordan was hired by Houston last fall to become their general manager, Joey Saputo wisely repatriated Braz. A well spoken and educated young man, I have always considered Braz to one of the franchise's best ambassadors. While he has a heavy load to carry in his new job, somehow the team must find a way to get him out on the speaking circuit. He can sell tickets! See my video interview with him below.