Bombardier makes smart move with Travolta

Montreal-based Bombardier, the world’s leading business aircraft manufacturer, has welcomed John Travolta as a brand ambassador for its Learjet, Challenger and Global jets. Travolta made an appearance at the company’s California headquarters a few weeks back and as I just learned, he then flew here to share his good news with local staffers.

A Bombardier press release tells us this:

Recognized worldwide as an accomplished actor and film producer, John Travolta is also a licensed jet pilot and an advocate for corporate aviation. With a busy schedule of filming, publicity and charity work, he embodies the persona of the true business traveler - making him an ideal representative for Bombardier Business Aircraft.

“John is both a film icon and knowledgeable aviator,” said Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “He also recently added the Challenger aircraft to the impressive list of 11 different jets he is qualified to fly, an aircraft that offers him the ability to meet his passion for aviation and demanding business travel requirements all in one. We are thrilled to have him as our brand ambassador.”

Here is Travolta’s appearance at Bombardier’s Burbank, California headquarters. I have not been able to secure anything from his stop at the Dorval plant just a day later:

With an acting career spanning over 30 years,  Travolta has starred in 60 films and has been honoured with a number of prestigious film awards and award nominations. He has received two aviation awards – the American Institute of Aeronautics Foundation Award for Excellence in 2003, and the Living Legends Ambassador of Aviation award in 2007. He currently holds 11 pilots licenses for both commercial and business jets.

“Business aviation has always made sense to me in that it offers flexibility, privacy, security, and most importantly, timesaving – meaning I have the ability to keep up with my busy schedule and have more time for my family, which is very important to me,”  Travolta said in a statement. “On top of that, I’m a pilot - I love to fly. Bombardier designs aircraft as much for the person flying them as for the passenger. I’m proud to represent their aircraft.”

Bombardier is the business aviation industry’s leading manufacturer. Its portfolio of 11 models of business aircraft, among the industry’s largest and most comprehensive, includes the legendary Learjet aircraft, world-renowned Challenger aircraft and industry-leading Global jet family. Bombardier’s business aircraft are supported by Bombardier Customer Services, a leader in aftermarket service and support with a global service network consisting of 64 maintenance facilities in 27 countries, and ten parts depots on five continents. Bombardier has nearly 190 field service and support staff deployed internationally and is also the only jet manufacturer providing pilot and technical training on its aircraft, with a network of nine facilities worldwide.

When I think of Travolta, I recall being an avid viewer of his very first show – Welcome Back Kotter. He played Vinny Barbarino, one of the so-called Sweat Hogs. The show propelled him into superstardom.

Here is a classic clip of Travolta as Vinny Barbarino:

Here is a recent ABC Welcome Back Kotter Reunion:

Raymond Bachand is one impressive minister

From the time he entered politics, via a provincial byelection on December 12, 2005, I was impressed with the way Raymond Bachand carried himself. Unquestionably, Premier Jean Charest’s decision to recruit the noted businessman and lawyer to run for the Liberal Party in Outremont following the retirement of Yves Seguin was one of his better moves.

Raymond Bachand makes a point to Beryl and I.

Bachand was elected on December 12, 2005 in Outremont in a by-election after the retirement of former Finance Minister Yves Séguin.  After holding the economic development portfolio, he added tourism to his duties  during the minority government mandate from April 2007 to October 2008  before becoming minister of finance and latterly revenue as well.

The polished and charming  64 year is impeccably bilingual, holding masters and doctorate degrees in administration from Harvard Business School. Last spring I had a chance meeting with Bachand during a showing of the phenomenal production of Schwartz’s The Musical at the Centaur. He was in the lobby with his wife chatting with artistic director Roy Surette when  I walked  by. I introduced myself about the same time that former federal cabinet minister Gerry Weiner spotted us and joined the introductions. It turned out my seat was close by the minister and at intermission we ended up at the same resting spot outside as did Weiner. A wonderful non-political discussion ensued. A few weeks later I saw him again when he addressed a local community group at which time I asked if he could spare some time to give me an interview for The Suburban. With his very charged schedule, several dates went back and forth but  editor Beryl Wajsman and I did sit down with Bachand a few days ago  for a nice tête a tête  at his constituency office.  


Please note  that the full interview will appear in the October 26 edition.

Before entering politics Bachand worked in several key positions, including the Ministry of Labour and the premier's Office. While he was a a pro-sovereignty supporter during the 1980 referendum, and an organizer for the “Yes” campaign, he changed positions to  maintain that Quebecers should work inside the Canadian federation. He is the ideal person to convince those individuals who still believe in separation that it is an old time strategy. (Just look at what happened to Gilles  Duceppe and the Bloc Québecois folks!)

Speculation these days points to a spring provincial election.  If that were to be the case, then it is pretty much a foregone conclusion that Premier Charest will seek a fourth mandate. However, according to the letter of the law, the Liberals can stay in power for five years. The only way this will happen is if Charest decides to retire and leave his successor with sufficient time to build an image as an electable premier. Claude Béchard was seen by many as a heir apparent. Sadly, he died earlier this year of cancer. Nathalie Normandeau was in high regard as well, but she recently  stepped down herself. Education Minister and present-day Deputy  Premier Line Beauchamp has also been mentioned as potential leadership material. However, like Normandeau, she can barely speak a word of English. Unquestionably, Bachand  remains the most able for the job – a job though that Charest shows no signs of giving up anytime soon.

CBC TV/Radio creates new sports unit with Bennett and Gelevan

It has been a rapid rise for Andie Bennett, who joined CBC Daybreak as sports anchor last spring via the former TEAM 990 (now TSN Radio 990). The talented and attractive broadcaster now adds television to her repertoire.  CBC Daybreak and TV have formed a “sports unit.” Bennett and Douglas  Gelevan will share the duties  between mornings and  the  90 minute supper hour news package.

Andie Bennett, shown here with Als great Peter Dalla Riva.

“We're looking at a four week rotation right now,” says news chief Mary Jo Barr. “It should be very exciting!”

The unit will be launched on October 17, with Bennett joining the Andrew Chang-Debra Arbec newscast.  This move was made necessary when Michel Godbout left CBC for TVA Sports. Bennett had replaced Sonali Karnack last May. She spent several years working on the Mitch Melnick drive home show and attracted a loyal following, even hosting her own program called Totally Broad.

 Gelevan  has been working in the Montreal radio and television newsroom for about a year now and substituted for Bennett a number of times. I was most impressed  with his blog in which he  provides clips of some of his own reports at

Gelevan, 28,   grew up in Bedford Nova Scotia. He has a degree in History from Mount Allison University (’05) and a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Kings College Halifax (’10). He speaks four languages, considers himself a Trudeauist and stubbornly admits to remaining a faithful Toronto Maple Leafs fan.  He has over 27 different stamps in his passport, including working visas from Austria, Japan. 

“I'm very excited about the new challenge,” Gelevan told me.  “It's great that Andie and I are going to be able to combine our resources and provide our audience with more complete coverage of local sports. Having both of us on radio and television is going to be excellent for our audience.  Sports stories will seamlessly be covered across all our local platforms. Personally it will allow me to challenge myself in telling sports stories using the different styles and elements of both radio, television and the web. It  is going to be great.”

And does Douglas have a career in peforming arts? Catch this clip of him shaving off his beard.

Filmmaker Simona Atias has heart

Simona Attias

(Note: this is an expanded version of my October 5, 2011 Suburban Newspaper column)

Growing up in Côte Saint-Luc, Simona Atias always loved to write. It was something which inspired her at Jewish People’s and Peretz Schools, Bialik High School, Dawson College and ultimately  Concordia University. There she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Literature and Professional Writing.

Deep down, Atias knew that working in film was her true calling. Five years ago, at the age of 24, her life took a frightening turn. A heart condition she had been living with for years required fixing. It was either a risky and complicated surgery or a heart transplant. She chose the former and when she walked out of the hospital feeling better than ever she realized there was no more time for her to waste. Three months after the hospital stay she packed her belongings and headed for UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles).

“It was a risky move given the fact I was not even fully insured,” said Atias. “But I just had to go. There was a reason why that surgery worked. I had this calling to learn about filmmaking and I was not going to let this opportunity pass me by.”

Atias did indeed enroll at UCLA, where she studied film production and screenwriting. While there she started to get phone calls from people who had heard about her talents, offering to pay her to review their scripts. This would ultimately be the catalyst for a company she runs now called Script Simantics.

 Rather than settling in Montreal, Attias  moved to Vancouver where she began making some connections. She snagged a role as first assistant director for a feature film, which ended up on the cutting room floor, but gained valuable experience. It was recommended that she start interning with different productions, something she pursued with enthusiasm. Then last April, her big break came. The producer for a short film called Afternoon Tea was seeking a co-producer and production manager. “I had two weeks warning to put the whole thing together,” she recalls.

Afternoon Tea follows an Indian grandfather, who has no family left and lives alone secluded from society. Unbeknownst to him, his life will change when a seemingly lost boy comes to his home asking to use his phone. He is unaware that this boy is not who he appears to be and holds a secret that will change him forever. The film was shot in only two days, completed and given the ultimate compliment by being accepted to the Toronto International Film Festival where it was shown twice. Atias walked the red carpet. “It got good reviews,” she said. “Most viewers remarked that it was one of the few short films there that had a plot.”

Atias stopped in Montreal to visit friends and family last week before returning to Vancouver where she has a number of short film projects scheduled. However, she gets a little emotional when  alking about the movie she really wants to make  - a kind of self portrait about how she survived her heart scare and the brave young man who helped get her through it.

“When I entered the hospital there was a man named Nicola Sidorenko,  just a bit younger than I, who had gone through a heart transplant procedure,” she says. “We became friends immediately. He came to visit me each day and really helped get me through this terrible period in my life. Last year he died. It turned out that he had been given a faulty heart.  I had already started to write my story for film several years ago. I am still heartbroken over Nic’s passing and I am working on a rewrite to include his story as well.  I will work on raising some funds for this project and making it a reality.”

Astral radio farming out traffic reports- Yarnell off weekdays



Orla Johannes



Montreal's three local Astral radio stations - CJAD, CHOM and Virgin 96 - have made adjustments to their traffic lineup.


In a memo to staff last week Martin Spalding, the GM of the three stations, announced that traffic reports are now being provided by the Canadian Traffic Network (CTN). "Some employees have been offered positions at CTN, while others will take on new challenges within our cluster of stations and unfortunately, some will be leaving us," Spalding stated. "Rest assured, all employees have been treated with the utmost respect and all efforts to assist them in this transition have been taken by Astral."

Sharman Yarnell

These moves will have no effect on the listener. CTN held auditions for those interested in working for them. Drop dead gorgeous Orla Johannes got the morning show post. Catherine Wood moves to the 11 am. to 4 p.m. shift and Eramalinda Boquer does late afternoons and early evening. No longer part of the traffic landscape is Sharman Yarnell, whose reassuring voice will be missed. For now we are told she will still be heard on Saturdays hosting the Travel Show with Chris Robinson and anchoring her wonderfully entertaining Showtime program at noon.

With CRTC hearings scheduled to take place soon for Cogeco's bid to launch an all traffic English radio station, likely at the 940 AM dial, Sharman would be a logical choice to join their lineup: a known commodity with vast traffic reporting experience.

Hampsteader Scherzer back to promote book on Hollywood

Mark Scherzer

It was 1991 and native Montrealer Mark Scherzer was living in New York City and working for Macy’s Department Store and his way to being appointed a buyer, which at the time looked as if it could lead to a long term career with the potential to rise up the corporate ladder. Then one day he had an epiphany.

“This was not for me,” Scherzer was telling me last week. “My heart was not in it. I always wanted to work in entertainment, so I took a leap of faith and even though I knew only one person in Los Angeles – my sister’s best friend Tammy Adler Green who was in the business. I called and asked if I could stay with her. She agreed, I pounded the pavement and ultimately my dream was realized.”

Scherzer spent the next 20 years shuffling back and forth between LA and New York, securing a regular slew of writing and producing gigs for television and film. It is this experience which led to him co-authoring a new book released recently called Hire Me Hollywood! Your Behind-the-Scenes Guide to the Most Exciting - and Unexpected - Jobs in Show Business. He will be in Montreal on Saturday, October 1 (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) for a signing at Chapters on Ste. Catherine Street. Two days later he will return to Hampstead Elementary School for the first time since attending classes there 35 years ago and share some stories with the present student body.

Last year Scherzer moved back to New York on a permanent basis, most to be close to his three siblings. A brother also lives in the Big Apple while two sisters reside in New Jersey, one of whom is Linda Scherzer. She was the CNN correspondent in Israel during the Gulf War. He is also focusing a lot of attention on a new initiative he started with his brother-in-law called Ironwill Kids PowerUp, a fun, interactive nutrition experience designed to get kids excited about food and the role it plays in a healthy lifestyle. Based on research and behavior change theory, PowerUp! gives students the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy food choices. Created especially for fourth and fifth graders, the program aligns with national and state standards and incorporates disciplines like language arts, math, science and social studies.

“I drew on my experience as a kids TV writer to create a character-based nutrition program for kids that's very hands on and a lot of fun,” Scherzer said. “I developed it with a professor from Columbia University and a pediatrician. It's currently being used in schools in the United States and we are expanding. I am thrilled to be sharing it with my first school in Canada, the school I attended as a child. It's character based, so the kids take turns assuming these roles each week. There are scripts for each of the lessons so they put on a mini-play each week. There are also stories written in a kind of Diary of a Wimpy Kid tone. One of the things we hear from educators is how much info the kids absorb through this method.”

As for the book, Scherzer and co-author Keith Fenimore provide not just a “how to,” but a “how did,” with a candid look at 30 people from across the entertainment industry at the top of their game as producers, actors, editors and more. There are a number of interesting names among this group, including Michael Gelman of Live With Regis and Kelly, film critic Leonard Maltin, publicist Gail Becker, Entertainment Tonight co-host Mark Steines and comic book legend Stan Lee.

What will replace So You Think You Can Dance Canada? I ask Jean-Marc

The shocking decision by CTV to cancel So You Think You Can Dance Canada (SYTYCDC) will leaves devoted fans of the show with a big void in their lives next summer? Or will it?

Jean-Marc Généreux, the charismatic judge from STYTYCDC, was in Côte Saint-Luc Saturday to take in La Relance 2011-  the Quebec Amateur Open Championship presented by DanseSport Québec. His 15 year old son Jean-Francis was among the competitors. As readers of The Suburban know, I was a loyal follower of STYTYCDC. This past season I filed weekly reports for The Suburban Magazine and in July my family and I went to Toronto to see two shows live in studio. I have had the good fortune to interview Jean-Marc regularly during the four years the show ran, at auditions and in between. He is a prince of a gentleman. Please see my video interview with  him at the very end of this blog.

“After four seasons and 92 episodes, CTV has decided to pursue other program strategies,” statement reads. “This decision was made after careful consideration, including viewership and economic factors. We remain extremely proud of the legacy of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, including raising.”

Until Jean-Marc told me on Saturday, I must confess I was completely unaware that CTV pulled the plug on this show which attracted one million plus viewers a week and had a cult following. He pointed out to me that while CTV aired the show and owns the rights to the Canadian version of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, they did not produce it. Danse TV Productions did that and Jean-Marc believes that executive producer Sandra Faire might just have another reality dance show up her sleeve that could air on another network in time for next summer.

“I really hope that can happen,” Jean-Marc said. “Canada needs a dance show  I have  a lot of questions in my head about why a network like CTV, an independent network, who always said they were going to do the best, the best, the best, which is what we were and we’re no longer on air. At the end of the day, I don’t understand why a network would do this. Our production was responsible for the entire dance industry in Canada. (The show) was about one thing: culture and dance. I’m really, really sad, but dancing just lost its platform in Canada.”

This past season five Quebecers made it to the top 22 and it was exciting for me to follow their progress.
I am sure that the first class media relations staff at CTV is devastated as well. They were so on their game, making sure folks like me did not want for any interviews or necessary material.  This is yet another blow to a team which lost Canadian Idol after the 2008 season. At the time CTV said they were simply putting that show on hiatus, but it never returned.

I sure hope that Shaw Media, which owns Global, CBC or City TV connects with Danse TV Productions and comes up with a SYTYCDC replica very soon. If something is to air next summer, auditions need to begin soon. However, there is another route they can go and that is to bring us a Canadian version of Dancing With the Stars. Jean-Marc smiled when I mentioned that option.  Next week he is off to Paris for two months for France’s version of Dancing with The Stars. When he returns, he said there are some unnamed projects he will be working on right here in Quebec.

Here is my personal video interview Jean-Marc from September 24, 2011