Podcasts about Old Montreal

Daniel Gallant, VP of Epik Collection Hotel Group, owner of Epik Hotel, Hotel Bonaparte and Hotel Uville in Old Montreal

Elias Makos kicks the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. It’s week 2 of snow clearing in the city. And things right now aren’t looking so great. With firefighters sounding the alarm over inaccessible streets, Old Montreal merchants fed up over lack of snow removal making their businesses difficult to access for delivery or customers and many frustrated over tickets and more Tonight in Montreal, the first French-language debate for the Liberal leadership will take place Over 168,000 people have signed a petition to revoke Elon Musk of his Canadian Citizenship and passport

You don't need to go to Salem, Massachusetts to find stories of people being accused as witches. Quebec has its own distinct history with witchcraft trials. Ainslie MacLellan visits the Pointe-à-Callière Montreal Archeology and History Complex in Old Montreal to learn about witch stories from the city's past, and what they can tell us about attitudes and beliefs in Montreal society over time.This story includes a mention of suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, you can reach Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566 or can text 45645 between 4 p.m. and midnight ET.

David Shane with Montreal Police

Elias Makos is joined by Caroline Codsi, Founder & Chief Equity Officer, Women in Governance, and Paul Gott, Lead singer and guitarist for Montreal Punk Rock band the Ripcordz and a journalism professor at Concordia. Following the fire in Old Montreal, stories about gang violence have multiplied, and often put young teenagers at the centre Turns out Quebecers have little faith in the province's big projects actually getting done Montreal wants its own office to deal with French language in the city Speaking of Canadiens, one family from Quebec city said in the Journal de Montréal that they sacrificed their summer vacations to go to the home opener

Ashley Pople, Trudie Mason, Yannick Goupil, John Moore, Tom Mulcair, Dr. Mitch Shulman, Casey Vormer, Dan Riskin

James Mennie, reporter, columnist and editor at the Montreal Gazette

CTV's Stephane Giroux describes the scene in Old Montreal to Andrew Carter.

“It's quite clear to me that he was trying to recreate the hillside of Haifa with the gardens... It comes from somebody being ripped out from their home.” Syrian Jewish Playwright Oren Safdie, son of world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, who designed Habitat 67 along with much of modern Jerusalem, knows loss, regret, and longing. Oren and his father explore their Syrian heritage and their connection to the Jewish state that has developed since Moshe's father left Aleppo, Syria and moved, in the mid-20th century, to what is modern-day Israel. Oren also knows that being Jewish is about stepping up. Describing his frustrations with modern anti-Israel sentiments and protests that harken back to 1943, Oren is passionately combating anti-Israel propaganda in theater and academia.  Abraham Marcus, Associate Professor Emeritus at University of Texas at Austin, joins the conversation with historical insights into Jewish life in Syria dating back to Roman times. —- Show notes: Sign up to receive podcast updates here. Learn more about the series here. Song credits:  Al Fadimem, Bir Demet Yasemen, Fidayda; all by Turku, Nomads of the Silk Road Aleppo Bakkashah  Pond5:  “Desert Caravans”: Publisher: Pond5 Publishing Beta (BMI), Composer: Tiemur Zarobov (BMI), IPI#1098108837 “Oud Nation”: Publisher: Pond5 Publishing Beta (BMI); Composer: Haygaz Yossoulkanian (BMI), IPI#1001905418 “Arabic (Middle Eastern Music)”: Publisher: Pond5 Publishing Beta (BMI), Composer: Andrei Skliarov, Item ID #152407112 “Fields Of Elysium”; Publisher: Mysterylab Music; Composer: Mott Jordan; ID#79549862 “Middle Eastern Dawn”: Publisher: Victor Romanov, Composer: Victor Romanov; Item ID #202256497 “Ney Flute Melody 01”: Publisher: Ramazan Yuksel; Composer: Ramazan Yuksel; P.R.O. Track: BMI 00712367557 “Uruk”: Publisher: Pond5 Publishing Beta (BMI); Composer: Marcus Bressler; Item ID: 45886699 “Suspense Middle East” Publisher: Victor Romanov, Composer: Victor Romanov; Item ID: 196056047 ___ Episode Transcript: OREN SAFDIE:  I've sort of wanted to shine a light on North American Jews being hypercritical of Israel. Because I've spent a lot of time in Israel. And I know what it is. It's not a simple thing. And I think it's very easy for Americans in the comfort of their little brownstones in Brooklyn, and houses in Cambridge to criticize, but these people that live in Israel are really standing the line for them. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: The world has overlooked an important episode in modern history: the 800,000 Jews who left or were driven from their homes in the Middle East and North Africa in the mid-20th century. Welcome to the second season of The Forgotten Exodus, brought to you by American Jewish Committee. This series explores that pivotal moment in history and the little-known Jewish heritage of Iran and Arab nations. As Jews around the world confront violent antisemitism and Israelis face daily attacks by terrorists on multiple fronts, our second season explores how Jews have lived throughout the region for generations despite hardship, hostility, and hatred, then sought safety and new possibilities in their ancestral homeland. I'm your host, Manya Brachear Pashman. Join us as we explore untold family histories and personal stories of courage, perseverance, and resilience from this transformative and tumultuous period of history for the Jewish people and the Middle East.  The world has ignored these voices. We will not.  This is The Forgotten Exodus. Today's episode: leaving Aleppo. MANYA: Playwright and screenwriter Oren Safdie has had just about enough of the anti-Israel sentiments on stage and screen. And what irks him the most is when it comes from Jewish artists and celebrities who have never spent time in the Middle East's one and only democracy. Remember film director Jonathan Glazer's speech at the 2024 Academy Awards? JONATHAN GLAZER: Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the victims of October the … [APPLAUSE] MANYA: Yeah, Oren didn't much appreciate his own Jewishness being hijacked in that moment. Drawing a moral equivalence between the Nazi regime and Israel never really sits well with him. OREN: I do feel like they're very selective in their criticism of Israel. You know, it's very easy to say, ‘Oh, well, they didn't do that. They don't do this.' But it's a complicated situation. And to simplify it, is just to me beyond, especially if you're not somebody who has spent a lot of time in Israel. MANYA: Oren Safdie has penned more than two dozen scripts for stages and screens around the world. His latest film, Lunch Hour, starring Alan Cumming, is filming in Minnesota.  Meanwhile, The Man Who Saved the Internet with A Sunflower, another script he co-wrote, is on the festival circuit. And his latest play Survival of the Unfit, made its North American debut in the Berkshires this summer, is headed to Broadway. And by the way, since an early age, Oren Safdie has spent quite a bit of time in Israel. His father Moshe Safdie is the legendary architect behind much of modern Jerusalem, Ben-Gurion International Airport, and the Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum.  Oren's grandfather, Leon, emigrated from Syria. OREN: I'm sort of a synthesis of the two main parts that established Israel because my mother came from Poland, escaped the Holocaust. And my father's family came from Syria. So, I'm a half breed.  I've never been asked about my Sephardic side, even though that was really the dominant side that I grew up with. Because my mother's family was quite small. I grew up in Montreal, it was much more in the Syrian tradition for holidays, food, everything like that. My grandfather was from Aleppo, Syria, and my grandmother was from Manchester, England, but originally from Aleppo. Her family came to Manchester, but two generations before, had been from Aleppo. So, they're both Halabi Jews.  MANYA: Halabi refers to a diverse group of Jews from Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world that has gone by several names. The oldest? Haleb.  Halabi Jews include Mizrahi Jews -- the name for Jews who call the Middle East or North Africa home; and Sephardi Jews, who fled to the region after being expelled from Spain in the 15th Century.  Jews are believed to have been in what is now Syria since the time of King David and certainly since early Roman times. ABRAHAM MARCUS: It's a community that starts, as far as we can record, in the Greco-Roman period. And we see the arrival of Islam. So the Jews were really the indigenous people when Arabs arrived. MANYA: Abraham Marcus, born to parents from Aleppo, is an internationally renowned authority on the city. He served as director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. For the past 16 years, he has been working on a book about the history of Aleppo's Jews that goes well beyond what has been previously published. As part of his research, he examined thousands of documents from the Syrian national archive and the Ottoman archive in Istanbul. He also did extensive fieldwork on the ground in Aleppo, documenting the synagogues, cemeteries, residential districts, and workplaces.  MARCUS: One of the synagogues, the famous ancient synagogue of Aleppo, which dates to the 5th Century, meaning it predates the arrival of Arabs. It is a remarkable structure. Unfortunately, what is left of it now is really a skeleton. MANYA: Abraham is referring to the Great Synagogue or Central Synagogue of Aleppo, which functioned as the main house of worship for the Syrian Jewish community for more than 1,600 years. For 600 of those years, its catacombs safeguarded a medieval manuscript believed to be the oldest, most complete, most accurate text of the Hebrew Bible, known as the Aleppo Codex. The codex was used by Maimonides as a reference for his magnum opus, the Mishneh Torah, or Jewish religious legal code. In the 7th Century, Aleppo was conquered by Arab Muslims and a Great Mosque was built. For the next four centuries, the Byzantine Empire, Crusaders, and various Muslim rulers fought to gain control of Aleppo and the surrounding region. A savage Mongol invasion, a bout of the Black Death and another invasion took its toll on the city, and its Jews.  For most of this time, Muslim rulers treated them as dhimmis, or second-class citizens.  MARCUS: There were restrictions on dress, which were renewed time and again. They could not carry arms. They could not ride horses. MANYA: After half of Spain's Jews converted to Christianity following the pogroms of 1391, the Catholic monarchs issued the Alhambra Decree of 1492 – an edict that expelled any remaining Jews from the Iberian Peninsula to ensure their descendants didn't revert back to Judaism.  As Jews fled, many made their way to parts of the Ottoman Empire. In 1516, Aleppo became part of that empire and emerged as a strategic trading post at the end of the Silk Road, between the Mediterranean Sea and Mesopotamia, or modern-day Iraq. As was the case in other parts of the Ottoman Empire, Jews lived relatively comfortably, serving as merchants and tax collectors.  MARCUS: The policy of the Ottoman Empire was to essentially welcome the Sephardic Jews. The Sultan at the time is reputed to have said, ‘I don't understand the King of Spain. But if he's thinking at all, giving up all this human capital, essentially, we can take it.'  Many of the successful Jews in Aleppo and Damascus–in business, as leaders, as rabbis–were Sephardic Jews. They revived these communities, they brought new blood and new energy to them, a new wealth. MANYA: This was not always the case throughout Ottoman Syria as persecution and pogroms erupted at times.  By the mid-19th Century, Aleppo's Jewish population was slightly smaller than that of Baghdad, by about 2,000. In 1869, the opening of the Suez Canal shifted trade away from the route through Syria. Aleppo lost much of its commercial edge, motivating many Jews to seek opportunity elsewhere. MARCUS: The story of Aleppo is one of a society gradually hemorrhaging, losing people. They went to Beirut, which was a rising star. And Egypt became very attractive. So they went to Alexandria and Cairo. And many of the rabbis from the 1880s began to move to Jerusalem where there were yeshivot that were being set up. And in effect, over the next several decades, essentially the spiritual center of Aleppo's Jews was Jerusalem and no longer Aleppo.  MANYA: Another turning point for Aleppo came in World War I when the Ottoman Empire abandoned its neutral position and sided with the Central Powers–including Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary and Germany.  Many wealthy Jews had acquired foreign nationalities from countries that were not allies. Now considered enemy citizens, they were deported and never came back. In addition, Jews and Christians up to that point could pay a special tax to avoid serving in the army. That privilege ended in 1909. MARCUS: Because of the Balkan Wars, there was a sense that the empire is going to collapse if they don't essentially raise a large force to defend it. And there was a kind of flight that really decimated the community by 1918, when the war ended. MANYA: Besides those two wartime exceptions, Abraham says the departure of Jews from Syria was almost always motivated by the promise of better opportunities. In fact, opportunity might have been what drew the Safdie family to and from Aleppo. MANYA: Originally from Safed, as their name suggests, the Safdie family arrived in Aleppo sometime during the 16th or 17th centuries. By that time, the Jewish community in Safed, one of the Four Holy Cities in Judaism located in modern-day Israel, had transformed it into a lucrative textile center. So lucrative that the sultan of the ruling Ottoman Empire ordered the forced deportation of 1,000 Jewish families to Cyprus to boost that island's economy.  It's not clear if those deportations or the decline that followed pushed the Safdie family north to Aleppo. Most of them stayed for roughly three centuries–through World War One and France's brief rule during the Interwar period. But in 1936, amid the Great Depression, which affected Syria as well, Leon Safdie, the ninth of ten children born to textile merchants, moved to Haifa and set up his own trading business. Importing textiles, woolens, and cottons from England and fabrics from Japan and India.  A year later, he met his wife Rachel who had sailed from Manchester to visit her sister in Jerusalem. She spoke English and a little French. He spoke Arabic and French. They married a month later. OREN: My grandfather lived in Haifa, he was a merchant like many Syrian Jews were. He imported textiles. He freely went between the different countries, you know, there weren't really so many borders. A lot of his people he worked with were Arab, Druze, Christian, Muslim. Before independence, even though there was obviously some tension, being somebody who is a Syrian Jew, who spoke Arabic, who spoke French, he was sort of just one of the region. MANYA: Moshe Safdie was born in 1938. He says the onset of the Second World War created his earliest memories – hosting Australian soldiers in their home for Shabbat and making nightly trips into air raid shelters. Every summer, the family vacationed in the mountain resorts of Lebanon to visit aunts and uncles that had moved from Aleppo to Beirut. Their last visit to Lebanon in the summer of 1947 culminated with all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins piling into three Chrysler limousines and caravanning from Beirut to Aleppo to visit their grandmother and matriarch, Symbol. MOSHE: I remember sort of the fabric of the city. I have vague memories of the Citadel of Aleppo, because it was an imposing structure. I remember her – a very fragile woman, just vaguely. MANYA: While most of Moshe's memories of Aleppo are vague, one memory in particular is quite vivid. At that time, the United Nations General Assembly was debating the partition plan that would divide what was then the British Mandate of Palestine between Jews and Arabs. Tensions ran high throughout the region. When Moshe's uncles noticed Moshe wearing his school uniform on the streets of Aleppo, they panicked.  MOSHE: They were terrified. We were walking in the street, and we had khaki shirts and khaki pants. And it had stitched on it, as required in our school, the school badge, and it said, ‘Thou shalt be humble' in Hebrew. And they saw that, or at least they noticed we had that, and they said: ‘No, this is very dangerous!' and they ripped it off.' MANYA: It would be the first and last time Moshe Safdie visited Aleppo. On the 29th of November, the UN voted on a resolution to divide Palestine into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. The news arrived in Aleppo the following morning. MARCUS: This was New York time, in the evening, when the decision was made. So already, people started planning demonstrations for the next day, in support of the Palestinians. And that next day began with what was a peaceful demonstration of students, and then all kinds of people joined in and before long it became an attack on Jewish property. The synagogues were set ablaze. Many Jewish homes were burned, businesses were looted. And so the day ended with the Jews really in a state of fright.  MANYA: The mob looted the Jewish quarter and burned the Great Synagogue, scattering and desecrating the pages of the Aleppo Codex. The caretaker of the synagogue and his son later returned to the ashes to salvage as much as they could. But most of the community's leadership took a train to Beirut and never looked back.  Of course, as previously mentioned, Aleppo had already witnessed a steep decline in its Jewish population. The numbers vary widely, depending on the source, but by 1947, on the eve of the Jewish exodus from Syria, Iraq, and other Arab countries, Aleppo had anywhere between 6,000 and 15,000 Jews, whereas Baghdad had between 75 and 90,000. MARCUS: More than half the population left within a month. The community after that, in the next two, three weeks, was in a situation in which some people decided that was the end.  They took possessions that they could, got on buses and left for Beirut. That was the safe destination to go to. And there was traffic between the two areas.  Some people decided to stay. I mean, they had business, they had interest, they had property that they didn't want to leave. You can imagine the kind of dilemmas face people suddenly, the world has changed, and what do I do? Which part of the fork do I go?  MANYA: Those who left effectively forfeited their property to the Syrian government. To this day, the only way to reclaim that property and be allowed to sell it is to return and become Syrian citizens. Those who stayed were trapped. Decimated and demoralized, Aleppo's Jews came under severe travel restrictions, unable to travel more than four kilometers from their homes without permission from the government, which tracked their comings and goings. MARCUS: The view was that if they leave, they'll end up in what's called the Zionist entity and provide the soldiers and aid to the enemy. So the idea was to keep them in.  So there's a reality there of a community that is now stuck in place. Unable to emigrate. That remained in place until 1970, when things began to relax. It was made possible for you to leave temporarily for a visit. But you have to leave a very large sum as a deposit. The other option was essentially to hire some smugglers to take you to the Turkish or the Lebanese border, and basically deliver you to another country where Jews had already networked. The Mossad had people who helped basically transfer them to Israel. But that was very risky. If you were caught, it's prison time and torture.  Over the next 45 years, many of the young left gradually, and many of them left without the parents even knowing. They will say ‘I'm going to the cinema and I'll come back'. MANYA: On May 14, 1948, Israel declared independence. But the socialist politics of the new Jewish state did not sit well with Leon Safdie who much preferred private enterprise. He also felt singled out, as did many Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews in Israel at the time.  OREN: In some ways, it almost created some tension for him on several fronts, right? First of all, between him and his clients, who he had been doing business with in the Arab world, for many years. All of a sudden, those relationships are called into question. And as my grandfather was an importer of textiles, it was considered a luxury good. And when you're in wartime, there were rations.  The high tariffs really killed my grandfather's business. So, he wanted to stay in Israel. He helped with the war effort. He really loved the country and he knew the people, but really for three years, he sat idle and just did not have work. He was a man that really needed to work, had a lot of pride. MANYA: In 1953, Leon and Rachel sought opportunity once again – this time in Montreal – a move Moshe Safdie would forever resent. When in 1959 he married Oren's mother Nina, an Israeli expat who was trying to return to Israel herself, they both resolved to return to the Jewish state. Life and phenomenal success intervened. While studying architecture at McGill University, Moshe designed a modern urban apartment building [Habitat 67] that incorporated garden terraces and multiple stories. It was built and unveiled during the 1967 World's Fair in Montreal, and Moshe's career took off.  OREN: It's quite clear to me that he was trying to recreate the hillside of Haifa with the gardens. And it's something that has sort of preoccupied him for his whole career. It comes from somebody being ripped out from their home. Those kinds of things I think stay with you. MANYA: Eventually, in 1970, Moshe opened a branch of his architecture firm in Jerusalem and established a second home there. Oren recalls visiting every summer – often with his grandfather Leon.   OREN: And I remember going with him when he'd come to Israel when I was there, because we used to go pretty much every summer. He would love to go down to Jericho. And we'd sit at the restaurants. I mean, there was a period of time, you know, when it was sort of accepted that Jews could travel to the West Bank, to Ramallah and everything. And he loved to just speak with the merchants and everything, he loved that. He felt so at home in that setting. It was not dangerous, as it is today, obviously. I think everyone back then thought it was a temporary situation. And obviously, the longer it goes, and the more things happen, it feels more permanent. And of course, that's where we are today. But that time, in my head, sort of just is a confirmation that Jews and Arabs have a lot more in common and can get along … if the situation was different. MANYA: As the son of an Israeli citizen, Oren is considered an Israeli citizen too. But he concedes that he is not fully Israeli. That requires more sacrifice. In 1982, at the age of 17, he signed up for Chetz V'Keshet, at that time a 10-week program run in conjunction with the Israel Defense Forces for American and Canadian teens and designed to foster a connection to Israel. The program took place during the First Lebanon War, Israel's operation to remove terrorists from southern Lebanon, where they had been launching attacks against Israeli civilians. OREN: So this was a mix of basic training, where we trained with artillery and things and did a lot of war games. And from there, you know, their hope was that you would join the military for three years. And I did not continue.  I guess there's a part of me that regrets that. Even though I'm an Israeli citizen, I can't say I'm Israeli in the way that Israelis are. If the older me would look back, then I would say, ‘If you really want to be connected to Israel, the military is really the only way. I'd say at that young age, I didn't understand that the larger picture of what being Jewish, what being Israeli is, and it's about stepping up. MANYA: Now in his early 50s, Oren tries to step up by confronting the anti-Israel propaganda that's become commonplace in both of his professional worlds: theater and academia. In addition to writing his own scripts and screenplays, he has taught college level playwriting and screenwriting. He knows all too often students fall prey to misinformation and consider anything they see on social media or hear from their friends as an authoritative source.  A few years ago, Oren assigned his students the task of writing a script based on real-life experience and research. One of the students drafted a script about bloodthirsty Israelis killing Palestinian children. When Oren asked why he chose that topic and where he got his facts, the student cited his roommate.  Oren didn't discourage him from pitching the script to his classmates, but warned him to come prepared to defend it with facts. The student turned in a script on an entirely different topic. OREN: You know, there were a lot of plays that came up in the past 10 years that were anti-Israel. You'd be very hard-pressed to find me one that's positive about Israel. No one's doing them. MANYA: Two of his scripts have come close. In 2017, he staged a play at the St. James Theatre in Old Montreal titled Mr. Goldberg Goes to Tel Aviv– a farce about a gay Jewish author who arrives in Tel Aviv to deliver a blistering attack on the Israeli government to the country's left-leaning literati.  But before he even leaves his hotel room, he is kidnapped by a terrorist. Investors lined up to bring it to the silver screen and Alan Cumming signed on to play Mr. Goldberg. But in May 2021, Hamas terrorists launched rockets at Israeli civilians, igniting an 11-day war. The conflict led to a major spike in antisemitism globally.  OREN: The money people panicked and said, ‘We can't put up a comedy about the Middle East within this environment. Somebody is going to protest and shut us down,' and they cut out. MANYA: Two years later, an Israeli investor expressed interest in giving the movie a second chance. Then on October 7 [2023], Hamas launched a surprise attack on 20 Israeli communities -- the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. More than 1,200 Israelis have been killed, thousands of rockets have been fired on Israel, and more than 100 hostages are still in captivity. OREN: Mr. Goldberg Goes to Tel Aviv collapsed after October 7th. I don't think anybody would have the appetite for a comedy about a Hamas assassin taking a left-wing Jew hostage in a hotel room. MANYA: Another play titled “Boycott This” was inspired by Oren's visit to a coffee shop in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2011. The walls of the cafe were plastered with posters urging boycotts of Israel and accusing it of blood libel. Oren and his daughter created their own posters and stood outside the coffee shop calling on customers to boycott the cafe instead. But the father and daughter's impromptu protest is just one of three storylines in the play, including one about the 1943 boycott of Jews in Poland–where his mother spent part of her childhood in hiding during the Holocaust.  The third storyline takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where Iran has succeeded in wiping Israel off the map. A Jewish woman has been forced to become one of the enemy's wives – a threat some hostages taken on October 7 have reported hearing from their captors.  OREN: It was really my attempt to try and show how the boycotts of Israel today, in light of, you know, 1943, were really not different.  MANYA:  Even now, Oren has not been able to convince a college or theater to stage “Boycott This,” including the Jewish museum in Los Angeles that hosted his daughter's bat mitzvah on October 7, 2023.    OREN: I've sort of wanted to shine a light on North American Jews being hypercritical of Israel, which I guess ties into BDS. Because I've spent a lot of time in Israel. And I know what it is. It's not a simple thing. And I think it's very easy for Americans in the comfort of their little brownstones in Brooklyn, and houses in Cambridge to criticize, but these people that live in Israel are really standing the line for them. MANYA: When Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton finally secured a legal way for Syrian Jews to leave between 1992 and 1994, most did. The last Jews of Aleppo were evacuated from the city in October 2016. MARCUS: They took all the siddurim and everything, put them in boxes. It was just essentially closing shop for good. They knew they're not coming back. MANYA: The food, liturgy, music, the traditions of hospitality and social welfare endure, but far from the world of which it was part. Walk into any synagogue in the Aleppo tradition after sundown on Shabbat and be treated to a concert until dawn – a custom called baqashot. MANYA: Before Oren's grandmother Rachel passed away, his cousin Rebecca did a piece for Canadian Broadcast News featuring their 95-year-old grandmother in the kitchen.  RACHEL SAFDIE: When we were children, we used to love all these dishes. My mother used to make them all the time and it's very, very tasty. Anything made, Middle East food, is very tasty. OREN: It's 10 minutes for me to see my grandmother again, in video, cooking the mehshi kusa, which is sort of the stuffed eggplant with the apricots and the meat. And there's really a great moment in it, because they're doing it together and they put it in the oven, and at the end of this 10-minute movie, they all come out of the oven, and like they're looking at it and they're tasting, and my grandmother points … RACHEL: I know which ones you did. You did this one.  CBN INTERVIEWER: How do you know?  RACHEL: I know. And this recipe has been handed down from generation to generation. OREN: It's so much like my grandmother because she's sort of a perfectionist, but she did everything without measuring. It was all by feel. The kibbeh, beans and lamb and potatoes and chicken but done in a different way than the Ashkenaz. I don't know how to sort of describe it.  The ka'ake, which were like these little pretzels that are, I'd say they have a taste of cumin in them. MARCUS: Stuffed aubergine, stuffed zucchini, tomatoes, with rice, pine nuts and ground beef and so forth. Meatballs with sour cherries during the cherry season. MANYA: Oren would one day like to see where his ancestors lived. But according to Abraham, few Aleppo Jews share that desire. After the Civil War and Siege of Aleppo in 2012 there's little left to see. And even when there was, Aleppo's Jews tended to make a clean break. MARCUS: People did not go back to visit, the second and third generations did not go back. So you see, for example, here Irish people of Irish origin in the United States, they still have families there. And they go, and they take the kids to see what Ireland is like. Italians, they do the same, because they have a kind of sense, this is our origin.  And with Aleppo, there wasn't. This is a really unusual situation in terms of migrations of people not going back to the place. And I think that probably will continue that way. MANYA: Syrian Jews are just one of the many Jewish communities who, in the last century, left Arab countries to forge new lives for themselves and future generations.  Join us next week as we share another untold story of The Forgotten Exodus. Many thanks to Oren and Moshe for sharing their story. You can read more in Moshe's memoir If Walls Could Speak: My Life in Architecture. Too many times during my reporting, I encountered children and grandchildren who didn't have the answers to my questions because they'd never asked. That's why one of the goals of this project is to encourage you to ask those questions. Find your stories. Atara Lakritz is our producer. T.K. Broderick is our sound engineer. Special thanks to Jon Schweitzer, Nicole Mazur, Sean Savage, and Madeleine Stern, and so many of our colleagues, too many to name really, for making this series possible.  You can subscribe to The Forgotten Exodus on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and you can learn more at AJC.org/theforgottenexodus.  The views and opinions of our guests don't necessarily reflect the positions of AJC.  You can reach us at theforgottenexodus@ajc.org. If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to spread the word, and hop onto Apple Podcasts or Spotify to rate us and write a review to help more listeners find us.

The Society of Priests of Saint-Sulpice, better known as the Sulpicians, is a society and congregation of Catholic men, named after the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris dedicated to Sulpitius the Pious— a 7th-century French bishop and saint. The Sulpicians played a major role in the founding of the city of Montreal, where they engaged in missionary activities, trained priests and constructed the Saint-Sulpice Seminary, the second oldest structure in the city, constructed during the 1680s and still located in Old Montreal. Check out the YouTube version of this episode at https://youtu.be/5TRhny_KvhY which has accompanying visuals including maps, charts, timelines, photos, illustrations, and diagrams. Sulpician books at https://amzn.to/3SGAeC6 François de Laval books at https://amzn.to/3yyzDf2  Jean Talon books at https://amzn.to/3WSMhi1  Filles du Roi books available at https://amzn.to/3LFYiB9 Regiment Carignan-Salières book available at https://amzn.to/4c2wVvT New France books available at https://amzn.to/3nXKYzy    THANKS for the many wonderful comments, messages, ratings and reviews. All of them are regularly posted for your reading pleasure on https://patreon.com/markvinet where you can also get exclusive access to Bonus episodes, Ad-Free content, Extra materials, and an eBook Welcome Gift when joining our growing community on Patreon or Donate on PayPal at https://bit.ly/3cx9OOL and receive an eBook GIFT. SUPPORT this series by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at no extra charge to you). It costs you nothing to shop using this FREE store entry link and by doing so encourages & helps us create more quality content. Thanks! Mark Vinet's HISTORICAL JESUS podcast is available at https://parthenonpodcast.com/historical-jesus                                                            Mark's TIMELINE video channel at https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkVinet_HNA  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 YouTube Podcast Playlist: https://www.bit.ly/34tBizu Podcast: https://parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@historyofnorthamerica Books: https://amzn.to/3j0dAFH                                                                              Linktree: https://linktr.ee/WadeOrganization  Librivox: France and England in North America: The Old Régime in Canada, Chapter 7 by Francis Parkman, Jr.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are YOUR unique hobbies?? 

India's next election will begin in April - and polls suggest Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a strong chance of winning a third term. But it may be one of the most divisive elections India has ever seen. Also: One year after a fire in Old Montreal killed seven people - families of the victims are still looking for answers and accountability. Plus: A Canadian photographer documenting the climate crisis is being celebrated in London - but his work is getting mixed reaction from climate activists.

This week is all about Montreal, Canada and the French-influenced culture just North of the Border. We tagged along on our friend Patrick's (see Episode 66 for more info) vacation and were transported into Europe when we were met by Old Montreal's historic architecture. We were in for quite the twist when we found an underground city with 20 miles of shops, restaurants, transit - a fully functioning metropolis below ground! Our food experience, though, was rather dysfunctional. From Labor Day closings to charred kebabs and cold steak, we kept in the Skiptown tradition of rollercoaster restaurant adventures. Still, being among top sites like Notre-Dame Basilica, Mont Royal, Olympic Park, Old Port and SO MANY charming neighborhoods, we LOVED Montreal's vibrant, cosmopolitan flair. We're suckers for the European culture that lives just a few hours from Upstate New York and a return trip is already in the works... who's joining us in June, 2024? We're going to be dropping an "Ask a Local" Episode for Montreal on our YouTube Channel soon. Check it out! And be sure to chase us around on the daily on the socials of your choice here. #emptynest #fulltank

Trudie Mason, Katrina Albert, John Moore, Tom Mulcair, Dr. Mitch Shulman, David Heurtel, Olivia Carone

On Monday, Montreal police said the Old Montreal fire that killed seven people in March 2023 is now being treated as a criminal investigation. Alongside police looking into persons of interest in the case, the Globe's Montreal-based reporter Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel reported on the many safety violations in the burned-out building that Montreal and Quebec officials had known about for more than a decade. He uncovered a moratorium on enforcing evacuation route violations that had been in place since 2018, which were quietly lifted in the days after the fire.His investigations are trying to answer: how did this happen and who is ultimately responsible for the deaths of seven victims and the safety of Montrealers?Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Elias Makos is joined by Anne Lagace-Dowson, political analyst and Meeker Guerrier, Weekend News Anchor at Noovo and a commentator at RDS. The fire that left 7 people dead inside an Old Montreal building is now being investigated as a case of arson Keeping the status quo on Camillien-Houde Way is one of the options on the table Monsef Derraji has announced that he won't be running for the leadership of the Quebec Liberals

Elias Makos welcomes in Lionel Perez, Former city councillor and leader of the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall and Sue Montgomery, former journalist and former mayor of CDN-NDG  Valerie Plante wants to turn Old Montreal into a pedestrian kingdom. She wants to make it car free as early as 2024 A school in Quebec City sent parents a note announcing the cancellation of Mother's Day and Father's Day celebrations due to the “heterogeneity of families.” Quebec has now tabled a new bill to crack down on Airbnb-style, short-term rentals

Elias Makos starts the week off with Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the PR and content firm TNKR Media. Of the 57,000 thousand public service employees in Quebec, 518 are mother-tongue English-speakers. The minister responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers, Eric Girard, wants to change that You were probably didn't know this, but Mayor Valerie Plante was on a European mission to meet her counterparts in London and Paris Following the Old Montreal fire, inspectors have now gone to visit three more of Emile H. Benamor's properties

I built a business around my top values — — adventure and beauty. Early May, I host the next 8 Woman Mastermind Dinner in Montreal.Villa Marie is my favorite town for a few reasons:It's a quick one hour flight from New York City. Europe, without the jet lagHome to Luna Yoga. My workouts are a daily joy and I maintain my practice at this beautiful studio in Old Montreal when I land.Home to one of my favorite restaurants. Da Emma is located in a subterranean stone space on Commune Street, girding the waterfront. Roman dishes. Great wine list. I discovered it in the dead of winter in 2014. I love the story: It's a former women's prison.Home to the David, which allows me to live like a local when I visit. Not an Airbnb. Not a hotel.Home to one of my biggest chapters of members, outside of NYCWhy in a private space?10 women — -some familiar, many new — — will be gathered round the table in a private home for this dinner. We have a private chef making 3 types of “bouchees” while we talk. I now insist on hosting in a private home or dining room because the evening is conversation-driven. If members can't hear, the exercise is lost.What's the conversation design you host?I created a very specific style of conversation design after years of attending women's events that left me frustrated and unfulfilled.They weren't properly curated. You have been to events, where he or she just can't be bothered to talk to you? I invite women who uphold my values of thoughtfulness, kindness and a propensity to share resources. By the time, women get to the VP, Parter, Principal, 7-figure business owner level, they are seasoned in their leadership, so these are the profiles of women I invite with a view to have the same level of conversation. Each woman attending is either an existing member, or has come recommended.They weren't properly moderated. I was at a dinner recently which turned into trauma therapy. The business conversation we had prepared for, never happened. I was disappointed because there were so many intelligent brains at the table and I was eager to hear from them. At my table, I want to hear the loudest person in the room. I also want to hear the quietest person in the room. As a recovering journalist who has moderated one too many CEO panels, I say, “Let's pause there,” to shut a line of conversation down when the point has been made. Should the runaway train continue, the promise of the evening is lost.No idea who will be in the room. I've bailed on an event before. I didn't know who would be in the room. In the 30 day lead up to the event, I publish a landing page private to the attendees only. It shares a profile and photo of each, with current focus, current goals, what she doesn't want (nobody asks this) and her challenge. This way, there is less ‘discovery' and more rolling up the sleeves and true masterminding at the table. Each woman attending is also encouraged to be thoughtful and make bullet points ahead of time in response to the challenges posed.Don't start on time. Don't end on time. To me, observing the time is the most respectful think I can do for my guests. I love guests who are thoughtful and arrive early.How the evening will go?Once everyone is seated, I start by introducing myself and why I do the work I do. I didn't have an independent advisory board when I was building a career as a business news anchor. Where was the playbook on how to hold an audience with a CEO in the commercial break? Today, I formalized the playbook by creating the Women's Leadership Lab. But the members and the idea exchanges aJoya is currently enrolling members for strategy days in Paris Florence Barcelona Istanbul info@joyadass.com

From Ep 18: The kings of smoothie sour beers One taproom still open at the time of this posting is BreWskey, located in the historic Marché Bonsecour building in Old Montreal. Back in February, Karp got the chance to sit down with Derrick and Zack, brewers at BreWskey and stars of the YouTube show Pourno, to discuss getting inspirations when traveling, Untappd ratings, and the difficulty in setting up in a historic building. All Beer Inside is a podcast by and for craft beer lovers. We travel near and far to sample the best brews and meet fellow aficionados. Drink craft, not crap!  Please like, share, comment, subscribe and hit that notification bell! Beers tasted:- Cumulus- Règle de Trois- P-Nut Buster- Project #017 VT BreWskey Taproom: WebsiteAddress: 385 de la Commune E, Montreal, Quebec Pub BreWskey: Website, Instagram, FacebookAddress: 380 St-Paul E, Montreal, Quebec All Beer Inside:Website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Untappd: @allbeerinside The video portion of this interview can be found here Search for All Beer Inside in all your favorite apps. #CraftBeer #DrinkCraftNotCrap #BreWskey

From Ep 18: The kings of smoothie sour beers One taproom still open at the time of this posting is BreWskey, located in the historic Marché Bonsecour building in Old Montreal. Back in February, Karp got the chance to sit down with Derrick and Zack, brewers at BreWskey and stars of the YouTube show Pourno, to discuss getting inspirations when traveling, Untappd ratings, and the difficulty in setting up in a historic building. All Beer Inside is a podcast by and for craft beer lovers. We travel near and far to sample the best brews and meet fellow aficionados. Drink craft, not crap!  Please like, share, comment, subscribe and hit that notification bell! Beers tasted: - Cumulus - Règle de Trois - P-Nut Buster - Project #017 VT BreWskey Taproom: Website Address: 385 de la Commune E, Montreal, Quebec Pub BreWskey: Website, Instagram, Facebook Address: 380 St-Paul E, Montreal, Quebec All Beer Inside: Website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Untappd: @allbeerinside The video portion of this interview can be found here Search for All Beer Inside in all your favorite apps. #CraftBeer #DrinkCraftNotCrap #BreWskey

The Toronto Star's Allan Woods joins Jonathan to look at the prospect of Trump fundraising off a mugshot, and how a Montreal fire might finally accomplish what years of journalism and advocacy have not, pushing authorities there to take action against illegal Airbnbs.Host: Jonathan GoldsbieCredits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)Guest: Allan Woods Further reading: Conrad Black: Donald Trump should pass the torch to Ron DeSantis - National Post20 Years Ago, Canadian Media Lined Up To Call For War In Iraq - PassagePotemkin: Catherine the Great's Imperial PartnerMontreal blaze: man who ran illegal Airbnb business identified - RicochetOwner of Old Montreal building that caught fire is a lawyer who pleaded guilty to tax evasion - Montreal GazetteSponsors: Douglas, Indochino, Athletic Greens If you value this podcast, Support us! You'll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You'll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you'll be a part of the solution to Canada's journalism crisis, you'll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elias Makos returns with panelists Sue Montgomery, former journalist and former mayor of CDN-NDG and Anne Lagace-Dowson, political analyst. Liberal MP Han Dong has resigned from Liberal caucus following a bombshell report by Global News that alleges he privately advised China's consul general in Toronto that Beijing should hold off freeing the two Michaels Building owner of Old Montreal fire - in trouble in Westmount Despite warnings that a recession may be around the corner. Quebec is moving ahead with what has been described as one of the largest tax cuts in the Province's history

Justin Ford (Director of Safety & Certification Programs at Breezeway, International Vacation Rental Safety Expert) join us on the calls continue for stronger rules around short-term rentals following Old Montreal fire. We dive into a customer suing Tim Hortons for $500K after being burned by hot tea with Rajiv Hate (Personal Injury and Disability Lawyer, Kotak Personal Injury Law). We get the view from Baghdad 20-years after the US invasion of Iraq with Hamzeh Hadad(visiting fellow, Middle East and North Africa programme, European Council on Foreign Relations). How Canadian intelligence helped inform the country's decision not to join the “Coalition of the Willing”? Alan Barnes (senior fellow, Centre for Security, Intelligence and Defence Studies, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University) gives us some answers. Sylvain Charlebois (professor in food distribution and policy and senior director, AgriFood Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University) speaks on while food inflation stays high, checking your receipt may help you save on your food bills, and Kim Parsons (Molecular Genetics Lead, Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service) gives us details on Researchers pinpointing the problem for BC's endangered resident orcas

One person died and six others remain missing after a fire last week, in a Montreal building that housed several Airbnb units. Matt Galloway discusses calls for a closer look at short-term rentals in the city with CBC reporter Sarah Leavitt; and David Wachsmuth, an associate professor at McGill University and the Canada Research Chair in Urban Governance.

Saturday, March 18: Donald Trump calls for protests ahead of his possible indictment, Vladimir Putin visits Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of annexation, and at least seven people are missing after a blaze in Old Montreal.

Tamara Lich & Brian Peckford hold a news conference. We plan on driving back to Calgary on Tues, Feb 15 so it's the last chance we have to drive to Montreal. It's shocking to see how Old Montreal without any tourists walking around, especially on Valentine's Day. And we do a Chris & Kerry show from Gavin's parents home in Kemptville, Ontario.

Professor Joe Conto: JoeConto is a Professor at Paul Smith's College in the Northern Adirondacks of New York State. He has nearly 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry in all facets, from food & beverage and events to high-end lodging and country club management. After visiting the Frankenstein Wax Museum in Lake George, New York, he proclaimed that he wanted to live in a tourist town for the rest of his life. His hospitality industry career has allowed him to fulfill that dream with stops in Las Vegas, Martha's Vineyard, Old Montreal, Jupiter Island, and now, Lake Placid. For the last 15 years, he has shared his knowledge of the industry with students and connected them with the broad range of career choices available to those interested in the world of hospitality and tourism through experiences both in and out of the classroom. Outside of his academic life, Professor Conto also teaches and performs improv comedy at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts and Montreal Improv Theatre. Professor Eric Holmlund: Ph.D. in Environmental Studies, Director of Graduate Studies, Instructor of Sustainable Nature Based Tourism Dr. Eric Holmlund is a member of the Graduate Faculty and Department of Environment and Society at Paul Smith's College. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England, an M.S. in Teaching from SUNY Potsdam, an M.S. Ed. in Outdoor Recreation from Southern Illinois University, and a B.A. in English from Dartmouth College. From 2000 to 2019, Eric founded and directed the Adirondack Watershed Institute Stewardship Program, which is New York State's largest aquatic invasive species spread prevention and education program dedicated to protecting the natural heritage of Adirondack rivers, ponds, and lakes. Since 2014, Eric has co-directed a collaboration between Paul Smith's College and the Tosco-Emiliano Biosphere Reserve in northern Italy, focused on sustainable tourism and community identity. He has served as a wilderness recreation leadership instructor for Outward Bound and the Wilderness Education Association. He is a steering committee member of the Paul Smith's College Global Center for Rural Communities and the Champlain Adirondack Biosphere Network (UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program). Associate Professor Kelly Cerialo: Dr. Kelly L. Cerialo is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator in the Business and Hospitality Department at Paul Smith's College and Program Coordinator for the new Master's in Sustainable Tourism. She is the Co-chair of the UNESCO Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve (New York/Vermont), a steering committee member for the U.S. UNESCO Biosphere Network, and founder/focal point for the U.S. Biosphere Reserve Youth Network. She coordinates international student exchanges with a focus on sustainable tourism and community development in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Italy, Canada, South Africa, and the U.S. She is the co-founder of the Adirondack to Appeninno Sustainable Parks and Communities Project – an international sustainable tourism initiative between the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Biosphere Reserve in Italy and the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve. Kelly received the David H. Chamberlain Excellence in Teaching Award in 2019 and Faculty Member of the Year at Paul Smith's College in 2018. Kelly has presented at United Nations and UNESCO conferences in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Africa. Kelly has a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University, a Master's in Leadership and Change from Antioch University, a Master's in Communication Management from the Annenberg School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor's in Public Relations/Mass Media Communication from The College of New Jersey. Research interests include the social impacts of tourism and sustainable tourism in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with three college professors — Professor Joe Conto, Professor Eric Holmlund, and Associate Professor Kelly Cerialo. This week's discussion focuses on sustainable tourism and how it links into the new Master's program that Paul Smith's College offers. My guests share the inspiration behind launching the new program and their vision for how it will support the long-term professional education of those in the travel and tourism space. What You Will Learn in this Episode: Why everyone is so excited about the new Master's program in Sustainable Tourism Management Why sustainability is a thread that's woven through many of the courses at Paul Smith's College Who the program is for, including mid-career professionals and people newly out of their undergraduate education who want to gain an environmental credential When you can apply to the new Master's program The importance of balancing out the social, economic, and environmental impacts of tourism How the current Paul Smith's College students are receiving the idea of this new program What sparked the idea and gave the team their inspiration for the new program Studying Sustainable Tourism Management What's unique about the model that Paul Smith's College has built for their brand new Sustainable Tourism Management Master's is that it is a low residency model which enables people from various backgrounds and industries to join. Professor Kelly describes the types of students that they are expecting to enroll in the new degree, from mid-career professionals interested in learning more about sustainability who may or may not currently work in the tourism sector, to entrepreneurs working in a tourist destination who are interested to learn more about sustainability, to recent graduates in the travel and tourism sector. Sustainability is a Headline Theme Sustainability is something that the current students at Paul Smith's College have in mind all the time. Professor Kelly shares more about why the upcoming generation of travel and tourism professionals is drawn to sustainability as a headline theme. Professor Paul shares his discussions with former students who are out in the workforce about their interest in returning to further study, focusing on sustainability because it is an area they see as the future but also personally important to them. One of the most significant shifts he has seen over the last 10-12 years is the genuine belief that sustainability is a necessity in every industry. Inspiration for the New Program Professor Eric discusses why Paul Smith College is launching the Sustainable Tourism Management Master's and why they feel that now is the right moment to include the new program in the offering. All three guests share their pleasure that sustainability really is a leading issue in the consciousness, psyche, and future strategy of students graduating in the last ten years. They highlight that sustainability is more than a buzzword; it's a strategy for both surviving and flourishing into the future. Resources: https://gradschool.paulsmiths.edu/faculty-2/ https://gradschool.paulsmiths.edu/sustainable-tourism-home/ https://gradschool.paulsmiths.edu/admissions-requirements/ Joe's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeconto/ Kelly's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-cerialo-ph-d-10938234/ Eric's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-holmlund-503a053 We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Elias Makos begins the week with Egbert Gaye, founder and editor of Montreal Community Contact and Jimmy Zoubris, special advisor to the Mayor. Montreal police shut down a fundraiser being held by two young brothers to support their mother with MS Residents and motorists in Old Montreal are exasperated, living through a summer of traffic gridlock The Freedom Convoy in Ottawa and Alberta left the Federal government with a huge bill: they paid $14 million to make sure Canadians were safe

Peter W. Hart is a self-taught, Montreal artist. He fell in love with painting at the age of 39 by chance while flipping through a book that included a reproduction of Degas' “Dancers”. This painting was a revelation to him and awakened a sudden and intense passion for art - especially for the works of the "Impressionists".  Inspired by the paintings of iconic artists like Monet, Renoir, Manet, Courbet, Pissarro, and Van Gogh, Peter began painting and travelling the world to admire the original masterpieces. Painting started as a hobby in 1989 to relieve the stress of running one of the world's leading employee recognition companies. After the successful sale of the company in 2019, painting has now become Peter's full-time vocation.  In his paintings, Hart crystallizes his moods, transposing his emotions onto canvas, wood, and other materials. Imbued with fiery energy, Peter's works never leave the viewer unmoved. Vivid and expressive, his pieces are inspired by figurative paintings from another era but are eminently contemporary. His colour palette, composed mainly of primary colours, is radiant. Each stroke is lively and assertive - the textures rich, and the movement compelling. Today, Peter finds joy in harnessing the spontaneity of acrylic and the three-dimensional density of mixed media using everyday items such as noodles, rice, and beads.  Peter's works are an “ode to life.” They are defined in different collections; sometimes impactful like his close-ups of tulips and sunflowers; sometimes sunny and more languid such as his landscapes with fields and bodies of water; and sometimes purely abstract compositions with bold strokes and convoluted spirals. Peter often favours large or atypical canvases — in various shapes and dimensions, and often diptychs — but what's striking is that each of his paintings, even the smallest, has a strong and flamboyant presence that seems to extend beyond their frame, generously occupying a space of their own. A prolific artist, Peter permanently exhibits his work at his self-titled gallery located in the heart of Old Montreal. This is where he stays in touch with more than 1,200 collectors from over 30 different countries. He also participates in group exhibitions and finds immense pleasure in holding workshops with various charities, specifically, the homeless and kids who are traumatized or intellectually handicapped. In this episode, Peter talks about his formative years growing up and what inspired him to become a creative artist. Peter is also a former water polo player on the Canadian Men's National Team. He played with some of the best water polo players that ever played for Canada. Many of his former teammates have been recognized and have made it into the Canadian Water Polo Hall of Fame. Peter talks about the brotherhood he and his teammates fostered. He believes this is one of the reasons his water polo generation was so great!   Afterwards, Peter talks about his entrepreneurial spirit. He was the CEO and President of Rideau, Inc. He worked with the company for 50 years. Peter discusses how he helped build a better world for people, businesses and communities by focusing on the power of recognition. He also explains how anyone can learn how to foster creativity, innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset. Peter then talks about what separates a good artist from a great artist. Lastly, he provides his definition of greatness and what it means to him. __ Host: Ben Mumme Twitter:  https://twitter.com/mumme_ben   Medium: https://benjaminmumme.medium.com/   YouTube: https://bit.ly/3fAcFrt   Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3DBkSWv  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingyourg...  __ Guest: Peter Hart Website: https://peterwhart.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwhart/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterwhart17/?hl=en  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PETERwHARTGallery/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeterWHart  __ Let's Connect

Join the Get Hired Up Podcast to hear, scholar, author, artist, and speaker, Afua Cooper and me, discuss: The importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion—with emphasis on inclusionAfua's story and vision for eliminating racism in the worldHow teachers and the education system can improve racial and ethnic justiceHow boards of directors can set-long strategies to become anti-racist organizations Dr. Afua Cooper is a multi-award-winning and celebrated speaker, scholar, historian, author, poet, performer, and social and cultural commentator for organizations worldwide committed to building diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. Recognizing the tremendous multi-disciplinary contributions Dr. Cooper has made globally, Essence Magazine, a premiere lifestyle, fashion, and beauty publication, named her as one of the 25 women who are shaping the world. Amongst her published novels, her ground-breaking book on Canadian slavery, The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Slavery in Canada and the Burning of Old Montreal, was nominated for the Governor General's Award (CANADA). As a result of her scholarship and praxis, Dr. Cooper was awarded a one-million-dollar grant from the Department of Canadian Heritage to direct the A Black People's History of Canada project.

This episodes guest comes to us from the historic city and fashion capital of Canada - Montreal! Monique Assouline has been selling real estate since 2005 and brings with her a wealth of knowledge, that she contributes every day to agents and colleagues. Cameron and Monique met through the app Clubhouse back in January and have been networking weekly ever since Monique is known for working with Buyer, Seller and Investors in one of Canada's more unique cities mixed with historic buildings in Old Montreal to many new developments. Monique holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree that specializes in Marketing and has become an expert using Social Media Marketing to expand her reach to international clients looking to invest into the Montreal Market. She also has written several articles and blogs that have been featured in several media outlets including: La Presse, The Montreal Gazette & CTV National News. Monique & Cameron talk on many different topics in this episode including: 1. How to start in Real Estate (Networking) 2. Instagram Marketing 3. Luxury Real Estate 4. Working with International Clients. To connect with Monique you can find her on Instagram at: @moniqueamontreal To connect with Cameron you can find him on Instagram @Camemanning For more Real Estate Content Visit. www.youtube.com/cameronmanning --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cameronmanning/support

Melody returns from her "tropical" vacation to let everyone know what blogs, events and podcasts to check out this week. Then we have a history making preview. For the first time in podcast history our guest, Daniel Moreau, asks Jesse a bonus question. Watch Dawson on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF__6K2ZVXe5qTLEPJe-RmA FCL News Links - Founders Cemetery at the University of New England: http://francoamerican.bdnblogs.com/2021/08/13/franco-american-news-and-culture/founders-cemetery-at-the-university-of-new-england/ Just my opinion: Can the Acadian Institute become an annual program? http://francoamerican.bdnblogs.com/2021/08/06/franco-american-news-and-culture/just-my-opinion-can-the-acadian-institute-become-an-annual-program/ Les Aventures d'un Québécois. Capsule no 15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk_kEKqWQIQ Maprofdefrancais with Genevieve Breton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjAT5QdatRA A French-Canadian Journey: Bellechasse to Sweetsburg: http://querythepast.com/lacroix-family-part-1/ A French-Canadian Journey: Saint-Césaire to St. Albans: http://querythepast.com/lacroix-family-part-2/ Where Did the Term “Franco-American” Come From? http://frenchnorthamerica.blogspot.com/2021/07/where-did-term-franco-american-come-from.html 25th Anniversary of FAWI: http://www.fawi.net/ Franco-American Programs: In Celebration of Grégoire Chabot's Life and Work On April 26, 2021, the Franco American community lost Grégoire Chabot, a prominent author, mentor, advocate, and friend. We are deeply saddened by this loss. Franco American Programs at the University of Maine would like to celebrate the innovation, creativity, and mentorship of Greg's lifework. We invite writers, actors/actresses, and anyone touched by his work and creative energy to join us on Friday, November 5, 2021 (virtually or in person) to share a new work created in Greg's spirit, a reading or performance of one of his writings, or a little bit of both. We also invite people to send us video testimonials talking about what his work has meant to them, which we will collect to be part of a video montage screened during the celebration. To be part of this celebration, please contact either Susan Pinette (spinette@maine.edu) or Lisa Michaud (lisam@maine.edu) by October 8, 2021. The exact timing of the event will depend upon the number and types of submissions we receive. We will post the specific details about the event once we learn about them. Podcasts: Franco-American Pathways, Episode 3, A Nation Within a Nation: https://anchor.fm/francopathways/episodes/Episode-3---A-Nation-Within-A-Nation-e156f0j Events: August 27-29, Pointe-à-Callière Museum, Place Royale, Old Montreal. Part Of Old Montreal Is Transforming Into An 18th-Century Public Market This Month: https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/18th-century-market-in-old-montreal-coming-back/pointe-a-calliere-18th-century-market-in-old-montreal Don't forget to check out our Patreon for extra bonus content and a way to support the show - https://www.patreon.com/fclpodcast​​​ You can get your own FCL Face Mask, check out our merch on Teespring – https://www.teespring.com/fclpodcast​

We recently visited old Montreal and had a tremendous time.  On today's episode we talk about the adventure and what's ahead in our travel plans. Have an interesting travel story?  Drop us a DM or email us at stephen.e.kee@gmail.com and we will feature you. 

Elias Makos welcomes in Jonathan Kalles, Senior Consultant at McMillan Vantage Policy Group, a national public affairs firm, and former advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Dr. Vardit Ravitsky, Professor of Bioethics, School of Public Health, University of Montreal and Chair of the COVID-19 Impact Committee of Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation

The Last Word on Habs Pod is brought to you by the Last Word on Sports Network. Co-hosted by the LWOH Montreal Canadiens team manager Connor Lapalme and Johannes Wheeldon, it is a weekly look at the Habs and features guests from the Last Word on Sports community and others. Join us for smart takes, controversial opinions, and news you can use about the Montreal Canadiens. Last Word on Habs Pod: Same Old Montreal Canadiens In an important week for the Habs, they failed to come through. It was more of the same, unfortunately. Poor play in overtime, limited offense, and defensive breakdowns that left the goaltending out to dry. With the season (almost) in the balance, the Habs need to find a way to get back on track, or at least get more consistent play. One thing is for sure, the Habs recent play has both our hosts with a sense of deja-vu.  The only thing left to do is add to the roster. It won't be easy with the Habs salary cap situation, but that doesn't mean they have no options. It will be interesting to see when (or if) Marc Bergevin makes a move. If he looks outside the North Division, there is a 14 day quarantine period, so it may be in his best interest to move sooner rather than wait until the April 12 trade deadline. All this and Johannes musical talents, the point of fighting, COVID talk, and much much more! TUNE IN! Credits Thanks to Ethan Meixsell, Topher Mohr and Alex Elena, and Silent Partner for their musical contributions to the Last Word on Habs Pod. The Last Word on Habs Podcast is brought to you by the Last Word on Sports Network. Co-hosted by the Montreal Canadiens team managers Connor Lapalme and Johannes Wheeldon, it is a weekly look at the Habs, news, notes, arguments, and aspirations. It features guests from the Last Word on Sports community. Johannes Wheeldon is a father, author, college professor, and criminal justice consultant. Mostly he is a Habs fan with plenty of opinions. Contact him on Twitter @justicelawdev. Connor Lapalme is a writer and editor of the Last Word on Hockey. A passionate Hockey and Habs fan, Connor is never afraid to share his opinion. Contact him on Twitter @Connor_Lapalme. Embed from Getty Images

Canadian slavery, enslaved a woman named Marie-Joseph Angelique, who was accused of setting fire to her owner’s house, a fire which in turn burned down much of Old Montreal. Also being black in Canada. Canada is viewed as a progressive country much more tolerant and accepting of diversity than the States. While this may be what is said aloud, the truth isn’t as perfect as we wish it to be. Slavery in Canada was a real and awful thing, y’all, just like it was with our neighbours down south. Many people say it wasn’t as bad because there were no plantations like in the deep south of the States. Slavery here mostly consisted of housework, not field work. However, all forms of slavery should be judged harshly. Enslaved people in Canada were still considered sub hum an actual, or even non-human, beings. They were physically and mentally abused daily and had no rights to protect them. Enslaved women were raped and sexually assaulted, often resulting in children to whom they had no legal right. Children born to slaves just became slaves themselves, same as in the States. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/Teddy-G/support

Join me for a 30 minute winter walk through Old Montreal, where we'll cover a range of topics from coffee to ancient vomitoriums. No joke! I'll also share the amazing benefits of walking, take a few moments in silence and enjoy new perspectives. How can walking is beneficial for fitness & wellbeing Contrary to other forms of training, walking is very versatile and brings many benefits with its practice as part of your fitness sessions: It aids blood circulation and oxygenation, which leads to improved fat burning and mental sharpness; It burns calories which helps building your metabolic rate and making you lose and maintain a healthy weight; It's low impact and way less stressful on the body compared to running, so anyone can do it pretty much anywhere; It can be used as part of your pre-workout warm up; It can be used as part of your post-workout cool down to help bring your heart rate down (reduce stress) while burning a few extra calories; Combine a 10-minute core training session with a 35-45 minute walk for an amazing active recovery day between heavier workout days. Post images of your walk & tag me, so I can see what you see! @yasminyoga Find me: yasminfgow.com

Professor Dr. Walter Greason is thinking of turning Dr. Afua Cooper's book 'The Hanging of Angelique' into a graphic novel. In our conversation, we talk about this work as well as Dr. Greason's other work combining history, economics, and graphics together and discuss the transformative power of using new media to tell stories. For more on The Hanging Of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal by Afua Cooper see https://www.harpercollins.ca/9781443406581/the-hanging-of-angelique/ To learn about Angelique see: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/marie-joseph-angelique Find the T. Thomas Fortune comic on The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/t-thomas-fortunes-profound-influence-civil-rights/583333/ More about 'Sojourners Trail': https://www.hastac.org/blogs/cathy-davidson/2019/11/17/learning-prof-walter-greasons-real-time-video-and-social-media Follow Walter on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorldProfessor Follow Samantha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrSCutrara See all the Source Saturday videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLpPhMEW_jxqClGskVJgNeA More about Walter: Dr. Walter D. Greason is a Dean Emeritus of the Honors School and an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Counseling and Leadership at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. He is author and lead editor on six books, with substantial contributions to another three and over a hundred of academic articles and essays. Dr. Greason is also the founding president of the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation, which led the restoration of the National Historic Landmark dedicated to the most militant journalist of the late nineteenth century. Most recently, he worked with Megan Allas, graphic artist, to design an interactive, educational game titled 'Sojourners Trail' that teaches about Afrofuturism and the Black Speculative Arts Movement. Learn more about me at https://www.SamanthaCutrara.com/ Order Transforming the Canadian History Classroom: Imagining a New 'We' today: https://www.amazon.ca/Transforming-Canadian-History-Classroom-Imagining/dp/0774862831 https://www.ubcpress.ca/transforming-the-canadian-history-classroom #MeaningfulLearning #ComicBooks #ChallengeCdnHist

On our foot-path between Old Montreal and Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory, we and our students discovered much about the Kanien'ke:ha, the inner city, and ourselves.

This week I chatted with Dimitri Antonopoulos, the co-owner and VP of Marketing for Experience Old Montreal, part of the Antonopoulos Group, a family-owned hospitality company that runs a number of boutique hotels, spas and restaurants in Montreal including Verses, Jacopo, Maggie Oakes, Kyo, Bevo, Méchant Boeuf, Modavie and the Vieux-Port Steakhouse. We talked about […]

We are going to learn of a sad tale about a slave in Old Montreal. Then we are going to enjoy my favorite story HAIR LOVE.

Walking in Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada ASMR for relax, study and sleep Montréal is the largest city in Canada's Québec province. It’s set on an island in the Saint Lawrence River and named after Mt. Royal, the triple-peaked hill at its heart. Its boroughs, many which were once independent cities, include neighbourhoods ranging from cobblestoned, French colonial Vieux-Montréal – with Gothic Revival Notre-Dame Basilica at its centre – to bohemian Plateau. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/4amworld/support

Stories of Starting Podcast Episode 24 with Karine Bouchard, cellist, co-owner of the Anticafé in Old Montreal and creator of the Antimodèle life drawing/live music weekly event at the Anticafé. Karine's Official Website: https://www.lavioloncelliste.com/ Karine's music on Bandcamp: https://lavioloncelliste.bandcamp.com/ Ewan McIntyre band: http://www.ewan-macintyre.org/ Dream on Sally Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dreamonsally/dream-on-sally Antimodèle life drawing & live music: https://www.antimodele.com/ Anticafé in Old Montreal: https://www.anticafevieuxport.com/ Home Routes: https://www.homeroutes.ca/ Home Routes/Chemin Chez Nous is a not-for-profit arts organization that creates new performance opportunities for French and English speaking musicians and audiences in rural, remote and urban, communities across Canada, hosted by volunteers in their homes and other community venues. Air BNB Experiences: https://www.airbnb.ca/s/experiences

This week on Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan takes us through one of his favorite cities in the world: Montreal. He’ll give his recommendations for great places to eat, to see world-class art, and to check out go-go boys. Plus, bagels! Things we talked about in today’s podcast: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts https://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/ Old Montreal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Montreal Jacques Cartier https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cartier  Mount Royal https://www.lemontroyal.qc.ca/en Joe Beef https://www.joebeef.ca/ Au Pied de Cochon https://aupieddecochon.ca/en/ Nora Gray http://noragray.com/ Larrys http://lawrencemtl.com/larrys/ Montreal bagels https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal-style_bagel Bagels on Greene http://www.bagelsongreene.com/ Club Social P.S. https://montreal.eater.com/venue/51149/club-social-p-s Cloakroom https://www.cloakroombar.co/ Montreal Gay Village https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Village,_Montreal Dealey Plaza in Dallas https://www.jfk.org/the-assassination/history-of-dealey-plaza/ Johnny Horton “North to Alaska” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_to_Alaska_(song) - Listen to past episodes at: https://outofofficepod.com/ - Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/ooopodcast/

In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with Jennifer Maagendans all about zero waste. Learn what it is, how to incorporate it in small steps, and what supplies to tote to the grocery store. New to Tranquility du Jour? Learn more here. http://traffic.libsyn.com/hiptranquilchick/tdj475.mp3 Direct download: Tranquility du Jour #475: Zero Waste. Upcoming Events Planning 2020 TDJ Style: December 29 Online via YouTube Live [private invites will be sent mid-December to all who purchased Year of Tranquility and/or Daybook and registered for their bonuses] New Year's Eve Mini Retreat: December 31 at YogaWorks Dupont in Washington, DC TDJ Live New Year, Fresh Start: January 5 Online via YouTube Live [private link sent upon registration] Tranquility in Provence: May 30-June 5 a private villa nestled in the South of France between Nice and Marseille [3 rooms left] Featured Guest Jennifer Maagendans is a yoga teacher, entrepreneur, and environmentalist. She is the director and founder of Luna Yoga in Old Montreal. Practicing yoga since 1996, Jennifer has a background in gymnastics, is a certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher, and holds a degree in Environmental Studies from Concordia University. Her teaching emphasizes inner peace and happiness, as well as a strong connection to the earth. In addition to her teaching, she has led yoga retreats in Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. In 2008, Jennifer released her first instructional DVD, YogaFlo for Peace and followed it up in 2010 with YogaFlo for the Earth. Savvy Sources Find Jennifer Twitter @jennmaagendans Facebook @JenniferMaagendans Instagram @jennmaagendans Luna Yoga website   Zerowaste Home by Béa Johnson Zerowaste by Shia Su Shampoo bars Food wrap Period underwear Bidet Mesh produce bags Video of Jenn teaching me the harmonium 10 years ago Podcast interview with Ashlee Piper Bulk finder app   Let's Connect Share a review on iTunes or Amazon and you may hear it shared on the show. Visit kimberlywilson.com/podcast for more episodes and the Tranquility du Jour Podcast App: iPhone and Android Subscribe in your favorite podcast app such as Spotify, Apple Podcast or Overcast. Sign up for Love Notes (exclusive content, personal updates, giveaways) and access multimedia resources, Tranquil Treasures. Browse my 6 Books Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube (check out the Tea with Kimberly video series) Shop seasonless, vegan, locally-made, eco-friendly fashion: TranquiliT Techy To listen, click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes. New to podcasting? Get more info at Podcast 411. Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast to get the latest episode as released. Get the Tranquility du Jour apps to download the podcast "automagically" on iOS or Android

更多英语知识，请关注微信公众号: VOA英语每日一听Adrienne: So, Lisa, you're from Montreal. I think when I think of Canada, I think of cold. Is it very cold in Montreal?Lisa: In the wintertime, Montreal gets very cold. With the wind chill factor, which is the scale to measure how cold the wind is, literally, it can get down to minus 25 degrees Celsius at night.Adrienne: Wow!Lisa: Yes, but it's different than a lot of other countries that only go down to zero because in Montreal you dress warmly, whereas in places like New York or Tokyo or London, maybe you don't dress as warmly cause the temperature doesn't go down as low, but in Montreal in the wintertime, you're wearing hats, you're wearing mitts, you're wearing winter boots.Adrienne: So what can you do in the winter? Just stay inside all the time?Lisa: Surprisingly, even though it's so cold, there's a lot to do in Montreal in the wintertime. Some great activities are you can go for a sleigh ride in old Montreal. Old Montreal is probably about five or six hundred years old, from around the time that the city was founded, and they have horse-drawn sleigh rides. There are outdoor skating rinks, that you can go skating. It's very romantic. You can drive forty-five minutes away and go skiing and go ice-skating or stay in a little auberge, little lodges, on the ski hills or close to the ski hills. It's actually really nice and lends itself to a very cozy winter cause it's so cold outside and yet you can get nice and warm by the fire inside.

更多英语知识，请关注微信公众号: VOA英语每日一听Lisa: Montreal in the summer is a beautiful temperature. It's about 25 to 32 degrees. Not very humid. The days are warm. The nights are cooler and it is a wonderful place. You can go to Old Montreal which is very European. You can go to downtown Montreal, tons of shopping. You can go to the canals where you can go whitewater rafting if you want, all in the city of Montreal. With the distance, because Montreal is quite a small city, you can walk, or it's a fifteen, twenty-minute car ride wherever you want to go.Adrienne: Oh, that sounds cool. What about nighttime? What is there to do at night in Montreal?Lisa: The nightlife in Montreal is sometimes even better than daily life. Montreal, because of the French and English influences, there are different areas where you can go and get different aspects of Montreal culture, so during the evening in old Montreal it is filled with Jazz clubs or very Quebec, French folk songs and folk performances. Cafe life in Montreal is very, very important, so you can sit outside in the cafe's as well as there are many bars. Huge party scene. Great DJ's. Then you can also go to Cresent Street, which is a popular street with beautiful bars. The famous auto racer, Jacques Villeneuve has a bar there, and that's really where a lot of the, a lot of the tourists as well as people visiting from Hollywood, a lot of the stars hang out around Cresent Street. Also, the restaurants in Montreal are fabulous because Montreal is so diverse culturally, you have great Greek food, great Jewish food, great Italian food, great Chinese food, great french food of course.Adrienne: Sounds great.

In this episode, Woo talks about how weird it was to record solo, and Cody tells us about his trip to old Montreal. Some weird stuff at the end.

Rob McConnell - Well, the young Rob McConnell, who was raised in the multicultural area of Montreal known as Park Extension accomplished all his life goals, including being a musician, a police officer, artist, broadcaster and now is taking on new and exciting adventures in life and learning each and every day. Music has always been a part of Rob McConnell’s life. Born in Montreal in 1952, after teaching himself to play guitar, woodwind instruments, percussion and vibraphone (and he does a great job playing the piano with two fingers!) Starting at age 16, Rob could be found playing in garage bands on the South Shore of Montreal. While playing the part of John Lennon in one of the first Beatles Clone bands “The SelBeat” Rob would be found playing bars and wedding receptions to playing at a motorcycle club's party in Sorel. From a very young age, the media, radio and television intrigued young Rob McConnell.As a youth, Rob was a guest on The Magic Tom Show (Tom Auburn) and on The Johnny JellyBean (Ted Zeigler who went on to be a regular on the Sonny and Cher TV Show) at the studios of CFCF TV Channel 12 on Ogilvy Avenue also in the Park Extension neighborhood. In his late teens, Rob could be seen sitting and chatting with Leonard Cohen, having lunch with Cliff Edwards from the great Canadian group, "The Bells", teaching First-Aid for the St. John Ambulance Association. In the late 60s’ Rob played Montreal’s British Pubs, the French Bistro’s in historic Old Montreal, church and high school dances, to playing the Coffee Houses of Montreal’s McGill University’s Aylmer Street area where he met and played with a little known but up and coming Canadian artist, Gordon Lightfoot at The Yellow Door. In his later years, Rob worked with such international artists such as B.J. Thomas, Bobby Curtola, Linda Gentille, Brighton Rock and Peter Noone. Rob enjoyed off time with his friends at Montreal's The Maiden Head Inn where he met and became friends with Ferddie Furtado and at The Cock'n Bull enjoying the music and comedy of Festival of Laughs musical comedy artists, "Bowser & Blue." During his years, Rob has also crossed paths with such greats as Danny Kaye, Red Buttons, Paul Williams, Burgess Meredith, Liza Minnelli just to name a few. Yes, Canadian broadcaster and media personality, Rob McConnell has quite a career to his credit... musician, police officer, director, producer, publisher, author, board game creator, researcher, syndicated columnist and still, after 20 + years, hosting the very popular internationally syndicated radio show which he created, The ‘X’ Zone Radio & TV Show. When it comes to the world of the paranormal or the science of parapsychology, Rob's expertise is ranked in the Top 10 in his field. Since 1992, Rob McConnell has been publishing The ‘X’ Chronicles Newspaper, North America's only Paranormal/ Parapsychology / New Age Newspaper. McConnell continues to be one of the few spearheading the Canadian Media Scene. Now, as President and CEO of one of Canada’s fastest growing multimedia companies, RAM Media Company (which encompasses Radio/TV Broadcasting, Programming and Production - Publishing, Internet and Satellite Programming Delivery), he released his first Music Album, "Music of The ‘X’ Zone" (© 2013 REL-MAR McConnell Media Company) which was inspired by just some of those who have been a major part in his life and the lives of his international ‘X’ Zone audience. McConnell is now offering media opportunities and mentoring to those who seek careers in the new world of broadcasting, publishing and the new media. Rob McConnell was featured by the BBC in C*O*N*T*A*C*T in 1997, and was the consultant to the producers of the Canadian hit TV Show, Creepy Canada for three years. In 1997 Rob invented the very popular 'X' Game. Rob's broadcast experience includes 1220 CHSC in St. Catharines, 1290 CJBK in London and Rob was also the Executive Producer of Talk Programming for NewsTalk 610 CKTB. Rob has produced TV commercials, infomercials, concerts and features in Ontario and Quebec for such clients as The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, The Hyatt Regency Hotel, Centre Duvernay, Auberge Vieux Gabrielle, J D Car Stereo Centre and others. Rob is a syndicated newspaper columnist, and the author of several books found on Amazon.com including The ‘X’ Zone Directory of Who’s Who (2013) and The ‘X’ Zone Book of Triviology (2012). As a publisher, he has published a number of books including, “Out of the Woodwork” by long-time friend and fellow broadcaster William Peckham and “Rented Silence” by Lucia Mann. Rob McConnell lives in Southern Ontario.

This week we go to Old Montreal and Matthew finds a way to release his anger, while Sebastien reveals what he stole from Matt. We discuss the different ways we wake up from dreams, how much dairy people should consume and how Facebook is scamming us. We wanted to see a man get hit by a car, but instead found a woman playing music with a bucket. We may have even eaten a burger.

White Parties are all the rage and Debbie and PJ have endured much drama preparing for and attending them. And in the most unlikely of places...J.Crew, Target and an abandoned warehouse in Old Montreal.  Grab a cocktail, put on your brightest and whitest and come hang out with us! 

The 17th Edition of DOWN WITH THE 90's Sunday April 5th, 2015 Venue: Peopl Mtl – 390 Notre-Dame W, Old Montreal

The 17th Edition of DOWN WITH THE 90’s Sunday April 5th, 2015 Venue: Peopl Mtl – 390 Notre-Dame W, Old Montreal

The 17th Edition of DOWN WITH THE 90's Sunday April 5th, 2015 Venue: Peopl Mtl – 390 Notre-Dame W, Old Montreal

The 17th Edition of DOWN WITH THE 90’s Sunday April 5th, 2015 Venue: Peopl Mtl – 390 Notre-Dame W, Old Montreal

A true giant of the Montreal house scene, and now plying his trade internationally, JoJo Flores' unique blend of house, tech, and electro has kept the masses moving for many years. Whether it be in the cavernous subterranean clubs of Old Montreal, or afterhour giants like STEREO, JoJo is truly a master of his craft.

Tonight we go behind the public investigation into the Martin Luther King assassination and dive right into the Canadian Connection. This undercover leg of the journey will take us into Canada’s organized crime families as we navigate through Toronto , Windsor, Montreal and Expo 67, Old Montreal, highway 401, and The Laurentians. We will reveal who aided alleged assassin James Earl Ray in his escape across the border to Toronto. Get ready to find out who was really behind issuing him his false passport and travel documents? This is going to be one explosive show. Strap in and hang on...here we go.