Sunday, January 29, 2012

City of Verdun Vehicules

Here is another old photo I pulled out of our archives. It was originally the property of the City of Verdun and is dated Nov. 19 1969, no. 1095/69.

We can see the boating club (VMBC ?) on the river bank, the Champlain bridge and Nun's Island showing the excavation earth along the shore. The development of Nun's Island had alrteady begun transforming the whole area, for good or bad.

My guess is that the photo was taken behind the hospital with the Auditorium on the right. Can anybody confirm this.

Guy

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Montreal's Shining Light Turns '50'

 MONTREAL - “La Grande Dame de Montréal” is half a century old, but by all accounts she’s aging gracefully.

Place Ville Marie – inaugurated in 1962 as the “Eiffel Tower of Montreal” – is almost fully occupied today, generating $25 million a year in tax revenue as the city’s largest account.

At $50 gross per square foot, its office rents are among the 10 highest in the city. The complex, where 10,000 people work, is valued at an estimated $700 million.

On Thursday, even as building management, city officials and several corporate tenants unveiled a series of events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Place Ville Marie, some industry observers pointed to the complex as a design and development success in a city tarnished by crumbling infrastructure.

“Imagine that Place Ville Marie was completed about the same time as the Champlain Bridge,” said well-known Montreal real estate executive Stephen Leopold. “One stands as a landmark to excellence and makes us all proud. The other one (the bridge), barely standing, is an embarrassment. Imagine what the Champlain Bridge could have become if we had invested in great architecture and proper maintenance.”

Completed after four years of construction on an $80-million budget, Place Ville Marie was the brainchild of the New York team of developer William Zeckendorf and architects I.M. Pei and Henry Cobb. Several of Place Ville Marie’s attributes – including its pioneering development of underground retailing – were later emulated in the construction of the World Trade Centre, said Leopold, 60, who used to visit his developer father’s offices at PVM regularly in his youth.

Roger Nicolet, a Quebec civil engineer who worked on Place Ville Marie, said many of Montreal’s current infrastructure problems stem from the use of exposed concrete, which degrades in the harsh winter climate. Today, builders are far more adept at constructing with concrete, he said.

But at the time, using anything but a steel structure for the construction of Place Ville Marie never crossed the minds of planners, he said.

It’s also a question of maintenance.

Inadequate investment in Montreal-area infrastructure dominated news headlines last year. The city and other levels of government have since pledged billions of dollars over several years toward repairs and the construction of a new bridge.

“One has to budget for that. And as we all know there was a period of time when that was not done and ... today we are paying the price,” said Montreal executive committee member Helen Fotopoulos, who attended Thursday’s launch of celebratory events for Place Ville Marie.

“We have priorities and we have to make sure that all levels (of government) are in on those priorities.”

Place Ville Marie is known in the real estate industry for being well-maintained for a mature building, said Louis Burgos, senior managing director at Cushman & Wakefield Montreal. Tenants include some of the rare head offices that remain in Montreal: Via Rail Canada and the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Between 2000 and 2010, about $100 million was invested in renovating Place Ville Marie, said Dany Gauthier, general manager of the complex, which is jointly owned by pension fund giant, the Alberta Investment Management Corp. and Ivanhoe Cambridge, the real estate wing of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.

Some of those renovations proved controversial, with heritage groups and Cobb denouncing the “suburbanization of the plaza” after more modern glass and skylights were installed.


Friday, January 27, 2012

Petroglyph

Wanting to know more about the petroglyph, I made these drawings showing it's structure which is basically made of 2 parts, a 4 leaf and a circle entertwined in and out like a basket, This will help us identify any discoveries we may make in the future. I have a strong feeling that it is an irish design. One of our members (SHGV) suggested that it may have been carved by some irish laborer who worked at the hydro dam nearby at the end of the 19th century.

Guy

Petroglyph Found Near the Former LaSalle Hydro Dam

An insignia has been discovered engraved on a stone (Petroglyph) on the shoreline near the old Hydro dam in LaSalle by one of our members (SHGV) who consulted us for help to try and discover who where the authors. The engraving seems to be very old and speculations are that they where engraved either by the indians, the vikings, the first colonizers, the irish settlers etc. Was the stone transported there by the excavators is one of the ideas that came up. The design of the engraving is the key to the mystery.

Help was requested from the Provincial Government and an expert from Quebec city visited the site and was supposed to get back to our member but has not received any reply yet.

We have found this subject very interesting and we are mobilizing our efforts to try and solve the mystery.

I thought I would request help from MVC members so if any of you out there have any idea of the origins of this engraving, your help would be appreciated.

Guy

 

 

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Public Space (what public space ?) Griffintowners Want to Know

MONTREAL – At a public meeting on the future of Griffintown Saturday, residents of the fast-developing area south of downtown peppered City of Montreal bureaucrats with questions about when they will begin see real neighbourhood amenities, like parks, amidst all the condos and office buildings.

“When we look at the plans, we don’t see any municipal infrastructure, like community centres, sports centres, parks and pools,” one young Griffintown resident asked. “We see there are trees and green spaces planned for the courtyards of all these new buildings, but these are mostly for the use of people living in those buildings. Where are the public spaces?”

In recent years, more than 20 different real estate projects have been proposed for Griffintown, an area delineated by Notre Dame St. W. to the north, the Lachine Canal to the south, Georges Vanier Blvd. to the west and the Bonaventure Expressway to the east.

Together these projects, some of which are still at the study stage while others are under construction, could bring more than 7,000 new households to Griffintown, and more than 150,000 square metres of commercial or office space.

Some of these projects, such as the Devimco commercial and residential project, have already been the subject of public hearings. But this fall, the city called a freeze on zoning changes in the sector and asked its public consultation agency, the Office de consultation publique de Montréal, to hold public hearings to try to establish a consensus vision for all of Griffintown.

Saturday’s meeting at the École de technologie supérieure was an “open house”, a precursor to the official public consultations to be held Feb. 13. About 300 people showed up in the morning to browse through the displays and about 100 of them stayed on for the afternoon question and answer session.

OCPM chairperson Louise Roy told the meeting that the OCPM has met with about 50 different groups and individuals concerned with the future of Griffintown since September.

She said four or five different visions are emerging. Some see the area as an extension of downtown with high-rises and office buildings. Others want it to be an extension of Old Montreal with its emphasis on culture and creativity. Some see it as belonging to the Southwest Borough and hope to preserve the working-class feel of neighbourhoods like Little Burgundy and St. Henri, while still others want a densely populated, animated neighbourhood that attracts young families, artists and students like Plateau Mont Royal did before property values there skyrocketed. Roy said the area could ultimately have elements of several or all of these visions,

The OCPM’s formal public hearings on Griffintown begin Feb. 13 at 7 p.m., at 1550 Metcalfe, 14th floor (Peel metro station). Those who wish to submit a written brief or address the hearings in person must register by Feb. 9. For more information, go to http://www.ocpm.qc.ca/

The OCPM report on these hearings is expected to be delivered to city council in early April


Friday, January 20, 2012

Cohen Review Over the Years ( Gazette Article)

Old Ideas was preceded by 11 other studio albums by Leonard Cohen. It’s a body of work so strong that no album can be dismissed altogether. Some of them struggle to survive questionable choices in production or arrangement, but each disc includes at least one song everyone should hear.

Here’s the Cohen catalogue to date, with our ratings and commentary. For each album, we have selected a canonical song, one that always elicits a gasp of joyful recognition, and a lesser-discussed classic.

All of the albums – except the new disc, Old Ideas – were recently issued in an essential, reasonably-priced box set titled Leonard Cohen: The Complete Studio Albums. The presentation is bare-bones: an unadorned cardboard sleeve, featuring original artwork, for each release, with all recording details squeezed into a single booklet covering the entire oeuvre. Spartan packaging aside, it should be in every home.

The many live Cohen albums are not included here, but the best are Field Commander Cohen – Tour of 1979 (2001) and Live In London (2009).

Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1967, Five stars: The astonishing debut, which introduced all Cohen obsessions – love, faith, betrayal and despair among them – through inventively-arranged songs that became instant classics.

Canonical: Suzanne

Also indispensable: Sisters of Mercy

Songs From a Room, 1969, Three and a half stars: Nothing wrong with the songs, although the performance and production sound a bit clunky. And that Jew’s Harp on half the album? Really bad idea.

Canonical: Bird on the Wire

Also indispensable: Story of Isaac

Songs of Love and Hate, 1971, Four and a half stars:

Almost as stunning as the debut, with tastefully subdued string arrangements that bring warmth even to the sad songs.

Canonical: Famous Blue Raincoat

Also indispensable: Avalanche

New Skin For the Old Ceremony, 1974, Four stars: The arrangements are more full-bodied and what was the LP’s second side is a tour de force, but when Cohen tries yelling as a vocal approach, it’s hard not to wince.

Canonical: Take This Longing

Also indispensable: Who By Fire

Death of a Ladies’ Man, 1977, Two and a half stars: The ill-advised collaboration with Phil Spector, the king of sonic clutter, makes it the odd album out in the Cohen oeuvre, but it’s not quite as bad as conventional wisdom would have it.

Canonical: nothing

Indispensable: that would be generous, but Memories is a cool track

Recent Songs, 1979, Four stars : Some of the strongest melodies and most intriguing arrangements to date (Mariachi horns?) make this a spectacular return to form. Three cheers for Raffi Hakopian’s violin.

Canonical: Came So Far For Beauty

Also indispensable: The Gypsy’s Wife

Various Positions, 1984, Five Stars: The one Columbia initially refused to release (it finally did so in 1990 after it had been out on an indie label). The fact that this was a masterpiece, with robust melodies and a generosity of spirit, didn’t seem to matter to the suits. “Look, Leonard, we know you’re great,” Cohen later quoted label president Walter Yetnikoff as saying, “But we don’t know if you’re any good.”

Canonical: Hallelujah

Also indispensable: Dance Me to the End of Love

I’m Your Man, 1988, Four stars: Unfortunate ‘‘80s production values can’t capsize what is almost a greatest-hits album in itself. The deep, deep voice surfaces here.

Canonical: I’m Your Man

Also indispensable: Tower of Song

The Future, 1992, Three stars: Some brilliant songs, but Cohen’s fascination with synthesizers deepens, to the album’s detriment. For the first time, some tracks are actually throwaways.

Canonical: Closing Time

Also indispensable: Democracy

Ten New Songs, 2001, Three stars: Collaborator Sharon Robinson becomes Cohen’s right-hand woman and the mechanical keyboard sound threatens to sink some excellent material. Cohen’s voice is now a heavily-mic’ed whisper.

Canonical: In My Secret Life

Also indispensable: The Land of Plenty

Dear Heather, 2004, Two and a half stars: Uneven, at times even forgettable, this rambling meditation on aging found Cohen’s voice in even rougher shape, and the synths continued to dominate. But even lesser Cohen albums have their sweet spots.

Canonical: nothing

Indispensable: Nightingale



Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/Cohen+catalogue+goes+back+astonishing+debut/6027465/story.html#ixzz1k3BIqioM

Cohen Review Over the Years ( Gazette Article)

Old Ideas was preceded by 11 other studio albums by Leonard Cohen. It’s a body of work so strong that no album can be dismissed altogether. Some of them struggle to survive questionable choices in production or arrangement, but each disc includes at least one song everyone should hear.

Here’s the Cohen catalogue to date, with our ratings and commentary. For each album, we have selected a canonical song, one that always elicits a gasp of joyful recognition, and a lesser-discussed classic.

All of the albums – except the new disc, Old Ideas – were recently issued in an essential, reasonably-priced box set titled Leonard Cohen: The Complete Studio Albums. The presentation is bare-bones: an unadorned cardboard sleeve, featuring original artwork, for each release, with all recording details squeezed into a single booklet covering the entire oeuvre. Spartan packaging aside, it should be in every home.

The many live Cohen albums are not included here, but the best are Field Commander Cohen – Tour of 1979 (2001) and Live In London (2009).

Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1967, Five stars: The astonishing debut, which introduced all Cohen obsessions – love, faith, betrayal and despair among them – through inventively-arranged songs that became instant classics.

Canonical: Suzanne

Also indispensable: Sisters of Mercy

Songs From a Room, 1969, Three and a half stars: Nothing wrong with the songs, although the performance and production sound a bit clunky. And that Jew’s Harp on half the album? Really bad idea.

Canonical: Bird on the Wire

Also indispensable: Story of Isaac

Songs of Love and Hate, 1971, Four and a half stars:

Almost as stunning as the debut, with tastefully subdued string arrangements that bring warmth even to the sad songs.

Canonical: Famous Blue Raincoat

Also indispensable: Avalanche

New Skin For the Old Ceremony, 1974, Four stars: The arrangements are more full-bodied and what was the LP’s second side is a tour de force, but when Cohen tries yelling as a vocal approach, it’s hard not to wince.

Canonical: Take This Longing

Also indispensable: Who By Fire

Death of a Ladies’ Man, 1977, Two and a half stars: The ill-advised collaboration with Phil Spector, the king of sonic clutter, makes it the odd album out in the Cohen oeuvre, but it’s not quite as bad as conventional wisdom would have it.

Canonical: nothing

Indispensable: that would be generous, but Memories is a cool track

Recent Songs, 1979, Four stars : Some of the strongest melodies and most intriguing arrangements to date (Mariachi horns?) make this a spectacular return to form. Three cheers for Raffi Hakopian’s violin.

Canonical: Came So Far For Beauty

Also indispensable: The Gypsy’s Wife

Various Positions, 1984, Five Stars: The one Columbia initially refused to release (it finally did so in 1990 after it had been out on an indie label). The fact that this was a masterpiece, with robust melodies and a generosity of spirit, didn’t seem to matter to the suits. “Look, Leonard, we know you’re great,” Cohen later quoted label president Walter Yetnikoff as saying, “But we don’t know if you’re any good.”

Canonical: Hallelujah

Also indispensable: Dance Me to the End of Love

I’m Your Man, 1988, Four stars: Unfortunate ‘‘80s production values can’t capsize what is almost a greatest-hits album in itself. The deep, deep voice surfaces here.

Canonical: I’m Your Man

Also indispensable: Tower of Song

The Future, 1992, Three stars: Some brilliant songs, but Cohen’s fascination with synthesizers deepens, to the album’s detriment. For the first time, some tracks are actually throwaways.

Canonical: Closing Time

Also indispensable: Democracy

Ten New Songs, 2001, Three stars: Collaborator Sharon Robinson becomes Cohen’s right-hand woman and the mechanical keyboard sound threatens to sink some excellent material. Cohen’s voice is now a heavily-mic’ed whisper.

Canonical: In My Secret Life

Also indispensable: The Land of Plenty

Dear Heather, 2004, Two and a half stars: Uneven, at times even forgettable, this rambling meditation on aging found Cohen’s voice in even rougher shape, and the synths continued to dominate. But even lesser Cohen albums have their sweet spots.

Canonical: nothing

Indispensable: Nightingale



Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/Cohen+catalogue+goes+back+astonishing+debut/6027465/story.html#ixzz1k3BIqioM

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Don't Try to Adjust Your Set,We Control the vertical,the horizontal (and we are trying to Control Pretty much Everything You Do)

         Govt' intervention with the internet (like they aren't doing it already anyway) but now Censorship for the Internet.....Yup the Govt (Big Brother for short) wants to make sure us little darlings don't hurt ourselves by communicating with one another ,unless they know what we are talking about.......sounds like the Soviet Socialist Republic (remember them) while Russia and the like become more & more free,we become more oppressed (but it's for our own good you know)- lol ......he sees you when your sleeping ,he knows when your awake,he knows if you've been Bad or Good....so be Good for Goodness Sake

 hahahahaha          nope not Santa just  your friendly Nanny State Governments taking care of you while they rob you blind....Ok that's my rant......hahahahah here's the story from the paper.

   "We oppose these bills because there are smart, targeted ways to shut down foreign rogue websites without asking American companies to censor the Internet," a Google spokesman said.

WASHINGTON — Wikipedia and Google joined hundreds of other websites Wednesday in a sprawling online protest against legislation in the U.S. Congress intended to crack down on Internet piracy.

Wikipedia shut down the English version of its online encyclopedia for 24 hours to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate version, the Protect IP Act (PIPA).

Google blotted out the celebrated logo on its U.S. home page with a black banner and published an exhortation to users to "Tell Congress: Please don't censor the Web!"

Like Wikipedia, social news site reddit also went dark, urging visitors to call their lawmaker or sign a petition opposing the House and Senate bills.

"These bills provide overly broad mechanisms for enforcement of copyright which would restrict innovation and threaten the existence of websites with user-submitted content," reddit said.

Culture and technology blog Boing Boing also took itself offline to protest what it called "legislation that would certainly kill us forever."

Reporters Without Borders shut down its English-language website for 24 hours warning that the bills "would sacrifice online freedom of expression in the name of combating piracy."

Blogging platform WordPress.com covered its home page with black banners with the word "censored" as did technology magazine Wired.

The popular Cheezburger humor network posted messages of opposition to the bills on all of its 58 sites, which include icanhascheezburger.com, FAIL Blog and The Daily What.

The draft legislation has won the backing of Hollywood, the music industry, the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other groups.

The Business Software Alliance has welcomed House efforts to curb software piracy but has said "valid and important questions have been raised about the bill."

The Senate is scheduled to vote on PIPA on January 24 but Republican House speaker John Boehner said Wednesday there was a "lack of consensus at this point" on SOPA, the House version, and it would need work in committee.

The bills have come under fire from digital rights and free speech groups for allegedly paving the way for U.S. authorities to shut down websites accused of online piracy, including foreign sites, without due process.

"Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet," Wikipedia said in a message at its darkened website. "For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia."

Other Web giants such as Twitter, Facebook and Craigslist declined to shut down for the day but expressed their opposition to the legislation.

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey urged his 1.8 million followers to tweet, email and call and "tell Congress NO."

Facebook said it takes online piracy and copyright infringement "very seriously" but the bills "are not the right solution to this problem, because of the collateral damage they would cause to the Internet."

U.S. visitors to Craigslist were met with a message of opposition to the legislation and had to click on a link to continue on to the site.

The founders of Google, Twitter, Wikipedia, Yahoo! and other Internet giants said in an open letter last month the legislation would give the U.S. government censorship powers "similar to those used by China, Malaysia and Iran."

"We oppose these bills because there are smart, targeted ways to shut down foreign rogue websites without asking American companies to censor the Internet," a Google spokesman said.

The White House expressed concern about the anti-online piracy bills in a statement over the weekend.

"While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet," it said.

News Corp. chief executive Rupert Murdoch, who backs the U.S. legislation, accused the "blogosphere" of "terrorizing many senators and congressmen who previously committed" to supporting it.

"Nonsense argument about danger to Internet. How about Google, others blocking porn, hate speech, etc? Internet hurt?" he wrote on Twitter.

...........hmmm more rant (or opinion) Robert Murdoch is in favour, the very mouthpieces screaming 'freedom of sppech' at every turn don't want you to get any other ideas than the ones he & other media giants want you read.     We are back to the 60's baby.Trust  No One ( especially those 'under' 30 up & coming execs,....you know the 'New World Order types.......... lol

                         Have Fun & Remember Verdun (that's not an order ,just a suggestion). - lol          -                    Cheers!         Les (I have to go now there's a black SUV just pulled up and some suits coming to my door......)       

                          

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Look Who's 70..............Happy Birthday Muhammad Ali...The Greatest

Love him or hate him ,he was "The Greatest" & arguably the most influential Athlete of the last 50+ years....(not to mention a great Boxer)

 Happy Birthday at 70, he 'shook ' up the world alright & now it's his chosen sport that leaves him shaking..but he handles his affliction with some decorum of class.

 

 

                              ...........................Cheers ! HF&RV  ........... - Les

Saturday, January 14, 2012

MountRoyalTunnel

 The Mount Royal Tunnel                                                          The Gazette, Jan. 17, 1917

Nearly five years ago Messrs. S.P. Brown, chief engineer, and J.C.K. Stuart, chief assistant, of the Mount Royal Terminal & Tunnel Company, began driving the tunnel through Mount Royal, and although unavoidable delays have been encountered, the passage from Lagauchetiere street to the western portal, three miles in length, was yesterday officially announced as practically completed with a large gang of men at work laying a double and permanent track from one end of the tunnel to the other.

Sir Donald Mann is now engaged looking over tenders which have been received for the construction of a reinforced concrete and steel structure at the northwest corner of Lagauchetiere and St. Monique streets, which, when completed at a probable cost of $150,000 a few months hence, will be used as the starting point for trains for Quebec, Ottawa, and, in fact, for the Canadian Northern trains across the continent.

A contract will also be given almost immediately for the removal of 200,000 cubic yards of excavation work for the site of the company's station, and of this amount 140,000 cubic yards will be taken through the tunnel in order to ballast the company's yards at Cartierville, the balance to be disposed of as the engineers of the company may see fit.

The statement was made at headquarters yesterday that the CNR regular trains will be running out and coming into Montreal during the month of June.

It is estimated that the entire site for the Canadian Northern Station can be excavated in the space of four months, and the new temporary station on Lagauchetiere street will either be built now or its construction will take place on the opening of spring. There will not, however, be any delay in using the tunnel for the passage of both the local and transcontinental service.

As the trains to and from Cartierville will be moved by electricity rather than steam, there will be no ventilation difficulties, and the lighting of the tunnel will be an after consideration.

Two of the six electrical eighty-ton locomotives are now to be seen at the western portal and they are to be used for moving the excavation trains from the station site to the Cartierville yards and later on for the regular service.

The laying of the ties and steel, which is already under way, gives promise of a very permanent piece of work in keeping with the enterprise as a whole.

                                             

Typical Accident On a Street Corner in Verdun

These 2 photos may seem just another typical accident in Verdun but they have a story to tell. These photos where taken by the Verdun Police Department on the 7th of August 1955 at the corner of Bannantyne and Church. The police department decided to make a clean up in their archives and they where donated to us ()SHGV) for safe keeping by one of our loyal members. I was on duty today and decided to go through our albums and wanting to share the photos with MVC members, i took them home and scanned them.

First of all we can see the tramway tracks which as we all know where removed in 1959. The photo showing the Pontiac against the Steel post is looking towards the south east and on the right is Bannantyne going towards Hickson and on the left is Church going towards the Aqueduct. The building in the background was replaced by a more modern building and I will take a photo on my next trip to Verdun.

The other photo showing the Pontiac's front end smashed against the steel post was taken looking west on the right towards LaSalle and on the left is Church street looking towards the river.

This is the same corner where the lady who garded the school children crossing the street was killed about 2 years ago and was mentioned on this site.

Also I have a  personal reason for my posting these photos is that I also was a gardian helping the school children crossing the street in the early 40s when I went to the Notre Dame du Cénacle school which was just down the street between Church and Hickson. which was replaced by a residential complex.

Another incident that happened in the early 40s on a cold slippery winter evening when me and one of my friends where crossing the street, my friend was hit by a car and ended up under it. He was taken to the hospital with severe head injuries and spent several weeks in the hospital but survived with no permanednt damage as far as I can remember. You can't keep those Verdun boys down.

Isn't it amazing the story a photo can tell.

Guy

 

Monday, January 9, 2012

Montreal Revisited in B&W's (Hmmm sounds like what we've been doing all along)

MONTREAL - 1925: Horse-drawn delivery wagons trundle past Nelson's column in Old Montreal. 1933: Pedestrians stop to look at drainage pipes being installed on Park Ave. (long before it was changed to Parc). 1944: A shopkeeper peers out from the entrance to Warshaw's grocery on the Main. 1951: A nun smiles from the steps of a downtown refuge for destitute women and children. 1958: Drivers slow down for toll booths at the entrance to the Jacques Cartier Bridge. 1963: A young mother mops the floor before being evicted from a tenement in Ste. Marie.

These are just some of the 190 images in Vivre Montréal 1920-1969, a new book of blackand-white photographs culled from the extensive archives of the city of Montreal. For anyone who grew up here, each picture evokes a memory: an outdoor clothesline weighed down with washing, the first Expos baseball game at Jarry Park, a shot of women sunning themselves with aluminum reflectors on a winter's day on Mount Royal. And for those new to the city, it offers a miniature history lesson on every page.

"It's important to show what Montreal used to be like; it's also important for people who love Montreal," said the city's chief archivist, Mario Robert, who co-authored the book with his archives colleagues Julie Fontaine and Mireille Lebeau. Together, they plowed through 6,000 miniature images on contact sheets before making a rough cut of 500; from those, they chose the 190 for the book. It was a formidable task, and only skimmed the surface of the archive's collection of 1.5 million photos dating back to the hiring of the city's first photographer in 1920.

"This book is a popular history of Montreal - you learn so much about the city," said Robert, who has worked at the municipal archives for two decades. "For instance, there's a picture of Eleanor Roosevelt visiting Montreal city hall in 1960, two years before she died. What an extraordinary woman, and to think that she improvised a speech on democracy, in French, when she was 76 - imagine how special that was for the time, when people were already considered old at 60."

There are other historic moments: the first Stanley Cup parade in 1956, Jackie Robinson signing the city registry in 1958, or, in 1954, newly elected mayor Jean Drapeau being scrummed by none other than René Lévesque, who was a Radio-Canada reporter at the time. Other scenes show history being made in music: the Beach Boys deliriously applauded by screaming fans at Maurice Richard Arena in 1965, or, the same year, a young René Angélil singing with Les Baronets in front of St. Michel city hall.

Some images showcase things uniquely Québécois: May West cakes trundling down the conveyor at the Stuart industrial bakery in 1952, an army jeep pulling the lead float in the 1947 St. Jean Baptiste parade, Kik Cola being advertised as "the king of soft drinks," Ben Finkelstein's store on St. Urbain St., a downtown newspaper kiosk in 1966 advertising La Presse and Le Devoir and whose elderly hawker wears a Montreal Star money bag around his waist.

The collection also has a Gazette connection: there's a series of 17 photos taken by a young photographer named Gordon Beck who worked at Expo 67 and was the city of Montreal's chief photographer at Man and His World in 1968 and 1969. Beck went on to work at the Star and, much later, from the late 1980s to his retirement, this newspaper, during which he continued indulging his passion for history by chronicling changes in Montreal's architecture and landscape.

Among Beck's images in the book are several portraits of young people: a lovely candid shot of Man and His World hostesses taking a sun break, giddy children riding the roller-coaster at La Ronde, hippies listening eyes-closed to a Frank Zappa concert at dusk, a bare-armed blonde in a miniskirt whose pattern is a blown-up photo of Pierre Trudeau, a little girl asleep atop her father's shoulders during a celebration for the national day of Lebanon.

"What was great about Man and His World was I was able to look at what was happening, who was visiting, what entertainment there was - I had carte blanche to enjoy myself and document things at the same time," Beck recalled in an interview. "I was like a kid locked in a Toys 'R' Us for 24 hours." He now lives in Merrickville, Ont. with his wife, Eva, and is working on a book about ghost towns of Saskatchewan with author and journalist Alan Hustak, who worked as a reporter at The Gazette for many years.

Printed in 4,000 copies, Vivre Montréal stops in 1969, the year the city's photo department switched to shooting in colour. For aesthetic reasons and to limit the book's scope, the archivists decided to make the book exclusively black-and-white. For now, it's also only available in French, although an English translation might not be far down the road - perhaps as early as next year, when the archives celebrate their 100th anniversary.

"I've spoken to the publishers, and they've never done a book in English, but this would be a perfect book for Montrealers who left in the 1970s," said Robert, who grew up in Longue Pointe, the son of a grocer, and whose family traces its origins back to New France. "It would also be just the thing for people who arrived after the 1970s, who wonder about the Montreal that was."

Either way, it's like the old motto says: Je me souviens.

Vivre Montréal 1920-1969 is published in French by Les Publications du Québec. It's the 20th volume in its series of photography books called Aux limites de la mémoire, and retails for $32.95. To see an online sample of 14 illustrated pages from the book, go to tinyurl.com/d6m4hbv


Well we have been finding & sharing photos here on this Verdun Connections site for many years now,well I can't wait to see this book,and see what other old pics they have for us.....but from the sounds of some described in the article,we have seen most of those..but I'm sure there will be others for us to spark our memory banks....
                        ...Cheers HF&RV.............................. - Les

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Terry DiMonte

I have now added Terry DiMonte to my album no. 12 of the growing list of  Verdun personalities who have made good.

http://shgverdun.multiply.com/photos

Guy

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Verdun Kid (Terry DiMonte) Back on the Air @ CHOM

That's Terry DiMonte with well kown Montreal radio celeb George Balcan (remember that name ?) I'm sure some of you do....

Seems Terry got offered some great do-re-mi to hit the airwaves in Calgary,but he's back in Montreal now......

............and he's eager to get back to his show......on the radio.

 

MONTREAL - A little over four years ago, Terry DiMonte was conducting his goodbye tour of the city, taking in his favourite haunts and people. Over a cheeseburger and a plate of homefries at Cosmo’s, and, soon after, a couple of martinis at Ziggy’s, he reckoned that he had better get out of town before he exploded and his liver became the size of Alberta.

After being a fixture on the Montreal radio dial for 24 years, mostly at CHOM, DiMonte took the agonizing decision to leave town to become the morningman at Calgary’s Q107.

He got an offer he couldn’t refuse from Q107, an escalating five-year deal that would culminate with a salary in the mid-six-figure range that would make him one of the most highly paid and secure radio personalities in the country. He also got an offer he could refuse from then-CHOM management. Money notwithstanding, he also had his issues with the former management team.

But times change. So do management teams. And, so for that matter, has DiMonte. Starting Monday, he will again be spinning discs and schmoozing as CHOM’s new-old morningman.

DiMonte returns to town almost 100 pounds lighter and with a slimmer liver. Evidently, there was less temptation on the eating and tippling fronts in Calgary. “I’m not the fat man that I was,” he jokes. “But I’ve got to be careful. In my first 20 hours back here, I hit Joe Beef and Da Emma and had smoked meat and steamies and must have put on 10 pounds. But it’s back to the egg-whites now.”

More importantly, DiMonte, who just turned 54 a few days ago, feels refreshed and rejuvenated.

“Calgary was really good for me,” he says. “It pushed a reset button for me. I was in a bad way at CHOM in my last year. I hated my program director (who is no longer there). He was making my life and everyone else’s there miserable.

“I was lucky Calgary called when it did. It gave me a new appreciation of where I come from. The fresh air there didn’t hurt. I wasn’t distracted. I got healthier and cleared my mind. But I never stopped missing Montreal.”

DiMonte is true-blue Montreal and remains one of the precious few anglo-Montreal media celebs, particularly in radio. He is also a voice that Montrealers, anglos and Francos, can put a mug to.

He didn’t go into hiding when his shift was done. He lived and hung out in the city. He became involved not just in the nightlife but in all aspects of the community as well. He was a spokesperson for everything from the Missing Children’s Network to the West Island Palliative Care Centre. He is a – yes, bilingual – kid from Verdun who never forgot his roots.

But DiMonte has a confession: “When I was in Calgary, I did cheer on the radio for the Flames. But the first thing I did when I moved there was get RDS on satellite – although at first the agent at the cable company had no idea what RDS was. I will always bleed bleu, blanc, rouge for my Habs.”

DiMonte left one year on the table at Q107 in returning to Montreal. A year that would have reportedly paid him around $500,000. “It was lucrative,” he said, not denying or confirming that figure. “Nobody gets paid like that in Montreal radio on the English side.”

So one could assume he is taking a pay cut in coming here. “You could say that,” he replies.

DiMonte allows that one of the reasons Q107 lured him to Calgary was that it wasn’t a ratings powerhouse. “Calgary is an unbelievably competitive radio market. With 23 stations, there are more stations per capita than anywhere in Canada, and moving up even half a share point is a big deal.”

In his last ratings period in the fall, DiMonte was informed that his morning show hit No. 1 in its target demographic, men from 25 to 54. “So, in my last week there, I made my first bonus. I helped them get from No. 7 or 8 to No. 1 in our target demo. That was hugely gratifying. I felt I was able to leave Calgary with my head held high.”

He credits the new CHOM management team, led by station boss Martin Spalding, for luring him back to Montreal. Spalding flew to Calgary a year ago to meet with DiMonte for dinner. DiMonte assumed he was there on company business.

“After some small talk, Martin told me he had come to Calgary just to have dinner with me. I told him it was an awful long way just to come for a steak. He then told me that CHOM hadn’t been the same since I left. That was the nicest professional compliment I ever had. I nearly burst into tears. Management rarely says those kinds of things.”

Particularly when negotiating contracts.

“So that’s how it all started. But what’s funny is that Martin used to be my assistant decades back on a kid’s TV show called Switchback.”

DiMonte will have a new cast of support characters at CHOM. Heather Backman, who was once with CHOM’s sister station Virgin Radio 96, will serve as a co-host beginning Jan. 16. (Chantal Desjardins, the most recent morning-show co-host, joins Aaron Rand on sister station CJAD as of Monday.) Maureen Holloway, a one-time DiMonte radio crony, will be popping in to dish show-biz dirt. Hockey blogger Eric Engels will follow the fortunes of the Habs. And from the CJAD newsroom, Trudie Mason will keep listeners informed with the latest headlines.

But DiMonte won’t have his good friend and longtime sidekick Ted Bird, chirping sardonically about sports and current events. Bird, now co-host of the K103 Kahnawake morning show, had a rather acrimonious split from CHOM after DiMonte left.

“Ted likes to recount that when he left CHOM, he didn’t just burn bridges – he used a flame-thrower,” DiMonte relays. “I’ve never had more fun in radio than in having him sit across from me. But Ted is really happy where he is now.”

Bird doesn’t deny this current state of radio bliss: “I’m having as much fun now as I’ve had since working with Terry. It’s what Terry and I used to do. And it’s genuine. I’m glad for Terry that he’s back in town. I’m glad for the town that he’s back in town. And I’m glad CHOM recognizes that personality still counts for something.”

As for reuniting with his buddy, Bird doesn’t rule out anything: “I’m very happy where I am. My phone has been quiet. I haven’t been asked, but I remain open to any possibility.”

For his part, DiMonte doesn’t anticipate any turbulence upon his return. “I will respect the people who run the radio station and do what I’m asked. But the one thing I won’t do is argue radio philosophy,” he comments in reference to dealings with former CHOM management.

“I’ve had success doing what I do on air. I am who I am. I’m older now. I have confidence in my ability to deliver and compete. I will get involved with the community again.”

Nor does he fear his age is a factor at a rock station. In this age, some view his 54 as the new 34.

“My mentor, the late/great George Balcan stayed contemporary through his 60s,” DiMonte says. “You couldn’t say something au courant to him that he didn’t already know about. It’s a state of mind. I’ll always be curious.

“The only thing about being 54 is that I can’t do two nights in a row at Ziggy’s. But I can stay current.”

On many levels, little has changed in Montreal since DiMonte bolted four years ago, and that suits him fine.

“After working here for all these years, I was fed up with the crumbling infrastructure, high taxes and the constant pissing and moaning that always goes on here. Then I get on a plane and go: ‘Thank God, that’s behind me.’

“But then the next thing you know is that you get to a place where nothing is really going on. The economy is booming and people are talking about oil and gas and everyone is excited when the Stampede comes to town. Put it this way: one of the highlights of my stay in Calgary was at the Safeway and hearing from an aisle away: ‘Je pense pas, tabernac!’ I went running over to talk to that person.”

DiMonte abides by the theory that you can take the kid out of Montreal but not Montreal out of the kid.

“There’s a rhythm to the language and the city that you miss. When you’re there all the time, you say: ‘Oh Christ, here we go again.’ As I was leaving Calgary, people were saying to me that I was going back to the land of $1.30 gas, high taxes, language and political issues. I responded: ‘Yeah, but with all its warts, it’s home.’

“Montreal will always be home. It’s really a small price to pay to be among your people. I consider myself a very lucky man to be back here. And to know there will never

             .Well I'm sure Montreal extends a big Welcome for their old hometown boy.....

      Good Luck Terry    Cheers !!   HF&RV - Les