Martin C. Barry

Donald Trump in all his manifestations seems to be turning up just about everywhere these days – whether it’s on stage at Laval Senior Academy or on Saturday Night Live.

The newly-elected U.S. president’s mesmerizing influence was evident in LSA’s 2017 Blue & Gold Review ‘Trapped!,’ which they put together with the help of more than a half-dozen staffers who helped stage it at the Souvenir Blvd. school on the evenings of Feb. 24-25.

LSA welcomes Trump

In a scene towards the conclusion of the second act, an LSA student who bears a glancing resemblance to Trump – but who has a Trump-like crop of wavy blonde hair atop his head as a visual cue – takes over centre stage where he spouts Trumpisms for a short stretch. Whatever else he might be worth, the 45^th president of the U.S. is useful for comic relief as the butt of endless jokes.

The show, which drew more than 400 people both nights, drew on the talent of around 80 performers and nearly three dozen other behind-the-scenes people. It was the continuation of a tradition that began at the former Laval Catholic High School almost four decades ago as an extra-curricular activity, according LSA lab technician Ralph Di Iorio who was a staff advisor to the production.

Six months’ work

A tremendous amount of preparatory work went into the show, which included a succession of scenes featuring humorous situations and punch lines, between which were live music performances. Auditions began as early as last September, while rehearsals were underway since last October, said Renée St-Germain, an LSA French teacher who also served as an advisor.

“The nice thing about this is it’s cross-curricular,” said LSA principal Dena Chronopoulos. “They get drama, music, literature. They put all these together to create this performance, which was a process that lasted a good six months.”

An LSA group effort

According to Chronopoulos, the success of this year’s Blue & Gold review is concrete evidence that the two former high school communities, Laval Liberty and Laurier Senior, which were fused just a few years back to form the new Laval Senior Academy, have finally emerged as one.

“Clearly what the kids have accomplished they did as a unified school showcasing its talents,” said Chronopoulos. “Tonight it’s about the arts, it’s about celebrating, about love and unity. It’s about coming together and putting on something that’s spectacular in a way that wasn’t done before.”

Martin C. Barry

Students from a half-dozen Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board schools in Laval joined several hundred other pupils from all over the greater Montreal region at the Hellenic Community Centre in Montreal on Feb. 9 to perform selections of the French version of a children’s book and CD recording they worked on together which is based on the classic story of King Midas.

Continuing musical success

The many hundreds of proud parents, friends and supporters who attended the launch and concert heard not only from the project’s creators, but also enjoyed a mini performance of three choral pieces from the CD sung by 450 young choristers accompanied by the Ensemble Symphonique Panarmonia directed by Mark Dharmaratnam.

The new CD/book’s release followed the earlier success of music directors Dimitris Ilias and Maria Diamantis, as well as author and lyricist Glen Huser and composer Giannis Georgantelis, whose previous picture book/CD project, Le Temps des Fleurs, le Temps des Neiges, retold the myth of Demeter and Persephone.

Careful what you ask for

Illustrated by three-time Governor General’s Award-winning illustrator Philippe Béha and adapted into French by Robert Paquin, the latest work, L’Or du Roi Midas, invites readers and listeners into a world where the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for,” is borne out through a king who lusts for wealth and who responds to an offer by the god Dionysus that the king might be able to obtain anything he wants by simply asking that all he touches turns to gold.

At least 450 students representing more than 60 cultural backgrounds joined their voices to record the choral parts for this monumental children’s opera. The young vocalists came from 20 schools that are part of school boards all over the Montreal region, including the SWLSB, the English Montreal School Board and the Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys. The Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal’s Socrates-Demosthène schools were the project’s main partner.

Praise from SWLSB chair

“Communities are really diverse, and yet only together can a community really accomplish and create great things – and that means that participation is essential,” said SWLSB chairwoman Jennifer Maccarone. “So what’s been accomplished tonight is the collaboration of languages, of cultures, of regions and schools, and especially students. And it’s not just unique. It’s proof that when a community comes together, it is so powerful and inclusive. When we come together and we’re united for a cause, our power – in this case our voices – are unlimited.”

For music directors Ilias and Diamantis, it was more than a choir project. They noted that the young participants, while improving their vocalizing skills, also got a chance to discover the world of picture book illustrating, while learning how a professional-quality CD is put together from recording to mixing and editing. The young students also heard their voices soar while being accompanied by a symphony orchestra. And they got to meet some of the stars of Canadian literature, while having fun building their self-esteem, team spirit and discipline.

Six SWLSB Laval schools

SWLSB schools in Laval which participated in the project were Souvenir Elementary, St-Vincent Elementary, Hillcress Academy, Twin Oaks Elementary, Laval Junior Academy and Laval Senior Academy. The producers say that net profits from sales of the book/CD within the school systems will be donated to the participating schools to strenghten music education and literary exploration in their curriculum.

Martin C. Barry

A cozy bistro-bar just off Autoroute 15 in the heart of Laval’s industrial park that has gained popularity among connoisseurs of cutting edge music was the scene on Saturday Feb. 11 for the launch of Blues Train Station, a newly-surging Laval blues band’s latest album.

It’s been a long and hard-working road for the group, The Blues Berry Jam. Back in 1998, a group of young blues musicians took up the challenge of taking part in the Montreal FestiBlues International, in which a number of other groups were also taking part.

A fateful merger

Two of those groups decided to merge, and the following year Blues Berry Jam, consisting of five musicians and two female vocalists, took off. Since then, the group has performed at some of the best staging venues in the province, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival, as well as in Mont-Tremblant, Donnacona, Carleton and Beauport.

The group has also become known in many other parts of eastern Canada, including Edmonston and Caraquet in New Brunswick, and in Ottawa and London in Ontario. In the U.S., the group has accepted invitations to perform at the Red Bank Blues Festival in New Jersey. In addition, Blues Berry Jam has spread its wings to take its unique sound to France where they performed at the Blues-Sur-Seine festival in Mantes-La-Jolie.

Five musicians and a voice

Today Blues Berry Jam is made up of five instrumentalists but just one vocalist. The lineup consists of Lyne Bernard (vocals), Jean-Pierre Fréchette (harmonica, transverse flute and saxophone), Étienne Dextraze-Monast (bass, double bass), Jean-François Gauvreau (drums), Martin Courtois (keyboards, trumpet) and Sébastien Boisvert (guitar).

During their performance at the Rossignol Bistro-Bar on des Rossignols Blvd., the group performed several tracks from the new album, including the very lively and animated Blues Train. Some of the other selections on the album (which was produced by renowned Quebec guitarist J. D. Slim, a.k.a. Jean-Denis Bélanger, who has worked with Nanette Workman, Stephen Barry and Jim Zeller), are classic blues numbers like Dust My Broom (Robert Johnson) and Summertime (DuBose Heyward).

Rossignol club’s a rare find

For its part, the Rossignol Bistro-Bar proves the old adage to be true that some of the best things in life are often found off the well-trodden track. The club has become a venue for some of Canada’s more significant musical performers (though not always given all their due credit), like 1970s rocker Michel Pagliaro (who is booked at the Rossignol on March 24), and solo blues/jazz/R&B vocalist Kim Richardson who will be performing at the Rossignol on April 7.

Martin C. Barry

With an announcement last week that they have initiated the first steps towards opening a “Wellness Centre,” Chomedey-based Agape Youth and Parents Association has decided the time has come to take a big leap forward to serve some of the forgotten needs of English-speaking senior citizens in Laval.

The news was formally announced during a meeting of the Laval/Agape NPI Partners Committee at the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital on Feb. 16. NPI Partners, which was founded by Agape more than five years ago, gathers together organizations in Laval active in the health and social services sector for meetings during which they share strategies and trade information with an eye to serving a common cause.

A growing Anglo population

According to Agape executive-director Kevin McLeod who presented an outline for the project, 15,995 English-speaking people aged 55 years and older presently live in Laval and the number is growing. As bilingualism is more of a challenge to senior citizens the older they are, and this presents a barrier to their being able to access information from public health and social service institutions, Agape sees itself being able to provide a new service through its proposed centre.

“Agape right now is seeking to create a Wellness Centre for Laval’s English-speaking seniors that would offer health promotion and fitness,” McLeod said, while adding that future activities at the centre would be planned so as not to compete with already-existing services at other centres in Laval offering programs of activity to seniors.

Wellness and well-being

“This is really a place that would be centered on wellness and well-being and so really wouldn’t focus on leisure like many of the other groups that are represented here do,” said Agape social worker Ian Williams. All the same, added McLeod, it could offer a few social activities such as a bridge or knitting club.

“The Wellness Centre would encourage access to services in English,” said McLeod. “It would be the ideal place to create social initiatives for vulnerable seniors and caregivers. Through partnerships with public and private organizations the centre would be providing seniors with the necessary tools to promote mental, emotional and physical well-being.”

Elaborating on the sort of services that might be provided, McLeod stressed that “these would be always free activities,” including informational health and well-being sessions, as well as subjects pertinent to seniors such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, fall prevention and memory loss. The centre could also be offering legal information through expert speakers on issues such as the making of wills and mandates.

Grant applications made

McLeod read from a long list of “possible partners” who might be interested in joining the project, including the City of Laval, local MNAs and MPs, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, CISSS Laval, the Cummings Centre, the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital, the Golda Meir Chapter Hadassah Laval, the Alzheimer Society of Laval, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 251, Northlea United Church and the Laval News.

McLeod said Agape has so far submitted one grant application which would support the Wellness Centre for two years if accepted. He said the organization wants to rent space that would be especially adapted to accommodate seniors.

“I’m assuming it would most likely 95 per cent sure be in Chomedey in the region because the most amount of seniors are in Chomedey,” he said. He said Agape is waiting to receive a reply regarding the grant by Feb. 28. If it were to be approved, the project would begin on April 1 and would continue until March 31 2019. According to McLeod, the budget for two years would be $100,000.

No English at Place des Aînés

Laval city councillor Raynald Adams, who sits on the executive-committee representing senior citizens’ issues, attended the meeting along with Councillor Aline Dib who is responsible for family issues. Adams asked McLeod whether the Wellness Centre “would be comparable to what already exists, say, at Place des Aînés.”

After replying that Place des Aînés focuses more on leisure, McLeod recounted how he had difficulty getting service in English for his retired father at Place des Aînés. “He’s going to learn French pretty fast,” he recalled being told by a Place des Aînés official after asking whether his father could speak English there.

Martin C. Barry

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation’s annual winter fundraising gala raised more than $47,000 for educational projects to take place in the coming year at schools and training centres operated by the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board.

Held at the Embassy Plaza in Chomedey on the evening of Jan. 26, a highlight of the event was a set of performances by the Ultimate Showband. This year’s silent auction segment featured a large number of valuable collectibles which were eagerly snapped up by the end of the night.

Collectibles on the block

They included a signed Maurice Richard montage (high bid $650), a signed Patrick Roy jersey (high bid $525), an autographed jersey from former Montreal Expos right fielder Vladimir Guerrero (high bid $445), and a 10KT white gold diamond necklace (high bid $725). The evening’s top raffle prize – a $2,000 voucher from Voyages Universel good for travel to any destination – was won by Benoit Gauvin of Laval.

Among the guests were some of Laval’s leading elected officials, including Mayor Marc Demers, Quebec Minister for the Laval region Francine Charbonneau, Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette, Sainte-Rose MNA Jean Habel, Laval executive-committee vice-president David De Cotis, and city councillors Paolo Galati and Michel Poissant.

City behind the cause

In an interview with the Laval News, Mayor Demers noted that the City of Laval likes to maintain a strong bond of friendship and cooperation with the two school boards on its territory. “We are working for the same boss – the citizens of Laval – and we also have the same goal for our youth,” he said. “We work together and this is a very important occasion to raise funds to make sure our children get the best education they can.”

Launched in 2005, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation raises money to purchase teaching aids and technological equipment which are factors that encourage students to complete their studies. In Quebec, where government funding for public education is at an all time low, the SWLF helped pioneer the concept of raising additional money from donors.

Grateful for the support

According to SWLF president Chrisian Fréchette who delivered a key address along with SWLSB chairwoman Jennifer Maccarone, the foundation has raised more than $700,000 since the beginning of its activities. “What I felt earlier while meeting some of you here tonight was profound gratitude for everything you are doing for us,” said Maccarone.

“Whether it’s taking part in our galas or in the auctions, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation couldn’t exist without your valuable support. Your presence here this evening adds a human touch. You should know that you are making a difference in people’s lives and in mine also, and for that I can never thank you enough.”

City officials’ support

“This foundation is for a good cause,” said David De Cotis. “It’s for the children, for the students and for the future. That’s why we’re very happy to be here to support the cause.”

Paolo Galati, who attended as a member of the board of the foundation, as an SWLSB commissioner and as the Laval city councillor for Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, told Laval News that he’s been able to accomplish a lot for public education through his triple role. “I’m looking forward to seeing how much we raised this year,” he said.