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Condo construction could affect train entrance
The main walkway to an AMT train station will soon become a condo construction zone.
According to the Gazette, the new Tour des Canadiens will be built on the walkway that is the main entrance to the Lucien L'Allier train station. The site is now known as Centennial Plaza located next door to the Bell Centre.
The AMT is in discussions with the Ville-MArie borough to ensure safe access to the station for commuters during construction. Work on the 48-storey tower is set to begin in early 2013 and continue for more than two years.
11 000 commuters use the Lucien L'Allier entrance daily.
Flickr Photo by: josmaltais
October 25th, 2012
Read by: Catlin Spencer
Stories by: Patrick Miller, Nikita Smith, Emilie Pirson and Chloe Deneumoustier
Produced by: Alyssa Tremblay
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion + catl. + Bloodshot Bill @ Corona Theatre
So, I'm weird. I do this thing where I save the bands that I like, and explore them at a later date. This includes TV on the Radio, or Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, or the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. I am a fanatic for Boss Hog (Jon's band with his wife Cristina Martinez), and I do have three Blues Explosion albums (Extra Width, Experimental Remixes, and Xtra Acme USA). I've even checked out their latest, Meat and Bone; but ask me to name one Blues Explosion track and I flounder. I just wanted to warn you, this review will be pretty devoid of track listings. Can ya handle it? Well all right, it's time for the BLUES EXPLOSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My expectations walking into the Corona Theatre were pretty simple: I wanted Jon to yell "BLUES EXPLOSION!!!" at least once, and I wanted to dance like I'd never be allowed to dance again. Jon Spencer, Judah Bauer, and Russell Simins did not disappoint me at all.
When I arrived, Toronto band catl. were halfway through their set. I'm not a huge fan of opening bands but catl. got me bouncing by the third song. catl. is a three-piece featuring (ex-Deadly Snake) Andrew Moszynski on drums and harmonica, lead guitarist and lead vocalist catl, and organ/percussionist Sarah Kirkpatrick, who also does vocals. Kirkpatrick was wearing this white-fringe dress that shimmied and shook in time to catl.'s rockin' dirty blues. Heir apparent to B-52's Kate Pierson, Kirkpatrick's groovy organ playing completely complimented her flaming hot vocals. catl himself can pick with the best of them, creating a meaty wall of sound that really roots the band in the blues tradition. Lastly, it was Moszynski's fevered drum beat that drew me to the stage, and it was his wailing on harmonica that induced me to stay. This band is passionate about what they play and you can see it in every sound, beat, and move they make. Rollicking upbeat twang, I completely understand why they were chosen to open and they warmed us up good.
Now here's a great idea and something I've actually never seen before: they got local musician Bloodshot Bill to play up in the balcony during intermission. Just him, a kick drum, his guitar, and super distinctive voice. Hair Brylcreemed to the max, he turned the Corona into an impromptu hootenanny. I like Bill's style, to a certain extent. I've seen him play before, and I've always felt he might actually go big if he could tone down the non-stop histrionic Buddy Holly gimmicks. That's just my humble opinion. He played six or seven songs in total. Towards the end of the set he got the remarkably staid crowd to get involved in a sing along. He actually gave us a choice, put it to a vote and no one wanted a slow song. Interestingly enough, when I looked around, it was only the girls that were grooving to Bloodshot Bill. LLBB, the ladies love Bloodshot Bill.
After that, the wait was short and the Blues Explosion appeared. Supporting the re-release of their entire catalogue, it almost seemed that, like us, the band couldn't wait to rock that stage off its foundations. No introduction needed, no patter till the fourth song. Rock and roll hoochie koo man. Do they still got it? Hell yah, in spades. Jon in leather pants, leaping and squatting all over the stage, looked like some kinda alt-rock Marc Bolan. Judah was as chill as ice in a leather jacket, barely movin' to the beat, with Russell pounding away on his drums with an unmatched frenzy.
Things I loved about this show:
- Super crunchy '90s guitar riffs
- Awkward fits and starts of songs that still managed to be fluid
- I fast became a sweaty mess doin' the dirty boogie.
- Watching Russel get the focus halfway through as he broke it down
- Meanwhile Jon posed for pics, the consummate rock star
Things Jon said to us:
- Who remembers the '90s? The '80s? The '70s?
- 'Cause She's On It! C'ause She's On It! She's On it!
- Yeah? YEAH! YEAH! BLUES EXPLOSION!!!!!!!
- Let's Do It Right!
- Who wants some hell?! (x15)
- Call and response like a real blues man. H!, h! E!, e! L!, l! L!, l!
- He screams like a Pterodactyl
- Do you Wanna do it?!!!
- Get Yer Pants Off!!!
In conclusion, it was a sonic assault torn apart and into by three surf garage rock revival blues musicians that are geniuses at creating a crescendo of noise tempered with sped up fast and furious funk. For their final song of the encore they were pawed like rock gods, and in case it wasn't clear, Jon picked up the mike stand, and dropped it with a final flourish as if to say, "Our work here is done, were blowing this pop stand!" Blues Explosion indeed.
October 24th, 2012
Hosted by: Sarah Deshaies
Stories by: Niki Mohrdar, Gregory Wilson & Jamie-Lee Gordon
Produced by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi
Nanotechnology revolution
Nanotechnology is set to take over the world sooner than we think, and Quebec is at the forefront, according to the Canadian University Press.
Arthur Carty, executive director of the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Nanotechnology, said it would have a similar impact as that of Internet back in the beginning.
It was only around 12 years ago that Canadian scientists and governments began to seriously take action to develop nanotechnology in Canada.
The availability of federal Canadian Foundation of Innovation funds is conditional on provinces providing matching funding.
To tap into federal funding for nanotechnology, NanoQuébec, Canada’s leading provincial initiative, was born.
NanoQuébec’s immediate goals were to enhance the quality and visibility of nanotech research in Quebec and to build infrastructure within Quebec industry and universities.
Though Quebec universities benefit from the NanoQuébec initiative, universities’ claims of being underfunded could have significant impacts on nanotech research and development efforts.
Nanotechnology could have major implications as it advances, and is an important field to focus on in the years to come.
Concordia goes to court over changing grade
By: Mr. Kaya
Concordia political science student, William Groombridge, has taken the university to court due to an incorrect letter grade.
According to The Link, Groombridge had completed an elective political science course in Energy Policy in December of 2011 with a final grade of 81 per cent after the final exam. This grade would leave Groombridge with an A-minus, as the departments grading systems grants students with a grade of 80 to 84 per cent is an A-minus
However, when Groombridge received his final grade it had gone down one letter grade to a B-plus.
Groombridge has stated that this is a violation of a contract between the student and the university, which was clearly laid out in the course outline. It is Groombridge’s belief that the department has broken that agreement.
Groombridge had attempted to sort the situation out with Casba Nikolenyi, the chair of the political science department, before taking his issue to small claims court, however Nikolenyi told Groombridge that his grade was final.
Groombridge continued to question several bodies at the university over the next few months however he had no luck ever reaching a solution to his problem. Groombridge tried to set up a meeting with the dean of the political science department however his attempts were not successful.
A demand letter was then delivered to the university by a bailiff that Groombridge had paid.
Groombridge asked for a refund for the course on April 19th because of non-performance and failure to respect terms of agreement. Concordia’s Office of the General Council contacted Groombridge and told him he would receive a response. This never happened.
After their deadline expired, Groombridge filed his case, which caused the university to file a defense.
As it currently stands under Section 16.3.1 of Concordia’s Undergraduate Calendar, the university reserves the right to make corrections to a students grade at any time in case of error.
In Groombridge’s class, roughly 45 per cent of the grades in question were in the A range. However, due to policies grades had been curved because marks were seen as being too high. In this case, the policy was not enforced properly.
Professor Felix von Geyer, now former Concordia part-time professor who had taught Groombridge’s class claims that he took the students who were at the lowest end of the scale of an A-minus and brought them down to a B-plus.
This is a new policy in the political science department and one that doesn’t seem to have any written form. The Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association has requested a copy of the policy to review however one was not provided.
Groombridge is now waiting for a court date but does not expect to see any results in the near future.
October 23, 2012
Hosted by: Kurt Weiss
Stories by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi, Catlin Spencer & Saturn de Los Angeles
Produced by: Catlin Spencer
Former Montreal engineer admits to meeting Mob boss
Gilles Surprenant has testified that he has met Mob boss Vito Rizzuto twice before.
According to CBC News, the former Montreal engineer met Rizzuto twice over the time he was accepting kickbacks on construction contracts.
They crossed paths in 1997 and 2002 both times while playing golf in the Dominican Republic and Terrebonne a suburb on Montreal’s north shore.
Surprenant testified last week that he accepted $600 000 in bribes over a period of ten years. In return for giving more money to construction companies through the contracts they won.
Surprenant’s testimony at the Charbonneau Commission follows that of former construction tycoon Lino Zambito. He testified that three percent of kickbacks from all construction projects went to the ruling Union Montreal party. Mayor Gerard Tremblay has denied the allegation.
Quebec high-school students are unhealthy, study says
A recent study paints a gloomy picture on the health of Quebec high-school students.
The study released by the Gazette on Monday shows Quebec teenagers don’t get enough exercise, eat poorly and one in seven face serious health risks from being overweight.
The first time survey of 63 000 students shows that as many as sixty percent drink alcohol and 24 percent take illegal drugs. Another disturbing discovery uncovered that nearly half of the students are unhappy with their body-image and that one in five is overweight or obese.
The study suggests that the current trend will keep rising with one in three teens in the province consume sugary drinks, candies and salted snacks daily.
With these discoveries, Weight Coalition a Quebec advocate for healthy eating and lifestyles is urging the province to act to decrease obesity among Quebec youths.
Flickr Photo by: Normanno XXIII
D.O.A. @ Les foufounes électriques
The spectacle at Foufounes Electriques on Monday night was no evening with your uncle and his dusty old punk LPs talking about the good ol’ days. Vancouver veteran rockers D.O.A. catered to a crowd of fresh faces who were hip to the new modernized and refined punk-rock, and also delivered a dose of Canadian grade-A punk nostalgia to the hoards of seasoned fans.
The band revived classics like "Class War", "Police Brutality", and "World War III", and D.O.A.’s latest lineup (with Dan Yaremko on bass and J.J Heath on drums) infused the old anarchist, anti-conformist anthems that crystallized D.O.A.’s place in the hardcore movement of the 1980’s with precision and modified energy. Joey Shithead displayed equal amounts of energy and vibrancy by swinging and wailing his guitar over his shoulder and around his head as he strummed dissonant chords. He experimented with a little Hendrix-esque guitar solos, and let his dentures play a few leads.
Joey growled into the microphone while the drum and bass thumped away in the background. This reggae and ska fan found comfort in the Clash inspired ska-punk tunes among the driving and fast songs. This supplied an interesting contrast of tight bass-drum riffs accompanied by Joey’s distorted guitar strokes.
D.O.A. jammed out a fuzzed up version of "War" to build up to the set's climax, with Joey and Dan doing callbacks of "War! What is it good for?! Absolutely nothing!" The crowd was energetic and danced and moshed throughout the entire set displaying ample familiarity with the bands material. D.O.A. prematurely left the stage only to return after a passionate cry for an encore from the now broken-in crowd. Their encore further encouraged by rounds of whiskeys that numerous die-hard fans enthusiastically supplied.
The crowd spiraled into a chaos of hair, leather, and airborne fists when the band broke into their self-titled theme song "D.O.A". After another calming ska number "War in the East", Joey Shithead expressed his appreciation to the crowd, indirectly referencing their infamous mantra of "talk minus action equals zero", stating that without crowds like the one present at Foufounes there would be no punk, only talk.
The evening ended with a prophetic message from the Canuck King of Punk Rock, "Together we will... Together we must... Bring this world to a better place." Wherever that place is, it most likely is wherever the D.O.A. is traveling next.
-- Mack Mackenzie hosts Revolution 33 1/3, Mondays at 2-3 pm
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