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NEWS FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6TH 2018
Hosted by Patricia Petit Liang
Stories by Patricia Petit Liang, Allison O'Reilly and Calvin Cashen
Produced by Patricia Petit Liang
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LOCAL
By Patricia Petit Liang
The Montreal police service broke a historic agreement with Indigenous people by abruptly scrapping a sensitivity training plan created by a network of local Aboriginal groups.
According to CBC News, the SPVM initially agreed to have all of its officers undergo 4 hours of training about Indigenous history and culture in 2015.
The Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy Network spent hours and thousands of dollars developing this training program, expecting it to be adopted by police.
Nakuset, the executive director of The Native Women's Shelter of Montreal put together a 31-page manual and created interactive workshops at the request of police and only learned that the SPVM had replaced the program when she was told by CBC News.
NATIONAL
By Allison O’Reilly
Survivors of sexual assault from national ski coach Bertrand Charest are speaking out, demanding changes to the sport.
According to CTV News, an emotional press conference was held on Monday in which four of the many women who were sexually assaulted said he robbed them of their childhood.
Charest was convicted of 37 counts of sexual assault and related charges for a series of crimes committed in the 1990s.
This is the first time the victims were able to speak in public about what they endured after going to court to lift a publication ban.
INTERNATIONAL
By Calvin Cashen
An active volcano erupted in Guatemala killing more than 69 villagers on Sunday.
According to BCC News, the villagers were killed by a phenomenon known as “Pyroclastic flows”, a lethal plume of ash formed by volcanic gases and dust particles.
Authorities confirmed that some residents were able to flee the region in time, while others chose to stay in their homes.
Much of the region remains covered in ash.
Experts say the eruption has since subsided, but warned locals of encountering mudslides and debris in the coming weeks.
CJLO's Top Picks at Fringe Fest 2018
Montreal's St-Ambroise Fringe Festival is finally here! For nearly three weeks, be ready to watch and hear the best and weirdest of local and international culture, both in English et en français. CJLO will be covering the best of Fringe, and to launch our series of articles, here are our Fringe Team's top picks for this year's Fringe festival.
Erica’s picks
Fliers and posters covering every available surface, people walking around in strange costumes, familiar faces, music, excited crowds. Small tables parked on the sidewalk, with a friendly face inviting people into their venue. Step into any of them, and you’ll be transported to another world, as you witness something birthed from a stranger’s love of theatre. The strongest sense of community I have ever experienced; I love everything about the Montreal Fringe Festival.
Dance Side of the Moon: The festival hasn’t even started yet, but there are already a number of things that I am extremely excited to see. For starters, Dance Side of the Moon (Freestanding Room) is a dance piece set to Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of the Moon. I love Pink Floyd and I love dance, so this really sounds like a winning combination to me.
4’33” in Baghdad (venue 9) calls itself an “immersive and interactive academic strip tease.” After hosting The F Hole for so many years and constantly promoting the idea that behind every pretentious classical music attitude is a deceivingly immature sense of humour, it would feel like a personal betrayal to not attend this play.
Justice On The Ropes: A Clint Hacker Mystery (venue 11) promises to be a creative interlocking of the professional wrestling world with a classic film noir mystery. I know absolutely nothing about wrestling, but the Fringe Festival is a time to learn new things and have different experiences. Plus, there is something oddly enticing about a film noir mystery done with a wrestling theme. Maybe the real mystery will be, “why didn’t anyone think of this sooner?”
There are so many more plays that I want to see, and I am now faced with the difficult task of deciding what can fit into my schedule. Wish me luck, and I hope I see you out there.
Chris' picks
Chris hosts Sewer Spewer, every Monday at noon.
[…]morph: I really enjoyed the absurdity of A David Lynch Wet Dream from two Fringes ago, so when I heard that the same people will be putting on a play this year, I knew I had to see it. I have no idea what it’s about, I just want to see something that’s dark, bizarre and completely unpredictable.
Betch A Sketch: Here’s another play I don’t know too much about, I’m only familiar with the creators; Montreal’s own alt-rock band Pope Joan (who will also be performing at the Fringe Park). The play is described as “five women on a mission to hijack your imagination,” so that makes it all the more intriguing.
Slaying In Suburbia: An Interactive Murder Mystery: It seems like the only way to shake up the monotony of suburban life is to have a killer on the loose. But wait, an interactive murder mystery? Does this mean that the audience has to crack the case? What happens if we choose wrong? Only one way to find out.
Patricia's picks
Patricia hosts Fatal Attraction, every Thursday at 11 AM.
Apocalipsync: Humanity is a Drag: Montreal’s legendary House of Laureen is back at it again with a post-apocalyptic lip sync extravaganza. Starring Laureen’s Uma Gahd, Dot Dot Dot and Anaconda LaSabrosa as well as the iconic Peaches Lepage, this show is guaranteed to snatch your edges and leave you gagging! Don’t miss these stunning queens challenge corrupt politicians and oppression within society!
Greasy: A Lesbian Love Story: Glam Gam Productions subverts Grease’s problematic narratives in this smutty, queer parody. They’ll teach you about gender identity, polyamory, homosexuality, consent and more in the sexiest ways possible! They even have a live band and intensely choreographed fight scenes! But most importantly, Greasy features an amazing cast with our city’s most talented and empowering performers!
What The Hell Happened To My Patio Furniture: With such a bizarre premise, I’m dying to see this show! Come watch this epic furniture mystery unfold at Montreal Improv Espace B. This thrilling play stars the incredible Joshua Budman, whose improv skills cannot be beat! Come to find out what happened to Joshua’s chairs and stay for his outstanding comedic stylings.
Stay tuned for our Fringe coverage in the coming weeks!
NEWS FOR MONDAY, JUNE 4TH 2018
Hosted by Patricia Petit Liang
Stories by Karl Knox and Patricia Petit Liang
Produced by Patricia Petit Liang
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NATIONAL
By Karl Knox
Canada's Auditor General, Michael Ferguson has found that federal government and Indigenous Services Canada are failing indigenous people when it comes to measuring the success of costly programs designed to serve the population.
According to CBC News, Ferguson criticized the government for not adequately measuring or reporting on progress in reducing socio-economic gaps on First Nations reserves - stating that it is not even using what little data it does have to improve education on reserves.
Ferguson discovered that a $40 million program designed to help Indigenous students into post-secondary education had a success rate of only 8 percent and that there was no attempt by the government to work with First Nations or educational institutions to improve the situation.
NATIONAL
By Patricia Petit Liang
Thousands of Palestinians attended the funeral of the volunteer medic who was killed by Israeli forces during protests on the Gaze border on Saturday.
According to BBC News, 21 year old Razan al-Najar was killed while trying to help injured civilians on Friday.
More than 100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces over the last few weeks during protests in support of the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their ancestral homes in what is now Israel.
NATIONAL
By Patricia Petit Liang
More than 35 people were killed after their boat capsized off the coast of Tunisia on Sunday.
According to BBC News, 67 others were rescued by the coastguard.
Tunisia has become an important new route for migrants seeking asylum in Europe over the last few months.
Fringe-for-All: What's Coming This Year @ Fringe
Montreal’s Fringe Fest has officially begun! Now is the perfect time to pick up the program and start planning which shows you want to see. But sometimes, the short descriptions of shows can be vague. When in doubt, there’s Fringe-For-All, a chance for media and spectators to get a short preview of each show. Artists are given two minutes of stage time to do whatever they want. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a scene from their show, but it’s an opportunity to introduce the themes, the overall plot or the characters. At the one-minute mark, the lights will flicker to give a warning. If the artists go beyond two-minutes, the sound will cut and the lights will go out.
This year, Fringe-For-All took place at Club Soda. Upon entering I was met with the eyes and shouts of the performing artists, segregated to balcony section of the main room. The evening began with a speech from artistic director (read: fearless leader) Amy Blackmore. Switching between French to English, Blackmore opened with a poem, which can be summarized simply as “fuck what anyone tells you, do what you want, achieve your dreams.” After a roaring approval from the audience, Blackmore invited the three hosts of the evening: Kenny Struele, Dayane Ntibarikure, and Cat Lemieux, who showed her support by wearing a large, inflatable bee costume. Throughout the night, the hosts would come on the stage between previews to crack a joke and introduce the next act.
Two minutes is not a lot of time to sell your show. Artists had to make an impression in a grandiose fashion, whether it was throwing candy or whoopee cushions into the audience, stripping down to their undergarments (or even their bare breasts) or making a wet mess on the stage. Near the end of the night, it begins to get exhausting, especially if the event runs late as it did. You can only clap and holler so many times. But the hosts tried their best to break the monotony and low energy with 11-second dance parties.
Of the previews, a few stick out in my memory: SCUM FM for cracking a Nazareth record over the head of a heartless executive. Mid Knight for smashing a piñata representing childhood. CLIO for their puppet of a giant clitoris. Is That How Clowns Have Sex? for answering audience questions about sex in as little time as possible. And finally, […]morph for their truly surreal performance set to a very creepy version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Are you kicking yourself for missing the Fringe-For-All? Don’t worry, because there will be an International Fringe-For-All (featuring all the out-of-town acts) on June 6th at Petit Campus. Also, if you’re setting out this week to catch some Fringe shows, don’t forget to tweet your thoughts with the hashtag #FringeBuzz
CJLO @ Pouzza Fest 8
The eighth edition of Montreal’s punk music extravaganza, better known as Pouzza Fest, kicked off the festival season over the Victoria Day weekend, taking place outdoor at Quartier des spectacles and indoors at several establishments centered around the area.
This year’s fest featured some returning Pouzza alumni like MU330 and The Creepshow, while welcoming some new bands like Reel Big Fish and Face to Face. Punk music has always been known for its political message, and War on Woman and Anti-Flag made sure that fire kept burning at the outdoor stage on Saturday night.
One of the fest’s many highlights was Montreal’s own Grimm Skunk’s performance on Sunday night. The Quartier des spectacles was packed for the local heroes making their long anticipated appearance at Pouzza. Other notables were Get Dead and Brutal Youth; both bands gave it all on the Foufounes stage. A Wilhem Scream’s sold out show was also a hit, which sadly for this reporter started long after the closing of this town’s metro system.
It’s great to see the fest grow larger year after year. Even with the rain on Saturday night, the outdoor stage was still packed with wet eager fans. After three short days of music, comedy—yes, Pouzza Laughs at Theatre Sainte-Catherine—and softball, everyone was left exhausted and wanting more, already waiting to see what number nine has in store.
1. (main picture) MU330 getting their ska on.
2. War On Women made a statement.
3. Shawna Porter lead singer from War On Woman.
4. Anti-Flag closed out the first night of the festival. Justin Sane foreground, Chris Barker middle and Pat Thetic on drums.
5. TJ Maher from the Nashville band Ghost Town Remedy.
6. The Mad Murdocks at Foufounes Electriques.
7. Trevor Keith of the Southern California band Face to Face. Danny Thompson on drums.
8. Pouzza Fest fans.
9. Making a return to Pouzza Fest Kenda “Twisted” Legaspi of The Creepshow.
10. Wasted Potential making the most of their show at Foufs 2.0.
11. Stephen Brodsky and his screaming guitar of the Brooklyn New York band Mutoid Man.
12. A bit of rain Saturday night couldn’t stop the show.
13. Sam King of Get Dead (middle), Tim Mehew on Bass (left) and Scott Powell on drums.
14. Ramones fan Brad Manners of the band School Damage.
15. Quebec rock icons Grimskunk put on a show Sunday night. Peter Edwards left and Vincent Peake on right.
16. Getting bloody, Patty, lead singer of Brutal Youth.
17. The end of another Pouzza Fest, we are not worthy.
NEWS FOR MONDAY, MAY 28TH 2018
Hosted by Patricia Petit Liang
Stories by Karl Knox and Patricia Petit Liang
Produced by Patricia Petit Liang
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LOCAL
By Patricia Petit Liang
Indigenous chiefs denounced Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project at a protest in Montreal on Sunday.
According to CBC News, Assembly of First Nations regional Chief Ghislain Picard, Mohawk Chief Serge Simon and Innu Chief Jean Charles Pietacho spoke out against the pipeline.
The chiefs were joined by hundreds of protestors, including environmental activists, union members and First Nations groups.
NATIONAL
By Karl Knox
The two male suspects of the Mississauga, Ontario bombing that injured fifteen people at the Bombay Bhel restaurant on Thursday are still at large.
According to CBC News, the motive for the bombing remains a mystery.
The owner of the family run restaurant Mohan Nagpal and his son-in-law Ilija Vasic were shaken by the incident and are hoping to reopen the restaurant later this week.
INTERNATIONAL
By Patricia Petit Liang
The Republic of Ireland has voted to overturn their abortion ban with more than 66 percent of the population voting in favor of abortion.
According to BBC News, the referendum was held on Friday.
Before the new law becomes official at the end of this year, abortion will still only be allowed when a woman's life is at risk, but not in cases of sexual assault and fatal foetal abnormality.
Festival Review : Distorsion Psychfest Day 2
After a great first night at Distorsion on Wednesday, things were looking good for the festival. Unfortunately, it made it hard to live up to that first night. Thursday started off poorly with the first band hitting the stage almost an hour late. With a four band bill and a start time of 9 p.m., time is precious. No one wants to be at a show late on a weeknight.
Corridor finally took the stage with a very typical opening set. Their early songs were drawn out indie rock jams that melded into each other without ever providing something that would grab your attention. As background music it is perfect, but not very engaging for a concert. They showed flashes of brilliance towards the end that were unfortunately never developed into anything. Their mediocre songs overstayed their welcome, and their good songs were painfully short and too little too late.
Moonwalkers followed up with something a bit more promising, but ultimately suffering from many of the same problems. They picked up the pace with a thumping rhythm section that got the crowd moving a bit more than before. Their songs were short and sweet, but ultimately repetitive. They made up for their average sound with a solid stage presence and style. They finished up their set with a particularly long jam that overstayed its welcome to the point that the room lights were turned on. While i appreciated the punkness of it, it only further delayed an already late show.
Next up was Spaceface, which finally brought something interesting to the stage. A band featuring Jake Ingalls, a current member of the Flaming Lips, they brought the theatrics and a trippy psychedelic sound you’d expect. Contrasting the previous bands gloomy aggression, Spaceface provided some bright and bubbly upbeat music with a space disco feel. The highlight of the night was when they brought into the crowd a multicoloured play parachute. Yes, the kind you would use in gym back in elementary. They also tossed some balloons in for good measure. Ingalls then led the crowd through the typical games one would play with a giant multicoloured parachute. While Spaceface was not the headliner, they very well could have been with the performance they delivered.
It is now 11:45 p.m. and The Besnard Lakes, tonight’s headliner, are still nowhere to be seen on stage after finishing their soundcheck a few minutes earlier. On a weekend, having a show last far past midnight is tolerable. On a Thursday though, it’s just annoying. They easily could have had the opener on an hour earlier, so everyone could still get a goodnight sleep. There are very few bands I prefer seeing over sleeping, and The Besnard Lakes are not one of them. With the last bus home at 11:54 p.m. I chose to leave. I was told their show was incredible, for what it’s worth.
NEWS FOR FRIDAY, MAY 25TH 2018
Hosted by Jessica Barile
Stories by Allison O'Reilly and Jessica Barile
Produced by Jessica Barile
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LOCAL
By Allison O’Reilly
An anti-immigrant group barged into the Montreal offices of Vice Media unannounced on Wednesday to throw leaflets and insult reporters.
According to CTV news, the six men, most of them wearing masks, pretended to be delivering flowers in order to gain access to the office. They then threw leaflets and insulted reporters.
The members of the anti-immigrant group, called Atalante Quebec, denounced an article written published by VICE the previous week about anti-immigrant, far-right groups.
The group left before police arrived and did not physically harm anyone.
Vice reporter Simon Coutu, who was the target of the group, said the company would decide in the coming days whether or not to file a complaint with the police force.
INTERNATIONAL
By Jessica Barile
Amnesty accuses Nigeria troops of sexually assaulting women and girls who escaped the insurgency by militant islamist group Boko Haram
Rights groups stated that Troops are have said to separate women from their husbands and assaulting them, in some cases in exchange for food, in the refugee camps
Thousands of people are have said to have starved to death in the refugee camps in north-eastern Nigeria since 2015
According to the BBC News, Nigeria's military has dismissed all allegations as fabricated.
Concert Review: Sa-Roc @ Kalmunity Music Week
First and foremost, I must give the Kalmunity Music Week 2018 a standing round of applause for creating an excellent event with numerous artists from home and abroad spanning numerous genres.
As part of the week, the collective hosted a hip-hop night featuring Washington D.C’s own Sa-Roc (a.k.a Goddess MC), and she did what she usually does: put on a great performance.
A lil’ more about that after, because as part of that night, KVC had local Montreal artists represent by giving the crowd some hype performances to get them ready for Sa-Roc. We heard from Jahmal Whosane, who lit up the crowd with nice vibes of conscious hip-hop. We also heard from Sereni-T, a well-known artist that can spit bars that will make you wish you could rewind the whole track so you can listen to it again (unfortunately, it was a live event, so I didn’t want to bother her). She is also a regular performer at Le Cypher Nights, so you can catch her there if you haven’t heard her already.
New to me was Dix-iple Deca, whose great stage presence and wicked lyrics definitely had me bopping my head. We had the pleasure of hearing some songs from Sam.I.Am Montolla, whose singing style and voice are amazing; from the highs to the lows, her voice is so smooth. Alexander Basics, another new artist to me, was really nice, with a wicked flow and tight lyrics. Meryem Saci also graced the stage, giving the crowd some thumping R&B and hip-hop sounds.
We can’t forget the hosts of the evening keeping the night going smooth, Scynikal and Dshade. They did a great job hyping up the crowd with their energy and jokes in-between sets. Playing music that night was DJ Seriousblack, whose mix of old skool and underground was indeed music to my ears.
All that leading up to what we were all waiting for; Sa-Roc and her DJ, Sol Messiah. There are several female lyricists out there that have come to the forefront of being major players in the hip-hop scene and Sa-Roc is definitely one of them. She stepped on the stage and immediately showed us why she is one of the best out there today. She had the crowd bumping and vibing to every song. She was engaging which, as a fan, you appreciate. Her style and lyrics are on point, and you can tell that the crowd was really vibing to all she had to say. We had the opportunity to listen to one of her latest tracks “Forever”, which is a great song (and has a must-see video). All in all, Sa-Roc us took us on an amazing lyrical journey. Definitely looking forward to the next time she is in Montreal!
NEWS FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 23RD 2018
Hosted by Patricia Petit Liang
Stories by Allison O'Reilly and Patricia Petit Liang
Produced by Patricia Petit Liang
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LOCAL
By Patricia Petit Liang
Quebec Superior Court justice Donald Bisson has given permission to about 20 women to pursue a class action lawsuit against Just For Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon.
According to CBC News, the survivors are calling themselves "Les Courageuses".
The group stated that they are just the tip of the iceberg and that Rozon has likely assaulted many others who may join the class action later.
LOCAL
By Allison O’Reilly
The city of Montreal's crime rate for 2017 is up 2.9 per cent from the previous year, with cases of sexual assault rising by 22.9 per cent.
According to CBC News, the jump coincides with the SPVM's move last fall to open up a temporary sexual assault hotline.
In the first five days, it received 253 phone calls.
Six more officers were added to the sexual assault unit last year to help take on some of the investigations.
All numbers can be found in the 2017 annual report of the Montreal police service.
INTERNATIONAL
By Patricia Petit Liang
Palestinians officials are asking prosecutors at the International Criminal Court to launch an investigation into Israel's human rights abuses.
According to CBC News, this call to action was submitted after more than 100 Palestinians were killed and 10,000 others were injured by Israeli troops during six weeks of protests along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of massacring unarmed civilians, including children and first responders attempting to provide medical help to the wounded.
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