Laval City Councillor David De Cotis and David Lisbona, a man who wears many hats in the West End of Montreal and serves on council in Ivry Sur La Lac, have stepped up their efforts to assist the less fortunate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more by listening to this podcast.

For more on David De Cotis go to https://www.actionlaval.com/david-de-coti.

For David Lisbona's Nellie Philanthropy go here: https://www.nelliefoundation.ca/

Sidney Margles had a distinguished 40 year career in the broadcast industry, notably with CJAD. On the occasion of CJAD's 75th anniversary, Sidney shares some memories with me,

Sue Montgomery is the outspoken mayor of the Montreal borough of Côte des Neiges-NDG Borough. She was good enough to answer our questions on her first three challenging years on the hotseat.

The new Canadian documentary Rebellion captures a generation fighting back for the future of the planet. As activists like Greta Thunberg lead the way, across the globe young people are taking to the streets - like film subject Éva Love Pépin, a Montreal-based advocate.

In this film, David Suzuki and directors Mark Starowicz and Caitlin Starowicz capture the world at a tipping point. Rebellion, the 60th season premiere documentary of The Nature of Things, launches on Friday, November 6 at 9 pm on CBC and CBC GEM, where it will stream indefinitely.

In this podcast I am joined by Marc Starowicz and Sophia Mathur, an inspiring Grade 8 student from Sudbury who has a leading role in this documentary.

In Rebellion, Suzuki profiles activists in the revolt, from Greta Thunberg with her Fridays for Future strikes, to Gail Bradbrook of the Extinction Rebellion movement that has seized headlines with their dramatic actions.

Rebellion also features interviews with leading figures in the climate crisis, including Sir David Attenborough, known the world over for his brilliant nature documentaries and now his passionate call for governments to wake up to the climate catastrophe.

Tommy Schnurmacher is a media legend in Montreal. For decades he covered the society scene, wrote a gossip column and did political commentary for The Gazette. He then became one of this city’s most charismatic radio talk show hosts, first on the old CIQC AM 600 Radio and then on CJAD. He retired (or as he likes to call it “rewired”) in November 2017 and has kept very busy co-hosting a podcast called Sprits and Spirituality, wrote a memoir about his late mom titled Makeup Tips from Auschwitz: How Vanity Saved my Mother’s Life . It is available on Amazon. These days he is embarking upon a North American Zoom speaking tour. I miss hearing his daily commentaries on the radio, so it was fun to have him on this podcast and get his views on the current political scene.

Youtheatre is launching a groundbreaking online portal that will offer some of its most exciting productions for young audiences, reimagined in a digital format and accessible online. For the past 10 years, Youtheatre has pushed the limits of theatre for young audiences by exploring new technologies both on and off the stage. I speak with General Manager Simon A. Abou-Fadel and Co-Artistic Director Jeremy Segal.

Moving beyond static archival recordings, YouDigital brings the magic of live performance to the screen in an innovative new hybrid form that dynamically incorporates the camera into the staging. Filmed with a mobile camera in a single take, these digital adaptations provide a fascinating new point of view through the eyes of the characters while preserving the liveliness of the theatrical experience.

Complete with:

• Insightful teaching toolkit

• Roundtable discussion with the artists

• Backstage tour of the set

• Youtheatre’s signature study guide

• Opportunity for live-streamed talk backs with creative team

For both distance learners as well as schools outside of urban centres, the flexible access of YouDigital is an opportunity to bring young audiences in on the magic of theatre.

Contact Hanna Nes at [email protected] or join Youtheatre’s newsletter for more information!

It was a pleasure to interview Sergio Navarretta, director of The Cuban, starring Oscar winning actor, Louis Gossett Jr. It kicked off the Montreal International Black Film Festival, which wraps up on October 4. The Cuban saw a drive-in release, instead of a theatrical release; which was a big success. I watched the movie first and loved it! The storyline revolves around an unexpected friendship between an elderly Cuban musician with dementia (Gossett Jr.) who is brought out of his shell by his care worker, and a disillusioned young pre-med Afghan student named Mina (Ana Golja). Through a shared love of music, both their lives are changed. You can view the trailer here: https://youtu.be/Ds6KEXFCM80

For more on the Festival go to https://montrealblackfilm.com.

Jacques Rougeau spent 42 years as a professional wrestler. Via man about town Morden "Cookie" Lazarus I got to meet Jacques a few years ago when he brought his anti-bullying campaign to local schools. He is a stand up guy! Now he has launched his own video podcast at https://jacquesrougeau.podbean.com/. Georges St. Pierre was his first guest. He talks to me about this new venture and his incredible career.

Ben Cardilli and Sid Khular join me to talk about the Montreal Comedy Series (www.mtlcomedyseries.com), which concludes on Sunday, September 6. I first met Ben when he performed on TVA’s La Voix as Ben Alexander. Sid is the brother of international comedy star Sugar Sammy.

Peter Kerr is the distinguished publisher of The Montrealer Newspaper (www.themontrealeronline.com), a monthly he launnched in 2005 which focuses on feel good lifestyles, entertainment, travel and restaurant features and a regular profile on a high profile "Montrealer" or personality headed their way. It was a pleasure to let listeners get to know Peter, who is also an accomplished musician.