There are two pretty prominent jobs available on Montreal English radio as of today.

Dollard des Ormeaux resident and piano teacher Melina Soochan would normally be busy performing during the holidays with her jazz and pop cover band. But not this year.

The 26th edition of the CINEMANIA Film Festival is well underway, continuing through November 22. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s selections of French movies with English sub-titles are only available online for the bargain basement price of $8 per film or $65 for a complete pa…

The decision regarding Paul Karwatsky's successor as the 5 pm and 11:30 pm anchor on CTV Montreal News has been made.

Have you signed up for the 26th edition of the CINEMANIA Film Festival yet?

Montreal businessman Jon Gurman was shopping at Party Expert Friday when he came upon a costume accessory which offended him as a Jew. For $3.99 you can own the most sinister moustache known to mankind. While the chain does not advertise it that way, it can only be described as a Hitler mous…

For as long as I can remember, CJAD 800 has given listeners terrific talk radio from 9 am to Noon. We can go back to the legendary Neil McKenty, Melanie King, Royal Orr, Tommy Schnurmacher, Leslie Roberts and now Elias Makos.

When 2020 began, Total Events boss Lorne Levitt and his C3 Events colleague Adam Bultz had busy seasons planned. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March. As the entire world came to a halt, the two businessmen thought outside of the box. They approached Andrew Lufty, the head of the massive …

I do not attend too many film festivals in Montreal. Over the last few years I have taken a shine to CINEMANIA, which always features some superb French films with English sub-titles. For its 26th edition, CINEMANIA will be taking a “hybrid” approach with screenings both in theatres as well …

A feature film on the illustrious  hockey career of Habs legend Guy Lafleur is being developed into a motion picture.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in mid-March, Restaurant Sho-dan on Metcalfe Street closed its doors like others in the industry. For more than 20 years this place has been traditionally packed for lunch and dinner during regular operating hours, so for charismatic owner Chinh Pham (best know…

Following the surprise resignation of Paul Karwatsky as the 5 pm and late night anchor on CTV News, the folks there have another vacancy to fill.

Add another big save for the Royalmount Drive-In Event Theatre for the non-profit sector. Over the last few months so many organizations have been able to avoid cancelling their fundraising events by shifting the theme to the makeshift Drive-In near the Decarie Circle.

It is that time of year for The Fantasia Film Festival and this 24th edition is taking place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic

When the late Jean Lapierre served as CJAD’s political pundit on the morning and drive home shows, I rarely missed a segment. If I was driving in the car, I’d make sure not to take a call or open my door when he spoke. It was always “can’t miss” radio. His untimely passing left a giant void …

A mother and her young daughter are stuck in Montreal, unable to return to their home in China as the local consulate refuses to give them a Visa. This is all the more frustrating for Cibele Câmara Rosen given the fact the Chinese Foreign Affairs Office in the Jilin Province has approved the…

As we continue to navigate through this COVID-19 pandemic crisis, are enough people taking seriously the law requiring that people aged 12 and over wear masks or face coverings in enclosed or partially enclosed public places?

Dr. David Zukor is the chief of Orthopedic Surgery at the Jewish General Hospital. During a distinguished medical career that has already spanned more than three decades, with a specialization in hip and knee replacement, he has never before spoken out on any government policies – until now.

When Mark Bergman was relieved of his duties as program director and drive home show host on Virgin Radio in the spring of 2019  after more than 20 years of service, he left as a gentleman. Naturally devastated at the time, he knew what kind of business he had signed up for and immediately j…

During the course of this pandemic I have repeatedly praised our local media for their fabulous coverage. On the English side, our four TV stations (CTV , CBC, Global and City) and two news talk radio stations (CJAD and CBC Radio One) have indeed been on their game. But what about TSN 690? W…

Five Greater Montreal area culinary lovers got to be part of Canada’s first all-cheese cookbook, featuring favorite recipes.

When I was young, before I got a driver’s license, I used to take the 161 bus from my home in Côte Saint-Luc to Van Horne and Côte des Neiges. My friend and I would then walk a few blocks to see a movie at Plaza Côte des Neiges. My dad was friends with the manager, Len Lauer. I even remember…

Up until a few days ago I was not too familiar with the NDG raised brother and sister musical duo Just Costa. But when I got a copy of their new feel-good summer anthem “Peachy,” I was eager to hear more about their back story.

Usually about now the hype would be underway for the annual Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic the 2020 edition has been rescheduled for the fall when organizers hope they will be able to present live shows.

I have known Barry Nashen for a very long time. Friends and family merely refer to him as “Schmidt,” for reasons I never understood. Nonetheless, I always great him warmly as “Schmidty Boy!” By day he and his brother Jeff run Nashen Technologies , a go to source for IT solutions and consulting.

The arts community has been slammed by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have already seen the Jazz Festival cancelled and Just For Laughs moved to the fall (I have no faith that will ever occur in its usual form).

Nancy Wood has decided to take a break as of July 1 as the late night anchor at CBC Montreal TV News. If, by summer’s end she likes her move to the digital team (while still filling in occasionally for supper anchor Debra Arbec), then she will make that permanent. Weekend anchor Sean Henry w…

Gabrielle Fahmy is the newest member of the CTV Montreal team. She joined them as video journalist last week.

As someone whose main profession is in the communications world, I was naturally attracted to get an advance copy of the new documentary Influence. Concordia University alumni Richard Poplak, and Diana Neille, offer an answer by looking at the morally slippery spin doctor, the late Lord Timo…

Paul Zakaib, better known to radio fans as Tasso Patsikakis, wants to get back in the game.

The restaurant business is taking an awful beating during this COVID-19 pandemic. Most places remain shuttered indefinitely while others are trying to remain relevant via take-out and delivery services. The latter is not necessarily an easy task.

Over the last two months, since the COVID-19 pandemic took over our lives, simple things like attending an interesting lecture have become off limits. Any sort of gatherings, from talks to concerts or sporting events, may be banned for well more than a year as we wait for a vaccine.

While everyone remains hunkered down at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, television has become our most welcomed distraction. So the timing of Ethiopian-Canadian filmmaker Tamara Mariam Dawit’s riveting documentary called Finding Sally could not have been better. It will have its world bro…

Amanda Kline has officially be named the new weekend anchor for CTV Montreal. Since Annie DeMelt left the station in January to become part of the MUHC’s Communications Department, Kline has been doing most of those newscasts and was clearly a very good fit. She starts on May 2.

What is the immediate future of the airline industry? The COVID-19 pandemic has halted leisure travel while  most businessmen I speak to are not going anywhere either. Quite simply, airlines have gone into a complete tailspin as closed borders and travel controls crater demand. The Internati…

Please do not consider me an eternal pessimist, but at the present moment I do not believe we will be part of any large gatherings  for at least a year. Only a vaccine will make us safe and that is 12 to 18  months away. Even if social distancing regulations are loosened somewhat between the…

It looks like it will be a long time before any of us will get to see a live concert or anything on stage for that matter. Evenko has rescheduled Cats for the Place des Arts in August and Fiddler on the Roof in January. It is unlikely the former will occur and the latter is no certainty eith…

CTV Montreal anchor Paul Karwatsky and Annie DeMelt, who worked on the same newscast until recently, have been hired by Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) to provide webinars on fake news and news literacy to anyone who is interested. Since the project is covered by a federal government gran…

As the COVID-19 pandemic crisis keeps us all indoors, Secondary I Herzliah High School student Rachel Dara is using her musical talents to keep herself busy and entertaining others. In addition she has launched her own "Covid Concerts" on Saturday nights (7:30 to 8:30 pm) to help alleviate t…

I have been a loyal listener  to Sirius XM Satellite Radio for more than seven years now. Whether it is in the car, on my computer or via the app on my phone I consider it an “essential service,” especially as the COVID-19 pandemic crisis takes a toll on us emotionally.

At his daily 11 am COVID-19 news conference today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will make a major announcement related to fundraising.

As we live through this miserable COVID-19 pandemic, I think we can all agree how television shows and streaming services have become the salvation for our sanity. With that in mind, Friday night’s episode (9 pm) of the marvelous Hawaii Five-O reboot on CBS and Global TV will be the series f…

The 16th edition of the Strangers in the Night Gourmet Gala, originally set to take place on Sat. June 20 at Pierrefonds-Roxboro Borough Hall, has been postponed until sometime in September due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

As the COVID-19 pandemic crisis deepens and we all find ourselves virtually locked into our homes, I have heard from so many people who are already going stir crazy.

At a time when funeral services are being scaled back and attendance discouraged because of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, two giants in our community have passed away and they sadly will not get the sendoff they deserve.

The Covid-19 pandemic crisis has done irreparable damage around the world. When Quebec Premier François Legault banned gatherings of more than 250 people, casualties varied from the Canadiens, the Impact, the Blue Jays Olympic Stadium exhibition games, cultural presentations and of course th…

After the 1998 Quebec ice storm I thought that I had survived one of the worst natural disaster situations ever. Could anything coming my way ever be worse?

Downsizing and layoffs have put journalism on the most endangered careers list. But savvy journalists are starting sites and Facebook pages to continue covering their familiar beats. Some are capturing an even bigger audience. Domenic Fazioli is one of them.

Excitement is building for a two day ball hockey tournament March 7 and 8 at Le Rinque in TMR.

The transformation of the former PF Chang’s location at Rue des Jockeys/ Decarie is now complete and the newest La Cage: Brasserie Sportive (previously known as La Cage Aux Sports) officially opened on February 27.