The unusual suspects

Kristine Berey

Almost daily there is a new report linking chemicals in our everyday environment to cancer, from our shower curtains to the canned food we eat. This illness has been steadily on the rise since the 1950s.

Consider these facts, published by Health Canada and Canadian cancer agencies in 2004:

• In the 1930s, 1 in 10 Canadians could expect to develop cancer over their lifetime.
• By the 1970s, that number was 1 in 5.
• By 2004, 1 in 2.4 Canadian men and 1 in 2.7 Canadian women may be diagnosed with cancer.

Over 23,000 chemicals are present in Canadian industrial and consumer goods such as pesticides, cleaning products, food, personal care products and plastics. Not all chemicals in all products have been tested adequately, as even when safe levels are established for a substance, time or length of exposure and interaction with other chemicals is not always taken into account.

The good news is that as public awareness grows, the rules change. Health Canada is in the process of compiling a "hotlist" of suspected toxins. And cosmetics companies must now declare the ingredients that make up their products.

For now a consumer's best defense is to read the label. Here are a few substances to avoid, from the Cancer Smart Guide published by Vancouver's Labour Environmental Alliance Society and available locally from from Breast Cancer Action Montreal:

• Bisphenol-A, an endocrine-disrupting chemical present in plastic bottles and containers identified by the number 7 in the recycling triangle symbol on the bottom.
• Benzyl Violet, also listed as Violet 2 or 6b, is a colouring in various products including nail treatments, and a possible human carcinogen according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
• Coal tar derivatives, present in products such as hair dye.

Although the link between dark hair dyes and cancer has been debated, a study published in the International Journal of Cancer (2004) stated that "in women, use of rinse-type hair dye was associated with a modestly elevated risk of bladder cancer." According to the Cancer Smart Consumer Guide, a 2001 California study found that longer-term use of hair dyes increased the risk of bladder cancer in hairdressers, who were five times more likely to develop the illness after working for 10 years or more.

More info is available from the Breast Cancer Action Montreal website at bcam.qc.ca or by calling 514-483-1846.

Canada 55+ Games celebrate

The 6^th annual Canada 55+ Games wrapped up in Dieppe, New Brunswick August 31, with a record 1503 participants competing in 20 categories, from track and field, swimming, and hockey to more sedentary activities such as cribbage, scrabble, and bridge.

Athletes of note included Florence Storch of Alberta, javelin gold medalist in the women's 90+ competition, and Doreen Erskine of Saskatchewan, silver medalist in the women's 85+ shot put.

Formerly the Canada Senior Games, the event was renamed in 2006 due to "too many participants complaining about being called 'Senior!'"

Info on next year's games will be available at 506-382-2008 or canada55plusgames.com.

Goldilocks goes mattress shopping

Bonnie Sandler

When I moved into my condo I decided to treat myself to a new mattress. There was nothing really wrong with my old mattress but it was 10 years old and I had it topped off with a memory foam pad. I disliked having the foam topper separate from the mattress so off I went mattress shopping.

I visited a few locations of a major mattress chain, did some web research and followed the advice of salespeople. I was torn between the semi-firm and the plush model. I was told that as a side and occasional stomach sleeper, I'd be better off with a firm mattress. I specifically said I didn't want a mattress that retains body heat.

Each mattress comes with a warranty, but if there is any stain or tear it voids the warranty even if defective. The only way to have the warranty upheld is to buy a protection plan. I opted out.

Many stores guarantee the best price and will undersell any competitor on an identical bed. But manufacturers rename the mattresses for different stores so comparison shopping is almost impossible.

After a few nights of poor sleep, the verdict was in on my new mattress. I hated it. It was way too firm. I needed a mattress that relieves pressure points. This one didn't. On returning to the store, the softer model felt good, but how can one know after just minutes of lying on it? You're only allowed one comfort exchange, What would happen if I hated the second mattress too?

There were no marks on my first mattress and I was able to exchange it for $35. I talked myself into loving the softer mattress the first few nights. But who was I kidding? It was way too soft. I was beginning to feel like Goldilocks. It was impossible to turn around in the bed without being fully awake since it required sitting up to do so. No matter how I slept I ended up down in the sagging middle which felt like a steam bath. After sha­ring my problem with customer service, I was sent an inspector, who after one glance at the mattress declared it to be defective.

Back to the mattress store. Not wanting to take chances this time, I opted for the newest mattress – full latex, no springs – and took the middle model, semi-firm. My full-body pain disappeared within a couple of nights. But the upgrade cost close to $600.

After a few weeks of sleeping on a latex mattress I can say that it's as cool as promised. However, I began to notice a sag in the middle and began experien­cing lower back pain. Thinking I was going mattress crazy, I took a long, straight wooden stick and performed my own inspection. Sure enough, the stick did not lie flat across the middle of the bed. At this point I would do anything to have my old mattress back.

I phoned customer service and was told the inspector would contact me in a week. A week later I left a voice message. After finally speaking with customer service I was told that there was no record of my request. I sent off a cranky e-mail to customer service and with the aid of a store manager I was offered an immediate exchange. Now it's a matter of deciding whether to just switch it for the same brand or go with a different make and model. The online reviews are very mixed for all brands, and difficult to read when sleepy and in pain.

I've never felt so confused about a purchase, worried about making a choice with such impact on my quality of life. My helpful store manager told me she'd try to work something out to my satisfaction and get back to me early next week. So the story ends in suspense. If it doesn't all work out I may end up sleeping on the floor.

Kids having kids

Natacha Tremblay

Claire (not her real name) is 16. In two months, she will graduate from high school at the top of her class. This summer, she will travel abroad on an internship with Doctors without Borders. In September, she will begin studying Pure and Applied Science at Dawson. In October, she will give birth to a baby boy.

"I've always been more mature than most people my age so I don't see a problem with having a baby," Claire says. "The way I see it, if I start having kids early, I finish having kids early too and I'm not too old and ugly to have fun by the time my kids go away to college."

Claire says she is going to work as the manager of a Shell gas station and move out of her house to marry her boyfriend, who is 26, as soon as possible.

According to Angela Freeman, a pediatric psychologist, the phenomenon of teens wanting to become parents is neither a new trend nor a rare one.

"I've dealt with cases where 12-year-olds came to me, telling me they felt they were ready to become parents," Freeman said. "Most of them don't go through with it, but sometimes it happens." Freeman explained that this usually appears when a child did not have a real family life, or had a bad one. Having an older significant other is also a reason teens may resort to having children. She says that being involved with an older person and trying to keep the relationship interesting is a lot of pressure.

"Teens often agree to do things per the demand of their older significant other, but the drastic decision of having a child at 15 or 16 usually indicates that the person has extremely advanced emotional dependency," Freeman said. "The most likely scenario is that these teens have never felt loved by anyone until they met this man or woman and they are not willing to give that up."

Claire, who is already four months pregnant, says she decided to have a baby because she felt it was the right time in her life. Her parents say the young girl never showed any signs of emotional instability and claim they were not aware she had been dating an older man for over a year.

"I knew they wouldn't approve of my boyfriend and that they wouldn't approve of me having a baby, that's why I didn't tell them," Claire said. "It has nothing to do with me being ashamed. I am so proud of being pregnant. It's the only good thing that's ever happened to me." After meeting Claire, Freeman says she is not surprised by her decision. She was an overachiever being run into the ground.

"Often, overachieving teens feel like the love of their parents depends on their achievements and they seek the unconditional love a child will give them," Freeman said. "They feel the need to start a family so that they can avoid making the same mistakes with their children that they feel their parents made with them."

Freeman says teens will continue having children younger and younger as family values disintegrate in North America due to the lack of family bonding or parental presence in a child's life. "I was never very close to my parents and I really want to be very close to this baby," Claire said. "I want to be like the Gilmore Girls with my son. Yeah, that would be nice."

Larry's Shoes closes after 68 years

Byron Toben

Larry's Shoes, a fixture on Queen Mary since 1940, closed its doors on August 31.

Back in the 1920s, Alan Levy's grandfather, a recent immigrant to Montreal, founded M. Levy Shoes on St-Laurent near Napoleon, not far from Moishe's Steakhouse. His son Larry followed Horace Greeley's famous advice to 'go West, young man' and opened the Queen Mary location in 1940. Alan joined in 1961 and assisted until 1986, when Larry retired at the age of 86. Alan then ran the shop on his own for 22 years. Until now – truly the end of an era.

The store was always family oriented. In 1997, the focus shifted to seniors, reflecting the changing demographic of the neighbourhood. In this age of Asian imports, Al Levy reminds us that Quebec was once a center of quality shoe manufacturing with brands like Slater, Tetrault, McFarland-Lefevbre and White Cross. In the 1970s, the U.S. invaded with names like Florsheim and Brown. More than shoe offerings are disappearing with this closing. Al Levy is known in the district for his humourous schmoozing and recollections of history. Larry's was always good for shoes and sympathy, and will be sadly missed.

"Summing it up, my clients were my extended family, and many are upset. When you build up a lot of trust, it goes a long way — the handshakes and the hugs hurt. This is the end of one chapter, and the beginning of another."

Chinatown belongs to everyone

Rachel Lau

Chinatown, the place to discover Asia in Montreal.

At least, that’s what I thought until I found out that the small streets near metro Place d’Armes no longer accommodate only Chinese, but are filled with Montrealers of all backgrounds itching for an oriental experience.

“On some days there’s a half and half mix,” says Kico, an employee at Commerce Chung Fung. “But I have mostly Caucasian customers.”

They are attracted to Chinatown by the current craze in Japanese fashion and cartoons. There’s no better place to buy jewellery, clothing, books and more, directly from Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

“There are somany white Harajukus, Bishies and Otakus,” he says – Harajuku and Bishie are two styles of Japanese dress, while Otaku is a derogatory term for someone obsessed with Japanese cartoons. Outside the Japanese community people seem to be proud to call themselves Otaku. “It’s odd to see French kids wearing J-Rock outfits. Mainly they buy plushies, stickers, Japanese dramas and posters with Naruto or Final Fantasy on them.”

The first time I went to Chinatown, two of my friends took me to a small café called L2. For someone who was brought up in a traditional Chinese family, I have to say that for once in my life, I had no idea what I was eating. This is because some restaurants have had to westernize their menus to accommodate Western diners.

“They always want to eat General Tao Chicken,” notes Xiu-Lan, a waitress at Magic Idea. “Sometimes they bring their Asian friends and even they ask for General Tao. It’s funny, because we’ve westernized Asian children.”

The original dish is General Tso’s Chicken, dating back to the 1600’s Qing dynasty. The modified version is a popular dish introduced to North America in the early 70s as an example of Hunan and Szechuan-style cooking. Unlike our beloved sweet, honey-covered General Tao Chicken, traditional Hunan meals are quite spicy and not very sweet.

Xiu-Lan says that the influx of Westerners into Chinatown is good for business. “Every day I get more and more Caucasians coming in. They come here to try something different. Like bubble tea, they don’t know what it is and they come here to find out.”

One amusing result of the intermingling is the sight of non-Asians fluent in Chinese or Japanese addressing us in our “mother” tongue and getting nowhere, since some of our families haven’t spoken it in generations. Montrealers, thinks Xiu-Lan, are exceptionally open to other cultures and quick to adopt some of their features. “People who come from Asia dress like Caucasians and try to fit into the society. But people from here are trying to find something different so they can stand out. I think it’s definitely a good change.”

Today’s Chinatown, like much of the city, has become less an ethnic enclave than a multicultural marketplace. For those who haven’t been lately, it’s worth a trip to see the change firsthand.

Westmount--Ville-Marie spoilers like their chances

Adam Desaulniers

At press time it seems certain that the four byelections scheduled for September 8 will be canceled, and a general election called for October 14, following Thanksgiving weekend. Two Westmount—Ville-Marie candidates visited The Senior Times prior to the call, when it was still the only race in town, to talk in depth about policy differences and their shot at victory.

What emerged was a picture of unprecedented scale, presence and funding for the NDP and Green campaigns. Both have targeted the riding with an expectation of record gains, at the very least.

If there's any seat in Canada to which the Grits feel entitled without a fight, it's Westmount—Ville-Marie, red since 1962 under its former names and boundaries and home to institutions like Don Johnston and the departing Lucienne Robillard. But after the Liberals' 2006 slide to under 50% in the riding, and the stunning NDP upset in Outremont, massive resources are pouring into previously moribund campaigns, betting on the possibility of a protest vote — against the Opposition.

Much-hailed CROP and Léger numbers showing the Liberals and NDP neck and neck on the Island — at a dilute 18 and 19 percent respectively — make anything seem possible. "We saw what happened in Outremont with Thomas Mulcair last year, a supposedly untakeable Liberal bastion — it's a little bit the same kind of phenomenon," declares the familiar voice of CBC Radio Noon. "I think they have this feeling that all this time voting Liberal hasn't served them necessarily as well as they were hoping, especially with this last minority government — they voted Liberal and they've gotten a de facto Conservative majority."

If the sound is newly partisan, it's because that voice, Westmount's Anne Lagacé Dowson, has been freed from the bonds of journalism and thrown into the race on behalf of the New Democrats, aimed squarely at the Liberals' opposition record and the once-assured seat of former space chief Marc Garneau. On leave from the CBC as rotating guest hosts take her place, Lagacé Dowson puts forth a soaring critique of the Dion era: "The Liberals are not the party they once were. On 43 confidence motions they've absented themselves. People feel taken for granted by the Liberals — they didn't send them to Ottawa to pass Conservative legislation. The NDP is a party that's been steadfast in its resistance to the Harper agenda."

She discounts any concerns over splitting the federalist vote in the riding, citing Bloc candidate Charles Larivée's low-profile, barely existent campaign. She sees the meager Bloquiste vote (13% in 2006) as up for grabs and uses the phrase une perte de vitesse as an apt summation of their woes. The same lack of returns felt by longtime Liberal voters, she says, is felt among Bloc support, with a "sharing of progressive values" making her party the likely beneficiary.

On the environment, Lagacé Dowson argues that the NDP's Five-Point Green Agenda is "more all-encompassing" than the Liberals' Green Shift plan, but eschews the infamous Carbon Tax, which has been "a mixed success elsewhere" in reducing emissions. "Rather than going after people with less latitude to fix the problem," she says, the NDP Green Agenda puts the burden where it belongs — on polluters. The plan also calls for a transfer of one cent per dollar of the gas tax to municipalities, and the development of so-called "green-collar jobs" through funding and tax incentives.

Clearly more self-assured than the average neophyte, Lagacé Dowson makes the case that "journalists have made good MPs" and know how to listen. Their presentation skills are often above average as well. But what about actors? The spoiler to the spoiler is former Sirens star, current host of the cable series Regeneration: the Art of Sustainable Living, and Green Party deputy leader Claude William Genest, a veritable Gatling gun of eco-soundbites and, as a fifth-time candidate, the veteran of the race.

No longer a contender for first Green MP, with Saturday's announcement of ex-Liberal Blair Wilson's jump to the party, Genest could nonetheless see such "momentum" — a term that comes up frequently — raise his chances even further in an especially Green-friendly area. "This is the greenest riding in Canada," he says. "Our highest numbers. Second place Green finish provincially. It's our biggest campaign in the history of Quebec, by orders of magnitude. We're the second choice of 50% of Canadians. We're the only party that's growing, nearly doubling every election. People respond to us," he professes, "because they see we're citizens looking to take responsibility, not politicians trying to take power."

With the Liberal Green Shift and the NDP Green Agenda on the table, have the Greens not been marginalized on their own issue?

"Everybody's green now. It's more of a green veneer on things." The Liberal plan, he maintains, is insufficient. "You can shift taxes till the cows come home. Without ending subsidies to Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Agriculture, you're still rewarding polluters and rewarding excess consumption. Scandinavians use one-third to one-half the energy per capita we do. Why? They're not better people. They've made policy choices that make them competitive. Why aren't we at those levels? Where was Liberal green policy all those years we fell behind?"

Genest's disdain extends left as well: "I'm so disappointed with the NDP," he says. "They take Thomas Mulcair, this supposedly great passionate advocate for the environment, and what do they do with him? They make him Finance Critic just to shut him up."

NDP policy neglects innovation in his opinion. Countering the notion of giant green bureaucracy, Genest overflows with market-oriented ideas that he urges those on fixed incomes in particular to consider simply for economy's sake. Green windows, lightbulbs and appliances are just a start. The slow adoption of hybrid technology is curious to him. "My Prius gets me 45 miles to the gallon. That's money in my wallet. People talk about investment when they really mean speculation — like the stock market. This is a real investment, with returns that are guaranteed, starting right away, aside from the ecological benefits." Genest also cites leadership in "net metering" initiatives elsewhere — Germany, California, and now Ontario and BC — which require electricity providers to purchase back power generated by customers who use solar and wind installations, which feed surplus electricity back into the grid, typically at night. "It's your meter literally spinning backwards. That's money in your wallet too. Why aren't we doing this everywhere?" he posits rhetorically. "In Germany, they have to buy it back at eight times the billing rate. And guess who has the highest rate of solar-generated power in the world now?"

Reducing consumption and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy isn't just an environmental imperative but a "tremendous economic opportunity," says Genest — and an alternative to mounting ecological costs, mounting waste, and further resource extraction that won't pay off for years. "It's more of the same," he insists with evangelical fervour, "versus pots of gold under our nose tomorrow! It takes policy choices. The Green Party doesn't have the shackles and handcuffs to special interests that keep it from happening."

Election day in Montreal will hinge on the recovery of the Liberal machine and its ability to get out the vote. For the Garneau campaign to match NDP and Green efforts in this respect is a tall order. Whatever the result, Westmount—Ville-Marie constituents can count on sending a star MP to warm the benches this October.

Polling station info will be available online at www.elections.ca and tollfree at 800-463-6868.

To our Shirley Cohen on a special birthday!

Congratulations to our beloved Shirley Cohen, who celebrates her 80^th birthday September 13.

Shirley has been a devoted member of The Senior Times team for 15 years, coming out of retirement to learn and master the art of selling for a market she knows formidably well, along the way endearing herself in particular to our Members of Parliament and Members of the National Assembly.

Shirley is always positive, hard-working, and insistent on ensuring that our paper grows and prospers with every issue. We miss her dearly when she vacations in Florida for three months each year, but even from Florida she manages to stay in touch with her clients and make sure they don't miss an issue of The Senior Times.

Shirley never fails to call and check up on those in trouble and in need of a kind word of support. She has been a great and loving care giver to her husband Marvin as he has undergone serious health problems. Her eyes sparkle with love and pride as she shows us pictures of the latest brilliant moment of her youngest grandson or recounts the achievements of her older grandchildren.

Marlene Jennings, MP for Notre-Dame-de-Grace–Lachine, has these words to say about Shirley in a special message for the occasion:

"Those who know you well and are fortunate to be close to you day in and day out speak of you with great admiration and respect. Your love and commitment to family and friends never fails to impress them.

"For my part, I can vouch for the fact that you are a salesperson extraordinaire! We hear from you, in my office, as regularly as the seasons change. From what my staff tell me, you master the art of friendly persuasion. Yes, you know how to shower them initially with warmth and poetic kindness, but they know that when Shirley Cohen beckons, she has a mission, and the earth trembles! It is very difficult to turn you down!

Happy Birthday to a great and wonderful lady. We love you, Shirley. Many happy returns!"

And from each of us at The Senior Times, past and present, our warmest wishes and deepest appreciation for all the Herculean efforts, exemplary patience, and kindhearted wisdom.

Health Canada, seniors, and listeria

Adam Desaulniers

Health Canada's now-infamous 2005 advisory to seniors, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals, warning against consumption of non-dried deli meats, has come under predictable criticism as insufficient in the wake of the listeriosis outbreak.

The warning remains posted on the agency's website at health.gc.ca, a few clicks away from the main page, but consumer advocates are asking if that's enough publicity for a potentially fatal risk.

"Maybe we need warning labels (on the food), because the message isn't getting out there," Dr. Doug Powell, associate professor of food safety at Kansas State University, told Canwest News last week. "And the consequences are bad. The kill rate is about 20-30%. That's really high for a food-borne pathogen." According to Powell, the listeria bacterium can grow on food even when refrigerated.

Health Canada defends its communication efforts, maintaining that "there are a number of food safety tips and fact sheets and a lot of consumer education on (listeria)."

Its inspection standards are also currently under fire, but experts warn against a more draconian approach. Keith Warriner, University of Guelph professor of food microbiology, defends those standards as judicious and safe. "Once (listeria) becomes established in a processing environment, it's very difficult to remove," he told the Toronto Star. "You can reduce numbers to low levels by sanitation and good practices, but it's hard to eradicate. What we do in Canada is say, ÔWe know that listeria is ubiquitous, that it will be in processing plants regardless of what preventive standards we have.'" Only hazardous concentrations, defined by federal regulations, will prompt a recall.

This is a different policy than in the US, where plant inspections enforce a zero-tolerance policy on listeria. One single cell of it triggers a shutdown. Since it lives everywhere, meat recalls are a spectacularly regular occurrence stateside, climbing to 118 per year in 2006. As a result, companies minimize self-reporting whenever possible, and consumer confidence turns to consumer fatalism, tuning out the risk more and more with each new announcement.

While defence of a more nuanced approach may be unpopular in the wake of the recent tragedy, it's important to note that listeriosis is a regular occurrence, mostly running its course without treatment but occasionally proving fatal, almost exclusively among high-risk groups with weakened immunity. Demands for more stringent protocols, in the belief that 100% eradication is possible, offer little increased protection to those most vulnerable. Public service broadcasts on every risk to their condition are no more reasonable an option.

Successful future efforts at reducing contamination will likely depend on two things: technology to prevent listeria growth in packaged foods, and standards of education for food handlers and caregivers equal to our standards of inspection and disinfection.

Generations kids go to camp

Experience and testimonials have proven that when children are fed healthy meals and snacks, they are more productive in class and achieve better academic results.

During the school year of 2007-2008, Generations Foundation fed approxima­tely 6500 children daily in 72 schools and centers. Our food programs give children a chance to interact and enjoy a healthy meal or snack at school. Many parents face hard choices, with rent expenses amounting to half or more of their income. Emergencies and soaring food and fuel costs also reduce the ability of many inner-city parents to feed their children properly.

Single parents continuing their educa­tion in college and university, and their children, benefit from a healthy snack and light lunch program that eases their economic condition. In high school, single moms cook on a budget and learn valuable information about nutrition. We also supply healthy food to women’s centers for study groups in parenting, wellness and nutrition. Children are introduced to healthy foods at a tender age. The results are astonishing and the feedback received from those involved makes it clear that Generations Founda­tion enriches the lives of many needy young people. 

Our food programs help kids become more self-sufficient and support leadership programs, whose students and volunteers run breakfast programs, preparing, serving, and cleaning up. At hearing-impaired centers for adults and kids, we support cooking and social programs. Special needs kids in high schools prepare breakfast or light lunches in life-skills programs. After-school snack programs provide nutrition while advanced students and teachers help younger kids with homework. 

Since 2000, we have sponsored several thousand children to summer camp in the country, providing them with a safe, healthy environment to bridge the gap between school years. This summer brings a large demand for sponsorship – 300-400 inner-city kids will attend camp sessions at Amy Molson Camp, Trail’s End Camp and Camp B’nai Brith. For two weeks or more, these children enjoy a camp experience they might not ordinarily have, while being well fed, bringing respite to parents during difficult times. Summer sleep-away camp is highly undervalued. It differs from day camp in that children develop a sense of themselves, away from their normal environment. They form new friendships and enjoy challenges such as swimming, boating, and hiking.

Many thanks to the generous donors, volunteers, police, government officials and media who participated in our March 2008 La Stanza Camp for Kids Breakfast. We invite you to continue together with us to build a better future for these kids and our community.

– Adrian and Natalie Bercovici, Generations Foundation

Cataract surgery light years ahead

Byron Toben

Two leading ophthalmologists, McGill professors Dr. Darren Albert and Dr. Marino Discepola, spoke about cataracts at St. Mary’s Hospital recently.

Cataracts, a clouding of the eye lens behind the iris, prevent light from properly focusing on the retina.

The professors have each performed over 8000 cataract surgeries. Their recounting of the history of their operations, as well as the recent leaps in technology, was fascinating.

For thousands of years, primitive procedures involved sticking long, thin needles into the eyeball, clumsy suturing, infection and lengthy recuperation.

Today, with local anesthetic, antibiotic eye drops and computerized micro-technology, procedures have become routine and safe.

A big breakthrough came in 1948 when Sir Harold Ridley in London observed that plastic fragments from plane windows, lodged in the eyes of Royal Air Force pilots, were not rejected by the body. This led him to develop a hard plastic lens to replace the natural one. In 1967, Charles Kelman in New York developed an ultrasound technique to dissolve cataracts, thus eliminating large scalpel incisions. Then in 1983, affordable soft lenses became available to replace damaged lenses with only a micro-incision.

Alcon, the presentation’s sponsor and the world’s largest manufacturer of optical lenses, presented a new soft lens refined to not only provide clear vision, but to be individually tailored to eliminate most nearsightedness and farsightedness. The need for prescription glasses may eventually be eliminated altogether.

The Quebec medical system pays for the surgery and the insertion of hard lenses, but unlike other provinces, not the soft lenses, which cost about $300 each.

SPCA tries to put the past behind it

Rachel Lau

After the sacking of SPCA Montreal executive director Pierre Barnotti, the organization put up a fresh face and called their services “new and improved.”

Alanna Devine, acting executive director, explained that the Montreal chapter, after making recent headlines over funding irregularities, has changed its ways. “We’ve become transparent. Any questions people have, we want to answer. We want people to know exactly where the money is going so that there are no secrets.”

On July 3, SPCA Montreal met with the public asking for help with their updated services and donations to patch up their facilities, firstly by repairing the aging ventilation system. New volunteering programs include a multi-task group to successfully place animals.

Although SPCA is a non-euthanasia association, animals are still put down everyday. Devine says the euthanasia rate for dogs is down to one to two percent, but the rate for cats is still quite high. “We’re looking for more people to adopt in order to change this.”

The chapter works with 30 other animal rescue groups, including CAACQ, Animatch, Rosie Animal Adoption, Tiny Paws and Toronto Animal Services, all of whom have a wider variety of resources, in order to increase adoption and save more animals. For more information visit spcamontreal.com or call 514-735-2711.

Molly's Istanbul sparks reader's memories and reflections

I was deeply touched by Molly Newborn’s June travel article Istanbul – the magic, the madness & the mosques. I was in Istanbul in 1958, exactly 50 years ago, my head full of Pierre Loti, taking a summer course in Turkish for foreign students at Istanbul University. It was the most beautiful city I had seen, at least its skyline of domes and minarets.

By the way Bosporus is a strait between two seas, not a river (Mr. Richler, please correct me if I am wrong) although it may look like a river if you don’t taste its salt water.

Ms. Newborn’s first impressions were bitter. She was hassled by peddlers offering to sell her a carpet and by cavaliers hoping to date her. They could tell she was a tourist. Maybe the way she was dressed in jeans or her typical tourist behaviour, looking around with curious starry eyes the way no local would. Judging by her photo we would expect her to draw admiring glances not only in Turkey, though we can’t expect her to accept an invitation for a date, especially a crudely formulated one from a stranger. She goes back to her hotel room to cry for the rest of the day. She is obviously a sensitive young woman. It may be her weakness as a journalist, but it is her strength as a writer.

Well, carpet sellers or other peddlers did not run after me. I was a student, and students, even foreign students, were not expected to have much money.

Ms. Newborn is rescued by Ahmet, a former Turkish classmate from UCLA, who gives her a guided tour of the city. She is “stunned” by the grandeur of the Hagia Sophia. I remember how excited I was, as a Christian, seeing what was perhaps the most beautiful Christian church ever built. Mehmet the Conqueror had transformed the church into a mosque, adding the first of the four minarets. The secularist President Ataturk turned it into a museum.

A house of worship has a soul that a mere museum cannot have. Something Ms. Newborn missed. She shows us a photo of the Blue Mosque, illuminated at night, displaying the inscription “DONYA AHIRETIN TARLASIDIR” (“The world is the ploughed field for after-life”). Yet, one of the wonders of the Hagia Sophia is its Christian mosaics which had been plastered over during the four centuries when the building was serving as a mosque. The subject matter may not have been objectionable to the Muslims who venerate the Prophet Jesus and his Mother but a mosque may not contain any pictorial representations, viewed as idolatry. To most if not all Turks, it would have been tantamount to a symbolic surrender of the city to the Greeks, a nightmare, which had almost happened at the end of World War I. Ataturk’s victory over the Greeks and their British and French allies saved the city for Turkey and for Islam.

When visiting the Blue Mosque, Ms. Newborn feels “uncomfortable” at being asked to cover her head. Come on, young lady! Haven’t you ever wrapped your head with a scarf to protect yourself from Canadian wind? I don’t remember whether Western women tourists were asked to cover their heads when visiting mosques in Turkey in my time. I remember that we all had to take our shoes off.

Ms. Newborn is not much impressed by the Islamic call to prayer, appreciated by so many non-Muslims, including Byron who had fought against the Turks in the Greek War of Independence:

“’Twas musical, yet sadly sweet...” (The Siege of Corinth)

On her own Ms. Newborn takes the train across the Galata Bridge to the Dolmabahge Palace. A train across the Galata Bridge? I am sure the “train” here is a misprint for tram, or is it an innovation since my time?

After her guided tour of the city Ms. Newborn spends the night partying with Ahmet and his friends in the bars of Taxim (her spelling). That is quite in character with the society. Unlike most Muslims (Arabs, Iranians, Pakistanis) the Turks drink openly, without inhibition, even taking pride in their drinking prowess. Except that those were strictly men-only sessions. It was not considered dignified for Turkish ladies to drink raki. I wonder if there were Turkish girls partying that night?

Please note the spelling: Taksim. There is no X in Turkish. It is an Arabic loanword meaning “division” or “partition.” Taksim Square is the centre of Pera or Beyogiu, the formerly “Frankish” suburb of Istanbul with more bars than mosques.

In the end Ms. Newborn forgets her initial disappointment and is won over by the city: “Istanbul is magical. There is no other place that compares.” I haven’t been back to Istanbul for 50 years.

Ms. Newborn has captured the spirit of the place and brought back precious memories of my youth.

Thank you, Molly!

Çok tesekkür ederim!

– Jan Witold Weryho, NDG

---

Dear Ms. Weryho,

You are so very welcome! I was delighted to learn about your experience in Istanbul 50 years ago. It seems as though things haven’t changed too much.

We were asked to take off our shoes and cover our heads upon entering all mosques. Taking off my shoes made me as uneasy as covering my head. There were water fountains outside all mosques where the men washed their feet (and face and arms?) before entering. I found a crowd of about 30 women jammed into the ladies’ restroom with three sinks outside the Blue Mosque washing their feet. As a foreigner it is not my place to complain, especially since entering the stunningly beautiful mosque negated any uneasy feelings.

Ahmet presented me with my first glass of Raki during our lunch under the Galata Bridge. The first of many. There certainly was no shortage of alcohol for the ladies in Taksim! There were girls in Ahmet’s circle of friends who joined us in the festivities, and they could have easily passed as Americans. This took me by surprise since I was advised to “cover up” while traveling around Turkey, but when it came to Istanbul the girls definitely weren’t shy to be sexy. This is a far cry from Urfa, which I will be writing about in a future issue.

I did come to enjoy the Islamic call to prayer. It was a bit of a jolt when I heard it for the first time without  warning. It was a constant reminder wherever I went, saying “Listen! You’re in Turkey!” And I certainly appreciated it when it woke me up to catch my flight.

Thanks again for your reply! I am so happy we were able to share our stories with one another.

– Molly, Los Angeles

The enchanted world of Cappadocia

Molly Newborn

If you have ever dreamt of traveling to the moon and then realized that the 384,403 km, eight million dollar space shuttle ticket might be a bit out of budget, might I recommend a trip to Cappadocia? Located in the center of Turkey – the middle Anatolian region spanning five cities – you will find this lunar-like landscape.

After a grueling overnight bus from Antalya, my tour group of 14 was deposited at what at first looked like a boring little Turkish town. I rubbed my eyes as we walked down the empty street at 5 am and realized this was no ordinary place. It looked like some of the houses were built right into mysterious and unearthly looking rocks. Look a little closer and this bizarre scene stretches for miles and miles.

Volcanic eruptions, erosion and winds from millions of years ago somehow created the wondrous rock formations of Cappadocia. The Fairy Chimneys – the most common and absurd looking structures – are natural cone formations made from the volcanic eruptions smoothed over time by wind and rain (good thing this article comes with pictures because otherwise you would be lost).

Houses carved into the stone

The Hittites were the first known civilization to inhabit the volcanic rock structures of Cappadocia about 3800 years ago, followed by the Persians and the Romans. They discovered the volcanic rock was easily carved and shaped yet sturdy enough to hold permanent structures. Whole towns were carved into these rocks with houses and tunnels and churches with frescos. People still live in houses carved into the stone, and some lucky tourists can even book a room in one of the pricey carved rock hotels.

After a short 30-minute hike through the landscape, our tour guide took us to the old deserted town of Zelve. Zelve was inhabited until 1952. In 1967 it was turned into an open-air museum. I felt like I was 6 years old again climbing up the cliffs to the caves (or houses), exploring each room and tunnel, ima-gining the lifestyle of the cave dwellers while admiring the views as I climbed.

Fairy Chimneys

We then piled back into our rented minibus and headed to a town called Avanos. This is a town famous for its colourful pottery made from the red clay of the Kyzylyrmak River – the longest in Turkey. We visited a shop that allowed us to watch and learn how the intricately decorated pots were made. We were all so impressed with the show and the artwork that each of us bought a souvenir pot. As we explored the tourist kiosks that seem to be around almost every Cappadocia corner we realized that they were selling the same pots at a half to two thirds the price we had paid in the shop.

Our next excursion took us to one of Cappadocia’s 36 identified underground cities (only four are open to the public). It was like climbing through a giant ant farm, crawling through holes and tunnels and more holes. These cities were actually fully functioning civilizations equipped with communal kitchens, ventilation systems, and common rooms. These cities were built to live in during invasions and could sustain hundreds of people for up to six months! They are not for the claustrophobic. The tall might emerge with a bit of back pain. Our tour guide – about 5’3” – appeared to be standing comfortably in the rooms while the rest of us had to hunch. I did however get a kick out of crawling down the maze of tunnels and rooms carved eight levels down into the earth!

Whirling Dervishes

Our final night in Cappadocia was spent watching the mesmerizing prayer dance of the whirling Dervishes. The Dervishes belong to the Sufi sect of Islam. The whirling they do is a type of prayer to achieve a meditative trance state, connecting with the ever revolving motion of all existence – from the protons and electrons around the nucleus, to the planets around the stars. Their long flowing angelic white skirts seem to send them soaring into mystical flight. The “show” is incredibly beautiful and relaxing. Sweet cinnamon tea is served to the audience to conclude the show. My sweet tooth couldn’t get enough of it. It cost 35 lira (about $35). I stumbled across more Whirling Dervishes a week later near the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. That show was free and it did not skimp on the tea.

Although I opted out of the $250 hot air balloon ride (apparently a must see), and may have fallen into a couple of tourist traps, my Cappadocia experience was nothing short of extraordinary. From the giant ant farm to the towering Fairy Chimneys, Cappadocia took me to another world, and back to the playground.

Love letter for the Times

Six years ago, a reader met a gentleman through our Meet a Friend column. They dated for six months and then married. Sadly, two years ago, her beloved husband passed away.

Our reader writes that he was the most gentle, wonderful, patient, kind man she had ever known. She vows that she will never meet another like him but she would like to meet a friend. They really loved each other, she writes. Our reader, let us call her ‘Mary Ann’, would like us to start up Meet a Friend again and in tribute to this loving relationship, we have decided to do just that.

Mary Ann is in her 70s, independent and in search of a friend for coffee, movies or driving.

If you wish to contact her, send your letter with a recent photo to Mary Ann at Meet a Friend, 4077 Decarie Blvd, Montreal, QC H4A 3J8.

Would you like to Meet a Friend? Send your bio of 25 to 30 words and a cheque for $20 to the above address or call Rachel at 514-484-5033 or email your bio to editor@theseniortimes.com and call to give us your credit card number. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity. No phone numbers will be given out. You will be assigned a number and all your mail forwarded to you from our office.

Crosby, Stills & Nash look backwards and forwards

Adam Desaulniers

Crosby, Stills & Nash’s performance at Place des Arts Tuesday, July 22 brings more music and less politics to the stage than their 2006 Freedom of Speech tour with Neil Young, which bitterly divided critics and audiences over its focus on the Iraq War.

Renowned for its three-hour marathon shows, the group tested the limits of its unity and stamina during the tour – choosing to include large chunks of Young’s Living With War album, noted for its single Let’s Impeach the President – and drawing the ire of many fans. The turmoil is captured in the tour’s documentary CSNY: Déjà Vu, slated for theatrical release in 15 cities the weekend after their Montreal show, with a simultaneous video-on-demand release and streaming video via Netflix. The DVD comes just in time for November elections in the US.

Premiering to mostly positive reviews in January at Sundance, the film features ex-ABC News Iraq reporter Mike Cerre “embedded” on the tour bus and showcases both sides of the critical reaction, including one infamous judgment that “the huddled sixty somethings look like they’re comparing prescriptions on stage.” Besides strong lyrical content, the tour featured backdrops of war scenes, casualty counts and clips of the Bush administration’s finer moments. Reception in some cities, particularly Atlanta, was openly hostile. The strain on the foursome’s solidarity, and the resulting internal political struggle, is documented cinema-verité style in moments backstage. Produced by Young, the film was judged by one critic as “not so much the chronicle of a newsworthy tour as a committed political artist’s sincere attempt to get to grips with an America whose mood seems to have changed utterly since the band’s debut.”

The current tour, minus Young, picks up some elements from 2006 and introduces new ones, notably sharing one microphone on some acoustic numbers for the first time. “It screams of how much we’re getting it on together,” Nash said in a recent interview. “Instead of our sound man trying to blend three sources, we’re doing it ourselves. It’s not easy to sing so close to each other. But it sounds great.”

A feature of the 2006 tour sure to be repeated is its compelling example of eco-responsibility. Pioneering the modernization of the notoriously messy touring business, they achieved a zero carbon footprint by using 100% biodiesel for the entire convoy of vehicles and offsetting 100% of the tour’s greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing and permanently retiring credits from the Chicago Climate Exchange – a “registry, reduction, and trading system” similar to the Montreal Climate Exchange, that allows emitters to “neutralize” their carbon footprints through large-scale sustainability projects.

Reviews of the current tour have been favourable, often commenting on the trio’s newly trim physiques and lauding their unabated vocal form, impressive musicianship and wise musical choices. Setlists are partly chosen by fans – the group has been soliciting requests online for upcoming shows at crosbystillsnash.com – and Nash has found “some surprises” from this, noting “we’re doing about four or five suggestions of stuff we haven’t done in years.”

Special VIP seats are still available online through two charity beneficiaries of the tour, the Guacamole Fund and World Hunger Year.

Advances in joint pain treatment

Adam Desaulniers

Reduced joint mobility begins around age 35, as natural fluids lubricating our cartilage become more scarce. For as many as one in seven of us, this is compounded by the inflammation of osteoarthritis. As new treatments to diminish pain and extend mobility emerge and compete with established ones, healthcare providers have faced the choice with caution, typically favouring the approach with the longest track record except in more severe cases.

Where oral anti-inflammatories fail, steroid injections (cortisone) have been standard treatment since the 1950s, targeting directly the inflammation of the joint lining that eventually leads to cartilage and bone damage. Where cortisone fails, the waiting list for joint replacement has often been the next recourse.

Hyaluronic acid injections, marketed as Synvisc® in Canada by Genzyme since 1997, are a “viscosupplementation” treatment aimed at replacing the naturally occurring molecule hyaluronan, secreted in diminishing quantities over time by our cartilage. Derived from eggshell membrane proteins, it offers the possibility of delaying the need for joint surgery. Its use is also widespread as a filler for scar reduction procedures, replacing shorter-lived collagen injections, and as a scaffolding material for cutting-edge tissue cloning and organ regeneration from stem cells.

Because of its widespread use in surgery and its mimicry of naturally secreted molecules, hyaluronic acid’s safety is not as much of an issue as its effectiveness versus cortisone or placebo. Clinical studies have been mixed, but a systematic literature review for the journal of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, looking at five case series and thirteen randomized controlled trials, concluded that hyaluronic acid “appears to have a slower onset of action than intra-articular steroids but the effects seem to last longer,” and that higher concentrations showed more consistent results in terms of pain relief and improved function. Effects of hyaluronic acid begin after one to three months and last up to a year, compared with cortisone injections, which act more quickly but lose effectiveness after three months.

Biologic Response Modifiers (BRMs) are a class of drugs whose novelty is discernible from their generic names – Enbrel (etanercept), Remicade (infliximab), Humira (adalimumab), Kineret (anakinra), Orencia (abatacept), and Rituxan (rituximab). They aid the immune system with fine-tuned targeting of molecular pathways involved in inflammation. Early results are promising, but by virtue of their newness, long-term studies of their efficacy and side effects are still over the horizon and many healthcare providers won’t yet have clinical experience prescribing them.

Small trials in Europe and the United States are frequently touted to show efficacy for the dietary supplements glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate, but have been criticized on methodological grounds. Most physicians won’t recommend supplements for osteoarthritis treatment, though few discourage patients from taking them if they have normal liver and kidney function.

Non-pharmacological approaches rely largely on weight control and exercise, which can reduce wear and tear on the joints. Low-impact exercise of affected joints can be of varying benefit among individuals, but it can’t hurt – the balance of evidence shows that it will not increase the development of osteoarthritis. Physical activity correllates strongly with greater and longer lasting mobility, and low-impact exercise classes for seniors are available in several community centres around Montreal.

• YMCA: swimming, stretching, pilates
  514-486-7315 or centresymca.ca
• YMYWHA: aqua fitness, yoga, outdoor walks
  514-737-6551 or ymywha.com
• Cummings Centre: chair aerobics and fitness
  514-343-3529 x 7329 or cummingscentre.org

Further reading

Hyaluronic acid injections for knee osteoarthritis - Systematic review of the literature
Anita Aggarwal, MD, CCFP Ian P. Sempowski, MD, CCFP(EM)
College of Family Physicians of Canada

Osteoarthritis: Current Concepts in Diagnosis and Management
Nisha J. Manek, MD, MRCP, Nancy E. Lane, MD
American Acadamy of Family Physicians

Explore Plastic Surgery - Archive: Hyaluronic Acid
Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD

SEC Info - Genzyme Corp

One of the prettiest villages in Quebec

Knowlton scenery (photo: Jessie Archambault)

Jessie Archambault

Part of the Association des Plus Beaux Villages du Québec, Knowlton is 100 km from Montreal and is mostly English-speaking. Loyalists from New England founded the Victorian-style town in 1821. This explains the village’s British flavour, notable as soon as you get there.

On Knowlton Road we see the town’s three churches – Anglican, Catholic and United – which were all built soon after the town’s founding.

In the summer, outdoor and indoor activities take over the town. There are band concerts at the Gazebo, painting exhibitions, English plays at the Lake Brome Theatre, a wedding dress exhibition, from Sunday, June 1 to Tuesday, June 3, and a tractor pull competition from Friday, July 18 to Sunday, July 20.

The local theatre will present Intimate Exchanges Saturday, July 5, Richard Donat reads Stephen Leacock Saturday, July 12, Let’s be Frank Saturday, July 19, Woodswalker Friday, July 25, The 25th Century Belongs to Canada Saturday, June 28, and The Dik and Mitzi Anniversary Show Friday, August 8.

Each Labour Day weekend an agricultural fair established in 1856 takes place near Knowlton over four days. Brome Fair has talent shows, horses, cattle judging, attractions and rides, a magician, local band shows, and a 4x4 truck pull contest.

The major outside activity is the Brome Lake Duck Fest during the last two weekends of September from 11 am – 5 pm when the town closes its two main streets to celebrate. The festival welcomes visitors from Quebec, Ontario, Vermont and New York for a total of 50,000 people over the two weekends. They can taste the duck, special dishes and local products like jams, wine, cheese and honey. Duck-related souvenirs are available in the majority of the stores and outdoor stands.

The Auberge Knowlton Inn starts at $120 per room, with two country-style breakfasts for just $15 more. The inn offers its guests 10% off at its restaurant Le Relais. Attached to the inn, it has an old-style ambiance, looking like a decorated barn with wooden tables and chairs. The menu consists of steak, chicken, seafood, and of course duckling, with prices varying from $18 to $30. All the wine served is locally made in vineyards around the Lake.

Downtown is comprised of Lakeside Street and Knowlton Road where the stores, cafés, restaurants, antique stores and accomodations are found.

Knowlton changes depending on the season in which you visit it. In the spring, multicoloured flowers hang everywhere and in the summer everyone is outside. Autumn gives a magnificent view of the colourful trees, and in winter they’re lit up by lights and Christmas ornaments.

Knowlton is a perfect escape for a taste of the country, boasting a great deal of diversion on a reasonable budget and is well worth a visit any time of year.

Jessie Archambault is a Dawson student.

Vegging Out - the fast-food experience

Emmanuelle Glidden

After five years of being a vegetarian, I’ve learned a thing or two about eating meat-free ─ especially how to maintain my lifestyle while out and about.

At first, I avoided restaurants. I was skeptical about finding meatless meals to eat.

As it turns out, vegetarian options are not as elusive as I once believed. In the first of a series on meat-free restaurant dining, I tried popular fast food joints for their green alternatives to good old hamburgers.

The first veggie burger I sampled was Burger King’s Veggie BK, which resembles the standard fast-food burger – lettuce, tomato, onion and ketchup on a white bun. The only difference is the soy-based, meat-free patty.

A Veggie BK trio ($5.49) includes a drink and a side of fries, onion rings, baked potato or salad.

Burger King is the only fast-food restaurant I’ve encountered that offers veggie burger kids meals. These are perfect for little vegetarians or for those with smaller appetites.

At Harvey’s, customers can personalize their veggie burgers trios ($5.85) with their choice of sides, and a variety of vegetable toppings and sauces for their burger. My favorite is the pickled hot peppers.

The choice of sides are limited to fries or onion rings. Athough Harvey’s veggie burger easily satisfies fast-food cravings, it isn’t exceptional. In fact, I enjoyed the onion rings more than I did the burger.

A&W’s Veggie Swiss (the most expensive trio at $7.09) features a Portobello mushroom patty, topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, Swiss cheese and a ranch-style sauce on a whole wheat bun.

The Veggie Swiss is one delicious burger − well worth its price. The difference lies in the Portobello patty, which is juicier and more flavorful than the soy-based alternative.

Lafleur offers both veggie burgers ($6.57 for a trio) and tofu dogs, ($6.93 for a trio) topped with ketchup and mustard, make a great midnight snack. For more substance, try the veggie burger.

Thanks to these restaurants, Montreal’s vegetarian community need not deny their fast-food cravings. Even the meat-eating population can profit from these healthier alternatives.

Next month, I’ll let you in on the Asian vegetarian experience.

Festival Lanaudière - music and so much more

Festival performers (photo: Baptiste Grison)

Kristine Berey

Montrealers must count their cultural blessings. Just as the greatly anticipated Jazz Fest winds down, another international music festival dedicated to classical music opens, less than an hour away from the city.

Now celebrating its 31st season, the Festival Lanaudière has presented indoor and outdoor concerts performed by international artists in its spectacular Amphitheatre and beautiful heritage churches, some of which date back to the 17th century. Though the festival’s program has blossomed from eight concerts in 1977 to 26 this July, the organizers’ vision – to create “a place where a large audience can listen to beautiful music performed by the greatest musicians” – remains intact.

This year an array of activities are geared toward young people making the festival an ideal opportunity for families to spend time together and build a lasting love of music in their youngest members.

The festival begins Saturday, July 5 with a resounding rendition of Carmina Burana, Carl Orff’s greatest masterpiece that grandchildren will recognize as the unmistakable inspiration for the soundtrack of the video game Final Fantasy I. The score calls for four choirs and a symphony orchestra – 200 musicians performing together.

Opera lovers won’t want to miss the 150th anniversary of Puccini’s birth, which the festival will honour with performances of his great arias, from La Boheme, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot on Friday, July 11.

Fledgling ornithologists will enjoy learning that the great composer Olivier Messiaen loved birds so much that he actually recorded their songs and wove them into his music. All the music performed on Saturday, July 12 will be devoted to birds, and will include Messiaen’s Oiseaux exotiques, Stravinsky’s Firebird, and Saint-Saens’ Le rossignol et la rose. Afternoon activities are free and will include a sound installation by Oswaldo Macia, an open rehearsal of the night’s concert with commentary, and an onsite exhibition of birds of prey. The evening concert will be accompanied by the winning entries in the bird photo contest organized by the Festival and the Regroupement QuebecOiseaux.

Little astronomers can be fascinated by projections of NASA photos on a giant screen on Friday, July 18, accompanied by Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite The Planets, with Jean-Marie Zeitouni conducting the Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal.

Starting Sunday, July 6, outdoor concerts for the whole family include the famous London vocal quartet Cantabile, swing from the 40s by The Easy Answers, and Romeo and Juliet in the passionate universe of the Tango.

On Saturday, July 19, a day declared by Festival Artistic Ambassador Alain Lefèvre as “a day of piano and youth,” everyone under 25 will be admitted for free to hear Lefèvre and his confrères push the limits of piano playing in performances of concertos for two, three, and four pianos with eight virtuosos taking part. To engage the “pianistically reluctant” free hot dogs will be served, compliments of Maple Lodge Farms.

Other treats include tourist outings along the St. Lawrence, featuring a boat trip to the Lac-Saint-Pierre Archipelago, a unique nature reserve recognized as a biosphere by UNESCO on Sunday, July 7, and a dinner cruise on Friday, July 11, going from Montreal’s Old Port to the pier in Saint-Sulpice, where guests will board a luxury coach for the Amphitheatre.

For those who don’t want to drive, a shuttle service to the Amphitheatre, the Festival Express, leaves from downtown Montreal.

Info: 450-759-7636 or lanaudiere.org

Byron’s picks for the 18th Montreal Fringe Festival

Byron Toben

This year the festival runs from Thursday, June 12 to Sunday, June 22. Fringe goers can get a free copy of the program to decide which of the 37 free events and 89 paid events they wish to see. It’s best to buy the six-show Gold Card for $50 or the 10-show Platinum Card for $80. Both have a $2 service charge. When the credit on the card runs out, it can be exchanged for a beer at the Fringe Central tent on the corner of St-Laurent and Rachel. The average cost for individual tickets doesn’t typically run higher than $9, plus a $2 service charge.

Fasten your seat belts:

Three Old Bags, featured in this issue, stars accomplished British ex-pats Emma Stephens and Mary Harvey.

T.J. Dawe, a Vancouver based fringe circuit veteran, is involved in three shows this year. He performs a 90-minute monologue about personal mythology in Totem Figures, and also directs Teaching The Fringe, written and performed by Keir Cutler from Westmount. The show, part of his award-winning “teaching series,” depicts a Fringe audience member reporting Cutler to Manitoba authorities. The subject of the play was a teacher harassing a teenage student and the complainant confused the fictional character with the actor. Rather than suppressing the event, Keir made a show out of it. Dishpig, also directed by Dawe, is a one-person show featuring co-writer Greg Landucci. Landucci portrays 15 restaurant employees during a summer spent scrubbing dishes.

Songs of an Immigrant, written and performed by Marni Rice of New York, tells the story of an American woman who moves to Paris with her accordion to perform “old style” chansons. Those in need of an Edith Piaf fix should make a beeline to this act.

The Beekeepers, a Toronto production, brings back some of the people from last year’s popular King of 15 Island, plus hundreds of new but flighty friends. Please, no jokes about Fringe buzz.

Between Takeoff & Landing, written and performed by Michael Walsh of New York, recounts his experience of being stranded with 6000 passengers in Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11. His flight was from Dublin, so if you’re stuck for four days, who better to be stuck with than a bunch of Irish folk? Walsh was here last year with the popular show If Tap Shoes Could Talk.

The Tricky Part, a true story of trespass, forgiveness and redemption, comes all the way from South Africa. Running close to 90 minutes, it is one of the longer Fringe performances, so it is a bargain.

Wonderbar, of Winnipeg and Toronto, stars Britain’s one and only Alex Dallas who is fondly remembered here as one of the Sensible Footwear femmes, a hit from the early years at the Montreal Fringe (during a time when the New York show High Heeled Women reigned there.) This show explores the world of glamour and international fraud.

Find Me A Primitive Man, from London, England, has a British beauty tutoring minor members of the Royal Family in a “scintillating cocktail comedy and drama.”

GREED, from Perth, Australia, is the tale of four lives influenced by unbridled big G, in 1987. Sounds like they have been influenced by Gordon Gecko’s creed, ‘Greed is Good.’

Jem Rolls: How I Stopped Worrying And Learnt To Love The Mall has been described as “dynamic” and “innovative.” Jem, of Edinburgh, Scotland, performs his rapid-fire wordsmith performance as he starts his annual trek across the Canadian Fringe Empire. If you haven’t seen his show, you should. If you already have, you’ll want to hear his new material.

Sixty Four and No More Lies brings back Susan Freedman of Vancouver, with her series of shows inspired by advancing years. Remember Sixty and More Lies About My Weight and Fifty Seven And Still Lying About My Weight from previous years? This funny girl has a sinecure here as she marches into her 70s, 80s and, we hope, beyond. She is worth seeing and that’s no lie.

Mating Rituals of the Aging Cougar stars Toronto’s Andrea Thompson, as she takes the art of the spoken word back to its roots. Fans of spoken word may want to see her as a bookend to Jem Rolls.

Barry Smith’s Baby Book will have its premiere at this year’s Fringe. It’s based on Smith’s obsession with documenting every detail of his existence. He presents a multimedia show of his own Fringe hits, Jesus in Montana and American Squatter.

Boom is a one-person show about people and bombs. Andrew Conner, from Seattle, portrays a multitude of characters as a sentimental returning prodigal with a dangerous plan to revive a small town. His voice and body change at a dizzying pace.

Info: 514-849-FEST or montrealfringe.ca

Dealing with a rent increase

Project Genesis

If you live in an apartment or a rooming house, you have the right to be treated according to the law and with dignity. Therefore, it is imperative that you know your housing rights.

When a lease is up for renewal, the landlord can send you a rent increase notice, which must be in writing. A landlord may not request more than one rent in­crease per year.

If the landlord does not send a rent increase notice, your lease will be automatically renewed at the old rent unless you send a non-renewal notice by registered mail. The time limit for you to send a non-renewal notice or for your landlord to send a rent increase notice is the same and depends on the length of the lease.

For a 12 month lease, notice must be sent 3-6 months before the lease renewal date. For leases of an indeterminate length or under 12 months, notice is required 1-2 months beforehand. For leases of rooms, the requirement is 10-20 days.

To refuse an increase or leave at the end of your lease, you must inform the landlord by registered mail within 1 month of receiving the rent increase notice (a form letter is available at Project Genesis), otherwise the lease will be automatically re­newed with the rent increase. If you refuse, the landlord has one month to apply to the Rental Board for a ruling. The Rental Board will set the new rent taking into account changes in the landlord’s costs, typically taxes, insurance, maintenance, and heating.

Project Genesis offers free information on tenant-landlord law, welfare, pensions, family allowances and other income supplement programs, immigration issues, access to public health insurance, and more. Services are free and accessible with no appointment necessary.

Call 514-738-2036, visit genese.qc.ca or drop by at 4735 Côte-Ste-Catherine.

Know your housing rights - Repairs

Project Genesis

If you are living in an apartment or a rooming house, you have the right to be treated according to the law and with dignity. Therefore, it is imperative that you know your housing rights.

It is the landlord’s responsibility to maintain the apartment in good condition, and make any necessary repairs (as long as they are not due to damage caused by the tenant). There are three main types of repair situations:

• Repairs that are not urgent: You should send a registered letter to the landlord requesting the repairs be done within 10 days. Project Genesis has a form letter for this. If repairs are still not done, after the 10 days, you can go to the Rental Board and fill out an application for one or more of the following:
• To deposit your rent at the Rental Board.
• To ask for a rent reduction.
• To ask for an order for the landlord to carry out the repairs.
• To ask for permission to withhold money from the rent to do the repairs.
• To ask for damages due to loss or inconvenience.
• To ask for cancellation of the lease.
• Urgent repairs (e.g.: pipes bursting): You must inform, or try to inform the landlord of the problem immediately (phone, visit, etc.). If it is impossible to reach the landlord, or s/he refuses to act, you can carry out the repairs, and either deduct the money from your rent payments, or claim the money back at the Rental Board. You will need to have proof that the repair was urgent (eg. witnesses, photos) and that you tried to contact the landlord, in case the landlord claims you illegally withheld your rent.
• Apartment unfit for habitation (eg. flood, heat cut off during winter): You can abandon your apartment. Within 10 days, you must send a registered letter to the landlord, stating your reason for abandoning. Before abandoning the apartment, make sure you have proof of the condition (witnesses, photos), in case the landlord denies it, and sues you for the rent. For problems involving health and safety you should also call the City of Montreal Inspection Dept. (514-872-3181 or 514-872-2237).

Project Genesis offers free information on many different issues, including housing rights. Services are free and accessible, with no appointment necessary. Call at 514-738-2036 or visit in person at 4735 Cote Ste-Catherine (in front of the metro, on the corner of Victoria street).

Grandparents and special needs kids

Gisele Rucker

Grandparents want the best for everyone in their family, but especially their grandkids. Abby Kleinberg-Bassel is a Special Needs Consultant who welcomes questions from concerned grandparents, whose grandkids are displaying developmental problems.

“Usually grandparents have heard about me from other people who know about my work,” she says. “They're referred by their doctor, or friends, or they're just taking a stab in the dark. They call me and say, ‘I have a grandchild and I'm concerned because…’ and they might name Global Developmental Delay, Down's Syndrome, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, or Asperger's Syndrome,” Kleinberg-Bassel explains. “The bottom line is they are worried.”

Grandparents call because they see that something is wrong and their own children (the parents of the child) do not want to or cannot deal with the problem. Either the parents are unaware that anything is amiss or are unable to face the idea that something might be wrong. Sometimes, to Abby’s dismay, the grandparent informs her that the child’s paediatrician has advised the parents to ‘wait and see, maybe they’ll grow out of it.’ For her, precious time for early intervention is being lost.

“They want to know how to help without being intrusive,” she says. “I ask if they've told their children that they're contacting me, because there is the important issue of confidentiality. If the parents haven’t been told, I may advise the grandparents, but it does have to be the parent who contacts me to provide services for the child. I ask them if there has been a diagnosis of the child and then we talk about the services I can provide.”

Therapeutic services range from assessment, diagnosis and treatment in the areas of Speech, Occupational, and Physiotherapy, to Psychological services for assessment, behavioural programs, or one-on-one educators.

Kleinberg-Bassel provides support for the family and helps them obtain the government services they are entitled to. “When grandparents want to help, they need to know how to help,” she says. “For instance, if the child’s parents are willing, grandparents can come to the meetings and observe the sessions. They can choose to participate monetarily or by providing emotional support, or can give the parents a break, because they know how to be effective with the child when the parent is not around. Equally important is the ability to form a bond with the child, so there is the possibility of a positive interaction between the grandparent and the grandchild.”

She suggests grandparents

• Be proactive by helping children find appropriate resources.
• Be supportive because worrying and meddling will only increase the stress for the family.
• Encourage rather than criticize, being forewarned that suggestions can be perceived as criticisms.
• Be sensitive to the mood, the situation, the setting and the problems.
• Let your children know that you are there for them.

Abby Kleinberg-Bassel has worked with young children with Special Needs and their families for 38 years. She says the earlier the child receives necessary help, the greater the results. “Research has shown that Intensive Early Intervention is critical in order to ensure making gains in the child’s development,” she says. “The reality is that the earlier a problem is identified, the sooner appropriate services can be put into place to ensure your grandchild makes progress. The public system can assess the child, but the waiting period can be excessive — from six months to three years. If they do not want to wait so long, they can obtain private assessments and services for their grandchild.”

Abby Kleinberg-Bassel can be contacted at 514-313-2010 or 514-748-2193.

A balance of flavours perfected at Anancy

Nancy Snipper

When Anancy's George Grant found Jamaican chef Dave Holness out of 150 applicants to cook up authentic Jamaican dishes for his 3-month-old dream restaurant, he was ecstatic. Holness trained at Jamaica’s HEART Institute, was the executive chef for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and garnered cuisine kudos in Grand Cayman. Now Montreal diners can enjoy his palette-pleasing creations at Anancy Restaurant. Holness has refined Jamaican dishes, creating a balance between herbal input and taste bud appeal for the public up here. My dining companion Dale Newton and I were surprised by the recurring ‘lightness’ in our choices — each devoid of grease and pungent spices.

We started with the chicken soup. Pumpkin seasoning with thyme added flavour accent to the fabulous string bean-shaped dumplings, potatoes, carrots and chocho (similar to small shallots). This soup was my thumbs-up favourite. Dale went crazy over Anancy’s conch fritters. She last sampled such treats in the Bahamas. Rumour ranks these fish cakes as aphrodisiacs, but we didn’t attribute our love of main meal selections to these awesome appetizers. Still, my amorous sentiments were heightened when I bit into the jerk chicken. Wow! It was so tender — utterly pleasing with its Holness balance of seven herbs. I tasted ginger, garlic and pepper, and spied pimento and bits of red and green pepper, but the rest remained a mouth-watering mystery. Dale chose ackee, a yellow veggie resembling a cooked egg yolk in taste and texture. It was exotic. Salty cured cod pieces added great flavour.

I snuck one of the dumplings that go with ackee’s tasty salad mixture. They were sensational — like a donut without the hole or the sweetness. In fact, I quickly became an Anancy dumpling addict, stuffing myself with ‘festivals’ as they are called — three are on the menu as extras. I allowed Dale the last one. She found festivals exciting. I replaced dessert with Blue Mountain coffee. Dale sipped chocolate chai tea — a perfect finale for our Jamaican feast. All we needed now was a beach to stretch out on. There was, however, a waterfall cascading down the glass at the entrance. Art-filled terra cotta walls enhance the warmth. Incredibly affordable, Anancy is a treat on all accounts!

Anancy is located at 6587 Somerled. Info: 514-486-2629

Butterfly watching at the Botanical Gardens

Kristine Berey

It's hard to believe they're bugs and even harder to believe that without them we're lost. Flamboyant, enchanting, mysterious and delightful, some with a wingspan greater than a man's open palms, they live out their short and glorious life in an artificial universe — right here, in the land of sleet and snow.

This year's Butterflies are Free exhibit, in its 11th year at the Botanical Garden of Montreal, will feature for the first time over 90 species of butterflies native to Africa, Central America and Asia. Until April 27, visitors can see about 2,000 butterflies at any given time, with up to 100 newly hatched butterflies released each day.

"In a natural environment, you would never see so many butterflies or so many species all at once," says the Garden's communications officer Francois Ouellet. In his two trips to Costa Rica, he came across only two such exotic creatures. "This environment is man-made, but it's spectacular."

Displaying countless iridescent hues, the butterflies emerge from their temporary tombs — their cocoons — gathering the strength to fulfill their mission to survive as a species.

The breathtakingly beautiful markings on their wings are not purely aesthetic, but also weapons of self-defense, warning potential predators of the butterflies' toxicity.

Their Latin names are impressive: Caligo eurilochus, Morpho helenor, Ideopsis juventa... but a child's imagination will respond more to common names like Clipper, Wood nymph, Owl butterfly and the Great eggfly bolina.

"Butterflies are ambassadors," says Pierre Veilleux, one of the Garden's technicians. He explains that while people fear what they do not know, the sheer beauty and fragility of these winged creatures awakens their curiosity regarding other insects as well. "Butterflies create a reconciliation between the human and insect world."

Veilleux's job is not easy. He must receive and maintain the cocoons, carefully packed and transported in temperature-controlled conditions, and see them through their life-cycle, releasing an allotted number every day.

He guides groups of schoolchildren through the greenhouse, pointing out which plants the butterflies feed on. He must also replenish these as needed, keeping "backup" plants ready. "Some of the plants may be beautiful, but they may be sterile. The butterflies know the difference."

The insects in the display were purchased from several butterfly breeding farms that provide economic support to communities while offering protection to wildlife. One such supplier, "Kipepeo" in Kenya is maintaining a forest of over 40,000 hectares with over 250 butterfly species.

Through Veilleux's presentation, visitors come to realize the profound interdependence of all living things and the importance of preserving biodiversity. "When the children understand which plants the butterflies need to survive, they realize they need to protect plants too," Veilleux says. "First comes respect, then the urge to protect."

Seniors “cautiously optimistic” following consultations

Kristine Berey

Marguerite Blais, Quebec minister responsible for seniors (photo: Kristine Berey)

From her more than 30 years in radio and television, Marguerite Blais, Quebec minister responsible for seniors, knows that seniors' issues are not the most popular of topics. She says keeping her program on the reality of aging running in 1979 — something she managed to do for 6 years — was a real challenge. "Nobody wanted to hear about that," she recalls. "It would have been good then to adapt society to aging. They thought 2000 was far away, but it was not."

Now in her ministerial role that she says fits her "like a glove", she is determined to give the seniors the attention they deserve. Last August, in an unprecedented gesture of genuine respect, Blais brought the government to seniors across the province in a series of public consultations on seniors' living conditions. From last August to November, accompanied by retired McGill social work professor Sheila Goldbloom and Dr. Réjean Hébert, dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the Université de Sherbrooke, Blais asked seniors in 26 cities to express their needs and their concerns.

The response was positive, with over 4,000 people expressing their views. Groups working on behalf of seniors presented 267 briefs, and 3,375 calls and emails came pouring in.

The completed report on the consultations, Préparons l'avenir avec nos ainés, (soon to be translated) confirms what many already knew — seniors want to remain independent and do not wish to be segregated or discriminated against. When they do need care, they want to retain their dignity and the right to a decent quality of life.

Sheila Goldbloom is satisfied that seniors were heard. "The results of the consultation are reflected in the budget."

On March 19, when Blais unveiled the government's response to the report, she announced several immediate and long-term measures that addressed the most urgent issues, including more funding for home support, help for caregivers, better training for staff and improving the food at long term care centres. Next year, an action plan to combat abuse and neglect will be released and both private and public senior residences will need certification by January 2009. As well, a campaign will be launched to combat ageism, in French on television and in English on the radio, acknowledging seniors' contributions. Far from being a burden to society, seniors' volunteer work represents about $3.1 billion a year and their tax contribution stands at $2.2 billion a year, based on a 2006 study.

Blais is the first to say that these measures are only a beginning and believes that the welfare of seniors is everybody's business. "We have to do things every day to make sure seniors have a voice," she said. The government will be working closely with community organizations advocating on behalf of seniors, Blais said. "They are important partners."

Information kiosks and telephone access to services to seniors are in the works, with a Carrefour d'informations being planned in conjunction with the Cummings Centre sometime next year. "We are pushing for anglophone seniors to have services in their own language," Blais said.

Helen Wavroch, executive director of the Réseau Québecois pour contrer les abus contre les aines (RQCAA), a group that works to prevent elder abuse, hailed the government initiatives. "This is a minister who has managed to make things move," she said. "I felt there was, for the first time, a definite will and desire on behalf of the government to correct some of the wrongs that exist in the senior community." She disagrees with those who claim the measures didn't go far enough. "I know what Minister Blais has accomplished. She had to negotiate with her counterparts in government and get the other ministers involved in actions concerning seniors. Now that the ball has started to roll, it can't go back. That's what excites me."

When asked if he was happy at the announcements, Norbert Rodrigue, of the Association Québecoise de défense des droits des personnes rétraitées et pré-rétraitées (AQDR) answered "I cannot be unhappy." But he added that the issue of abuse and neglect is a great challenge that must be met.

Diane Lavallée, Québec's Public Curator responsible for the protection of 11,500 citizens who are incapacitated and have no family, and for the support of 11,200 legal guardians of other non-autonomous individuals, felt the announcements clearly demonstrated the government's intent to improve seniors' quality of life. But Jacqueline Racicot, in charge of communications for the Public Curator's office, says it's important to remember that not all those who are unable to care for themselves are seniors. "All private residences, including those that house and care for persons who are not necessarily elderly but are incapacitated must also follow the strict criteria for care and housing."

Herb Finkelberg of the Cummings Centre said that the Centre's interactions with Blais were extremely positive. "We remain cautiously optimistic and we'll be following the issues very closely."

In various capacities Blais has advocated for seniors, youth and the poor for many years. She has also written two books on the culture and history of the deaf community. When asked what struck her most at the close of the consultations, she answered, "I learned that we don't love enough." To the suggestion that society's lack of compassion is nothing new, she says, "Yes, but I'm in a position to say it louder."