Canadian athletes crowded the podium at a World Cup ski cross event in Bakuriani, Georgia on Saturday. Marielle Thompson of Whistler, B.C., won her second World Cup gold medal in as many races while teammate Brittany Phelan, of Mont-Tremblant, Que., took silver.

Now that public health officials in Montreal have flagged a measles case, here's what you need to know about the virus and how to keep it at bay.

Members from Montreal's Chinese and Indigenous communities came together as part of the Lunar New Year festivities. For the event's organizer, it was a step toward decolonizing Chinatown.

Two giants of modern art are on show at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, starting Feb. 10. We speak with Anita Feldman, the San Diego curator of the exhibition that highlights the lives and work of painter Georgia O'Keeffe and sculptor Henry Moore.

Students from a school in Saint-Lazare, Que., discovered their work online after googling their teacher's name and visiting his website. The Lester B. Pearson school board says it's investigating.

The cost? A mere $10.4 billion, which is considerably lower than the ARTM’s fully underground proposal in June 2023. That project would have cost at least $36 billion.

Noah Corson, son of former Montreal Canadiens centre Shayne Corson, has been found guilty of sexual assault. Judge Paul Dunnigan said that the accused had not taken all the reasonable steps he should have taken to ascertain the complainant's age — who was 15 at the time.

Evenko has announced that Justin Timberlake will be bringing his Forget Tomorrow tour to Montreal.

Timberlake will be playing the Bell Centre on Oct. 4, 2024.

Tickets are going on sale on Feb. 15 at 10 a.m.

For more Montreal music coverage, please visit the Music section.

The post Justin Timberlake to bring his Forget Tomorrow tour to Montreal on Oct. 4 appeared first on Cult MTL.

In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, the court reinforced a lower-court ruling and found the Quebec government policy barring asylum seekers from subsidized daycare was discriminatory because it unfairly prevented women from working.

Stéphan Genest came up with the idea for the 'ballbecue' after tailgating in Los Angeles 15 years ago. He spent years perfecting the design and construction of his football shaped barbecue.

Montreal, a city known for its sports culture, embodies a passion that goes beyond the arenas and spills into the world of sports betting. The shift from hockey to football represents a trend in Montreal’s sports betting scene reflecting the interests of its population. In this article we explore the intricacies of sports betting in Montreal and how local preferences and global influences shape this market.

Hockey — The Foundation of Sports Betting in Montreal

Hockey deeply rooted in the spirit in Montreal serves as the bedrock of sports betting in the city. The Montreal Canadiens, a team with a past boast an enormous following. Their games do not draw fans to the stands. Also engage them in sports betting activities making hockey wagering a significant part of the city’s sports gambling landscape.

Betting on hockey in Montreal is more than predicting winners and losers. It involves grasping the intricacies of the game such as player performance, injuries and even weather conditions. Bookmakers provide betting options ranging from win lose bets to more complex propositions, like forecasting how many goals a player will score.The wide range of betting options caters to both bettors and beginners ensuring that hockey betting is accessible to people from all walks of life.

In the realm of sports betting in Montreal football has gained popularity alongside hockey. The term sport betting Canada has become increasingly relevant as bettors show growing interest in both American football. The Montreal Alouettes from the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the widespread popularity of the NFL have contributed to this surge.

Football betting introduces a dynamic compared to hockey. It involves strategies with factors such as point spreads, over/under bets and individual player performances playing a role. The strategic nature of the sport combined with its range of betting options makes it an enticing choice for bettors in Montreal.

The rise in football betting also reflects a trend in sports betting across Canada. The legalization of single event sports betting has opened up opportunities for bettors expanding the sports betting market beyond Canadian sports to include international games. This provides a landscape for those looking to place bets.

The Influence of Technology, on Sports Betting

Technology has completely transformed the landscape of sports betting in Montreal making it more accessible and engaging for enthusiasts. Online platforms for betting have gained popularity offering convenience and a wide range of betting options. These platforms enable bettors to participate in betting allowing them to place bets while the game is ongoing. This real time experience adds an element to sports betting particularly attracting individuals who are tech savvy.

Furthermore mobile betting has experienced a surge in popularity. Betting apps have made it incredibly convenient for people in Montreal to engage in betting from anywhere and at any time. This accessibility has contributed to the growth of sports betting as it allows more individuals to partake without having to visit bookmakers.

The Role of Social and Economic Factors

Additionally social and economic factors play a role in shaping Montreal’s sports betting scene. The city’s multicultural population brings preferences when it comes to betting reflecting their backgrounds. This diversity has resulted in the inclusion of sports like soccer, basketball and even esports within the realm of markets for bets.

From a perspective sports betting makes a contribution to Montreal’s economy by generating revenue for local businesses and creating employment opportunities. Furthermore taxes and licensing fees associated with sports betting benefit the city by providing funds for projects.

The Future of Sports Betting in Montreal

The future of sports betting in Montreal is looking bright and promising. With the changing landscape advancements in technology and the city’s strong sports culture it is expected that sports betting will continue to grow and expand.

We can anticipate developments in the integration of augmented reality into betting platforms, which will enhance the overall betting experience. Moreover there is a growing emphasis on gambling practices that will shape the industry and ensure an ethical environment for bettors.

In summary, Montreal’s sports betting scene reflects the nature of the city’s sports culture as it moves beyond hockey to include football and other sports. The fusion of sports with international influences along with technological progressions has created a diverse and vibrant landscape for betting activities. As Montreal embraces these changes, we can expect its sports betting scene to thrive, offering thrilling prospects, for both bettors and the city as a whole.

The post From Hockey to Football: Understanding Sports Betting in Montreal appeared first on Cult MTL.

The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Peaky Blinders… the list of incredible gangster series on television is endless. And now there could be another offering on the way to challenge these esteemed offerings as the greatest in the genre.

According to recent reports, two of the best writers in the business are teaming up to create a brand new gangster series for streaming services. With these talented forces teaming up, the upcoming offering has the potential to be epic.

Terrence Winter and Nicholas Pileggi Collaborating on New Series

Terrence Winter is one of the hottest writers in the business, having worked on The Wolf of Wall Street as well as The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire. Winter alone could easily write an award-winning script, but can you imagine how much better he would be if he teamed up with another Martin Scorsese script writer?

You might not have to imagine for much longer, as Winter will be collaborating with Nicholas Pileggi, another behemoth in the industry who’s written classics like Goodfellas and American Gangster. With these two minds coming together, it’s tantalizing to think what they could conjure up. Between them, they know everything there is to know about the genre.

Mafia Themes are Hugely Popular in the Mainstream

Some would say it’s high time that a new gangster series hit streaming platforms. There’s a gap in the market for one, and a sprawling audience ready and waiting for it. Mafia themes have always been massively popular in the mainstream, with many of the top-rated movies of all time belonging to the genre. The Godfather, Mean Streets, Goodfellas, and Casino are all up there among the top pictures ever.

Mafia themes are also heavily represented in other areas of the entertainment industry. Along with series, there have been numerous games over the years. For instance, the Mafia titles from Gathering of Developers and 2K Games are some of the best open world games ever made.

Mafia themes are still going strong in today’s iGaming industry as well, with the Mafia Mayhem slot listed among the top online casino Canada games. The thumbnail stands out among other titles like The Twisted Circus and Cats and Cash because of the clear use of gangster tropes in the artwork. With mafia themes so prevalent in popular culture, there’s no doubt that the world is crying out for another television series in the genre.

This Could be a Major Hit

It’s amazing to think how far the television industry has come in the years since The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire aired. The intense competition between streaming services has led to high budget television shows that can rival movies in terms of spectacle.

With Winter and Pileggi teaming up to write an offering for modern platforms, there’s a good chance that this could be the greatest mafia television series ever made. Gangster fans should keep an eye out for any further news about this production.

The post New Mafia Series From Esteemed Writers Reportedly in the Works appeared first on Cult MTL.

Major sporting events have a significant impact on the Canadian economy. From the Olympics to national championships, these events generate revenue, attract tourism, and boost local pride. While costs are high to host, the long-term benefits outweigh the expense for many communities. Let’s explore some of the ways sporting events stimulate economic activity across the country.

Tourism and Visitor Spending

One of the primary economic impacts of major events is increased tourism. Sporting events draw both domestic and international visitors who require accommodations, transportation, food, and beverages. For example, when Toronto hosted the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, it is estimated that over 2 million attendees contributed to the growth of the Ontario economy through their spending. 

Similarly, the 2019 Canada Games in Red Deer, Alberta, hosted over 4,700 athletes and coaches who spent an estimated $19.6 million in visitor spending in the local economy. This infusion of cash benefits local businesses in the host communities.

Local Business Revenue and Employment

In addition to visitor spending, major sporting events generate business for local companies. Organizers rely on regional firms for services such as catering, transportation, facilities maintenance, and more. For the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, over 240,000 job opportunities were created across British Columbia. Events like the Grey Cup or Brier also result in increased revenue and staffing needs for restaurants, retailers, broadcast crews, and other suppliers near competition venues.

Construction and Infrastructure Development

Hosting major events requires building new or upgrading existing sporting facilities. This construction spending injects money into the local economy through jobs, materials, and services. Many of these capital improvements benefit communities long after an event concludes through increased sports and recreation opportunities. They can also entice future tournaments and conferences to return.

Domestic and International Branding

Successful events create tremendous exposure for their host cities and countries through extensive global media coverage. For Canada, this translates to invaluable promotion on the world stage. The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, contested across several Canadian cities, generated a record-breaking 1.12 billion viewers and positioned the country as a leader in women’s sports. Such international recognition boosts national pride while attracting new visitors, residents, students, and investment dollars over the long run.

Employment and Economic Activity Beyond Host Cities

While host communities see the greatest economic benefits, major events still translate to increased business and jobs across other parts of the country. For example, Toronto-based companies were commissioned to operate food and beverage stands at the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games. Meanwhile, domestic broadcasters like CBC/Radio-Canada and TSN hired additional staff and production crews nationally to cover competitions. Even Canadian Sportsbook platforms like FanDuel see a surge in betting activity from spectators across Canada during major tournaments and these types of events.

Leveraging Event Legacies

Smartly investing pre-event and focusing on post-event legacies maximizes returns on investment. Vancouver used the Winter Olympics infrastructure to boost local tourism and events for future years through assets like the Richmond Olympic Oval and Whistler Sliding Centre. Toronto built sports tourism around the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and venues funded by those Games like the Pan Am Sports Centre. 

Conclusion

While costly to host, major sporting events generate extensive economic impacts that benefit Canadian communities and businesses for years following competitions. They spur tourism, construction, employment, and international recognition with estimated returns often exceeding original investments. Leveraging event legacies, leveraging cross-country business opportunities, and maximizing visitor spending are keys to maximizing these ROI’s. 

When planned and operated responsibly, mega sports tournaments serve as valuable investments for Canada that leave lasting social and financial legacies.

The post The Economic Impact of Major Sporting Events in Canada appeared first on Cult MTL.

The sports industry has exploded in recent years, becoming a multi-billion dollar economic powerhouse. From massive television broadcasting deals to lucrative sponsorship agreements, sports are big business. And that business is having a huge impact on local and national economies.

Major sporting events like the Super Bowl, World Series, and NBA Finals draw millions of viewers and generate substantial revenue. But even outside of these high-profile events, sports provide year-round economic benefits through job creation, infrastructure investment, and increased spending. Let’s explore sports’ economic windfall.

Jobs: Teams and Events Employ Thousands

Sporting events require huge workforces to make everything run smoothly. Between the teams themselves and the venues that host competitions, thousands of jobs are supported.

The Super Bowl, for example, employs over 1,000 temporary staffers just for the week leading up to the big game. Positions range from ushers to concession stand workers to setup crews getting the stadium ready. Many local residents earn extra income from taking on Super Bowl gigs.

Major events aren’t the only source of employment. Professional sports teams have robust full-time staffs covering everything from coaching and marketing to finance and analytics. The Dallas Cowboys franchise alone employs over 1,600 people, according to ZoomInfo. Factor in all major league teams across various sports, and you have tens of thousands of good-paying jobs.

Tourism: Fans Flock to Host Cities

Cities lucky enough to host major sporting events reap massive rewards when fans flock in to catch the action live. Tourism booms translate to big dollars spent locally.

When Glendale, Ariz., hosted Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, the greater Phoenix area raked in $719 million as a result. Over 120,000 visitors traveled to the region specifically for the Super Bowl, filling hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, and other attractions.

And the impact lasts beyond just the event itself. Many visitors return in later years or become fans of the local team after enjoying their Super Bowl experience.

Media: Huge Broadcasting Deals Boost Revenue

Television broadcasting contracts for major sports bring in astronomical sums that benefit teams and leagues at unprecedented levels. The revenue gets split up in various ways, much of which ends up helping local economies.

In 2021, the NFL negotiated deals with multiple networks amounting to over $110 billion through 2033. Teams will earn more from broadcasting than ever before, enabling them to spend more on salaries, stadium upkeep, community initiatives, and other local investments.

Individual athletes also profit from huge broadcasting deals when their salaries rise. Much of their income gets funneled back into local charities, businesses, and real estate.

Increased Spending: Fans Splurge on Sports

Sports fans love supporting their favorite teams and players. Billions get spent annually on tickets, memorabilia, endorsements, gambling, travel to games, and event-related purchases.

Sports betting, particularly through platforms like FanDuel Sportsbook, is a significant industry, commanding a market share of 42% with over $29 billion wagered annually. In addition to betting, fans spend nearly $15 billion each year on sporting event tickets and merchandise. This demonstrates the robust nature of sports-related spending, which remains resilient even during economic downturns, as many fans consider it an indispensable part of their lives.

All this consumer spending benefits multiple business sectors and working-class folks employed within them. Restaurants, hotels, airlines, apparel producers, and retailers thrive thanks to rabid sports fans.

Conclusion

The world of sports entertainment generates absolutely staggering amounts of economic value, and the industry continues to expand rapidly, to the tune of hundreds of billions in annual revenue. And the economic benefits at local and national levels promise to keep growing in tandem. 

With so many jobs supported, neighborhoods improved, tourism dollars spent, and big-money deals driving growth across multiple sectors, sports have become an economic power player. The winning formula shows no signs of slowing down.

The post Winning Big: Sports’ Billion-Dollar Boost to the Economy appeared first on Cult MTL.

Keeping active is a huge part of life for 76-year-old Isobel Cunningham. But when an ice storm hit, she was forced to come to terms with her aging body's limitations and tap into new strengths.

Melissa Haney and Zoe Kroonenburg waited years to fly alongside someone who looks like them. Now they’re hoping more Inuit women feel supported to pursue a career in aviation.

L’article The Record turns 127 today! est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

A pilot project is being developed that would use artificial intelligence to scan CCTV footage in the Metro to detect certain warning signs that an individual may be in distress. Daybreak host Sean Henry spoke with Brian Mishara, the director of the Center for Suicide Intervention, or CRISE, to learn more about how this technology would work.

What is Gamification?

Before exploring the need for gamification and its advantages and disadvantages, let’s simplify what it is. The dictionary defines gamification as applying typical game-playing elements to other activities. These other activities are usually online activities. 

The concept of gamification is not new, though the term may be. Gamification can be found in a lot of scenarios in our daily lives. A typical example is using games in the classroom environment to encourage learner participation. Gambling is another industry that has used gamification effectively. For example, a true crypto casino will offer a rewards program and badges that promote loyalty and increase user engagement. 

If you are a millennial who enjoyed reading as a child, you will likely remember the ‘choose your own adventure’ book series popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The books were written in the second person and let the reader take on a role in the book. As a character in the book, you could choose what step to take next, leading to another part of the adventure; the books had many different endings. 

Some examples:

Most gamification occurs online nowadays, with the primary purpose of increasing user involvement. Some successful examples of businesses using gamification include:

• KFC

In 2021, KFC Japan developed a KFC Shrimp Attack mobile game. The aim was to boost sales and attract new customers. Players redeemed their reward vouchers in-store, increasing sales by 105%. They had to stop the game because of a limited supply of shrimp-based offerings. 

• The Speed Camera Lottery

National Road Safety in Stockholm trialled using gamification to turn something generally viewed negatively into positive. Along with Volkswagen, they developed a radar system that rewarded drivers who respected the speed limits. All drivers who drove safely and within the speed limit were added to a lottery funded by all the speeding fines paid by other drivers. The average speed went down from 32 to 25km/h.

These examples show the success of gamification in our daily lives. So, how does gamification work in streaming services, and do we need it?

Gamification and Streaming

Streaming works one of two ways: through pre-recorded content that is played back to you when you stream or download it. The other option is live streaming, where you can watch an event as it happens over an internet connection.

Twitch

Twitch is the king of incorporating gamification on its streaming platform, which is not surprising because its core focus is video games. Twitch uses PBL (points, badges, and leaderboards) to keep viewers on the platform. Streamers can unlock status levels; each level gives new rewards, which encourages more streaming. There are other achievements, some of which have time constraints, which means streamers need to stream more often. 

Netflix

With their Black Mirror “Bandersnatch” episode, Netflix has tentatively ventured into gamification. The episode was a CYA (choose-your-own-adventure) experience, a hybrid of a game and a show. Netflix has always been a pioneer in improving the streaming experience, from curating our choices to personalising our viewing and gaming. Considering that the episode has received over 45 million views, the experiment was a success. 

There were a few issues with this initiative. The episode took longer to produce and was more expensive. There had to be more options incorporated into the episode, making the script go from an average of 60 to 170 pages. 

Final Thought

Gamification in streaming is an exciting concept; it poses several questions. Do we want choices when watching a series? Isn’t the whole point of watching to see what the writers have created? Also, having all these choices may change the show’s narrative altogether. Maybe lesser-known streaming platforms like Crave and FX Now Canada can benefit from the customer engagement of gamification.

While we understand it’s a way for platforms to get more customer engagement, it doesn’t seem like something we need in our viewing. For other streaming platforms like Twitch, gamification can work and has been a game changer in streamer interaction.

The post Is There a Growing Demand For Gamification in Streaming Services? appeared first on Cult MTL.

The West Island couple was told by a government official that, in order to get time Geneviève Guilbault, they’d have to pay $100 each for admission to a Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) fundraising cocktail.

A video posted Tuesday by a Republican candidate for secretary of state in Missouri shows her taking a flame-thrower to library books that she claims are being used to "groom" children.

Montreal singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin will sing “O Canada” at the NBA All-Star game in Indianapolis on Feb. 18. Cardin’s rendition of the Canadian national anthem will be followed by Babyface singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Cardin, who was nominated for six Juno Awards yesterday, is performing for four consecutive nights this week at Place Bell in Laval, beginning tonight (Feb. 8 to 11).

See our Oct. 2023 Charlotte Cardin cover story here.

For more Montreal music coverage, please visit the Music section.

The post Charlotte Cardin will sing ‘O Canada’ at the NBA All Star game on Feb. 18 appeared first on Cult MTL.

In this episode of Good Question, Montreal, we break down the costs, both financial and societal, and delve into the history of public toilets.

Where do you get your news? How do you know it’s accurate, or done with good intentions? Do you care?

We ask those questions because, increasingly, people are falling for websites made solely to disseminate propaganda, or, are watching talking heads on YouTube who don’t know what they’re talking about, and also listening to such slanted “news” sites that don’t deliver the news.

That’s where The Eastern Door comes in. This past Wednesday, January 31, was our 32nd birthday. That’s a long time for any media, but in a community as saturated with media as ours? Well, it’s a downright miracle!

You see, people will always read the salacious gossip, the crazy, ridiculous, and outlandish, but when it comes to real news, done by journalists who care, who are just trying to tell as much of the real story as possible, well, that can be too boring for some.

But it’s more important than who has bigger boobs in Hollywood and the man with 10-foot-long fingernails – you know, clickbait.

Because who really cares about those things? It is just mindless entertainment. You read it, laugh, and maybe move on to the latest Taylor Swift saga and then go to bed, only to repeat the next day.

But intelligent readers of newspapers like ours that dig for the truth beyond the surface know what they are getting. And it’s real news that matters to you. If you don’t believe that, well we have a piece of waterfront land to sell you in Nebraska….

Some may not admit it, but you need The Eastern Door and the pieces we produce – about your uncle, your kids, your health, financial well-being, and our collective future – because it’s tangible news that is all around you. It’s ABOUT you and you may not even realize that; we’re talking to you, random guy at a local school who recently said, to excited students who had just been interviewed by us, that he boycotts The Eastern Door.

He said it loud and proud like a badge. Imagine that. What is he teaching, exactly? That it’s okay to be ignorant? That his choice not to read the paper is smart, and he needed to share it with teenagers?

That says more about him than it does about us, but we’re used to people like him, you know the same ones who turn to us when they’re in trouble because deep down, they know the kind of work we do.

And sometimes this thing called journalism isn’t pretty, but it’s all true and it’s all relevant to every single person in every one of our communities. A free press is a must, not something you should take for granted.

Journalism is a calling; one we answered long ago and one we take immense pride in. We report on “anything that’s fit to print” and we do it with delicate gloves, a caring, guiding hand, and an ear that’s here to ensure what you say is reported on, accurately and with a good mind. And an audio recorder.

And if you don’t believe that, well, you know the drill. There’s clickbait waiting somewhere out there to steal your time and maybe your password and identity – and some prime land in Florida to buy.

So, the next time you pick up this newspaper and read it, well niá:wen from the bottom of our hearts because you’re fighting ignorance.

And the next time we see that braggart in person, we’ll be sure to direct him to this editorial, so he knows his words matter, and we expect better of him, just like you expect the best out of us.

This editorial was originally published in print on February 2, in issue 33.05 of The Eastern Door.

Grenier is the latest top executive to depart the OPCM, following the dismissal of Isabelle Beaulieu last November.

As representatives of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) walked up the stairs of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) on Wednesday afternoon, they were greeted by a huge billboard that read “Welcome Mohawk Council of Kahnawake.”

“For the longest time in our history, no one thought about doing business with First Nations. We were left on the sidelines. We were always in a kind of poor economic state,” said MCK grand chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, who was at the TSX this week to ring the bell, a ceremonial action signifying the end of a day’s trading. 

The event came about to help promote the Kahnawake Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), an investment fund announced in August of last year that will see $32 million allocated to various investment portfolios. The funds came from the sale of MCK’s shares in tech company Continent 8 in 2016 and are part of Council’s ultimate goal to ensure financial independence for Kahnawake. 

No dividends from the fund are to be accessed for 10 years, to allow the fund to grow. Once dividends are accessed, funds will be put directly back into the community, Sky-Deer said. 

“We always talk about seven generations thinking. Our community is always trying to fundraise for different things that we need, and I’m tired of it. I think our community deserves more, our children deserve more,” Sky-Deer said. “We don’t want to be reliant on government funding. We need our own nest egg, a war chest of money, to be able to access when we need it for the things we need it for.”

Participating in the bell ringing at the stock exchange is a way for the SWF to get its name out there, which is important to ensure its growth, said Branden Morris, investment manager at MCK. 

“It’s an opportunity to get more exposure for the fund, increasing visibility, which will hopefully result in more deal flow,” Morris said. “If people know we exist, they get to pitch us their ideas, their business ventures, whatever it may be.”

Morris said that the fund will give the community flexibility to invest in areas that are most in need.

“We have a 10-year lockup on the gains from the (SWF), so it can be discussed at that time whatever it may be, language or culture, or infrastructure, whatever the community needs are at that time,” he said. 

MCK grand chief Sky-Deer acknowledged that some community members have been wary of the SWF, but said she feels it’s important that Kahnawake adapts to ensure that the community can gain and maintain financial independence.

“There’s been a lot of change in the last 20 years, and I think that’s a testament to our people that we’ve been able to adapt. The world is changing very drastically and very rapidly, and we need to keep up,” she said. “Sometimes people are hard to trust. But we need to take advantage of this opportunity now.”

She said that the SWF has a dedicated team of individuals ensuring the success of the fund and protection of Kahnawake throughout. 

“The attitudes towards First Nations right now are favourable, and people want to try and make changes, so we’re being cautiously optimistic,” she said. “The only way we’re going to know if these partnerships are real and genuine is based on the experiences that we’re having in the negotiations and discussions and the way things are moving and evolving.… There’s a lot of eyes and ears on everything that we’re doing.”

Information about the fund and its ongoing activities can be found through contacting the SWF team at MCK directly.

[email protected]

This article was originally published in print on February 2 in issue 33.05 of The Eastern Door.

One year ago today, a bus driver with the city of Laval's transit service rammed his bus into a daycare, killing two children and sending shockwaves of grief through the local community.

Molly McGlynn’s pitch-dark coming-of-age comedy opens with a quote from Jennifer’s Body. “Hell is a teenage girl” sets the tone for a general atmosphere of malaise for the audience. It’s a quote with a double edge, one that describes the nightmare teenage girls inflict on each other and the world, and the way the world inflicts horror on young girls just trying to survive. 

Based, in part, on the director’s experiences, Fitting In is a typical teen movie in many ways. Lindy (Maddie Ziegler) navigates love and friendship in high school, but she soon learns she suffers from MRKH Syndrome, a rare condition that affects the female reproductive system and is characterized by an underdeveloped vagina and uterus. If most teenagers feel the pressure to be normal, Lindy is confronted with a genetic reality that forces her to get creative and redefine the hell of teenage girlhood.

In the film, the Canadian darling best known these days for her role as Stevie on Schitt’s Creek — Emily Hampshire — plays Lindy’s mom Rita. She’s a great mom, perpetually worried that she’s not enough. She’s passionate and frantic, a matriarchal force that yearns to be defined beyond her social roles. It’s a performance that could have been passive, rooted in stereotypes, but instead feels embodied, brimming with interiority and a frantic “mom” energy that challenges the toneless matriarchal stock roles we often see in teen films. 

Hampshire was born in Montreal and began her acting career here. Her first major role was in an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? She’s been a staple of Canadian TV with roles in iconic CanCon programs like Made in Canada, 12 Monkeys (the series), Ruby Gloom and The Rig. She’s had an equally successful film career and has worked with Jacob Tierney, Xavier Dolan, David Cronenberg and Darren Aronofsky. 

With boundless enthusiasm and a good dose of humour, she spoke with Cult MTL about her role in Fitting In, teen comedies and growing up in Montreal.

Justine Smith: Fitting In is a truly singular teen movie that captures a very specific experience with a dark sense of humour. What was it about the script and the character of Rita that first spoke to you?

Emily Hampshire: I agree. This movie, and I love that you said it, is so singular. What really got me was that I knew this was Molly McGlynn, the director’s personal story. We call it a coming-of-age traumedy. What I loved about the script was that she was able to tell her personal trauma with gallows humour. There’s this part where Lindy is looking for anyone else who has been diagnosed with MRKH Syndrome, and the only person she can find is Hitler’s wife. That was the moment I was like, “Oh, I’m in!” 

JS: Watching the film, it struck me that it’s the type of film I would have responded to when I was young. I went to an all-girls school, and it was rare that I’d watch a film that would “capture” my teen experience. I connected with dark humour as a kind of coping mechanism that is present here. What kind of teen films did you respond to when you were a teen?

Emily Hampshire: First of all, I just have to ask because I was a teenager in Montreal and went to an all-girls school. What school did you go to?

JS: I went to Villa Maria!

Emily Hampshire: Oh my God, I went to Queen of Angels. We shared school dances with the Loyola boys!

JS: I only went a few times; I found it so awkward and terrible.

Emily Hampshire: Oh. My. God! So sorry I got sidetracked! What was the question? Teen movies!

When I was young, it was Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing, but that might have been even before I was a teen. Those weren’t teen movies. Grease? Not Grease. [Emily is talking with a friend in the room with her.] Okay, Dazed and Confused and Reality Bites! But I don’t know if they were “teen movies.” There was Clueless, but I didn’t really connect with it. I connected more with older movies like The Goonies and the one with Ponyboy, The Outsiders.

I don’t think I count as I’m not a good person to ask! I was in a generation between teen movies. There were the John Hugues movies before me, and then after, there was She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You. We were more grungy with Winona Ryder films like Reality Bites and the one where she’s in a hospital and depressed, Girl Interrupted. I really connected with Girl Interrupted. 

JS: How did growing up in Montreal shape your career, if it did at all? 

Emily Hampshire: I would not be an actor had I not gone to Queen of Angels, even though I didn’t want to go because I went to a co-ed elementary school, and everyone went to St. Thomas. And I wanted to go there, too. My mom wanted me to go to Queen of Angels, and I was so mad because I didn’t want to wear a uniform and be in an all-girls school. 

It ended up being the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me. I had teachers there who stayed after school and read to me because I didn’t know at the time, but I was dyslexic. I just thought I didn’t like reading. Then I had my vice principal, who I still speak to. I had a tiny part in our high school play in Sec 1 and she came up to me. She was like, “You were good. You were really funny.” From that moment on, I was going to be an actress! I made a contract with myself: I would spend eight hours a day on acting and give myself one hour to do anything else. I went full-on. I had my first part in Montreal in Are You Afraid of the Dark?

JS: I loved that show. I watched every episode growing up.

Emily Hampshire: That was my first role, and I was playing the part of the girlfriend. My whole part in the episode was to kiss the boy. I went up to the director and asked, “What kind?” I was really trying to be professional. Like, “What kind of kiss would you like? Do you want a French kiss? Full tongue?” And he must have been horrified. What’s funny is, I was talking to Maddie about this, and how she had an intimacy coordinator for (Fitting In). We never had intimacy coordinators before. So, you had an 11-year-old asking the director how much tongue he wanted. It’s just so interesting how much the industry has changed for women in the time I’ve been in it. In a movie like this, you have a female director, and we had a female DOP [Nina Djacic]. We call them cameramen, like a camera-man! It’s not expected to be a woman.

But, back to Montreal. My first film role was with Geneviève Bujold. I played her daughter in this movie called Dead Innocent. She took me under her wing. I went to L.A. and stayed at her place in Malibu. It was my first time seeing the ocean. All my firsts were in Montreal, and had I been better in French, I would have stayed there, but I couldn’t pass as a French-speaking actor. So I went to Hollywood North, Toronto!

JS: There’s a really rich dynamic between all the actors in Fitting In. How did you guys make these relationships work so well?

Emily Hampshire: There wasn’t time for rehearsals. There never is in independent film. Molly had Maddie and me over for dinner before we started shooting just to meet and hang out, which was a great idea. I was nervous about playing a mother because I feel like I don’t have a maternal instinct. But I just felt instantly, “I must protect this girl at all costs.” She’s so special. I never wanted kids before, but now I want a Maddie. I just want Maddie Ziegler in the form she is now to be my daughter. She’s such a great kid, and her performance in this movie is remarkable. I don’t think people know how good an actress she is, and the movie is such a great showcase of that. ■

Fitting In is now playing in Montreal theatres.

This article was originally published in the Feb. 2024 issue of Cult MTL.

For our latest in film and TV, please visit the Film & TV section.

The post Montreal-born and raised actress Emily Hampshire on her new film Fitting In appeared first on Cult MTL.

BCE Inc. is cutting nine per cent of its workforce or about 4,800 jobs, including journalists and other workers at its Bell Media subsidiary.

Six fires, three of which were criminal, burned on the island of Montreal Thursday night. No arrests were made and no one was injured.

By Daniel Kirchin

Local Journalism Initiative

In a celebration of a half-century of service, the Townships Sun stands tall as it marks its 50th anniversary this week (Feb. 8, to be exact) with the launch of its latest edition. This non-profit magazine, born in the wake of Quebec’s Bill 101 in 1974, has been a steadfast companion of English speakers facing restrictions during challenging times.

Rachel Garber, the editor for the Townships Sun, shared reflections on the magazine’s historical journey. “We started in 1974, when Bill 101 came into fruition. It was a shock to the English community, and we wanted to fill the vacuum of English publications,” she explained, underlining the magazine’s mission to be a voice for a community.

Originally the ‘Eastern Townships Social Action Group,’ the magazine has remained true to its non-profit roots, an embodiment of community-driven journalism. In its nascent years, it was steered by the efforts of volunteer students from Bishop’s University who engaged in research and focus groups, acting as a vital organ for communicating Townships events.

Over the course of five decades, a tapestry of community-based publications has woven itself into the fabric of Township life. Among these, Garber fondly mentioned ‘the sun switchboard,’ an avenue where pages contained letters to the editor addressing community concerns and individuals sharing their written stories, accompanied by poignant visuals and artwork.

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L’article Townships Sun on turning 50 est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

By Ruby Pratka

Local Journalism Initiative

A new political party is gearing up to make its mark on the municipal political scene in Sherbrooke. The name Vision action Sherbrooke was reserved with Elections Quebec effective Feb. 2. According to Élections Québec, reserving a party name is an optional preliminary step a person or group can take before formally registering a party. The group’s name does not appear on the list of parties that have formally applied for authorization.

If Vision action Sherbrooke completes the registration process, it will become the second recognized municipal party in Sherbrooke. The council is currently divided between representatives of Sherbrooke citoyen, the party of Mayor Evelyne Beaudin (six seats) and independent councillors (eight seats).

According to Élections Québec, the party leader is Cédrick Hamel, an executive at a Sherbrooke-based sales lead generation company and former president of the Fédération étudiante de l’Université de Sherbrooke. He also worked for the campaign of Philippe Pagé, now a spokesperson for Beaudin, when Pagé was the Québec Solidaire candidate for Richmond in 2022. Hamel, who The Record was unable to contact on Wednesday, told La Tribune he wanted to “improve the debate” in municipal politics. He added that for the new party, “everything remains to be built.”

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L’article New political party registered in Sherbrooke est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs calls Élise Gravel’s online posts antisemitic. Montreal's Jewish Public Library has removed her books from its open shelves. Gravel says she is being harassed but won’t stay quiet.

Nancy Zagbayou, project manager for the Hoodstock-run program, says Justice Hoodistique offers support to Black people living in the northeastern part of Montreal who have committed minor offences. The goal is to give them a chance to right their wrongs and avoid the criminal justice system.

The Montreal-based illustrator presents more than 100 drawings in his first-ever solo exhibition at the Latcham Art Centre.

In a news release on Thursday, public health officials said the person affected probably caught the virus during a trip to Africa. 

Laval police found the bodies of two men after making a wellness check on a resident of an apartment building in Laval-des-Rapides. 

Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced to the second round of the Open 13 Provence tennis tournament with a 6-2, 7-5 win over French wild-card Quentin Halys on Wednesday in Marseille, France.

The Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) has paused excavation work to expand its Montreal distribution centre after the Mohawk Mothers and the Committee of Duplessis Orphans Victims of Abuse said they believe there are children's graves where a cemetery used to be on the site.