local seeker issue 17 west end edition

TAKE ONE - We’re different!

Local SeekerThe We s t E n d Community paper

Anita Benabou Rozenblat has

made real estate fashionable,

innovative

When I sold my NDG duplex in the early 1990s, I used a

Remax agent named Patricia Tustin. Sadly, the lovable Pat isn’t

with us anymore, so I have nothing at all to gain by telling you

this, other than fond memories of the incredible job she did

for me. About six years later, I bought another house, this time

in Cote Saint-Luc, but unfortunately those memories are not

quite so fond. I’d tell you the agent’s name, but I’d probably get

sued (Note: She owns her agency, so try to figure it out) and

recommended an inspector whom, it turned out, wasn’t the

least bit qualified to examine an outhouse: In the end, we had

to spend about $8,000 to fix a faulty roof he had cleared by

virtue of his ignorance. Rule number one – An agent is NOT

ethically allowed to recommend one inspector to a client.

They have to give you several to choose from. Or not

recommend at all. Doing anything less can get them

de-licensed by their association.

Anita Benabou Rozenblat is a remarkable real estate

agent, not just because she is smart, energetic,

committed and honest – No dishonest attempts to

influence buyers from THIS agent - but because of

the road she took to become one of THE top selling

agents around. She hailed from the fashion field,

where she hawked her own Mosskito designs on

TSC, The Shopping Channel, aired throughout North

America, achieving considerable success in the

process. Then, just like that, she yearned for a new

challenge, one that would make real estate sales more

fashionable than ever.

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THE LOCAL SEEKER, SEPT 2 (pg. 2) FREE CLASSIFIED ADS: 514-975-7745 www.westend.thelocalseeker.com

Montreal Radio – New is old again

Don’t get me wrong – Terry DiMonte is one of the best guys around,someone I worked with while selling for CHOM many years ago, andarguably the best DJ Montreal has ever had on its English airwaves. AndAaron Rand, whom I also worked with when I sold airtime for AM-60(CFCF Radio), is also terrific… he, Paul Zakaib and Suzanne Desautels hadme howling over at Q-92, when the station was good. But, really, can’tthe bigwigs who operate our English radio stations develop some NEWtalent and get them on-air?

I am actually thrilled that Terry is coming back to CHOM quite soon, likelybefore winter, because that’s the station I listen to most these days. I havemy issues with CHOM, too, don’t get me wrong, but the music is greatand Terry will only make them THE best in the city during the morningdrive. As far as Aaron heading over to CJAD: I’m pretty ambivalent overthe move. Yes, having Aaron on air in Montreal is FAR better than losinghim to another market, because he is talented and the rest of theMontreal radio scene is SO blasé as to be almost irrelevant. I just don’tthink they were doing such a bad job without him during afternoondrive. CJAD is terrific in morning drive, as Andrew Carter has what it takesand their news department still delivers the best product in town, and Iam usually switching between them and the excellently-operated-and-delivered The Team 990 while getting ready at home and then heading

to work. But, bottom line, Montreal radio has beenso lame for so long… what IS the problem? Huh,Astral Media?

And at the request of a reader, I wish to stressthat many seniors, with my complete support,are mad as hell that they have been abandonedby local radio stations that don’t care a darnabout their demographic. Astral, it’s time thatyou gave Sol Boxenbaum a well-deserved placeon one of your stations again. Life is NOT just forthe young, you know. Want to voice yourdispleasure? It’s Astral Media, owner of CJAD,Mix-96 and CHOM, that you need to get in touchwith. Seems like a good time for a smallcommunity paper-run protest campaign, don’tyou think? To lodge a complaint with CJADdirectly, contact program director Chris Bury, at514-989-2523, or e-mail him [email protected].

Knuckles Nilan a local

Not sure if many people know this yet, but former Habs enforcer Chris“Knuckles” Nilan (one of THE most popular players ever and a talentedhockey player in addition to being a killer of a pugilist), a resident of ourtown now, adores the city where he once made the Habs a FEARED teamto play against and spends much of his time doing all sorts of charitywork. He also sells many cool pics of him taking on opponents andcreative shots that you can buy signed by him, for just $40. E-mail Chrisat [email protected].

A big Seeker thank you

Thanks to Rosy for saving my skin and helping me deliver our last issueafter my car was unavailable to me. It would never have hit the streetswithout ya!

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The Local Seeker, West End Montreal EditionVolume 2, Number 17, September 2 2011Founded by Julia Lucio and Mai-Liis Renaud 2010Published by Local Seeker Media Group, Cornwall, Ontario

The Local Seeker does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies

published within. The opinions and statements of our columnists are not to be presumed as

the statements and opinions of The Local Seeker.

I turn on the TV and, as always happens this timeof year, I half expect to see a familiar image: ayoung man, face fixed with a determined grin,half limping, half jogging, along a long highwayas a support car tails behind him. It was earlySeptember 1980 and his brave daily nationalruns seared the image of Terry Fox forever ontomy mind. My heart thudded with appreciationand my eyes often welled up in admiration, as I

truly “felt” for him, yet envied him at the same time. Tohave the will to even attempt this on one leg, hoping to defeat theillness that was your biggest challenger, while deep down you likelywanted to throw in the towel every moment…. To push yourselfbeyond the limits of endurance until you had nothing left…. But tokeep going until only a doctor’s orders forced you to stop….

Now THAT is courage! THAT is sacrifice! THAT is chutzpah!

Just 22 years old at the time, I was about to leave on my first trip toIsrael, a trip that was meant to determine whether I would movethere or not, meaning I would have to learn Hebrew, join the armyand mount some serious challenges of my own. I left my parents,friends and old life behind, unsure whether I would ever come back.And it was only the death of my father four months later that wouldscuttle my gelling plans and bring me back prematurely, at least,ending my dreams of touring Europe for ayear and, certainly, any desire I had to leavemy mother here alone as I relocated.

Yet it is Terry Fox and his run that I recall themost, one of those few moments frozen intime for me, much as the Kennedyassassination, the explosion of the spaceshuttle Challenger, the destruction of theTwin Towers, the death of Princess Diana.Funny, though, but while most of thesemoments are disastrous ones, Terry Fox’scourageous run leaves me with feelings ofhope, not despair. He taught me so much, didMr. Fox, and I still yearn for him to completehis run, even though he is long-gone.

The late actor Christopher Reeve (a.k.a.Superman) once defined courage in a mannerthat will forever remain his legacy, as he battledthe fight of his life against all else: “A hero is an ordinary individualwho finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite ofoverwhelming obstacles.” Sounds like he was describing Terry Foxquite succinctly, doesn’t it?

Debut of The Property Seeker

This issue of The Local Seeker marks the debut of an exciting newsection we are calling The Property Seeker. It’s all about real estate,but we will give it the Seeker treatment, with columns, great littleextras, in short, not your average community paper real estatesection. Agents are invited to contact me about advertising youropen houses and listings and I will give you much better rates thanyou are paying now. That’s a promise from none other than TheSeeker Dude.

Managing Editor: Bram Eisenthal Creative Design: Julia Lucio

OUR CONTACT INFORMATIONFree Classifieds and Advertising: 514-975-7745

EMAIL: [email protected]

Mailing Address: 327 2nd Street E. Cornwall, On. K6H 1Y8

The Property Seeker

A regular feature of The Local Seeker West End Montreal EditionProfessional Consultant - Anita Benabou Rozenblat

Remembering Mr. September, Terry Fox

Late with your tax returns?

Behind by a few years?

We can help!

Call Today!

ASSISTANCE

HELPEn retard à produire vos déclarations derevenus? Vous avez quelques années àrattraper? Nous pouvons vous aider!

Appelez-nous aujourd’hui!

514.461.3006

issue17_Layout 1 9/1/2011 1:38 PM

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What became of middle class?I remember when there were three classes of people.There were the wealthy, the poor, and those thatmanaged to feed and clothe their families adequatelyand to provide the necessities of life. Let’s call that era thepre-Mulroney years. Nowadays there are many moremillionaires and more people living from paycheque topaycheque while the middle class has all butdisappeared. I once asked a listener on my radio showhow he defined middle class. He said that someonewho had their own home, nice furniture, a reasonablynew car, took their family on nice vacations, was middle

class. I disagree… unless that person has all this, but remainsdebt-free. Owning a home with a 25-year mortgage, a car with three tofive years of payments, a house full of electronics and furniturepurchased with no money down and no payments till 2013, whose lastvacation is still on a credit card or a line of credit, does not constitutesomebody we can call middle class.

Why are there so many more millionaires than ever before? Many werefortunate enough to earn it over the years since the Second World War.Others inherited fortunes from their parents and a major cause wasthe fact that real estate has grown to a point where properties thatwere bought in the 1950’s for thousands of dollars are being soldtoday for hundreds of thousands of dollars… albeit the thousands ofdollars were just as hard back then to accumulate as the millions aretoday.

What is the point of my column?

While the wealthy are becoming wealthier there are more people thanever living below the poverty line. There are many reasons for this,including loss of jobs due to outsourcing or business failure, illness andsuch. What does one do when they run out of EI benefits and have nosavings? A good friend of mine who is also a former listener to myshow, Morrie Cohen, is very involved (through the Old BreweryMission) in helping men and women who have fallen on hard times.He devotes a lot of his time and money helping those less fortunate.He is to be commended for his efforts.

This is in sharp contrast to an acquaintance of mine, an ultra-Conservative who is extremely financially stable by his own admission,and constantly complains that people on social welfare are beingsupported by his taxes. This man is, and has been for many years, livingoff the interest on his assets. Instead of taking the attitude “There butfor the grace of God go I,” he begrudges the poor soul that relies onwelfare to exist.

While I agree that the system of social welfare is far from perfect, asthere are too many drawing from it that can and ought to be working,many who have no other choice are not getting enough and thereforethe program cannot be abolished. My extreme right-wing buddyaccuses me of being “a leftie” because I have socialist ideals. But thetruth is that I am neither a leftie nor a righty, I am a humanitarian. Idon’t have a lot but I will share what I have with the needy. Importantto note: Every street person is not an addict: Many are just victims of asociety that has let them down.

As always, I welcome your comments and opinions.

It’s closing time. Please visit www.lastcallwithsol.com

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Benabou Rozenblat has made real estate fashionable, innovative(continued from cover)

“I saw these agents running around all the time, holding their open houses, buying and selling homes that would inevitably changepeople’s lives, and I wanted to be part of that action,” Benabou Rozenblat told me. “And I also knew I had what it took to not only beone of the more successful agents, but to rise to the top.” The real estate field needed a facelift and she has quite the imagination,needed to take it to the next level.

In just four and a half years, she has done just that, becoming “the highest-listing and selling agent in my sector,” something she isquite proud of. “Why not be proud? I’ve worked hard for it,” she stated.

Benabou Rozenblat has not only recently started her own agency, Les Immeubles Anita Benabou Rozenblat Inc. (featuring a talented,winning stable of agents who speak English, French, Hebrew and Yiddish, too!), but has brought considerable innovation to the marketplace. Sheactually features the first Audio-Virtual Tour on her website www.anitabenabou.com, giving clients the opportunity to truly experience the homesthat grab their interest from their most convenient places. “In the past, there really was just one way to see a home and that was by meeting theagent there. So, I worked toward bringing the home to the client. What could be easier than that?” asked Benabou Rozenblat.

Benabou Rozenblat’s website is much more than an ego-stroking tool, but an actual, major part of her business. “It has been in existence for just 14months, but has already generated over 21,000 hits, or 1,500 exclusive monthly views. I screen and approve each component created by my webdesigner personally and I actually stage every video myself. A home must look perfect before being aired on my website and everyone I meet ravesabout my Audio Video Tours. My business is about ideas.” The music added to these Virtual Tours are designed for each home, a creative touch thatparticipants really appreciate.

Potential buyers throughout Montreal generally contact her when they are looking to buy or sell, including some important VIPs. “A major diplomatand his family are shopping for a home and I received a call from his Consulate to take them on a tour recently. This isn’t the first time… my nameis known throughout the North American and European consular service.”

Benabou Rozenblat has sold over 178 homes in her almost five years, but she has also brought some major projects to the West End, the currentones being Les Villas Bal Moral, a project built by The Vincelli Family with Phase II coming up and the highly-anticipated Les Cours Marc Chagalllocated beside the new Chabad synagogue and Bialik High School, an incredible location.

According to Benabou, this development will feature 21 luxurious townhouses, priced at just $485,000 for an attached unit and $495,000 for acorner unit, all taxes included. Cote Saint-Luc, through the hard work of its terrific council of younger elected members blended beautifully withexperienced municipal politicians and a committed mayor, has been striving to attract a younger demographic to an aging community. They appearto be succeeding and projects like these are a big reason.

“This affords younger families an opportunity to purchase a brand new home in one of the city’s most welcoming communities (Ed. Note: See theitem on CSL’s spanking new Aquatic and Community Centre inside this edition), within their financial reach,” Benabou Rozenblat said.

Some potential buyers appear hesitant at first, as Les Cours Marc Chagall is located on the very same parcel of land as James Winnikoff’s failedproject, which had him trying to build townhouses there without the compulsory valid license from the Regie du Batiment du Quebec.

“Rest assured,” promised Benabou-Rozenblat, “This project is headed by reputable businessmen Gerald Issenman and David Brown, owners andadministrators of Les Cours Marc Chagall. If they weren’t solid in their goals and ideals, I would not be representing them. The public is very wellaware that this project has nothing to do with the last one. In fact sales are steady and going strong.”

If it’s true that “home is where the heart is,” you can be certain that any property sold or bought for you by Anita Benabou Rozenblat will have herheart stamped all over it… as well as being extremely fashionable. For Anita, fashion is the new real estate.

To contact Anita Benabou Rozenblat, call 514-502-6627 or email her at [email protected]

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CSL unveils new state-of-the-art Aquatic and Community CentreDespite a furious deluge outdoors, several hundred Cote St. Luc residents were on hand for a special eventon August 28, 2011. The municipality unveiled its new $18 million Aquatic and Community Centre (ACC) asthe tail of Hurricane Irene whipped through Montreal, bringing with it many millimeters of wind-sweptprecipitation. The storm did nothing, however, to dampen the spirits of the throng. The ACC is simply thatimpressive.

Featuring the city’s first two indoor pools (located across the street from the older outdoor pool), one25-metre, 10-lane competitive pool and another smaller recreational pool, the centre is positioned tobecome on of the forward-looking community’s most popular assets. Membership to the pool givesindividuals use of a machine-equipped fitness room, the use of meeting rooms and other recreationalareas, including a teen lounge, game room (with billiard and ping pong tables and fuzball) and SeniorClub lounge, all housed in a state-of-the-art and architecturally-practical facility.

The ACC ribbon was cut by CSL Mayor Anthony Housefather, surrounded by his councilors,MP Irwin Cotler, MNA Lawrence Bergman, Senator Judith Seidman and other keypersonalities. Earlier, tours were given to VIPs and CSL residents were also given an

opportunity to see the impressivefacilities. A staged water polo matchwas also scheduled to provide ampleevidence of the aquatic centre’spotential.

(Photos: Bram Eisenthal)

(Left to right): Senator Judith Seidman; MP Irwin Cotler; MNA Lawrence

Bergman; CSL councilor Mitchell Brownstein; Mayor Anthony Housefather;

councilors Allan J. Levine, Ruth Kovac, Michael J. Cohen, Glenn J. Nashen, Sam

Goldbloom, Dida Berku, Steven Erdelyi; City Manager and Library Director

Tanya Abramovitch; Director of Parks and Recreation David Taveroff; and

Darryl Levine, Director of Public Affairs, Communications and IT.

issue17_Layout 1 9/1/2011 1:38 PM


Networks must give newshows a chance tocatch on

With the new network TV seasonjust around the corner, it’s time forme to decide which of the 30-plus new series to sample. Iusually check out about six orseven of them for several

reasons: for the cast; theirpremise; or simply out of curiosity. But that’s

inherently risky, as one just might get hooked ona show that gets cancelled just as quickly as itbegan.

I have a good friend who will no longer watch newseries for that reason. Over the years, he'smanaged to consistently pick prematurely-cancelled series which I never checked out or gotinto (Life as We Know It, The Nine, Surfacing) orbailed from (Invasion). I’ve been luckier in recentTV seasons, latching onto hits like The Big BangTheory, Modern Family and The Good Wife. But I,too have been burned, notably with Daybreak, aGroundhog Day meets 24 cop show and Jericho,an apocalyptic science fiction series depicting theUnited States after most of its major cities havebeen nuked. The latter was actually saved fromcancellation by its fans only to have themdisappointed all over again when CBS, in itsinfinite wisdom, delayed its return, thus failing tocapitalize on the momentum ensuing from thepublic relations campaign that ‘rescued’ it. It lastedanother seven episodes before being axed again,though it has been revived as a graphic novel thissummer. And let’s not forget My So-Called Life, thegroundbreaking teen series which made a star outof Claire Danes. I’m still angry that ABC cancelledthat one.

There was also Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Aaron(The West Wing) Sorkin’s clever drama about a TVsketch series that ran for just one season on NBC.(ED. NOTE: One of my favourite shows and one Ibemoaned the cancellation of… it’s on DVD if youwant to watch a really engaging show.).

Of course, axing shows post haste is not exactly anew development on American networktelevision. It goes back decades. I’ve heard onlygreat things about He & She, a late ‘60s CBScomedy starring Richard Benjamin and his wifePaula Prentiss that apparently was the templatefor The Mary Tyler Moore Show. And the eightiessaw so many terrific series, such as Buffalo Bill, therevamped Twilight Zone and Max Headroom, dieearly deaths.

One option to avoid wasting your time is waitingto see which shows become hits and then rentingthe full season(s) later on DVD. But I’d prefer it ifthe networks would let new shows run for at leasta full season before deciding their fate. Then, atleast, its creators could flesh out their storylinesand, perhaps, arrive at some closure, just in case asecond season is not forthcoming.

A graduate of Ryerson University’s School ofJournalism, former West End Montrealer ShlomoSchwartzberg is a veteran film critic, has regularlyreviewed films for various publications and lectureson film and TV studies. He was the director ofprogramming for the Toronto Jewish Film Festivalfor seven years.

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Images of Motel Raphael – Almost 60 years old andhaunting us still Urban exploring: The act of scouting out a previously-occupied building that was onceteeming with life… but is now nothing but a haunt for spirits. Motel Raphael on St.Jacques W. (the stretch of road known as Ste. Anne de Bellevue, on the property thathad been re-named the Knights Inn before its demise) is such a place. When you thinkof all the life there before… all the joy, anticipation, and, yes, lust, too, it’s eerie to see itthis way now, devoid of all life but the gathering moss, the insects and the rodents thatvisit nightly.

Hard to imagine that this authentic antique building, opened almost 60 years ago in1953, was once a deluxe establishment. But it was.

So, with a genuinedenizen of urbananthropology in ourWest End midst, it’stime to publish someof its hauntingimagery… while westill can.

Here’s to MotelRaphael. Thanksfor the memories.

issue17_Layout 1 9/1/2011 1:38 PM

THE LOCAL SEEKER, SEPT 2 (pg. 6) PROPERTY SEEKER SECTION www.westend.thelocalseeker.com

I s s u e 1

BUY or SELL your HOME in the

Property Seeker

M a n ypeopletodayw h oo w n

h o m e s ,but have not moved in awhile, may not be aware ofthe changes made by thefederal government thataffect your ability to acquirea mortgage. Many rules havechanged that are givingpeople rude awakenings.Although you can stillpurchase a property with95% financing, refinancingto consolidate debts hasbeen cut back to 85%. Also,the amount of home one canafford is more restrictive.

their debts into one low, manageablemonthly payment. The best part of it isthat I do not necessarily need to seetax returns and Notices of Assessmentfrom the government...which is a hugeadvantage. And don't worry... all thebanks I deal with as a broker haveexcellent reputations. Whether you arebuying your first home, have excellentcredit or have been through toughtimes, it is important to deal with anexperienced mortgage professional.Have you already bought your firsthome and now want to start a realestate portfolio of multi-plexes/rentalproperty? There has never been abetter time to buy, with interest ratesbeing at an all-time low. I also workwith private lenders who do equityloans, when all other options havebeen exhausted. These loans often aredesigned to help people avoid the big

penalties resulting from breaking theirfirst mortgage. In the short term, theseloans typically have lower monthlypayments so that people can catch upwith their monthly credit card payments.In more dire situations, people who arebehind on their first mortgage,municipal and government taxes can behelped as well. If you have anyquestions, or need a free consultation, Iwould be happy to educate you at yourconvenience.

Jason ZuckermanHypotheca Mortgage Brokers(514) 771-1352 /1-800- [email protected]

The West End real estate section

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Government changes affect howyou can buy your home

Four years ago you couldamortize your payments over 40years, and then more recently,the government cut back to 30-year amortizations. Creditrestrictions have remained strictand people who have lowerbeacon scores are more limitedwith regard to their borrowingpower. Fortunately, in oursociety today, more and morepeople are looking for financial freedom by running their own business.Unfortunately, banks have madeit more challenging for self-employed people to acquiremortgages. I specialize in clientswho face this challenge.Whether a client has strongcredit or not, I have access toprograms that allow people topurchase a home or consolidate

"For sale by

owner" -

Could that

be a costly

mistake?

It is not a legal requirement to

have representation by a licensed

agent in order to sell a home.

However, I am always curious why

sellers make the decision to "sell

without an agent," knowing that

statistics show unrepresented

sellers typically end up netting much

less for their homes than selling

with an agent.Allowing strangers

into your home without an agent is

a risk in itself.I have extracted a few

statistics of interest from a

publication which I feel sellers

should know: The typical home was

on the market for three months;

87% percent of home buyers used a

real estate agent in their home

search; Only 27% of For Sale By

Owners ("FSBOs" or

"Unrepresented Sellers") were able

to sell without the assistance of

an agent; The primary reason

FSBO sellers did not use a real

estate agent was to avoidpaying

a commission; The median selling

price of FSBO homes was

$210,000 compared with

$255,000 for agent assisted

home sales (This represents a

loss of over 17% - much higher

than a typical commission).Or

even worse, people think they

are getting a deal by signing up

for online sell-it- yourself

services with virtual tours, and

often pay over $3,000 up front

with no results while putting

themselves at security risk. An

agent’s commission is a success

fee. He/she did the work, came

up with a marketing program,

paid for advertising, screened

and prequalified potential

buyers, negotiated the deal and

ultimately got the money for the

seller.As you can plainly see,

statistics prove that the odds are

against the Unrepresented

Seller.

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issue17_Layout 1 9/1/2011 1:38 PM

THE LOCAL SEEKER, SEPT 2 (pg. 7) PROPERTY SEEKER SECTION www.westend.thelocalseeker.com

Update YourBathroom in a

Weekend

(Family Features) Not everyone hasthe time or money to undergo acomplete bathroom renovation,but there are some simple and costeffective ways to make yourbathroom as good as new in ashort amount of time, and at afraction of the cost. Waterpik(r) andKelly Edwards, designer fromHGTV's "Design on a Dime," havesome ideas that can be used toupdate any bathroom in less thantwo days, and for $200 or less.

• A fresh coat of paint is one of thesimplest and most affordable waysto make a big splash in any room.Cabinets, ceilings and, dependingon the material, even floors can bepainted.

• Look for towels, rugs and showercurtains at closeout stores, andcheck out online sales so you canstock up and splurge.

• Simply changing yourshowerhead can turn a regularshower into a true spa-likeexperience. The EasySelectshowerhead from Waterpik, forexample, has a spray selectorlocated right on the handle, so youcan change the spray settings fromcircular massage to full bodycoverage without having to reachthrough the water stream. Find outmore at www.waterpik.com.

• Because most bathrooms won'thave a lot of knobs or pulls toreplace, you can splurge a little biton some special hardware.

Common credit myths about buying a home(ARA) - Whether your annual earnings range well into six figures or are on the moremodest end of national salary averages, you know you'll probably need credit to buy ahome. While you likely know how important credit is to your home-buying plans, you

may not be aware of the truth behind some common credit myths.

Myth: If your bills are paid and you've never defaulted on a loan, mortgage or creditcard bill, you don't need to worry about your credit report or credit score.

Truth: Many factors influence your credit score, and payment history is just one ofthem. When calculating your score, credit bureaus also consider length of credit history,

types of credit used and ratio of credit available to credit used. Even if your paymenthistory is good, scoring lower on one of the other factors could lower your overall

credit score.

Pick up the next issue to unveil the next myth

issue17_Layout 1 9/1/2011 1:38 PM


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Three great Canadian reads

During recent Canada Day celebrations, a friendasked me who my favourite Canadian authorswere. I found myself, for the first time in a longtime, thinking about two classes I took atConcordia University in the early nineties.

Canadian Fiction and Postwar Canadian Fictionwere year-long courses taught by a tall, greying,

old-school, bland, stereotypical empire loyalist English Canadiancollege professor named Malcolm Foster (whom I once referred to asMalcolm F. He was not amused). Malcolm F lectured slowly anddeliberately in a crested blazer, matching pants and out-of-style tie.He was also an expert in Canadian fiction who was with Concordiaback when it was Sir George Williams College and Mordecai Richlerwas a young teacher’s assistant. Like most English Lit courses, therewere good books, great books, and long, boring, difficult books. Hereare the three I admire most:

Barometer Rising by Hugh MacLennan is one of my all-time favouritebooks. It is a fictionalized account of the World War I harbourexplosion that devastated Halifax, something I didn’t even knowhappened until I read this book, (I can’t believe I was never taught thatin high school!). Although at times a little melodramatic, the book isan exciting and interesting fact-based page-turner. And MacLennandid not alter any truths about the actual explosion, so it also serves asa mini history lesson.

Frederick Philip Grove’s Settlers of the Marsh conveys the dramaticstory of early European settlers in Manitoba. The story focuses onSwedish immigrant Niels Lindstedt and his attempts to build a life andfind love. There are several tragic and, at times, politically incorrectturns, but over all it is a satisfying read that portrays accurately and ingreat detail the hardships and struggles faced by the people whohelped make Canada.

Finally we have Tay John by Howard O’Hagan. A westerner by birth,O’Hagan spins a mystical tale of an allegorical half-breed mountainman through legend, hearsay and third party accounts. I oftenunderline profound or well-crafted sentences in books. Tay John hasat least one underlined passage per chapter: My personal favourite isabout how “possession is a great surrender.” It can be found at thestart of chapter seven.

Each of the aforementioned titles is less that three hundred pageslong and can be found at most Canadian bookstores for about tendollars.

Read on!

www.essaysbyandreas.com

(ED. NOTE: I happened to have had the late, great Hugh MacLennan asthe professor of a university English course I was enrolled in. Lecturingslowly, deliberately and being bland, old-school and sporting out-of-styleties was certainly not reserved for Malcolm Foster alone, althoughbrilliance was another quality MacLennan shared with Foster).

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Hope you haveenjoyed this issue of

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