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SAVING MONTREAL
To facilitate social distancing, the city has enlarged sidewalks on Ste. Catherine St., at the expense of parking space. These changes may be permanent once the water pipes replacement is finished
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More people working from home - will small businesses survive?
Empty store fronts are poping up all over the city of Montreal On March 23rd 2020, the Quebec government announced the closure of all non-essential commercial activities and services in the province, except for teleworking and ecommerce businesses. It was expected to be for just a few weeks, but it was not until May when some re-openings were allowed - with the Greater Montreal area permitted to follow a few weeks later. Now most businesses have re-opened, but with strict protocols to follow. Some have not been able to survive and have shut permanently, while others are still struggling. Especially hard hit are the small businesses and Momand-Pop stores. A significant part of the problem began from the start, as most people turned to working from home. Telecommuting made it possible for many companies to keep their business alive and employees to keep their jobs. All one needed was a computer with access to the Internet, email and a telephone. However, now that restrictions have loosened and businesses reopened, many people are still working from home with no plans to return to the office or workplace anytime soon. It has brought forth an unprecedented challenge for small businesses who are hanging on by a thread. Their survival is at stake. On social media, people are lamenting the loss of a favourite business they have visited for years, some for decades. From restaurants, bakeries, shoe and bookstores to clothing stores, record stores and more 2
they are posting pictures and sharing mem- for brands, agencies and market research) ories as each one closes their doors. Office suggests that many employees who have been working remotely due to the COVID19 pandemic would like to continue working from home indefinitely and that employers have an opportunity to embrace flexible work options beyond the pandemic. The study found that '45% percent of working Canadians would prefer to work remotely at least three days a week and more than one quarter would prefer to work flex hours. Respondents, including managers and front-line employees, also By Bonnie Wurst said that remote work did not have a sigmtltimes.ca nificant impact on productivity, quality of work and hours of work.While over half of buildings, especially in the downtown area, employees surveyed (55%) say their emare empty for the most part with only a ployer has continued to allow remote and few essential employees needing to be flexible work throughout COVID-19'. They physically there - and that translates into also found that 'the younger generation of less customers. Across the Island, many workers appear particularly drawn to reother companies also have employees mote work, with 61% of workers aged 18 working from home - and it is greatly reducing the number people small businesses to 34 saying they prefer to work remotely depend on for their income. The 'foresee- at least three days a week, compared to 43% of workers over 35. Additionally, only able' future for them is blurry at best. A new survey by ADP Canada (providing 13% of workers aged 18 to 34 said their solutions for human resource challenges job does not allow remote work, comfor close to 70 years and listed on Fortune pared to one quarter of workers aged over Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Compa- 35. The bottom line: if small businesses are nies list for 12 consecutive years) and to survive, they need support. Going a little Maru/Blue (a respected data services firm out your way for a few items or shopping providing reliable global data connections local, can go a long way. www.mtltimes.ca
September 12, 2020 •
“Making the Deal is an Art Form...”
Eleni (Helen) Akrivos Courtier immobilier Agréé DA - Dirigeante D'Agence Certified real estate broker AEO- Agency Executive Officer
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VILLAGE
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Will downtown recover the vitality of the past? For that, the city would have to do a better job
Downtown revival?
During a press conference last week, Mayor Valerie Plante called on employers in the downtown core to bring their workers back to the offices. This move would contribute to reviving an area, now seriously impacted by the economic effects of the pandemic. Of course, the mayor, like most people, realize that it is imperative for the recovery of the downtown economy, to count on at least part of the 300,000 people who usually worked there before COVID-19. Mayor Plante is aiming at a modest 25 per cent of that workforce to be back at their towers. Currently, it is estimated that 5 per cent of it commute from their homes to the offices. However, her calculation may be optimistic. Many companies seem, for now, comfortable by having their employees working from home. Moreover, bringing offices back to life in the city centre won't be easy. Many people who work in the area, are still wary of riding the metro or the buses and would prefer to drive, reversing a trend that took years to popularize. At the same time, the city administration has discouraged the use of the private car—current changes to some streets, on Ste. Catherine, for instance, have eliminated hundreds of parking spaces. For their part, large corporations—always looking for ways to optimize their profits— are also seeing a money-saving opportunity in vacating some of the office space they rent. Of course, it is not only the office workers who are missing in our city centre: students attending McGill, Concordia and • September 12, 2020
By Sergio Martinez mtltimes.ca
UQAM are also absent, since most of their courses are now offered online. And then, the other big magnet for the area: restaurants, shops, cinemas, and other venues are either closed or open at a limited capacity. For motorists, the situation is compounded by the numerous detours caused by road works. While it is good that this debate takes place now when people and governments are looking at what cities, society, and the country itself would look once the pandemic is over; it is important to remember that downtown Montreal was already in trouble before COVID-19. Never-ending public works like the one on Bishop St. forced the closing of many stores. A reorientation in the design of some streets to better serve pedestrians and cyclists was welcome. However, when the Projet Montréal mandarins took this initial and wellmeaning purpose to a sort of fanatical www.mtltimes.ca
mission, then the whole community started to resent these policies. Some of the most extreme—and less fortunate—the one perpetrated on the western section of Notre Dame, had to be reversed due to the adverse reaction of the neighbourhood. The case of Ste. Catherine's redesign— now under construction—once it is completed will likely create new debates. Part of the street has been narrowed to only one lane, and parking spaces have been eliminated through most of this commercial artery. While most people might understand that the time has come to change some habits, and significantly reduce our reliance on the private car, on the other hand, it is important to have in mind that this is Montreal, not California.With a fivemonth winter, sometimes Montrealers— especially seniors—need to drive if they want to go shopping downtown. Bike paths are a good idea, but since bicycles are dangerous to ride in the snow, some bike-paths could be seasonal, therefore freeing some space for parking. Plante, who is also the mayor for the downtown borough of Ville-Marie, may need a little more than the goodwill of companies and workers to restart commuting downtown. The city also needs to do its part. However, the current administration seemed too preoccupied with advancing its own “anti-car” rhetoric, ignoring basic needs in the city core. In the meantime, downtown revival remains doubtful. 3
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September 12, 2020 •
Premier Francois Legault
Quebecers to face fines for not wearing a face mask where it is mandatory Premier Francois Legault announced on Thursday September 10th, that Quebecers who are found not wearing a face mask where it is mandatory will being facing a fine. Police will be handing out the fines to people who are not following the public health protocols beginning on Saturday September 12th. Last July 18th, business owners were responsible to properly enforce the government's mask regulations and pay the fines - while individuals faced no consequences. Now the onus will be put on the person who is found without a mask on to pay. Mandatory areas include places such as public transit and indoor public spaces. The amount of the fines will be 'will be more than $50' the Premier said and that 'unfortunately, there is a small minority of people who are not following the rules… we cannot accept that a few irresponsible individuals put at risk the entire population of Quebec ' and he 'finds it unacceptable'. • September 12, 2020
By Bonnie Wurst mtltimes.ca Genevieve Guilbault, Quebec's Deputy Premier will soon be providing the details and fines could be as high $400 plus, but that remains to be seen. The fines will first be aimed at regions across Quebec that are classified as 'Yellow' under the Province's new Covid-19 colourcoded alert system. Yellow-Level 2 indiwww.mtltimes.ca
cates: "Early Warning is required as soon as transmission of the virus starts to grow.Activities maintained in compliance with basic measures and specific measures added, if necessary". Presently, there are four regions at Level 2, including Laval, Eastern Townships, Quebec City and the Outaouais area. To date, Montreal is still considered at the lowest Level-1 (Green 'Vigilance'). However, Dr. Mylene Drouin, Montreal's public health director said on Wednesday that the city could soon move up to Level 2 due to the increase in cases in the past few weeks. In the meantime, Christian Dubé the province's Health Minister said they will be 'looking at the possibility of imposing fines for failing to follow other public health recommendations, such as physical distancing. "We're going to be looking at what we can do… it's a lot more difficult to intervene in a private evening than it is to intervene for example in a bar or in a restaurant," he said. 5
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Picture – from left to right: Russell Williams, co-founder; Rob Havill, President, Foundation Board; Erin O’Brien, Capital Campaign co-chair; Dale Weil, Executive Director; Luc Bertrand, Capital Campaign co-chair; Allen Van der Wee, President, Operations Board.
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The West Island Palliative Care Residence unveils its new name
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Today, the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence was officially inaugurated. Paying tribute to cofounder Teresa Dellar, M.S.C., MSW, PSW, FT, who died on August 19, 2019, the name change honours her work bringing palliative care to the community, 20 years of inspirational, caring leadership and reinforces her vision and values that will live on at the Residence. The event also marked the closing of the “Caring & Sharing - Under One Roof” Capital Campaign which raised $14,570,000 million for the Residence to support the community with quality palliative care. Teresa was truly a pioneer of palliative care, touching the lives of so many and engaging tremendous community support. Teresa’s vision, offering a serene and dignified experience for patients and their families was reinforced through the Capital Campaign.The project combined the two separate locations of the Residence into one expanded facility in Kirkland, Quebec. Patients and their families will all benefit from a home-like setting and many cozy common areas, making the most of their last days. The new Residence also houses the Montreal Institute for Palliative Care, a centre dedicated to education and building palliative care knowledge with health care professionals and the public, also part of Teresa’s vision. “I am excited to see Teresa Dellar’s legacy live on through our new identity. She was an admirable and strong woman who believed in dignity for all—she deserves nothing less than this homage and we are
here to carry out her vision, giving patients the kind of care that would have made her proud. While we may not add days to life, we surely do add life to days,” said Dale Weil, Executive Director. Tremendous contribution from the community This major transformation of the facility would not have been possible without tremendous support from the community. “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all those who contributed to the Caring & Sharing—Under One Roof capital campaign, which was launched in the spring of 2018. Thanks to your exemplary generosity, we were able to reach $14.6 million,” said Luc Bertrand and Erin O’Brien, co-chairs of the Campaign, “well over our original objective.” As co-founder of the Residence, I am proud to see how the community is committed to honouring Teresa’s legacy through different initiatives such as establishing annual scholarships in Teresa’s name for nursing students at McGill University and Université de Montréal, and hosting an annual public event in her name to educate people about palliative care. I believe that through the combined efforts of our stakeholders and our dedicated team, we can continue to help more and more Canadians live the final chapter of their lives in the most dignified and fulfilling manner possible,” said co-founder Russell Williams. About the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence The Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides
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services free of charge to patients and their families.The Residence receives one third of its annual operating budget from the Quebec government and relies on community support and fundraising activities to raise the balance of more than $3.8 million each year.With its 23 beds, the Residence is the largest free-standing palliative care facility in Canada and is recognized as a leader in its field. In September 2020, the Residence, originally known as the West Island Palliative Care Residence, changed its name to the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence to honour the legacy of its late co-founder Teresa Dellar. Teresa was not only the co-founder and the Executive Director of the Residence for close to 20 years, she was also its champion and built it up to where it is today. She made a difference to so many people and inspired the community to continue her vision. About Teresa Dellar, M.S.C., MSW, PSW, FT Teresa Dellar co-founded the West Island Palliative Care Residence with then MNA Russell Williams in 1998. She was the Executive Director of the Residence from its creation until August 19, 2019, when she passed away at the age of 58. The need for the Residence grew out of her concern for terminally ill patients who had to be transferred downtown in their final days, away from their community and loved ones. Teresa was a pioneer in bringing palliative care into the community. September 12, 2020 •
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September 12, 2020 •
Is Quebec hiding number of schools with Covid-19 cases? The number of schools with Covid-19 cases in Quebec, which the government has chosen to make public, is being questioned by many people. As of September 3rd, the number of schools reported was only 3.Then on Friday Sept 4th Health Minister Christian Dube had said there were actually about 30 schools on the list. However, by the end of the day, the province reported 47 schools with cases - and that number has been updated again. On Tuesday September 8th, Quebec added 28 more schools to the September 4th numbers, bringing it 70 schools. At the press conference on Tuesday, when Jean-Francois Roberge, Quebec's Education confirmed the 70 cases he also added that '50 others (are) in the process of being validated'. As well, after a public outcry from parents, the government decided to make the list of schools with Covid-19 cases public.You can download the full list to date at: www.scribd.com/document/475428294/Lis t-of-Quebec-schools-reporting-COVID• September 12, 2020
By Bonnie Wurst mtltimes.ca 19-cases#from_embed. It is possible those numbers will be updated again and be even higher. According the 'Covid Ecoles Quebec' website, created by Olivier Drouin (with experience as the Vice-President of a technology firm providing high-tech human resources software) who verifies all the information received and whose data tracking schools with Covid-19 are proving to be correct - there www.mtltimes.ca
are 193 schools with at least one positive case in the province to date (at the time of the writing of this article). It would add another 73 schools and in contrast to what Quebec appears to say could be up to 120. Christian Dube, Quebec's Health Minister said that the number of schools with confirmed cases 'needs to be contextualized alongside the thousands of institutions across the province'. The discrepancy between Drouin's numbers and the Province's could very well prove to 'be due to a lag in data' as she stated. Could it also be a communication problem? A mathematical problem? Or the fear of a backlash by disclosing the actual numbers? You can find the Covid Ecoles Quebec list (a 'Non-exhaustive inventory of the number of schools impacted by at least one case of COVID. Information validated and verified before publication') at: www.covidecolesquebec.org/liste-alphabtique 9
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September 12, 2020 •
Chimney Sweeping - Can I still use my chimney?
ou're as lucky as lucky can be to see a chimney inspector & sweeper yearly! 'Tis the season to have your chimney swept and maintained, before the cold weather rolls into town. Everyone who heats with oil, gas or wood has a chimney. Yearly maintenance ensures the good working condition of your appliance and keeps your houshold safe. Get your chimney sweep today! Can I use my chimney? We hear this a lot. For those living in the city of Montreal the short answer is that you now need an low emission fireplace insert. These inserts still burn wood, and are designed to heat the house. Residents of Montreal can still use their old fireplace in the case of emergency, or a blackout of 3
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explain, "If you are not cap are also very imgoing to use your fire- portant." Valerie is a popular place we can seal the chimney flue with insu- chimney sweep serviclation and a metal ing the island of Moncrown to prevent cold treal and surrounding Customers drafts, and water infil- areas. agree that her attentration. It will help to tion to detail, professave on heating bills. sionalism and Later, if you choose to cleanliness sets her upgrade we can easily apart from other comre-open the crown and install a wood burning panies. Montreal Chimappliance that con- neys includes a visual forms to the new reg- inspection with each chimney sweep and a ulation. It is important to get free estimate for rea professional to check pairs. the condition of your montrealchimneys.com 438-345-6687 chimney yearly. Go montrealchimneys outside and look up at @gmail.com your chimney. If you You're as lucky as see bricks crumbling lucky can be to see a a big difference before Says Valerie, who has hours or more. Please you should get that recall Montreal Chim- damage gets worse over 15 years of expe- paired before winter. A chimney inspector & neys for more infor- and more expensive." rience, she goes on to chimney crown and sweeper yearly! mation and a free estimate for EPA certified low emissions fireplace insert. For those who live in a de-merged city, you can still use your fireplace or wood stove as usual, whenever you want to! Chimney sweeping is a historic profession which many think has gone extinct, however having your chimney cleaned and inspected is still important as ever. Some common issues including animal nesting, soot build up, deteriorating brickwork & water damage can all be fixed by a chimney sweep. We spoke to Valerie Adams of Montreal Chimneys, the only female chimney specialist in the region, about the fate of her profession: "Wherever you live, chimney maintenance billthepoolman@hotmail.com is still necessary to keep your home safe. www.poolcarespecialist.ca Small repairs can make
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September 12, 2020 •
Just For Laughs unveils line-up for its first-ever free virtual festival Comedy fans who felt a void this past July when Just For Laughs postponed its 38th annual edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are going to be greatly compensated next month. On October 9 and 10, the internationally renowned comedy festival will stage its first-ever all virtual festival that will feature over 100 artists during this two-day period with a programming line-up filled with stand-up performances, live podcast tapings and virtual panel discussions, to name a few. And for the first time, the curating for the virtual festival line-up has been done in collaboration with Laugh Out Loud (LOL), the global comedy brand that's owned and operated by superstar comedian Kevin Hart. And as an added bonus, all shows and events are going to be free of charge for all spectators. This past week, the first slate of artists scheduled to appear at the festival was unveiled by festival organizers, and is an impressive mix of up and coming comedians and all-time festival favourites.They include Hannah Gadsby, Jo Koy, Howie Mandel, Kenya Barris, Sarah Cooper (who has become an internet sensation with her satirical lip-synch impersonations of Donald Trump), Amber Ruffin, Tituss Burgess, Nicole Byer, Trixie Mattel (who won the third season of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars"), Montreal comic Deanne Smith, Jenny Hagel, Andy Kindler; panel discussions with the casts of Crave's "Canada's Drag Race" and CBS All Access' "Tooning Out the News"; the annual Variety's 10 Comics to Watch presentation; and a New Faces: Creators comedy showcase. Show and artist additions to the line-up, as well as show times, are going to be announced in the near future. To tune into the Just For Laughs free virtual festival on October 9 and 10th, go to: www.hahaha.com/en/2020festival
marking a milestone is the La Chapelle Scenes Contemporaines, located at 3700 St. Dominique Street, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. With the help of 175 artists and collaborators, La Chapelle will offer a total of 20 unique, eclectic and multidisciplinary shows to theatregoers for their 30th birthday season, which runs from September 14 to the end of May 2021. Those shows, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, are subject to change and some projects may change its manner of presentation during the course of the season. It all gets underway on September 14 with the creative laboratory project "More-Than Things", with September being rounded off with the theatrical monologue "La Vie Litteraire" (September 21-29) and "Les Dimanches" (September 23 and 27) as part of the Festival International de Litterateur. Other highlights of La Chapelle's 30th anniversary season include Talisman Theatre's production of the quirky "Habibi's Angels: Commission Impossible" (November 23 December 5); "SKIN", which will be presented as part of the Centaur Theatre's annual Wildside Festival (January 10-19); "Morphoses", which combines science, mythology, poetry and spirituality (March 15, 16 and 19); a double program by Danescite (April 6-18); and "A User's Guide to Authencity is a Feeling", which is described as a "messy and playful lecture on performance" (May 12-14). As well, La Chapelle is offering a flexible five-show ticket package for $100 that will give theatregoers a chance to experience the best offerings during this special season. For more information -- or to purchase tickets -- call 514-843-7738 or email: billetterie@lachapelle.org .
By Stuart Nulman mtltimes.ca
hero" (ages 5 and up) and "Celestial Bodies" (ages 12 and up). Also part of Geordie's line-up are "Jonathan:The Seagull Parable", a play about how society perceives physical limitations and is based on Richard Bach's massive best seller Jonathan Livingstone Seagull (March 23-April 10); and "Virginia Wolf", based on the book by Kyo Maclear, tells about the importance of patience, support and love, and is inspired by the life of novelist Virginia Woolf and her caregiving sister. The annual Geordie Theatre Fest is scheduled for February 3-7, while the Geordie Theatre School marks its 10th anniversary with public classes, a new teen ensemble, the GTS workshop series, and GTS West, which will be done in conjunction with the Dollard Centre for the Arts. For more information, go to: www.geordie.ca
La Chapelle Scenes Contemporaines Another local theatre company that's
Geordie Theatre The local theatre community is gradually starting to emerge from the long hibernation that was the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. One theatre company, Geordie Theatre, is emerging from it to celebrate its milestone 40th anniversary season. Offering play productions that entertain and inform audiences of all ages, Geordie's 40th season is going under the theme "When Stars Come Together". And conforming to the new reality of presenting plays to large audiences, all of their productions for this season are going to be presented through livestream performances and COVID-19 government safety guidelines. Geordie's flagship 2Play Tours, which usually plays to over 40,000 students every year, hopes to reach out to even larger audiences through live streaming. The two plays that are going to be featured on this season's tour are "The Little Mighty Super• September 12, 2020
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Investing in your health By Joanna Wright Montreal Times
oon after my father’s death, my family began the arduous task of sorting through his financial affairs. While doing so, we discovered that he had left us with a generous amount of money through his life insurance plan. Through my grief, something kept making me shake my head, as I rolled those two little words around in my brain. Life insurance? How ironic. He was dead. There was no insurance of “life” for my father in this long term investment. The only thing that was certain is that he wouldn’t be the one reaping the benefits. Then a strange emotion began to emerge. Regret. Why hadn’t he invested in his health with this money while he was still alive? Perhaps we could have enjoyed a few more good years to share together? Did he really think I’d rather have this money than have him here beside me? I recount this story often to groups of seniors who fail to see the importance of investing in their health.
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Whether it be a personal fitness trainer, a recumbent exercise bike or a gym membership, I explain to them that, in the end, we will all pay for our health in one way or another. But being proactive and staying healthy is much cheaper in the long run and much more fun. Consider the statistics. As a senior, if you are no longer able to live independently, the average cost of an assisted care living facility is approximately $1800 to $5000 a month. Most seniors who find themselves in this predicament can no longer perform the basic tasks of taking care of themselves due to weak muscles, low energy endurance, arthritic bones, or balance issues. In contrast, a good treadmill might set you back $1000. A qualified trainer $65 an hour. A gym membership $100 a month. There is no comparison. As a trainer who specializes in working with seniors, I have perfected the fine art of targeting the exact exercise movements that will give my clients the tools to stay afloat. I once trained a 90 year old woman in her own
condo until she ultimately had to accept the fact that she needed more care. She lamented to me, “I guess I failed.”. On the contrary. She had worked hard to give herself 4 more years of living HER way. Sleeping when she wanted, eating what she wanted, DOING what she wanted. I call that a success. Looking back, I wish my father had invested not for us...but for him. I miss him. He crossed his fingers and hoped for good health while diligently planning financially for his demise. I can’t help my dad anymore. But my passion and my goal as an older adult fitness trainer is to motivate, educate and guide other seniors to invest in their health today, so that their families are able to love them for as long as possible! Joanne Wright is the co owner of Age in Motion, In Home Fitness and Mobility services
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September 12, 2020 •
Book Reviews - mtltimes.ca
The Adventures of Spike the Wonder Dog by Bill Boggs
In the world of media and show business, man's best friend can play a role as a faithful companion or the star of the show, which is where Lassie, Rin Tin Tin or Krypto (Superman's pet dog) come to mind. Or there are dogs who become the protagonist of a novel, like White Fang or the canine in Farley Mowat's classic "The Dog Who Wouldn't Be". Or those dogs who act more human and go beyond the doghouse like Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip. Bill Boggs, an Emmy Award-winning TV talk host, producer, author and comedian, takes all the above doggy attributes and brings them to a whole new -- and politically incorrect -- level in his comic novel The Adventures of Spike the Wonder Dog. The story focuses on Spike, an English Bull Terrier, whose faithful owner Bud is the host of a local TV talk show, which is like a combination of the Today Show and Live with Kelly and Ryan, in High Point, North Carolina. Somehow, Spike becomes an immediate, yet accidental, local media star when Bud asks him what he thought about his interview with Cher, which because of a bout of drowsiness, replies with a big, toothy yawn on camera. This starts Spike's career as a celebrity, where he travels to New York and Las Vegas to do some personal appearances at several star-studded events -- that get weird and bizarre with every subsequent event -- and ends up more like a publicity stunt than a star turn.Whether it was being • September 12, 2020
dropped onto the ring of a boxing main title event from a drone in Las Vegas promoted by eccentric big shot Ike "I Got Money" Piles (where the drone is sponsored by Max-Ex Laxative, and Bud and Spike get a number of executive privileges such as the "Triple-Dollar-Sign Money Piles
By Stuart Nulman mtltimes.ca
All-Access 3-D Hologram Boxing Glove Total Access Pass"), or running around the streets of New York City with a cowboy outfit-wearing monkey on his back, Spike plays along like the ultimate trooper. And it pays off for both dog and master, as Bud and Spike move to New York City when they are offered their own TV talk show in the Big Apple.Things should be getting better for the duo, but it takes an almost tragic turn when Spike and his canine www.mtltimes.ca
sweetheart Daisy are violently assaulted in broad daylight, and Spike is kidnapped and brought into the sinister world of dog fighting, where he is forced to literally fight for his life by its promoter who is, you guessed it, Ike "I Got Money" Piles. One may think that this book would be ideal reading for kids or the YA crowd, but it's not. This is a book for those who like their humour in a rather edgy, politically incorrect nature. What makes it such good escapist reading is that the entire narrative is told from the point-of-view of Spike himself, whose delivery is comparable to a raunchy, ascerbic comedian a la Lewis Black or Rodney Dangerfield. It gives the reader an interesting perspective of how much stupidity and humiliation a dog has to go through to give all those humans around him the satisfaction of good publicity, where in turn, Spike would like to reward them with a chomp on the leg. And by the way, the dog fighting scenes between Spike and his doggy opponents such as "Big Nipper" and "Monstro" are written with such ferocity, it would make Jack London proud. The Adventures of Spike the Wonder Dog is quite an absurdly entertaining satirical novel of the pitfalls of being a celebrity animal. Hopefully, we will get to read about more doggy adventures from Spike, but after what he went through in this book, it's going to take quite a massive effort to drag him away from the contentment of his orange dog house in North Carolina. 15
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September 12, 2020 •
Tone It Up! By Martha Shannon mtltimes.ca
Dear Cosmetic World, It’s all about the toner. We mostly love you, but true to form, you confuse us once again. What is the difference between a toner and an astringent and should we care? I think yes, but let’s read on. A toner is water based. An astringent is alcohol based. At least it should be. Or used to be. There is the danger of drying out the skin with too much alcohol, so astringents are mainly recommended for the oilier skin types. But caution is advised. When people cleaned with regular bar soaps and heavy cold cream, residues on the skin were a huge issue. Cold creams, popular mid 19th century and onwards, were made with water (mostly rosewater), oils (al-
• September 12, 2020
mond was a fav), beeswax and maybe a little spermaceti (a wax like substance from the sperm whale). Some recipes also included butter and alcohol. Cold creams were used to help apply make-up and later, to remove it. Many users went to bed lathered in cold cream and were several pounds heavier, only to awake and feel that the skin was drowning. The cleansing ‘toner’ thus came into fashion out of necessity. The goal of a toner and or astringent is to remove residue. Both reduce bacteria. As the alcohol also extends the shelf life of the product it is a rather attractive, inexpensive preservative for the manufacturer to add. However, we know from the recent recall of many sanitizers on the market that there are different qualities of alcohol out there. Again, we must be cautious, while re-
maining confused. A true toner is supposed to be alcohol free and some companies do advertise them as such. Alcohol free is best. Some companies may claim no alcohol, but then list extracts on the label, which can contain between 8-15% alcohol. Witch Hazel is a common and very popular toner ingredient and usually contains alcohol. But an alcohol-free variety is available. A few years ago, the Huffpost (formerly Huffington Post) had a good article advising an alcohol-free witch hazel toner. Thayers. I like what I read. Paula’s Choice discourages buying any toner with witch hazel. It is not even the alcohol that is in question. It is the witch hazel itself. Her research is extensive and we question whether it is a good option in a toner. Instead a ‘gentle makeup remover’ is
suggested as a replacement. However, in analyzing the ingredient listing of the recommended product, a more truthful advertising would read, ‘Possibly a potentially harsh makeup remover.Take your chances.’ I would prefer alcohol free witch hazel. Once again, confusion reigns in our cosmetic world. A toner’s job is to cleanse, calm, soothe, hydrate the skin. Our recipe contains no witch hazel so no
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confusion there. We have added Vitamin C to our organic rosewater base, to help remove residue. Pure essential oils of lavender and sweet orange enhance its cleansing and disinfecting properties. Our facial toner, like all good toners, helps to open the pores, making the skin quite excited to then receive a good moisturizer. Because there is no alcohol as preservative in our toner, buy fresh. Use and enjoy. Daily is best. Daily is
smart. Make your skin happy and unconfused. Soap.Tone. Moisturize. Naturally. Not at all complicated. We stand behind our products.We give great customer service. Visit us at natural.ca. Subscribe to our newsletter. Please take note of our opening hours: ‘La Boutique Earth to Body’, 89 Lucerne, Pointe Claire, QC H9R 2V1) Email info@natural.ca Store is Open: Tues, Wed, Thurs: 10-4
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• September 12, 2020
Advertise your business for CALL FOR DETAILS Call 514-457-7656 info@mtltimes.ca
Advertise your business for CALL FOR DETAILS Call 514-457-7656 info@mtltimes.ca
Advertise your business for CALL FOR DETAILS Call 514-457-7656 info@mtltimes.ca
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