RESTAURANT REVIEW: RomanticDinners at Il Cortile and Gingerby Phil Price … p. 1MATERNALLY YOURS: Camps,Berries and Baby Equipmentby Annika Melanson … p. 1HAPPENINGS … p. 2NEWS: Building a Libraryby Colin Robertson … p. 4BOOK REVIEW: A Million Little Piecesand My Friend Leonardby Catherine McKenzie … p. 5MOVIE REVIEW: The Break-Up, RumorHas It and Prairie Home Companionby Catherine McKenzie … p. 10WINE: Marques de Caçeres, Vin Gris deCigare, Jacob’s Creek and Bright Pinkby Carola Price … p. 9PRACTICAL POINTS: Money and Marketsby John Smith … p. 11MISSION MONTREAL: Chequered Flagby Ashley Cotter-Cairns … p. 12

July 2006 22,030 copies v.1.3

Philly StakesRomantic Dinners at Il Cortile and Gingerby Phil Price

Having recently enjoyed the fourth year of being married to my lovely wife I havedecided to dedicate this installment to romantic dinners and where they can beenjoyed in Montreal. The romantic dinner is an elusive, mysterious thing. The imageof the romantic meal is always some cinematic feast for two: the left bank of Paris, acandlelit table by the Seine as the last whispers of sunlight min-gle with the starry sky. Sometimes it is being nestled by a fire

Maternally YoursCamps, Berries and Baby Equipmentby Annika Melanson

Montreal has so much going on for families, especially duringthe summer. Here goes: from July 13 to 23, The Just for Laughs Festival hosts theLipton Just for Kids Zone in the Parc des Habitations Jeanne-Mance, located on deMaisonneuve between Sanguinet and St. Dominique. The Lipton Just For KidsZone is open from 6:30 pm to 10 pm on weekdays and from2 pm to 10 pm on weekends.

Regardless of the season,tea is a drink to explore

by Michael Gorman

Hsu-Ping Kung’s fingers dance andhover above three tiny saucers filled withtightly compressed tea leaves as his inter-preter-son, Chin-Fu, explains exactly whatis about to transpire: an intricate infusionof the purest flowers picked by hand andimported from the mountains of Taiwan.

Mountains of Tea

Not any mountains, mind you, butactually two sides of the same mountain.Such are the intricacies of good-quality

Montrealers Discover a Love of Tea

continued on page eightcontinued on page six

continued on page threeVivian Ma, Anny Liang and Sheryl Chiang (from left) enjoy a pot of fresh Oolong tea in the tearoomat Yuan.

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5 Brian Jungen: Native Art Goes PopA recipient of the 2002 Sobey ArtAward – Canada’s most remunerativeprize for emerging artists – and withrecent shows in New York, Londonand Berlin, Brian Jungen is one ofCanada’s hottest up-and-coming

artists. A touring exhibition collectsfor the first time the young artist’ssignature pieces: plastic lawn chairsrefashioned as massive whaleskeletons and Nike sneakers sculptedto suggest ceremonial First Nationsmasks. A member himself of theDunne-za Nation of northern B.C.,Jungen deftly interweaves theiconography of his ancestry with theseemingly contradictory vernacular ofconsumer culture – to create a bodyof work that owes as much to Warholand Duchamp as to Native craft. BrianJungen at Musée d’art contemporainde Montréal. Admission $8 ($4 forstudents), and free Wednesdays after7 p.m. Call 514.847.6226 or go towww.macm.org. Until September 4.

5 Festival Internationalde Tango de Montrealwww.festivaldetangodemontreal.qc.ca514.527.5197 July 8-16.

5 Bon Jovi / Nickelback at ParcJean-Drapeau for their only Canadianoutdoor show. July 13.

5 International Nuits d’Afrique Festivalwww.festivalnuitsdafrique.com514.499.FINA. July 13-23.

5 Sinatra sings Sinatra(an evening with Frank Sinatra Jr.).Cabaret du Casino de Montrealwww.cabaretducasino.com514.790.1245. Until July 30.

5 FanTasia Turns Ten. Montreal’s mosteclectic film festival might also be itsmost enduring. Despite the glut ofprestigious – and under-attended –filmfests in the fall, FanTasia hasdeveloped a devoted following bychampioning cinema’s most bizarrereaches. Focussing primarily onhorror, fantasy and animation,FanTasia is the largest event of itskind in North America. This year’sedition features spotlights on NewWave British horror and stop-motionanimation, new works by WernerHerzog and Snoop Dogg, as well asfree outdoor screenings in Parc de laPaix. The number one reason not toget a tan this summer. Concordia Hall

Theatre. Tickets $7.50 each or 10 for$65. Call 514.790.1245 or go towww.fantasiafestival.com. July 6-24.

5 Marley Celebrated at Reggae FestThe Montreal International ReggaeFestival is back for its third edition.For those unwilling to cough up the$80 for a weekend pass, there will befree performances in the Old Portcelebrating the life and music of BobMarley, who died 25 years ago thisyear. The main stage features Marley’sson, Ky-mani, alongside crossoverstars Shaggy and Maxi Priest andveteran dancehall singer BarringtonLevy. Montreal International ReggaeFestival, at the Old Port. Mainstageshows $20-$50. Call 514.448.8383 orgo to www.montrealreggaefestival.com.July 14-16.

5 Top Women at Rogers CupMontreal hosts the top five womenplayers at Canada’s premier tennistournament. Number one seedAmelie Mauresmo will battle it outwith incumbent champion KimClijsters of Belgium and teen marvel

Maria Sharapova – Russia’s latesttennis star-cum-model – for a totalpot of $1.65 million. Free tickets areavailable to the qualifying rounds onSunday August 13, to first-comers.Singles and doubles action beginsin earnest on Monday August 14.Uniprix Stadium. For ticketscall 1.866.338.2685 or go towww.rogerscup.com. August 12-20.

2 – Vivva MONTREAL – July 2006

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Happenings Vivva Montreal’s guide to what’s on around the island.

5 Have an event you know about orwant to publicize for late August orearly September? Send your idea in theabove format to vivvamontreal@pricepatterson.com. If it fits in withVivva Montreal, we’ll publish it.

is published bySherbrooke-Valois Inc.

310 Victoria #110Westmount, QC

H3Z 2M9

Editor:David Price (514) 935-4537

Advertising sales:Mike Hogan (514) 223-6138

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tea. The particular strains of Oolongwe’re about to enjoy were both picked,dried and prepared by hand fromTaiwan’s A-Li San and Li San – both moreor less one and the same. Li San is thehigher part of the mountain, though, andits climate is therefore cooler. Hence, itproduces a tea that is not at all the sameas its more southern sister.

The ritual unfolds in the bright andspacious tearoom in the back of Yuan, atwo-year-old Taiwanese restaurant on St.Denis Street just below Sherbrooke StreetEast, where Kung and his family havebeen introducing an increasingly curiousNorth American clientele to the mysteriesand benefits of one of the oldest bever-ages known to man.

The Tea Mood

‘Tea is good for your health,’ explainsKung’s wife, Anny Liang. ‘It helps to calmyou.’

Though she acknowledges that busi-ness slows down somewhat in the sum-mer, Liang stresses that the calming andcleansing effects of tea are good for boththe body and spirit no matter the time ofyear. Tea and Montreal’s burgeoning tea-room scene, if we can call it that, has beengrowing in popularity in recent years, due

in part, says Liang, to a sort of awakening– realizing the existence of good-quality,all-natural teas, as opposed to the ‘teadust’ remnants of leaves contained inyour typical store-bought tea bags.

Plus, she says, more and more peopleseek out the calming atmosphere andquiet social interaction of tea salons likeYuan. This is no eardrum-splitting night-club – although the young Chin-Fu offersan interesting insight on that point.

‘You know, you can get drunk on tea,’he says with a knowing smile. ‘When youdrink a lot of it, the caffeine is too much,so you can get dizzy.’ Luckily, he offersthe antidote: ‘All you have to do is eatsome sugar and you’ll be fine.’

Tea Destinations

Another source of higher education inthe world of tea is Camellia Sinensis, anairy, atmospheric salon near the Cinémadu Quartier Latin just off St. Denis. Cur-rently closed until mid-month for thesummer holiday, Camellia Sinensis(named for a type of tea) offers a broadselection of teas imported from Taiwan,China, Japan, India, South America andother locales.

A recent visit uncovered a world wherelingering is expected and encouraged.The decor is decidedly Asian-influenced,almost Zen-like. A back room offers sofa

loungers, or you can opt instead to sinkinto oversized pillows on the floor by thefront windows. Your server will likely giveyou a sweet smile, a menu and a tinybrass bell, which you will ring for serviceonce you’ve made your choice from some60 varieties of tea on the menu.

Teasalon, a newer venue also on St.Denis, places equal emphasis on theserenity of the tea-enjoying experience. Ifit seems that the tearooms of Montrealare all concentrated on St. Denis Street,perhaps it’s because this particular part ofthe Plateau-Mont Royal tends to be hometo a younger, hipper crowd that has beenquick to embrace this new trend.

From the West End to the High End

West Enders who prefer to stick closerto home need go no farther than Monk-land Avenue, where Gryphon and UnAmour Des Thés carry the flag for teaconnoisseurs in NDG, offering a range ofteas and tea accessories to purchase andtry at home.

There’s also Cha Noir, a small, dark,peaceful oasis on Wellington Street inVerdun that is kind of like the little sisterto Camellia Sinensis: equally serene butserious about quality tea.

For a more occidental but no less exoticexperience, meet some friends on thelush back patio at the Ritz Carlton Hotel

and let the time tick by on a sunny Sun-day afternoon over a traditional Englishtea service. Tea at the Ritz comes repletewith miniature crustless sandwiches,scones with jams and clotted cream, aswell as assorted dainty desserts. Don’t for-get to extend your little finger as you sip(but heavens, don’t slurp!) your Earl Grey.

The Ritual

At Yuan, the Kung family offers clientsthe option of pouring their own tea or ofhaving the whole ritual painstakingly andlovingly acted out for them. For any seri-ous lover of tea, there really is no option.At least the first time, let the Kungs lookafter you. You’ll learn all about the correctwater temperature, timing and tasksinvolved in brewing a proper cup of tea.You’ll learn how to extract the essence ofthe leaves, to take in the aroma before thecup touches your lips, to discern thesometimes subtle differences betweenfirst and second infusions – and you’ll beall the better for it.

And thus will begin a lifelong loveaffair with an age-old tradition steeped inhistory and lore but ultimately no morecomplex than a hot cup of tea on a drizzlyday. What could be more comforting thanthat?

Michael Gorman is writer in Montreal.

5-Thingsthat Vivva Montrealrecommends you do in July

1 Athletic things first: dig out your croquet set or buy a new one.Rediscover the civilized pleasure of recreational sports. The perfectexcuse to enjoy Montreal’s parkland.

2 Have a Mojito at Cactus (4461 St. Denis just south of MountRoyal 514.849.0349). This idea sells itself.

3 Have a Cosmopolitan at Tribeca (5557 Monkland 514.223.1411).This idea also sells itself.

4 Bring your own wine. Pack a picnic with a bottle of wine – aluxury legal only for Quebecers.

5 Spend Happy Hour at Le Massillia (4543 Park Avenue514.678.1862). The only place in the city serving pastis for $3a round. Order it ‘comme à la Marseille’, with ice and filtered water.

-Drink lots of water, have a cold shower or bath and stay homein the coolest room in your house. Stay cool. (Docked half aunit for lack of originality.)

Have 5- Things to recommend for August?Send your idea to vivvamontreal@pricepatterson.com

TEA... continued from page one

Book launch: Saturday July 22, 2006from 3 pm to 4 pm at Babar en ville (1235A Greene Ave)

Available soon

by Colin Robertson

Hugh McGuire is building a library.But these books aren’t kept in a build-

ing of brick and mortar. You’ll find nei-ther paper and typography nor bindingand artwork, and no librarians shushing,either. The library is better known asLibrivox.org, the books are all in audioformat, and they can be downloaded toyour personal computer anytime, for free.

McGuire, a Montreal writer, can’t takeall of the credit for a project he startedthat now has 100 completed books and200 books in production in ten differentlanguages (including Japanese, Finnish,and Old English). 1,500 volunteers fromaround the world have helped him buildit, one word at a time.

‘The Open Source model of softwaredevelopment has volunteers from aroundthe world contribute to the making of acomputer program that is then givenaway for free,’ says McGuire. ‘It’s themany-hands-make-light-work principle. Ilaunched this project, hoping to get someother people interested.’

It seems to have caught on, garneringpress from such outlets as the Los AngelesTimes, BBC Radio, NPR, CBC Radio, USAToday and Wired.com. But more impor-tant to McGuire is that the volunteers arehaving fun adding to the collection.

‘I think many people are attracted tothe idealism of the project. Our goal islofty, ridiculous and very clear: to make allbooks in the public domain available, forfree, in audio format on the Internet.’

The Public Domain

Books in the public domain are out ofcopyright. As Librivox.org is hosted in theU.S., any book published in the UnitedStates before 1923 can be recorded andadded to the library.

McGuire started the project in August2005, and after an initial spike of interest,growth has continued at a more manage-able rate. Around 100 new volunteers

join every month. But McGuire is quickto allay fears that this project might beonly for the geek literati.

‘Some (of our volunteers) have experi-ence with voice work, or are very techni-cally savvy. Most are just regular folkswho have never recorded anything before.Recording is pretty easy and can be donewith most computers these days.

‘Structurally, we’ve tried to organizethings around our volunteers: we try tomake it easy, and you can do as much oras little as you like, when you like. Weaccept any reader, and we have a friendlyforum where people new to the processcan get some help. We celebrate all voicesand accents.’

Getting Started as a Performer ...or Listener

The project’s first book was JosephConrad’s Secret Agent. McGuire’s fav-ourite book in the project is Jack London’sCall of the Wild. ‘It was very well done,’McGuire says. Librivox and its volunteersnow produce at a rate of two or threecompleted books a week.

With set-up costs at a minimum (a $30microphone and some free software willdo), volunteers choose which books theywill record. They can claim a chapter of abook already underway, re-record afavourite book, or start on a new soloproject. The contribution can be a haikuor War and Peace.

But if you believe yourself plagued by awobbly stage voice, or wish to remain inthe audience for whatever reason, a gadg-et as common as an iPod allows you todownload one of Librivox.org’s books andlisten to a classic work as you drivearound town, run on the treadmill, ortune out on the bus.

Whatever your reason, if you lovebooks, visit the world’s most interactivelibrary, a Montreal-born initiative,Librivox.org.

Colin Robertson is a Montreal writer.

4 – Vivva MONTREAL – July 2006

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by Catherine McKenzie

A Million LittlePieces by James Frey [5 boarks]

My Friend Leonardby James Frey 4 bookmar]

This is the truth: A Million Little Piecesis the best book I have read in the last fiveyears. I could not get enough of this book.In fact, when I got to the last page, Iturned back to the first page and read itagain.

A Million Little Pieces

I read Pieces after the whole Oprah’sBook Club / Smoking Gun investigation /Larry King Live back to Oprah for a publicflogging incident (and by the way, shameon you, Oprah!). So I knew that there wereelements of this book that had beeninvented, that had been changed, thatmight not be true. And I did not care. Trueor not, this is a great book. I read thatJames Frey set out to write the best bookof his generation (his generation beingthat of Dave Eggers’ of A HeartbreakingWork of Staggering Genius fame) and Ithink he might have achieved it.

Addiction and Healing

For those of you who don’t know, Piecesis about Frey’s six-week stay in the earlynineties at the Hazelden TreatmentCenter for drug and alcohol addiction.Frey arrives at the treatment center, at age23, a physical and emotional mess. Heleaves with an idea of how to become awhole person once again and how to leavehis demons behind him. Along the wayFrey makes some great friends, gets over

his old love, falls in love again, and re-pairs some of the central relationships inhis life.

This is not an original story. What isoriginal is the way the story is told. Hedoes not glamourize himself, his addic-tion, his behaviour or the process he hasto go through. His writing is as visceral asit can be. The purpose of his style is tobring you with him along the road hetakes, to make you feel what he felt. Andhe succeeds. There is a scene in themovie Payback where Mel Gibson’s char-acter smokes a cigarette so hard that youcan feel your own lungs hurt. Frey

achieves the same feeling with his words,with his phrasing, with the rhythm heuses to tell his story.

Twelve Steps (or Not)

What is also original is Frey’s story ofhope for those for whom the standardtwelve-step programs, and their require-ment of belief in a higher power, have notworked. Frey refuses to accept that thereis only one way to get and stay sober. Herefuses to be afraid of drugs and alcoholfor the rest of his life. Instead he choosesto get better on his own terms.

If you want to know what is true andwhat is not, check out The Smoking Gun

Book Review

Sherbrooke-Valois Inc.310 Victoria #110Westmount, QC

H3Z 2M9

Editor:David Price (514) 935-4537

Advertising sales:Mike Hogan (514) 223-6138

Fax: (514) 935-9241

Vivva Montreal is apublication designed to helpits readers find things to do

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My Friend James

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website or search for ‘million little lies’ onGoogle. If you want to read a great book,read this one. It touched my heart.

My Friend Leonard

My Friend Leonard is Frey’s follow-up toPieces. Because nothing can be as intenseas the experiences in Pieces, this book isnot quite as good, but I still highly recom-mend it. Frey himself seems to recognizethat the events following his leavingrehab are not as compelling as that earli-er part of his life. In recognition, he hasmodified his style. The words are moreloosely packed here, but they still deliverthe emotions that he feels through thepages.

Sobriety and Friendship

The two central themes in this book areFrey’s learning to cope with real life as asober man, and his continuing friendshipwith Leonard, an older man who be-friended him at the treatment centre. Thestories weave around one another asLeonard helps Frey reconnect with thesimple things in life. An apartment of hisown. A job. Eating. Hanging out with hisfriends. Going on a date. The things wetake for granted; the things Frey almostlost.

When Frey first tries more complicatedemotions – falling in love, trying to decide

on a career – things get messier. Feelingtoo much was what led Frey to the treat-ment centre in the first place. He is afraidof feeling too much. Between the pages,he learns to overcome his fears.

Death and Persistence

This book is bookended by deaths.When the first death happens, we holdour breath waiting for Frey to fall. Whenthe second happens, we know Frey isgoing to be OK. Between these two deathsis the beginning of a man’s life. A life thathe chose.

After spending so much time in JamesFrey’s life, I feel as if I know the man.And I would be happy to.

Thank you for your words, James.Catherine McKenzie is a

lawyer in Montreal.

6 – Vivva MONTREAL – July 2006

in some remote mountain lodge, feedingeach other fondue. It also can be suckingback beer and hot dogs at a hockey game.Romantic dinners are never determinedby a candlelit setting, but rather by thecompany you break bread with. Foodalways tastes better with someone youlove.

The following spots are gentle sug-gestions for great spots for a romanticevening out. But please remember thatregardless of the setting, the food or theatmosphere, romance is your respon-sibility.

Il Cortile ÔÔÔÔ

514.843.82301442 Sherbrooke Street West

Italian for ‘the courtyard’, Il Cortile is astandby favourite of mine. My wife andI get giddy when we head for this roman-tic little spot, tucked neatly behind a rowof buildings on Sherbrooke near theMuseum of Fine Arts. We know the foodwill be great, the small tables intimateenough to share a secret or have a conver-sation without interruption. It’s tranquil,romantic and relaxing. The surprise ofthis restaurant, a little discreet oasis indowntown Montreal, contributes greatly

to the wow factor. It’s a great place for afirst date.

A Surprise …Even for Long-Time Montrealers

I love recommending this restaurantbecause the reaction is always the same:people either can’t believe that a restau-rant exists in such a spot or that they hadnever heard of it. Either way, the momentyou walk into the courtyard, you are greet-ed by a beautiful space: white tableclothsand elegantly set tables surrounded by anabundance of beautiful flowers pots, eachloaded with brilliant white, purple, pinkand red flowers of all kinds. It’s a roman-tic, charming and easy spot to have awonderful meal. The food echoes thebeauty of Il Cortile’s setting: straightfor-ward, simple and perfectly executed dish-es. The food is as simple as it can get: rus-tic Italian. The menu has never changedand I like that most about Il Cortile. In anindustry where everyone is trying to be onthe cutting edge, continually re-inventingthemselves, Il Cortile remains a standout.It knows what it does best and has theintegrity to stick to it. Every time I havebeen, the place has been packed. The sim-plicity of the menu and the beauty of thesetting inspire that kind of consistent loy-alty from its patrons.

Tomato Sauce and Pasta

The food is great: simple flavours andtop-notch ingredients. The best way tojudge an Italian restaurant is by samplingthe standard dishes. If these are doneproperly, you always know you are ingreat hands. The dishes that best reflecttalent in the kitchen are always the sim-plest, e.g. linguine with tomato sauce.Tomato sauce is ground zero of Italiancooking. Without tomato sauce, Italianfood would not exist. Everything springsfrom it and every region in Italy has itsown version, all proclaimed to be the orig-inal Italian tomato sauce. Whatever thecase, Il Cortile’s tomato sauce is superb.Another great indicator of superb Italianfood is pasta, or, more specifically, howwell that pasta is cooked. If it is a clumpymess of mush, you’re in trouble. On the

other hand, if it is partly chewy and part-ly crunchy, you’ll be equally disappointed.You will never have that problem at IlCortile. The kitchen has serious pastaexperience and they will always servetheir pasta perfectly al dente.

Dishes

The menu is table d’hôte with a selec-tion of appetizers and mains. I have triedalmost everything and have never beendisappointed. My favourites are the lin-guine with tomato sauce (a perfect exam-ple of Italian simplicity), gnocchi al gor-gonzola – perfectly made pillows of pota-to bathed in an unctuous soup of gor-gonzola cheese and shredded radicchio.Other surefire winners are the pap-pardelle con porcini. Wide ribbons ofpasta served with porcini (the Italian ver-sion of cêpes mushrooms). The porciniare cooked simply, accompanied by garlic,a little white wine and veal stock. Startersare all good. I usually opt for prosciuttoand parmesan, thinly sliced, simplyserved and absolutely delicious. My wifeand I generally swap dishes and share itall as everything is so damn good.

Il Cortile

PHILLY STAKES... continued from page one

ÔÔÔÔÔ Culinary ecstasy (possibly life-changing)

ÔÔÔÔ A great meal

ÔÔÔ Moments of brilliance marred by missteps

ÔÔ You could’ve done better at home

Ô The dumpster behind the restaurantwould’ve provided a better meal

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The MenuNo great surprises on the menu. It’s a

solid mix of Asian cuisine with a stan-dard, but great, sushi menu. Everything iswell prepared and the ingredients arealways fresh. Starters are all good; stan-dards like miso soup, vegetable andshrimp tempura, spring rolls and dump-lings are all great. Ordering off the chef’sspecials is also recommended.

For appetizers, most specifically, try thebeef tataki. Its lightly seared slices of beefare dressed in a spicy ginger-soy sauceand served atop shredded daikon and car-rot, with sliced celery and Thai basil.Delicious. Another surefire winner is thelobster salad. Chunks of lobster are pair-ed up with papaya in a creamy dressing.

Main Dishes and DrinksThe sushi, sashimi and maki rolls are

all pretty much standard quality and vari-ety. The tiger eye is a great choice to mixit up. Asparagus is wrapped in salmonthen seaweed and flash-fried and served

with a warm teriyaki dressing. Other soliddishes that hold few surprises are the filetmignon teriyaki, the phad thai and thetuna with noodles. The drink of choice atGinger is the lychee martini, part vodka,part sake and spiked with lychee juice. Bewarned these drinks go down very easily.Another classic Ginger drink is the sakebomb, a fun starter when out on a date.Sapporo beer is poured into a tumbler inwhich a small glass filled with warm sakeis dropped. The cold beer mixes with thehot sake as you shoot it down your throat.Fun and delicious.

Service

The service at Ginger is perfectly suitedfor the environment. It’s casual, non-intrusive and genuinely friendly withoutbeing cloying. The fact that the bulk ofthe waiters are also the owners makes alarge difference. Ginger is a standard fora reason; it’s a great mix of atmosphere,service and food, making it the perfectplace to have a nice romantic meal.

Vivva MONTREAL – July 2006 – 7

Dessert, Wine and Atmosphere

Tiramisu is the only dessert to havebecause it is so well made and delicious.Sometimes, I think it’s the beauty andcoziness of the setting that contributes tothe taste of the food, but then I realizethat the food would be incredible if itwere served in an alley beside a dumpster,while getting your teeth drilled. Goodfood is good food regardless of setting.However, serving it in a great atmospherealways makes it better. Service is excel-lent. The waiters are amazing and shouldbe the standard for all restaurants. Thewine list is very good, has a great varietyand suits every imaginable price range.Look for the private imports from Italyand take a risk on a bold Tuscan wine.The price for a meal at Il Cortile is abso-lutely reasonable and worth every penny.Il Cortile is, and will continue to be, agreat place for a romantic dinner, a nightout with friends or a great place to sur-prise locals who ‘know all the great spotsin town.’ Reservations are recommended.

Ginger ÔÔÔÔ

514.844.2121 – 16 Pine Avenue EastTucked right off the Main on Pine

Avenue is Ginger, a great little sushi rest-aurant that has been quietly packed sinceit opened. Ginger was the spot where Ifirst spoke to my future wife. I was sittingin a booth, drinking a Tsing Tao beer, andthis beautiful woman was introduced tome. We struck up a conversation and therest, as they say, is history. Ginger willalways be ‘our place’ and every year wemake it out on our anniversary to rehashhow we met and how we’re doing. I loveit at Ginger and urge you to try it out withsomeone you love. The place is serene. Itlooks like a waiting room in heaven. Thecream-colored walls blend in with thecomfy banquettes. A big plus is the factthat they only have booths in this restau-rant; it sparks immediate intimacy andlends the feeling that each table is its ownsort of bubble world. A long sleek bar inthe tiny resto allows for a nice place tohave a drink before taking your table.

Ginger

A #2 MontrealGazette bestseller

An opinionatedlook at theMontreal diningscene, along withdescriptionsof hundredsof restaurants.

A brand new look atMontreal’s bar scene,with something foreveryone: dance,gay/lesbian, singles,neighbourhood bars,dives.

Great for finding placesto go – or for casual,curiosity-driven reading.

8 – Vivva MONTREAL – July 2006

It is a space devoted to children of allages. Kids can enjoy a wide range of live-ly, educational and amusing workshopsand activities, such as acrobatic perform-ances, puppet shows, arts and crafts, aswell as wading in a huge basin of water tocool off! All of these activities are com-pletely free of charge and open to all.

Cooking Camp

If you are looking for a fun, differentactivity for your little one this summer,how about cooking camp? The AcadémieCulinaire offers week-long sessions untilSeptember to children ages 8-12 andteens ages 13-17. The younger age grouplearns practical cuisine from a highlyqualified chef. Kids learn to bake, makedesserts and how to prepare internationalcuisine (Asian cuisine like egg rolls andeven sushi!). They will also be taught howto set a table properly and good tablemanners.

The older kids will learn basic cookingtechniques and cooking methods andspend time with a nutritionist discussingthe importance of proper nutrition. Andthe best part is that everyone gets to bring

their delicious masterpieces home! TheAcadémie Culinaire is located at 360Champ de Mars. For more informationcall 514.393.8111 or visit their website:www.academieculinaire.com.

Berry Picking

Another great activity for the wholefamily is raspberry and blueberry pickingat Quinn Farm. Admission to the berryfield is only $1 per person and there is a$5 minimum charge for berries. Be awarethat it can get quite hot in the field, so domake sure that your children are wearinghats and are properly hydrated.

The farm has a new agriculture inter-pretation centre where children can feedand pet rabbits, horses, pigs, ducks,chickens and sheep. There is also a strawcastle for kids to play in. There is nocharge for these activities.

Quinn Farm is open seven days a weekfrom 8 am to 4 pm. It’s a good idea to callahead if weather conditions are question-able. Quinn Farm is located at 2495Perrot Boulevard in Notre Dame de l’IlePerrot, 514.453.1510, www.quinnfarm.qc.ca.

Pink at Pinki

Have you noticed the new store for girlsthat has opened on the corner of Sher-

brooke and Grosvenor? It’s called Made-moiselle Pinki and it’s a dream come truefor all the girly-girls around town. Mydaughter Amel and I ventured into thestore a couple of weeks ago and it wasalmost impossible to leave! The place isjam-packed with all things pink and frilly:fairy wands, stickers, purses, costumes,art supplies, dolls and much more.

But the pièce de résistance is the partyroom at the back of the store. It hosts asundae bar (for party-goers to create anddecorate their own ice cream sundaes), adining room, a karaoke stage and a built-in fushia banquette. Mademoiselle Pinkiwill organize your child’s party frombeginning to end, including invitations,costumes, make-up, balloons, a birthdaycake or a sundae bar, drinks, games,karaoke, and an animator (one animatorper 5 children). I am actually thinking ofthrowing my own birthday party there! Ofcourse I would need a little liquid encour-agement before singing karaoke!

Mademoiselle Pinki is located at 4779Sherbrooke Street West, 514.931.7465,www.mademoisellepinki.com.

Finding (and Learning about)Baby Equipment

If you are expecting a baby and are any-thing like me when I was pregnant, youprobably don’t know whether you arecoming or going when it comes to pur-chasing baby equipment. Carseats, stroll-ers, highchairs, cribs ... which is the bestand how do you find out?

Rose ou Bleu is a wonderful store thatstocks all the baby stuff that you couldpossibly think of. But many stores dothat, right? The reason I am mentioningRose ou Bleu is because they also offer afree information session to parents everysecond Friday from 6 to 8 pm in thestore. The person giving the session dis-cusses consumer reports, safety-relatedissues and safety standards, as well aswhat to look for when selecting babyequipment. Questions are welcome andthere is no obligation to buy. Reservationsare necessary. Nicole Rougier, who is theowner of the store, believes that ‘a well-informed client is a happy client.’ Rose ouBleu, 3520 St. Joseph Boulevard East,514.949.3666.

Two other places to look for baby equip-ment, especially if you are on a budget,are Kijiji.com and Montreal MommySwap. Kijiji is a new website where peo-ple can post items for sale with no mem-bership fee. The site is not exclusivelydevoted to baby and child equipment, butdoes often have kids’ items, and it’s easi-er than picking through the local garagesales!

Montreal Mommy Swap is basicallywhat the name says. Parents can eitherexchange child-related items or buy

things at a fraction of the regular price.Definitely worth checking out. MontrealMommy Swap, 514.685.6318, go tohttp://ca.groups.yahoo.com/ and searchfor ‘Montreal Mommy Swap’.

Fashion

Here’s a little tidbit for mini-hipsterfashionistas: Holt Renfrew has opened achildren’s clothing department for ages0-6. It is on the third floor of the storeand they carry all the exclusive lines suchas Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Miss Sixty,Diesel and Ralph Lauren, to name a few.If you are looking for a special baby gift,Holts also carries Tiffany baby spoons,rattles, picture frames and jewelry andbaby items by Links of London. And I waspleasantly surprised to discover that thereare new baby change tables now locatedon the second floor!

Travel with Kids

Last but not least, here is a valuablepiece of information for parents planninga trip this summer. If you plan to travelwith your child alone (unaccompanied bythe other parent), it is essential to have aletter authorizing you to do so, especiallyif you plan to leave the country. The lettermust be witnessed, preferably by ‘an offi-cial who has the authority to administeran oath or solemn declaration (i.e. a com-missioner of oaths, lawyer, etc.)’. The let-ter must be specific to each trip andinclude the contact details and signatureof the absent parent. For more informa-tion and a sample letter, go to http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/faq/chil-dren_travel-en.asp or call 1.800.387.3124.There have been many cases of childrenbeing kidnapped by parents and you maybe asked for proof that you have consentof the other parent to travel with yourchild. If your child will be travelling withsomeone other than you or the child’slegal guardian, the same applies. I haveoften been asked for documentation atUS customs as well as when re-enteringCanada when travelling alone with mydaughter.

Enjoy the month of July with your chil-dren in Montreal!

Note: Last month I wrote about Enfantsdu Quartier Café Familial. Unfortunately,the restaurant upstairs has had a floodand there has been damage to the café.The owners plan to re-open in August.

Annika Melanson is the author ofThe Montreal Pocket Parent.

She was born and brought up inMontreal. In a past life, she spent most

of her time travelling and working asa flight attendant. She now enjoys

exploring parent- and child-friendlyMontreal with her three-and-a-half

year old daughter, Amel.

It’s not easy being a parent. There’salways something new to learn withevery age and stage. Bringing Baby Homeis the ultimate baby care video. It won aprestigious Parents’ Choice ApprovedSeal in 2005. The perfect baby showergift helps expectant parents navigatemore than 100 topics on baby care.Reality DVD for parents-to-be!

Available Now!Yummy in my Tummy – creatinga lifetime of good eating habitsfrom your baby's first bite. Acomplete DVD on introducingsolid foods from 6-12 monthsplus a handy reference guide.From the Montreal-based makersof the award-winning newborncare DVD Bringing Baby Home.Both available at www.liandrea.com

MATERNALLY... continued from page one

Vivva MONTREAL – July 2006 – 9

by Carola Price

There is nothing more thirst-quench-ing than an ice-cold Pilsner on a balmysummer day in Montreal. A phenomenonknown as the terrasse provides this much-needed refreshment. The terrrasse isideal for apartment dwellers (and nowsmokers) to enjoy from the final thaw tothe changing of the colours. Terrasses inthis city are mostly filled with scantilyclad men and women looking cool whilesipping refreshing beverages, dancingand chatting all night long.

The fact is that Montrealers wouldrather be out on a patio than in the office,turning a quick drink at the local water-ing hole into a memorable night. Know-ing full well that winter will be upon us ina flash, we squeeze as much patio timeout of spring, summer and fall as we can.As well we should: the weather is amaz-ing from May to October and our foodculture is conducive to enjoying the com-pany of others during a meal.

So besides beer, margaritas and gin andtonic, what wines do we drink in the heatof the summer? No matter the excuse,Shiraz may not be the most enjoyablechoice, but sparkling Shiraz sure does thetrick from brunch to cocktail hour. Caber-net Sauvignon can numb the tongue andbe too heavy for a scorching evening, butadd mineral water and freshly cut citrusfruit and it becomes an enjoyable terrassesipper. The warmer weather is the perfecttime to enjoy different Beaujolais Villagesand zippy whites like Vinho Verdhe fromPortugal or Pacific Coast Riesling fromthe U.S. or Canada.

Rosé, Sex and Montreal

When the heat of summer finally ar-rives I find my meals and my refrigeratorcalling out for rosé. This type of wine hasenjoyed a small revival in North Americaand should because it is versatile anda really delicious, easy-drinking thirst-quencher. Europeans of both sexes havelong enjoyed rosé as a lunch accompani-ment and as an aperitif with canapés toprepare their palates for dinner. Muchlike eating quiche or having pedicures,rosé is not enjoyed as much by men as bywomen here in Canada.

Montreal is ever the exception, howev-er, and rosé is being purchased by bothmen and women for their drinking pleas-ure. Okay, gents, I know that the drink is

pink, but it can range from being lightand sweet to quite bold and very dry, andthere are a myriad of options on our SAQshelves throughout the year. Think bigpink drink with smokey barbeque and thestigma of girlie drink may just vanish. Asfor the male wine personality, you ladiesmay want to look out for men buying roséat the wine shop. A rosé man embracesnew ideas, doesn’t follow convention andlikes pairing wine with ambiance. Onemay not find true love at the SAQ, butI’ve been known to start up a conversa-tion with more than a few men whiledeciding on wine for dinner.

How it is Made

Rosé is made by harvesting red grapesand letting them sit on their skins for upto three days. They begin to ferment andas the skins pop they release the colour.The juice is then extracted from the skinand sent to the tanks or barrels for age-ing. The bottle is then delivered to theconsumer; young, fresh and ready todrink. So far, there are no rosés that aremeant to be aged, which means: buy anddrink at your leisure.

Finding the Right Rosé

Every country that makes red wine alsomakes rosé, which means a great deal ofchoice for the consumer. The simple ruleof thumb is to go with what you know, rel-atively speaking. If you really like a plum-my Merlot from Chile or a peppery Shirazfrom Australia, chances are their roséoffering will lend much of the sameflavour packet to your memory. I cannotstress enough, however, that experimen-tation is the key to a longer life and oneshould try all kinds of wine. If the rosémade from Shiraz pleases the palate,then try a similar grape or look for thesame alcohol level on the bottle fromanother country. You might like a newwine even more to pair with the smokyflavour of your Asian-rub baby-back ribsor your Arabic-spice-marinated chickenlegs.

Other Seasons

Rosé is not meant to be relegated tosummer drinking. As we tend to shakesnow off the barbeque in the middle ofFebruary, I suggest that you take pleasurein drinking rosé with that same meal. Ofcourse, we must think of the balmy sum-mer nights while drinking it, but don’t

just let it gather dust on the SAQ shelf.The rule is to buy for all seasons andwhen there is a sale on your favouriterosé or a similar one from another coun-try, scoop it up and have it in the cellar fordrinking up to two years from vintagedate. Now go and find your favouriteflower-laden terrasse, park yourself in acomfortable spot, order your preferredsummer beverage and enjoy what Mont-real is all about. Cheers to summer andall its offerings…

Wine Choices for a balmy evening:

18/20 Marques de Caçeres,Rioja, Spain SAQ#10263242$13.75

This busty rosé is roundedand full of red berry and tobaccoon the nose, is medium bodiedin the mouth and matches wellwith grilled pork chops, Man-chengo or other hard cheesewith a certain earthiness. This isa wine for all seasons.

17.5/20 Vin Gris deCigare, Bonny Doon,California, USASAQ#10262979 $17.10

A blend of Syrah,Grenache and Mou-vedre, this wine is

bone dry and has red written all over it.Smelling a bit of the lavender fields andolive groves of Provence, it tastes of rosepetal and strawberry in the mouth andhas a well balanced finish. A great match

to grilled fish, ratatouille and seafoodplatters.

16/20 Jacob’s Creek, SouthAustralia, SAQ#10384221 $15.00

This Shiraz has lots of pep-pery and strawberry compo-nents in the nose and mouth. Itis well balanced with fruit andacidity hitting the palatethrough to the long finish. Lookfor some coffee grounds, euca-lyptus and plum character whileenjoying this with a fat T-Bone

and some heavier cheeses like Victor &Berthold or an Epoisses.

For those who travel, these are selec-tions worth seeking out.

16/20 Bright Pink,Bright Brothers, PortugalLCBO#622159 $11.95

This wine is in an aluminumbottle and the screw cap opensanywhere a picnic happens!

It is dry and refreshing with anose of cherry and plum with amedium body and aftertaste. Itmatches well with pasta in garlicand herbs and with roastedchicken and grilled fennel.

Carola Price is a sommelier, chef and co-author of the bestselling Montreal fromBread to Wine. She is a member of the

Canadian Association of ProfessionalSommeliers and The International

Sommelier Guild. She can be reachedat carola@ivvmontreal.com.

Wine

Rosé Revealed

10 – Vivva MONTREAL – July 2006

The Break-Up

Rumor Has It

Prairie HomeCompanion

by Catherine McKenzie

I know I will never be a big celebrity. Iknow this because my name does not eas-ily translate into one of those combina-tion couple monikers that have becomeubiquitous among the uber-famous. Idon’t know who the gossip-columngenius was who invented this new way ofidentifying these couples (though Ibelieve ‘Bennifer’ was the first couple toachieve that status and hence the effort tocome up with the name), but I take myhat off to her.

My assignment this month was to seenot one, but three movies. Because I sawThe Break-Up and Rumor Has It (bothstaring Jennifer Aniston, better known asthe ‘Iston’ in super-couple Vaughniston),my original idea was to watch a thirdIston movie, Friends With Money (originalarticle title: ‘And Aniston Makes Three’).However, that movie seems to have leftthe building and is not yet available onpay-per-view or DVD. So, I saw PrairieHome Companion instead.

The Break-Up

The Break-Up stars Vince Vaughn (the‘Vaughn’ of the aforementioned super-couple) and Iston as a couple who, youguessed it, break up. The movie beginswith their beginning. They meet at abaseball game. Vaughn (Gary) is with hisbest friend Johnny (well played by real-lifebest friend Jon Favreau, you know himbest from the excellent Swingers). Iston(Brooke) is on a bad first date. Gary seesBrooke. Gary wants Brooke. Gary doessomething funny to get Brooke’s atten-tion. Though she seems annoyed, it ap-parently works, and we watch Gary andBrooke fall in love through a series of stillshots (watch for the one with them in cowcostumes!).

Now it is two years later. Gary andBrooke have a dinner party. Gary and

Brooke have a fight at the dinner party.Gary and Brooke break up. But Gary andBrooke have a very nice apartment inChicago that neither wants to give up, sothey engage in a turf war to force theother out. And because they are nice peo-ple, with nice clothes, their turf war israther tame. Gary buys a pool table,Brooke walks around naked (this is sup-posed to get him to leave?). War of theRoses this is not.

Funny, Pretty but …

Vaughn is very funny (as usual) andIston is very pretty, very thin and very welldressed. Their apartment is very nice. Ilaughed frequently in this movie, andjudging by the level of laughter of someof my seatmates, this was the funniestmovie they had ever seen. There are goodcameos from Joey Lauren Adams (Chas-ing Amy) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Law &Order: Criminal Intent).

My problem with the movie is thatwhile we see, and believe, Brooke andGary falling in love, we don’t really seethem falling out of love. The fight theyhave doesn’t seem big enough to breakthis couple up. Maybe some day someonewill write a great movie about a couple onthe edge of falling apart and how they door do not make it back to one another, butthis isn’t it. But it is very watchable, has afew very funny moments and Vaughn-iston is pretty to look at.

Rumor Has It

Rumor Has It has a great premise and agreat first fifteen minutes. Iston (Sarah) isreturning home for her younger sister’swedding. She is bringing her boyfriend

Jeff (very well played by Mark Ruffalo)with her. She is an unsuccessful journal-ist living in New York, which obviouslymakes her dark and unhappy and lost.She hales from Pasadena, California,where the sun always shines, and every-one is blond and plays tennis and isperky. Sarah has brown hair and hatestennis and is melancholy, so she hasalways felt like an alien in her family.

Then her grandmother, Katharine (anappropriately blowsy and sodden ShirleyMacLaine) has a few too many at therehearsal dinner and spills a familysecret. Apparently Sarah’s mother ranaway for a week before she got marriedand had an affair. Something about thestory rings a bell. Sarah does a little dig-ging and learns that this same man alsohad an affair with Katharine. More bellsring. Kathy Bates, Sarah’s dead mother’sbest friend, drops some more clues andafter a trip to the video store Sarahbecomes convinced that her family is theinspiration for the book and movie, TheGraduate.

Searching for the Graduate

Sarah wants to understand her deepmalaise. And she wants to know if hermother loved her father, so Sarah decidesto go looking for the man who slept withher mother and grandmother. It doesn’ttake long to find him in San Francisco, ashort plane ride away. She takes thatplane rather than go back to New Yorkwith Jeff. And she meets him. His nameis Beau Burroughs (played by KevinCostner) and he confirms that he is whatshe is looking for. She is looking for otheranswers from this man too, but I will letyou find out the answers to those ques-tions if you decide to rent this movie.

Iston is treading water in this part. Thereal weakness is the writing: the interest-ing premise turns a little dark, a littlegross, a little odd and then a little Holly-wood. The weakness in the writing showsup in the lack of a plausible reason whySarah has always felt so alien to her fam-

ily. Brown hair and tennis-hating are notenough to explain it. At least not for thosewho didn’t grown up in Pasadena.

Costner is playing the role that he willapparently be playing for the rest of hisfifties: an older ladies man keeping upappearances while he still has some hairon his head. I recommend seeing the bet-ter Up Side of Anger if you want to seeCostner in this kind of role. It would havebeen interesting to see this film if it hadbeen made with Dustin Hoffman andAnne Bancroft as originally planned.Maybe their skills could have overcomethe plot weaknesses. Maybe.

A Prairie Home Companion

Finally, A Prairie Home Companion.Loosely based on Garrison Keillor’s radioshow of the same name (I think, I havenever really listened to that show thoughit always seemed to be playing in thebackground as I grew up), it stars Garri-son Keillor as GK. He is the host of analmost forgotten radio show that hasignored time. It is always 1955 in the littletheatre where it is recorded. A big compa-ny has bought the station that owns theshow, and an axeman (Tommy Lee Jones)has come to close it down.

GK is joined for the last show by theshow regulars: the singing Johnson sis-ters (excellently played by Meryl Streepand Lily Tomlin); Dusty and Lefty the bad-joke-telling cowboys (a semi-stoned-look-ing Woody Harrelson and a deadpan JohnC. Reilly); Guy Noir, the show’s head ofsecurity (Kevin Kline doing what he doesbest); and Meryl Streep’s daughter, playedby Lindsay Lohan (called Lola in thismovie but a big enough star to be dubbedLilo in real life).

The Last (Radio) Show

Everyone but GK seems to know thatthis is the last show. Or really, GK knowsbut doesn’t want to acknowledge it. Hejust wants the show to go on as it always

Movie Rev iew

Vaughniston, Coniston,Lilo and Me

continued on the next page

Vivva MONTREAL – July 2006 – 11

by John Smith

So, Warren Buffet (the Sage of Omaha)is going to give a few billion to a founda-tion set up by Bill Gates (the Sage ofSeattle). In combination the two wealthi-est people in the reportedworld are creating a fund thathas assets equal to the grossnational product of a fewcountries. The total amount is,of course, a fluctuating num-ber because of the securitiesgifted. Shares in BerkshireHathaway and shares inMicrosoft make up the bulk ofthe initial contributions of thetwo contributors, and both ofthese securities trade daily onthe major exchanges in the USof A. But the thought is thereand we have to admire thesetitans of commerce and theircommitment to the common good.

Warren, Bill and You

Now how does this have a bearing uponyour own good fortunes? My presump-tions are as follows: 1) you are a generoussoul and have knowledge of the needs inour community and the world around us;2) you make contributions to the charitiesof your choice from your income on anannual basis; 3) you would like to do it onthe most advantageous basis possible and4) continue to let these charities receivedonations after you shuffle off to the des-tination of your choice. Well, new provi-sions contained in the 2006 federalbudget have come to your rescue. Thesenew measures remove the capital gainstax on gifted securities to charity. Nowyou can contribute substantial amountsto your favourite cause providing youdonate these securities directly to a regis-tered Canadian public charity. What greattax relief for the philanthropist thatresides within us!

Note, however, that the new rules donot apply to gifted securities to a privatefoundation. Let us consider the averagecontributor over the years. Each year heor she has earned income either fromemployment, or from retirement savingsand pensions. He or she has made annual

contributions from this income to ten orfifteen charities dear to their heart. Tax re-ceipts applied on their annual income taxfiling have reduced the net cost of theirgenerosity, but not as much as they couldhave under the new rules. Paying out to a

charity from after-tax dollars is not thebest route to go. It is better to gift to theeligible charity shares held by the tax-payer that have a very low cost base, thusallowing the contributor to avoid any cap-ital gain taxation on those holdings. A fulltax receipt is also supplied. Contributionscan be carried forward for five years, if thetaxpayer wishes.

Founding a Foundation

Most charities are set up to receiveshares and dispose of them on behalf ofthe taxpayer. Some are not. But there is away to create a method to handle all ofyour charitable desires for years to come:set up your own foundation! This methodwas always considered to be the preserveof the very wealthy, but now that commu-nity foundations have been set up in mostcities and regions across Canada you cantake advantage of this service. Com-munity foundations are locally run foun-dations that build and manage endow-ment funds to support various charitableactivities in their area. In Montreal, theFoundation of Greater Montreal (FGM)will assist you in setting up an endow-ment fund in your name that has all theadvantages of a private foundation. Youcan designate your annual contributionsin perpetuity and at no cost to you to set

Pract ical Points

Money and Markets:Charitable Giving

printouts recording our shame and ig-nominy, I realized the Golden ChallengeBelt was mine after all. Despite my seem-ingly endless delay in the chicane, I’drecorded the best average lap time of1:01.36, some ten seconds faster thanCarolina.

You can be sure that I didn’t revel invictory all the way home. Or the next day.Or the day after that. Or until it was point-ed out to me that divorce lawyers appearbefore go-karting in most telephonedirectories.

ashley@church-of-texas-holdem.comAshley Cotter-Cairns is a freelance writer

from England currently residing in Hudson.He has written for a number of

publications, including In Cameramagazine, UK Maxim, TheNet,

International Traveller, BusinessLife and En Route. In collaboration

with his wife, Carolina Pla, he has alsowritten and sold a screenplay,

The Witch and The Famous.

GO-KARTS... continued from page 12

MOVIES... continued from the previous page

has, and maybe, just maybe there will bea next week or a week after that. So theshow does go on. It goes on despite thedeath of a regular, and despite the myste-

rious presence of a woman in a whitetrench coat (Victoria Madsen fromSideways) who moves about the stage as ifit were the backstage.

Ably directed by Robert Altman(M.A.S.H., The Player, Gosford Park), thismovie gives us the feel of both watchingand being on this radio show, because itmoves seamlessly from the audience’sperspective, to the players’ perspective, tothe perspective of the supporting playersbackstage.

There is a story here, but the real pur-pose seemed to me to get you to listen tothe music of a time not so long ago, toreally listen and appreciate the things thatare disappearing around us, the thingsthat might already be gone. A real sur-prise, and the standout of the movie, isGK’s voice. It is strong and true, and canbe soft and supporting. It is eminently lis-tenable, and he has charisma and charm.As does this movie. My only complaint isthat with all this singing, we don’t get tohear Kevin Kline show his talents in thisregard. Notwithstanding that, I definitelyrecommend this movie. It was the best ofthe bunch.

Catherine McKenzie is alawyer in Montreal.

up. The process is aided by the gifting oflow-cost shares to create the foundationand then the professional managementof your foundation is handled by theFGM. It is the simplest method of ensur-ing your long term assistance to thosecharities and causes that mean the mostto you.

Hunting for Low-Cost Shares

Now here is where to look for thosereally low-cost shares in your portfolio:life insurance shares issued whenCanada’s main life insurance companiesde-mutualized (read: went public) anddistributed common shares to their poli-cy holders. You may have been one ofthose beneficiaries and if you have notadded to your original holdings, your cost

base should be zero. These areperfect vehicles for the trans-formation of part of your port-folio into a long-term benefitfor the many good causes yousupport. Sort of a mini-Buffet/Gates thing.

It is recommended that youconsult with both your tax andinvestment advisor beforeundertaking this arrange-ment, but the opportunity isthere and should be usedwhile available.

John Smith is the nom deguerre of a retired investment

executive. John has been abroker, investment banker and trader in

Montreal and Toronto, as well as active incompany management and the investment

industry’s self-regulatory agencies.

Warren Buffet Bill Gates

Casey DentalCharles Casey D.D.S.Patrick Casey D.D.S.

Safe and innovative dentistryfor over 40 years

4695 Sherbrooke St.W. Westmount514 937-6558

www.smilemontreal.com

Chequered FlagIn which our man AshleyCotter-Cairns burns rubber– and F1 dreams – on thego-kart tracks of the cityby Ashley Cotter-Cairns

1992 was the year I came closest to soil-ing myself as an adult. I was slated for athree-lap drive in a Lambourghini Diablo

with a podgy, myopic marketing manager,closer to Michael Moore than MichaelSchumacker.

Strapped into the bucket seat of the500-horsepower beast, I could just seethe second half of the speedometre: thefirst number visible was 240 kph. As weblasted down the back straight of Good-wood, a nasty, aged motor racing circuit,the driver bellowed: ‘The only weak pointof the Diablo is the brakes.’ From the cor-ner of one eye, I saw the speedometreswing towards 260 kph; in the other eye,a hairpin bend catapulted towards us inthe gigantic windshield.

The brakes were equal to the task ofslowing two tons of car, manager and flat-ulent journalist in time to make the cor-ner. I vowed never to accept a ride arounda racing circuit again. Happily, go-kartsdon’t have passenger seats, so I was safefrom everybody but myself for the mis-

sion ahead.Montreal is a perfect place

to experience go-karting.There are many open spaces and entre-preneurial types to develop them; withinan hour’s drive of the city are at least adozen very different tracks.

Safety

All reputable centres will preach safetybefore you’re allowed near a vehicle.Crash helmets are compulsory; someplaces insist on a bodysuit, too, thoughthey’re murder in the summer.

If you’re worried about safety, you havegood reason. While go-karts handlesuperbly and are difficult to get seriouslyout of shape, their friendly name is mis-leading. The average kart will be capableof 75 kph or more, depending on howfond you are of desserts, and accidentscan happen. Pay attention during thesafety briefing. Most places won’t allowpre-teens to drive karts; some supplyslower versions on a separate circuit foryounger kids.

I sorted through the crash helmets,jammed one on my head and gritted myteeth for the challenge ahead.

The Challengers

Among the challengers to my self-pro-claimed Golden Go-Kart Challenge Beltwere a smattering of overweight adults,freed from their MPVs and harbouringdreams of F1 glory; their skinny, sharp-looking kids; and my wife, Carolina Pla.

Clearly, whatever else happened, Icouldn’t let Carolina beat me.

My first moment of alarm occurredwhen we chose our go-karts. The skinnykids raced to the front, their dads puffingbehind them. By the time I reached theline-up, the empty karts were near theback.

A marshal explained that we were notracing for position. A computer wouldrecord our lap times and the fastest aver-age three consecutive laps would win.Perhaps a shade disappointing, but I real-ized that this was a much fairer way todecide the outcome; grid position wouldbecome irrelevant within a minute ortwo. (Other tracks offer a choice of racetypes, including corporate days featuringa morning warm-up, lunch and then a

multi-driver marathon for the afternoon.)

Pole Position

Almost hearing TV commentary in myhead, I waited for the green light, flooredthe accelerator and … slowly gainedspeed. The explosion of power I’d antici-pated didn’t come. Even a Ford Focus willseem snappy compared to most go-karts,until you adjust your thinking.

Success in go-karting, like all forms ofmotor racing, has much to do withmomentum. Any time you are accelerat-ing, obviously you are not at cruisingspeed. The key is not to accelerate andbrake all the time; the key is to keep yourspeed as high and as consistent as possi-ble.

I began to plan my laps based on themistakes I’d seen others make while wait-ing for my turn. The main straight endedin a hairpin. Most drivers left it far toolate to brake and skidded around the hair-pin, losing precious seconds and increas-ing their acceleration time from the side-ways momentum. I planned the sameslow-in, fast-out approach that worked onmy slot-car racing set as a child.

At the other end of the circuit, a largehump raised the top corner. By using thishump, I was able to take the bend withoutbraking and use the hill to help me accel-erate down the straight. The rest of thetime, I concentrated on not crashing andtrying to overtake my wife.

Triumph and Tragedy

It was going so, so well. My plans at thetricky corners worked like a charm.Carolina piled into a tire wall and Isneaked past. And then – disaster! I spunin the chicane and couldn’t free myselffrom the side wall. Eventually, a marshalran over and pushed me out, but notbefore I taught anybody within earshot afew choice British swear words. I felt theGolden Go-Kart Challenge Belt slippingaway.

The chequered flag was waved and Ipulled into the pit lane, the bitter taste ofdefeat and visor sweat mingling on mylips. But as we left, with our computer

12 – Vivva MONTREAL – July 2006

Stash CaféA Glimpse of Poland

in Montreal.Stash Café is located in the heart ofOld Montreal. The menu is typicallyPolish and includes meals from all partsof the country. All the dishes are pre-pared in the traditional Polish manner.

200 Rue St. Paul514 845-6611

www.stashcafe.com

Mission Montreal

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