In zootherapy, the animal (whether a dog, cat, rabbit, chinchilla, etc.) serves as an enabler, helping therapists to connect more quickly with the patient. "When I’m working with a new person, I only have to let my dog point his nose through the door to get a positive reaction. In a few seconds, a relationship is created between the person and me via the animal."

Berthonneau has eight canine colleagues of different sizes, breeds and personalities that she has previously evaluated and trained. "You also have to respect the physical capacities of the animal," she adds. While her background in ethology is vital to her work, Berthonneau believes it’s also necessary to have the desire to help people, love animals, have empathy, be creative and possess a reassuring attitude.

The day of our visit in a Montreal elder-care centre, the zootherapist-ethologist was working with Zsa Zsa, an adorable black spaniel. During the morning, they visited two senior women. They petted the spaniel and chatted with Isabelle who, casually, made them exercise their memory, coordination and motor functions, in addition to reinforcing their self-esteem. For each patient, the specialist established an intervention plan with personalized objectives, over numerous appointments, to answer their specific needs. Depending on the individual, her interventions aim to reduce aggressiveness, unrest, isolation and anxiety, or to improve their posture, mobility, language, autonomy, etc.

There are many zootherapy training programs available. The Corporation des zoothérapeutes du Québec counsels students based on their experience and their professional goals. Since they generally work freelance, zootherapists must find clients, prove themselves and build a reputation in order to have a successful career.

Corporation des zoothérapeutes du Québec (CZQ)
www.corpozootherapeute.com

Zootherapy schools
Cégep de La Pocatière: www.cegeplapocatiere.qc.ca
Centre L’Authentique: www.authenticite.qc.ca
École internationale de zoothérapie: www.zootherapie.ca
Institut de zoothérapie: www.institutdezootherapie.qc.ca
Zoothérapie Québec: www.zootherapiequebec.ca

"When I decided to go back to school, I went to Emploi-Québec first," explains Daniel Dagenais, who works today as an apprentice mechanic for Canadian National Railway. "I took some tests that showed I have good dexterity and an ability to solve mathematical problems." Good job prospects as well as higher salaries attracted Dagenais to the École des métiers du Sud-Ouest de Montréal, which also offers training in industrial mechanics.

"Out of 408 graduates in industrial mechanics in 2010, 78 percent found a job directly connected to their training and 95 percent of them work full-time," says Diane Dulude, assistant director of the school.

According to Dulude, an industrial mechanic is good with their hands and enjoys solving problems and working under pressure. "It’s the mechanic who’s called when a hospital’s ventilation system isn’t working, or if an assembly line fails," she explains.

The median age of students in the program is 35. Many hope to acquire new skills after having worked in construction or in factories. "A third of our clients are originally from North Africa. We often get people who are newly arrived in Quebec and have already worked in this area in their country of origin, but must obtain recognition of their skills in Quebec," Dulude points out. "There are jobs for those who are ready to fine-tune their skills given the evolution in this sector. Many machines increasingly include electronic systems, and workers who understand these systems are in constant demand," concludes Harry Michalopoulos.

Programs in industrial mechanics
École des métiers du Sud-Ouest: www.csdm.qc.ca/emsom
Centre de technologie Rosemont: www.rosemount-technology.qc.ca
Emploi-Québec: www.emploiquebec.net

Comedian Dorothy Rhau and actor Benz Antoine are the spokespersons of this year’s Black History Month, which features a multitude of lectures, workshops, exhibitions, concerts and activities of all kinds under the theme Imagine a New World.

One of the most promising events is Nuits d’Afrique Sound System, a night of World 2.0 music taking place at the SAT on February 10. In addition to DJ sets by New York’s Chief Boima and Montreal’s own Masala Sono, as well as visuals by VJ Jérôme Delapierre, it will feature live performances from Congolese singer Ngâbo and Haitian rapper Mr Ok.

If jazz is more your speed, Charles Biddle Jr. will be at Cabaret du Mile End on February 11 to pay tribute to the likes of Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Opening that night will be Creole jazz quintet Makaya.

On February 18 at the same venue, two talented Haitian artists will perform: Vox Sambou, a member of hip-hop collective Nomadic Massive, will kick things off, followed by multi-instrumentalist Wesli, who will present his blend of reggae, Afrobeat and soul.

Finally, let’s mention the gospel night that will happen on February 25, again at Cabaret du Mile End, with Sylvie Desgroseilliers and the Choir of the Conservatory of Modern Music, which sings in English, French and Creole.

Black History Month
To February 29
www.montrealblackhistorymonth.com

The goal was simple: to train new people for high level positions in event management. Sylvie Carrière, who’s in charge of student recruiting at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ, or the Quebec Tourism and Hotel Institute), explains, "It’s a super-specialization program. We already offer an attestation of college studies in event coordination, but this new diploma focuses on a higher level of management and on the skills a top-level administrator needs before beginning his duties."

The shortage of qualified managers in this field can be partly explained by the fact that many current festival directors founded the festivals they now run and learned their skills on the job. "The idea behind this program is to save time by transmitting in a concentrated fashion all the knowledge necessary to occupy such a position."

The training is relatively short, comprising five 45-hour courses that cover the strategic challenges of the industry, the importance of creativity, marketing and financing strategies, team mobilization and ways of keeping an event balanced.

"We have to prepare candidates for the next level, for things like risk management and finances. Speakers will also come in to share their experience," adds Carrière.

The program welcomed its first class last fall. About 15 students who already had experience in the field enrolled. "What’s very interesting is that the experience the students bring can benefit the other people in their class. There’s already a form of networking going on." The ITHQ program, which was created in partnership with the Institut de l’événement (IDÉ), can lead to an Emerit certification from the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC), and from there towards becoming a Certified Event Management Professional (CEMP). A significant asset in a field where specialized training is rare.

ITHQ
3535 St-Denis
www.ithq.qc.ca/fr/formation-superieure-gestion-evenements

"Women have a different ways of handling a problem, and this can only diversify and balance the profession if it welcomes more of them," says Dominique Lefebvre, a trained engineer herself. To communicate her passion, this mother decided to get involved in the program Les filles et les sciences, un duo électrisant!, which introduces teenaged girls to science.

After visiting an École Polytechnique de Montréal kiosk at a job fair many years ago, Lefebvre chose to study industrial engineering. "I like that my job allows me to improve the way industries do things in a very concrete manner," she explains. Things have changed a lot since she got into the Polytechnique in 1975. "The proportion of girls was under 5 percent at the time." Today, a little less than 25 percent of students are women.

Geneviève Plouffe: Doctorate in chemical engineering

Dominique Lefebvre’s elder daughter, Geneviève Plouffe, was interested in different fields and at first opted for an integrated DCE, with courses in science, literature and the arts. But she ultimately chose chemical engineering as a career.

This led her to take a trip to China with the Polytechnique, do her master’s degree in France and a student exchange program in Sweden, and an internship in New Caledonia! Plouffe is currently finishing a doctorate at the Interuniversity Research Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services (CIRAIG). Through her research, she’s looking for ways to improve industry methods so that they have less of a negative impact on the environment.

Catherine Plouffe: Industrial engineering student

The youngest of Dominique Lefebvre’s daughters, Catherine Plouffe, explored other possibilities before returning to her interest in engineering. In college, she studied science and music. She then began a baccalaureate in social work, "[but] I realized that it lacked the logic and reasoning aspect of science," explains Plouffe.

This led her to finally land on industrial engineering, like her mother. "Industrial engineering will lead me to work with many people from various horizons. To me, it’s the most ‘social’ type of engineering." After her studies, she’s considering working in health care. "There’s a lot of work to be done in the health care sector, a lot of changes to make to optimize it," concludes the young visionary.

École Polytechnique de Montréal
2900 Édouard-Montpetit; 514-340-4711
www.polymtl.ca

Les filles et les sciences, un duo électrisant!
February 18 at the Polytechnique
www.lesfillesetlessciences.ca

As he was himself once an immigrant to Quebec, Terrence Regan has made a point to help others and give back to the community. An expatriate of the United States and resident of Canada since 1968, Terrence Regan points out that learning about other cultures and languages helps one understand their customs and backgrounds. "We need immigrants here in Canada. We have so much space and a beautiful cultural mix, as well as peace, for now. We have become a magnet for immigrants and we have to open ourselves to other cultures."

When the language courses started in 1992, Spanish was the most in-demand course. Knowing how to speak to people in Varadero or Puerto Vallarta seemed a good idea for travellers. Spanish, as well as Chinese, Portuguese and English languages are now learned by both Quebecers and immigrants to help them succeed in both the financial and business worlds.

"With globalization of cultures and easier access to everything through the Internet, we need a greater understanding of countries, people and cultures," says Terrence Regan. "We grew up in a world with conflicts due to differences between religions and languages, where countries were downgrading others out of racism, but now you’re likely to meet students who want to learn a new language although they already know three or four."

And even if the Milton Park Recreation Association doesn’t get much help or recognition from the various levels of government, it keeps helping the community and intends to do so for as long as necessary.

Milton Park Recreation Association
www.miltonpark.org

On opening night, October 30, Turkish flautist Omar Faruk Tekbilek and Palestinian-American oud player Simon Shaheen will present Manhattan in Quarter Tones, a concert in which Middle Eastern rhythms are blended with jazz, blues and even psychedelic rock. Two weeks later, on November 13, the festival will close with an original creation entitled Charabia (Babble), in which Lebanese hard rock band The Kordz, Sufi singer Abdel Karim Chaar, composer Katia Makdissi-Warren and her ensemble OktoEcho will play music against a backdrop of dance, spontaneous ink paintings and visual effects. Also promising is the A-rap Revolution show happening on November 2, with rappers Khaled M from Libya and RahZemos from Lebanon, as well as Montreal’s own Monk.e and Jiggy.

Other performing arts events, a series of film screenings and the Salon de la Culture, which will feature discussions on such topics as religious diversity and the origins and perspectives of the Arab Spring, are also on the program of this 12th edition of the Arab World Festival.

Arab World Festival
October 30 to November 13
www.festivalarabe.com

As librarian and Café de Da coordinator Isabelle Massicotte says, "We’re working with schools around here and trying to develop partnerships with non-profit organizations, such as the Montreal Association for the Intellectually Handicapped, that could benefit from our ten computers and our Word, Excel and Internet workshops. We’re trying to welcome and help new residents but we’re also trying to draw the attention of people who wouldn’t usually come to the library."

With workshops given to residents of the district and help offered to job seekers (the Local Employment Centre also shares a wall with it), Café de Da is putting residents’ primary needs up front. "But we’re still a pilot project for Montreal libraries. We still need to find a partner for the ‘coffee’ part of the ‘Internet café’ idea," says Massicotte.

When it opened last April, Café de Da’s goal was to create an atmosphere where visitors would feel more at home, less stressed out. "It’s a relatively quiet and relaxed environment, but we add music and exhibitions," Massicotte confirms. Even though she and her team favour artists of the neighbourhood, the current exhibition offers drawings created by youngsters from all around the world for a contest hosted by the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation.

Café de Da also offers filmmaking workshops (every Wednesday), evenings with Ahuntsic-Cartierville’s Éco-Quartier (biweekly, on Tuesday, with topics such as "Transforming the neighbourhood alleyways"), movie screenings, meetings with authors such as Nicolas Dickner (October 18) and Chrystine Brouillet (November 1), and lectures on historical topics (by anthropologist and radio host Serge Bouchard, on November 22).

Café de Da
545 Fleury East

As practical as it is, the proximity of the multitude of shops also represents an environmental and social choice for the future of the neighbourhood, and of Montreal. With all these stores and restaurants so close, the distance travelled by shoppers and residents is greatly reduced, reducing the number of cars on the streets. Despite the rain pouring on our heads last weekend, Promenade Fleury was still filled with customers and courageous walkers and joggers (yes, the Montreal Marathon is still fresh in many minds – and feet!).

For the French gourmets, Le Petit Flore (it’s inspired by the Café de Flore in Paris, but probably not by the movie) will seduce your taste buds with a fine selection of coffees as French as "Le mélange Sartre" or "Saint-Germain des Prés." And how about that smell of fresh croissants?

Outside of the actual Promenade, but still worth mentioning, is chef Marc-André Royal’s Le St-Urbain, which stands at the corner of Fleury West and St-Urbain. A wonder to discover.

Of course, there’s always a Renaud-Bray nearby, but Le Disquaire offers an independent alternative a few blocks away, as does the Maison de l’Éducation bookstore.

Even though shops abound on Fleury, the street doesn’t seem crowded with commercial signs, parking meters and plastic bags. Trees fill the sidewalks, and stores are interspersed with duplexes and houses. It must be easy living in this calm and serene area of Ahuntsic.

Know an event, person or issue we should cover in this page? Email us at yourcommunity@hour.ca.

www.mapromenadefleury.com
]]> http://hour.ca/2011/10/06/ahuntsic-cartierville-singing-in-the-rain-on-fleury-street/feed/ 0 http://hour.ca/2011/09/29/crowley-arts-centre-time-on-his-side/ http://hour.ca/2011/09/29/crowley-arts-centre-time-on-his-side/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0000 Julie Ledoux http://hour.ca/?p=18457 When you walk into the Crowley Arts Centre, you can’t tell that owner and director of operations Nick Patulli had it torn down and rebuilt only three years ago. "I knew that eventually the big parcel of land, 300 feet from here, would be developed. I knew that I would consequently have to develop my property. Which I did three-and-a-half years ago, when I found out the McGill University Health Centre would be built," says Patulli. "I figured it was time to start from scratch."

The Crowley Arts Centre is full of surprises, with its three floors and basement where music lessons are given, conferences are organized and exhibitions are held. But it’s the main hall that impresses the most. "This place was built acoustically for great sound, for concert music. The sound that we get here is better than 90 percent of the halls in town," says Patulli.

Hosting a variety of events, from fundraisings to weddings, music shows, conferences and trade shows, the Crowley must seem like paradise to outsiders. But one (big) cloud has been hanging over the arts centre.

As construction work has increased and the pillars of the McGill University Health Centre have sprouted up on every square foot of Glen Campus, the Crowley Arts Centre is experiencing the downside of the project. "The first six months, business was going well, but then they started the construction and all hell broke loose." Stuck between the Décarie Expressway and upper Lachine, Crowley Avenue has had its share of roads closing, trucks coming in and out and visitors being kept away from the neighbourhood. "We began having two or three events a week, [but] it dropped to two or three a month! We were cancelling 60 to 65 percent of all our events."

On the bright side, at the end of October, the musical play Johnny Canuck will open, while Stewart Cubley and Matt Belay’s three-day workshop The Painting Experience will help you unleash your inner artist. And every other Sunday, the Film Society’s classic film series brightens the autumn days.

Know an event, person or issue we should cover in this page? Email us at yourcommunity@hour.ca.

Crowley Arts Centre
5325 Crowley Avenue
www.crowleyartscentre.org
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