October 2006: Special Chateauguay Valley Edition 22,000+ copies – v.1.5

Books/MoviesHow I Got from Capote to Beesin Four Easy Stepsby Catherine McKenzie

The genesis of this article is the fact that a new Capote biopic,Infamous, is now screening at the Toronto Film Festival. Shot atthe same time as last year’s Capote, it is apparently excellent. Thisgot me thinking about the earlier movie,and the journey it had taken me on.

Maternally YoursEureka: Dragons, Diningand Discountsby Annika Melanson

Eureka! I have just discovered a wonderfulway to spend the morning with my daugh-ter: The Montreal Science Museum at theOld Port. I have been wanting to takemy daughter, Amel, for awhile, but

by Phil Norton

The Chateauguay valley is Quebec’stourism secret, a genuine country get-away tucked into the province’s south-west corner just 40 minutes from theMercier bridge. Farm, forest, open waterand big sky await the lucky few who dis-cover it.

The drive south from Chateauguay andthe Mercier quickly places you in theheart of a prairie harvest scene. Tractors

continued on page 5continued on page 10

continued on page 6

South by South-West

Autumn in the Chateauguay Valley

Theclassic#1bestselleris back!Great for autumn trip ideaswith the kids.In stores now.

Chateauguay Features see box at right

Regular StuffMATERNALLY YOURSby Annika Melanson p. 1

BOOK & MOVIE REVIEWby Catherine McKenzie p. 1

ART by Chris ‘Zeke’ HandFlowers, Earth and Metal p. 8

TELEVISION New Dramas byCatherine McKenzie & David Price p. 9

TOWNSHIPS CALENDAR: Golf p. 10

PRACTICAL POINTSPortfolio Performance Measurement p. 11

See also these Chateauguay features:MISSION MTL Apples, Alpacas & Kids p. 3WINE Wine, Cider and Cheese p. 7RECIPES Fall Feasts p. 4

BRIAN, TIMOTHY, JOAN McGUIGANAGENTS IMMOBILIER AGRÉES / CHARTERED REAL ESTATE AGENTS

TRUST. REACH. RESULTS.

www.McGuiganPepin.comSee our listings on the back page.

September 30 and October 1, 7,8 & 9.Call 1.800.363.3342 or go to www.owl-shead.com.

Cinema

5 Festival Nouveau Cinéma is celebrat-ing its 35th year with new works byPedro Almodóvar and Ken Loach, theNorth American premiere of Lars vonTrier’s The Boss of it All, as well as theworld premiere of Quebecer PhilippeFalardeau’s Congorama. October 18to 28. Tickets are $12 and are on salebeginning October 14 at the Just forLaughs Museum (2111 St. LaurentBlvd.). For more info call514.282.0004 or go towww.nouveaucinema.ca.

5 Perhaps an antidote to serious worldcinema, Montreal InternationalAdventure Film Festival hosts screen-ings on adventure, travel and extremesport from October 26 to 28. Individ-ual tickets start at $12 and can bepurchased at the UQAM ticket officeby calling 514.987.3456. For moreinfo go to www.espaces.qc.ca/fifam.

Sport

5 CIBC Run for the Cure, in supportof breast cancer research, takes placeon Sunday, October 1. The walk or runbegins opposite 1155 Rene LevesqueBlvd. W., at 9:30 am. To participatecall 514.871.1717 or go towww.cibcrunforthecure.com.

5 The Canadiens host the OttawaSenators for their home-opener onSaturday, October 14. Call514.790.1245 for tickets or go towww.admission.com.

5 The Alouettes celebrate a strongshowing this season at ALS Fan Day,when they host the EdmontonEskimos on October 21 at the Big O.Tickets start at $23.50 and can bereserved by calling 514.790.1245 or at

Fall Colours

5 Fall foliage is usually at its peakaround the first weekend in October.Family-oriented events are beingorganized in the Laurentians in thetown of St. Donat. A $5 pass includesrides on the ski-lift of Mount Garceauand on a horse-drawn carriage.September 30 and October 1, 7 & 8.For info and directions call1.888.ST.DONAT or go to www.st-donal.com/week-end-couleurs-a.html.

5 If you’re heading south to the EasternTownships, you can choose betweenvenues. Gondola day passes at Orfordare $9.75 for adults, $7.50 for kidsunder 12 and free for kids five andunder. September 29 & 30 andOctober 1, 6, 7, 8 & 9. Call1.866.673.6731 or go to www.orford.com. Lift passes at Owl’s Head are$10 for adults and $8 for kids.

2 – Vivva MONTREAL – October 2006

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

Vivva Montreal is distributed by:

310 Victoria #105Westmount, QC H3Z 2M9

Editor: David Price (514) 935-4537

Advertising sales: (514) 223-6138Fax: (514) 935-9241

sales@pricepatterson.comCopyright 2006. All rights reserved.

1 Distributed to 22,000+ houses, apart-ments and businesses in Westmount andeastern NDG (H3Y, H3Z and H4A).

1 Frequency: monthly. Distribution beginson the last Tuesday of the month (for thenext month), except the January edition(second Tuesday in January).

We understand that some people do not wantto get Vivva Montreal in their mailbox. If thisis the case, Canada Post advises that you placea sticker on your mailbox that says, ‘No admail.’ Nous savons que certaines personnesne veulent pas recevoir Vivva Montreal chezeux. Si c’est le cas, veuillez placer une éti-quette sur votre porte qui lit : « Pas de média-poste. »Vivva Montreal is published by Sherbrooke-Valois Inc. – Locally owned, operated andstaffed.

by Stuart Woods

Now entering its fifth year, POP Mont-real has grown into a many-headed beast.With live music, film screenings, an artsand crafts fair, and art shows at severalPlateau venues, it has become a rallyingpoint for hipsters and artists alike.

“Booking artists like Beck or Franz Fer-dinand is not what POP Montreal is allabout,” says executive director NoelleSorbara, referring to past headliners. Thisyear’s mandate is to showcase lesser-known talent by celebrating unsungheroes.

To buy tickets online go to www.admis-sion.com. For more info go to www.pop-montreal.com.

October 4In a 50-plus-year music career, Ramb-

lin’ Jack Elliot profoundly influenced theAmerican folk revival. Now 75, the itiner-ant minstrel is the acknowledged linkbetween Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan.Elliot shares the stage with homegrownartist Al Tuck. Tickets are $25. At theUkrainian Federation, 5213 Hutchinson.

October 5Joannna Newsom’s much admired

debut, The Milk-Eyed Mender, immersedlisteners in a skewed universe of uni-corns and impish revelry. The classically

trained harpist will preview songs fromher new record, Ys. Tickets are $23. At theUkrainian Federation, 5213 Hutchinson.

October 6Legendary cult figure Roky Erickson is

credited with coining the term ‘psyche-delic’. Erickson was the victim of the dra-conian marijuana laws of his nativeTexas. Following rehabilitation, whichincluded the use of electric shock therapy,Roky legally declared himself an alien(‘from a planet other than earth’). His lifestory is documented in the film You’reGonna Miss Me, which will be screenedbefore his performance. Tickets are $25.At the Associacao Portuguesa, 4170 St.Urbain.

October 7Pop Levi is poised to make good on the

buzz surrounding his first EP, BlueHoney. His solo work is best described aspsych-tinged, blue-eyed soul. Tickets are$10. At the Main Hall, 5390 St. Laurent.

October 8

One of Montreal’s most beloved groupscloses the festival. Avid scenesters will tellyou that Sunset Rubdown is better thanWolf Parade, bandleader Spencer Krug’shighly-regarded ‘side-project’. Tickets are$12. At the Ukranian Federation, 5213Hutchinson.

Montreal Goes Pop

admissions.com. For more info go towww.montrealalouettes.com.

Music

5 Massive Attack plays the MetropolisOctober 8 & 9. Tickets for the post-poned September 11 show will behonoured on October 8. Call514.908.9090 or go towww.ticketpro.ca.

5 Matmos plays Le National(1220 St. Catherine E.) October 10.

5 Zappa Plays Zappa at the MetropolisOctober 24. Call 514.908.9090 or goto www.ticketpro.ca.

Community Events5 Films That Transform. The McGill

medical faculty’s ongoing series fea-tures Bonjour! Shalom!, a film docu-menting Montreal’s Hasidic Jewishpopulation, in Moyse Hall (853Sherbrooke St. W.). Tickets are $10,$5 for students and seniors. October17, at 7 pm.

5 Artists Lawrence Periman & Claude

Hazanavicius are exhibited at TheGallery in Victoria Hall beginningOctober 19. Call 514.989.5265 formore information.

5 The Westmount Fall Lecture Seriesis inaugurated by Ravi Hage. At theWestmount Library, October 25 at7:30 pm. Call 514.989.5265 formore information.

At the new Forum (Bell Centre)October 1 James BluntOctober 4-9 Disney on Ice –

Monsters IncOctober 10 Iron MaidenOctober 15 Barbra StreisandNovember 8 Bob DylanNovember 1 Elton JohnNovember 19 Lipizzaner StallionsDecember 15 GenesisJanuary 23, 2007 SupernovaFebruary 19, 2007 Barenaked Ladies

5 Send your Happenings idea tovivvamontreal@pricepatterson.com.

Most self-publishers endup unhappy.

Flawed end-product •Inadequate editing • Too

much inventory • Unrealisticexpectations

We might publish your book withour money, but we can certainly

help you not waste yours!

Price-Patterson Ltd.www.pricepatterson.com

514.935.4537

Vivva MONTREAL – October 2006 – 3

In which our correspondent Ashley Cotter-Cairns girds his loins to tackle … a relaxingfamily day in the country.

A tough assignment this month: I hadto pack wife and son into our coveredwagon and head west. Well, pack wife andson into our Ford hatchback and headsouthwest, to the Chateauguay valley. Mymission was simple: get some fresh airand exercise and return with self-harvest-ed Quebec fruit. Oh, the glamour of jour-nalism!

It was quite opportune timing, becauseCarolina and I had been complaining thatsummer was in its death throes and ouryoung son, Jasper, hasn’t done enoughoutdoorsy stuff. Plus we’ve still not ex-plored the greater Montreal area, as wekeep reminding ourselves to do.

On your Bike, Mate

It soon became apparent that our origi-nal plan, to rent bicycles and tow Jasperalong in a little red wagon behind us, was-n’t going to pan out (unless the bike placealso rented scuba gear, see my Septemberarticle for Vivva). And it looked as if therewas going to be a historic battle betweenhusband and wife about whether to goapple picking after all.

But before we hit the orchards (or eachother), we stopped off at the site of an-other historic battle. The Battle of Chat-eauguay, an official historic site ofCanada, has a visitor centre in Howick/Allan’s Corners (open Saturday and Sun-day only – http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/qc/chateauguay/index_e.asp, 1.888.773.8888). The battle, in 1812, was a heroicdefence of Montreal from American

invaders by British and French-Canadianforces. Various generals, includingCharles de Salaberry, claimed the victoryas their own. Now, all that’s left is a fewpretty, flat fields covered in grass.

This being a Friday, we had to imaginethe wonders of the visitor centre and letour minds and eyes play across the fieldswhere so many men had fallen all thoseyears ago. Briefly awed by the weight of somuch history, we continued on our jour-ney towards the border. Passports are notessential down here, but take a wrongturn and you might be asked to showthem by a jaded border guard. Best youdon’t ask him about any future plans tocapture Montreal…

The Apple of our Eyes

We’d promised Jasper that we wouldpick apples, an argument which, thoughshallow, tipped the Battle of the Apple inmy favour. After some research, we’d de-cided on Blair Orchards (1421 Route 202,Franklin Centre, 450.827.2605) as our u-pick of choice; but found it was like look-ing for a needle in a haystack (forgive thefarming pun). This part of Chateauguayis crawling with orchards, each farm cov-ered in low-pruned apple trees. Them’s alot of apples, believe me.

Once we located Blair Orchards, weweren’t disappointed by anything but theweather. It has everything you’d wantfrom a u-pick apple orchard: stunted-looking trees covered in low-hangingfruit; a café selling soup, local jams andpickles, bread and cakes; even a selectionof miniature animals for children to getup close and personal with.

Should your chosen day make a liar ofthe weather forecasters, they even supplyready-picked Spartan or MacIntoshapples in full- or half-peck bags. (If youwere ever curious about how much a peckof pickled peppers is, you’ll be surprised.It’s quite a lot!)

Jasper was on a promise, so on our wayto make friends with the miniature don-key, the goat and the alpacas, we liftedhim up towards a tree and let him strokethe apples. I don’t think he minded muchthat he didn’t get to harvest any, but if hedid, he took it like a man.

Off the Beaten Track

There’s not too much traffic on theroads and there’s quite a distance be-tween populous areas. The apple busi-ness apparently runs on cash: visit yourbank before you travel, as Blair Orchards,for one, does not accept Interac or creditcards. We didn’t see an ATM anywhereclose.

If you’re looking for a place to eat some-thing not containing apples, there’s quitea limited choice nearby. Ormstown hasone or two little eateries, though wearrived back there too late to sample anyof their wares. Route 201, which cutsstraight through the valley, is very pictur-esque in places as minor highways go,but mostly devoid of restaurants until youget closer to the city and back into thesprawl of strip malls and warehouse out-lets.

Even if apples are not your favouritefruit, your time in the Chateauguay valleywon’t be wasted. There’s some of thelushest green countryside I’ve seen out-

side of England and, with that compari-son in mind, a wet Friday is as good atime to appreciate it as any.

Ashley Cotter-Cairnsis a Hudson writer. He can be reached at

ashley@church-of-texas-holdem.com

Mission: Montreal

Apples and Alpacas:The Chateauguay with Kids

5-Things thatVivva Montreal

recommends you doin October

1 Hit the tam tams before it getstoo cold. You might even see aplane land on Park Avenue!

2 Take it up a notch at the terrasseof Hotel Place d’Armes for the5 à 7.

3 Wednesdays at the Notre DameCathedral for amazing classicalmusic with Louis Lortie.

4 Try deep frying the turkey thisyear.

5 Get 11 friends and a mini busand reserve a table champêtre.

-Have a last beer of the season ona patio or deck. (Repetitious &unoriginal – docked half a unit).

Have 5- Things to recommend forNovember? Send your idea to

vivvamontreal@pricepatterson.comFree 1/16 page ad for you or the

charity of choice if we use it.

The indispensable guidefor parents in Montreal.

Also available in French!

By Anthea Dawson

Less than a one hour drive from Mont-real, one of Canada’s most luscious agri-cultural and scenic havens can be found.The Chateauguay valley, located severalkilometres to the southwest of Montrealon the south shore of the St. LawrenceRiver, is littered with meandering rivers,19th century covered bridges and uniqueantique shops.

Where There’s Milk, There’s Cheese

The Chateauguay valley is largely arural farming area, with dairy farming asthe principal activity. As a dairy area, theChateauguay valley also offers a wide vari-ety of local artisanal cheeses that havebeen gaining in popularity. The CoveredBridge, a two-month aged, raw milkcheese made from a mixed herd of Jerseyand Holstein cows, is creamy and smoothin texture, with a mushroom flavour.Vacherin Chaput is another famous cow’smilk cheese, wrapped in spruce bark andknown for its velvety texture. And Cabri,an aged goat’s milk cheese, offers a freshherbal and earthy flavour. Many of theChateauguay valley’s most famous cheeseofferings can be found at local marketsaround Montreal, such as Atwater orJean Talon, and are well worth a sinfulsampling.

Apple of our Eyes

However, aside from the booming dairyindustry, most people would probablyassociate the area more with its vast appleorchards that line the US border. Fromlate August to late November, MacIntosh,Cortland, Spartan and Empire orchardsdominate the landscape.

Lots to Choose From

One of the greatest things about cook-ing in this wonderful city is taking advan-tage of Quebec’s lush local agricultureand autumn is by far the most fruitfulseason – during which we are completelyspoiled with incredible produce. Frombutternut squash to corn to baby beetsand, of course, apples, our markets are lit-erally overflowing with colour and flav-ours, and there is no better time to sam-ple our own local offerings. Autumnapples are a true delicacy and the menuthat follows offers both a main courseand dessert emphasizing our local fare.Cooking apples need to have a balance ofsweet and sour flavour – a sweet apple isperfect for eating, but will be very boringwhen cooked if it doesn’t have any acidity.

Here is a quick rundown (although

there are so many varieties available, it isa good idea to ask at the market regardingthe exact sweetness or tartness): Cortlandis best for salads; Empire is very sweetand good for dessert or cider; MacIntosh

flesh is firm, very juicy and good for cook-ing; and Granny Smith is very tart andgood for a sweet dessert-like pie.

Balsamic Roast Pork Loinwith Apples & Fennel

4 pounds boneless pork loin, tiedSalt & pepper1 Tbsp. fennel seed2 Tbsp. vegetable oil2 cups beef stock3 Tbsp. good quality balsamic vinegar3 Tbsp. honey3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled

& cut into wedges4 Tbsp. olive oil3 pounds local apples, peeled, cored

& cut into wedges2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored &

cut into wedges4 cloves garlic, minced1 Tbsp. fresh thyme1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp.

cold water1 Tbsp. maple syrup (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Season thepork loin with salt, pepper and fennelseed.

In a heavy cast-iron skillet, heat oil tomedium-high and sear the roast on allsides until nicely browned. Place in aroasting pan.

In a medium-sized saucepan, combinestock, balsamic and honey and heat untilthe honey has dissolved. Pour the hotsauce over the pork roast, cover withheavy-duty tin foil and bake for about 1 1⁄2

hours.

4 – Vivva MONTREAL – October 2006

Fall Feasts: Apples, Cheese and PorkMeanwhile, in a large bowl, toss sweet

potatoes with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and salt &pepper. Bake on a parchment-paper linedcookie sheet at 350ºF until the potatoesare nice and crispy, about 30 to 40 min-utes. Set aside when ready.

In a bowl, combine apples & fennelwith minced garlic, fresh thyme and salt& pepper. Remove pork from oven after1 1⁄2 hours of cooking, and line the roast-ing pan with the apple fennel mix. Bakefor another 15 to 20 minutes, without foil,or until the internal temperature of thepork registers 140ºF. Transfer pork to aserving platter and let it rest and keepwarm (this allows the juices to settle, andthe pork will not dry out after slicing).

Strain the cooking liquid into a smallsaucepan. Bring it to a boil, then reducethe heat to medium. Whisk in the corn-starch/water mix and cook, stirring con-stantly, until the sauce thickens slightly.

Arrange the sweet potatoes, apples &fennel around the pork on the servingplatter. Drizzle with maple syrup, sliceand serve with the balsamic sauce.

Serves 4 – 6

Spiced Apple & Cranberry Crisp

For the Filling:3⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour1⁄2 tsp. cinnamon1⁄2 tsp. ground cardamom1⁄4 tsp. ground nutmegPinch of salt2 pounds local seasonal apples, such as

Empire, Cortland or Macintosh, cored,peeled & sliced 1⁄4-inch thick

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice1 cup dried cranberriesFor the Topping:1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour1⁄2 cup packed dark brown sugar1⁄2 tsp. cinnamon1⁄4 tsp. ground nutmeg1⁄3 cup unsalted butter, chilled1⁄3 cup toasted slivered almonds

(optional)Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9 x

6-inch baking dish.Combine the brown sugar, flour, sugar,

cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and saltin a bowl.

In a large bowl, toss the apples with thelemon juice. Stir in the dried cranberries.Sprinkle the sugar mixture over theapples and toss well until apples are wellcoated. Spread the mix evenly in the bak-ing dish.

For the topping, combine the 1⁄2 cup offlour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon andnutmeg in a small bowl. Add the butter

and work it into the flour mixture withyour fingers until the mixture is crumbly.Cover the apple mixture with the toppingand sprinkle the almonds evenly on top.Bake for 30 minutes, or until topping isevenly browned. Serve hot, with a bigscoop of vanilla ice cream. Serves 6

Anthea Dawson is the executive chef atSimply Wonderful, a catering firm that

specializes in everything from small dinnerparties to weddings and cooking classes.

AlpenhausA touch of Switzerland

in Montreal –not to be missed.

Alpenhaus is located between down-town Montreal and Westmount inShaughnessy Village. The restaurantrecently celebrated its 39th anniversary.Alpenhaus is a romantic restaurant thatoffers authentic fondues, as well asother excellent European dishes.

1279 St. Marcjust west of downtown

514 935-2285www.restaurantalpenhaus.com

Photo: Phil Norton

Available locally at Westmount StationeryAlso at: Chapters • Indigo • Renaud-Bray

New 2007 Calendar! $12.95

Dining Out with Children

For those of you looking for a fun, localspot to dine out with your brood, I have anew suggestion: Fusion Delights, wherethe motto is ‘The fusion of healthy eatingwith delicious food.’ Amel and I decidedto ‘do lunch’ there recently on a rainySunday. (There are tables outside for bet-ter weather.) The restaurant is bright andcheery with a chilled-out vibe.

There is also a bookshelf with lots ofchildren’s books and activities, which isgreat for some ‘quiet time’. The menuwas designed by a naturopath. The lunchmenu includes salads, grilled sandwich-es, pizzas, wraps and homemade soup.Everything on the menu is made fromscratch on the premises. The eveningmenu is a mix of Italian and Lebanese.

The best part? Everything is healthy,natural and very reasonably priced. Themenu is vegetarian-friendly and vegan-friendly and the organic végépaté was thebest I have ever tasted. Highchairs areavailable and families with young chil-dren are welcome. ‘Build your own pizza’parties are available as well as catering.Tea and fresh scones are served daily.

Learning about Healthy Eating

On October 16, a nutrition workshopwill be offered in the evening. The work-shop will be given by a naturopath toteach people how to pack a nutritiouslunchbox. Each person will build theirlunchbox and take it home, so that theirlunch will be ready for the following day.Reservations are necessary.

On October 28, Micky Farkas, a chil-dren’s entertainer, will be on-site to enter-tain children with interactive singing anddancing with a Halloween theme. Thefun starts at 3 pm. Fusion Delights hasbeen open since February 2006 and islocated at 5667 Sherbrooke Street West(corner of Harvard), 514.481.7698.

Grocery ShoppingI was recently shopping in Teva, a

health food store in the Snowdon areaand I thought that I should mention thatit is very stroller-friendly! There is a rampto enter the grocery store, a space to ‘park’your buggy by the door and the aisles arenice and wide. There is a great range ofgluten-free and nut-free products, as wellas organic frozen baby meals. Teva alsostocks chlorine-free, biodegradable dis-posable diapers and wipes (look forSeventh Generation Baby). Some otherinteresting products that I came acrosswere Lice Stop, a pesticide-free alternativeto treating hair lice, pesticide-free chil-dren’s vitamins and the only organic pre-natal supplement available in NorthAmerica that can be taken with or with-out food. Perfect Prenatal, made by NewChapter. And no, I am not expecting! Adelivery service is available for those liv-ing close. Teva, 5143 Decarie Boulevard,514.486.5542.

Last But Not Least: A DiscountFor the grandparents out there, Oink!

Oink! gives a 20% discount to grandpar-ents on the first Tuesday of every month.1343 Greene Avenue, 514.939.2634.

Vivva MONTREAL – October 2006 – 5

At Villa Maria, academic excellence is our first priority.But we also strongly believe in the importance of nurturingthe whole person, preparing students for life.Villa Maria. Mind. Body. Soul.

Any schoolcan prepare herfor university.

We prepareher for life.

English Sector Open HouseOctober 15, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm

English Sector Entrance ExamsSec. 1: October 28, November 16Sec. 1 to Sec. 5: January 26, 2007

French Sector Open HouseSeptember 30, from noon to 4:00 pm

French Sector Entrance ExamsSec. 1: October 21Sec. 1 to Sec. 5: October 22

4245, Décarie Blvd. Montréal, QC H4A 3K4 (514) 484-4950 www.villamaria.qc.ca

A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS SINCE 1854

hadn’t because the museum’s websitestates that the activities are suitable forages 4 and up. Amel is 3 1⁄2 and loved it!We spent most of the morning in Dy-namo’s Lair, a castle designed for chil-dren ages 4 to 7. There are about 20 inter-active stations and games, a slide and afun tunnel that kids can crawl through.

Most of the activities are either in mocktowers or scattered throughout the cen-tral part of the room. One of the towershosts Marching Music: giant piano noteson the floor for little ones to step on andcreate ‘soothing’ melodies (yeah, right!),there are two ‘doodling stations’, wherefragments of iron are encased in a trans-parent table and kids can use a magnetic‘pen’ to create designs and explore mag-netic fields, a heat-activated art gallery, awishing well, just to name a few of theactivities. The recommended age rangeseems right, but if you feel that your 3-year-old might be ready, give it a shot.

FossilsAfter Dynamo’s Lair, we continued ex-

ploring. The current temporary exhibi-tion is Ice Age Mammals. A giant cast ofa complete skeleton of the Mammut Am-ericanum that inhabited North America 15

million years ago is on display and thereare other smaller showcases containingdifferent species, artifacts and fossils.

Climate Change … Way Back ThenThe exhibit also explains how climate

changes have affected our planet andthere are computers with connected ear-phones scattered around. This exhibit ison until March 2007 and is suitable forchildren ages 8 and up.

Upstairs there is more: Technocity(computers, robotics, energy, resources)and Eureka! (matter, forces, waves, ener-gy transfer), for children over the age of 8.I did notice that there are diaper changetables in the public bathrooms.

The museum’s hours are Monday toFriday, 8:15 am to 3:30 pm and Saturdayand Sunday, 8:15 am to 5:30 pm. Admis-sion prices are $10/adults, $9/teens (13 to17), $7/children (4 to 12). If your child isunder 4, admission is free, but you maybe asked to show his/her proof of age.Birthday party packages are available onweekends starting at $12.50/child: call514.496.2281. The museum’s main num-ber is 514.496.4724 or visit their website:www.montrealsciencecentre.com. KingEdward Pier at the Old Port (you will seethe big IMAX sign; it is also located in thesame building).

MATERNALLY... continued from page 1

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6 – Vivva MONTREAL – October 2006

and combines ply the endless flat fields asmigrant workers pick the bounty fromthe black earth. Out of the city’s trafficand past the strip malls of suburbia, thepace slows. Cyclists clad in bright jerseyspoint their morning course toward therolling back roads of the border area. It’sanother world where the ChateauguayRiver and its rocky tributaries flow pastold wooden barns in Rockburn, under thecovered bridge at Powerscourt and overthe water wheel at an old grain mill inDewittville.

From various roadside lookout pointsin Franklin Centre, one looks acrossblazing red and yellow woodlands toMontreal’s miniscule skyscrapers on thehorizon. Another viewpoint on Covey HillRoad gazes directly east, where, on a clearday, you can spot Pinnacle in the EasternTownships and Mount Mansfield, Ver-mont’s highest peak.

Covey Hill is adjacent to a 6 million-acre wilderness, the Adirondack ForestPreserve that stretches to central NewYork State, but the only view of theAdirondack peaks is from Ridge Roadnear Huntingdon. This borderline foot-hill region boasts some of the purestwater in the world and abundant wildlife.

Fruit Country Beckons

This is apple country and October ispeak season. Pick-your-own orchards dotthe landscape along Route 202 betweenHemmingford and Hinchinbrooke. Eachfarm offers its own unique blend ofFrench and English cultures with a mix oftourism styles, either for those who like afestive atmosphere with hayrides and apetting zoo, or for those who prefer to getaway from the crowds.

If you access the region from Autoroute15, Hemmingford is the first ‘must’ stop.It’s more upscale than towns furtherwest; you might call it the Knowlton ofthe Southwest Townships. The bustlingvillage has exhibits of art and antiques; apub; natural and ethnic food stores; andapple orchards right in town. TheWitsend Pub (450.247.3597) offers full-course dinners in a heritage house, aswell as fine brews at the bar.

Petch Orchards (450.247.3414, http://www.securenet.net/members/tamlge-or/petch/) offers good old-fashioned funwith tractor rides, a children’s maze madeout of straw bales and an apple museum.Don’t forget to take home a gallon offresh-pressed juice and certainly some oftheir famous apple juice doughnuts.

For more modern and classy tastes,visit La Face Cachée de la Pomme

(450.247.2899 ext.228, www.appleicewine.com) where their ice ciders can betaste-tested like fine wines. In Havelock,you can do the same with grape productsat the vineyard, the Vignoble du Mara-thonien (450.826.0522, see also ‘Chat-eauguay Wine, Cider and Cheese’, p. 7).

It was in Havelock, on the upper slopesof Covey Hill, where the early 19th cen-tury pioneers carved pastures out of theforest, then planted the first groves ofcommercial apples. Down-slope alongRoute 202 in Franklin, English farmnames predominate the old farms: Blair,Frier, Stevenson, Cassidy, Bye, McMillan.

At Blair Orchards, if you have your carwindows open, the smell of freshly bakedpies and the rhythm of a country bandwill force you to turn into their lane.

The Arthurs came to Quebec in 1820.The fifth generation runs the family farmand a sixth is on the way. Stroll beneaththeir huge sugar maples in the yard and awoodlot that the Arthurs have never cut in183 years. One tree measures 13 feetaround. The kitchen’s creations are reasonenough to stop here, plus the building isan architectural gem with a window over-looking a pond and covered footbridge.Children scramble down to the brook,tossing sticks into the current and return-ing with bouquets of fragrant peppermint.

Time to Eat, Drink and Be Merry

An alternative lunch break is at theRockburn Pub (450.264.2239). It sitsbeneath grandfather maples beside anold stone church. Weekends draw plentyof motorcyclists and antique car enthusi-asts, but there’s always room on the porchor beside the hearth in the cozy Irish pub.

For fresh-baked goods, drive to the topof the ridge where the u-pick orchardOcenas Orchards (450.827.2019, www.ocenasorchards.com) offers a panoramaof the St. Lawrence valley. Besides thebest view in the county, the Ocenas’ farmoffers bread from an old-fashioned out-door clay oven.

While you pick your bright red Cort-

lands, Spartans and Empires, the cloudsin a big blue sky seem almost withinreach. V-formations of migrating geeseare so close you can hear their wings beat.

Antique treasure hunters will have togo to Ormstown where five dealers haveset up shop. If you need another Guin-ness or an enchilada, check out Qué Pasa(514.829.2686), an old-style pub offeringMexican fare.

Cycle Paths, Wildlife and Iroquois Villages

The western corner of the Chateauguayvalley offers outdoor lovers a variety ofactivities. Way out in Dundee is the LacSt. Francois National Wildlife Refugewhere waterfowl, hawks and owls stopover on their migration south.

Near St. Anicet an archeological dig atthe Drouler Farm uncovered remnants ofan Iroquois village dating back over 500years. The village and longhouses havebeen reconstructed. A similar park is atPointe du Buisson near Beauharnois.

Bicycling is easy on an series of pavedpaths around Valleyfield. One accesspoint is across the Larocque lift bridge onRoute 201, or along the Soulanges canalthat connects all the way to Dorion.

In Valleyfield you can even find outdooractivities indoors. An old brick churchhas been converted into the Vertige rockclimbing gym (450.371.2331, www.vertige-escalade.com). There are dozens of ropesto the ceiling and walls with artificialhand and foot holds.

One final tip while you’re in the upperSt. Lawrence region: fill up on gas; it’s al-ways $.10/litre cheaper than in Montreal.

Most of the attractions are listed on theregional tourism map of the upper St.Lawrence 450.264.5252 (www.circuitdupaysan.com) and in the brochures ofTourisme Suroit 1.800.378.7648 (www.tourisme-suroit.qc.ca).

In southwest Quebec, you’re surround-ed by good air, good food and good peo-ple, which is just about all you need.

Phil Norton is a Franklinwriter and photographer.

CHATEAUGUAY... continued from page 1

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Vivva MONTREAL – October 2006 – 7

By Carola Price

The leaves have begun their colourchange and the crisp night air reminds usthat the chill of winter will soon embraceus all. For me, this time of year signifiesthe beginning of a wine’s life and not agrape’s demise. Armed with notebookand the attitude of an explorer, my friendand I decided to seek out the bounty ofthe Chateauguay valley. I wanted to sharewith my readers the joy of harvest timein the country and what can be enjoyedany weekend, such a short drive fromMontreal.

My mission was to match our localcheeses with beer, sparkling or iced ciderand, of course, wine. This is the perfecttime of year to drive and walk around thecountryside. During the week most facili-ties are practically empty, leading me tosuggest that a ‘sick day’ from work maybe in order.

Time to Collect

Any grape harvest begins with testingthe grapes for the right sugar level. Oncethe optimum level is reached, the fruitfinds its way to the fermentation tanks.When fermentation is complete, it is timeto choose the holding system for the age-ing process: oak barrels or stainless steeltanks.

Wine

Chateauguay Wine,Cider and Cheese

While visiting one of Quebec’s finestcider makers, La Face Cachée de laPomme (617, Route 202, Hemmingford,450.247.2899 www.appleicewine.com), Ifound out that the same rules apply whenmaking hard cider.

(By the way, beer is also fermented, butis not put into oak barrels. Almost allcommercial beer is aged for severalweeks. Some small craft brewers age theirproduct for up to three months beforereleasing it.)

Cheesy Bites

Cheese is one of the most perfect foodsfor wine. The lactic acid in any cheesetones down the tannin, acidity and harshflavours found in many wines. At Arti-sanal Cheese in New York City (www.arti-sanalcheese.com), they write, ‘A greatwine pairing should not merely enhancethe flavour of wine; it should alsoimprove your perception of the cheeseitself. Both wine and cheese are raised upto new heights…’

I love trying any kind of cheese,whether it is pasteurized or made withraw milk. Quebec has some of the mostdivine examples that I have ever comeacross. While many are made from cow’smilk, quite a few sheep and goat’s milkproducts are made less than 30 minutesfrom Montreal. We found the goatcheeses at Ruban Bleu (449 Rang St.Simon, St. Isodore de la Praririe,450.454.4405, www.rubanbleu.net) out-standing. I suppose the gorgeous day, thedelicious ciders and the braying that wel-comed us to the farm made our experi-ence all the better. The woman at thecounter filled us with information andsamples of goat’s milk Camembert andone that resembled old cheddar.

Shop Around

We left almost every stop on our tourwith a new bag of goodies. Wrapped upwith the excitement of the tastings andnewly learned information, we hit the giftshops with vigour. I wanted to buy almostevery wine and cider I could carry, butwas held back by my friend, who remind-ed me that there were more stops on ourlittle journey.

While wine and cider can be cheap,iced product of any fruit is not.

If you love to drive and discover new

palate pleasers, this might be a tour foryou. The only thing I should stress is topick up the Route des Fromages guide-book before leaving Montreal. It will beessential to your enjoyment when onthose winding country roads with littlesigns and big views. Learn a lot, enjoy theviews and drive carefully. For more infor-mation call or email Circuit du Paysan(1.800.378.7648 or 450.377.7676, andwww.routedesfromages.com).

A Matter of Taste

18/20 Unibroue, Fin du Monde beer,Quebec. Any dépanneur should carrythis product.

The cheddar from Ruban Bleu pairsperfectly with this beer and brings out theslightly nutty aftertaste in the beer. Thisblond beer has a smooth finish with somespiciness and tart flavours. Think plumpudding with champagne-like bubbles.

17/20 Frimas cider, Face Cachée de laPomme, Quebec SAQ#00742627 $49.25

The acidity of chevre and raspberries ina dark chocolate cup matches the velvetytexture of the cider perfectly as it glidesdown the throat. It is iced cider of thehighest quality with a golden brown hueand a lively smell of spiced apples andalmonds. It is tart and sweet withoutbeing cloying, has a long finish in themouth and very well balanced fruit andacidity.

16/20 Boisé de Havelock, VignobleMarathonnien, Quebec. Available atthe winery exclusively.

The delicate white blume and charcoalgoat cheese pyramid matched the floraland slightly citric texture of the Boisé deHavelock. This is an excellent wine forlight cheeses or as an apéritif. It is slight-ly fruity with some lime peel in the back-ground. The taste is tart green apple andsome butter while the finish is medium-bodied and not too acidic. It also matcheswell with egg dishes and fish dishes inwine or cream sauces.

Other Wines to Enjoy With Cheese…

18/20 Babich, Sauvignon Blanc, NewZealand SAQ# 00560144 $19.05

This crisp and well balanced whiteshows well when paired with goat cheese.

I find that Pecorino is also lively with thelime and grassy flavours in the wine. It isNew Zealand’s best grape and has finallyseen some action here in Quebec. Enjoy itwith grilled chicken and lime as well asThai and Vietnamese dishes whetherspicy or not.

19/20 Montes Alpha, Merlot, ChileSAQ#00564617 $23.25

This juicy black Merlot also has a bit ofCabernet Sauvignon in it to make itslightly tannic and more powerful thanother Merlot. It is well matched withstinky creamy cheeses like Saint Damaseand Brillat Savarin or with mediumcheese washed in wine like Le SainteRose or old cheddar washed in port.

It has a long finish with tobacco andchocolate overtones, black pepper andsome plum in the mouth and a hint ofchocolate in the aftertaste. Pairs well withgrilled red meat and pasta with meatsauce or a wonderfully rich lasagna.

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.

The Auxiliary of theMontreal General Hospital

presents

Baked goods, jams,jewelry, holiday gifts

and stationery, antiquesand children’s corner.Proceeds will be used by theMontreal General Hospital’s

Respiratory Department.

Preview evening & party($20 incl. parking):Tuesday October 17,

5 pm to 8 pmRegular sale

(free admission):Wednesday October 18,

9:30 am to 4:30 pmNo sales tax!An unreviewd producer (they were closed

for the day) with a great sign.

8 – Vivva MONTREAL – October 2006

by Chris ‘Zeke’ Hand

Valerie Butters is a woman. All womenI know like flowers, so it goes withoutsaying Valerie Butters likes flowers. Goodthing, too, as pretty much everything shepaints is flowers or landscapes with flow-ers. Ms. Butters has an exhibit opening atAvenue Art on October 5.

Valerie Butters

My interview with her was a wide rang-ing conversation that went from her ex-periences as one of the few female in-fantry soldiers in the Canadian ArmedForces (‘I was the best shot in my pla-toon’) to the differences between paintingfrom life and painting from photographs(‘Photographs enable me to explore theabstract nature of the flowers’). While allof her available work is still life or land-scape, Ms. Butters does not paint flowersexclusively. She is constantly exploringother forms, means and methods. As shesays, ‘Who has time for hobbies whenyou have an obsession?’

From Chicoutimi to Greece and Back

Born in Chicoutimi, the daughter of ajet fighter pilot, Ms. Butters moved a-round the country an awful lot during herchildhood, eventually ending up in Ot-tawa just long enough to call it home.Post-graduation and post-army, she trav-eled extensively throughout Europe. Butit was on Corfu that she decided that sheneeded to paint. It wasn’t exactly an ‘Ineed a paintbrush, now!’ moment, but itwas compelling enough for her to forsakesun, sand and bathing suits for Canadianwinters. Once back home, she enrolled inthe Ottawa Art School, and she has neverlooked back.

Flowers

About 70% of her paintings are fromreal life, using just her eye and hand tointerpret what she sees. The rest are fromphotographs. The reason she paints flow-ers is that, back when she was just start-ing to paint, flowers were a cheap andvery easy to procure subject. And on topof it, her studio ended up smelling glori-ous. Unfortunately, the lifespan of freshcut flowers isn’t terribly long, but herfavourite time to paint them is four daysafter they have been cut or right before

they die.She churns out painting after painting

as if her life depended on it. It is theprocess of painting and how her brushinteracts with the canvas using acrylicpaint as the catalyst that is as important toher as the process of breathing. Thisvibrancy is evident in every brush strokein every painting she creates.

Terre, Pierre et Fer

Vibrant brush strokes ain’t what you’regoing to get if you go down around thecorner from Avenue Art to the McClureGallery. There they have an exhibitionopening on October 5, called Terre, pierreet fer, which highlights the work of JeanBrillant (not the dead Canadian hero),Jean-Louis Emond and Eva Lapka, threelong time veterans of the Québécois artscene.

Unlike Ms. Butters, the three artistsuse very earthy materials: dirt, rock andmetal. Most of the pieces for the showhad not been completed when I spoke tothe artists, but they were all hard at work.

The basic premise for the show was tohave each artist work with one of the ele-ments, either earth, stone, or iron, inorder to experience the interplay betweenpieces in a group show. However, as Ms.Lapka works with stoneware and otherceramics, Jean Brillant in metal andsometimes with stone as well, and Jean-Louis Emond in metal, I imagine that onewill have to take the premise with a grainof salt. Sometimes when you squintthings look even better than they do inreality.

Eva Lapka

Ms. Lapka was born in Czechoslovakiaand immigrated to Canada in 1968. Sheis a veteran of numerous exhibits and herwork is in the collections of many muse-ums worldwide. I was told that her pieceAra Pacis (‘Altar of Peace’) would be in theexhibit. It is a rough v-formation (of whatI imagine are ceramic hands) above twoother ceramic hands on a small blackpedestal. From the pictures I saw, it look-ed sorta like what I could imagine a flockof doves would look like if they all decid-ed to become evangelical Christians andlay hands in order to try to heal the world.It looks pretty enough. (The only problemis that these days evangelical Christians

Art

Flowers, Earth and Metal:Fall Art Exhibits in Westmount

have no desire to heal the world, pity.)

Jean Brillant

As the interviews were taking place inM. Brillant’s studio, it became a little biteasier to imagine what he was going to bemaking. He showed us a gas cylinder thathe was planning on incising in order tomake the most delicate lace-like filigreeyou could imagine. We were lucky en-ough to see a smaller version that M.Brillant had already made and I can’tbegin to describe the sheer amazementthat came over me. M. Brillant had used awelding blowtorch in order to cut into thecylinder and everything sorta got twistedaround in my head, and it made me go allouroboros inside and out. Toss in theinherent contradiction between big gascannisters made from cold rolled steeland ‘lace-like filigree’, and it’s a goodthing I didn’t faint right then and there.

Hedwidge Asselin, the curator of theexhibit, will be giving a public talk onThursday, October 12 at 7 pm at theMcClure Gallery. The artists will be inattendance as well and they promise toanswer questions from the audience.

Terre, pierre et fer:October 6 to 28, 2006McClure Gallery350 Victoria514.488.9558Tuesday to Friday: 12 noon to 6 pmSaturday: 10 am to 5 pmVernissage: Thursday, October 6 at6 pm.

Inspired by Summer: Valerie ButtersOctober 5 to 19Avenue Art Gallery4880 Sherbrooke Street West, Suite 170514.867.3745Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 10:30 amto 5 pm and by appointment

Chris Hand runs Zeke’s Gallery. All theopinions expressed are his own. He does not

represent, manage, consult or otherwisehave ANY affiliation with any of the artists

or galleries he writes about, unless it isexplicitly stated within the review.

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Vivva MONTREAL – October 2006 – 9

By Catherine McKenzieand David Price

We all love TV. Every year, however, anumber of television shows die. Last year’scrop included The West Wing, ArrestedDevelopment and Everwood. Here is anattempt to scout out new hit dramas for ourreaders.

Next month: comedies.

VanishedMondays at 9 pm, Fox & Global

He:She:

He said: This thriller about a US sena-tor’s missing wife is a Frankenstein col-lage. There is an FBI agent haunted byhis past (take your pick: The X-Files, Mag-num, P. I., Knight Rider…). The cityscapesare alternately rendered as successivefreeze frames (CSI, Angel) or high techrenderings on computer (24 with a nod toTron). We follow the camera into a com-puter’s inner workings (House/CSI withthe slight twist that this microscopicworld is technological, not biological).The slightly wild children of the senatorchafe under the constant security blanket(24, The West Wing). And the conspiracy:victims have numbers tattooed on themor left on killers’ ‘calling cards’ (The DaVinci Code!). If you like those productionsand aren’t looking for something radical-ly new or brilliantly acted, this might bethe ticket. I almost forgot: one possiblenew element to Vanished: the unscrupu-lous, sexually charged TV reporter. I hopeshe mixes things up!

She said: I agree. I would add that, eventhough they presumably have all seasonto resolve this mystery, there are elementsthat are rushed. Why pretend that theyare able to obtain every traffic, ATM andsecurity video from the radius of theabduction site within hours? While it is aformat that works on 24, it is disorientinghere because this show is not progressingin real time. Additionally, there were afew real clinkers on the dialogue front:‘Tell him I will see him in hell’ is a linethat never needs to be repeated.

JusticeWednesdays at 9 pm, Fox & CTV

He:She:

She said: Justice follows a very expen-

sive, very good team of criminal defenceattorneys from first client meeting to ver-dict. The added twist is that we find out,post-verdict, what really happened.

Much like Vanished, this show relies onchoppy camera work to create drama.Movies I was reminded of were PanicRoom and Flight Plan: the camera goesthrough walls rather than taking usthrough doors. Wouldn’t it be nice if pacewere created with great writing?

This show is led by Alias alumnusVictor Garber. I have personally neverbeen a fan, and find him stiff (is he partrobot?). The chemistry between the restof the cast is quite good, until Garbershows up.

I also chafed at the unreality of theattorneys. Clearly, they have not learnedthe difference between asking a questionand giving a speech, and objections areonly made whenever they feel like it. Thatbeing said, the creators have created aworld that encompasses more than thecourtroom. A standout: the snippets of aCNN-type show called American Crime.

He said: I agree. The Garber characterintrudes with quips and not-so-bon mots.The first episode introduction of the legalteam was like a scene from Guns ofNavarone, Mission: Impossible (or TopSecret!). Each member has a specialskill… Extra points docked for usingWarren Zevon’s bad-boy-in-Cuba storysong ‘Lawyers, Guns and Money’ for thiscorporate, cookie-cut show about a slick,cookie-cut world. And the law firm iscalled TNT&G. Need I say more?

StandoffTuesdays at 9 pm, Fox

He:She: Show not rated; for lead actor,see below.

He said: Boy, is this bad! The plot: thereare two hostage negotiators who are hav-ing a secret relationship. The man isplayed by Ron Livingston – who has beeneating regularly since his ‘starving actor’days of Swingers, Sex and the City andBand of Brothers. The woman is played byRosemarie DeWitt – who is an off-the-shelf, anodyne brunette-with-some-red-hue-to-her-hair. There are several hack-neyed interplays: lover versus lover (theydraw parallels between work situations andtheir relationship!), street cops versus theirsuperior (they are great at what they do, but

TV – New Dramas

He Said … She Said

break rules in doing so!) and tough-SWAT-team-cop versus understanding-psycho-babble-cops (he wants to shoot the bad guys;they need just a few more minutes to get thejob done!) The writing is hackneyed too:‘Go with your gut’ (I am not kidding) and‘Make the call.’ There is even a scenewhere the main characters argue untilthey kiss. (Earth to Hollywood writers: Samand Diane from Cheers wrote, publishedand sold the movie rights to this scene.Do not re-attempt.). As I zoned out, Istarted to think about more interestingthings than this show, like what consti-tutes good writing. Think of Livingston-Berger in Sex and the City. He is famousfor breaking up with Carrie on a post-itnote. I’d actually forgotten this exit strate-gy, but I do remember his character look-ing very Hollywood on a motorcycle andthen having self-acknowledged problemsmastering the bike for the rest of theepisode. Earth to Hollywood writers: writ-ing against type (at least sometimes) andbeing original are what spice up a show,and lead to viewers, survival, even fame...

She said: Ron Livingston’s cute.

Men in TreesFridays at 9 pm, ABC

He:She:

She said: Anne Heche plays a famousauthor and relationship coach. Everythingin her life seems perfect until she findsout, while on a business trip to a smalltown in Alaska, that her fiancé is cheatingon her. She is distraught, and yet takenwith the small town (of mostly men), anddecides to stay for awhile, writing and re-searching her next book.

I have a feeling that I shouldn’t like thisshow. I know it is a mixer: part NorthernExposure (see if you can catch the build-ing that evokes that show), part Sex andthe City, and, in its small town quirkyaspects, part Gilmore Girls. I know thatthere were a few dialogue clinkers, and afew plot issues. Like many of this year’sshows, this show suffers from acceleratedpacing. I know all this and yet, I enjoyedwatching. Heche is funny (particularly inthe opening sequence, and whateverDavid says in here, he laughed too).James Tupper (who is going to be theromantic, will-they-or-won’t-they lead) isexactly as he should be: handsome in arugged way with a great collection of fish-erman’s sweaters. The show has beengiven a brutal time slot, but – hey – that’swhat VCRs and PVRs are for! Give it a try.

He said: This is not a ‘mixer’. It is aDolly-the-sheep clone. From NorthernExposure: Alaska, the small town radioshow, the quirky radio host, the new NewYork resident, the wise/semi-wise nativeAmericans. To its own discredit: hack-

neyed writing (‘that’s the thing aboutlove’), unoriginal plotting (Heche’s char-acter throws her unused wedding dressoff a cliff) and a copied format (at the endof each show, we hear Heche’s thoughtsin a voice over. Doogie Howser anyone?).Heche’s acting is good, but she is swim-ming against a strong current.

SmithMondays at 9 pm, CTVTuesdays at 10 pm, CBS

He:She:

He said: The plot: Ray Liotta is theleader of a crack burglary squad. He ap-pears to keep his life secret from his wife(played by Virginia Madsen) and family.As of the end of the first episode, thepolice are on his tail. This is promisingtelevision! Why? (1) It contains the unex-pected. When two uncharming toughs tellone of Liotta’s team members (in a pre-caper, background scene) not to surf on abeach that is native Hawaiian turf, heresponds by walking to his car, retrievinga rifle and shooting them dead. You won’tsee that on Vanished! (2) The writing isgood. The same character is asked if hehas settled down or if ‘he is still chasingthe prettiest girl left at last call.’ If you’veever been at a sleazy bar when the lightsgo on, this remark speaks volumes. Youwon’t hear dialogue like that on Men inTrees! (3) The plotting is good. The teammembers and their skills are introducedinside the flow of the story. The AmySmart character is the forger; our surfer isthe marksman, there is an electronicsman etc... There is a great switcheroowith tattoos. You won’t find plot like thaton Justice! (4) It is well acted. Liotta is fir-ing on all cylinders. Need I say more? Youwon’t find great acting on Standoff!

Is Smith perfect? No: there were scenesthat repeated for no good reason, the trail-ers and first episode gave too much away(although not everything) and the non-linear plotting could have been less non-linear, but more effective. But, of all theshows I’ve seen this season, it has themost promise.

She said: I agree. This show is the bestof the crop so far. Ray Liotta is very goodand very cool. Why is he so appealing as ascumbag? Even better is the fact that thisshow appears to understand that noteverything needs to occur in five minutes.Seeds have been planted that will take allseason, or more, to develop. I actually feltas though I had watched a movie and not42 minutes of TV. The cast is excellent,although I found Virginia Madsen – andher knowing looks – annoying.

Catherine McKenzie is a lawyer.David Price is a publisher.

10 – Vivva MONTREAL – October 2006

Dufferin Heights. Lord Dufferin, governor general from 1872-78, proclaimed the view ‘the most scenicfound anywhere.’ Photo: Matthew Farfan – author of The Eastern Townships: In Town and Village.

Fall is a great time to play golf in theTownships (or anywhere), but there areunique challenges. Before you even getthere, be careful of fall cyclists. Peoplemight dream of a future where they ownthe road, but in the meantime they are indanger. Expect them: alone, in four-somes, even facing oncoming traffic.

On the links, be ready to play behind(or sandwiched inside) a tournament. Bepatient. Think of the 19th hole.

Things to remember about actuallygolfing in the fall:

Fog. A golf day can be both rained andfogged out. The colder weather also slowsdown the fog burn-off. Don’t make firmplans too far in advance.

Water. A weaker sun comes up later. Asa result, early rounds of golf lead to feetwet from dew. Bring an extra pair ofshoes and socks for the back nine.

Leaves. Leaves are everywhere. Theycan look like a golf ball – or hide one.Bring your most distinctive balls andmake sure to follow your shots.

Some suggestions with their end-of-seasons. (There is some vagueness to

these dates, so if it matters, be sure to call;on the flip side, they can be open later ifthe weather is good):October 15Lac Brome (Knowlton) 888.539.0808Inverness (Bondville) 450.242.1595Owl’s Head (Mansonville) 450.292.3666Mid-OctoberDufferin Heights (Stanstead)

819.876.2113 End of OctoberCowansville 450.263.1332 Rochers Bleus (Sutton) 800.361.2468Lennoxville 819.562.4922 End of NovemberLes Cèdres (Granby) 450.372.0167

Other Townships Stuff

FALL COLOURS: Gondola day passesat Orford are $7.50 to $9.75. Sept. 29 &30 and Oct. 1, 6-9. Call 1.866.673.6731 orgo to www.orford.com.

10th Annual Autumnfest at Owl’s HeadSept. 30 & Oct. 1, 7-8. Arts, crafts and fallfoliage. Antiques on Sunday Oct. 1. Liftpasses (also on Oct. 9) are $8 to $10. Call1.800.363.3342 or go to www.owlshead.com.

Townships Calendar: Golf Step One: Capote (#1)

This movie, for which Philip SeymourHoffman won an Oscar, Capote, is not atraditional biopic. Rather, it followsTruman Capote through the process ofwriting his best known book, In ColdBlood. In an interview with the author ofthe movie (actor Dan Futterman, bestknown for his work on Judging Amy), hestated that the genesis of the movie washis realization that one of the most inter-esting characters of Capote’s true-crimedrama wasn’t in the book: Capote him-self. Capote was on the scene within daysof the murder, spent weeks in the smalltown where it occurred and interviewedmany of the main characters personally.He was accompanied on that journey byhis long-time collaborator and friend,Harper Lee.

Capote’s presence on the scene put himin a position to first meet, and eventuallybefriend, the murderers, and in particularPerry Smith (excellently played by CliftonCollins Jr.). The movie covers the lives ofthese two men and the frustration thatCapote feels at not being able to finish hisbook until the final outcome is known.Hoffman’s acting is brilliant, although Ipersonally think the Oscar should havegone to Heath Ledger for his aching per-formance in Brokeback Mountain.

Step Two: The Ball Starts to Roll

It was because of this movie that Idecided to re-read In Cold Blood. Like themovie, the book follows the story of themurder of the Clutter family by twosmall-time criminals who were under themistaken impression that the Cluttershad a safe full of money hidden some-where in their house. The book tells thestory from all angles. We see the mem-bers of the family going about their lives.We see the killers on their journey towardthe small town where the murders takeplace and their attempt at flight after-wards. We learn about the impact thesemurders have on the town, and on thosewho were close to the family. Then thebook shifts to following the murderersthrough the penal system.

It was an interesting experience read-ing this book once I knew what Capote’srole was behind the scenes. It turns outhe is in the book, hidden behind codewords like ‘a journalist who spoke to’ soand so, or ‘a friend of’ this or that person.It is essentially a perfect book, keepingour interest from start to finish, andshowing us the humanness of the killers,if not their humanity.

Step Three: And if That MockingbirdDon’t Sing…

Another character in In Cold Blood who

is not named is, of course, Harper Lee.During the time that this ‘female journal-ist’ (as she is referred to) was helpingCapote gather the pieces of his master-piece, a little novel called To Kill aMockingbird was published. I had lastread this book, along with all schoolchild-ren, sometime in high school, and mymemory of it was hazy and clouded by thepowerful images created by Gregory Peckin the movie version. Re-reading it mademe remember why it is part of the mod-ern cannon, and why it should be.

To Kill A Mockingbird is set in the Southin the 1930s and is told from the perspec-tive of a young girl named Scout. Scout’sbest friends are her older brother Jamesand an odd little boy named Dill who vis-its every summer. Her father, Atticus, is alawyer in the town they live in. This bookcontains two main plots that interweave:Scout, James and Dill’s obsession with aneighbour named Boo Radley who neverleaves his house, and Atticus’ defence of ayoung black man who is falsely accusedof raping a white girl. These two eventseventually come face to face and changeScout’s life forever.

Harper Lee does so many things rightin this book, but the most impressive, Ithink, is how she manages to tell a storythrough an 8-year-old narrator and cap-ture both the thoughts of the child shewas and the adult she has become. Whenpeople speak about this book, they mostlyfocus on its message about race andracism in the South. This book is just asmuch about the relationship between agirl and her father, and a girl and herbrother. And whatever the subject matter,Lee’s tone, style and choice of languageare as fresh and modern as if the bookhad been was written last year.

Step Four-A: The Buzz of Bees

I next read The Secret Life of Bees by SueMonk Kidd, a book with parallels to ToKill A Mockingbird. This book follows theadventures of a young girl in the South inthe 1960s who runs away from home toget away from her abusive father. Sheescapes with her housekeeper, a black

BOOKS/MOVIES... continued from page 1

Capote

In Cold Bloodby Truman Capote

To Kill a Mockingbirdby Harper Lee

The Secret Life of Bees bySue Monk Kidd

Bee Seasonby Myla Goldberg

continued on the next page

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Vivva MONTREAL – October 2006 – 11

By John Smith

A few years ago, the Ontario SecuritiesCommission spearheaded an overhaul ofthe policies for investment dealers servic-ing the retail client. The commission setup committees and proposed a fairly tightagenda for the delivery of what was calledthe Fair Dealing Model (FDM). The workcontinues on the client/advisor relation-ship.

The intent was to establish a clearunderstanding of the client’s needs andwishes and the ability of the dealer todeliver those targets on a cost efficientbasis. The work on this FDM is stillunderway, but the groundwork allowedthe committee members an insight intothe practices of the investment industryand a few simple steps were suggestedthat could be of help to the average client.

Tracking Portfolio Performance

A significant area of discussion was theideal requirement to produce an ongoingrecord for clients allowing them to tracktheir investment performance againstoriginal targets. This facility is still notreadily available for most investors,which is unfortunate, because it is simplythe most important element for rating theresults of a portfolio over time. Let ussuppose that you as an investor had inmind a rate of return (exclusive of in-come) that would allow you to achieve asolid growth for your investments over along period of time. Let us take a simplecriterion: the average rate of inflation forthe past three years plus 5%. Today thatcompound growth rate needs to be about7%. Not out of reach for most investorsallowing for a modicum of risk to achievethe result. Now suppose you had agreedwith your investment advisor that this tar-get rate would be reviewed annually andchecked against the actual results. All fineso far.

Your monthly statement may showyour holdings in two columns: cost basisand present value. From those numbers,you can calculate your gross returns, butthey do not provide you with an annual-ized compound rate of return. It is allvery well to know that your $25,000 bankshare investment made in 1986 is nowworth $100,000, but what is its com-pound rate of return (excluding divi-dends)? Actually, very close to that 7% tar-

get you set. However, without the annual-ized compound return, the month endstatement is not very informative.

What’s a CAGR?

You are able to calculate your annualreturn fairly accurately yourself if you tapinto Investopedia.com and search forCAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)and then use the CAGR calculator. It isnot perfect, but it is very good. All youneed to know is the cost basis, the date ofpurchase and the present market value.Armed with that calculation for eachholding and for your portfolio in total youcan assess your performance against yourtarget. You might be surprised! A similarcalculator can be found at CNNMoney.com at the very bottom of the homepage.It refers to housing prices, but the calcu-lations are the same.

Two Lows at Once

While September 2001 will be remem-bered for the shocking destruction of theWorld Trade Center, it also marks a lowpoint in the valuation of securities. Con-sequently, the purveyors of mutual fundsand similar investments will now be ableto use this benchmark starting point andthe subsequent recovery of the markets toextol their remarkable performance. Inthe case of investments held in US secu-rities, this marketing information mustbe placed within the context of the realitythat the popular indices of Americanmarkets have not yet recovered their peakvalues achieved in the years 1999 and2000.

Investors should always be concernedabout absolute rates of return and not rel-ative rates. It is all very well to beat themarket averages by a measurable a-mount, but the results may only reflectthe performance from carefully selectedstarting dates. It is therefore not hard toanticipate that the forthcoming sales liter-ature will refer to the past five years andignore a generous portion of the preced-ing period. The resulting calculations willimply a very favourable future for theirselected funds. Caveat emptor.

John Smith is the nom de guerre of aretired investment executive. John has been

a broker, investment banker and trader inMontreal and Toronto, as well as active incompany management and the investment

industry’s self-regulatory agencies.

Pract ical Points

Rates and Rating: PortfolioPerformance Measurement

woman just waking up to her rights, andends up living with a family of blackwomen who are beekeepers. I personallythought this was just a standard effort. Infact, with the exception of the beginningchapter (from which the title comes),there is little that is original here. Rather,the author has created a martini of abook: part To Kill a Mockingbird, part FriedGreen Tomatoes, part The Color Purple, anda dash of at least five or six other books.Maybe Mockingbird’s excellence makes itimpossible to write a story from theperspective of a precocious girl child inthe racially divided South. Whatever thecase, I was not surprised by any develop-

ment or twist in this book, and guessedthe ending about 50 pages in. While Kiddis a good writer, she is not an originalone.

Step Four-B: More Bees

When I was buying The Secret Life ofBees, another title caught my eye, thenovel Bee Season by Myla Goldberg.Intrigued, I succumbed to temptation

and bought the book.Bee Season is the story of a young girl

who has never excelled academically untilshe learns that she is a prodigy speller.This fact finally gets her the attention shealways wanted from her father, whoseinterest to date had been focused on hermore academically inclined older brother.However, the spelling bee is merely thedevice that takes us into the lives of eachof the family members: the father whostudied to be a rabbi and spends his daysstudying theological material, the lawyermother who is the income source for thefamily and who is descending into mad-ness, the older brother who spins off hisaxis into another religion when hisfather’s attention is taken away and the

main character whose spelling talenttakes over her life.

While I enjoyed the beginning of thisbook, it soon veered off into such bizarre(though imaginative) places that I lostinterest. None of these characters is par-ticularly likeable, and the book ends fairlyabruptly without any real resolution toany of the problems that were createdbetween the pages.

BOOKS/MOVIES... continued from page 10

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