Renowned architect Witold Rybczynski said he doesn’t have faith in governments to create culture. He complained that money is being wasted, including repointing of granite tiles at Place de Festivals at a cost of $600,000.
“[A city official] said ‘the mortar we chose worked well in the laboratory, but we noticed that in real conditions it wasn’t holding up,’” Rybczynski said. “That’s how the government does things. It does things in laboratories then it’s surprised by real life.’
Some audience members argued that the project is already successful in redefining downtown Montreal. The Place des Festivals has been used the last two years for summer festivals and the Grey Cup parade.
But others say real artists are being driven out by an expensive project.
Two weeks ago city council had to give up on plans to expropriate Johnny Zoumboulakis, who has owned a strip club, Café Cleopatra, on St. Laurent for 35 years.

See the full article from “CBC.ca”

Renowned architect Witold Rybczynski said he doesn’t have faith in governments to create culture. He complained that money is being wasted, including repointing of granite tiles at Place de Festivals at a cost of $600,000.
“[A city official] said ‘the mortar we chose worked well in the laboratory, but we noticed that in real conditions it wasn’t holding up,’” Rybczynski said. “That’s how the government does things. It does things in laboratories then it’s surprised by real life.’
Some audience members argued that the project is already successful in redefining downtown Montreal. The Place des Festivals has been used the last two years for summer festivals and the Grey Cup parade.
But others say real artists are being driven out by an expensive project.
Two weeks ago city council had to give up on plans to expropriate Johnny Zoumboulakis, who has owned a strip club, Café Cleopatra, on St. Laurent for 35 years.

See the full article from “CBC.ca”

MONTREAL – Police arrested two massage parlour owners Thursday night in Montreal’s north end for allegedly employing minors who performed sexual acts on clients.

See the full article from “Calgary Sun”

MONTREAL – Police arrested two massage parlour owners Thursday night in Montreal’s north end for allegedly employing minors who performed sexual acts on clients.

See the full article from “Winnipeg Sun”

MONTREAL – Police arrested two massage parlour owners Thursday night in Montreal’s north end for allegedly employing minors who performed sexual acts on clients.

See the full article from “Edmonton Sun”

MONTREAL – Police arrested two massage parlour owners Thursday night in Montreal’s north end for allegedly employing minors who performed sexual acts on clients.

See the full article from “London Free Press”

MONTREAL – Police arrested two massage parlour owners Thursday night in Montreal’s north end for allegedly employing minors who performed sexual acts on clients.

See the full article from “Toronto Sun”

MONTREAL – Police arrested two massage parlour owners Thursday night in Montreal’s north end for allegedly employing minors who performed sexual acts on clients.
Both owners, 35-year-old Than Lan Luu Pham and 28-year-old Gabriel Thouin, were charged with pimping minors and adults, as well as being found in a common bawdy-house.
Pham was additionally charged with human trafficking.
Police said that a 16-year-old and two 17-year-olds were among the women working in the parlours, which have been under police surveillance since January.
“There weren’t just minors. There were many women working there,” said Lt.-Detective Guy Bianchi. “These were salons that offered massages and there was the possibility of getting other options that constitute acts of prostitution.”
…
A Montreal-based group advocating against the sexual exploitation of sex workers recently tried to tally all the sex-related locations in the Greater Montreal Area and found at least 339. Of those, 199 were massage parlours that offer clients sexual services.

See the full article from “CANOE”

The Last Time I Saw Paris, Beau Brummell, Elephant Walk and Rhapsody, 1954: The busiest year of Taylor’s career.
Giant, 1956: Epic story of oilmen and ranchers in Texas co-starring Rock Hudson and James Dean, who was killed in a car crash late in production.
Raintree County, 1957: Taylor earned her first Oscar nomination for playing an emotionally unstable Southern belle.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 1958: Playwright Tennessee Williams did not like the movie adaptation of his play but it earned Taylor and Paul Newman Oscar nominations.
Suddenly Last Summer, 1959: Another movie based on a Williams play and another Oscar nomination for Taylor. Future husband Eddie Fisher had an uncredited role as a street urchin.
Butterfield 8, 1960: Taylor won an Academy Award for playing a prostitute. It co-starred then-husband Eddie Fisher but he and Taylor reportedly hated the movie.

See the full article from “Ottawa Citizen”

Zoumboulakis, for his part, is in a euphoric state: âœI couldnât be more happy, not just for me but for all who work and come here. It is so gratifying to know we wonât be blown up, yet it has been too many agonizing years for me in fighting this.
âœIâm a person who just wants to serve and make others happy. Iâm not a person whose idea of a good time is going to court and getting into legal battles. Hopefully, we can now put this behind us forever. And hopefully people will realize how much part of the cityâs history is in this area, and that the Cleo is of more value to tourism than another modern office building.â
The Cleo is more than a club. It is a cultural curio, featuring strippers on the main floor and offers everything from drag to fashion shows to the über-vamp and camp Dead Doll Dancers revue upstairs.

See the full article from “Montreal Gazette”