Ross (the Boss) of NDG's Blog

  It gives me great joy to write this message.  I have known Leon since the late '70's when he was a squash and tennis member at Cavendish Club and I was the racquetball pro.  Our friendship has gone through many phases - I have called him 'Bones' for years - referring to 'skin and bones' - which he never was - as in the vast majority of times he always carried a rather large abdomen owing to his love of food. By education - Bones was a lawyer - and an excellent one.  But he was so much more - he was a great multi-sport athlete - playing football for McGill - hockey -and a very good game of squash and tennis.  He put himself through school as a professional musician .  And even more interesting is his abilities as a scientific mind.  He has explored a wide variety of subject areas - coming up with alternative therapies for some.  As testament to his guidance from above, he wrote, scored and performed an amazing love song he envisioned Celine Dion...

This blog in general is about people and places - mostly in NDG - and my experiences with these.  Yesterday I had an amazing day I would like to share with you. It started early - just before 6am with my connection to my eternal soulmate Norah Jones through her amazing 20th Anniversary livestream of Come Away With Me  - something I do every morning.  At just before 7am CBC News had an interview with a friend and amazing person - Dany Bouchard - who is a music therapist at the Montreal General Hospital and heads up a program called Musi-Art .  Dany was speaking about a show they were doing yesterday afternoon at the Osler Amphitheatre at the MGH - a free concert - for the program.  I hadn't connected with Dany for several months and seeing this I was motivated to email him my best wishes - as I couldn't attend the concert. As I headed for my 'office' at 7:30am - I came across a lady taking pictures of for rent signs on apartment buildings.  I stopped her and...

In the 70's and early 80's - my Dad owned Harvey's Sport Shop - the neighbourhood sporting goods store in Snowdon.  He worked 'til 6pm Mondays through Wednesdays - then 'til 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays.  A special treat for us kids on Friday evenings was that we got to stay up late and have Yangtze dinner with my Mum and Dad - which he picked up from the location which at that point was on Van Horne. In those times, Yangtze was renowned for having the best egg rolls in the city - to go with great 'Jewish' Chinese food - otherwise known as Cantonese.  That location was gutted by fire on December 4, 2011 - and soon thereafter rose from the ashes in its second life as Tchang Kiang by Yangtze on Sherbrooke.  I have been there a handful of times - and had heard from a friend that the old cook from the Van Horne restaurant had given the secret recipe for the egg rolls to the new owners and that they were finally as good as previously. I had been dying for Chines...

About a month and a half ago - my great friend - Leon Maliniak - who is a career lawyer - real estate developer and professional musician - told me about this place on Somerled where on Tuesdays they offer a great meal combined with live music all afternoon.  He invited me to join him the following Tuesday. I didn't go with Leon the following week - but I did meet him there along with some of his friends.  I sat with some people I know from the neighbourhood - who I didn't know patronized this place.  The meal I received - as I explained to Tasha Lackman (the Executive Director of the Depot NDG) in an excited email to her - I would have gladly paid $20 plus tax and tip for in a restaurant.  Add to this that there was a very proficient musician playing guitar and singing - which only added to the amazing chemistry of the very full venue. Since that day I have become a regular.  My situation is not unlike many people in NDG at the moment.  With the rents soa...

I got home from a busy day today at 3pm - to receive a message from my sister Jo-Anne - inviting me out to my favourite Szechuan restaurant - Emeraude Bangkok - at 6pm.  I was really excited as I have had a hunger-on for good Chinese for a couple of weeks now and hadn't seen my sister, brother-in-law, Al and my Mum for several weeks. I got to the restaurant with about 10 minutes to spare and to my dismay found the door locked - owing to a family emergency.  I called my sis and she said she was almost at the resto so she would come and we could decide where to go from there.   We decided on Barbie's - which is in the same little plaza just off 55th Ave in Lachine.  I haven't been there for probably 25 years and was very impressed with the decor and overall liveliness of the place.  We started with drinks to cool us down as we perused the menu. Jo-Anne and my Mum split an order of ribs and wings with fries, Al had a meat lover's pizza and I had a Barbie's C...

About 5 years ago I moved from the middle of NDG to the northwestern margin of the borough (Coronation and Cote St Luc).  This changed my daily walking pattern - and took me out of the path of several people I really enjoyed meeting up with regularly.  Maryla was one of these. Often I would see her rushing to work at the daycare near her house - or at lunch walking one of several dogs she did - because she loves dogs and wants to keep them an important part of her life.  Often I would see her with her young charges - off on an outdoor field trip and would happily greet and say hi to all the little ones!  It wasn't a daily occurence - but running into Maryla was always very enjoyable and enlightening. I first came to know her through our dogs.  Maryla had a large breed pooch - Olive - who was the love of her life.  She did everything for Olive.  Maryla used to joke that my dog - Smokey - didn't really care that much for Olive - but that was Smokey - he ...

Today I had a hankering for Chinese food - and planned my walk to take me on a path towards Soba and Sushi on Sherbrooke just east of Decarie.  When I got there, they were closed until 5pm - so I pointed myself north towards Monkland to see what else jumped out at me.  When I got to Old Orchard - the choice became clear - Ye Olde Orchard! While the restaurant was quiet - the staff were active - getting promotions ready for the week's events with respect to the UEFA European Championships soccer - they were raffling off a very attractive Guinness cooler.   A really nice young man came up to me with a menu and I told him I was looking to try something different than my standard - but always great - cheeseburger and fries.  A quick gaze down the menu and my mind was made up - I would have one of their Sri Lankan specialties - Butter Chicken with basmati rice and Na'an bread. It took about ten minutes before my meal was ready and it was well worth the wait!  Th...

In my blog posts I am making a decided effort to speak about local people, places and events.  Given my desire to outline Heaven on Earth for every person and to demonstrate to you all how we can accomplish living in this Heaven on Earth - right here and right now - I thought this post was necessary and indicated - for people living in NDG as well as those living in every corner of this world. My life over the past 20 years has been decidedly different to likely every other person on the planet.  It has been an amazing and intimate walk with God - characterized by no less than 6 hospitalizations of between 2 and 6 months - because of nothing more than my proximity to Him - and my family and friends belief that somehow I was in danger - which was never the case. Please enjoy the video and pass it on to everyone you know! Wishing you peace, love and joy always... RossG3.ca  

I have known Gerry since the onset of my professional golf career in 1989.  At that time he was the assistant pro for Derrick Gray at Kanawaki Golf Club - a beautiful 18 hole facility just over the Mercier Bridge.  Other golf pros were afforded privileges on area golf courses in off-peak times and I used to call Gerry regularly to ensure it was okay for me to come over and play Kanawaki.  He was always obliging! I moved around a lot in my 10 years in the CPGA - but Gerry stayed put at Kanawaki for many years - until he made the move to Meadowbrook Golf Club in Cote St Luc - as Head Professional and Restaurant Owner.  This was a great position for the gregarious Ferguson - affording him a great means to make a living as well as beer at cost for himself!  Gerry did a fantastic job on both counts - building an amazing junior program in order to grow the game - giving lessons to many - and catering to the needs of people making the turn through 9 holes and before an...

On Thursday I was walking along the street with my friend Gary - we were speaking about food - and great burger joints in the neighbourhood specifically.  Gary mentioned that he had never been to Burger de Ville on Westminster in Montreal West, a place I have heard much about but also have never been to. My plans for the day changed today and after watching my favourite golfer of the last several years - Bryson DeChambeau - jump into the lead in the U.S. Open - I decided to head west for a burger and fries and to see what all the talk is about.  My path to the restaurant took me through Loyola Park - which was teeming with people of all ages - enjoying this wonderful June day.  It was great to see so many people enjoying the weather, playing with and enjoying the company of friends. Upon my entrance into the restaurant I was overcome by the aroma of meat cooking on their barbecue grill.  It was tantalizing and even heightened my desire for a great burger!  I wa...

I had a couple of friends - Sam Marshall and Mona - who used to hang around Fadi's Depanneur on the corner of Sherbrooke and Harvard - assisting Fadi when needed.  Both Sam and Mona died way too soon.  They both spoke about Bob regularly - although to that point I had never met him.   And then one day I did - and from that point on, Bob became a regular presence in my life.  He is a great and caring man - with endless patience and time for everyone.  As he makes his way down the street - inevitably he runs into people who he knows and stops regularly to share a good word with each. Bob is very intelligent.  He has a world view which is very attractive - and while he doesn't necessarily share it with everyone - it is plain to see in the way he conducts himself what this world view is - it is all about peace, love and enjoying the moment. He lived in a not-the-greatest apartment below Sherbrooke and even though he didn't have a lot of space welcomed Sam ...

In a little nondescript alcove on Sherbrooke next to Esposito Grocary store on Wilson lies the home/office/studio of one of the most artistic people - quite possibly in the world.  I say the alcove is unremarkable - but really it is - it doubles as Alley Cat Gallery - a tribute to the feline species created by John Jordan . John shares his space with his cat - Humbert - who spends most of his time roaming around the immediate area and on the beer cases at Fadi's Depanneur at the corner of Harvard.  Quite a few years back - as a very funny ploy - John ran Humbert in the local race for City Councillors - citing a lack of eligible candidates for the postion! That is the wit and humour of John Jordan!  He is a great guy with ample time for everyone - and in many cases you can find him outside his apartment sitting at his 'desk' on the street welcoming all comers.  There is always a coffee at the ready for whoever wants to sit down and chat with John. His talents run the...

In the last couple of days my life has taken on an even greater richness than even in the past.  It all began with my meeting my friend Rosanna outside her apartment on Tuesday.  She asked me to come in and speak with her son, Jacob.  She had told me that Jacob was brilliant - but I just chalked this up to the fact that every mother thinks their son(s) are stars! As I entered their small studio apartment, Jacob held out his hand and greeted me warmly.  He offered me a cup of tea and I assented.  Rosanna ushered me to a chair and I checked out their apartment while Jacob fixed my tea.  It is small but very ordered.  There was a floor-to ceiling structure in one entire corner - housing machines of some description. Once Jacob had attended to my tea - we got around to speaking - about him and his life/passions.  The machines are 3D Printers and he is a Product Designer and Developer, and really an engineer.  He showed me prototypes off products ...

I get my hair cut at a little place downstairs on Fielding at King Edward called Pat's.  The owner and sole barber there - Pat - or Pasquale - is a wonderful man - and very adept with a pair of scissors.  He has had his shop here for over 40 years and doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon! Across from Pat's is NDG Luncheonette .  Before they opened - Pat told me about his friend - Mike Griffin - owner of Honey Martin's Pub on Sherbrooke and one of the greatest boxing referees in the world - who was spearheading a campaign to open an all day breakfast place in that spot.  Well the idea has come through - in spades! The place is operated by Sophia Kahlil-Griffin - and is likely the hottest thing in the NDG community since its opening about a year ago.  It is a small place - with only 3 booths for 4 people max each and a counter with about 10 stools.  In warmer climates there are several outdoor tables on a new terrace the owners have created. It is no wonder ...

When I was considering writing a regular blog about the areas kind, loving and generous people - Kate's name was one of the first to pop into my mind.  I have known 'Katie' for a very long while - dating back to a time when I helped my cousin out with his bar/resto on Sherbrooke Street - Buster Harvey's - in the mid 90's. Kate was great friends with my good friend, Jill Salomon.  They were virtually inseparable - and regular visitors to the bar/restaurant.  They share an unparalleled love for animals - mostly dogs. In recent years I have had the great fortune to see Kate regularly.  She is a presence at Andy's and my 'office' outside Metro Grocery Store on Somerled at Walkley.  She comes over to my place on occasion with her omnipresent little pug mix - Louie.  We meet for coffee/tea at Café 92° near her home on Sherbrooke at Montclair - where she always offers to buy me something! Kate's life has not been an easy one - but she makes the best of ever...

I am someone who believes in fate.  I leave the vast majority of my life situations to this.  I had not seen Mr. New for a very long time and was concerned for his well-being.  So I called him earlier and when he came on the phone and sounded just like the man I know - I was relieved!  We arranged to meet today at 10am - outside his favourite Korean Grocery Store on Sherbrooke at Beaconsfield. I have known Young for many years now.  I'm not certain how we originally met - my guess is that it was while walking on Sherbrooke St. - which we both do.  He carries his signature briefcase with him always - filled with photocopies of important documents to him - citations he has received from prominent people in the community for the very good works he does.  He drops in to a great many businesses on his daily route along Sherbrooke. Young is a long time member of the Salvation Army.  He is a prominent member of the NDG Korean Community - doing much work ...

I can't begin this chapter of my blog without mentioning Lynn Kerr and her wonderful family.  I have known Lynn for many years now.  I first came to know her beautiful heart through seeing her on Sherbrooke Street during my daily walks.  We would stop and talk - but she never let on her secret - which wasn't really that well hidden! One day we were walking along the street together and Lynn finally disclosed to me that her passion is art - and that she loves to draw birds.  She whipped out some bookmarks and cards she had painted to my amazement - and I was moved to buy some from her right on the street! This was the start of Lynn's and my real relationship - while I loved her for the person she is - I was even more in awe of her for the absolute beauty and wonder of her creations - as well as her prolific abilities and commitment to keeping prices down - 'so everyone can have some of my work.' I became a fast fan of Lynn's and supported her however I could, gi...

It was a crazy day today!  My plans changed several times and finally I was able to leave my house right on noon, with a goal of heading towards my destination of Place Guy Viau - a little park on Sherbrooke and Royal which the City of Montreal has done up really nicely with Adirondack chairs, a couple of picnic tables and benches all over. As I headed south on Walkely for Somerled, I ran into a friend -  Rosanna - who invited me into her home to visit with her son - Jacob.  They live in a very small dwelling which is beautiful in its simplicity and charm.  The space is cramped - owing to Jacob's passion which is 3D Printing - and an entire host of other extremely brilliant endeavours which partner with his skill at conceptualizing and then building these 3D models.  We spent an hour together - and I was completely enthralled the entire time!  This is not the last you will hear from me about Jacob and his talents! I left there and continued on my journey....