Cornwall ON – I had to take my wife to the airport at 4AM in Montreal yesterday. For some reason I decided to head downtown after.
The Als had just won the Grey Cup (congrats!) and of course the funeral for Pat Burns was going to happen after lunch. I mulled whether to make an appearance and if so do it as a former Hockey person and Hab employee or as a Media person and cover the event. (more on that later)
It was odd driving down Ste. Catherine Street at 4:30 AM. The lights were on but hardly anyone was home. I stopped at Dunns for a quick bite (blech that was a mistake) and walked a bit. I always have mixed feelings about my former home town. I do feel like a “refugee” of Quebec and I started to drive around some of my old neighborhoods.
So much had changed. Different stores, different looks to places. What struck me most was the graffiti. Montreal seems like its been tagged to death. Building door ways, windows, just about everywhere I went seemed to have a lot more graffiti which is really sad for a city known for its beauty.
I drove down the farmer’s market but it was still too early; cruised through St. Herni and was happy to still see The Green Spot open. I ended up zipping through NDG before heading out of Montreal.
I went to visit a friend in the Eastern Townships. It was my first time out there and it was a perfect day for road tripping. I was way
behind schedule with a commercial to shoot this week and about 8 stories and ads to get out, but sometimes you just have to play hooky and get some fresh air instead of being chained to a keyboard.
I listened to the radio as the event of Pat Burns funeral took place and wondered if it made him happy or not? They were talking on the team990 about some people staying away to keep it from becoming a circus, and I thought it quite the tribute that the Devils team came down to honour Pat.
I turned the station and cruised down Highway 202 along the US border until cutting over to Valleyfield and heading home to Cornwall.
There’s some gorgeous little towns along that route, bit was sad to see so many old stores closed up. Our society is changing; our world is changing, but then it always has…
This morning it was reported that Mrs. Burns car was smashed into while she was participating in the funeral. A number of family items were stolen. I would not want to be the guilty thief on this one. They have Hab fans in prisons too, and I have a hunch that if these guys are smart they return each and every item and probably turn themselves in before someone on the streets find them.
The news of Leslie Nielsen’s passing permeated the air waves too. What an odd contrast; Pat Burns – Leslie Nielsen. That friend I’d gone to visit had worked with him in a tv movie called The Albertan’s back in 1979 and they had a few scenes together.
So many people forget that Leslie was not a funny man first, but a dramatic actor and that comedy just happened, and of course made him famous. His brother Erik had been deputy Prime Minister and Leslie did quite well for a Saskatchewan boy!
Nielsen appeared in over 100 films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying over 220 characters
Thanks for the laughs and thanks for being a great Canadian. Mr. Nielsen died peacefully from complications of Pneumonia.
RIP Leslie Nielsen February 11, 1926 – November 28, 2010
Rest In Peace To Leslie Nielsen You Know In The Movie “Airplane” and Him As Detective Frank Drebin On “The Naked Gun” (http://amzn.to/gCA4LO)…
Something I didn’t know about Leslie Nielson was that he was legally deaf and wore hearing aids most of his life. I thought that it was fantastic that he could overcome his handicap and have such a wonderful career.
I watched “Men With Brooms” again in his memory.
Yup, Montreal has become a bit shabbier over the ten or twenty years. I miss it a lot. I thought Dunn’s shut down quite a while ago. Ben’s is gone, and that is really sad. For the best pizza in the world (outside of Cornwall) go to Toto’s in Lachine on Notre Dame.
Not being a sports fan, I don’t know much about Pat Burns, but he clearly was loved and respected by lots of people. Leslie Nielson was a true gentleman, and one of the funniest ones ever. We are all lucky that he was around to make us smile and laugh our asses off.
Leslie Nielson was one of my favourite actors. For me, he was one of the few who could bring on a real belly laugh. He will be missed. Luckily his films will be available for a long time.
Furtz are you trying to say we have good pizza in Cornwall?
There’s a Pizza Hut on 14th… Just kidding.:)