Latest news with #Montréal
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Photographer's eerie lookalike inspired a search for world's best dopplegängers
Over the last 25 years, French-Canadian photographer François Brunelle has traveled the world photographing around 250 pairs of doppelgängers. Doppelgängers, which translates from German to 'double walker,' originally meant ghostly counterparts of a living person. In folklore and literature, encountering someone who could be your twin has traditionally been viewed as a bad omen. But in modern usage, the term often describes two unrelated people who closely resemble each other. This concept is the focus of Brunelle's photography series, 'I'm Not a Lookalike!' The inspiration for the project came from his own lookalike: Mr. Bean, who is played by British actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson. After being told for years that he looked like the character, Brunelle watched an episode that included a scene he called 'awkward' to see his doppelgänger in. 'I said, 'Oh my God, it looks like me, and he's taking a bath!'' said Brunelle, who felt like he was watching himself on TV. Upon realizing he couldn't be the only lookalike, Brunelle started photographing doppelgängers together. Some of the pairs he captured didn't see the resemblance, 'which can be quite surprising (and entertaining) at times,' Brunelle admitted via email to USA TODAY. He started his project in Montréal with lookalikes he knew in Canada. As media coverage grew and word spread on social media, he received thousands of messages from people worldwide. Many of the doppelgängers he photographed know each other in real life and were made aware of their resemblance to each other after being told by others, like Ester Scholten and Agnes Loonstra. In 2013, Loonstra was approached by a man on a train in the Netherlands. He mistakenly thought she was one of his university students, Scholten, and encouraged Loonstra to reach out to her. Meanwhile, Scholten learned about this encounter from her professor. Out of curiosity, Loonstra decided to find Scholten on Facebook. Scholten shared a translation of the first message she ever received from Loonstra with USA TODAY. 'Hi Ester, probably a bit of an unexpected message, but recently I was approached on the train by a man, and he thought I was you! After some confusion, he said he was a teacher of yours and asked me if I was a girl from Arnhem. Very funny, apparently, he was so amazed by the resemblance (in his eyes) that he insisted I should google you because we seemed so alike. Haha! So here we are... Do you see the same resemblance? 🙂 maybe the ginger hair, bangs and almond-shaped eyes? 🙂' Scholten felt like she was seeing herself when she saw photos of Loonstra on Facebook. 'Even our mouths look somewhat similar. So strange!' Scholten wrote back in her messages to Loonstra. They both found their resemblance surprising because they felt their features were so distinctive that they thought they were unique. The two decided it would be fun to meet, and when they did, they realized it wasn't only their looks that were similar. 'There were a few moments during that first encounter that were almost terrifying, such as the moment we both pulled up a chair to put our feet on and the moment we laughed at the exact same time and discovered the way we laugh is so similar,' Scholten said. Loonstra was 25 and Scholten was 30 when they met on May 4, 2013. At the time, Loonstra was part of an a Capella group that had rehearsals in Scholten's hometown. People waved at her thinking she was Scholten. 'People I knew told me I had been rude for not saying anything when I passed them,' Scholten said. So Loonstra began waving back at the strangers followed by a text to Scholten to let her know. From their very first meeting, a friendship was born as they discovered they shared love for the same music, literature and what Scholten calls their "intense' love of cats. 'About half of all our WhatsApp conversations are about cats,' she said. 'We are proud crazy cat ladies.' From that love came the inspiration for a book they published together titled 'Crazy Cat Lady,' combining Loonstra's skills as an illustrator and Scholten's knack for writing. It was picked up by Workman Publishing in New York and has been released worldwide in English and translated to Spanish, German, Finnish, and even Loonstra and Scholten's native language, Dutch. Agnes also played a special role in Ester's wedding as her maid of honor. 'I see Agnes like the little sister I never had,' Scholten said. Although they don't live in the same part of the Netherlands, they try to see each other at least once a month. Loonstra reached out to Brunelle after hearing about his project from several people who sent it to her. Loonstra and Scholten were later included in a study by the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain with other doppelgängers photographed by Brunelle that confirmed they and the other lookalikes were not related. Of the 32 pairs studied, researchers found that the lookalikes share similar DNA variations, particularly concerning genes involved in forming facial features. There were also similarities in height and weight. The study's lead researcher Manel Esteller, called it 'coincidences of genetics that happen purely by chance,' and does not mean the pairs are related. Despite the study's findings, Loonstra and Scholten are still frequently asked by strangers if they are biologically related, and sometimes, to keep things simple, they just say yes. Brunelle's website features a callout for lookalikes, and he also created pages on Instagram and Facebook for the project. Brunelle plans to release a book this year featuring about 100 photos of the pairs he's photographed, along with a short story from either the subject or his perspective. He shared a few of those stories with USA TODAY. Roniel Tessler and Garrett Levenbrook | New York City, U.S., 2013 "I was born in New York, and Roniel in Washington, D.C. Roniel's friends met me at the University of Michigan four years ago and mistook me for him. They then put us in touch, and we discovered we lived near each other. We have remained good friends ever since." - Garrett Beatriz Nogueira and Bruna Soares Da Costa | Lisbon, Portugal "I work in human resources, and Beatriz is a student. We were both born in Portugal and have been friends since childhood. We first realized we were look-alikes when people started mixing us up. My own father saw a photo of Beatriz and was convinced it was me! I think we look more alike in profile than face-on. We are similar not just physically, but in personality too. And here is a fun detail, I recently discovered we're both left-handed!" - Bruna Karen Chu and Ashlee Wong | Culver City, California, U.S. , 2013 "I am a nursing student while Ashlee is a registered nurse. Most non-Asian people think all Chinese look alike, but that is far from the truth. I consider myself lucky to have met Ashlee, my 'sister' at a traditional Chinese dance performance. Although many people think we look very similar, Ashlee is definitely shorter." - Karen This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These unrelated dopplegängers will have you doing a double take Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Photographer's eerie lookalike inspired a search for world's best dopplegängers
Over the last 25 years, French-Canadian photographer François Brunelle has traveled the world photographing around 250 pairs of doppelgängers. Doppelgängers, which translates from German to 'double walker,' originally meant ghostly counterparts of a living person. In folklore and literature, encountering someone who could be your twin has traditionally been viewed as a bad omen. But in modern usage, the term often describes two unrelated people who closely resemble each other. This concept is the focus of Brunelle's photography series, 'I'm Not a Lookalike!' The inspiration for the project came from his own lookalike: Mr. Bean, who is played by British actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson. After being told for years that he looked like the character, Brunelle watched an episode that included a scene he called 'awkward' to see his doppelgänger in. 'I said, 'Oh my God, it looks like me, and he's taking a bath!'' said Brunelle, who felt like he was watching himself on TV. Upon realizing he couldn't be the only lookalike, Brunelle started photographing doppelgängers together. Some of the pairs he captured didn't see the resemblance, 'which can be quite surprising (and entertaining) at times,' Brunelle admitted via email to USA TODAY. He started his project in Montréal with lookalikes he knew in Canada. As media coverage grew and word spread on social media, he received thousands of messages from people worldwide. Many of the doppelgängers he photographed know each other in real life and were made aware of their resemblance to each other after being told by others, like Ester Scholten and Agnes Loonstra. In 2013, Loonstra was approached by a man on a train in the Netherlands. He mistakenly thought she was one of his university students, Scholten, and encouraged Loonstra to reach out to her. Meanwhile, Scholten learned about this encounter from her professor. Out of curiosity, Loonstra decided to find Scholten on Facebook. Scholten shared a translation of the first message she ever received from Loonstra with USA TODAY. 'Hi Ester, probably a bit of an unexpected message, but recently I was approached on the train by a man, and he thought I was you! After some confusion, he said he was a teacher of yours and asked me if I was a girl from Arnhem. Very funny, apparently, he was so amazed by the resemblance (in his eyes) that he insisted I should google you because we seemed so alike. Haha! So here we are... Do you see the same resemblance? 🙂 maybe the ginger hair, bangs and almond-shaped eyes? 🙂' Scholten felt like she was seeing herself when she saw photos of Loonstra on Facebook. 'Even our mouths look somewhat similar. So strange!' Scholten wrote back in her messages to Loonstra. They both found their resemblance surprising because they felt their features were so distinctive that they thought they were unique. The two decided it would be fun to meet, and when they did, they realized it wasn't only their looks that were similar. 'There were a few moments during that first encounter that were almost terrifying, such as the moment we both pulled up a chair to put our feet on and the moment we laughed at the exact same time and discovered the way we laugh is so similar,' Scholten said. Loonstra was 25 and Scholten was 30 when they met on May 4, 2013. At the time, Loonstra was part of an a Capella group that had rehearsals in Scholten's hometown. People waved at her thinking she was Scholten. 'People I knew told me I had been rude for not saying anything when I passed them,' Scholten said. So Loonstra began waving back at the strangers followed by a text to Scholten to let her know. From their very first meeting, a friendship was born as they discovered they shared love for the same music, literature and what Scholten calls their "intense' love of cats. 'About half of all our WhatsApp conversations are about cats,' she said. 'We are proud crazy cat ladies.' From that love came the inspiration for a book they published together titled 'Crazy Cat Lady,' combining Loonstra's skills as an illustrator and Scholten's knack for writing. It was picked up by Workman Publishing in New York and has been released worldwide in English and translated to Spanish, German, Finnish, and even Loonstra and Scholten's native language, Dutch. Agnes also played a special role in Ester's wedding as her maid of honor. 'I see Agnes like the little sister I never had,' Scholten said. Although they don't live in the same part of the Netherlands, they try to see each other at least once a month. Loonstra reached out to Brunelle after hearing about his project from several people who sent it to her. Loonstra and Scholten were later included in a study by the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain with other doppelgängers photographed by Brunelle that confirmed they and the other lookalikes were not related. Of the 32 pairs studied, researchers found that the lookalikes share similar DNA variations, particularly concerning genes involved in forming facial features. There were also similarities in height and weight. The study's lead researcher Manel Esteller, called it 'coincidences of genetics that happen purely by chance,' and does not mean the pairs are related. Despite the study's findings, Loonstra and Scholten are still frequently asked by strangers if they are biologically related, and sometimes, to keep things simple, they just say yes. Brunelle's website features a callout for lookalikes, and he also created pages on Instagram and Facebook for the project. Brunelle plans to release a book this year featuring about 100 photos of the pairs he's photographed, along with a short story from either the subject or his perspective. He shared a few of those stories with USA TODAY. Roniel Tessler and Garrett Levenbrook | New York City, U.S., 2013 "I was born in New York, and Roniel in Washington, D.C. Roniel's friends met me at the University of Michigan four years ago and mistook me for him. They then put us in touch, and we discovered we lived near each other. We have remained good friends ever since." - Garrett Beatriz Nogueira and Bruna Soares Da Costa | Lisbon, Portugal "I work in human resources, and Beatriz is a student. We were both born in Portugal and have been friends since childhood. We first realized we were look-alikes when people started mixing us up. My own father saw a photo of Beatriz and was convinced it was me! I think we look more alike in profile than face-on. We are similar not just physically, but in personality too. And here is a fun detail, I recently discovered we're both left-handed!" - Bruna Karen Chu and Ashlee Wong | Culver City, California, U.S. , 2013 "I am a nursing student while Ashlee is a registered nurse. Most non-Asian people think all Chinese look alike, but that is far from the truth. I consider myself lucky to have met Ashlee, my 'sister' at a traditional Chinese dance performance. Although many people think we look very similar, Ashlee is definitely shorter." - Karen This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These unrelated dopplegängers will have you doing a double take
Skift
6 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Montréal Attracts Top Meetings With Worldly Charm and Local Warmth
Montréal is poised to maintain its position as a top destination for international conferences as the city leverages its support services to ease travel concerns, while welcoming visitors to enjoy its unique French culture like a local. Meeting planners have long been known for their can-do spirit — a resilience that the industry needs now more than ever. According to MPI's latest Meetings Outlook, the percentage of event professionals expecting negative business conditions surged from 10 percent to 57 percent in just one quarter. Respondents cited mounting pressure from rising costs, shrinking budgets, and growing concerns about international travel. In this climate of uncertainty, it's not just about offering exciting travel experiences — it's also about reassuring attendees that their journey will be smooth and stress-free. For planners seeking to balance the excitement of travel with convenience and affordability, nearby destinations with a proven ability to deliver fresh, memorable experiences are key. Montréal — ranked the number one international association meetings destination in North America by both ICCA and the UIA for nearly a decade — is stepping up to help planners navigate today's challenges and exceed attendee expectations. Above all, the city wants to reaffirm one simple message: visitors are always welcome. 'Montréal has always been known for opening its arms to the world, and I can say with confidence that this will never change,' said Mylène Gagnon, Vice-President of Sales and Convention Services at Tourisme Montréal. 'For American meeting planners especially, we want to emphasize that Montréal remains one of the safest, most accessible, and most welcoming destinations you're ever likely to experience.' photo caption: Mural Sans titre by - Produced by Festival MURAL 2023. Photo credit: EN Credit © Mural Sans titre by - Photo by Sylvie Li - Tourisme Montréal Ensuring Seamless Travel for International Events Planning the logistics of an international event is never simple — but choosing the right destination can make it significantly easier. In Montréal, Business Events Montréal offers a range of support services, including access to a certified convention services manager specializing in streamlining cross-border events. 'Our team also collaborates closely with turnkey partners like ConsultExpo, a trusted and experienced customs broker that guides planners and exhibitors through a clear, step-by-step process to ensure smooth entry of goods into Montréal,' said Gagnon. The recent ISPOR conference — the leading global event for health economics and outcomes research — held in Montréal highlighted just how smoothly the city handles international events. When asked about customs challenges, the event organizer reported no issues at all. In fact, what stood out most was how easy the travel experience was. 'Although we're a truly global association, many of our staff and members are based on the U.S. East Coast. The ability to arrive in a city that feels distinctly international, yet is just a one or two-hour flight away, is fantastic,' said Paul Wong, Director of Global Events at ISPOR, the Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research. With Montréal's award-winning international airport providing year-round direct flights to nearly 150 locations worldwide, the city is a convenient destination for many international attendees. After landing, it's only a 12-mile (20 km) drive to downtown. Delivering French Flair Within North America Even when a smooth travel experience is assured, attendees should be rewarded for their efforts with a destination that offers unique cultural and experiential value. With its French culture and rich heritage, Montréal allows visitors to feel all the thrills of distant travel without leaving North America. Old Montréal, the city's historic district in the heart of downtown, features centuries-old architecture and cobblestone streets leading to the shores of the St. Lawrence River. Highlights include the Neo-Gothic Notre-Dame Basilica and its immersive AURA Experience and the expansive Marché Bonsecours, a Renaissance Revival stone building that was the city's main agricultural marketplace for over a century. It now features sidewalk cafés, artisanal shops, art exhibitions, and numerous reception halls, including an impressive ballroom. photo caption: Place d'Armes. photo credit: Credit FR © Daph & Nico - Tourisme Montréal A UNESCO City of Design, Montréal offers a wide selection of exceptional event spaces spanning multiple eras of architecture. Standout options include Le 9e, restored in 2024 and modeled after the glamorous dining room on the Île-de-France transatlantic ocean liner. '[Le 9e] is one of the crown jewels of Montréal's art deco architectural legacy,' said Gagnon. In addition to boasting enviable architecture, Montréal embraces the French spirit of joie de vivre. Its wealth of cultural festivals ranges from the world-famous Montréal Jazz Festival to L'International des Feux Loto-Québec, the world's largest international fireworks competition. Fine Dining and Montréal's Distinct Terroir Another key way to attract attendees is through fine dining. According to Hilton's 2025 Trends Report, nearly one in five travelers treats food as a deciding factor when choosing destinations. From poutine to haute cuisine, Montréal offers a selection of culinary experiences to tempt even the most discerning gourmand. In addition to the city's 55 Bib Gourmand nods, three Montréal restaurants were awarded stars in the inaugural Québec MICHELIN Guide. They include Europea, along with local favorites Mastard and Sabayon. All three establishments reflect a deep appreciation for the unique terroir of la Belle Province, with ingredients sourced from Québec's rich agricultural offerings and artisanal food products ''from the field to the fork.' Originating in French wine cultivation, the concept of terroir stems from the belief that all foods and beverages develop a distinct character derived from the territory in which they are grown and produced, with everything from soil composition to surrounding flora and fauna influencing flavor. Beyond its French roots, Montréal is also a multicultural city representing over 120 ethnocultural groups. This diversity has given rise to a plethora of restaurants specializing in a variety of international cuisines. Perhaps most famously, the city is home to some of the world's best bagels, with two of the most popular shops being St. Viateur and Fairmount Bagel in the heart of Montréal's Orthodox Jewish community. Innovation, Affordability, and Carbon-Neutral Convening photo caption: Palais des congrès de Montréal - Taxi Bonjour. photo credit: EN Credit © Daph & Nico - Tourisme Montréal. Of course, business events are ultimately about business, and in today's economic climate, the ideal destination needs to combine state-of-the-art amenities with affordability. Montréal delivers on both fronts. It is one of Canada's most affordable cities, and with the favorable exchange rate, U.S. organizers can look forward to cost savings of almost 40 percent. Montréal is also well-known as a hub of creativity and commercial ingenuity, and its many cutting-edge venues help to sustain this innovative entrepreneurial spirit. The Palais des Congrès de Montréal, for example, was one of the first North American convention centers to become carbon neutral. Business Event Montréal is doing its own part to push the needle forward with its participation in Impact AIQ, an AI-powered project designed to measure the social impact of business events. 'Impact AIQ is embedded directly into event design and will help us with the analysis and strategic planning of business events,' said Mylène Gagnon. 'It's a Montréal-led project with the ambition of inspiring transformation across the events industry.' For more information about Business Events Montréal, visit This content was created collaboratively by Business Events Montréal (Tourisme Montréal) and Skift's branded content studio, SkiftX.
Globe and Mail
08-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
CHAMPION IRON PROVIDES NOTICE OF FIRST QUARTER FY2026 RESULTS, CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST DETAILS, AND DATE OF ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS` MEETING
MONTRÉAL , July 8, 2025 /CNW/ - SYDNEY , July 9, 2025 - Champion Iron Limited (TSX: CIA) (ASX: CIA) (OTCQX: CIAFF) ("Champion" or the "Company") announces that it will be hosting a conference call and webcast on July 30, 2025 , at 9:00 AM (Montréal time) / 11:00 PM ( Sydney time) with its senior management, during which they will review the Company's operational and financial results for the first quarter ended June 30, 2025 , of the financial year ending March 31, 2026 . Champion's financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, will be released prior to the conference call and webcast, and will be available in the "Financial & Regulatory Reports" section of the Company's website at under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at and on the ASX at A live audio webcast of the conference call will be accessible for a period of 90 days through Champion's website at Access to the Conference Call: Champion also confirms that its annual meeting of shareholders will be held on August 27, 2025 , at 5:00 PM (Montréal time) / August 28, 2025, 7:00 AM ( Sydney time), and that the last date for director nominations will be July 16, 2025 , by 3:00 AM (Montréal time) / 5:00 PM ( Sydney time). Additional information regarding the annual meeting of shareholders will be announced prior to the event. About Champion Iron Limited Champion, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Quebec Iron Ore Inc., owns and operates the Bloom Lake Mining Complex located on the south end of the Labrador Trough, approximately 13 kilometres north of Fermont , Québec. Bloom Lake is an open-pit operation with two concentration plants that primarily source energy from renewable hydroelectric power, having a combined nameplate capacity of 15M wmt per year that produce lower contaminant high-grade 66.2% Fe iron ore concentrate with a proven ability to produce a 67.5% Fe direct reduction quality iron ore concentrate. Benefiting from one of the highest purity resources globally, Champion is investing to upgrade half of Bloom Lake's mine capacity to a direct reduction quality pellet feed iron ore with up to 69% Fe. Bloom Lake's high-grade and lower contaminant iron ore products have attracted a premium to the Platts IODEX 62% Fe iron ore benchmark. Champion ships iron ore concentrate from Bloom Lake by rail, to a ship loading port in Sept-Îles, Québec, and has delivered its iron ore concentrate globally, including in China , Japan , the Middle East , Europe , South Korea , India and Canada . In addition to Bloom Lake, Champion owns the Kamistiatusset mining properties, a project with an expected annual production of 9M wmt per year of direct reduction quality iron grading above 67.5% Fe, located near available infrastructure and only 21 kilometres southeast of Bloom Lake. In December 2024 , Champion entered into a binding agreement with Nippon Steel Corporation and Sojitz Corporation to form a partnership to evaluate the potential development of the Kami project, including the completion of a definitive feasibility study. Champion also owns a portfolio of exploration and development projects in the Labrador Trough, including the Cluster II portfolio of properties, located within 60 kilometres south of Bloom Lake. For additional information on Champion Iron Limited, please visit our website at: David Cataford .
CBC
08-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Grand Splash event in Montreal cancelled due to heavy rains
The annual Grand Splash de Montréal, where hundreds of bather gather to jump into the St. Lawrence River and make a splash, has been cancelled due to Monday's heavy rain. Organizers of the event explained that the flooding caused sewage overflows which can affect water quality. Fondation Rivières said because of the risk of water contamination, swimming in the Jacques-Cartier Basin was not recommended for the next 72 hours, leading to the cancellation. According to the foundation, more than 250 people were registered for the event scheduled for 12:30 p.m on Tuesday. Participants were expected to swim or paddle in the St. Lawrence River.
