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Montreal Gazette
5 days ago
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Pointe-Claire soccer tournament raising funds to help fight ALS
By June is ALS Awareness Month in Canada and for the fourth straight year there will be a fundraising soccer tournament this weekend in Pointe-Claire in support of the ALS Society of Quebec. The tournament, in association with Soccer Pointe-Claire, is hosted by Phil Lalonde, a longtime Pointe-Claire resident and soccer coach. The tournament will take place Saturday and Sunday at Terra-Cotta Park in Pointe-Claire with women, men and mixed senior recreational teams taking part. There will be a kids' corner and activities for the entire family, along with a picnic table area for lunch, concessions and a bar. There will also be a silent auction and other fundraising activities to help fight ALS. The tournament raised close to $165,000 during the first three years. Lalonde was diagnosed with ALS — Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease — in September 2021. It is a rare and incurable neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons, leading to progressive muscular paralysis and total loss of autonomy. 'I've been coaching soccer for more than 30 years and this tournament is my way to raise awareness and funds for this important cause,' Lalonde, who is also known as Coach Phil, said in a news release about the event. 'I believe in keeping a positive attitude no matter what. ALS challenges that every day but so far, with the help of the ALS Society and my army of family and friends, I'm staying true to myself and living my life to the fullest. 'Living with ALS continues to get harder every year, but knowing there are people willing to fundraise with us gives me hope,' Lalonde added. 'I am extremely proud of our accomplishments and know firsthand that this money is being used to fight — and hopefully cure — ALS.' This weekend's tournament will feature a celebrity game at 4 p.m. Sunday between an alumni team made up of some of the best female players from Pointe-Claire, including captain Amy Walsh, against a team made up of a younger generation of female players. Lalonde's daughter, Jillian, noted that ALS not only impacts those living with the disease but also their families. 'Dad's diagnosis changed our family's lives,' Jillian said. 'My whole life, I have called my dad two names, Dad and Coach Phil. On the field, he taught me to be a strong, fearless, and dedicated soccer player but, above all, to trust, support and care for my teammates. 'It is hard to watch a parent's body shrink before your eyes, but I get to watch the lessons he taught me on the field play out in our real life,' she added. 'Dad has shown strength, fearlessness and a dedication to finding the good in having ALS through community. I am honoured to have him coach me through planning an event, raising funds and fighting for a cure.' Former Alouettes player Tony Proudfoot wrote a series of articles for The Gazette while battling ALS and was one of four finalists for the 2010 National Newspaper Award for sports writing. He also started the Tony Proudfoot Fund to raise money for research into the disease. Proudfoot died in 2010 at age 61, three years after his ALS diagnosis. Another former Alouettes player, Michael Soles, died from ALS in 2021 at age 54, 16 years after his diagnosis.
Toronto Sun
22-05-2025
- General
- Toronto Sun
Former Sun photographer Bill Sandford was 'always right time, right place'
Bill 'Sandbox' Sandford, a retired Toronto Sun photographer, died Tuesday at the age of 78 after battling Parkinson's. Bill 'Sandbox' Sandford, a retired Sun photographer who died Tuesday at the age of 78 after battling Parkinson's, is being remembered as a '24/7″ news hound with great instincts and close contacts with police officers, firefighters and paramedics. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account He won 20 awards as a photographer but his most famous picture was of the 1979 Mississauga train derailment, which won him a National Newspaper Award. 'Bill came in and got that dramatic photograph that went around the world — it worked out perfectly,' said Sandford's best friend and former Toronto Sun reporter-photographer Cal Millar, who was also at the derailment scene. Former Toronto Sun photographer Bill Sandford won a National News Paper award for this November 1979 photo of the Mississauga train derailment that caused the evacuation of part of the city. The two met in Toronto in the mid-60s when fresh-out-of-school Sandford worked for Federal News Photo and Millar worked for the Sun's predecessor , The Toronto Telegram 'He was a great newspaper person,' said Millar, who sometime called Sandford by 'SunTwo,' his radio call name. 'He liked covering spot news events. He developed an amazing number of contacts within the ambulance service and other emergency services who kept him advised of what was going on. Major fires. Major accidents. Serious events,' added Miller, who visited him as recently three weeks ago in hospital in London, Ont. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In a Facebook post, former photographer Bill Sandford provides details about one of his many outstanding photos. 'I often got phone calls in the middle of the night from him, telling me what was going on. He was an amazing photographer,' he said. 'You could rely on him in an any situation. Very dedicated, worked very hard, and always put the paper first and made sure he came back with the image and, most times, it was the front page cover.' Sandford's younger sister, Emily Brown, also recalled his photos of plane crashes, Royal visits, Golda Meir, and the finding of the body of Kristen French, one of serial killer Paul Bernardo's victims. Recommended video 'He was always right time, right place,' added Brown, who remembered her older brother picking up the camera as a teenager. 'His photos were truly a timeline of Toronto history. He was a prolific amazing photographer. He could weave a story about every picture he took. And he had his police scanner radio going all the time and would just pick up and go. He always had three or four cameras hung over his neck.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sandford, born in Camp Borden, Ont., with a father in the military, was also a bit of a character who always wore a shirt, tie and blazer on the job and drove a vehicle that 'looked like an undercover cop car.' As a result of his choice of vehicle, he was often let into crime scenes after being mistaken for a detective. 'He was a terrific spot news photographer,' said veteran Toronto Sun photographer Craig Robertson. 'His car was full of scanners. He monitered police, ambulance and fire better than anybody in the city during his time. Tons of contacts and he would regularly tip the desk on what was going on because he had no many good sources. Because he was so good at it, they basically left it to Bill to sort of cover the spot news.' Millar said Sandford, a cat lover, was married — to Marilyn Murray — with no children. He'll be cremated and there will be no funeral per his wishes. Following his time at the Sun — joining five years after the paper first appeared in 1971 and leaving sometime during the new millennium — Sandford moved to Barrie, where his wife worked for the OPP, and he continued to freelance for various publications. The last part of his life was spent in London, Ont., so he could be closer to his mother. Sandford is also survived by sisters Audrey Thompson and Helen Dussault. Toronto Maple Leafs Canada Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists Canada
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
MKO sues former staffer for defamation
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak and its executive directive are suing a former employee for defamation. In a statement of claim filed in Manitoba Court of King's Bench earlier this month, MKO and Kelvin Lynxleg are suing Loretta Rudrum for general and punitive damages for various online postings starting in February 2023. Rudrum worked at MKO, which serves as the voice of northern First Nations in Manitoba, until resigning Feb. 15, 2023. JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak and its executive directive are suing a former employee for defamation. MKO and Lynxleg are also asking the courts to issue a permanent injunction restraining Rudrum from continuing to publish defamatory statements against the organization and Lynxleg, and ordering her to delete the defamatory statements from her Facebook account, as well as from YouTube or any other social media. No one from MKO responded to a call for comment. Rudrum could not be reached for comment. In the documents filed in court, MKO alleges Rudrum 'intentionally and/or maliciously published untrue and defamatory statements concerning MKO and Lynxleg on the defendant's Facebook and YouTube accounts, as well as sending multiple untrue and defamatory emails and circulating a false and malicious report.' A lawyer for MKO demanded in a Feb. 17, 2023 letter that Rudrum delete the posts. More than a year later, on Aug. 28, 2024, Rudrum allegedly posted a video 'making numerous untrue defamatory statements about MKO and certain employees of MKO, including Lynxleg.' Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. The court documents allege the defamatory statements include being accused of mismanagement of funds, manipulation of financial statements, conflict of interest, nepotism during hiring and sexual misconduct. Shortly after MKO's lawyer sent another letter demanding the statements be removed, Rudrum sent a note to MKO's primary funder, making several of the same alleged defamatory statements, as well as others against Grand Chief Garrison Settee and other employees. Rudrum's most recent statements, the court documents say, were posted to her Facebook page in January. No statement of defence has been filed and the allegations have not been proven in court. Kevin RollasonReporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ex-MLA, city councillor Angus and his wife escape flames with little time to spare
A former MLA and Winnipeg city councillor and his wife fled from their home near Lac du Bonnet about two hours before it was destroyed by an out-of-control wildfire Tuesday. John Angus and Janice Charko, who lived in the Wendigo Beach area near Lac du Bonnet, grabbed what they could and drove away. 'It was about 11 or 12 on Tuesday,' Charko said Thursday. 'A neighbour said, 'You have to get out.' No one knocked on our door. 'I took medication and dog food — of course, the dog comes first — we didn't even take clothes. We were out within 15 minutes.' She has seen photos of what what used to be their home. 'The word is flattened,' she said. 'Everything is gone. There is a driveway and then there is nothing. We've lost all of our photos, our wedding photos, artwork done by family members, heirlooms passed down by John's mother and my mother. These things can't be replaced.' 'But the rest is just stuff, and we are safe. That's what really counts.' The same fire claimed the lives of Sue and Rich Nowell, who also lived in the Lac du Bonnet area. Charko said she knew the Nowells, who were longtime, popular members of the community. Kevin RollasonReporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
06-05-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba Museum visitors may have been exposed to measles
The Manitoba Museum has been identified as a potential measles exposure site last week. Provincial health officials announced Tuesday that some of the most recent exposures involved people who were unaware they had been in contact with a person who had the infectious illness. Health officials said the museum was found to be a potential exposure site when it was visited by students from Ecole Dugald School on a field trip last week. Manitoba Health's news release listed the museum exposure, along with the students' regular daily bus service to and from school, making it tough to determine when the field trip took place. The province says the measles exposure was on Bus 128, route 79, which not only services the school in Dugald, but also takes students to Oakbank Elementary, Springfield Middle School, and Springfield Collegiate Institute, on April 29 and 30 and May 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., and 3:40 p.m. to 6 p.m. Other exposures were at Dugald School, on April 29 and 30, and May 2, from 8:45 a.m. to 5:40 p.m., and Bus 26, route 72, which services the same schools as the other bus and on the same days, but from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and 4 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. People who were in these places are advised to watch for symptoms until May 24, including a red rash, fever, cough, runny nose, upper respiratory symptoms and fatigue. Serious complications such as pneumonia, blindness and death are possible. As well, Manitobans were also exposed at the Boundary Trails Health Centre's emergency department waiting room on April 27 from 4:11 p.m. to 10:07 p.m. People have to watch for symptoms until May 19. To date, the province has announced 10 confirmed cases of measles, with four of them confirmed in April, along with four probable cases during that month. The province says it will only announce the status of measles cases on Wednesdays. fpcity@ Kevin Rollason Reporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press . He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press . He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press 's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press 's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
