Latest news with #OrderofMontreal
Montreal Gazette
15-05-2025
- General
- Montreal Gazette
Former Gazette fine-dining critic Lesley Chesterman among eight women to receive Order of Montreal
Lesley Chesterman is to receive the Order of Montreal. The former Gazette fine-dining critic and cookbook author is among a special cohort of eight women selected by Mayor Valérie Plante who will receive the honour in a ceremony on Friday, in addition to the regular recipients of the award. Trained at the Institut de Tourisme et d'Hôtellerie, Chesterman worked as a pastry chef in Quebec and France before becoming The Gazette's fine-dining critic from 1998 to 2018. She is the author of the cookbooks Make Every Dish Delicious (Oct. 18, 2022), Un Week-End chez Lesley and Chez Lesley: Mes secrets pour tout réussir en cuisine, and appears regularly in various Quebec media. Other recipients of the award include author Kim Thúy, former premier Pauline Marois, Inuk singer-songwriter Elisapie, journalist and personality Janette Bertrand, former pediatrician-hematologist and university professor Yvette Bonny, former Quebec Superior Court judge France Charbonneau and Léa Cousineau, first female president of the executive committee of the city of Montreal. The ceremony will take place at the official inauguration of the Place des Montréalaises and the Place Marie-Josèphe-Angélique on Friday, both dedicated to women from diverse origins who have shown engagement to the city in various domains throughout history. 'After eight years as the first woman mayor of Quebec's biggest city, I wanted to honour and celebrate eight remarkable women who participated in the history of the city, its heritage and its identity,' Plante said in a statement. 'As we approach the inauguration of the Place des Montréalaises and Montreal's anniversary, we give these symbols of the Order of Montreal to a cohort specially created for these women who contributed, each in their respective sphere, to the development, the edification, the influence and advancement of Montreal and of Quebec society as a whole. 'I'm very proud to make this exceptional gesture, combined with the inauguration of the Place des Montréalaises, strong gestures that mark the territory by recognizing builders of Montreal, which these women are.'
Montreal Gazette
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Gazette columnist Josh Freed among Order of Montreal recipients
By Susan Schwartz Award-winning writer, filmmaker and Gazette columnist Josh Freed is to receive the Order of Montreal, one of 17 people to be honoured at City Hall in a ceremony on May 17. The Order of Montreal, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the city's cultural, scientific, economic, and social life, is considered Montreal's highest honour. Recipients 'share a common passion for the improvement of Montreal and its future,' said Montreal mayor Valérie Plante. 'Their creativity and their engagement inspire us all.' In its message to him, City Hall called Freed 'one of the city's most insightful ambassadors' and said he 'has enriched the minds and hearts of several generations of Montrealers.' It said Freed has long 'shaped and influenced Montreal life through the richness of his stories. A columnist for The Montreal Gazette, he delivers weekly pieces imbued with reflection, humour and affection for his hometown. His offbeat yet unifying perspective captures and projects the soul of Montreal, building strong bridges between its linguistic and cultural communities. The city credits Freed for his role in helping to 'unite Montrealers ... and helping them better understand each other.' Freed's weekly Gazette column earned a National Newspaper Award for best Canadian column twice — in 1997 and in 2002. But he is being honoured not only for the column but for his writing in general. 'His fine and captivating writing leaves a lasting impression,' the city said. Freed is the author of several books, including Moonwebs: Journey Into the Mind of a Cult (1980), The Anglo Guide to Survival in Quebec (1983), Fear of Frying and Other Fax of Life, the 1995 winner of the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour, and, most recently, Bicycle Bob and the Bike Revolution (2023). He has directed more than a dozen documentary films and written several. His awards include the World Medal for Investigative Filmmaking at the New York International Television Festival and he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, three Writers Guild of Canada Awards and a Genie. His documentaries have aired on CTV, CBC, PBS, A&E and been watched in more than 50 countries. Those invested in the Order of Montreal, established in 2016 during the term of then-mayor Denis Coderre, receive a medal and a title from among three ranks: Commander, the highest rank, Officer and Knight. Proposals must be submitted by a third party and supported by two people. Being honoured on May 17 are: Commanders Guy Cormier, the president and CEO of Mouvement Desjardins; Florence Junca Adenot, the founder and first president and executive director of the Agence métropolitaine de transport (now Exo); Michèle Rouleau, an Indigenous activist and feminist. Officers Daniel Arbour, engineer and urban planner; Fabienne Colas, entrepreneur and leader on the city's cultural scene; Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, former professional football player and a philanthropist, entrepreneur and doctor; Josh Freed, Gazette columnist; Vickie Joseph; entrepreneur, philanthropist and ambassador for an inclusive economy; Jacques Primeau, producer and manager of Quebec artists. Knights Francine Bernier, artistic director and executive director of L'Agora de la Danse; Daniel Georges Bichet, physician, researcher and nephrologist at Hôpital Sacré-Coeur-de-Montréal; Raymond Damblant, Canadian judo pioneer and the founder of Judo Québec; Isabelle Ducharme, chairperson of the board of directors of Kéroul, a not-for-profit Quebec organization dedicated to promoting and developing accessible tourism and culture; Jeannine Gagné, a member of the founding group of Le Chaînon, Montreal's largest women's shelter; Pierre-Yves Lévesque, founder of Ex aequo, a Montreal-based organization working to promote and defend the rights of people with motor disabilities; Laurent Mottron, a psychiatrist and professor in the department of psychiatry and addiction in the faculty of medicine at the Université de Montréal; and Benoît Tousignant; ab optometrist and professor in the schools of optometry and public health at the Université de Montréal
