Latest news with #Vézina
Business Upturn
27-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Moisson Montréal Rolls Out the Red Carpet and Awards $2 Million in Grants to 69 Heroes of Food Assistance
MONTREAL, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This morning at the Jean-Talon Market, where it all began 40 years ago, Moisson Montréal concluded its 40th anniversary celebrations by awarding $2,048,311 in grants to 69 community agencies. These grants will fund the purchase of basic equipment like refrigerators, cold storage units, vehicles, crates, and tables, essential and concrete tools to better nourish Montrealer's living in precarious situations. To mark this important gesture, Moisson Montréal symbolically rolled out a red carpet. Not to celebrate prestige, but to honor those who, far from the spotlight yet at the heart of the action, work every day to support the most vulnerable. 'This isn't a glamorous event. What we are awarding today are fridges, stoves, and trucks. But behind each of these pieces of equipment lies an essential gesture toward food dignity. Today, we are celebrating the real heroes working in the frontline,' said Chantal Vézina, Executive Director of Moisson Montréal. A Powerful Response to Pressing Needs A total of 162 project proposals were received, reflecting a community sector under strain — rich in ideas but limited by resources. The high quality of submissions highlighted the scale of needs: outdated or missing basic equipment, spaces needing renovation, and delivery capacity to be strengthened. More than $5 million would have been needed to fund all submissions. The selection was carried out by an independent committee composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds in food security, applying rigorous criteria to prioritize project diversity, tangible impact, and territorial equity. 'We received solid, meaningful, human proposals. The selection process was heart-wrenching. Most of the projects deserved funding. That's why our Board of Directors decided to extend funding beyond the initial plan,' added Ms. Vézina. A Gesture Made Possible Thanks to The Rossy Foundation The grants were made possible through a major philanthropic donation from The Rossy Foundation, bolstered by a vote from Dollarama employees who helped direct The Rossy Foundation's funding to Moisson Montréal. This collective gesture raised $1.3 million, which was supplemented by Moisson Montréal's own funds. A Map Showcasing Impact Across All Boroughs A geographic map installed onsite allows visitors to visualize the projects supported throughout Montreal's boroughs. Each point represents a concrete solution driven by a community-based organization. This morning, 69 faces of resilience walked the red carpet. No trophies. Just everyday heroes feeding the vulnerable. For more information, please contact: Éliane LaroucheSenior Advisor, Communications and Public AffairsMoisson Montréal514 701-4206 [email protected]
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Moisson Montréal Rolls Out the Red Carpet and Awards $2 Million in Grants to 69 Heroes of Food Assistance
MONTREAL, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This morning at the Jean-Talon Market, where it all began 40 years ago, Moisson Montréal concluded its 40th anniversary celebrations by awarding $2,048,311 in grants to 69 community agencies. These grants will fund the purchase of basic equipment like refrigerators, cold storage units, vehicles, crates, and tables, essential and concrete tools to better nourish Montrealer's living in precarious situations. To mark this important gesture, Moisson Montréal symbolically rolled out a red carpet. Not to celebrate prestige, but to honor those who, far from the spotlight yet at the heart of the action, work every day to support the most vulnerable. "This isn't a glamorous event. What we are awarding today are fridges, stoves, and trucks. But behind each of these pieces of equipment lies an essential gesture toward food dignity. Today, we are celebrating the real heroes working in the frontline," said Chantal Vézina, Executive Director of Moisson Montréal. A Powerful Response to Pressing Needs A total of 162 project proposals were received, reflecting a community sector under strain — rich in ideas but limited by resources. The high quality of submissions highlighted the scale of needs: outdated or missing basic equipment, spaces needing renovation, and delivery capacity to be strengthened. More than $5 million would have been needed to fund all submissions. The selection was carried out by an independent committee composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds in food security, applying rigorous criteria to prioritize project diversity, tangible impact, and territorial equity. "We received solid, meaningful, human proposals. The selection process was heart-wrenching. Most of the projects deserved funding. That's why our Board of Directors decided to extend funding beyond the initial plan," added Ms. Vézina. A Gesture Made Possible Thanks to The Rossy Foundation The grants were made possible through a major philanthropic donation from The Rossy Foundation, bolstered by a vote from Dollarama employees who helped direct The Rossy Foundation's funding to Moisson Montréal. This collective gesture raised $1.3 million, which was supplemented by Moisson Montréal's own funds. A Map Showcasing Impact Across All Boroughs A geographic map installed onsite allows visitors to visualize the projects supported throughout Montreal's boroughs. Each point represents a concrete solution driven by a community-based organization. This morning, 69 faces of resilience walked the red carpet. No trophies. Just everyday heroes feeding the vulnerable. For more information, please contact: Éliane LaroucheSenior Advisor, Communications and Public AffairsMoisson Montréal514 701-4206elarouche@ in to access your portfolio
CBC
20-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Outaouais hockey league seeks culprit behind sneaky stats tampering
Someone has been modifying the results of hockey games in the Outaouais so players can avoid serving suspensions, according to a local hockey league for youth aged 8 to 21. The Ligue de hockey régionale de l'Outaouais (LHRO) system was accessed three times — on Jan. 27, Feb. 1 and Feb. 17 — to change about 40 past and future games, the league announced this week. "It is disappointing for us," league president Éric Vézina said in French. "There is a bond of trust with the young [employees] ... Even if we were not robbed, it is disturbing to go back and set the record straight." As the league deals with the aftermath of the changes, it has no clues yet about who may be responsible but is taking steps to ensure its season wraps up with no further complications. What happened? The changes were possible because LHRO staff share multiple accounts to access the computer system that records the scores of games and other statistics, Vézina explained. "We noticed that changes were being made later than 11 p.m., which is not normal," Vézina said. "When we saw that matches were being changed in the future, we started to dig deeper." They realized future games were being modified so it seemed like suspended players had already served their suspensions. One young player had been suspended for two games a few days earlier, but the computer system registered that he was eligible to return to the ice. Other changes were also made to past games, which Vézina said was surprising. "The results are there for wins and losses, but for the rest, we don't compile the best scorers or passers," he said. "If someone makes a change, it's for a personal reason." Who's to blame? Vézina said it took hours of work to reverse all the inappropriate changes, and staff were already busy with the end of the season approaching. "I've been in the hockey world for 18 years. We've been using an electronic system for 8 to 10 years, and this is the first time we've seen a situation like this," he said. Whoever accessed the system altered player statistics or scores for about 40 games, according to the league. About 30 of the games were affected the first time the system was inappropriately accessed by someone in the Masson-Angers region. To ensure there will be no more unauthorized changes, Vézina said the Masson-Angers timekeepers and scorekeepers now have codes which are linked to their email addresses. The codes make it easy to identify the account from which changes originate. The entire system will be reviewed after the season is over and before a new one starts next fall. But finding out who made the changes this season will be challenging. Vézina estimated more than 100 young people and adults across nine associations in the region have access. The LHRO is asking its members to send it any information that could help the league identify who's to blame. "It's just about making people aware, telling them that these are things that are not done," Vézina said, adding anyone found responsible could face consequences, including suspension.
CBC
28-01-2025
- CBC
Quebec man fined for helping defective pool owners seek compensation via Facebook
When Quebec City resident Philippe Vézina noticed the cedar planking around his eight-year-old pool was starting to rot, he contacted the manufacturer. But Trévi, a Quebec pool company, merely offered a discount on replacement parts, and that wasn't enough as far as Vézina was concerned. He joined a Facebook group with about 60 members, all complaining about the same problem. "We started chatting about it and quickly realized the scale of the problem with Trévi," he said. Little did he know, he was about to embark on a journey of benevolence, helping other pool owners fight the company. But that journey landed him in hot water. He was fined $7,500 for illegally practising law. The situation largely dates back to an October 2022 segment aired by Radio-Canada's La facture television program. It highlighted a couple's purchase of a $19,000 pool that deteriorated in just five years. In the segment, Trévi president Benoît Hudon acknowledged the issue, saying, "the pools have premature wear, especially after 2012." Facebook group gains traction The segment caused Vézina's Facebook group, Ma piscine en cèdre est pourrie! (My cedar pool is rotten!), to grow significantly. He was the group's administrator and became deeply involved, loving the volunteer work. "Questions and emails poured in, I was overwhelmed, but I was thrilled to see what could come of it," he said. He spent countless hours helping the group's members push Trévi to take responsibility and provide fair compensation for their pools. Then, Vézina got a surprising call from Hudon, who invited him to a meeting. The meeting was productive, and Vézina signed a confidential agreement resolving his claim. Hudon also proposed that Vézina sign a document committing to help other members reach fair settlements while limiting his role to being a proactive moderator facilitating communication. "I was the voice of Trévi customers who'd had bad experiences with their pools, and that's it," Vézina said. Vézina shared the agreement with the Facebook group and summarized the meeting. He had no idea that signing this document would mark the start of his legal troubles. Quebec Bar launches investigation Just days later, the Quebec Bar Association, Barreau du Québec, received an anonymous complaint accusing Vézina of practising law without a licence. This triggered an investigation. Vézina's Facebook group was infiltrated, and his activities scrutinized. Trévi began issuing settlement offers to pool owners. Since Vézina knew the amounts of various offers, he encouraged some customers to seek better compensation. "I could tell someone, 'No, don't accept that, it doesn't make sense.' Some were offered $600 for their pool. Come on! So I'd tell them, 'Refuse it, ask for more, negotiate with them.' But it wasn't my job to negotiate. That was up to them," he said. In November 2022, following its investigation, the Bar concluded that Vézina had overstepped. He was ordered to immediately cease performing any acts reserved for lawyers. He was accused of acting as an intermediary for settling claims related to cedar pools, which constituted unauthorized legal practice. Vézina brushed it off, believing he was simply facilitating communication between Trévi and the group members. As far as he was concerned, he never claimed to be a lawyer. "To me, it's clear that a lawyer is someone who gets paid to do research, file complaints and talk to judges. I wasn't doing any of that. I was just helping," he said. He posted to the Facebook group, reiterating that he wasn't a lawyer. But it's not that simple, according to Sylvie Champagne, director of legal affairs at the Barreau du Québec. "Practising law illegally isn't just about claiming to be a lawyer. It's much broader than that," Champagne explained. Even if someone explicitly states they aren't a lawyer, giving legal advice still constitutes unauthorized practise, she said. Listing possible options is OK Claudia Bérubé, a lawyer and lecturer at the Université de Sherbrooke, said it's acceptable to outline possible options for a legal issue without suggesting a specific course of action. "If you say, 'You could go to mediation, make another offer or go to small claims court,' you're just listing possible options. That's legal information, which is permitted," Bérubé said. "But you can't advise someone to take a specific legal action or use certain arguments to assert their rights — that's legal advice." Ultimately, the Bar launched litigation against Vézina, and he was ordered to pay $7,500. Vézina claims he couldn't defend himself because he never received the court summons. He later sought to have the judgment overturned, but his request was denied. Trévi said the agreement Vézina signed was meant to formalize his role as a mediator, not authorize him to perform legal duties. Trévi itself received a warning from the regulatory body. "It's a shame that this man, who volunteered his time and effort, got penalized for unauthorized legal practise," said Bérubé. "We should celebrate this kind of civic initiative." But, she added, the next step in such cases would be to consult a lawyer who can represent the group in a class-action lawsuit. Despite everything, Vézina remains committed to helping others. "I still believe you can help people voluntarily without getting in trouble. You just have to follow the rules and be careful about what you say," he said.
