Organized by Westmount resident Wilfrid de Freitas, the event promises to be as thrilling and dramatic as Dickens’s original recitation.

A member of the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan, the Saskatoon resident has had a vivacious career "culturally misappropriating the works of dead white guys." As Charles Dickens, Huston has performed his one-man "A Christmas Carol" almost 300 times in 11 years and five provinces, including sold-out performances at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. His most recent one-man show, "Creeping Murmur, Pouring Dark", was judged Best Solo Show at the 2003 Ottawa Fringe Festival. Huston’s performances have also been heard on CBC Radio.

Huston will present A Christmas Carol Friday, December 1 at 8 p.m. at the Atwater Library Auditorium, 1200 Atwater Avenue. Tickets are $15. Seating is limited and reservations and can be made by calling 514-935-9581 or 514-935-7344.



Artisan Festival this weekend



For the eighth consecutive year, the Westmount Artisans’ Festival will kick off the Christmas season this Saturday and Sunday at Victoria Hall.

Organized once again by artisans Flora Lee Wagner and Ilyse Segal, the festival will have 33 local artisans offering a smorgasbord of holiday gifts.

“It’s a fun weekend of great things to see and wonderful things to buy,� says Wagner. “And it all happens in the wonderful ambiance of Westmount’s Victoria Hall.�

A Christmas tree in the foyer will be decorated with ornaments made and donated by the artisans with all proceeds going to the Mackay Centre. Next to the tree a table will display hand made cards created by members of the Mackay Centre.

New this year are Raku pottery made with a unique glazing process, handbags made from vintage kimono fabric and mittens and scarves made from recycled wool. Last year’s popular items including hand painted bicycle bells and intricate coin puzzles will also be displayed. And of course on stage Cookie Studio owner and caterer Donna Malin will serve up hearty meals and tea breaks from her kitchen.

The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 11 and 12. Admission is $2 or non perishable food items collected by Westmount Security for their Christmas food basket program. For more information, call 514-934-0294.



Crime for Christmas



Four Canadian novelists are looking at the dark side of the holidays with a special Crime for Christmas event at the Atwater Library auditorium on Wednesday, Nov. 23.

Freelance technical writer and editor by day and mystery writer by calling, Michael Blair will read from one of his four published books.

N.A.T. Grant, who has tackled the world of espionage and become one of the elite few of Canadian female spy thriller writers, will read from and discuss her spy thriller Race series that involves a multi layered scheme of espionage being played out over four volumes. Robert Landori, author of Fatal Greed, Tainted Blood and Thirst, will present some of his experiences as a fiction writer. Journalist and CBC radio host Louise Penny will read from and discuss her book Dead Cold and Still Life, winner of the New Blood Dagger in Britain and the Arthur Ellis Award in Canada for best first crime novel.

The evening promised to be both interesting and insightful. For information phone Tanya Mayhew at 935-7344. The Atwater Library is located at 1200 Atwater Ave.



Wise inducted into College of Fellows



Accredited senior appraiser Richard Wise was recently inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Society of Appraisers.

Having been elected to life membership just 16 weeks ago, Wise was inducted into the College in recognition of his contributions to the valuation profession over a number of years.

The recognition is particularly impressive since there are only 44 Fellows of the approximately 5000 members of the society worldwide.

The Bellevue Avenue resident is also the only Canadian to have been made a Fellow.

“As a Canadian I am very proud to have been inducted into the prestigious College of Fellows as the Society is the leading appraisal organization in the world and is represented internationally with members located around the world,� he said.

The ASA was established in 1936 in Washington, D.C. to represent all of the specialized valuation disciplines.

A former international governor of ASA, Wise is currently vice chair of its business valuation standards committee.





Yellow Bird Project



A years ago two Westmount residents and recent university graduates conceived the idea to combine some of their favourite things, art, music and charity, with a medium loved by music fans around the world; the band t-shirt. The result was the Yellowbird Project; a business that sells t-shirts designed by artists to promote bands and donates the profits to charity.

Clarke Avenue resident Casey Cohen and Cedar Avenue resident Matthew Stotland launched the project at a festival last year and made enough money the first week to donate $5000 to charity.

Since then they have fine tuned a win/win for all concerned. They have developed a group of artists to create original art work that is reproduced in a sweatshop free factory. The t-shirt raises awareness about the band and the sales of their CD’s increases. And 100 per cent of the sale of the t-shirts goes to charity.

For more information about the Yellowbird Project go to www.yellowbirdproject.com">www.yellowbirdproject.com">www.yellowbirdproject.com





--- Marilynn Vanderstay