Audreia Fagan still laughs when she remembers the first time someone offered her a full-body massage. “I thought they were crazy,” she said. “I didn’t even know it was an industry.” Today, Fagan is the founder of Montreal Massotherapy Masters, a growing therapeutic massage practice helping Montrealers manage pain, relieve stress and reconnect with their bodies. But the path that led her there was anything but straightforward. Born and raised in downtown Montreal, Fagan grew up in the neighbourhoods around Westmount, Little Burgundy and Atwater. Her upbringing was shaped by the strength of her mother, who raised the family as …

For Jamillah Jean, the journey that led to founding Routes to Rootz was deeply personal. What began as a search for healing during one of the most difficult seasons of her life has grown into a movement reconnecting people, especially Black and marginalized communities to nature, wellness, and belonging. Born in Montreal to Haitian parents, Jean describes herself as “an adventurous” spirit who has always felt drawn to the outdoors. With a background in education and more than two decades in social services, her life’s work has centered on equity, advocacy, and uplifting those often left out. “Social justice advocacy, …

In a conversation with the CONTACT, that moved from Montreal’s Black media legacy to the backroads of Mississippi, author and longtime community advocate Fred Anderson didn’t just detail what happened in his life he explained why he could no longer let it remain unwritten. Anderson’s memoir, Eyes Have Seen: From Mississippi to Montreal, is not only a coming-of-age story about growing up Black in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in the 1950s and 60s. It’s also a record of exile of fleeing to Canada as a Vietnam War resister in 1966, living under an assumed name for 11 years, and building a new …

When Latoya Belfon sat down to write her first book in 2020, her only goal was to learn how to publish it. She had no plans to start a company or guide others through the process. But as she launched her debut and shared it with her community, the encouragement she received was accompanied by questions—how did you do it? Where did you start? That steady stream of curiosity motivated her to share what she had learned and, before long, to create something enduring. “I never started out thinking I was going to be a publisher,” Belfon said to the …

This November, Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) returns to the Segal Centre for Performing Arts Studio with Our Place, a stirring and often humorous exploration of Canada’s immigration system. Written by Ambrose Umozo, the play lifts the curtain on the unseen lives of those who work “under the table,” piecing together love, legality, and survival in a country that both promises and withholds belonging. Running November 19 – 30, with a Special Dinner & Pre-Show Talk on November 22 featuring psychotherapist Shirlette Wint, the production is directed by BTW’s Artistic Director Dian Marie Bridge, who describes it as “a story of …

When Arlene Bryant walks through the streets of Châteauguay, people know her by name. They wave, smile, or stop her to talk about their neighborhoods, roads, or children. And that, she says, is exactly how she wants it. “I don’t want people to see me only every four years,” Bryant says to the CONTACT. “I want them to see me every month, every season. I want them to know I’m here.” As District 2 Councillor for the city of Châteauguay, Bryant has made a name for herself not just through her policies, but through her presence. She’s a familiar face …

Carol-Ann Hoyte didn’t plan on politics. The Côte-des-Neiges native, mother, poet and 24-year veteran of children’s literature explains to the CONTACT, “the opportunity found me.” Now she’s running for city councillor with the fledgling Transition Montréal – Craig Sauvé Team. “I never had an interest in politics,” Hoyte said. “Once I met Craig Sauvé and heard the platform fresh ideas to better serve Montrealers I realized I wanted to help build something new.” Hoyte was born at St. Mary’s Hospital and baptized at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, both in the area where she lives and is seeking office. She notes …

Born in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Jean-François Kacou has built an extraordinary path that now places him at the center of Montréal’s political stage. After studies in mathematics in Bordeaux, followed by business and management, he came to Canada in 2012. His early years were spent as a consultant and strategic advisor, working with organizations such as Afrique Expansion Inc. Arriving in a new country as an immigrant, Kacou faced the same challenges that many newcomers know well: adapting to a new culture, building a professional network, and proving himself in environments where few leaders looked like him. Instead of being …

NDG knows Renate Betts. Long before she put her name on a ballot, she was the neighbour organizing after-school programs at Westhaven Community Centre, the voice at board tables pushing for inclusion, and the steady hand at The Depot Community Food Centre making sure families could put food on the table. Now Betts is running for city councillor in Loyola with Transition Montréal, pitching something rare in politics: candour, cooperation, and a focus on basics that matter on our blocks. “I choose to serve the community,” she says to the CONTACT. “If City Hall is where I can make a …

Gemma Raeburn-Baynes received the Medal of the National Assembly of Quebec from Brigitte B. Garceau, MNA for Robert-Baldwin, during Playmas Montreal Cultural Association’s 25th-anniversary celebration on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. The citation recognized her more than 60 years of visionary and philanthropic leadership, founding Playmas Montreal and the GemStar Circle of Excellence, and her enduring impact in creating Caribbean culture, nurturing artistic talent, and empowering Black youth.