RIDE A BIKE IN DECEMBER...

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1)-
Journalist William Johnson (83 years) and the mild temperatures with no snow affecting Quebec at this time for the 2014 holiday season have caused my habits and my courage and I took out my bike to tour of Old Montreal ... I thought if Bill bikes, why not me too. Long live winter! Long live the bike! 
Photo 1 and 2: Bernard Bujold ;
Photo 3: Square Victoria in Old Montreal;
Photo 4: William Johnson in Gatineau;
SEE PHOTOS ALBUM;

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2014

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1.com) - 
Every year, I like to enjoy Christmas to reflect on life. 
I have read several articles in the past few days in the media telling of the misery or poverty of many and the wealth of a few. We must face the facts, life on earth is a lottery and all of us can not be the grand prize winner (rich, beautiful and healthy) but if we are accepted in the lottery of life, we get all at least a lot, the minimum being a lifetime... 
It is therefore necessary to have the wisdom to enjoy and especially to accept the lot granted to us. The most important asset is obviously youth. The rest will be like traveling with anecdotes and the choices of our youth, free or imposed, will largely decide the destination and options for our various journeys in adulthood. Of course, it goes without saying that health is more important than youth because without health, there is no life. Health is the first wealth which is obtained from birth and it will have to last us a lifetime. So do not waste it... 
Personally I consider myself to be a kind of cat (or dog as my faithful Ulysses) to have had to date at least seven lives... 
First I grew up in a rectory while my family wanted me to become a priest (or bishop...); I then dreamed of being a famous athlete; then to become a journalist believing that I have found a vocation; then I wanted to create a family clan that ended with solitudes; then to the politics thinking that I can change the world; and finally to become a journalist again but knowing that the world cannot be changed except in each of our lives and only on an individual basis. Today, in this life that is now mine, well I try to do my best... 
I also apply the philosophy of the friend Gérard Depardieu: live fully in the now moment, philosophy described in his excellent biography book currently in store and my favorite in 2014: "Ça s'est fait comme ça". 
And because I have known many lives since my childhood, I also know that in each new life, it is always both an end and a new beginning! We need to know how to forget the past and embrace change. Happiness never exist as a destination but it is in the now moment of each of our lives, from and despite the obstacles. Do not be afraid of this and live the present as if it was our last moment on earth! 
Merry Christmas to all and a great year 2015! 
PS. Santa Claus really exists and he came to visit me! The secret: Just believe...
Photo 1: Bernard Bujold;
Photo 2: Ulysse the Dog at LeStudio1;
Photo 3: View of St-Simeon de Bonaventure in Gaspé Peninsula;
Photo 4: Julie and Gérard Depardieu with the biography book cover;
Photo 5: Santa Claus with Goblin;
See the web site LeStudio1.com;

CONRAD BLACK AND CANADIAN HISTORY

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1.com) - 
I just finished reading the canadian history written by Conrad Black: RISE TO GREATNESS - THE HISTORY OF CANADA. The 1,106-page book is a true overview of 400 years of history and we can conclude that Black has managed the feat! 
Anyone who wants to know Canada will benefit from reading this book. 
The story begins with Samuel de Champlain and ends with Stephen Harper and Philippe Couillard. Anything goes: the wars with the Iroquois; the struggles between France, Britain and the United States to control Canada at birth; the founding of Canada at the time of John A. Macdonald; relations of Canada, led by MacKenzie King, with Hitler before and during the Second War; the evolution of Quebec from Maurice Duplessis through Jean Lesage, René Lévesque and Robert Bourassa; and analysis of the role of all modern Prime Ministers from Pierre E. Trudeau, Jean Chrétien, Brian Mulroney and of course Stephen Harper. 
Conrad Black has probably finished the book before the arrival of Pierre-Karl Peladeau in politics because he does not mention him. He ends his book by saying that Philippe Couillard, that he calls an"estimable"man and an unambiguously federalist, should be "fighting" with Ottawa for a rightful place of Quebec in Canada. Black also suggests that leaders from Ottawa and Quebec should be more imaginative to bring together the country and respect its founding cultures. 
Conrad Black believes in the future of Canada and he is obviously a deeply convinced federalist. 
The book is published only in English, but translation is under discussion. The book deserves to be translated since it directly, in addition to English Canada, address all Francophones from Quebec and France and there is no doubt that the look on the history of Canada will contribute directly to political discourse of the coming years, especially with the new momentum envisaged by the Parti Québécois!
Personally, I loved the Conrad Black's book and I recommend it to everyone, including Pierre-Karl Peladeau...
PHOTO 1 and 2: Conrad Black;
PHOTOS 3 AND 4: Cover of the book; 
SEE VIDEO INTERVIEW AND STORY FROM THE GAZETTE ;

FUN AT THE COTTAGE...

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1.com) - 
The pleasures of the cottage in winter are different from those in the summer but they are just as enjoyable. Nature offers a performance that approaches the photograph in black and white contrasting to the bright colors of summer. Of course, if you are at the cottage during December, and before the 24 of December... one must be willing to share with our friend always in color: The Goblin! 
Photo 1: Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1.com);
Photos 2, 3 and 4: Chalet;
Photo 5: GOBLIN at the cottage;
SEE PHOTOS ;

PIERRE KARL PÉLADEAU AND QUEBEC POLITICS

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1) - 
The political climate in Quebec may return to the atmosphere from 1995 to the time when the referendum occupied all the media and public space. It will be recalled that the clans baffles were deep and harsh. One was for or against, but never neutral! 
Today in 2014, we can already feel, and increasingly around the path of Pierre-Karl Peladeau, that cleavage is being established again between the pro-independence and pro-federalists in Quebec.
I have already started receiving several calls in private or on my various social websites, reminding me that I should or I should not, support the son of Pierre Peladeau in his new political project for independence. Some of my correspondents are strongly in favor of PKP, others are deeply against him. Many are also quite curious about the secrets that I might have about the son of the founder of Quebecor... 
First let me be clear that I am not an enemy of PKP, nor his friend. So I look at his journey from the stands. 
I have always said that Pierre-Karl Peladeau is smarter than the average person and has successfully established himself in the management of Quebecor although those who had taken the place of Pierre Peladeau after his death did not want to give him the power. I am thinking of the old guard like Jean Neveu and Charles Albert Poissant. This is also in this war that I found myself when just days after the death of Pierre Peladeau, Jean Neveu had summoned me to his office to confirm that he wanted absolutely no business with me at the "new" Quebecor! Not even to take care of the parking garage... 
There's the part of the story about my little secret, among others, for the curious! 
Now on Pierre-Karl Peladeau, if I had been PKP, it is certain that I would have stayed in the management of Quebecor because he was the boss at a private empire. He chose politics and there is a whole world between business and politics. His father refused to solicit printing contracts with the government and he often said that democracy had nothing to do with business. 
I could see that for myself when I entered his service. I arrived from Ottawa being with Brian Mulroney. In politics, we get up in the morning and our agenda is influenced by the media and the news of the day. In business, the agenda is controlled by the one who owns the door handles... 
In politics, journalists always want to show that what the politician says is false; in business, journalists usually publish without questioning the company press releases. 
But the son of the founder of Quebecor decided to get into the political arena and he will fight. It will be a very exciting event to watch because PKP is in as aspiring champion. A high-level sports competition is always an enjoyable event to follow. 
As for my secret about PKP and Quebecor, it is the Omerta, at least for now... 
To be continued!! 
Photo 1 and 2: Pierre Karl Peladeau; Photo 3: Pierre Karl Peladeau, Julie Snyder and Jean Neveu; Photo 4: Pierre Peladeau and Bernard Bujold; Photo 5: Social Quebecor Headquarters;

PIERRE KARL PÉLADEAU AND RACE FOR THE PARTI QUÉBÉCOIS...

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1) - 
The race for the leadership of the Parti Québécois is on! 
It is obvious that PKP would make an excellent prime minister, but as I said on Radio-Canada, he may not have chosen the right party to implement his talent and his economic ideas. 
The Parti Québécois is a party of ideas, say "romantic" more than a party of "pragmatic" actions ... " 
PKP is a lawyer and he did his Bar in Quebec. He is a businessman by inheritance and so he is not like his father an entrepreneur but rather an empire manager and a very pragmatic one for whom the profit line essentially account. 
As I am not a political activist neither PQ or any party, I will not be an actor but a spectator in the stands with regard to PKP race. Personally, I am apolitical in the sense that I do not support any particular party neither PQ nor Liberal nor CAQ. I support of individuals. I like a Justin Trudeau, a Ruth Ellen Brosseau, a Nicolas Sarkozy, or once a Brian Mulroney, a René Lévesque, etc... 
I've never been a friend of Pierre Karl but I have known him in the past when I was an assistant to his father who was, too, apolitical from political party and he supported men according to their individual value. He did not like Pierre Elliott Trudeau but he was a close friend of Brian Mulroney as well with Robert Bourassa and René Lévesque of course but always at the individual level and never at the party level. He also supported Pierre Bourque for mayor of Montreal. 
In the case of Pierre Karl Peladeau, his story is just beginning and is to follow. PKP took over Quebecor in 1997 the then world leader in printing. He added Vidéotron empire to his wallet but since it was too heavy financially, he began selling printing plants to only keep at the end Videotron. In 2014 we all know that Quebecor Printing is broke and Videotron has become a jewel because of the internet. PKP had pledged the house and, lucky he won but he could have lost everything. I think he will do the same thing politically. He pledged the house! Hope for him that he won again but everyone know that if you win the jackpot once at the casino, the only way to come out ahead is to stop playing and leave the casino running with the jackpot. QUEBECOR was his big prize in the past. Will he win another jackpot in the history of his life? To be continued! 
Photo 1: CBC news bulletin with Pascale Nadeau;
Photo 2: Pierre Karl Peladeau at the launch of his campaign;
Photo 3: Bernard Bujold in the studio of Radio-Canada;
SEE REPORT THE GAZETTE ;

MICHAËLLE JEAN AND DESTINY

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1.com) - 
The fate of Michaëlle Jean definitely seems to be favored by the gods... 
The former Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, was chosen from among the five candidates vying to lead the global Francophonie. The former Prime Minister of Canada Paul Martin will certainly be happy with this decision to his favorite... 
If the former Prime Minister Paul Martin had not watched TV a 2005 night in his Ottawa office, eating his meal sitting on his couch and he had not fixed the television reception on RDI, it would not have noticed the host Michaëlle Jean and the fate of the former journalist would have been very different. A chance also that the personal secretary to the Prime Minister liked the style of Michaëlle because as urban legend go, Martin asked her what she thought of his idea to appoint Michaëlle Jean the vacant post of Governor General. The secretary would have said yes that it was an interesting idea... Paul Martin then would have said! "Ok! Call her immediately and I will talk to her..." Recall that Jean Béliveau had refused the previous invitation of Paul Martin and the Canadian Prime Minister had to find someone fast... 
The path of Michaëlle Jean always made me think of another former CBC journalist, Bernard Drainville. Unfortunately for him, the gods seem less favorable and if he could have had legitimate ambitions of one day becoming Premier of Quebec, the emergence of Pierre-Karl Peladeau changed the destiny of Drainville to another direction out from the glory that knows his professional namesake Michaëlle Jean. 
Who said that fate did not matter... 
Photos 1 and 4: Michaëlle Jean;
Photos 1 and 2: Paul Martin;
Photo 3: Bernard Drainville;
SEE APPOINTMENT MICHAËLLE JEAN ; 
SEE BIOGRAPHY JEAN MICHAËLLE ;

MONTREAL FRENCH BOOK FAIR 2014

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1.com) - 
This is the weekend of the MONTREAL FRENCH BOOK FAIR 2014 and thousands of readers will meet their favorite authors. 
Thoses authors includes international stars as Kathy Reichs and Ken Follett as well as Quebec stars such Denis Monette, Roxanne Bouchard, Jacques Languirand or leading journalists like Jean-Francois Lepine, Fabrice De Pierrebourg and Chantal Hébert or politicians like Justin Trudeau and Mélanie Joly. There are also several artists including Edith Butler. 
Of the thousands of authors at the Montreal Book Fair 2014, dozens will have lineup of hundreds of readers who would want a signature. But for others, it's a humbling experience described by journalist Marie Claude Ducas in a text published in Le Journal de Montreal (Saturday, November 22 "in Author Book Fair ... it look like?"). 
But all authors have one thing in common: a passion for their work and writing. 
Among the less stars authors, I chose to photograph Catherine Bourgault, a young writer mother of three who publishes a series like "Cheek Lit." She has two books at the 2014 Fair: Le Club des Girls et Sortie de filles.
All major media are also present and several will present live discussion tables. 
In all, more than 100,000 visitors are expected and more than 1,000 publishers and 1,500 authors francophones are on site. This is the 37th edition of this annual Montreal event, which runs from November 19 to 24 at Place Bonaventure. A privileged and unique opportunity to select Christmas gifts, an event that will be here in less than a month... 
Unfortunately my friend Gérard Depardieu did not make the trip to Montreal for the Salon but I continue to adore his book and I consider it to be the best book of 2014! This is the book that I will offer for Christmas and it is available at the show (booth XO Editions - ADP section).
Have a good Book Fair and happy reading! 
Photo 1: Poster Montreal Book Fair 2014;
Photo 2: Bernard Bujold at Book Fair;
Photo 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7: Montreal Book Fair 2014;
SEE PHOTOS ALBUM ;

BOWVEMBER AND MY FRIEND GASPARD...

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1) - 
In a former life, I was in all galas, special events, evening fundraising, opening night at theater, museum, book launch or music albums, exhibitions, music concerts, variety shows, etc! My agenda was filled 7 on 7. I wanted to please and seduce and I did not believe in the virtues of solitude or individual and discrete gestures. 
It was once my life but today I automatically refuse all invitations from three categories: 
1. I will never participate in wedding ceremonies (large gathering of family, friends and acquaintances). I prefer intimate gatherings and for me a dinner attended by more than 4 people is a crowd....; 
2. I did not attend any funeral! The person is dead and, she or he, will not hear me tell that I loved her or him. I prefer a living person...; 
3. I will not participate in any campaign to raise public funds, like United Way. I prefer to help my entourage on an individual basis. 
Of course there are exceptions. So this friend (Facebook), Gaspard Fauteux, invited me to publish a picture of me, a kind of Selfie with a bow tie for the campaign BOWVEMBRE (the Association PROCURE against cancer of the prostate in men). Since I love to take photos, I agreed. If he had asked me to participate to a Gala, I would have refused... 
Here is my picture! Have a nice BOWVEMBER campaign, my dear Gaspard! 
Photo 1: Bernard Bujold;
Photo 2: Gaspard Fauteux;
SEE SITE PROCURE ;

SAVE CBC RADIO-CANADA

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1) -
The event presented in Montreal this Sunday, November 16, 2014 to support safeguarding CBC gathered around 25,000 people, according to organizers and police officials. 
A very well structured walk that lasted only two hours but has bring together several personalities from both the public and the employees of the CBC. Several french journalists, tv or radio hosts including Joël Le Bigot, Jean-François Lépine, Anne-Marie Dussault, Marc Laurendeau, Simon Durivage, Claude Deschênes, Gabriel Nadeau Dubois and many others. Among the artists we noticed Marc Hervieux, Dan Bigras and Vincent Bilodeau as well as some politicians like the former head of the Parti Québécois André Boisclair .. Buses had been chartered especially from Gatineau and we noted the presence of Louise Poirier, co-chair of the movement "CBC Makeover CBC / I Care." 
It is obvious that this is not this event that will change the directions of management at CBC and only the adoption of CBC as electoral issue by a political party leader opposing Stephen Harper could give back to the public corporation his leadership role in the country. 
But who knows, maybe the event will contribute to convince Justin or Thomas. The next federal election is scheduled for October 2015! 
To be continued...
Photo 1: Bernard Bujold with protesters;
Photo 2 and 5: Protest of 16 November 2014;
Photo 3: Joel Le Bigot; Photo 4: Marc Hervieux;
SEE PHOTOS;

GÉRARD DEPARDIEU - ÇA S'EST FAIT COMME ÇA! - THE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2014

Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1) - 
Gerard Depardieu's autobiography is available in bookstores in Quebec and it is a wonderful book for three reasons! 
1. Gerard talks about himself in the simplest way but very openly. He tells us why his friendship with Vladimir Putin, his vision of the life of actor and businessman, his passion for the land, his love for his children and especially his love of freedom. 
2. Gerard and I got the same philosophy of life and we are from the same generation. If I wrote a book about my life, I would like to send the same message conveyed by Gerard for his children and friendsé In one sentence: "We must live and be happy!" 
3. This book arrives in bookstores just before Christmas and New Year. It is an excellent choice of gift for friends. For me, this is the gift I will offer it because I consider this book to be an exceptional book and the "Book of the Year 2014 '. 
Happy reading and thank you to Gerard for the offer.
PHOTO 1: COVER OF THE BOOK;
PHOTO 2 AND 3: Gérard Depardieu;
SEE STORY ABOUR THE BOOK IN PARIS MATCH;

PIERRE KARL PÉLADEAU AT WAR ...

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1) - 
The war is launched in the race for the leadership of the Parti Québécois and Pierre-Karl Peladeau will fire any ammunition. As the English say, it will be a "No-Hold-Barred" match! You could also say that it will be like son, like father... 
Indeed PKP attacks head-on the ancient enemies of his father. A prime example is the text that he wrote directly on his Facebook about the former press tycoon Conrad Black calling him "tôlard" following an editorial by Black in the National Post on the Canadian Constitution and Philippe Couilllard. 
When I was an assistant to his father, Pierre Peladeau, the latter often shared with me his hatred and contempt for Conrad Black that he hated just as much as he hated Pierre E. Trudeau and Paul Desmarais Sr. Me, I tried to deflect the conversation because I liked and admired the three men. I also came close to working for Conrad Black who I knew by Peter G. White, partner of the magnate and former chief of staff to Brian Mulroney. 
PKP also use old friendships with his father like the one with Bernard Landry who the father Peladeau liked... 
There will be war victims and victory is far from assured for PKP if he continues to attack too broad. 
One question that arises is: "What will Brian Mulroney do? He is currently Chairman of Quebecor and he is a friend of PKP but also a close friend of his enemies ranging from Desmarais, Trudeau (son) and Conrad Black.
As I have already said several times in the past: "The worst enemy in a war is yourself. And the worst enemy of PKP is PKP himself! " 
To be continued! 
Photos 1 and 3: Pierre-Karl Peladeau;
Photo 2: Conrad Black;
Photo 4: Brian Mulroney;
SEE FACEBOOK PIERRE KARL PÉLADEAU;