Driving by St. Joseph's Oratory

My friend, Audrey Keyes (Veeto), used to say that wherever her mother lived in Montreal she could see the Oratory. She could walk out of her home on Oxford Avenue, or her apartment on Sherbrooke Street West, or the Manoir Westmount where she lived her final years, or even her childhood home just half a block from the Manoir Westmount, on Landsdowne Avenue in Westmount, and in the distance was the looming presence of St. Joseph's Oratory. Or even from, and maybe especially from, her window on Five South of St. Mary's Hospital where Mrs. Keyes died, and see the huge dome of the Oratory. 

On Queen Mary Road at Cote de Neiges Road

The Oratory is closed due to pandemic restrictions; meanwhile, renovations are taking place 

St. Joseph's Oratory in the distance, taken on Terrebonne just outside the rear gates into Loyola College

 

Andre Corbeil

 

Here I am with CTV television sports broadcaster Andre Corbeil. It was a morning in April 2011 at Nickel`s Restaurant  on Cote des Neiges Road. CZ (especially) is a big fan of Andre`s;  ("AN-drey, AN-Drey" she says when he comes on to read the sports at 11:50 p.m.). So there I was at Nickel's and Andre walks by where I am sitting, "You're Andre Corbeil!" I said, and here we are, the old guy (me) and Andre. Really exciting! Now if only CZ could meet him to say "hello", she's a real fan. AN-drey, AN-Drey!!