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Authority record
Belfrage, Frances
FB4 · Person · 1920-2011

Frances Belfrage McDonald was born on June 17, 1920. She was married to Peter McDonald with whom she had a daughter named Molly McDonald. Belfrage wrote several radio plays for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Some of her works include Blues for Charlie, Neon Sign in Green and Red, and The Exile. She also wrote for the British Columbia Department of Education’s Youth in Search of a Future series dealing with vocational guidance.

Frances Belfrage McDonald died on March 13, 2011.

Bélisle, Jean
JB1 · Person · 19XX-

Jean Bélisle retired from the Department of Art History and got his Professor Emeritus title in 2012.

Bell, Don
DB1 · Person · November 17, 1936 - March 6, 2003

Donald Herbert Bell (known also as Don The Bookman Bell) was an author, dramatist, journalist-much of his writing was humorous-and a seller of used and rare books. He was born November 17, 1936 in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 1941 his family moved to Montreal. His parents were Sam Bell and Claire Bell (d. 1983). The family name at the time of Don Bell's birth was Belitzky. His brother was Arthur Bell (1932-1984), who worked in publishing in New York and then became a writer at the Village Voice. His sister was Doreen Bell (married name: Resnick). Don Bell studied at Baron Byng High School and Mount Royal High School and then at McGill University, graduating in 1957 with a degree in commerce with an English major. He married Céline Dubé in 1962. They had two children, Daniel and Valerie, and later divorced. In the 1980s he married Odile Perret and divided his time between Paris and Sutton, Quebec. He died in Montreal March 6, 2003, age 67.

In the 1960s he had a number of jobs as a journalist, working for a time at CBC International Services and then at newspapers including the Montreal Herald, the Calgary Herald, and the Montreal Gazette. From 1967 onward, he worked as a freelance writer of articles, fiction (short stories and novellas), and film and radio scripts for a wide variety of Canadian and American magazines, newspapers, and other media. He did photography to illustrate his articles. He wrote the Expo publicity booklet short book Film at Expo 67 (published by Expo 67, 1967). A collection of his short stories was published as Saturday Night at the Bagel Factory and Other Montreal Stories (McClelland and Stewart, 1972). It won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Award for Humour for 1974. His book Pocketman was published by Dorset Publications in 1979. In 1976, he won the Canadian Authors Association Air Canada award for humour. In 1978 he won a Jewish Book Month award. 1n 1986 he won the Molson Silver Award for the Best Canadian Sports Writing category of the National Magazine Awards. For a number of years he researched the life and death of magician Harry Houdini, creating a manuscript for a book that was published posthumously as The Man Who Killed Houdini by Véhicule Press in 2004. He wrote a number of other books, usually compilations and reworkings of his articles and stories, that were never published.

In the 1980s he opened a second-hand bookstore in Sutton, Quebec. During his travels he scouted books and in the summers he sold books at his store, La Librairie Founde Bookes in Sutton. He had a column, Founde Bookes, in Books in Canada magazine, dealing with his life as a book scout and dealer. Bookspeak, a chapbook based on his experience scouting and selling used and rare books, was published by Typographeum in 2000.

Bell, Joe
JB1 · Person · 1908-1972

Joe Bell was born December 20, 1908 in Chester-Le-Street, Durham, England. He emigrated with his family to Canada in 1919 and settled in Toronto. He married in 1934, and he and his wife Anne had a daughter, Joan. He died in Montreal December 4, 1972.

He received musical training through membership in the Salvation Army Dovercourt Corps Band. He worked as a bank clerk, but wanted to earn his living as a trombonist. In 1934 he left Toronto and the Old Mill, where he had been playing with the Leo Romanelli Dance Orchestra, to join the Kramer Band in Montreal. There he played in numerous night clubs such as The Lido, Chez Maurice, and The Normandie Roof in the Mount Royal Hotel. From 1945 to 1965 Joe Bell played with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra as first trombone, and then as second. He also taught at McGill University's Music Department, as well as at the McGill Summer Music School in the Eastern Townships. He retired in 1965.

Benedetti, Alain
AB1 · Person · [19-]-

Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) Alain Benedetti graduated from Loyola College in 1970. A member of the board of the Loyola Alumni Association since 1982, Benedetti served as President of the Association from 1986 to 1988. Benedetti represented the Loyola Alumni Association on the Board of Governors from 1990 to 1996 and served as representative of the community-at-large and Chair of the Board of Governors Audit Committee from 1996 to 2003. He was first elected Chair of the Board of Governors at its June 18, 2003 meeting and was re-elected at its June 17, 2004 meeting. Benedetti stepped down from his Chair role in 2005 and was then named Governor Emeritus and a lifetime member of the Corporation of Concordia University.

  • Benedetti chaired the Advisory Search Committee that would elect Claude Lajeunesse President and Vice-Chancellor in 2004 and 2005.
  • Benedetti won an IBM Thinkpad laptop at a Shuffle raffle in 2003 and donated the computer to student Maria Hunt through a raffle.
  • On November 27, 1997 Benedetti’s volunteer work was honoured at the Awards of Distinction of the Faculty of Commerce and Administration ceremony.
  • January 19, 1995 Benedetti received the Distinguished Service Award at the Concordia University Alumni Awards dinner.
  • While president of the Loyola Alumni Association, Benedetti inaugurated the Loyola Educational Grant I 1987 to provide funds to deserving Concordia students.
  • Benedetti chaired the 1996-1997 Annual Giving campaign.
Bernard, Joseph F.
JB1 · Person · 1878-1972

In 1984-1985, Concordia University Archives (now Records Management and Archives) put together the Joseph F. Bernard collection to document the history of the Bernard Arctic Collection.

Born December 23, 1878, at Tignish, Prince Edward Island, Joseph F. Bernard became a trapper and trader in the Arctic Ocean. Joining his uncle Peter (Pete) Bernard, Joe Bernard arrived in Nome, Northern Alaska, in 1901. Later on with his 13-ton gasoline schooner, the Teddy Bear, he spent many years travelling in the Arctic waters, trading for furs, and collecting numerous ethnographic objects and natural history specimen. Bernard Harbour, in Nunavut, is named for Captain Joe Bernard. In the 1920s, Bernard settled in Cordova working as a commercial fisherman, then as Cordova’s harbormaster. Joseph F. Bernard died in Sitka, Alaska, on April 6, 1972. His life is largely evoked through “Chasing Alaska: A Portrait of the Last Frontier Then and Now,” (2013) by C. B. Bernard.

Between 1916 and 1920, he gathered an important collection of ethnographical and archaeological objects, mainly from the Copper Eskimos of Coronation Gulf. The assemblage is known as the Bernard Arctic Collection, Bernard Eskimo Collection, Bernard Collection, or the Bernard Inuit Collection. In 1921, he loaned his collection to Loyola College. He donated it in 1924 for a proposed College museum. The museum never materialized, and in 1947 Loyola College donated part of the collection to the Arctic Institute of North America in Montreal (the Institute moved to Calgary in 1976) and part to Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Other parts of the Collection were donated in 1991 to the Canadian Museum of Civilization and to Loyola High School in 1993; there may also be items from the Collection at the University of Washington Museum in Seattle, the Museum of the American Indian in New York, and the Museum of the University of Philadelphia.

Captain Joe Bernard’s life is evoked through the book “Chasing Alaska: A Portrait of the Last Frontier Then and Now” (Guilford, Connecticut: Lyons Press, 2013), by C. B. Bernard.

BCRC1 · Corporate body · 1992 - present

The Black Community Resource Centre (BCRC) is a Montreal-based organization established in 1992 that provides professional support to English-Speaking public organizations, families, and individuals within the city’s Black communities. The BCRC is a member of the Black Community Forum that aims to develop, plan, and support effective partnerships within the Black Community. Dr. Clarence Bayne holds the position of president of the BCRC, and Jamar Scott the position of Vice-president and chair of Finance Committee. The BCRC is located in 6767 chemin de la Côte des Neiges, and offers information and referral services, support to schools, workshops, and a documentation center. The Black Community Resource Centre has partnered with several organizations such as the Quebec Community Groups Network, the English Montreal School Board, Volunteer Bureau of Montreal, Centraide du Grand Montreal, and the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres, among others, to facilitate workshops, training and programs on health, social services, education, anti-racism, self-esteem, community building, conflict resolution, socio-culture and community development for the integration and empowerment of Montreal minority groups including Black Youth. Dedicated to empowering the Black-Anglo community of Montreal, the centre has developed the Book Project, a historical account of the evolution of the English-speaking black community and Black in Quebec, an in-depth research study into the English-Speaking Black Community in Quebec that aims to provide Black Community Organizations with accurate information, data and sources on their communities.

Black Studies Center
BSC1 · Corporate body · 1973-

The Black Studies Centre is a not-for-profit community organization and registered charity in Montreal, Quebec. The Black Studies Centre was founded by Dr. Clarence Bayne, Adrien Espinet and Leighton Hutson in January 1973.

The Centre has its origins in the Research Institute of the National Black Coalition of Canada which was founded by Dr. Clarence Bayne and operated from 1971 to 1974. At the time of its foundation, the mission of the Black Studies Centre was to protect the interests of Black people in Quebec, to help improve their economic status, and to create and foster organizational structures improving their position in society. In addition, the Centre works to improve communications within the Montreal Black community by promoting Black culture through its many cultural programs and by building up research centres promoting and facilitating the study of Black history. The Black Studies Centre continues to organize workshops, conferences, exhibitions, and other events, and partners with other community organizations and educational institutions in order to offer varied programming geared towards Black youth and other community organizations. Over the years, the Black Studies Centre has partnered with and housed other community organizations, including the Black Theater Workshop, the Black Community Council of Quebec, Women on the Rise, and the Quebec Board of Black Educators. It continues to work in collaboration with the Institute for Community Entrepreneurship and Development (ICED) and the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University.

The Black Studies Centre is governed by a board of directors. It is member of the Black Community Council of Quebec and has a seat on the Board of Directors at the Black Community Resource Centre. During the course of its operations, the Black Studies Centre has gathered extensive documentation on the histories, contributions, and experiences of Black communities in Montreal, Quebec, and Canada. It conducts “extensive research on the social, political and economic status of Black populations in Montreal and Canada; and [has] presented several briefs on the issues to all levels of Government and to the general public and commissions.” The Black Studies Centre receives funding from the Government of Canada and Government of Quebec.

Between 1972 and 2014 the Black Studies Centre was located at 1968 De Maisonneuve boulevard in Montreal. The building, which was belonging to the Black Studies Centre, was sold in 2014 and proceeds from the sale were used to set up the SC Charitable Activity Funding Program. Money from the trust is used to finance the new home at 3333 Cavendish boulevard, Montreal, where the centre is currently located.

Black Theater Workshop
BTW1 · Corporate body · 1972-

The Black Theater Workshop (BTW), also known as the “Theatre B.T.W.," is an English-speaking theatre company located in Montreal, Quebec that “is committed to reflecting Black culture and community by developing and providing visibility for Black Canadian artists.”

Incorporated in 1972 as a non-profit organization, the BTW is the oldest Black theater company in Canada. Beginning in 1965 as the Trinidad & Tobago Association (TTA) Drama group with the goal of becoming a theatre for the whole Montreal community, the TTA drama group became the Black Theatre Workshop in 1971 with the presentation of How Now Black Man, written by Lorris Elliott and directed by Jeff Henry. To respect the rules of French language use in Quebec, the Workshop officially changed its name to “Theatre B.T.W.” in January 1984.

The mission of the BTW “is to encourage and promote the development of a Black and Canadian Theater, rooted in a literature that reflects the creative will of Black Canadian writers and artists, and the creative collaborations between Black and other artists.” The Black Theater Workshop primarily stages the work of Black Canadian playwrights and selects plays that deal with themes relevant to Black communities in Canada. Since the beginning of the 1980s, the Black Theater Workshop annually runs school tours as part of its regular season.

One of the 35 founding members of the BTW is Clarence Bayne, who also served as both president and artistic director during the first years of the theatre. Since 1991, he has been Vice-President of the organization’s Board of Directors. As Artistic Director, Clarence Bayne was followed by Errol Sitahal (1970s), Terry Donald (1970s), Dwight Bacquie (1983-1984), Lorena Gale (1984-1985), Don Jordan (1985-1988), Winston Sutton (1988-1994), Fleurette Fernando (1994-1996), Nancy Delva (1997-1999), Kate Bligh (1999-2001), Rachael Van Fossen (2001-2005), and Tyrone Benskin (2005-2011). Since 2011, Quincy Armorer has been Artistic Director at the BTW. The BTW is governed by a board of Directors, which is presently formed by Jacklin Webb (president), Dr. Clarence Bayne (vice-president), Dr. Horace Goddard (secretary), Phylicia Burke (treasurer), Yvonne Greer (member), and Allison DaCosta.

The BTW is the recipient of numerous awards, including various Montreal English Theatre Awards (META) and several Montreal’s English Critics Circle Awards (MECCA).

From 1976 to 1985, the BTW used Montreal’s Centaur Theatre performing space. In 1984, BTW opened its first administrative office, and started performing in a space rented from L’Atelier Contenu. In the 1990s, offices were located at 1827 Ste Catherine West. Since 2003, the workshop is using the spaces of the Montréal Arts Interculturels (MAI) Centre, located at 3680 rue Jeanne-Mance.

Bland, John
JB1 · Person · November 13, 1911 - March 26, 2002

John Bland, emeritus professor of architecture at McGill University, distinguished architect, town planner, architectural historian and author.