Tune up before you tone up
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After adding a couple of chilly, wet and snowy postscripts to his yearly dispatch to Montreal this year, Old Man Winter seems to have finally put down his pen and invited the sun in, which means that now is the perfect time to dig your cleats out of the closet, rescue your tennis racket from the attic and reclaim your golf clubs from the garage. Before you burst out of the blocks on a warm-weather exercise regime, though, you may want to brush up on your fitness fundamentals by attending the May 5 "Spring Tune-Up" workshop organized jointly by the Department of Athletics and the McGill Society of Montreal, which promises "training and warm-up tips to help weekend warriors get ready for a summer of soccer, tennis, golf and softball." Participants are advised to arrive prepared to stretch and sweat.
Sports Clinic–Spring Tune-Up, Saturday, May 5, 10 a.m. McGill Sports Complex, 475 Pine Avenue W., Room 152. Cost: $20. Enrolment limited to 20 participants. For more information, contact Sophia Johnson at 514-398-7684 or sophia.johnson@mcgill.ca.
Heading off migraines
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As those who've had the experience know all too well, the onset of a migraine can turn a good day into a hellish one in no time. To help migraine sufferers avoid these painful and disruptive attacks, the Migraine Zero support group will be holding a public information session on May 7 at the Montreal Neurological Institute. The bilingual event will allow participants to learn about such topics as treatment choices for migraine medication and the differences between migraines and tension headaches. Attendees will be encouraged to share and compare their experiences living with this affliction. The information session will be moderated by Migraine Zero founder Yves Castonguay and event co-organizer Jaime Lim.
Monday, May 7, 12-1:30 p.m. Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 University St., Room 188. For more information, contact Jaime Lim at lim.jaime22@gmail.com.
Rock and stroll
The McGill Society of Montreal has organized a one-hour Saturday morning walking tour that will bring into sharp relief the fossils, rocks and minerals of some well-known Montreal buildings. Dubbed "The Stones Tour," this excursion along Sherbrooke Street West will be led by two Redpath Museum curators who will help participants discover and explore the architectural history, paleontology, stoneworking and geological origins of some of the city's proudest edifices and monuments. According to the experts, some of the fossils featured on the tour actually predate Keith Richards.
Saturday, May 12, 11 a.m. Departs from the steps of Redpath Museum, 859 Sherbrooke St. W. Cost: $12. For more information, contact Sophia Johnson at 514-398-7684 or sophia.johnson@mcgill.ca.
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March of the caribou
An unlikely matinee idol will grace the silver screen this Sunday when the Redpath Museum screens Being Caribou (1994) as part of its weekly Super Science Documentaries series. Funny and informative, Being Caribou chronicles the filmmaker's experience of following a 120,000-member caribou herd for five months and 1,500 km, from the Yukon to its Alberta calving grounds, on foot. Wildlife biology graduate student Heather Milligan will introduce the film.
Super Science Documentaries: Being Caribou, Sunday, May 6, 3 p.m. Redpath Museum, 859 Sherbrooke St. W., Auditorium. Admission: free with donation to museum.
For more information, see www.mcgill.ca/redpath/whats_on/sunday_activities/ or contact Ingrid Birker at 514 398-4086, ext. 4092, or ingrid.birker@mcgill.ca.
Door jam
Courtesy of the Yellow Door
Here's an event that brings community well-being and a night of great entertainment into perfect harmony. On Thursday, May 17, the Yellow Door community organization will raise funds for its various social programs with a concert at the Crescent Street bar Brutopia by talented local musical acts Pat Lesyk, the Diminished Faculties, Dave Martel and Lost Astronauts. A vital member of the McGill community for over a century, the Yellow Door, also known as the YMCA of McGill, runs an outreach program for seniors, serves as a music and poetry venue for amateur artists and provides meeting rooms for community groups. The Diminished Faculties, featuring McGill Dean of Education Roger Slee on drums and Dean of Science Martin Grant on lead guitar, will be joined by award-winning folk/blues musician Dale Boyle.
The Yellow Door Does Brutopia, Thursday, May 17, doors open at 8 p.m., bands start at 9 p.m. Brutopia, 1219 Crescent St. Admission: $5, Brutopia will offer all-night happy hour drink prices to fundraiser supporters. For more information, see www.yellowdoor.org.
