McCord Museum's Expansion, Flooding Action Plan, International Jazz Day 2019

Hosted by Ahmad Moujtahed

Stories by Ahmad Moujtahed

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LOCAL

After struggling with limited space in the past, Montreal’s McCord Museum will undergo a massive expansion that will triple the exhibition space.

The new $180M expansion will combine the McCord and the recently merged Fashion and Stuart Museums. The plan, which was announced on April 30, proposes to build a brand new structure on top of the existing McCord Museum on Sherbrooke Street near McGill University.

The architectural firm that will design the final plan has yet to be chosen, but museum officials say some parts of the original building will be kept.

Museum officials also hope to convince both arms of the government as well as private investors to fund the project equally.

Upon approval of the project, the McCord Museum will be closed for up to three years during the renovations

NATIONAL 

This year’s flood became the worst recorded in the history of the province of Quebec, when more than 6,000 people fled their homes in a matter of hours in Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac; when a dike breached, and water covered one third of the homes in the small town.

After ruling out the idea of holding an emergency debate or inquiry regarding the flood situation, Premiere François Legault says the government will strike a committee of cabinet ministers to come up with an action plan to deal with the aftermath of the devastating spring floods.

Short term measures will include reimbursements for flood damage. As for long term procedures, the action plan contains measures for building infrastructure ; as well as relocating homeowners out of flood zones.

INTERNATIONAL

Celebrated around the globe each year on April 30, International Jazz Day highlights the power of jazz as a force for freedom and creativity while promoting intercultural dialogue through respect and understanding.

This year’s International Jazz Day came to a thrilling close after an extraordinary All-Star Global Concert at the Melbourne Arts Centre's renowned Hamer Hall.

As part of the annual event, two weeks of jazz performances and educational outreach programming took place in cities across the host country Australia. Thousands of students in Sydney's New South Wales public schools took part in jazz education programs at the Sydney Opera House.

Other highlights included a special Jazz Day performance at the Adelaide Festival Centre and a "Women in Jazz" celebration in Perth.

The Global Host City for International Jazz Day in 2020 is Cape Town, South Africa.