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Air force personnel felt pressure to ignore misbehaviour by VIP passengers, report reveals

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OTTAWA—Air force personnel felt pressured to turn a blind eye to unacceptable behaviour by VIP passengers travelling on military aircraft, setting the stage for a boozy flight last year that saw the alleged sexual assault of one military flight attendant and other rule-breaking activities in an atmosphere of free-flowing alcohol, an investigation has revealed.

New military reports outline the circumstances around a morale-boosting trip last December, confirming details that the Star reported earlier this year, including the reluctance of air force personnel to intervene for fear of upsetting their high-profile guests.

“Something went sideways with the alcohol on the trip,” Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, told the Star Wednesday.

“Central to it was the perception of the squadron that everybody was a VIP and the definition of VIP meant you could get away with things. That is not my definition of a VIP,” Vance said.

The Team Canada trip last December brought former NHL hockey stars, Olympians and entertainers for a visit with Canadian military personnel in Greece and Latvia.

Alcohol is not normally served on military flights but had been authorized by Vance for the Team Canada trips. And it was the “catalyst” for the problems on this trip, according to the air force.

The results of a special investigation ordered by Vance confirm that the problems started even before the military CC-150 Polaris aircraft left Ottawa on Dec. 1 on its first leg to Athens.

Some passengers consumed alcohol waiting for the flight and were allowed to carry their drinks on to the plane while boarding. None of the civilian passengers underwent security screening and at least one unidentified passenger brought his own bottle of rum onboard that was consumed by other passengers. The cabin crew were immediately concerned with the level of intoxication of some passengers. Indeed, two passengers were so intoxicated, they urinated themselves.

Once onboard, some civilian passengers used “inappropriate language” among themselves. One passenger was hesitant to comply with instructions to sit down for landing. Some cabin crew members were pressured to join in activities such as arm wrestling.

Alcohol was available in coolers that allowed the passengers to serve themselves — and they did. Some travellers chewed tobacco in violation of air force rules. “A decision was made to tolerate the use of chewing tobacco due to the status of the passengers,” the report says.

The mission commander walked through the aircraft cabin several times during the flight. While he noticed that some passengers were inebriated, he saw nothing to indicate there was a risk to the safety of the flight, according to the report.

But the investigation, headed by Rear-Admiral Luc Cassivi, concluded that the behaviour of some passengers “was not conducive to a respectful work environment free of harassment.”

Yet the aircraft crew were reluctant to curb bad behaviour and excessive drinking because they felt a “high level” of pressure to deliver good service to the VIPs, in part because of past complaints and because this was a high-profile mission directed by Vance’s office. Nor had they been trained in serving alcohol.

The report said that the military chain of command applied “direct pressure” on 437 Transport Squadron — which operates the CC-150 Polaris aircraft — to ensure that “exceptional preferential treatment was provided to VIP in every request.”

The RCAF flight operations manual states that, “as a general rule all VIP requests should be honoured, if deemed possible within the bounds of available resources.”

But the “over-emphasis” on giving VIPs a good experience “created blurred lines on what should or should not be accepted onboard RCAF VIP flights,” the report found.

That resulted in the perception among squadron members that there was “limited latitude for errors and mishaps on VIP missions, and as a result, crew have come to tolerate or quietly accept behaviour from VIP passengers that they otherwise would not and should not accept.”

Vance said the flight was not a “wild, screaming drunkfest.” Instead he said the problems onboard were “subtle” and limited to just a few of the 27 high-profile guests. Also onboard were Lt.-Gen. Alain Parent, the vice-chief of defence staff, and Chief Warrant Officer Kevin West, the most senior non-commissioned member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

In his written response to the investigation, Vance accepted many of its findings. But he pushed back against the conclusions that air force personnel felt powerless to intervene, noting that the commander on the aircraft had clear authority to take control of the alcohol service when he saw passengers were intoxicated.

He also disputed that there was any direct pressure applied by the chain of command to give VIPs a good time but understood such pressure was perceived.

“I’m sympathetic to any military person who does not feel empowered to do their job. I’m on their side,” he said.

“No one is being blamed here. It was a situation we were not equipped to handle and weren’t prepared for,” Vance said.

There had been 26 prior Team Canada trips that have taken some 450 high-profile Canadians – all volunteering their time — to visit with troops deployed abroad, all without incident. “It’s all good until a couple of people ruin it for everybody. And that’s what has happened,” Vance said.

In the wake of the investigation, Vance says his previous order banning alcohol on such trips is now permanent. And he said the military will replace the Team Canada visits with a new model.

Other changes were recommended including new training for cabin crew personnel to identify and “de-escalate” unruly passengers; ensuring that members of a VIP entourage travellers undergo security screening; and barring passengers from serving themselves alcohol.

Bruce Campion-Smith is an Ottawa-based reporter covering national politics. Follow him on Twitter: @yowflier

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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