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The death of Harry Leslie Smith: ‘He was the last voice of his generation that had grit, determination and compassion,’ son recalls

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When the end came in the predawn quiet of Wednesday morning, it was as if the entire world had gathered at Belleville General Hospital to say goodbye.

Harry Leslie Smith had that kind of far-reaching impact.

Smith didn’t just have followers and admirers, he touched people viscerally with his passion for social justice, his rants against austerity and his fervent belief that the world could be, and should be, a better place. But people had to take the hard-fought lessons from his generation and make certain — he would’ve said damn certain — they weren’t repeated.

As a relentless crusader for the impoverished, Smith ramped up his wrath as he hit his 90s, calling himself “the world’s oldest rebel.” With his books, tweets, podcasts, speeches and newspaper columns, he let generations of devotees into his life; so it was only fitting that they’d want to be there as he faded towards death and made his final stand at 95.

With his son and constant companion, John, taking over his Twitter account and providing poignant updates from his father’s bedside as he fought pneumonia, many of his 258,000 followers flooded the account with an outpouring of love and support.

“It was comforting,” John said by phone Wednesday. “He was the last voice of his generation that had grit, determination and compassion. When he died, to me it felt like when one would see a unique, rare beautiful species go extinct.”

Smith split his time between Belleville, Ont., and his native England, and when John let it be known that his father was gone, there were tributes from political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “Throughout his life, Harry Leslie Smith fought and worked to make the world a better place for everyone … his legacy will be profound.”

This came from Jeremy Corbyn, British Labour party leader: “We will all miss Harry Leslie Smith — he was one of the giants whose shoulders we stand on. A World War Two veteran who dedicated his life to fighting for our National Health Service, a peaceful world and for countries to meet their moral responsibility by welcoming refugees.”

Read more:

Belleville author galvanized Toronto youth with his get-political message

Smith, the son of an English coal miner, grew up in the slums of Yorkshire amid degrading poverty that had him pawing through garbage looking for scraps to eat.

“It was a brutal life,” he recalled in an interview with the Star last year.

Without the benefit of national health care, he watched as one of his two older sisters wasted away with spinal tuberculosis and “like rubbish they hauled away” was taken to a workhouse infirmary to await death. At 10, her body was tossed into an unmarked pauper’s pit.

With his dad out of work, and eventually kicked out by his mother, the family moved through a series of crowded lodging facilities, often living with damaged war vets and the mentally ill. It was not uncommon for young Harry, his own hunger a constant numbing force, to see people wailing in pain, hoping for death, because they couldn’t afford medical help.

Smith lived through the Depression and the Second World War, and it was that rare perspective on Twitter that helped make him a social media sensation as he targeted everything from Donald Trump’s policies and creeping fascism to runaway corporate greed and eroding health benefits.

Smith joined the Royal Air Force at 18 in 1941 and remained in Germany with the post-war occupational forces. In Hamburg, he met his future wife, Friede, a German native. The couple eventually settled in working-class Halifax, England, in what Smith called a “a beans-on-toast life.” Smith worked as a carpet weaver but they longed for something more. That better life came when the couple — thanks to a small, unexpected inheritance — was able to cross the ocean and eventually settle in Scarborough. Smith worked in the carpet sales business and raised three sons.

It was a happy life. While Smith was politicized by the hardships of his youth it was heartbreak in retirement that pushed him to take his message to the world. First he lost his wife of 52 years to cancer in 1999. That, Harry said, took away his softness. Then when his middle son, Peter, already battling schizophrenia, was killed by lung disease in 2009, he began writing his memoirs.

Three self-published books led to a column in the Guardian newspaper. That essay caught the eye of a book agent, which led to a fourth book, Harry’s Last Stand, that was both autobiographical and an impassioned plea for a better world and the preservation of the welfare state.

The book proved popular and, suddenly at 91, Smith was not only a celebrity of sorts but he was a catalyst for political reform from a decidedly left-wing perspective. One that had an audience spanning generations.

After he’d speak at a university, he’d often get the rock-star treatment with students lingering afterwards to have a book signed or simply just to share a few words of encouragement.

“I think his legacy will be that you don’t have to be special or important to change the world,” said John said Wednesday. “That age should not matter and that you can be a living example to others about how best to approach politics and social change.”

John will continue his father’s work, including the completion of a planned book on the refugee crisis. He hoped his dad’s warnings might help ensure that Smith’s past doesn’t become our future.

Smith, while still producing at a feverish pace, was keenly aware he was racing against time when he spoke to the Star last year.

“I would like to feel, when I go, that my life meant something,” he said. “That I’ve seen changes happening; that ordinary people begin to realize that they mean something.”

It looks as if you appreciate our journalism. Our reporting changes lives, connects communities and effects change. But good journalism is expensive to produce, and advertiser revenue throughout the media industry is falling and unable to carry the cost. That means we need you, our readers. We need your help. If you appreciate deep local reporting, powerful investigations and reliable, responsible information, we hope you will support us through a subscription. Please click here to subscribe.

Paul Hunter is a reporter and feature writer based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @hunterhockey

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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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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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