Difference Makers
Hosted by James Hughes and Sam Watts, the show features stories, interviews and listener interaction that aims to identify people and organizations doing good work in our community. There are so many great stories, wonderful people and iconic institutions that provide a variety of community services and activities. We shine a light on them and provide a forum for listeners to learn about them. People serving people – sometimes unseen, we celebrate them on this show.
Episodes
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode, they speak with Stephen Bronfman who heads Claridge — a private equity firm — and Larry Waters, a retired finance professional with CIBC who founded the Two Cent Fund.
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode, they speak with Susan Wylie, Executive Director of Le Nichoir, a non-profit that provides proper care and treatment for injured or orphaned wild birds and releases them back into their natural habitat. They also talk to David Rodrigue, Executive Director of the Eco museum Zoo.
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode, they speak with Art Campbell, Director of Québec Homelessness Prevention Policy Collaborative and Ian Boeckh, President and Director of the Graham Boeckh Foundation, a private family foundation that is dedicated to transforming mental health services.
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. This week, Sam and James speak to Hannah Ryan, a social integration services teacher. For the past 10+ years she has worked (and continues to)
at WIAIH West Island Association for the Intellectually Handicapped) as an Animator, Head Animator, and Lead at Summer Sleep away camp. They ...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. This week, Sam and James spoke to Jack Jones. an uber-volunteer: He has been volunteering for Meals on Wheels in Montreal for about a year, at On Rock for 15 years and at Hadley House for 20, where he sits on the board of directors in charge of the fundraising committee. Sam and James also give a...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode, they speak with, Douglas Leahy, Group Commissioner at Westmount Park Scouting. He has been the Westmount Park Scout Leader since 2004, and is on the Board of Directors of the St-Patrick's Development Foundation. They also speak with Scott Phelan, Vice President with the Montreal ...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode, they speak with, Robyn Dalton, Executive Director at LOVE (Canada). LOVE, or Leave Out ViolencE, started in the mid-1990s to reduce youth
violence by helping at-risk young people develop empathy and confidence, and Pascal Mathieu, VP at Canadian Red Cross Quebec, who beca...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode, they speak with Marie Christine Le Bourdais, Director of Programs and Services – Partnership and Alliance Development at the Alzheimer Society of Montreal. Susana Lazaro is President and CEO of Diabetes Quebec. As a former nurse, Susana brings a deep, real-world understandi...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode, they speak with Dr. Olivier Farmer, a psychiatrist at Notre-Dame Hospital and an Associate Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Montreal. Mike Weston is the director of Andy’s House Treatment Centre. He co-founded Andy’s House Treatment C...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode, they speak with Valerie Assouline who, with more than two decades of experience as a family lawyer, having been a prominent member of the Quebec Bar since 1998, founded SOS Avocats in 2007. Sandra Watson is Mental Health & Reintegration Director at the West Island Mission. Sa...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode, they speak with Leslie Acs, Executive Director of La Passerelle, Leslie devotes his efforts top providing tools and support for mature workers’ re-entry into the workforce and creating public awareness of effective recruitment practices, including hiring mature workers. Mil...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode, they speak with Jean-Rémi Mayrand, founder of Les Colocs de l'Ouest, a fabulous residential project on the West Island developed for young adults on the autism spectrum. Judy Martin is the Executive Director of the Hylcan Foundation, which accepts grant applications from r...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode, they speak with John Gladu, director of L’Aiguillage since 2014, an organization that offers support to the homeless population of Vaudreuil-Soulanges. Benoit Langevin is City Counsellor for District du Bois-de-Liesse, Arrondissement de Pierrefonds-Roxboro. He has cons...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode: Dr. Arwa Hussain, a Ph.D scholar specializing in religion, gender, and digital media. Arwa is a Sacred Writes Public Scholarship Fellow whose research on the religious agency of Dawoodi Bohra women has been recognized with the prestigious Prix Relève Étoile Paul-G&e...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode: Leslie Roberts currently sits on the board of TALQ, formerly the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), one of the province’s leading advocacy organizations for English-speaking Quebecers. Pearl Eliadis is an award-winning lawyer, educator, and author who has successfully ...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode: Alessia Di Giorgio, Director of Events at The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation and Danny Williams, founder of the West Island Men's Shed.
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode: Rosemary Cooke, President of the McGill university Retiree Association, and Michele Chappaz, Executive Director of MMFIM (Mouvement pour mettre fin à l'itinérance à Montréal).
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode: Marina Boulos-Winton has recently been named to head Sun Youth. Marina has devoted her considerable energy and vision to supporting society’s most vulnerable people, particularly women and youth in precarious circumstances. Sophie Gaillard has worked at the Montreal SPCA si...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode: Soraya Martinez Ferrada is Mayor of Montreal and has served as leader of Ensemble Montréal since 2025. Soraya tells us in what ways she'd like to be a difference-maker for the city. Antonia Macris is Manager of Corporate Learning and National Youth Network, Co-Chair at Env...
Sam Watts of the Welcome Hall Mission and James Hughes of the Old Brewery Mission shine light on people who make a difference in society. On this episode: Chris Gobeil, a chartered professional accountant in Hudson, Quebec with over 30 years of volunteer leadership and creative work, making him a passionate advocate for the arts and his community. Also, Jennifer Hobbs Robert who is a bilingual healthcare leader with advanced traini...
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