Montréal, January 13, 2021 – MAtv’s diverse new winter schedule featuring shows for viewers from all backgrounds premieres on January 18. Videotron’s community channel will air original new programs about current social concerns such as health, wellness, culture and local news.
Communities in the Greater Montréal area will be well represented again this season. “MAtv’s winter schedule celebrates the ways we live together,” says Steve Desgagné, Senior Director of MAtv. “It reflects our community: rich, diverse and radiant. It highlights our differences and uniqueness, while showcasing the things that connect us. More than ever, we want to focus on the solidarity that exists in each region and draw inspiration from it.”
Journey into Indigenous culture
Inspirational Indigenous personalities will talk to artists and contributors from Diversité Artistique Montréal and tell their stories in Esprit nomade.
The show produced by LAND InSIGHTS and one of its cofounders, André Dudemaine, features personal and moving interviews with Indigenous personalities including Innu poet, lyricist and filmmaker Joséphine Bacon; singer-songwriter Shauit, who sings in Innu, Creole, French and English; McCord Museum curator Jonathan Lainey from the Huron-Wendat nation; Innu poet Maya Cousineau-Mollen; Marie-Ève L. Bordeleau from the Cree nation, commissioner of Indigenous relations at the City of Montréal’s bureau of government and municipal relations; British-Mohawk visual artist Hannah Claus; and Anicinape multidisciplinary artist Caroline Monnet. The theme music for the series was recorded by the Inuit artist Geronimo Inutiq.
Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. in the Montréal area; Mondays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. across the province. Watch the trailer.
Spotlight on dance
Festival Quartiers Danses brings the works performed at the 18th edition of the dance festival of the same name to television. Local artists will be front and centre: the series presents 16 co-creations in a variety of dance styles by 16 Montréal choreographers and 17 filmmakers. Hosted by actor/dancer Marc Béland.
Wednesdays at 8 p.m., Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. and Sundays at 8:30 p.m. in the Montréal area; Fridays at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:00 p.m. across the province. Watch the trailer
Don’t miss episode 7, a panel discussion among artists about issues of systemic racism, inclusion and diversity in the world of dance, featuring Andrea Pen, Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo, Kyana Lyne and Thaïna Rosinvil.
Diversity between the covers
The new English-language program Writers Unbound presented by the Association of English-language Publishers of Québec is a series of 6 thematic episodes about the careers and thoughts of English Montréal writers, with excerpts from their works read by Montréal book lovers.
Host Shelley Pomerance is a programmer at the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival and a book columnist at Montréal Centre-Ville magazine. She was an arts reporter and host on CBC radio for more than 20 years.
Looking after health and wellness
Winter and the lockdown are no match for our good intentions! In the new show Pause tonique, host Aude Rioland suggests a complete 30-minute workout with different levels of difficulty. Something for everyone!
Pause tonique is the ideal companion for your home workout, with new exercises based on a variety of techniques including Pilates, yoga, bar exercises and dance. The invigorating series revolves around body awareness, posture, balance, coordination, strength and breathing. Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m. on the entire MAtv network. Watch the trailer
Living together
Unis dans la diversité is a series of intercultural encounters outside the usual workplace context. The concept was initiated by several Montréal-area chambers of commerce and is steadily growing in scope, reflecting Montréal’s openness and dynamism.
Montréal’s rich cultural mosaic is presented through the lens of six vibrant ethnic communities. Exceptional individuals from the African, Asian, Haitian, Iranian, Jewish and Latin American communities talk about their roots, their hopes and their contributions to Montréal’s economic and cultural success. Thursdays, 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Watch the trailer.
Back for another season
Local news remains a focal point for MAtv and continues to occupy a prominent place on the schedule. The daily program Mise À Jour is back to keep viewers informed about what’s happening in their neighbourhood. Stéphanie Gagnon will review the events of the day with her team. Richard Dagenais will be at the helm of CityLife again to cover the issues that affect English Montrealers with his contributors. Topics such as transportation, the environment, the economy, immigration, governance and culture are discussed in an accessible way and put in perspective to give viewers a deeper understand of the issues of the day and promote public discussion.
Ma première Place des Arts is also back on Saturdays at 9 p.m. and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. The winter season will include the grand finale of the 26th edition of the competition and the beginning of the 27th edition.
Viewers who missed season 2 of Quartier de l’innovation de Montréal when it was released on illico and Helix can catch up with the latest Montréal innovations on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 8 p.m.
The last two episodes of Figures marquantes de notre histoire – le siècle des Patriotes, which brings talks on Québec history organized by the Fondation Lionel-Groulx at the BAnQ to television, will be broadcast during the winter season, followed by a new series of talks on the 20th century and the Quiet Revolution. Hosted by historian Éric Bédard.
Check it out on matv.ca
Many local and community-produced shows will be available for catch-up viewing on matv.ca throughout the season. Other full shows will also be added to the site every week.
The full winter schedule is also available on matv.ca.
MAtv: My community’s voice by Videotron
MAtv, an exclusive service for Videotron customers, serves the community by reflecting Québec's diversity. It gives all citizens access to a vehicle of free expression and outreach that promotes public participation. MAtv carries useful, informative, educational programming focused on topics of local interest and fosters the emergence of new talent. It reflects the concerns of the community of 1.5 million households it serves across Québec. MAtv is broadcast on channel 9 (Helix and illico) and on channel 609 in HD (illico). It is also available on channel 900 (video on demand), on the Web (illico.tv) and on mobile (with the illico app). MAtv is present on social media, including Facebook and Instagram.
