Thursday, December 27, 2012
Beware the scammers...
Most of my clients are lovely, responsible and professional. I rely on them to be so because I work on my own and depend on regular payments. I hear frequent tales of trouble from other freelance translators, editors and journalists and I've had my own to deal with.
Translators are often vulnerable because we work with clients worldwide, and we face the occupational hazard of bad payers. We tend to rely on Word of Mouth. One woman advised me against working for a notorious translation company, Nestor Systems, based here in Montreal and which owed thousands of dollars in unpaid invoices. They have since gone bankrupt, forcing dozens of translators to take them to court. They did call me once for a job but I had already been warned.
A few years ago, I did some editing and translation for an agency who had been commissioned by a local "Urban Culture" magazine, called MOB. This is their MySpace page: http://ca.myspace.com/mobmagonline
Most of the articles were about rap artists, fashion, music, and concerts. The writers were inexperienced and probably working for free. I was working with a small translation agency and had had a cordial, respectful working relationship with Melissa, the project manager. I submitted the work in July and in October, Melissa contacted me and asked me to look over the work again. Apparently MOB had complained about inaccuracies. I went over my copy with a fine toothed comb but found only one or two small imperfections- a missing period, extra spaces. They'd had 3 months; why were they only noticing this now?
Alas, it was a scam that they had pulled on two other agencies. Once the work was done, they would refuse to pay because we had promised 100 percent accuracy. I thought that was ironic, since much of the copy I had edited was near-illiterate and their magazine website was riddled with errors, bad spelling and grammar suited to fourth graders. They refused to pay, even though I and the other translator had been paid, but Melissa was not paid by them. She said had she known, she'd never have worked with them. She did take them to court but I have yet to hear of any solution.
Another woman, named Jennifer Kayal, contacted me a couple of years ago. It was a slow time of year and she needed a translation. She was in France, where I have several agency clients. I translated about 2300 words and invoiced her. She would be on her honeymoon for a couple of weeks, she told me.
After a month I contacted her but she said it would be 60 days, not entirely unusual for a French agency. When 60 days passed, I contacted her again. I never received any response: I emailed and Skyped and once, managed to contact a friend who was using her Skype. She had no idea where Jennifer was. I was never able to track her down and realized that I was probably not going to get paid, about 350 EUR. About a year later, I was contacted by a woman who had also been scammed by Ms Kayal, in the same way. She gets people to translate for her then pockets the money. In her case, she contacted the end client who were embarrassed and paid her part of the fee. I tried the same thing but no success and I had to write it off as a scam.
I was annoyed at feeling like a dupe but took a tiny bit of comfort in knowing I wasn't alone. I know of translators who have been scammed for thousands of euros or dollars. It wasn't really just the money. It was how she just lied so brazenly and continued to do it. I've known people like her in person; they chew up their victims then move on. They're sociopaths who know their targets. All you can do in cases like this, where your nebulous con artist is out of your reach, is just warn others.
As for Jennifer Kayal, I put a hex on her. If she really was on her honeymoon, I hope she enjoyed it. Let's just say...it won't last.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Another mystery. A cupcake shop called Inniya's cupcakes opened up this past summer, only to shut down after just a few weeks. I never even bought a cupcake there. I went in one day to look at the list of flavours for future reference.
However, a few weeks later the shop is closed, the URL goes to GoDaddy.com and it has not reopened but the furniture remains.
The same happened to an accessory shop that opened in the exact same location; great purses and sunglasses, but alas...after a few weeks it closed down and the merchandise sat in the window until it was emptied and then replaced by Inniya.
The rent in that small location must be astronomical, and you'd have to sell enough to keep afloat in a neighbourhood lousy with yuppie bakeries, accessory shops and brand name yuppie boutiques selling overpriced fashions. The only time I have ever actually bought anything fashion related is at Chouchou shoes, when they have end of season sales, and MUST boutique. I do wonder who, if anyone, ever buys anything at James Perse or WANT, except perhaps at Christmas. I suppose if I was in the giving vein to that special someone, I'd buy him a broadcloth shirt at Perse.
So the mystery of the cupcake shop continues....I'd personally like to get those little stools they have, they'd add a lovely ambiance to my apartment.
However, a few weeks later the shop is closed, the URL goes to GoDaddy.com and it has not reopened but the furniture remains.
The same happened to an accessory shop that opened in the exact same location; great purses and sunglasses, but alas...after a few weeks it closed down and the merchandise sat in the window until it was emptied and then replaced by Inniya.
The rent in that small location must be astronomical, and you'd have to sell enough to keep afloat in a neighbourhood lousy with yuppie bakeries, accessory shops and brand name yuppie boutiques selling overpriced fashions. The only time I have ever actually bought anything fashion related is at Chouchou shoes, when they have end of season sales, and MUST boutique. I do wonder who, if anyone, ever buys anything at James Perse or WANT, except perhaps at Christmas. I suppose if I was in the giving vein to that special someone, I'd buy him a broadcloth shirt at Perse.
So the mystery of the cupcake shop continues....I'd personally like to get those little stools they have, they'd add a lovely ambiance to my apartment.
Monday, June 25, 2012
I am still in my old apartment. I spent the better part of april, may and almost into june looking for an affordable rental in NDG and for the second year in a row, came up empty. I ran around fruitlessly looking for apartments all over NDG, with one or two regional boundaries: nothing below the tracks where it's hard to find public amenities, and certain areas like the Walkley strip. I would have preferred a place with a balcony and I always try to make sure that there are as few children as possible in the area. If i see a building where every balcony is filled with kiddy crap, I avoid it.
After 3 months, I discovered taht for that most part, NDG rentals are in terrible shape. Years ago, my ex and I were lucky to find a nice lower duplex in Monkland village for 825. Heated. That very same place is probably now at least 1200 a month, as as most duplexes. If you can find one for less than 1000, it's usually unheated. Property taxes have increased extra terrestrially since then.
I did see one duplex a couple of streets over, described as 'cute' in the ad. CUTE can mean small, cramped and run down, so I went with caution. The front steps were crooked; the indoor steps were rickety and covered with moldy carpet. The duplex inside was in need of painting, plastering and the carpets in the back laundry room needed to be replaced. Outside the window of the kitchen- a scaffold that had been there a year, as the brickwork was being replaced. It was more like the kind of place I would have rented in the plateau 20 years ago for 500 a month and would share with 3 other people. About a dozen people were filling out forms, which required no less than 3 references. Most of them looked like young students. I left without filling in an application because my allergies were starting to act up from the mold.
I also visited a nice duplex on Beaconsfield, but the tenant told me her landlord who lived upstairs, had a noisy 8 year old who ran around. The rent was OK but not worth the headache. My sister told me about another triplex on the street behind hers, which was also clean and affordable; alas, she told me about a large Italian family that lives next door with lots of kids who scream in the yard all day and into the night. I know that kids need to play and have fun, but I don't want to have to keep my windows shut all day in the summer.
Another rental sounded interesting: the coach house behind a home, set behind the house surrounded by trees, about to be renovated. The main problem was no washer dryer hookup which would have meant going to a laundromat, which was nearby- but not a pleasant thought when looking ahead to winter. I had to use that laundromat last year when my washer dryer broke and before I found a replacement and had no desire to sit there again, waiting for my laundry, or having to use the delivery service in bad weather. I did see two, lovely, clean apartments in a six plex with very low rent and was strongly considering them- great location as well. But when I got home, I was sitting and watching tv and realized there was no room in that apartment for a living room. I would have to cram all my furniture into three tiny rooms and would be a caged animal.
It came down to spending up to 300 more for apartments that were not much bigger than mine. There are several duplexes for rent on my street, through real estate agencies and none are less than 1200. One of them had been some sort of residence for the mentally disabled. It had closed down and the new owner renovated it; it had been rather run down, probably receiving government funding. The basement, when renovated, rented for 925, unheated and the upper for 1200, the lower 1400. I realized that what I have here is a prime piece of real estate. Great location, no noisy neighbours, buses, 15 minutes from downtown and near 2 metro stations. It's a small basement, with low ceilings, it has limited closet space and can be chilly in winter. But I have my own washer and dryer, quiet neighbours and yes, a living room. Not long ago, I asked someone how he liked his neighbourhood. He said, "It's like my bedroom basically. I don't spend much time in the area, I go home to sleep and watch tv or eat." It's just walls, in other words. When I thought of my place that way, the search for home became much easier.
After 3 months, I discovered taht for that most part, NDG rentals are in terrible shape. Years ago, my ex and I were lucky to find a nice lower duplex in Monkland village for 825. Heated. That very same place is probably now at least 1200 a month, as as most duplexes. If you can find one for less than 1000, it's usually unheated. Property taxes have increased extra terrestrially since then.
I did see one duplex a couple of streets over, described as 'cute' in the ad. CUTE can mean small, cramped and run down, so I went with caution. The front steps were crooked; the indoor steps were rickety and covered with moldy carpet. The duplex inside was in need of painting, plastering and the carpets in the back laundry room needed to be replaced. Outside the window of the kitchen- a scaffold that had been there a year, as the brickwork was being replaced. It was more like the kind of place I would have rented in the plateau 20 years ago for 500 a month and would share with 3 other people. About a dozen people were filling out forms, which required no less than 3 references. Most of them looked like young students. I left without filling in an application because my allergies were starting to act up from the mold.
I also visited a nice duplex on Beaconsfield, but the tenant told me her landlord who lived upstairs, had a noisy 8 year old who ran around. The rent was OK but not worth the headache. My sister told me about another triplex on the street behind hers, which was also clean and affordable; alas, she told me about a large Italian family that lives next door with lots of kids who scream in the yard all day and into the night. I know that kids need to play and have fun, but I don't want to have to keep my windows shut all day in the summer.
Another rental sounded interesting: the coach house behind a home, set behind the house surrounded by trees, about to be renovated. The main problem was no washer dryer hookup which would have meant going to a laundromat, which was nearby- but not a pleasant thought when looking ahead to winter. I had to use that laundromat last year when my washer dryer broke and before I found a replacement and had no desire to sit there again, waiting for my laundry, or having to use the delivery service in bad weather. I did see two, lovely, clean apartments in a six plex with very low rent and was strongly considering them- great location as well. But when I got home, I was sitting and watching tv and realized there was no room in that apartment for a living room. I would have to cram all my furniture into three tiny rooms and would be a caged animal.
It came down to spending up to 300 more for apartments that were not much bigger than mine. There are several duplexes for rent on my street, through real estate agencies and none are less than 1200. One of them had been some sort of residence for the mentally disabled. It had closed down and the new owner renovated it; it had been rather run down, probably receiving government funding. The basement, when renovated, rented for 925, unheated and the upper for 1200, the lower 1400. I realized that what I have here is a prime piece of real estate. Great location, no noisy neighbours, buses, 15 minutes from downtown and near 2 metro stations. It's a small basement, with low ceilings, it has limited closet space and can be chilly in winter. But I have my own washer and dryer, quiet neighbours and yes, a living room. Not long ago, I asked someone how he liked his neighbourhood. He said, "It's like my bedroom basically. I don't spend much time in the area, I go home to sleep and watch tv or eat." It's just walls, in other words. When I thought of my place that way, the search for home became much easier.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
I think 2011 will be remembered, by me anyways, as the Year of Ignoring the obvious. That is, signs telling you "NOT" to do something: Do not Ski out of bounds; Do not climb over the railing. In Yosemite Park, three tourists with a church group climbed over the railing on top of Yosemite falls and slipped to their deaths. Another genius tourist in Niagara falls decided she wanted to "touch the beauty" of a wave, not realizing that there was an actual current underneath the water and that it wasn't a video game; luckily she was rescued. Another tourist in Hawaii fell into a blowhole on a beach and died. Large, clearly lettered signs warned people not to get too close. Everyone thinks they're immune, that it won't happen to them, or that God will intervene. Or that you'll be rescued by some brave soul like in the movies.
One story I followed for quite some time involved a local man: Lasalle Resident Gilles Blackburn. In February 2009, he and his wife, Marie Josee Fortin, went on a ski trip to Kicking Horse resort in BC where they got lost in the backcountry, for 9 days. Ms Fortin died of hypothermia but Mr Blackburn was found alive.
Mr Blackburn received a great deal of sympathy, until he began hiring lawyers and announced his intention to sue Golden and District Search and Rescue (GADSAR) and the RCMP for failing to find him and his wife for nine days. As details emerged about their disastrous ski trip, it became evident that he and his wife were the architects of their own doom. According to his family, the couple were experienced back country skiers. But when they arrived at Kicking Horse, they skied out of bounds at their own risk, even though there was a sign warning them against doing so. They told no one where they were going and when they'd be back, so no one knew they were missing. They had nothing with them but the clothes on their back; no food, no water, no map, no matches, no GPS system. They didn't know the area. Instead of following their own tracks back up the hill, they walked away and got completely lost- even though the lights from the restaurant were clearly visible at the top of the hill. Once lost, they would stamp out SOS signals in the snow and then move on.
Many questions remained. Why did they not just walk back up the hill? Why didn't they stay put and wait? If they were so experienced, why didn't they at least have basic supplies with them? I am no backcountry skier but I probably have more survival gear in my purse than they had with them, and even I know that once lost, you stay put. While it was tragic, and the RCMP and SAR may have made mistakes, these people were completely unprepared for their wilderness venture and Mr Blackburn, perhaps motivated by guilt and grief, was blaming volunteer SAR workers for his own mistakes
Apparently there were some big screwups. People skiing or hiking in the area had spotted SOS signals in the snow but nothing came of it. Since they had checked out of their hotel before skiing out of bounds, no one knew the Blackburns were missing.
The case was in mediation for 2 years and was recently resolved. Mr Blackburn settled his suit with Golden SAR but details were not made public. Changes are afoot in search and rescue to make sure efforts are better coordinated in the future. But in a statement, Kicking Horse Resort said: "Kicking Horse Mountain Resort advises that this case presents a cautionary reminder of the importance of responsible backcountry travel. Persons venturing in the backcountry should be properly prepared in terms of training, skills, experience, equipment, knowledge of avalanche and weather conditions, local knowledge of the backcountry terrain and be equipped for self-rescue."
In other words, those signs are not there for decoration. Don't Ski out of Bounds. Don't swim here. Don't go over the railing. It's not a video game or a movie. It's not reality tv.
One story I followed for quite some time involved a local man: Lasalle Resident Gilles Blackburn. In February 2009, he and his wife, Marie Josee Fortin, went on a ski trip to Kicking Horse resort in BC where they got lost in the backcountry, for 9 days. Ms Fortin died of hypothermia but Mr Blackburn was found alive.
Mr Blackburn received a great deal of sympathy, until he began hiring lawyers and announced his intention to sue Golden and District Search and Rescue (GADSAR) and the RCMP for failing to find him and his wife for nine days. As details emerged about their disastrous ski trip, it became evident that he and his wife were the architects of their own doom. According to his family, the couple were experienced back country skiers. But when they arrived at Kicking Horse, they skied out of bounds at their own risk, even though there was a sign warning them against doing so. They told no one where they were going and when they'd be back, so no one knew they were missing. They had nothing with them but the clothes on their back; no food, no water, no map, no matches, no GPS system. They didn't know the area. Instead of following their own tracks back up the hill, they walked away and got completely lost- even though the lights from the restaurant were clearly visible at the top of the hill. Once lost, they would stamp out SOS signals in the snow and then move on.
Many questions remained. Why did they not just walk back up the hill? Why didn't they stay put and wait? If they were so experienced, why didn't they at least have basic supplies with them? I am no backcountry skier but I probably have more survival gear in my purse than they had with them, and even I know that once lost, you stay put. While it was tragic, and the RCMP and SAR may have made mistakes, these people were completely unprepared for their wilderness venture and Mr Blackburn, perhaps motivated by guilt and grief, was blaming volunteer SAR workers for his own mistakes
Apparently there were some big screwups. People skiing or hiking in the area had spotted SOS signals in the snow but nothing came of it. Since they had checked out of their hotel before skiing out of bounds, no one knew the Blackburns were missing.
The case was in mediation for 2 years and was recently resolved. Mr Blackburn settled his suit with Golden SAR but details were not made public. Changes are afoot in search and rescue to make sure efforts are better coordinated in the future. But in a statement, Kicking Horse Resort said: "Kicking Horse Mountain Resort advises that this case presents a cautionary reminder of the importance of responsible backcountry travel. Persons venturing in the backcountry should be properly prepared in terms of training, skills, experience, equipment, knowledge of avalanche and weather conditions, local knowledge of the backcountry terrain and be equipped for self-rescue."
In other words, those signs are not there for decoration. Don't Ski out of Bounds. Don't swim here. Don't go over the railing. It's not a video game or a movie. It's not reality tv.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
rejoice rejoice, we have no choice
While Clifford Olson was on his deathbed, I read a number of posts on Facebook, news sites and articles, where the authors or interviewees rejoiced that he would soon be dead. It's not hard to understand, especially for the families of the 11 children he murdered, but I still couldn't say "YAY!" and cheer. I saw an interview with Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald. He lost his brother along with several hundred of his employees in the World Trade Center. But when asked about the death of Bin Laden, he said he didn't have the same enthusiasm as did those who chanted "USA USA" outside the White house. But, he said, "I am glad that he can no longer, by his own hand, be responsible for any more deaths."
When I was growing up, there was a boy I knew who caused me an incredible amount of suffering. He harassed and tormented me for years and no one did anything becuase he was popular and good looking and I was nobody. He had friends who thought he was great. I did not.
A few years ago, he suddenly dropped dead of a heart attack. I was shocked and suprised, but I didn't feel grief or sorrow. But I realized that he was gone from the earth, and I would never see him again. There was no chance I would ever run into him or find him on Facebook. I didn't feel avenged, as it had been so many years. I hadn't sought revenge, or caused his death. I felt bad for his family but I didn't mourn him. I wondered if it that made me a terrible person.
Later I was chatting via email with a colleague I corresponded with and told her about it. "Why should you feel grief for someone who made your life miserable? You don't have to mourn him. He has other people who mourn him, you don't have to be one of them." Another woman told me about a girl she'd known in grade 8 who made HER life miserable, so much so that she was afraid to go to school. One day, she got to school and everyone was whispering. Apparently, the Bully and her boyfriend had died in an accident during the night.
Later, she said, "My friend and I met during lunch and of course we were shocked, but at the same time, we were almost relieved that we'd never have to be afraid of going to school again. We weren't terrible people. It was like when Hitler died!"
I think the only person now who really has regrets about Clifford Olson is an ex con by the name of Lussier, who tried to kill Olson while in prison in the mid 70s. Now out of jail, Lussier regrets his many crimes and the pain he's caused his family. He had been sexually abused as a kid and when Olson took a very young inmate as a sex slave, Lussier decided it was time to take him out. Inmates disliked Olson for being a predator and snitch. He stabbed Olson who of course survived. He knows that by succeeding he'd have faced another long stretch but it would have been worth it. "Today, all those kids would still be alive."
When I was growing up, there was a boy I knew who caused me an incredible amount of suffering. He harassed and tormented me for years and no one did anything becuase he was popular and good looking and I was nobody. He had friends who thought he was great. I did not.
A few years ago, he suddenly dropped dead of a heart attack. I was shocked and suprised, but I didn't feel grief or sorrow. But I realized that he was gone from the earth, and I would never see him again. There was no chance I would ever run into him or find him on Facebook. I didn't feel avenged, as it had been so many years. I hadn't sought revenge, or caused his death. I felt bad for his family but I didn't mourn him. I wondered if it that made me a terrible person.
Later I was chatting via email with a colleague I corresponded with and told her about it. "Why should you feel grief for someone who made your life miserable? You don't have to mourn him. He has other people who mourn him, you don't have to be one of them." Another woman told me about a girl she'd known in grade 8 who made HER life miserable, so much so that she was afraid to go to school. One day, she got to school and everyone was whispering. Apparently, the Bully and her boyfriend had died in an accident during the night.
Later, she said, "My friend and I met during lunch and of course we were shocked, but at the same time, we were almost relieved that we'd never have to be afraid of going to school again. We weren't terrible people. It was like when Hitler died!"
I think the only person now who really has regrets about Clifford Olson is an ex con by the name of Lussier, who tried to kill Olson while in prison in the mid 70s. Now out of jail, Lussier regrets his many crimes and the pain he's caused his family. He had been sexually abused as a kid and when Olson took a very young inmate as a sex slave, Lussier decided it was time to take him out. Inmates disliked Olson for being a predator and snitch. He stabbed Olson who of course survived. He knows that by succeeding he'd have faced another long stretch but it would have been worth it. "Today, all those kids would still be alive."
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Dear women of the world, wake the fuck up!
Here's a story for the ages....
http://www.truecrimereport.com/2011/08/robyn_gardner_missing_in_aruba.php
Dear women of the world...maybe it's not such a great idea to go on a beach holiday with a man you've known like five minutes? It's incredible how many crimes could be prevented if we stopped making such rotten choices in relationships, if we stopped being so pathetically needy and gullible and desperate for male attention. The women who let their boyfriends abuse and kill their kids and don't go to the police, because 'he' might get in trouble; the women who let violent criminal move into their homes just so they can have a man in their lives; the men who get hornswoggled by a pretty face and end up getting sucked into killing someone she doesn't like. The women who get involved with convicts, convinced they can reform them...right. Prison failed but you'll succeed.
Women of the world, wake up. This is not an episode of Judging Amy. You cannot reform him, you cannot change him. And if you just met him, then maybe you might want to get to know him before you entrust your body to him? If this poor woman had taken that effort, she'd have known this guy had a long history of criminal and disturbed behaviour. Alas, that may not have deterred her, as has been the case for so many other poor souls. So here's a suggestion: try getting off your back and stand on your feet, ladies. Get a career and spend time in school, not the tanning salon. Your future does not have to lie in someone's come-stained bed. Or worse.
http://www.truecrimereport.com/2011/08/robyn_gardner_missing_in_aruba.php
Dear women of the world...maybe it's not such a great idea to go on a beach holiday with a man you've known like five minutes? It's incredible how many crimes could be prevented if we stopped making such rotten choices in relationships, if we stopped being so pathetically needy and gullible and desperate for male attention. The women who let their boyfriends abuse and kill their kids and don't go to the police, because 'he' might get in trouble; the women who let violent criminal move into their homes just so they can have a man in their lives; the men who get hornswoggled by a pretty face and end up getting sucked into killing someone she doesn't like. The women who get involved with convicts, convinced they can reform them...right. Prison failed but you'll succeed.
Women of the world, wake up. This is not an episode of Judging Amy. You cannot reform him, you cannot change him. And if you just met him, then maybe you might want to get to know him before you entrust your body to him? If this poor woman had taken that effort, she'd have known this guy had a long history of criminal and disturbed behaviour. Alas, that may not have deterred her, as has been the case for so many other poor souls. So here's a suggestion: try getting off your back and stand on your feet, ladies. Get a career and spend time in school, not the tanning salon. Your future does not have to lie in someone's come-stained bed. Or worse.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
summertime- and cycling fans get screwed again
Nothing like watching the tour to remind you how, as fans of the sport of professional cycling, we continue to get screwed by networks, by cable companies, the crtc and whoever else is responsible for broadcasting what is actually a sport and treating like a silly hobby of interest only to europeans or flakes.
TSN1, available on digital cable, has been broadcasting the tour and also broadcast the Giro d'Italia. However, it's not carried by Videotron. It has been carrying live coverage in the morning (from Versus) and rebroadcasting at night. But alas, not every night. It is frequently preempted by CFL football. Obviously the concept of "stage race" has eluded those in charge; imagine if only one or two games of the hockey playoffs aired?
Canal Evasion broadcasts the tour live every morning and evening, never preempting it for anything, but as a french version of OLN, its schedule the rest of the year is cooking, travel shows and reruns of "Amazing race" dubbed into french. A couple of years ago, they aired the Giro, but abandoned it supposedly due to poor ratings.
In fact, showing only one bike race a year is akin to showing only the superbowl, the world series or the Stanley cup playoffs. The cycling season begins in the spring and ends in the fall. But we get nothing but one race a year because even after all this time, it's not seen as a sport- by networks which routinely broadcast poker and darts. Cyclists bleed even more than hockey players; they don't get halftime, or a bench, or substitutes, or dancing girls, or the sidelines. You get injured, you either stay in and suffer or you're out. Cyclists have ridden up the alps with broken elbows and collarbones and finishes stages while wrapped up like mummies. They routinely defy the laws of physics by riding bikes over roads that, for the rest of the year, are limited to pedestrians or farm equipment. And somehow, it's not seen as enough of a sport to warrant more than a few hours a week, once a year.
TSN1, available on digital cable, has been broadcasting the tour and also broadcast the Giro d'Italia. However, it's not carried by Videotron. It has been carrying live coverage in the morning (from Versus) and rebroadcasting at night. But alas, not every night. It is frequently preempted by CFL football. Obviously the concept of "stage race" has eluded those in charge; imagine if only one or two games of the hockey playoffs aired?
Canal Evasion broadcasts the tour live every morning and evening, never preempting it for anything, but as a french version of OLN, its schedule the rest of the year is cooking, travel shows and reruns of "Amazing race" dubbed into french. A couple of years ago, they aired the Giro, but abandoned it supposedly due to poor ratings.
In fact, showing only one bike race a year is akin to showing only the superbowl, the world series or the Stanley cup playoffs. The cycling season begins in the spring and ends in the fall. But we get nothing but one race a year because even after all this time, it's not seen as a sport- by networks which routinely broadcast poker and darts. Cyclists bleed even more than hockey players; they don't get halftime, or a bench, or substitutes, or dancing girls, or the sidelines. You get injured, you either stay in and suffer or you're out. Cyclists have ridden up the alps with broken elbows and collarbones and finishes stages while wrapped up like mummies. They routinely defy the laws of physics by riding bikes over roads that, for the rest of the year, are limited to pedestrians or farm equipment. And somehow, it's not seen as enough of a sport to warrant more than a few hours a week, once a year.
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