- In this episode of "Fly Brother," we say bonjour/hi - In this episode of "Fly Brother," we say bonjour/hi to the multicultural multilingual metropolis of Montreal, Quebec.

We take tasty trips down to the Petite Italie and Le Plateau neighborhoods, along with a fashionable foray with designer Nathon Kong.

We trip the light fantastic down in the colorful Village District, and jam at the world famous Jazz Festival with my good friends in the MTL.

Let's get fly.

(air whooshing) (low rhythmic music) I'm Ernest White II, storyteller, explorer.

Don't try this at home.

I believe in connecting across backgrounds and boundaries.

(low rhythmic music continues) Join me and my friends... Just like home.

And discover that no matter the background, no matter the history, the whole world is our tribe.

(low rhythmic music continues) This is fun!

Come with me.

See how my friends do?

"Fly Brother."

- [Announcer] Major funding for this program is provided by: (curious rhythmic music) (birds chirping) (rapid string music) (upbeat rhythmic music) - Montreal, or Montreal, is the cosmopolitan gem of French Canada, home to 120 distinct ethnic communities.

They make the city a living collage of cultures and traditions, with more than 100 festivals a year, celebrating everything from jazz to Formula One racing.

You can stroll in gorgeous green spaces, discover the work of up-and-coming artists, and sample the world's cuisine here.

So I'm going to lead with my stomach and hook up with my buddy Danny Pavlopoulos at one of Montreal's oldest public markets.

Hey, (laughing) Danny.

- Hey.

- Good to see you, man.

- Ernest.

How are you?

- I'm doin' well, brother.

- Welcome back to Montreal.

- Thank you, thank you.

I love it here, man, I love...

The city just is buzzing, it's exciting man- - That's right.

- And I'm happy to be back.

- [Danny] We had a quiet morning at the market, which is actually a good thing for us.

- Yes.

- This is Jean-Talon, this is our largest food market in the area.

- [Ernest] Jean-Talon.

- [Danny] Jean-Talon, you got it.

We're going to do some tastings and hang out, is that cool?

- Let's do it.

- Let's go.

- Alright, man.

(laughing) Let's taste.

(upbeat rhythmic music) - So this is Les Filles Fattoush, welcome.

- Les Filles Fattoush.

- Les Filles Fattoush.

It's a not-for-profit, actually.

- Oh, wonderful.

- Yeah, a not-for-profit.

They're working with women cooks.

Basically, they're giving like employment opportunities to women who are specifically refugees, integrating them into employment when they come to Montreal.

This is a lovely baba ghanoush.

So it's an eggplant base, more of like a veggie mix.

Go for it.

On top of a homemade pita.

- It's so colorful, it's enticing.

- (laughing) Attack.

- Thank you.

(laughing) - There's also a little bit of pomegranate syrup, which is basically like a staple when it comes to Middle Eastern or Syrian cuisine- - Okay.

- In there.

So this one will be pretty like fresh, light.

Go for it, I'm going to take a piece too.

It looks pretty yummy.

Mmm.

The herbs, the parsley that bring it back.

(upbeat rhythmic music) (people chattering in market) These guys are my favorite in the province when it comes to charcuterie.

I hope you like meats.

- Alright.

- It's something that we do a lot of in Quebec.

You'll start off with this and a bottle of wine before getting into the ordering.

It's pretty typical in a local Quebecois bistro.

This is the petit menage, so it's just salt, pepper, and pork, but in a saucisson, in like a charcuterie sausage version, as opposed to the ham, like a cured ham.

- Okay.

The Nicki Minaj.

- (laughing) The Nicki Minaj, yeah.

The petit Nicki Minaj, that's right.

(Ernest laughing) I'm going to tell them that after, they're probably going to like that.

- Oh.

- Good?

Simple.

Yeah.

- Yes, but it's got bite.

- Right.

- This part going in this part.

(sparkle twinkling) - This is a small production, a woman who has about 100 goats, she feeds them by hand.

- She feeds them by hand.

- By hand, by hand.

- Hand.

(Danny and Ernest laughing) - This is the shop that's called A Ma Maniere.

So goat- - A Ma Maniere.

- A Ma Maniere, like "my way."

It's got a really creamy interior.

There's a... Go for it.

Hundreds of varieties of cheeses in Quebec.

We're known for non-pasteurized cheeses.

How is that?

A ta maniere, you like it?

(Danny laughing) - It's very creamy, it's buttery.

- [Danny] Yeah, it's actually a perfect temperature.

- [Ernest] Yeah, it's delicious.

- It's pretty typical in Quebec as a bistro to finish with the cheese platter, like as your dessert.

And then you drink your dessert, like your sweet wine or your ice cider or something like that.

There's four large markets like this in the city, Jean-Talon is the best and the biggest.

- The best and the biggest.

- The best and biggest, babe.

- And that's what we're all about- - That right.

- The best in the biggest, here at "Fly Brother."

(Danny laughing) Alright, (laughing) I love it man, I love Montreal.

(upbeat rhythmic music) It's not hard to see why Montreal is a UNESCO Creative City of Design.

There's vibrant art and architecture almost everywhere you look, from soaring murals to community art spaces.

My friend Thom Seivewright is a certified guide who's always got a neighborhood spot to share.

- This is an outdoor free art gallery with exhibits that change a few times a year.

This used to just be a vacant lot, there was nothing here.

- Okay.

- It was like the eyesore of the neighborhood.

- Wow.

- And they turned it into an art gallery because art really is part of the, I think, DNA of Montreal.

(upbeat rhythmic music continues) So we're now at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, oldest museum in Canada.

And this piece here is by the artist Chihuly.

- It's beautiful.

- Isn't it amazing?

- It's like a sun tree.

- Yeah, (laughing) it totally is.

- [Ernest] It's amazing.

What's special about this museum to you?

- It's seven different pavilions, all interconnected, all with different themes: European art, Canadian art, Aboriginal art.

And just to walk from one to the other really showcases the variety and the diversity of Montreal, of Quebec, and of Canada.

(upbeat rhythmic music) Montreal was really founded on this idea that it would become a city with people from different backgrounds, different languages, different races, all living together.

And they thought of that actually in the 1600s, and it actually happened.

(upbeat rhythmic music continues) - [Ernest] Today, that founding idea of Montreal as a place for everyone lives on, especially in the queer-friendly neighborhood called The Village.

And no, I'm not talkin' about that horror movie from a few years ago.

- The neighborhood really only started to become a queer neighborhood in the late 80s / early 90s.

- [Ernest] Okay.

- And over the last 30 or 40 years or so, it's just been a neighborhood that has been changing and adapting.

And right now, they're really focusing on inclusivity.

And so recently, they've actually even officially changed the name of the neighborhood.

Instead of the "Gay Village," which is what we used to call it- - Sure.

- Now they're just calling it "The Village."

- The Village.

- 'Cause they want it to be open to gay man- - A tous.

- A tous, toulemonde.

- Toulemonde.

- Right, exactly.

- Alright.

Well, you know, it's all about community building and everyone has a place in the community.

- Exactly.

- Alright.

(upbeat rhythmic music) (camera snap) The city of Montreal sits at the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers.

A strategic location that was a gathering and trading place for First Nations People, including the Algonquian, Mohawk, and Iroquois nations.

French explorer Jacque Cartier climbed and named Mount Royale in 1535.

And settlers from England, Scotland, and Ireland followed to trade furs, and import and export goods along the river.

The city still thrives on commerce, but it's not all work and no play.

Montreal is the birthplace of professional hockey, "Trivial Pursuit," IMAX, and the hoverboard.

And it welcomes the world with a mix of European charm and American know-how.

The city's official motto is Concordia Salus, Latin for "wellbeing through harmony."

(camera snapping photo) (upbeat rhythmic music) Montreal's international mix means people from all over the world have brought their home cooking here, and fused traditional recipes with local ingredients.

From Peruvian/Japanese to Russian/Israeli, to Indian brunch, you can circle the globe one meal at a time.

(upbeat rhythmic music continues) And at Le Virunga, named for the verdant National Park and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chef Maria Jose De Frias and her daughter Zoya blend the food cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa into one delicious experience.

Madame Maria, thank you very, very much for having us back here in command central.

I see plantains here, platanos as we call them in les Caraibes.

- Yeah, but in my country we call it makemba.

- Makemba.

- Yes, in the Congo- - Alright.

- In the Congo.

- We call it makemba.

- Makemba.

- Yes.

So do you want to help me?

- I do- - It's not hard.

- Okay, like this?

- Yeah, first.

- Alright.

- And you can see, it's good.

- Okay.

- This space is good.

When it's not good, it comes like white and hard when you do that.

- Okay.

- You know?

- These were obviously not sourced here, but do you find that the produce is really good in Montreal?

- Yes, yes, we can have everything here.

- Mmm.

- Yeah.

- You can get it all in Montreal.

- (laughing) Yes.

(sparkle twinkling) Exactly.

(Ernest and Mario laughing) (upbeat rhythmic music) - Zoya, thank you so much.

- My pleasure, thank you for coming here.

We're very excited to see you.

- Listen, I'm excited.

Le Virunga has been at the top of my list of places that I wanted to get to, especially coming here to Montreal to kind of have a taste of home a little bit.

- Yeah.

- You know?

I am not from the continent myself, but I'm from the diaspora, you know?

- Mm-hmm.

- And the food that I grew up with, the food that kind of speaks to me as just community and home, it has its roots in places like Congo and so many other countries.

So, I'm excited to see how the seeds have sprouted here.

- Yes.

It's a different interpretation of African food per se, so it's not traditional.

But like you said, it's exciting for us to be able to show how far we can go with the same ingredients that we grew up with.

- So then, why do you think Montreal is such fertile ground for a restaurant like Le Virunga?

- A lot of people here didn't have as much accessibility with the African culture, but they were very eager to know more.

And what's better to know more about a culture than to share a plate or a dish, or anecdotes with somebody over drinks and food, you know?

So that's why it made sense to be here.

(door creaking) - This is plantain, mashed plantain.

- Oh, wow!

Madame Maria.

Thank you so much, that's lovely.

- [Maria] You're welcome.

- Alright, the sauce.

That sauce is glorious, what is that?

- So what you're having here is really representative of what we do here in Le Virunga, so it is African cuisine with a modern twist.

So you have a duck breast from Quebec with a little Amarula sauce on top.

Then, you have the plantain mash that you helped the chef do earlier.

And then, you have some Swiss chards locally grown here in Quebec, and then you have some sprouts that adds the sparkle on top as well.

- Sprouts to add sparkle, I love it.

It's time to eat.

(kissing hand) Chef's kiss.

Merci, Madame Maria!

(door creaking) (Maria speaking in French) (low rhythmic music) I'm leaving Le Virunga with a warm heart and a full belly, thanks to Chef Maria.

But to walk off some of that delicious lunch, I'm heading to another master craftsman who helps make Montreal an international creative hub.

(upbeat rhythmic music) Nathon Kong is an innovative, bespoke tailor, who believes clothes are an art and that what you wear expresses who you are.

So I'm getting ready for my runway moment on the way to his invitation-only atelier.

Nathon, (laughing) good to see you.

- Oh, a pleasure to have you here.

(laughing) - Definitely, I really, really appreciate it.

I'm excited!

- Oh, I am too.

Thank you for taking the time.

- Alright, let's do it.

(Nathon laughing) Thank you.

- You're welcome.

(footsteps padding) So this building actually is an art gallery building.

These are the original painting from the participant who went through the program, (speaking in French) which is therapeutic art program.

- Therapeutic art program.

- For patient of mental health.

Because the idea is you can be something else and more, you're not just a patient.

- Sure, sure.

- And they have capability to create, to design, and to create a beautiful work that you see.

Every art has this inspiration and story somewhere, and I want people to understand the story of the artwork here.

- Mmm, okay.

That's wonderful.

But, is this it?

- Oh, no.

- It is beautiful.

- Oh, thank you.

- It's kind of small.

- But the idea is people come to see me, it's only by an invitation.

When they get invitation from me, only then you can come in.

(door cracking open) - What?

Open sesame, like what?

(Ernest and Nathon laughing) (upbeat rhythmic music) I feel like Aladdin in the Cave of Wonders.

(Nathon laughing) (upbeat rhythmic music continues) This is a lovely, lovely place.

I feel like I'm transported into another space and time.

- Oh, thank you.

That's the purpose, that's the purpose.

- Okay, alright.

- I want to make sure you leave the old world behind because you're about to enter a new one, and you'll be transported to a different place.

- [Ernest] Magic.

- Ah.

So the idea of the brand is I want people to wear a story.

Or a working suit, and I thought it's very cute that as a lawyer, you are straight- - Mm-hmm.

- And on the inside- - You're wavy.

- That's right.

(Ernest and Nathon laughing) - I love it.

- So every piece, it has the same principle that it need to be a story and telling through art.

(upbeat rhythmic music) So this is a machine, her name is Elizabeth, Elizabeth Taylor.

- Ooh, Elizabeth Taylor.

- Within five to 10 seconds, she'll be able to size you up and get all the measurement you need.

- In five to 10 seconds, you're sized up, and she knows right away where your flaws are.

- Yeah, she's bossy too, she'll tell you what to do.

- Okay.

(laughing) No nonsense.

- Yes.

- Like the real Elizabeth Taylor.

- Exactly.

So do you want to try?

(upbeat rhythmic music continues) (Ernest sighing) - [Ernest] And then, so what's next with this?

- I'm just going to look through, we'll look at your measurement, look at the pattern, and we will be able to create something together.

- So you'll create a story for me then?

- Well, it's going to be your story.

- Ah.

- We're going to look at an artwork together, and it's going to be your story that I want you to remember.

Back in the 70s, when you struggled through mental health, they didn't know how to deal with that.

Bill actually, he was one of the people who'd been in the institution for a really long time.

When he come out from institution, all he wanted to travel.

And then when you look at the artwork, it look like a scenery.

- Mmm.

- It look like a mountain, when to him, that represent freedom.

That freedom doesn't come easy, it's not given to you.

- No.

- You have to fight.

And I want you to look at the technique how he drew, that how much time for him to finish each art piece.

That amount of time, it equate to how much he fight to get his freedom.

- That's amazing.

- (laughing) Thank you.

- You are a storyteller, man, a consummate.

- Somebody call me a, what's it called, a "storytailor."

- Storytailor, wow.

(Nathon laughing) That was smart.

I wish I had thought of it, I didn't, but there we go.

- And the funny thing is, I'm actually a microbiologist by training.

- You're a trained microbiologist.

- I actually studied in my undergrad at McGill, I was a microbiologist.

- Geez, man.

Wow.

I mean, it's an honor and a privilege to even be here in this studio space where- - Oh, thank you.

- Where magic happens, creation.

- Yes.

(laughing) - Like any magical work of art created by hand, Nathon's suits are not cheap.

But hey, a man can dream.

(upbeat rhythmic music) How do I look?

Very good.

I must say, I'm amazed.

(sparkle twinkling) (upbeat rhythmic music) And speaking of magic and creation, Nathon's studio isn't too far from another famous Elizabeth in Montreal, the elegant Fairmont Hotel, named for the late Queen.

Beatlemania struck here in 1969, when John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent a week in room 1742, protesting the Vietnam War, recording an iconic song, and putting the hotel in the international spotlight.

Fairmont's Michele Guzzo gives us an inside look.

- Back in 1969, when John and Yoko arrived at the hotel, they had rented four bedrooms.

And where we are right now is where they actually took the mattress that was located on this part of the room, and they put it against the window right here in order to start the protest against the Vietnam War.

So back in the day, when the journalists came to visit John and Yoko, they would stand here in front of them.

And part of the new experience of the suite is that you have a virtual experience.

It's also possible for you to look at that you're actually in the bodies of John and Yoko, looking at what's going on in front of you.

So you have a mass of people in front of you every day, asking you questions, singing along.

You had the Hare Krishnas that came to offer gifts to them as well.

The legacy that remains from the bed back in Montreal in 1969 is that the song "Give Peace a Chance" was recorded right here within our walls.

So behind the cabinet doors, we find some fun facts of video footage and interviews that John and Yoko had during their bed-in, in 1969.

And another fun fact is the security log book of the hotel.

There was a lot of noise complaints because as you can imagine, with over 100 journalists coming and a lot of people just showing up in the corridor in order to try to meet John and Yoko, it was pretty much chaos in the lobby, and there was a lot of noise and smoking going around.

So, the guests who were sharing the hotel with John and Yoko were not that very happy.

(upbeat rhythmic music) - The Montreal International Jazz Festival is the world's biggest.

It even has a spot in the "Guinness Book of World Records."

Every year, it takes over the city's core for 10 days of incredible music, with more than 3,000 artists from 30 countries giving nearly 1,000 concerts, and most of them are free.

♪ I'm the jealous kind ♪ I'm the jealous kind And it's not just jazz, it's soul, funk, house, folk, and everything in between.

(audience clapping rhythmically) ♪ Don't hurt me, baby Laurent Saulnier was the Jazz Festival's Vice President of Programming for 23 years, and he was instrumental in helping it grow into an international phenomenon.

You've been at the epicenter of music for a while now.

- (laughing) Yes.

- Why do you think Montreal is such a a nexus and a mecca for music?

- The fact that there's a hard winter time, when springtime is coming, everybody in the city wants to go outside.

- Mmm, mm-hmm.

- And is there something better than a large festival outside, especially downtown, a big city like Montreal?

- Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

- And it's free for the audience.

- Mm-hmm.

- This is something huge.

(crowd chattering) So I think this is really special and very unique to Montreal.

And you know what, I'm kind of proud of it.

- No, you should be screaming it, that you're proud of it.

(Ernest and Laurent laughing) It is something to be proud of 'cause people can come here and enjoy it.

(audience applauding) And so as a native son, what do you want most for visitors to Montreal to kind of take home with them after visiting?

- Oh, a lot of things.

Smoked meat- - Smoked meat.

(Laurent laughing) - Bagel- - Bagels.

- Maple syrup.

- Maple syrup.

- But to be really honest to you, the only important thing I think that you have to bring back from Montreal to your home is joie de vivre.

- Joie de vivre.

- Joie de vivre.

There's something in the air of Montreal, and I don't know what it is exactly, but people here are friendly.

- [Ernest] True.

- People here are very communicative to each other- - In multiple languages.

- In multiple languages, for sure.

People here are aware of other people, they're taking care of each other.

It's something very, very special, very unique to Montreal.

- Sure.

That joie de vivre, joy for life or zest for life, that electricity that kind of runs through us is something that I've definitely felt every time that I've been here.

- It's something very light.

- Mmm.

Fairy dust, magic.

- Yeah, yeah, magic.

- [Ernest] Glitter.

- Glitter.

(Ernest laughing) That's it.

- Hey man, I appreciate you Laurent.

(Ernest and Laurent laughing) - Thanks, man.

- Thank you.

(laughing) Now, let's hear some music.

(upbeat jazzy music) That something in the air is what keeps me coming back to Montreal.

The pulse of creative energy, the warmth of sharing food and friendship, and the heartbeat of music that celebrates a truly international community.

Merci beaucoup, Montreal.

(rhythmic jazzy music) ♪ You scratch my back ♪ I'll scratch yours ♪ And once we get through scratchin' ♪ ♪ We'll be itchin' for some more ♪ ♪ I'll give ya some of this, baby ♪ ♪ You better give me some of that ♪ (rhythmic jazzy music continues) ♪ I'm a 50/50 lover ♪ Give, I got to give it right back ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey (rhythmic jazzy music continues) - [Announcer] Major funding for this program is provided by: (curious rhythmic music) (birds chirping) (rapid string music) To join the "Fly Brother" travel community, or to order your own copy of this episode, visit flybrother.com.

(bright string music)