More About The Salon

Monday Nov 24, 2003
Jeremy Grey
Guide to the Lonely Planet
Dear Jeremy,
What a treat – and what a challenge! – to be invited to write some lines about Wednesday Night for you. Especially as we have recently had to almost forcibly disinvite a guest who didn’t seem clear on the concept that because it is held in our home, we foolishly believe that we have the right to require that guests, like well-behaved dogs, come only when called. It’s a thin line between wanting to expand the group beyond provincial concerns and a too-clubby ambiance, and wanting to be selective. However, with that caveat, here goes.
Held every Wednesday without fail, the Wednesday Night Salon has long-since passed the Scheharazade benchmark.Started in the 1980s as a very private gathering of bigwigs in financial circles, it has become an institution in Montreal. Every Wednesday an eclectic group of 20-30 people gather in the paneled diningroom of a 19th century house for lively exchanges on subjects ranging from Astronomy to Zoology, always with a connection to the Market and the world economy. Discussion is stimulated by a mix of video news clips, Internet references and traditional print materials. While everything is off the record, summaries of each evening’s highlights are found at www.wednesday-night.com/ along with links to items related to the topics. In Montreal’s bilingual society, Wednesday Night stands out for the number of languages spoken and countries of origin of the participants. Opinions cover the full circle from Left to Right, sometimes reflecting the range of ages (students to senior citizens), professional background or simply the free spirits of the guests.