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Sunday, May 24, 2009

We are planning on saying goodbye to Jacques Garon aka PandaMontreal (galleries - profile) on Sunday May 31st. The details are all here. This will be taking place in Montreal, Quebec. First we will meet for a memorial service at St-Pierre Apôtre church for 10AM and then we will be heading over to the Woof Bistro Bar for 11AM for brunch with the UpBear guys. If you have any questions or comments, contact me (Forrest - email - profile) or Jean from UpBear (email - profile).

If you knew Jacques Panda in real life, or talked to him online, or just saw his pictures on the net, then please leave a few words on his TubeBear profile, in his guestbook section. I know Jacques touched a lot of lives online. Hugz.

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Sunday, May 17, 2009

I'm saddened to inform you that Jacques aka PandaMontreal has passed away. He was 63.

I am keeping his TubeBear profile online as a memorial to Jacques. Please visit his page and leave some parting words in his guestbook.

The last time I saw Jacques, it was right after UpBear had their 'Sugaring Off' weekend (March 29th). Jacques was in the process of moving so he asked to borrow my camera because he wanted to film his teddy bear collection before he took them down (he had over 1300 of them, all in his bedroom) so as to have them in memory. Since he had to move, he was planning on just getting rid of most of them.

When I went by to pick up my camera, he seemed fine. We spoke for a bit and then we made a few plans on getting together soon however nothing official. We then chatted on the phone a couple of times after that - just to say hello and see how the other was doing. All was normal.

Then around the 15th of April, I called, left a message. A week later, I called again, left a message. It wasn't like Jacques not to call back, even to say he's too busy to call, however I have known Jacques for 5 years and there were times when we didn't talk for months. Not that there was anything wrong, just time has a way of flying by.

But what I didn't find normal was that he hadn't visited his profile page. If you ever got to meet Jacques, you know how important his online profile pages were, and how important all his pictures were to him. Also, if you knew Jacques, then he was the first one to wish you a happy birthday. Birthdays were extremely important to him, so when I saw that he hadn't logged onto his TubeBear profile, even if it was just to send out his birthday greetings, I began suspecting something.

But don't forget, he was moving (from one apartment to the other), and when Roger sent him an email and it bounced, I figured - well, he doesn't have his internet connection right now and he'll be back online once he's settled into his new place.

So I called again, and once again, I get his answering machine. In my mind, I figured he was getting his messages since his box wasn't full... so I guess I was a little hurt or disappointed because I thought he was just not returning my calls.

Now I also know that Jacques had some health issues, and so I thought, maybe something happened to him. So a couple of days ago (May 14th), I went by to his apartment. Well the landlady was there and she told me the news - Jacques passed away. They found him in his old apartment. She didn't tell me how he passed away but she believes it was a heart attack.

The sad thing is that, at the end, Jacques wasn't happy. He had mounting health problems as well as many money issues. He was moving because he lost his job as the janitor of the apartment that he lived in and had to move out of the 'janitor's flat', a place that he really loved. It just seemed that Jacques just wasn't able to overcome his issues, and all I can think is that his heart wasn't able to handle the stress anymore.

---

Jacques was very popular online. He had a lot of fans because he was this really cute Daddy Bear with a great smile and twinkling blue eyes. He was also a very proud man and he loved knowing that guys liked looking at his photos, and that is something Jacques loved to do, and that was to take photos. He was also proud of the fact that he had one of the most visited profile sites on many Bear sites, including TubeBear (he has been added to people's buddies list on TubeBear more than anyone else).

Jacques also gave a lot of his time to many gay and Bear events. He partook in the earliest AIDS awareness programs back in the 80s, and more recently he helped out as much as he could whenever there was a Bear event here in Montreal. He always gave his best, and I should know because I photographed him a lot, and he was very easy to work with, and always eager and cooperative.

Truth be known, Jacques was not the easiest man. He sometimes would say the wrong thing and he sometimes demanded a lot, but everyone has their shortcomings, and Jacques truly brought life with him wherever he went.

He is going to be missed.

We (UpBear and I) are organizing a kind of memorial for him. It will be on May 31st at 10AM at the St-Pierre Apôtre church on 1201 rue De La Visitation in Montreal. We will then get together for brunch. I will post more when I know more.

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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Tomorrow - Sunday, March 29th - the UpBear (website - articles - profile) guys will be getting together for their annual sugaring off, and it will also make their 6th anniversary as a group. This is going to take place at the Érablière Jacques Grégoire (outside of Montreal, Quebec) at 11:30AM. I, Bob Forrest (profile) will be there snapping pictures, so make sure to come by and say hello. Should be a great day.

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Friday, March 6, 2009

It's time to get your tickets for UpBear's 'Sugar Shack for Bears' (website - articles - profile) which will be taking place at the Érablière Jacques Grégoire (outside of Montreal, Quebec) on March 29th. The tickets are sold up until March 15th at the Woof Bar and Bistro (website - articles - profile). UpBear will also be celebrating their 6th anniversary. Come visit Canada and take in a bit of tradition while your hanging out with cute French Canadian Bears...

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Monday, February 16, 2009

The UpBear (website - articles - profile) bunch from Montreal are celebrating their 6th anniversary by getting together for a Sugar Shack outing. The event will be taking place at the Érablière Jacques Grégoire and as they mention "the place is rustic and friendly oriented, known for its good food and its maple products". All this will be taking place on March 29th and tickets will be sold until March 15th and you can pick them up at the Bistro Bar Woof (website - articles - profile).

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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

UpBear will be getting together for a spaghetti supper over at the Woof Bar & Bistro which is located at 1661 Ste Catherine street in the center of the Gay Village in Montreal. This is going to be their 2nd time doing this and from what I heard, the 1st time they did this there was a good turnout and the food was excellent. My partner Roger (gallery - profile) and I (Forrest - profile) are planning on being there so if you want to drop by and say hello, do not be shy.

UpBear is a group created by Jean (JBearWoof - profile) with assistance from Jacques (PandaMontreal - gallery - profile) and Woof is owned by Paul (Quebecois - profile).

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Thursday, October 16, 2008

My bad for not posting this yesterday - I've been catching up with my emails and this article should have been posted yesterday...

The UpBear (website - articles - profile) bunch in Montreal who usually only get together once a month for Brunch are now working another meeting - this time it's for 'Spaghetti Supper' at the Woof Bar & Bistro (website - profile) which is located on 1661 Sainte-Catherine in the heart of the Gay village in Montreal (and some of you might remember that the Woof bar held the 1st Bear contest awhile back - check out all the articles surrounding that event here and check out the video I made here on YouTube).

Ok so the reason why I should have posted this yesterday is that they got together for their 1st supper last night, however their next one will be on Wednesday, November 5th. And as for the UpBear brunch, they will be getting together on Sunday, October 26th at the Restaurant Palais Montcalm which is at 1314 Ontario Street.

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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The UpBear gents who get together for their monthly brunch in Montreal are celebrating their 5th year anniversary and they are doing it in style. They will be getting together for a sugaring off old fashion style. They are going to Érablière St-Henri in Ste-Marthe, QC. The place is rustic looking with a friendly staff, known for its good food and its maple products. The date is Sunday, March 30th and tickets are $25 which covers the meal and possibly a horse-drawn sleigh ride. For transportation, check the discussion boards from their Upbear site (in the 'Babillard' section - their 'blackboard'). For more info, contact either JF (TubeBear profile) or Jacques (aka PandaMontreal) (website - gallery - TubeBear profile).

Now once everyone is filled, they will be heading downtown to Tunnel Bar (aka Parking) because Bear Crusader will be putting on a show, entrance is free. Who is Bear Crusader? It's Steve (TubeBear profile) and Sylvain (TubeBear profile).

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Monday, January 21, 2008

The following is from Jacques, aka PandaMontreal (homepage - PlanetBears gallery - TubeBear profile): "We have a new home for the UpBear Brunch in Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Hotel des Gouverneurs is 5 star restaurant and they agreed to give us a special of $19.95 instead of their regular $21.95 so we will be going there for a while We have our next brunch on January 27th.

Also, we are planning a 'Sugar Shack' outing for Sunday, March 30th which will be the 5th Anniversary of UpBear Brunch.  More details to follow".

If you would like to have your event posted here in the PlanetBears and TubeBear news, then simply email us or use the contact form and we will add it here.

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Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Montreal based UpBear bunch are having their Xmas get-together this upcoming December 16th at Café Européen on Ste-Catherine in the Gay Village. I'm not 100% sure but I do believe that Jacques aka PandaMontreal (gallery - website - TubeBear profile) will be Santa again this year... it's worth going just to see this handsome panda dressed up as Santa. You might even get to sit on his lap, if you've been good this year of course.

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Sunday, September 23, 2007

Join the UpBear gents for their monthly Brunch on September 30th at Café Européen in Montreal. If you need more info, then contact either J. Frederic, aka JBearWoof (TubeBear profile) or Jacques, aka PandaMontreal (TubeBear profile) however all of the info can be found on their UpBear site ~ and check out their French Wiki for Bears ~  UpBearWiki.

If you have a local event and you wish to have it posted here on both PlanetBears and TubeBear, just email us or use the Submit Form and you will have your event posted here just like this local event.

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Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Join the Événours group in Montreal, Quebec for an afternoon filled with fun as they hit Saint Helen's Island for a picnic on August 25th. There is a bbq planned, pool time, and they will be visiting Expo '67 on a little train ride.

Make it a weekend with Bears and join the UpBear gang (run by JBearWoof - TubeBear profile - and with help from PandaMontreal - TubeBear profile) for their monthly brunch at Le Café Européen on August 26th. These 2 events are not associated, I'm just listing some things to do in Montreal this upcoming weekend.

And if your Bear group have a local event and you want to have it mentioned here, then all you have to do is email me (Forrest - TubeBear profile) or use the Submit News form and I'll post it here. Also, create a profile for your club and group and create banners for your events and you club (like JBearWoof did for UpBear - here). Contact me for more info on how to make a profile for your Bear club.

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Thursday, July 26, 2007

The UpBear gang are having their brunch this upcoming weekend at Café Européen which is in Montreal, Quebec (that's Canada... a very big country). They will also be getting together for the Pride Parade.

If you have a local event and you wish to have it mentioned here, then simply email us or use the Submit News form and we'll be glad to post it for you.

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Monday, June 11, 2007

Join the gents who make up the UpBear crowd as they get together for their monthly Bear brunch on June 17th at Café Européen in Montreal. If you need more info, then contact either JBearWoof (profile) or Panda Jacques (profile) however all of the info can be found on their UpBear site ~ and check out their French Wiki section for Bears.

Now if you have a local event and you wish to have it posted here on both PlanetBears and TubeBear, just email us or use the Submit Form and you will have your event posted here just like this local event (look in the archives here and you will see that we are good at posting your events for you).

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Monday, May 21, 2007

The friendly guys that make up the UpBear group are having their brunch on May 27th  brunch are getting together Café Européen in Montreal.

Head on over to their site for more detail and make sure to check out their other section to their page, their French Wiki ~  UpBearWiki.

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Thursday, March 15, 2007

Montreal is about 40 minutes away from my place in a car. I live out in the outskirts of the Laurentians where everyone goes skiing; so I dig country enough to live out here but Montreal does have the hottest night life you'll find anywhere in the world, that I could guarantee. We had a bar here called Cox that even Europeans would come here for it.

Anyway - there's a bunch of really good looking Bearish men who get together for Brunch once a month here in Montreal. It's organized by Jean Frédéric (contact info) with a lot of help from Jacques Garon, aka Panda (homepage). Check out their site UpBear.com for all the details, however this month the brunch is on Sunday, March 25th.

Also - check out UpBearWiki - a French Wiki for Bears. Ingenious... or better ~ Ingénieux.

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Monday, December 11, 2006
Time to polish that French you learnt back in college and join the UpBear brunch group as they will be meeting this upcoming December 17th (Sunday) at Café Européen (notice the cool little accents on the e's - makes the e sound like eh - as in Canada, éh). Check out their site and also check out their UpBearWiki project - altho it's in French for now I'm sure they will be working on the English version.