* Barrie Usher has resigned as president and CEO and as a director of Cinar Corp. and all its subsidiaries, effective Sept. 15.

He will be replaced on an interim basis by George Rossi, senior VP and CFO.

Usher, a former banking and insurance executive, took over at Cinar in March 2000 after founders and majority shareholders Micheline Charest and Ron Weinberg resigned from their shared co-executive officer positions.

‘The search for a new CEO is progressing well and we are committed to getting the best possible candidate,’ says Cinar chairman Robert Despres.

* Alliance Atlantis Communications’ executive VP and CFO Judson Martin is leaving the company to become president and CEO of a cross-border real estate investment trust, effective Nov. 1.

‘I was presented with an exciting opportunity to return to the real estate industry as president and CEO of a company with ambitious growth plans,’ states Martin.

Rita Middleton, senior VP, corporate finance, will immediately assume Martin’s responsibilities while a replacement is sought.

* Elaine Ali has been appointed senior VP, CTV Stations Group, effective immediately.

In her new position, the former president of WTN and VP and general manager at CKY Winnipeg has overall responsibility for CTV’s 27 owned and operated local stations. She remains based in Winnipeg, reporting to the president of CTV.

* Robert Boivin has been named to replace Robert Daudelin as executive director of the Cinematheque Quebecoise. The appointment comes after an extensive search following Daudelin’s announcement last year that he would step down after 30 years of service.

Boivin has written seven books and holds a master’s degree in film esthetics from the Universite de Paris I.

The Cinematheque Quebecoise (www.cinematheque.qc.ca) is a world-renowned, private, non-profit institution founded in 1963 and dedicated to the preservation, documentation and promotion of international film and TV heritage.

Boivin takes up his new duties Oct. 28.

* Fabrice Brasier has resigned as general manager news, public affairs and sports with Television Quatre Saisons to join Astral Media specialty channel Historia as VP programming.

* Johanne Saint-Laurent is promoted to senior VP finances and business affairs with Astral Tele-Reseaux.

TQS Nouveaux Medias has named Jean Rodrigue as director of sales.

* Quebec trade publisher Qui Fait Quoi has appointed Jean Hamel director of communications and development. Hamel is a former longtime communications and marketing director with the Cinematheque Quebecoise and cyber editor of the Reseau TVA website.