Logan Staats Audition on the Launch

What an awesome performance!

Logan is the first winner of The Launch. The show's first episode aired in Canada on Wednesday, January 10th on CTV (Canadian Television).   Shania Twain (also from Ontario) was the mentor.

The Launch, which takes place in Toronto, gives a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to break a new artist and create a new hit song.

A group of unsigned musicians are mentored by a panel of internationally renowned hit makers.  They sing 2 songs.  The first is their choosing (for their audition).  Then two artists are selected to move onto the next round where they will sing a second song; a song that's being introduced to the public for the first time.  The winner (selected by the panel) is chosen to record the new song.  The aim is to launch a new career and a new hit song.

Logan, who is from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, performed a powerful, emotional rendition of ‘Beautiful War' by Kings of Leon.  It was breath-taking.  Logan is authentic, full of raw emotion and, he can sing! 

Congratulations TIFF!

In the span of 40 years the Toronto Film Festival has grown from a small local film festival into one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the world.  

TIFF was founded in 1976 at the Windsor Arms Hotel by Bill Marshall, Henk Van der Kolk and Dusty Cohl.  It was called the Festival of Festivals and ran from October 18th - 24th.   35,000 film goers watched 127 films from 30 countries.

Although Hollywood studios initially withdrew their submissions from TIFF believing that Toronto audiences would be too parochial (narrow-minded, small-minded, provincial, narrow, small-town, conservative!) for their products TIFF continued to concentrate on bringing the best films from around the world.

Now TIFF is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually.  The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival was held from 7 to 17 September 2017.  There were 255 feature-length films, 84 short films, 147 world premieres, 57 Canadian films  (including co-productions) consisting of  28 features and 29 shorts.

We Matter Campaign Launched

Here's another amazing reflection of  Canadian ingenuity and heart.

In 2016 Kelvin Redvers and his sister Tunchai (from Hay River, Northwest Territories) launched the "We Matter" campaign for Indigenous youth.

Kelvin and Tunchai started a website and twitter account and began collecting video messages of hope and encouragement from Indigenous Canadians all across the country!

Their goal is to create awareness of the struggles facing Indigenous youth in Canada and to reduce the number of Indigenous suicides.

Juno Awards 2012

The 2012 Junos were held in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada with William Shatner as the host!  Blue Rodeo was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

The JUNO Cup was held at the Steve Yzerman Arena in Nepean, bringing NHL alumni, artists and entertainers together in support of MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with CARAS!!

David Suzuki - Professor of Zoology at U.B.C.

David Suzuki was hired as a professor of zoology at the University of British Columbia in 1963 and remained there for almost forty years (until his retirement in 2001). From 1971 to 1972 Suzuki hosted a series of half-hour, weekly shows called Suzuki on Science on CBC Television. Filmed in Vancouver, the show featured interviews with scientists.

Kate Middleton - Canadian Connection

Kate Middleton's Canadian connection traces back to her late grandfather Peter Middleton, to whom she was quite close.  Her grandfather (who recently passed away)  was a former Second World War Mosquito pilot. 

Peter Middleton made two trips to Canada during his youth. He visited Quebec, when he 17 years old, on a "school empire tour party!" in August 1939, and he served at least two years at a Royal Air Force base in Alberta.

Canadian Environmental Movement Started In Toronto

Is it true that a 1969 article in The Varsity Newspaper (University of Toronto) ignited students to start the Canadian environmental movement?
Green Power | By Sarah Elton | Canadian Environmental Movement | University of Toronto Magazine

McMichael Art Gallery, Kleinburg, Ontario

The small picturesque village of Kleinburg, Ontario is nestled atop the Humber River / Ridge Rivers, just north of Toronto.

The area, protected as parkland, is a haven of trees and wildlife and home to the McMichael Art Gallery, the Cinespace Film Studios | Kleinburg Studios, and the Kortright Centre for Conservation.

Several famous movie stars are often spotted around Kleinburg, making it a popular tourist attraction. 

The TV show Doc starring Billy Ray Cyrus was filmed there, and in 2006, The Sentinel was filmed at the McMichael Art Gallery.

Kleinburg was home to Canadian author Pierre Berton for nearly 50 years until his death in 2004.