2007 to present
Popping & locking will seem tame
National Post. October 11, 2008.
This is a look at COBA's Africanist drumming and dance classes put on in the Bloor and Jane area. Through this class, I learned how to do the Willie Bounce.
Arts Profile: Rick Mercer
Post City Magazines. October 2008.
This profile on Rick Mercer (Canada's most popular overtly Canadian comic) examines his past record of election comedy and the results equal a majority victory.
Cover story: Maryam Sanati
Richmond Hill Post. October 2008.
This is a profile on Chatelaine editor-in-chief, Maryam Sanati, who has helped stabilize a workplace, had her first child and tuned me on Chatelaine's progressive past.
They're sambaing in the rain
National Post. September 13, 2008.
Last year's Brazilfest drew 8,000 people to Toronto Islands for an award-winning party. This year, rain conspired against it. Can they pull it together on Brazilian independence day?
Now Featuring Girls in Glasses!
National Post. September 6, 2008.
Back for its second year, queer lit festival Outside the Margins took over Church Village. While John Cameron Mitchell headlined, one glasses adorning (and loving) local stole the show.
School's In
Canadian Immigrant. September 2008.
This is a look at Canada's school system and attempts to break it down for immigrant parents and children who will be encountering it for the first time.
Toronto's Hip Hop Prince Ain't No Gangsta
UR. September 2008.
This is a 300-word introductory artist profile on Luu Breeze, a rapper from Scarborough who has a hot song ("Break 'em Off") and plenty of swag. He has been the subject of three other stories I've done, so I guess you can say I'm a fan.
A do-over for wallflowers
National Post. August 23, 2008.
Fake Prom was great and undeniably prom-my. Slow dancing to Richard Marx made me think about how emotional the song "Right Here Waiting" is. Good times.
Cartooning world tips its hat
National Post. August 16, 2008.
This is a story on the 4th annual Doug Wright awards for excellent work in comics that was co-founded by Seth. Chester Brown was there and I complained about being tired to Lynn Johnston mid-interview.
Pushing their buttons
National Post. August 16, 2008.
This One Inch Punch button art/trade show at the Lennox Contemporary Gallery was one of the coolest nights I've had around Ossington. I also scored a wicked Abe Lincoln button out of this.
The First Caribana
Sway. Summer 2008.
This is a first hand account of the first Caribana in 1967 as told by Charles Roach, one of the founding chairmen of the event and a prominent Canadian civil rights lawyer.
A Different Kind of Point and Shoot
National Post. July 19, 2008.
Casa Loma: Toronto's 20th century castle, Hollywood set piece and home to Sir Shawn Adams' archery drop-in program in the castle's stables. This was an extremely fun story to do.
A function for construction
National Post. July 19, 2008.
Streets are for People do the monthly Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington and they also take over an unusable street strip and turn it into an impromptu picnic (this year - Bathurst and Dupont).
Power suits and ties that bind
National Post. July 5, 2008.
For three days, I got to hang out with millionaires from around the world at literally, the Million Dollar Round Table's annual conference. A group made up solely of members of the top 1% financial service providers in the world and one that knows how to throw a wicked convention.
50 Great Summer Dates
Post City Magazines. July 2008.
It's the annual summer guide for Post City Magazines and it's a good one. It was also predominantly written by Sam Toman, whose headline writing abilities is as smooth as Hakeem Olajouwan's Dream Shake.
He's spun his last record
National Post. June 28, 2008.
For a decade, Davy Love ran THE Britpop night in Toronto. Blow-up was a blast but all good things must come to an end. Before skipping out of town, Davy threw himself a retirement party at Sneeky Dee's. Here's how it went.
The naked and the tread
National Post. June 21, 2008.
The funniest part about this story was that I had the girl from Dayton, Ohio's clothes in my backpack and was trying to track her down to return them to her. Have to be hospitable.
Serving up flair, on the rocks
National Post. June 7, 2008.
The people behind Bartender One specialize in flair-tending and each month in the summer, give people a chance to get their Tom Cruise-in-Cocktail on at the Beaches.
We'll call it the Tour de Front
National Post. June 7, 2008.
This is my coverage of the first Toronto Criterium, the city's first competitive bike race downtown in ages. It drew a huge crowd and inspired one man to ring his bell.
Jessica Simpson and Kate Hudson covet their coats
North Toronto Post. June 2008.
A graduates profile on Christie Smythe and Andrea Lenczner; two highschool friends that actually made their dream of starting a business together come true: their popular jacket company, Smythe.
The urban defender
North York Post. June 2008.
This is a profile on public space magazine, Spacing's publisher Matthew Blackett. In addition to self-publishing his independent comic m@b, he also taught me Quark at Humber College.
Cheeseblaster extreme?
National Post. May 17, 2008.
A video game jam is a three day convergance of programmers and artists who have to create a video game from scratch in three days. This is how TO Jam 3 went.
He met 'the Walrus'
North York Post. May 2008.
When Jerry Levitan was 14, he snuck into John Lennon's hotel and talked about peace with him. Since then, he made it constitutional for Canadians to shop on Sundays; bossed Jesse Ventura around in "Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe," and has shut down Orilia's school system with an appearance by his alter-ego, Sir Jerry, psychedelic children's entertainer extraordinaire.
Artist Profile: Plants and Animals
UR. May 2008.
UR is Rogers music and technology magazine that is given to Rogers cellphone subscribers for free. As I am with Telus, I have never seen this article in my life. I don't even know what the headline is.
Making light of sport
Grand. May-June 2008.
This is a 1500-word profile on sports personality, Cabral "Cabbie" Richards. One of The Score's biggest stars, Cabbie is the host of three shows on the network. He also grew up in Cambridge, which is my hometown.
'Just write it down and it's good'
National Post. April 26, 2008.
Emily Pohl-Weary is an independent author in Toronto. A proud Parkdale resident, she started the Parkdale Street Writers program that invited local artists to lead a writing workshop. There's plans for a video making offshoot of this program for the winter.
Tall Poppy: Chris Turner
Torontoist. April 19, 2008.
This is an extensive interview with The Geography of Hope writer, Chris Turner. He also wrote a bunch of fantastic articles for Shift, including one that turned into his first book, The Simpsons Generation. We talked about some of the reasons why things aren't so bleak in the world.
These podcasters are a slam dunk
The Globe and Mail. April 18, 2008.
co-written with Sam Toman
It's crazy to get a story published in The Globe and Mail, but to get one profiling your favourite basketball podcasters is just ridiculous. Also getting to hear those podcasters talk about your story is pretty ego-stroking. Thank God they liked it.
Tall Poppy: Wes "Maestro" Williams
Torontoist. March 22, 2008.
Wes Williams is a respected actor but for most Canadians of a certain generation, he will always live on as Maestro Fresh Wes: the brash rapper that made it cool to let your backbone slide. It was a thrill meeting Wes in person and one of these photos will be appearing in a textbook soon.
Tall Poppy: Boozy Suzy
Torontoist. March 8, 2008.
Hail Boozy Suzy - Pillow Fight League champion. Shortly after this interview, Suzy retired from the sport but during this interview she was at her swaggering best. Special thanks to Ian Munroe for taking the pics.
Neighbourhood must-see TV
National Post. February 9, 2008.
Regent Park Focus is a wonderful media arts organization that runs out of Regent Park, the first social housing project in Canada that's currently in the midst of a drastic reconstruction. Their emphasis on free media training for youths has been replicated throughout the city.
Chris Bosh, Thespian
Torontoist. February 6, 2008.
This is a blog post I did on Chris Bosh's awesome introduction of Blaine Harrington. It's one of my favourite stories because it somehow ended up on Hoops Hype and I noticed a suspicious use of the word "thespian" on The Score. Crazy how cocky you can be when you made it on Hoops Hype.
A nose for news
Richmond Hill Post. January 2008.
This is a profile on CBC video journalist, Steven D'Souza - a thorougly nice person who is doubly cool for admitting that his journalistic ambitions in college was to be an anchorman on TSN.
The Rump Shaker
Torontoist. December 2007 to June 2008.
For a few months, I did a weekly dance column for Torontoist profiling funky shows that were happening that week in the city. PS: Click on the links - they go to cool videos like Stevie Wonder performing on Sesame Street or an episode of Yacht Rock.
Local grad gives peace a chance with urban magazine
Bayview Post. December 2007.
Last year, urban magazine Peace celebrated its 15th anniversary. Here, I talk to its founder and publisher Harris Rosen about the magazine's story.
Just like they do it in the movies!
National Post. November 24, 2007.
This is a profile of the XSD performance martial arts program offered by Team Ryouko: a performance crew made up of professional stuntmen including John Cho's stunt double in the Harold and Kumar movies.
Cover story: Elliotte Friedman
North York Post. August 2007
Here is my first paid cover story profiling CBC sports broadcaster Elliotte Friedman. On top of being a good interviewer, he now does a fantastic job doing Raptors basketball for the CBC.
The art of the deal
Bayview Post. July 2007
This is a profile of successful real estate developer Bob Zamani. A bit of an anomoly considering that he went to Earl Haig, a prominent Toronto arts school.
The rolling stone
North Toronto Post. June 2007
This is a profile of Claire Cameron, a first-time novelist who isn't above visiting truck stops to sell her book.
Set to tackle CFL
Village Post. June 2007
Here is a profile of CFL commissioner Mark Cohon, who on-top of running the league is also the chairman of the Ontario Science Centre. What was cut from the story was the summer he spent on an Indonesian island observing primates.
A fusion reaction
North York Post. June 2007
This is a profile of autorickshaw singer Suba Sankaran, who also sings in Audioacity an all acapella 80's cover group. We did this interview at her home on the east end.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Standing Engagement: COBA Dance and Drumming Studio
Popping & locking will seem tame
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, Oct. 11, 2008]
Every August, Caribana rolls into town giving the city an undeniable island feel. However, the Collective of Black Artists (COBA) dance trouple is dedicated to spreading that feeling into the winter. As Charmaine Headley, its co-founder notes, "Caribana is the season, but we want to spread it past the season."
Founded in 1993 by Headley, Junia Mason, Bakari E. Lindsay and Mosa Neshama, COBA is an acclaimed dance company dedicated to preserving African and Caribbean arts. It began as "four dancers looking to perform," Headley explains, but the collective soon discovered it would have to take on an educational role in order to get dance opportunities.
"We found that, for us to get more work, we need to educate people about what Caribbean dance is all about," she says, "because it's not perceived in the same way as ballet or modern."
Now at 14 members and one apprentice, COBA continues to put on award-winning perfromances while running a dance and drumming school. While its children's program is its mainstay, COBA offers adult and teen drop-in classes, such as beginner Caribbean dance, West African drumming and Raga funk.
At the first Raga funk class of the season, COBA member and instructor Teisha Smith leads students through dance moves including the Willie Bounce and the butterfly (plant your feet outward, bend your knees in to each other and then out in a semi-circle). With soca and dancehall-tinged reggae providing the soundtrack, Smith breaks down each move into its isolated parts, stretching students' hips and abs.
Although Smith courteously slows down and works with students individually during this 1 1/2-class, she explains that it's a different story by the end of the 12-week program. "By the end, students are able to remember the terminology," she says. "So if I call them out, they can just do it. They're also putting these dance moves together by then."
For 10- to 15-minute stretches, students dance continously learning new dance moves while giving their bodies an intense workout. It's all part of the A-feeree training mechanism developed by COBA co-founder Lindsay, which Smith says is "in everything we do."
"[Lindsay] developed it because he found there was a training method lacking that was suitable for traditional African and Caribbean dance," Headley explains. "Before, dancers used to train in ballet or modern dance before moving into Africanist dance, but for someone with no training, you're asking them to be physically schizophrenic."
Despite her dance background in ballet, tap and jazz, first time participant Leslie Stahl admits, "There were certain things I had to shake that I've never had to shake before." While she cops to feeling un-coordinated for stretches, Stahl got some new dance moves out of the class and notes, "It's a completely different type of skilled dance and a good way to jump into a different culture."
COBA offers evening dance and drumming classes Mondays through Thursdays until Dec. 15. Cost is $20 for one-class drop-in or $110 for a 10 class pass. Call 416-658-3111 for more details or visit cobainc.com.
Link to story in National Post here.
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, Oct. 11, 2008]
Every August, Caribana rolls into town giving the city an undeniable island feel. However, the Collective of Black Artists (COBA) dance trouple is dedicated to spreading that feeling into the winter. As Charmaine Headley, its co-founder notes, "Caribana is the season, but we want to spread it past the season."
Founded in 1993 by Headley, Junia Mason, Bakari E. Lindsay and Mosa Neshama, COBA is an acclaimed dance company dedicated to preserving African and Caribbean arts. It began as "four dancers looking to perform," Headley explains, but the collective soon discovered it would have to take on an educational role in order to get dance opportunities.
"We found that, for us to get more work, we need to educate people about what Caribbean dance is all about," she says, "because it's not perceived in the same way as ballet or modern."
Now at 14 members and one apprentice, COBA continues to put on award-winning perfromances while running a dance and drumming school. While its children's program is its mainstay, COBA offers adult and teen drop-in classes, such as beginner Caribbean dance, West African drumming and Raga funk.
At the first Raga funk class of the season, COBA member and instructor Teisha Smith leads students through dance moves including the Willie Bounce and the butterfly (plant your feet outward, bend your knees in to each other and then out in a semi-circle). With soca and dancehall-tinged reggae providing the soundtrack, Smith breaks down each move into its isolated parts, stretching students' hips and abs.
Although Smith courteously slows down and works with students individually during this 1 1/2-class, she explains that it's a different story by the end of the 12-week program. "By the end, students are able to remember the terminology," she says. "So if I call them out, they can just do it. They're also putting these dance moves together by then."
For 10- to 15-minute stretches, students dance continously learning new dance moves while giving their bodies an intense workout. It's all part of the A-feeree training mechanism developed by COBA co-founder Lindsay, which Smith says is "in everything we do."
"[Lindsay] developed it because he found there was a training method lacking that was suitable for traditional African and Caribbean dance," Headley explains. "Before, dancers used to train in ballet or modern dance before moving into Africanist dance, but for someone with no training, you're asking them to be physically schizophrenic."
Despite her dance background in ballet, tap and jazz, first time participant Leslie Stahl admits, "There were certain things I had to shake that I've never had to shake before." While she cops to feeling un-coordinated for stretches, Stahl got some new dance moves out of the class and notes, "It's a completely different type of skilled dance and a good way to jump into a different culture."
COBA offers evening dance and drumming classes Mondays through Thursdays until Dec. 15. Cost is $20 for one-class drop-in or $110 for a 10 class pass. Call 416-658-3111 for more details or visit cobainc.com.
Link to story in National Post here.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Cover Story: Maryam Sanati
Published in Richmond Hill Post. [October 2008]
Chatelaine's new editor, on the magazine's fresh direction, the joys of modern motherhood and her love of all things Richmond Hill.
In the crowded realm of Canadian consumer magazines, Chatelaine sits alone at the top. With a circulation of over 550,000 and a total readership of 4.2 million, it has been the country's most profitable magazine since 2001, generating $59.2 million in revenue last year alone. As Marco Ursi, editor of the magazine industry bible Masthead says, "They are the cash cow for Rogers. They are the big money machine." And since February of this year, the person steering this monolith has been Richmond Hill's Maryam Sanati.
While being editor-in-chief of Chatelaine is notoriously demanding (Sanati is the third editor in four years), Sanati showed no strains during a phone conversation in April. "It's quiet thrilling," she said merrily. "For me, this is probably the best job in Canadian journalism and maybe the best job in North American journalism."
The buzz resonating from the magazine in the past three years would run counter to that. Staff turnover was amongst the highest in the industry and as Ursi explains, "the story for a long time has been the disorder and turmoil there."
However, it's easy to understand Sanati's optimism. Since its first issue in 1928, Chatelaine has become a staple in Canadian women's lives and has a fiery progressive past. Its first story on the birth control pill appeared on its pages sixteen years before the pill became legal in the country. Cahtelaine's stories in the 1960s and '70s on the legalization of abortion and the plight of Native Canadians made it a relevant magazine to an increasingly restless generation.
Stepping in as the magazine's eleventh editor-in-chief, Sanati admits that she feels "this pull between tradition and moving forward." However, revisiting the magazine's extensive back catalogue has made her confident that she will be able to put her own unique stamp on a Canadian institution.
"Every generation of women has issues that they deal with, and right now we are at a unique time in history because Canadian women have all the advantages of the generations that came before them," she explains. "There's nothing really holding us back from our ambitions, but the unique issue is that Canadian women are also very busy. Women are juggling so many duties and that's where we come in now - we want to explore how those pressures and challenges affect women's lives."
Her life would seem to be the definition of the unique challenges that women have to face.
Sanati describes herself as "extraordinarily lucky," and says that Chatelaine is "more interested in the lives of our readers, women who have to balance and deal with a lot of challenges that I don't directly face. My hat goes off to women who have challenges with accessibility and affordability of daycare."
If Sanati seems a bit too cool about balancing work and family, it's probably because she has spent a lifetime preparing for her current position. Describing herself as "always having my nose in a book," Sanati caught the attention of her Grade 4 teacher, in her native Iran, following a creative writing assignment.
"In a parent-teacher conference my teacher informed my mother that she thought that I was going to be a journalist," she remembers. "My mother who was determined that I should go to medical school said, 'No, she's going to be a doctor.'"
As Sanati developed her love of language, her mother quickly came around to her dream of becoming a writer. "She's so delighted with what I chose to be," she says. However, the family would soon have to deal with more pressing issues. The country was being transformed by the Ayatollah Khomeini-led Islamic Revolution of 1979.
"I remember that one night my sister and I were in the back seat of the car with our parents driving to the airport," she says. "It was a very turbulent time and people were leaving very quickly. It was just the precursor to the revolution and there were months and months of unrest and protests in the street. My parents were very concerned for their kids so they decided that we would just go awhile for a little while, and then a little while turned into forever."
The family would first move to Germany and then England. Admitting that the family "faced a lot of difficulty in Europe during the time because it wasn't a great time to be Iranian during the hostage crisis," Sanati remembers how trying her first Iranian New Year away from home was.
"It was extraordinarily difficult because there were images on TV of all this turmoil in Iran and we felt disconnected," she says. "There were certain things and food that you couldn't even get and it was a bit lonely. Kids are extraordinarily resilient but looking back, that loneliness was especially poignant to my parents."
In 1980, the Sanatis moved to Richmond Hill where they faced a completely different environment. While isolated in Europe, the Sanatis discovered that their story was just one of many multicultural stories.
"People were very welcoming and there was already a small Iranian community here so it was a sharp contrast," Sanati says. "Toronto and Canada for my parents and us was quiet heavenly."
A self-described "joiner of things," Sanati flourished in her highschool. The editor of her school's newspaper and literature collection, Sanati collected her graduating year's English prize.
After graduating from the University of Toronto, she got her start as a lowly intern at Toronto Life. By the time she left the magazine five years later, she was a senior editor about to embrace a unique challenge - becoming the deputy editor of a technology and culture magazine Shift, a Canadian publication hoping to reverse an industry convention by attempting to break into the American market with an American edition. While she says the experience of working on the redesign and launch in New York "was a fabulous experience," she soon received yet another amazing opportunity: to become Deputy Editor of the Globe and Mail's flagship Report on Business magazine.
In 2005, she took on a Deputy Editor position at Chatelaine where in the midst of internal chaos she kept her cool and was groomed for an editor position.
Although she's currently on maternity leave and spends most of her days taking her baby son to the park, where the trees monopolize his attention ("I'm not looking forward to this winter," she quips), she oversaw an ambitious redesign of Chatelaine that debuted with the magazine's April 80th anniversary issue.
"It's the biggest issue that we've ever published - well over 360 pages, which is quiet formidable in Canadian publishing," she says. "We've redesigned the magazine and it's really more of what people have come to love about Chatelaine."
In addition to bolstering the magazine's food, health, style and beauty and décor sections, Chatelaine has redesigned its logo, something that Ursi has noticed. "The logo looks a little bit more classic," he says. "It's closer to what they had in the '60s and '70s."
It's not just the look of that era that Sanati wants to echo with the redesigned Chatelaine. That period under editor-in-chief Doris Anderson, who ran the magazine from 1957 to 1977, is considered the magazine's golden age and is a legacy that Sanati is mindful of.
"If you look at the magazine in the 1950s to the '70s it was breaking ground and talking about things well before it became acceptable to discuss them in polite company," she says. "It was hugely ahead of its time and that's what we want to do now with this. We have 4 million readers and that just speaks to how connected people feel to the magazine. How relevant it is."
Link to story in Post City Magazines here.
Chatelaine's new editor, on the magazine's fresh direction, the joys of modern motherhood and her love of all things Richmond Hill.
In the crowded realm of Canadian consumer magazines, Chatelaine sits alone at the top. With a circulation of over 550,000 and a total readership of 4.2 million, it has been the country's most profitable magazine since 2001, generating $59.2 million in revenue last year alone. As Marco Ursi, editor of the magazine industry bible Masthead says, "They are the cash cow for Rogers. They are the big money machine." And since February of this year, the person steering this monolith has been Richmond Hill's Maryam Sanati.
While being editor-in-chief of Chatelaine is notoriously demanding (Sanati is the third editor in four years), Sanati showed no strains during a phone conversation in April. "It's quiet thrilling," she said merrily. "For me, this is probably the best job in Canadian journalism and maybe the best job in North American journalism."
The buzz resonating from the magazine in the past three years would run counter to that. Staff turnover was amongst the highest in the industry and as Ursi explains, "the story for a long time has been the disorder and turmoil there."
However, it's easy to understand Sanati's optimism. Since its first issue in 1928, Chatelaine has become a staple in Canadian women's lives and has a fiery progressive past. Its first story on the birth control pill appeared on its pages sixteen years before the pill became legal in the country. Cahtelaine's stories in the 1960s and '70s on the legalization of abortion and the plight of Native Canadians made it a relevant magazine to an increasingly restless generation.
Stepping in as the magazine's eleventh editor-in-chief, Sanati admits that she feels "this pull between tradition and moving forward." However, revisiting the magazine's extensive back catalogue has made her confident that she will be able to put her own unique stamp on a Canadian institution.
"Every generation of women has issues that they deal with, and right now we are at a unique time in history because Canadian women have all the advantages of the generations that came before them," she explains. "There's nothing really holding us back from our ambitions, but the unique issue is that Canadian women are also very busy. Women are juggling so many duties and that's where we come in now - we want to explore how those pressures and challenges affect women's lives."
Her life would seem to be the definition of the unique challenges that women have to face.
Sanati describes herself as "extraordinarily lucky," and says that Chatelaine is "more interested in the lives of our readers, women who have to balance and deal with a lot of challenges that I don't directly face. My hat goes off to women who have challenges with accessibility and affordability of daycare."
If Sanati seems a bit too cool about balancing work and family, it's probably because she has spent a lifetime preparing for her current position. Describing herself as "always having my nose in a book," Sanati caught the attention of her Grade 4 teacher, in her native Iran, following a creative writing assignment.
"In a parent-teacher conference my teacher informed my mother that she thought that I was going to be a journalist," she remembers. "My mother who was determined that I should go to medical school said, 'No, she's going to be a doctor.'"
As Sanati developed her love of language, her mother quickly came around to her dream of becoming a writer. "She's so delighted with what I chose to be," she says. However, the family would soon have to deal with more pressing issues. The country was being transformed by the Ayatollah Khomeini-led Islamic Revolution of 1979.
"I remember that one night my sister and I were in the back seat of the car with our parents driving to the airport," she says. "It was a very turbulent time and people were leaving very quickly. It was just the precursor to the revolution and there were months and months of unrest and protests in the street. My parents were very concerned for their kids so they decided that we would just go awhile for a little while, and then a little while turned into forever."
The family would first move to Germany and then England. Admitting that the family "faced a lot of difficulty in Europe during the time because it wasn't a great time to be Iranian during the hostage crisis," Sanati remembers how trying her first Iranian New Year away from home was.
"It was extraordinarily difficult because there were images on TV of all this turmoil in Iran and we felt disconnected," she says. "There were certain things and food that you couldn't even get and it was a bit lonely. Kids are extraordinarily resilient but looking back, that loneliness was especially poignant to my parents."
In 1980, the Sanatis moved to Richmond Hill where they faced a completely different environment. While isolated in Europe, the Sanatis discovered that their story was just one of many multicultural stories.
"People were very welcoming and there was already a small Iranian community here so it was a sharp contrast," Sanati says. "Toronto and Canada for my parents and us was quiet heavenly."
A self-described "joiner of things," Sanati flourished in her highschool. The editor of her school's newspaper and literature collection, Sanati collected her graduating year's English prize.
After graduating from the University of Toronto, she got her start as a lowly intern at Toronto Life. By the time she left the magazine five years later, she was a senior editor about to embrace a unique challenge - becoming the deputy editor of a technology and culture magazine Shift, a Canadian publication hoping to reverse an industry convention by attempting to break into the American market with an American edition. While she says the experience of working on the redesign and launch in New York "was a fabulous experience," she soon received yet another amazing opportunity: to become Deputy Editor of the Globe and Mail's flagship Report on Business magazine.
In 2005, she took on a Deputy Editor position at Chatelaine where in the midst of internal chaos she kept her cool and was groomed for an editor position.
Although she's currently on maternity leave and spends most of her days taking her baby son to the park, where the trees monopolize his attention ("I'm not looking forward to this winter," she quips), she oversaw an ambitious redesign of Chatelaine that debuted with the magazine's April 80th anniversary issue.
"It's the biggest issue that we've ever published - well over 360 pages, which is quiet formidable in Canadian publishing," she says. "We've redesigned the magazine and it's really more of what people have come to love about Chatelaine."
In addition to bolstering the magazine's food, health, style and beauty and décor sections, Chatelaine has redesigned its logo, something that Ursi has noticed. "The logo looks a little bit more classic," he says. "It's closer to what they had in the '60s and '70s."
It's not just the look of that era that Sanati wants to echo with the redesigned Chatelaine. That period under editor-in-chief Doris Anderson, who ran the magazine from 1957 to 1977, is considered the magazine's golden age and is a legacy that Sanati is mindful of.
"If you look at the magazine in the 1950s to the '70s it was breaking ground and talking about things well before it became acceptable to discuss them in polite company," she says. "It was hugely ahead of its time and that's what we want to do now with this. We have 4 million readers and that just speaks to how connected people feel to the magazine. How relevant it is."
Link to story in Post City Magazines here.
Arts Profile: Rick Mercer
Published in Post City Magazines. [October 2008]
When Stephen Harper announced the upcoming election set for Oct. 14, many politically aware Torontonians cynically wondered about its curious timing.
As the election south of the border shapes up to be a historic one full of titillating twists (Obama's reverend is crazy!) and turns (Palin's teen daughter is pregnant!), Canada's election is a little less inspiring - but one rife with comic gold.
The fall is shaping up to be a ripe time for comedic political satire, and if you are Toronto comedian Rick Mercer, host of CBC's political satire show, The Rick Mercer Report, there has never been a better time to give Torontonians exactly what they want: jokes about the people we choose to decide our fate.
"Political satire is a huge genre," Mercer says. "(Stephen) Colbert and (Jon) Stewart are on the covers of every magazine across America, but (the genre) is still bigger in Canada. It's more mainstream here; I think that's just our sensibility - Canadians are just a little bit more of political junkies."
The numbers prove it. During this election The Rick Mercer Report is expected to draw more than one million viewers.
It's not quite the audience that rockstars of satire Stewart of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report's Colbert draw. A recent poll shows they are the primary news source for over 20 per cent of North Americans between the ages of 18 and 29. But, if those guys are rockstars, Mercer is more like Rush - a longstanding, critically and commercially acclaimed Canadian entity respected around the world.
Since coming to national attention with his 1991 one-man stage show Show Me The Button, I'll Push It, (Or, Charles Lynch Must Die), Canadians have turned to Mercer for his irreverent take on the nation's politics.
In 1993, the St. Johns born Mercer, teamed up with fellow Newfoundlanders Cathy Jones, Mary Walsh and Greg Tomey to create This Hour Has 22 Minutes. The pioneering mock news program was met with shock and controversy; reactions that seem quaint in a society that now loves its fake news.
"It's hard to believe but it was actually considered really radical when we started This Hour Has 22 MInutes," the 38-year-old says. "There was even discussions on whether the CBC should even have this show because of what we were doing to news footage."
Those early critics would lose out. The show became a hit that continues to this day and it turned Mercer into a Canadian institution. A cast member until 2001, he provided many of the show's funniest moments.
Who can forget the way he rallied the country on Nov. 13, 2000, when he launched his online petition calling for a federal referendum that would force then-Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day to change his first name to Doris (a petition that had over 600,000 signatures within a week).
He also breakfasted with Jean Chrétien at Harvey's and his recurring "Talking to Americans" skit was retooled into a 2001 comedy special that drew in 2.7 million Canadian viewers. It remains the highest rated comedy special in CBC history.
With The Rick Mercer Report entering its sixth season, Mercer gets to enjoy a few perks. While headset-adorned public relations flacks scurry around dodging Alex Trebek autograph-seekers at the CBC's glitzy Fall Preview for the media this summer, Mercer is free from the chaos in his private interview room.
It's precious real estate - one reserved for him and David Suzuki. "I'm not being coy," he says. "But I really don't know what we will be doing for this year. The exciting aspect of the show, and also the terrifying aspect, is that every week, it's TV without a net. So much of it is a reaction to current events and much of it is contingent on the guest's schedule. I didn't know I was going to be swimming naked with Bob Rae until an hour before it happened."
Coming off its highest rated season (one that took him diving in a mini-submarine and competing against Chrétien in Nintendo Wii boxing), Mercer is clearly relaxed. It could be his confidence in his fellow Report writers, a group he describes as "the best comedy writers in the country for this type of work that we do."
While he may not know the details of the upcoming season of the CBC's Tuesday night staple, he understands the basic blueprint of The Rick Mercer Report.
"Our show is an amalgam of so many different genres: physical comedy, political satire and there's a sketch element," he says. "At the same time, I'm also going out and visiting a demolition derby or jumping out a plane with (former Chief of the Defense Staff) General (Rick) Hillier, so you have to be able to write from a lot of different comedy styles."
One part of the show that remains solely his is his popular segment "Streeters," which are essentially two-minute rants. Explaining that he comes "from a place where a lot of people ranters, I just do it in shorter bursts than most people in Newfoundland." Mercer's rants are what gives him that common touch.
However, his enduring popularity as a political comedian has spread to other mediums: books (Mercer's 1998 collection of rants in Streeters was a national bestseller) and sitcoms (he starred for five years in the critically acclaimed Made in Canada). This political provocateur has turned into a figure as large as the ones he's satirizing.
That change means that he's able to lure some of the biggest names in the country into his goofy world of comedy. From convincing Conrad Black to tell viewers that, "you can call me Connie," before giving detailed instructions on pressing maple leafs with wax paper ("It's a very uplifting activity," Connie explains), to playing floor hockey with Stephen Harper's kids during a sleepover at 24 Sussex Avenue, The Rick Mercer Report has become a viabe forum for these larger than life figures to counter public perception and showcase a different side of their personalities.
"I think it's more of a challenge to make Stephen Harper look good," he explains. "I think anyone can make him look like an (jerk). He can do that on his own, too. But I would have regrets if I felt someone regretted doing the show. If I'm going to have someone on the show and convince them to do something out of their comfort zone like going repelling, I have a responsibility to make sure that works out for them moreso than me."
Happy to say that "nobody has regretted doingthe show," Mercer is aware of the paradox of working with these sacred cows that he slays so often. However, he recognizes the mutual benefits.
"People always learn something new about the person on my show," he says. "They get their opportunity to talk about whatever they want, but at the same time we are doing something unique, which allows the public to learn something that quite often, the subject matter wasn't even aware of themselves."
While some bemoan a generation that reveres its class clowns, Mercer has consistently shown that he's a man with a code. He requested that the multiple Gemini Award nominations for Talking to Americans be pulled, feeling it would be insensitive to be awarded for a program poking fun at Americans so often after the September 11 attacks. He also filmed a successful Christmas special in 2003, Christmas in Kabul, which detailed his visit to Canadian troops stationed in Afghanistan
"Coming from Newfoundland, it's hard to not know a lot of people in the Canadian Forces," he says. "They're doing a dangerous job so it's nice to do a show for them or hang out. Since the special, I've been to Afghanistan twice. I've managed to travel to various operating bases outside the main base and hang out all day. They're happy to see anybody coming in and it's one of the most personally satisfying things I've done."
It's precious real estate - one reserved for him and David Suzuki. "I'm not being coy," he says. "But I really don't know what we will be doing for this year. The exciting aspect of the show, and also the terrifying aspect, is that every week, it's TV without a net. So much of it is a reaction to current events and much of it is contingent on the guest's schedule. I didn't know I was going to be swimming naked with Bob Rae until an hour before it happened."
Coming off its highest rated season (one that took him diving in a mini-submarine and competing against Chrétien in Nintendo Wii boxing), Mercer is clearly relaxed. It could be his confidence in his fellow Report writers, a group he describes as "the best comedy writers in the country for this type of work that we do."
While he may not know the details of the upcoming season of the CBC's Tuesday night staple, he understands the basic blueprint of The Rick Mercer Report.
"Our show is an amalgam of so many different genres: physical comedy, political satire and there's a sketch element," he says. "At the same time, I'm also going out and visiting a demolition derby or jumping out a plane with (former Chief of the Defense Staff) General (Rick) Hillier, so you have to be able to write from a lot of different comedy styles."
One part of the show that remains solely his is his popular segment "Streeters," which are essentially two-minute rants. Explaining that he comes "from a place where a lot of people ranters, I just do it in shorter bursts than most people in Newfoundland." Mercer's rants are what gives him that common touch.
However, his enduring popularity as a political comedian has spread to other mediums: books (Mercer's 1998 collection of rants in Streeters was a national bestseller) and sitcoms (he starred for five years in the critically acclaimed Made in Canada). This political provocateur has turned into a figure as large as the ones he's satirizing.
That change means that he's able to lure some of the biggest names in the country into his goofy world of comedy. From convincing Conrad Black to tell viewers that, "you can call me Connie," before giving detailed instructions on pressing maple leafs with wax paper ("It's a very uplifting activity," Connie explains), to playing floor hockey with Stephen Harper's kids during a sleepover at 24 Sussex Avenue, The Rick Mercer Report has become a viabe forum for these larger than life figures to counter public perception and showcase a different side of their personalities.
"I think it's more of a challenge to make Stephen Harper look good," he explains. "I think anyone can make him look like an (jerk). He can do that on his own, too. But I would have regrets if I felt someone regretted doing the show. If I'm going to have someone on the show and convince them to do something out of their comfort zone like going repelling, I have a responsibility to make sure that works out for them moreso than me."
Happy to say that "nobody has regretted doingthe show," Mercer is aware of the paradox of working with these sacred cows that he slays so often. However, he recognizes the mutual benefits.
"People always learn something new about the person on my show," he says. "They get their opportunity to talk about whatever they want, but at the same time we are doing something unique, which allows the public to learn something that quite often, the subject matter wasn't even aware of themselves."
While some bemoan a generation that reveres its class clowns, Mercer has consistently shown that he's a man with a code. He requested that the multiple Gemini Award nominations for Talking to Americans be pulled, feeling it would be insensitive to be awarded for a program poking fun at Americans so often after the September 11 attacks. He also filmed a successful Christmas special in 2003, Christmas in Kabul, which detailed his visit to Canadian troops stationed in Afghanistan
"Coming from Newfoundland, it's hard to not know a lot of people in the Canadian Forces," he says. "They're doing a dangerous job so it's nice to do a show for them or hang out. Since the special, I've been to Afghanistan twice. I've managed to travel to various operating bases outside the main base and hang out all day. They're happy to see anybody coming in and it's one of the most personally satisfying things I've done."
Saturday, September 13, 2008
News story: Brazilfest
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine: Sep. 13, 2008]
They're sambaing in the rain
Brazil defeats Chile, bad weather on same day
The early rain couldn't damper the spirit of the thousands of attendees at Brazilfest last Sunday. Performers showcased the fifth-largest country in the world's rich cultural heritage by performing samba, maracatu and axe rhythms on Brazilian Independence Day hours before the national soccer team kicked up the celebratory mood by defeating Chile 3-0 in a World Cup qualifying game.
"It's nice to bring our culture together," said Aline Morales, minutes before taking the stage to sing and play the xequere with Maracatu Nunca Antes, her Afro-Brazilian percussion group.
Although last year's event drew 8,000 people to Toronto Island, this year's festivities were marred by the constant inclement weather. An original July date on the island was cancelled due to heavy rain, and the early Sunday showers didn't help.
"We did lose because of the rain," admitted festival director Arilda De Oliveria. "But it's much harder to have this many people here today than having [a festival] in July."
In addition to music performances, the fest featured a capoeira showcase, Brazilian food vendors and a workshop showcasing Brazilian-Canadian art by artists such as Sandra Liberato.
"It's a great cultural exchange to show Canada what Brazilians do best," Liberato said. "Because, at the same time, Brazilians feel that Canada is great in that there are so many cultures that people are interested in learning about.
Although everybody agreed that the event was a success, dancer Chris Balthasar hopes there is more Brazilian culture imported to the city.
"The community needs more sponsors to get bigger stars from Brazil to play here like [they have done] in New York," he said before noting that this is starting to happen - bossa nova icon Milton Nascimento performs at Massey Hall next month. Good tickets for the Oct. 24 concert are still available.
Link to story in National Post here.
They're sambaing in the rain
Brazil defeats Chile, bad weather on same day
The early rain couldn't damper the spirit of the thousands of attendees at Brazilfest last Sunday. Performers showcased the fifth-largest country in the world's rich cultural heritage by performing samba, maracatu and axe rhythms on Brazilian Independence Day hours before the national soccer team kicked up the celebratory mood by defeating Chile 3-0 in a World Cup qualifying game.
"It's nice to bring our culture together," said Aline Morales, minutes before taking the stage to sing and play the xequere with Maracatu Nunca Antes, her Afro-Brazilian percussion group.
Although last year's event drew 8,000 people to Toronto Island, this year's festivities were marred by the constant inclement weather. An original July date on the island was cancelled due to heavy rain, and the early Sunday showers didn't help.
"We did lose because of the rain," admitted festival director Arilda De Oliveria. "But it's much harder to have this many people here today than having [a festival] in July."
In addition to music performances, the fest featured a capoeira showcase, Brazilian food vendors and a workshop showcasing Brazilian-Canadian art by artists such as Sandra Liberato.
"It's a great cultural exchange to show Canada what Brazilians do best," Liberato said. "Because, at the same time, Brazilians feel that Canada is great in that there are so many cultures that people are interested in learning about.
Although everybody agreed that the event was a success, dancer Chris Balthasar hopes there is more Brazilian culture imported to the city.
"The community needs more sponsors to get bigger stars from Brazil to play here like [they have done] in New York," he said before noting that this is starting to happen - bossa nova icon Milton Nascimento performs at Massey Hall next month. Good tickets for the Oct. 24 concert are still available.
Link to story in National Post here.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
News Story: Writing Outside the Margins Literary Festival
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, Sep. 6, 2008]
Now featuring girls in glasses!
Queer writing festival about more than just words
The early Sunday drizzle on Aug. 24 couldn't keep hundreds of attendees off Church Street and acclaimed writer/director John Cameron Mitchell rewarded those at the Writing Outside the Margins festival with his take on the slippery nature of attraction.
"The kiss is the gateway drug," the Hedwig and the Angry Inch star told the crowd. "It usually tells you what's going to follow."
Hosted by Xtra magazine, the second annual literary fest took over Church Street from Alexander to Gloucester. Authors ranging from San Francisco-based memoirist Michelle Tea to musician/first-time author Kinnie Starr graced the two stages and answered questions from the crowd after their readings.
"It's great to see the city shut down city blocks for gay people," Starr said.
With a mandate that organizer Brandon Sawh described as "celebrating and supporting the local queer artists and the arts community," the event featured the Pink Ink Open Mic stage, which provided amateur writers 15 minutes of stage time to read their works. Da Kink In My Hair scribe trey anthony participated in a roundtable discussion that explored the challenges of being a queer writer of colour.
"When you reach a certain level of success, it's always great to give back to people who are just starting up," anthony said. "It's also great to be a part of community events because, a lot of times, you're divided from what's actually happening on the ground level."
Amy Clarke was one of those people on the ground level seizing the spotlight. Performing for the first time at last year's inaugural fest, Clarke wowed the open mic stage and won the slam poetry contest.
"There are three things that I love about this festival," Clarke said between events. "Writers, queer people and all the girls in glasses who are so cute."
Link to story in National Post here.
Now featuring girls in glasses!
Queer writing festival about more than just words
The early Sunday drizzle on Aug. 24 couldn't keep hundreds of attendees off Church Street and acclaimed writer/director John Cameron Mitchell rewarded those at the Writing Outside the Margins festival with his take on the slippery nature of attraction.
"The kiss is the gateway drug," the Hedwig and the Angry Inch star told the crowd. "It usually tells you what's going to follow."
Hosted by Xtra magazine, the second annual literary fest took over Church Street from Alexander to Gloucester. Authors ranging from San Francisco-based memoirist Michelle Tea to musician/first-time author Kinnie Starr graced the two stages and answered questions from the crowd after their readings.
"It's great to see the city shut down city blocks for gay people," Starr said.
With a mandate that organizer Brandon Sawh described as "celebrating and supporting the local queer artists and the arts community," the event featured the Pink Ink Open Mic stage, which provided amateur writers 15 minutes of stage time to read their works. Da Kink In My Hair scribe trey anthony participated in a roundtable discussion that explored the challenges of being a queer writer of colour.
"When you reach a certain level of success, it's always great to give back to people who are just starting up," anthony said. "It's also great to be a part of community events because, a lot of times, you're divided from what's actually happening on the ground level."
Amy Clarke was one of those people on the ground level seizing the spotlight. Performing for the first time at last year's inaugural fest, Clarke wowed the open mic stage and won the slam poetry contest.
"There are three things that I love about this festival," Clarke said between events. "Writers, queer people and all the girls in glasses who are so cute."
Link to story in National Post here.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Education Feature: Understanding Canada's School System
Published in Canadian Immigrant [September Issue]
School's in!
Starting school in Canada can be intimidating for immigrant kids and parents - here are some tips to help
It's back-to-school time, and for young Canadian students it's a time to replenish their school wardrobe and get ready to see some old friends. However, for newcomers to Canada, starting a new school year can mean much more stress than just figuring out what to wear on the first day. While a majority of newcomers say they chose to immigrate to Canada in order to give their children a better education, many don't understand exactly how Canada's public school system works.
As disctrict placement administrator for the Vancouver School District, William Wong says: "A lot of the misunderstanding that immigrant parents have about Canada's school system is based on what they've gone through themselves, but Canada's system is very different."
And there is also a lot of variety between different schools and school districts within Canada, at both the elementary and secondary levels. Some high schools, for example, may follow a two-semester system, while other schools offer their programs on a September to June basis. "Even in the middle grades of elementary school, there are many different teachers, and timetables are different everyday," says Peter Dorfman, Ontario's provincial co-ordinator of the Settlement Workers in Schools program. "A student may have been very successful and confident in school in their first country, but can become discouraged and vulnerable when coming to school in Canada because the systems are very different."
Methods of teaching also differ. While many school systems around the world place a huge emphasis on memorizing information, Canada's school system values communication and analytical skills. This is important for parents who are wondering why their child is trying to analyze symbolism in Lord of the Flies instead of memorizing multiplication tables.
As a way to ease the transition for immigrant students and parents to their new school system, many cities across the country offer the Settlement Workers in Schools program. Through this government-funded program, settlement workers from local immigrant service agencies are available onsite at the school to provide parents with information that will help them integrate quickly into the school and community and to provide emotional support to new students. "Parents need to be aware that their child is often very vulnerable because some kids thing they can take advantage of new immigrant students," Dorfman says. "By talking to their child about school, parents will have a better understanding of what's going well and it helps the kid think through what's happening at school."
For high school students, one of the biggest concerns they face is paving the road to university. Many times immigrant parents tap into their own experience and expectations, and guide their child to focus on academic subjects such as science or math. In some cases, parents also feel there is a stigma about enrolling their child in an ESL course and worry that it will prevent their child's chances from getting into a good university. As Wong explains, the opposite is actually true.
"Parents often tell me that their goal is for their son or daughter to graduate from high school and go to university, but they should take it further and say they want their child to finish university," he says. "That's when you realize the importance of ESL and good English. We've had many students who are extremely strong in maths and sciences but weak in English at high school. In university, they continue to do exceptionally well in sciences and math, but if they fail first-year English twice, the university will not let them go into third year."
Of course, ESL and English classes aren't the only places for immigrant students to improve and practise their English. While courses like art, gym, woodworking and music may not be seen as highly important to immigrant parents, Wong says that these courses build communication skills.
"The best language learning is acquired when students are having fun," he says. "Sometimes I ask ESL kids in high school how much they speak English in one day and it's common to hear, 'Two minutes a day.' But if students were to involve themselves in these more participatory classes, they would enhance their opportunity to speak English tenfold."
Link to story on Canadian Immigrant here.
School's in!
Starting school in Canada can be intimidating for immigrant kids and parents - here are some tips to help
It's back-to-school time, and for young Canadian students it's a time to replenish their school wardrobe and get ready to see some old friends. However, for newcomers to Canada, starting a new school year can mean much more stress than just figuring out what to wear on the first day. While a majority of newcomers say they chose to immigrate to Canada in order to give their children a better education, many don't understand exactly how Canada's public school system works.
As disctrict placement administrator for the Vancouver School District, William Wong says: "A lot of the misunderstanding that immigrant parents have about Canada's school system is based on what they've gone through themselves, but Canada's system is very different."
And there is also a lot of variety between different schools and school districts within Canada, at both the elementary and secondary levels. Some high schools, for example, may follow a two-semester system, while other schools offer their programs on a September to June basis. "Even in the middle grades of elementary school, there are many different teachers, and timetables are different everyday," says Peter Dorfman, Ontario's provincial co-ordinator of the Settlement Workers in Schools program. "A student may have been very successful and confident in school in their first country, but can become discouraged and vulnerable when coming to school in Canada because the systems are very different."
Methods of teaching also differ. While many school systems around the world place a huge emphasis on memorizing information, Canada's school system values communication and analytical skills. This is important for parents who are wondering why their child is trying to analyze symbolism in Lord of the Flies instead of memorizing multiplication tables.
As a way to ease the transition for immigrant students and parents to their new school system, many cities across the country offer the Settlement Workers in Schools program. Through this government-funded program, settlement workers from local immigrant service agencies are available onsite at the school to provide parents with information that will help them integrate quickly into the school and community and to provide emotional support to new students. "Parents need to be aware that their child is often very vulnerable because some kids thing they can take advantage of new immigrant students," Dorfman says. "By talking to their child about school, parents will have a better understanding of what's going well and it helps the kid think through what's happening at school."
For high school students, one of the biggest concerns they face is paving the road to university. Many times immigrant parents tap into their own experience and expectations, and guide their child to focus on academic subjects such as science or math. In some cases, parents also feel there is a stigma about enrolling their child in an ESL course and worry that it will prevent their child's chances from getting into a good university. As Wong explains, the opposite is actually true.
"Parents often tell me that their goal is for their son or daughter to graduate from high school and go to university, but they should take it further and say they want their child to finish university," he says. "That's when you realize the importance of ESL and good English. We've had many students who are extremely strong in maths and sciences but weak in English at high school. In university, they continue to do exceptionally well in sciences and math, but if they fail first-year English twice, the university will not let them go into third year."
Of course, ESL and English classes aren't the only places for immigrant students to improve and practise their English. While courses like art, gym, woodworking and music may not be seen as highly important to immigrant parents, Wong says that these courses build communication skills.
"The best language learning is acquired when students are having fun," he says. "Sometimes I ask ESL kids in high school how much they speak English in one day and it's common to hear, 'Two minutes a day.' But if students were to involve themselves in these more participatory classes, they would enhance their opportunity to speak English tenfold."
Link to story on Canadian Immigrant here.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Artist Profile: Luu Breeze
Published in UR [September 2008]
Toronto's Hip Hop Prince Ain't No Gangsta
Regal titles are nothing new in hip-hop - Jay-Z and Nas famously fought for the "King of New York" crown a few years back - but it's rare for a Canadian to hold such a prestigious honorific. So, when a young rapper from Scarborough was christened "The Prince of the Dot," people took notice.
He now shies away from the moniker, but Luu Breeze still carries large expectations on his shoulders. He first gained attention rapping on the underground Rap Sheets DVD, and now he's topping urban radio charts with "Million Dollar Dreams" and "Break 'em Off." He's currently wrapping up his third mixtape, Topic of Discussion. He chose the title, "because I'm literally wondering what's next."
While Canadian rappers like Kardinal and k-os have shied away from the guns-and-bling sound that permeates American radio, Breeze has instead followed in the street rap tradition created by the likes of Ice Cube, Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Although some would classify the genre as gangsta rap, it's a term Breeze rejects. "I like to say that I'm a real person," he says. "You don't have to be a gangsta to be real. It's a matter of how you live and certain things that you live by."
And one of those codes that Breeze lives by is that of hard work, which is starting to pay off. Rumours have linked the independent Breeze with Ludacris' acclaimed label, Disturbing Tha Peace.
Although his Rolodex is filling up, Breeze had a few guest spots to fill on Topic of Discussion, so he asked fellow Torontonian Richie Sosa and other members of his Champagne Gang crew to help. "I like working with guys who are as hungry as I am," he says. "I feel like I can make a song as good as the next artist, and I'm not going to throw money at big artists just for a verse."
Link to copy of story in UR here.
Toronto's Hip Hop Prince Ain't No Gangsta
Regal titles are nothing new in hip-hop - Jay-Z and Nas famously fought for the "King of New York" crown a few years back - but it's rare for a Canadian to hold such a prestigious honorific. So, when a young rapper from Scarborough was christened "The Prince of the Dot," people took notice.
He now shies away from the moniker, but Luu Breeze still carries large expectations on his shoulders. He first gained attention rapping on the underground Rap Sheets DVD, and now he's topping urban radio charts with "Million Dollar Dreams" and "Break 'em Off." He's currently wrapping up his third mixtape, Topic of Discussion. He chose the title, "because I'm literally wondering what's next."
While Canadian rappers like Kardinal and k-os have shied away from the guns-and-bling sound that permeates American radio, Breeze has instead followed in the street rap tradition created by the likes of Ice Cube, Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Although some would classify the genre as gangsta rap, it's a term Breeze rejects. "I like to say that I'm a real person," he says. "You don't have to be a gangsta to be real. It's a matter of how you live and certain things that you live by."
And one of those codes that Breeze lives by is that of hard work, which is starting to pay off. Rumours have linked the independent Breeze with Ludacris' acclaimed label, Disturbing Tha Peace.
Although his Rolodex is filling up, Breeze had a few guest spots to fill on Topic of Discussion, so he asked fellow Torontonian Richie Sosa and other members of his Champagne Gang crew to help. "I like working with guys who are as hungry as I am," he says. "I feel like I can make a song as good as the next artist, and I'm not going to throw money at big artists just for a verse."
Link to copy of story in UR here.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
News Story: Fake Prom VI
Published in National Post [Toronto magazine, Aug. 23, 2008]
A do-over for wallflowers
Thwarted valedictorians vindicated by Fake Prom
Palais Royale was transformed into a futuristic high school dance for the sixth edition of Fake Prom on Aug. 15. The theme of the night was "Out of This World," and most of the 800 attendees came adorned in their best formal wear with futuristic touches. Others, particularly the person dressed as Astro Boy, fully embraced the theme.
"To research for Fake Prom themes, I actually researched real proms and I stumbled on a prom with a similar theme," explained Dylan Reibling, Fake Prom's superintendant. "It's the perfect mix of nerdiness and costume dress-up."
With flashy getups, numerous slow jams and a glowing full moon (which was real), Fake Prom provided people such as Katie Sawatsky, an opportunity to experience prom night the way that they wanted to be.
"My original prom sucked," said Sawatsky, who has attended three Fake Proms. "I was a valedictorian and I felt like a loser. This event is more sociable, especially since everyone is more comfortable with their lives compared to when they were 18."
Attracting attendees predominantly in their twenties and thirties, the night didn't bring back bad high school memories for everybody. "Most people had a bad prom experience but I actually had a good experience," said Val Heimpel, "so I'm trying to relive it."
Like a traditional prom, Fake Prom held an election for Fake Prom King and Queen, which was won by Adam Jackson and Naomi Yasui. The couple had their big dance as the night ended with a shortened version of G'N'R's "November Rain."
"We had no idea that we would," said Jackson. "But we're both super hot and we have a lot of friends that know we are super hot."
Although there can only be one Fake Prom King and Queen, Reibling sees the event as being free of the angst that often comes with real proms. "We always seem to get people with good vibes," he said.
Link to story in National Post here.
A do-over for wallflowers
Thwarted valedictorians vindicated by Fake Prom
Palais Royale was transformed into a futuristic high school dance for the sixth edition of Fake Prom on Aug. 15. The theme of the night was "Out of This World," and most of the 800 attendees came adorned in their best formal wear with futuristic touches. Others, particularly the person dressed as Astro Boy, fully embraced the theme.
"To research for Fake Prom themes, I actually researched real proms and I stumbled on a prom with a similar theme," explained Dylan Reibling, Fake Prom's superintendant. "It's the perfect mix of nerdiness and costume dress-up."
With flashy getups, numerous slow jams and a glowing full moon (which was real), Fake Prom provided people such as Katie Sawatsky, an opportunity to experience prom night the way that they wanted to be.
"My original prom sucked," said Sawatsky, who has attended three Fake Proms. "I was a valedictorian and I felt like a loser. This event is more sociable, especially since everyone is more comfortable with their lives compared to when they were 18."
Attracting attendees predominantly in their twenties and thirties, the night didn't bring back bad high school memories for everybody. "Most people had a bad prom experience but I actually had a good experience," said Val Heimpel, "so I'm trying to relive it."
Like a traditional prom, Fake Prom held an election for Fake Prom King and Queen, which was won by Adam Jackson and Naomi Yasui. The couple had their big dance as the night ended with a shortened version of G'N'R's "November Rain."
"We had no idea that we would," said Jackson. "But we're both super hot and we have a lot of friends that know we are super hot."
Although there can only be one Fake Prom King and Queen, Reibling sees the event as being free of the angst that often comes with real proms. "We always seem to get people with good vibes," he said.
Link to story in National Post here.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
News story: The Doug Wright Awards
Published in National Post [Toronto magazine, Aug. 16, 2008]
Cartooning world tips its hat
Lynn Johnston inducted into Hall of Fame
Canadian cartooning was feted last week at the fourth annual Doug Wright Awards. Held at the Metro Toronto Reference Library, the ceremony included the induction of For Better or For Worse cartoonist Lynn Johnston into the Canadian Cartooning Hall of Fame and a new award celebrating unorthodox work with an unorthodox prize - a bowler hat.
"In a way, I ripped it off," admitted awards co-founder, cartoonist Seth. "Years ago, I was at an awards ceremony in Finland and they had a very funny hat they gave to someone."
In this case, the hat has a direct connection with Canadian cartooning history - it was the staple accessory of Jim Frise's unflappable Pigskin Peters. That type of attention to detail impressed Anne-Marie Fleming, who won the best book award for The Amazing Life of Long Tack Sam, a biography of her grandfather.
"So much thought, love and care went into the show, which is exactly like comics," Fleming said. "So much love and care goes into every frame."
Named after Doug Wright whose Doug Wright's Family was syndicated in newspapers throughout the world from the 1940s to the 1980s, the ceremony included an appearance from Wright's widow and two of his sons. "We're very grateful [that] Dad's name [is being kept] alive," said Jim Wright. "We tend to forget talented people when they're not in the limelight."
Although Johnston remains in the limelight, during a 30-minute question-and-answer period, she gamely answered questions that touched on her 35-year career.
"This is the beginning of something that's going to grow," she said as she signed books following the ceremony. "The Reuben Awards [the premier American cartooning awards] started with this group of guys in New York who wanted to get together, socialize - and then they said, 'Let's give ourselves a few awards.' Now it's really international."
Link to story in National Post here.
Cartooning world tips its hat
Lynn Johnston inducted into Hall of Fame
Canadian cartooning was feted last week at the fourth annual Doug Wright Awards. Held at the Metro Toronto Reference Library, the ceremony included the induction of For Better or For Worse cartoonist Lynn Johnston into the Canadian Cartooning Hall of Fame and a new award celebrating unorthodox work with an unorthodox prize - a bowler hat.
"In a way, I ripped it off," admitted awards co-founder, cartoonist Seth. "Years ago, I was at an awards ceremony in Finland and they had a very funny hat they gave to someone."
In this case, the hat has a direct connection with Canadian cartooning history - it was the staple accessory of Jim Frise's unflappable Pigskin Peters. That type of attention to detail impressed Anne-Marie Fleming, who won the best book award for The Amazing Life of Long Tack Sam, a biography of her grandfather.
"So much thought, love and care went into the show, which is exactly like comics," Fleming said. "So much love and care goes into every frame."
Named after Doug Wright whose Doug Wright's Family was syndicated in newspapers throughout the world from the 1940s to the 1980s, the ceremony included an appearance from Wright's widow and two of his sons. "We're very grateful [that] Dad's name [is being kept] alive," said Jim Wright. "We tend to forget talented people when they're not in the limelight."
Although Johnston remains in the limelight, during a 30-minute question-and-answer period, she gamely answered questions that touched on her 35-year career.
"This is the beginning of something that's going to grow," she said as she signed books following the ceremony. "The Reuben Awards [the premier American cartooning awards] started with this group of guys in New York who wanted to get together, socialize - and then they said, 'Let's give ourselves a few awards.' Now it's really international."
Link to story in National Post here.
News Story: One Inch Punch button art/swap show
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, Aug. 16, 2008],
Pushing their buttons
The art world was all about getting pinned
The art world met the trading world at Lennox Contemporary Gallery on Aug. 8 at the third annual One Inch Punch show. With 50 original one-inch button designs, ranging from a portrait of Abraham Lincoln to Stephen Harper shooting lasers from his eyes, the show provided attendees with the opportunity to buy a random set of five original buttons and then trade their favourite buttons with each other.
"It makes art accessible for everyone because you can spend $5 for art on a button," said Christine Mullen, one of the 50 artists in the show. "And with these buttons you have an excuse to talk. You get to meet people in the art world, which is really hard to do otherwise."
Curated by the four-person Les Robots collective, the show was inspired by a similar event that happens annually in Vancouver. Initially skeptical about the show's potential for success in Toronto, this year, Les Robots received between 175 and 200 original button design submissions from places as far away as Australia and Dubai. Having whittle down the submission to 50, the group made 4o copies of each button available for sale.
"Last year, we sold out by 11," said Stephanie Dacosta of Les Robots. "So we bumped it up a little bit this year."
With DJ Coco Bryce supplying the tunes, attendees and artists were unable to resist trading fever. For Daniela Syrovy, who had her Sesame Street-inspired button design accepted, the show provided instant gratification for her work.
"Every artist starts with five, but my button happens to be really hot," she said. "Everyone wants the Bert and Ernie, so I traded it up instantly. People were offering me two or three buttons for one; it was fierce."
Although there were more than a few attendees who were unable to make a trade for their favourite buttons, it was impossible to escape the jocular atmosphere of the show. As Syrovy said, "It's so much fun. It brings you back to being a kid trading stickers or marbles. It's a great icebreaker."
Link to story in National Post here.
Pushing their buttons
The art world was all about getting pinned
The art world met the trading world at Lennox Contemporary Gallery on Aug. 8 at the third annual One Inch Punch show. With 50 original one-inch button designs, ranging from a portrait of Abraham Lincoln to Stephen Harper shooting lasers from his eyes, the show provided attendees with the opportunity to buy a random set of five original buttons and then trade their favourite buttons with each other.
"It makes art accessible for everyone because you can spend $5 for art on a button," said Christine Mullen, one of the 50 artists in the show. "And with these buttons you have an excuse to talk. You get to meet people in the art world, which is really hard to do otherwise."
Curated by the four-person Les Robots collective, the show was inspired by a similar event that happens annually in Vancouver. Initially skeptical about the show's potential for success in Toronto, this year, Les Robots received between 175 and 200 original button design submissions from places as far away as Australia and Dubai. Having whittle down the submission to 50, the group made 4o copies of each button available for sale.
"Last year, we sold out by 11," said Stephanie Dacosta of Les Robots. "So we bumped it up a little bit this year."
With DJ Coco Bryce supplying the tunes, attendees and artists were unable to resist trading fever. For Daniela Syrovy, who had her Sesame Street-inspired button design accepted, the show provided instant gratification for her work.
"Every artist starts with five, but my button happens to be really hot," she said. "Everyone wants the Bert and Ernie, so I traded it up instantly. People were offering me two or three buttons for one; it was fierce."
Although there were more than a few attendees who were unable to make a trade for their favourite buttons, it was impossible to escape the jocular atmosphere of the show. As Syrovy said, "It's so much fun. It brings you back to being a kid trading stickers or marbles. It's a great icebreaker."
Link to story in National Post here.
Monday, July 21, 2008
First Person Narrative: Charles Roach
Published in Sway: Summer issue
The First Caribana
Charles Roach, one of the founding chairmen of Caribana, has been a part of the festival since its earliest days. Here the prominent Canadian civil rights lawyer reflects on the unity, perseverance and passion behind the creation of the first Caribana celebration.
The first Caribana meeting took place in the fall of 1966. My role was to call to the meeting various people in the community who would form the Caribbean Centennial Committee in December that year.
The reason that the whole thing came about was because we were asked by the federal government to be involved in Canada's Centennial celebrations, but to celebrate in our own cultural way. People from other groups were invited too, and the first Caribana was designed to coincide with the World Expo Festival in Montreal.
People were excited about Caribana because it was a little bit different from what was going on at the time. In those days, Toronto was a quiet place in the summertime, in terms of outward demonstrations. We had Caribbean stars come from time to time to play at Massey Hall and there were some clubs along Yonge Street, but back then Toronto was very conservative as far as alcohol [and events] was concerned.
There was a men's temperance movement in play, and it was a bit of a troubling time. Martin Luther King was still alive and this was the Civil Rights era. There were a lot of demonstrations throughout the United States and Canada, including those produced by the women's suffrage groups and the Quebec separatist movement. The year 1967 was a year of progression, and the celebration of Canada's Centennial was an encouraging occasion for the city.
Everyone welcomed Caribana, but there was definitely some apprehension about the large numbers of people of African heritage on the streets during the Civil Rights years. To have people taking over the street where you would normally have vehicles was pretty dramatic at the time; they would close the streets for the Santa Claus parade, but it was amazing to see Yonge closed from Bloor to Queen for a party. Something that many people don't know is that police officers on horseback led the first two Caribana parades. However, because it's more of a street dance party instead of a marching parade, we had to stop leading with horses.
Back then, the carnival wasn't so dominant as it is now. For commercial reasons, Caribana has emphasized the carnival part, but back then it was more of a festival of arts: storytelling, music, culinary displays and other artistic disciplines were given the focus.
However, we never received any arts funding; that was the biggest issue, so there was the question of how it was going to be funded. We were not seen as an arts festival, but as a multicultural show. So, especially in the early years, people like myself and the other organizers put money from our own pockets into Caribana. We weren't rich, but there were many professionals in that first group that put up their money, especially Dr. Al Liverpool.
One of my favourite moments from that first Caribana was going to Olympic Island and having that entire island set up like a place in the Caribbean. We brought in palm trees and the festival lasted a whole week after the parade. The Caribbean came to Canada, and that made a lot of people from the Islands who were homesick feel good. The first festival changed a lot of lives because it showed all of Canada that our culture was positive and impacted part of this nation's growth.
Today, I'm so proud of the progress that our festival has made and how it has spurred other festivals to grow larger. I think it inspired a lot of the street festivals that we've become accustomed to over the last few years. You could say that Caribana served as a model for many of the street festivals in Toronto.
We've always been innovative; I think now, everyone would agree that Caribana set the bar and the trend of festivals in this city.
Link to story in Sway here.
The First Caribana
Charles Roach, one of the founding chairmen of Caribana, has been a part of the festival since its earliest days. Here the prominent Canadian civil rights lawyer reflects on the unity, perseverance and passion behind the creation of the first Caribana celebration.
The first Caribana meeting took place in the fall of 1966. My role was to call to the meeting various people in the community who would form the Caribbean Centennial Committee in December that year.
The reason that the whole thing came about was because we were asked by the federal government to be involved in Canada's Centennial celebrations, but to celebrate in our own cultural way. People from other groups were invited too, and the first Caribana was designed to coincide with the World Expo Festival in Montreal.
People were excited about Caribana because it was a little bit different from what was going on at the time. In those days, Toronto was a quiet place in the summertime, in terms of outward demonstrations. We had Caribbean stars come from time to time to play at Massey Hall and there were some clubs along Yonge Street, but back then Toronto was very conservative as far as alcohol [and events] was concerned.
There was a men's temperance movement in play, and it was a bit of a troubling time. Martin Luther King was still alive and this was the Civil Rights era. There were a lot of demonstrations throughout the United States and Canada, including those produced by the women's suffrage groups and the Quebec separatist movement. The year 1967 was a year of progression, and the celebration of Canada's Centennial was an encouraging occasion for the city.
Everyone welcomed Caribana, but there was definitely some apprehension about the large numbers of people of African heritage on the streets during the Civil Rights years. To have people taking over the street where you would normally have vehicles was pretty dramatic at the time; they would close the streets for the Santa Claus parade, but it was amazing to see Yonge closed from Bloor to Queen for a party. Something that many people don't know is that police officers on horseback led the first two Caribana parades. However, because it's more of a street dance party instead of a marching parade, we had to stop leading with horses.
Back then, the carnival wasn't so dominant as it is now. For commercial reasons, Caribana has emphasized the carnival part, but back then it was more of a festival of arts: storytelling, music, culinary displays and other artistic disciplines were given the focus.
However, we never received any arts funding; that was the biggest issue, so there was the question of how it was going to be funded. We were not seen as an arts festival, but as a multicultural show. So, especially in the early years, people like myself and the other organizers put money from our own pockets into Caribana. We weren't rich, but there were many professionals in that first group that put up their money, especially Dr. Al Liverpool.
One of my favourite moments from that first Caribana was going to Olympic Island and having that entire island set up like a place in the Caribbean. We brought in palm trees and the festival lasted a whole week after the parade. The Caribbean came to Canada, and that made a lot of people from the Islands who were homesick feel good. The first festival changed a lot of lives because it showed all of Canada that our culture was positive and impacted part of this nation's growth.
Today, I'm so proud of the progress that our festival has made and how it has spurred other festivals to grow larger. I think it inspired a lot of the street festivals that we've become accustomed to over the last few years. You could say that Caribana served as a model for many of the street festivals in Toronto.
We've always been innovative; I think now, everyone would agree that Caribana set the bar and the trend of festivals in this city.
Link to story in Sway here.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Standing Engagement: Casa Loma Archery
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, July 19, 2008.]
A different kind of point & shoot
Throughout its existence, Casa Loma has been one of the city's stranger sights. A majestic castle built in 1914, its stables alone have been home to everything from regal horses to Second World War-era sonar research. That the stables are now currently home to an archery program seems normal.
Casa Loma's resident archer is Sir Shawn Adams, a self-appointed knight and an aspiring stuntman, who offsets his regal title with a relaxed attitude and beach shorts. A former medieval dinner theatre actor, Adams fell into archery after sustaining a competitive jousting injury in Alberta. Forsaking horse and lance for bow and arrows, Adams first brought his archery skills to Casa Loma four years ago during its Renaissance fair. Last year, he struck a deal to operate a drop-in archery range for interested visitors.
"I take pride in what I do here because the customer really leaves getting some knowledge out of it," he says.
On the days that he's around the stables, Adams offers what he describes as "a five minute introductory lesson to archery." For $7, a participant receives a lesson and 10 arrows. Within minutes, participants learn proper archery form and how to load a bow.
"It doesn't take very long to show someone the basics and get them shooting relatively effectively," Adams says. "It's a good introductory lesson and for people visiting out of town that are interested, I always refer them to a club in their area."
Although lessons are short, Adams doesn't skim over details. Participants shoot at 60 cm targets from a distance of approximately 10 metres using lightweight arrows with reverse curve bows, the same type used in the Olympics. While he admits that he intentionally uses larger than necessary targets, Adams feels that it adds to the workshop's appeal.
"It's that feeling of learning something and succeeding," he says. "When people start, they're really not that good but by the end of those 10 shots, they've really achieved something."
As part of the lesson, Adams uses his training from South Nation Archery, an archery school outside of Ottawa, to provide hands-on tips on proper form. "Your form comes first," he explains. "I do a lot of exercises with t archer having his or her eyes closed. It sounds crazy, but in the beginning you're not worried about aiming. And when te form tightens up, we start working a lot more on the aiming."
Due to the popularity of the drop-in lessons, Adams offers specialized three-hour archery workshops throughout the summer for $30. Groups of up to 18 students shoot at balloons that cover the range. The workshop includes extensive instruction on form, but as Adams says, "I try to have a little more fun and incorporate games."
As Lou Seiler, Casa Loma's director of marketing, knows, the fun seems to be contagious. "The program has been so popular we had requests to expand it," he says. "We introduced an adult class that just sold out, so we may look at adding another adult program."
Shawn Adams' archery program runs throughout the summer. Visit casaloma.org/seasonal for dates he's available, or call 416-923-1171 ext. 215 or 205 for details.
A different kind of point & shoot
Throughout its existence, Casa Loma has been one of the city's stranger sights. A majestic castle built in 1914, its stables alone have been home to everything from regal horses to Second World War-era sonar research. That the stables are now currently home to an archery program seems normal.
Casa Loma's resident archer is Sir Shawn Adams, a self-appointed knight and an aspiring stuntman, who offsets his regal title with a relaxed attitude and beach shorts. A former medieval dinner theatre actor, Adams fell into archery after sustaining a competitive jousting injury in Alberta. Forsaking horse and lance for bow and arrows, Adams first brought his archery skills to Casa Loma four years ago during its Renaissance fair. Last year, he struck a deal to operate a drop-in archery range for interested visitors.
"I take pride in what I do here because the customer really leaves getting some knowledge out of it," he says.
On the days that he's around the stables, Adams offers what he describes as "a five minute introductory lesson to archery." For $7, a participant receives a lesson and 10 arrows. Within minutes, participants learn proper archery form and how to load a bow.
"It doesn't take very long to show someone the basics and get them shooting relatively effectively," Adams says. "It's a good introductory lesson and for people visiting out of town that are interested, I always refer them to a club in their area."
Although lessons are short, Adams doesn't skim over details. Participants shoot at 60 cm targets from a distance of approximately 10 metres using lightweight arrows with reverse curve bows, the same type used in the Olympics. While he admits that he intentionally uses larger than necessary targets, Adams feels that it adds to the workshop's appeal.
"It's that feeling of learning something and succeeding," he says. "When people start, they're really not that good but by the end of those 10 shots, they've really achieved something."
As part of the lesson, Adams uses his training from South Nation Archery, an archery school outside of Ottawa, to provide hands-on tips on proper form. "Your form comes first," he explains. "I do a lot of exercises with t archer having his or her eyes closed. It sounds crazy, but in the beginning you're not worried about aiming. And when te form tightens up, we start working a lot more on the aiming."
Due to the popularity of the drop-in lessons, Adams offers specialized three-hour archery workshops throughout the summer for $30. Groups of up to 18 students shoot at balloons that cover the range. The workshop includes extensive instruction on form, but as Adams says, "I try to have a little more fun and incorporate games."
As Lou Seiler, Casa Loma's director of marketing, knows, the fun seems to be contagious. "The program has been so popular we had requests to expand it," he says. "We introduced an adult class that just sold out, so we may look at adding another adult program."
Shawn Adams' archery program runs throughout the summer. Visit casaloma.org/seasonal for dates he's available, or call 416-923-1171 ext. 215 or 205 for details.
News story: Streets Are For Picnics
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, July 19, 2008.]
A function for construction
Take the space over for a street party!
For the past three weeks, residents along Bathurst Street south of Dupont have been dealing with road construction. Last Sunday, the three lanes of construction were taken over by Street are for People, a public space advocacy group that provided a gigantic Scrabble board, bands and a croquet course in the middle of a dug-out street car track as part of its fifth annual Streets are for Picnics event.
Neighbourhood resident Anne Birnie-Lefcovitch, who's "frustrated" with the construction, appreciated the event. "I think this is great," she said. "Usually Bathurst is an eyesore."
Shamez Amlani, co-founder of Streets are for People, also responsible for the popular Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market, said the event began as "a small, little fun afternoon goof-off," but it has become an annual tradition.
Among the attractions during the party was Adrian Rockman, a budding rapper named Mayo, who joined the New Kings for a spontaneous performance.
"That's the best way to do a concert because everyone's driving by and can see you," he said. "You just have the sky above and it's just dope."
The day brought Scott Macdougall back to his childhood. Playing a game of gigantic Scrabble, Macdougall got some help from an unexpected source. "People were driving by, reading my letters and giving suggestions," he said.
While local residents had a brief respite from construction that will continue until the end of August, Amlani hopes events such as this will inspire Toronto to follow the leads of other international cities.
"Bogota, Colombia, is a shining example," he said. "They invented this thing called Ciclovia, where on Sundays they make huge swaths of the downtown core car-free. The mayor's philosophy is, 'We're a poor country, but we can do things that will raise people's quality of life.' It's a mentality shift. It didn't cost them anything."
A function for construction
Take the space over for a street party!
For the past three weeks, residents along Bathurst Street south of Dupont have been dealing with road construction. Last Sunday, the three lanes of construction were taken over by Street are for People, a public space advocacy group that provided a gigantic Scrabble board, bands and a croquet course in the middle of a dug-out street car track as part of its fifth annual Streets are for Picnics event.
Neighbourhood resident Anne Birnie-Lefcovitch, who's "frustrated" with the construction, appreciated the event. "I think this is great," she said. "Usually Bathurst is an eyesore."
Shamez Amlani, co-founder of Streets are for People, also responsible for the popular Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market, said the event began as "a small, little fun afternoon goof-off," but it has become an annual tradition.
Among the attractions during the party was Adrian Rockman, a budding rapper named Mayo, who joined the New Kings for a spontaneous performance.
"That's the best way to do a concert because everyone's driving by and can see you," he said. "You just have the sky above and it's just dope."
The day brought Scott Macdougall back to his childhood. Playing a game of gigantic Scrabble, Macdougall got some help from an unexpected source. "People were driving by, reading my letters and giving suggestions," he said.
While local residents had a brief respite from construction that will continue until the end of August, Amlani hopes events such as this will inspire Toronto to follow the leads of other international cities.
"Bogota, Colombia, is a shining example," he said. "They invented this thing called Ciclovia, where on Sundays they make huge swaths of the downtown core car-free. The mayor's philosophy is, 'We're a poor country, but we can do things that will raise people's quality of life.' It's a mentality shift. It didn't cost them anything."
Saturday, July 5, 2008
News Story: Million Dollar Round Table
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, July 5, 2008.]
Power suits and ties that bind
Why financial planners were spotted on a playground
For four days last week, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was full of members of the top 1% of financial service providers from around the world. The Million Dollar Round Table's (MDRT) annual meeting brought out an eclectic crowd. In addition to thousands of life insurance providers from around the world, the meeting imported an Olympic gold medalist, a former child soldier from Sierra Leone, a survivor of the 1972 Andes plane crash that was turned into the movie Alive and Stephen Lewis.
"This is our annual crown jewel event," said James Rogers, MDRT president and Vancouver native.
Although professionally themed workshops such as Redefining Wealth Transfer: Planning That Goes Beyond the Estate Tax and the Role of Life INsurance in Business Succession Planning were well-received, it was the inspirational talks given by gold medalist gymnast Mary Lou Retton and ex-child soldier turned human-rights activist Ishmael Beath that inspired member Mukeshkumar Ratilal Sharma to give a thumbs up.
For Jerry Setton, another MDRT member, the meeting is about relaxing. Musically inclined MDRT members performed sets as part of the meeting's entertainment, and some, like Sletton acted as roadies.
"It's like one of the speakers said today: MDRT is an oasis," Sletton said. "It's a place in the desert where you can refuel."
This was the first MDRT meeting held in Toronto since 2001 (that event was rated the No. 1 meeting in the organization's 81-year history). While members spent the evenings riding on rickshaws and exploring the city, the organization had already left its mark in Regent Park.
"We spent a week building a playground at Lower Dufferin Public School and had financial service professionals building structures and using power tools," explained Nick Falco, MDRT Foundation executive director. "It's a sight to see."
Link to National Post story here.
Power suits and ties that bind
Why financial planners were spotted on a playground
For four days last week, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was full of members of the top 1% of financial service providers from around the world. The Million Dollar Round Table's (MDRT) annual meeting brought out an eclectic crowd. In addition to thousands of life insurance providers from around the world, the meeting imported an Olympic gold medalist, a former child soldier from Sierra Leone, a survivor of the 1972 Andes plane crash that was turned into the movie Alive and Stephen Lewis.
"This is our annual crown jewel event," said James Rogers, MDRT president and Vancouver native.
Although professionally themed workshops such as Redefining Wealth Transfer: Planning That Goes Beyond the Estate Tax and the Role of Life INsurance in Business Succession Planning were well-received, it was the inspirational talks given by gold medalist gymnast Mary Lou Retton and ex-child soldier turned human-rights activist Ishmael Beath that inspired member Mukeshkumar Ratilal Sharma to give a thumbs up.
For Jerry Setton, another MDRT member, the meeting is about relaxing. Musically inclined MDRT members performed sets as part of the meeting's entertainment, and some, like Sletton acted as roadies.
"It's like one of the speakers said today: MDRT is an oasis," Sletton said. "It's a place in the desert where you can refuel."
This was the first MDRT meeting held in Toronto since 2001 (that event was rated the No. 1 meeting in the organization's 81-year history). While members spent the evenings riding on rickshaws and exploring the city, the organization had already left its mark in Regent Park.
"We spent a week building a playground at Lower Dufferin Public School and had financial service professionals building structures and using power tools," explained Nick Falco, MDRT Foundation executive director. "It's a sight to see."
Link to National Post story here.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
2008 Summer Guide: 50 Great Summer Dates
Published in Post City Magazines: July 2008.
50 Great Summer Dates
This summer guide ran in all of the editions of Post City Magazines. It was co-written and co-compiled with Sam Toman, the magazine's Features editor, who wrote most of this thing. It's actually much better that way. However, due to page layout design issues, there was only enough room for one name in the author's role and that was me. I will also say that "Spachina!" is mine. Spachina!
To download a .pdf of this article, click here.
50 Great Summer Dates
This summer guide ran in all of the editions of Post City Magazines. It was co-written and co-compiled with Sam Toman, the magazine's Features editor, who wrote most of this thing. It's actually much better that way. However, due to page layout design issues, there was only enough room for one name in the author's role and that was me. I will also say that "Spachina!" is mine. Spachina!
To download a .pdf of this article, click here.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Personality: Davy Love
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, June 28, 2008]
He's spun his last record
Brit pop impresario, College Street icon and polarizing indie scenester Davy Love (born Dave Lovell) is a lot of things to a lot of people. Sober isn't usually one of those things, but that's what he was as he sat upstairs at Sneaky Dee's preparing for his last DJ set at his retirement party on June 21.
"This is the first time I'm going to DJ sober," he says with a laugh. "I figure it's going to be my last time, so I want to remember everything."
Most retirement parties are sombre affairs but the gregarious Lovell doesn't do somber. The owner of the 45 rpm record label Magnificent Sevens is best known as the force behind Blow Up, the weekly Brit pop party that ran from 1995 to 2005. It was the biggest accomplishment in his DJing career, which began in his teenage years.
"When I was 13, I worked at a biker bar and one day the DJ didn't show up," Lovell said. "The bar owner asked if anyone was a DJ and I said I could do it. The bikers thought I played great music. The owners fired the DJ and I worked there for the whole summer."
After doing the Orillia teen club circuit, Lovell moved to Toronto where he tired launching a number of nights to little success. Faced with a club scene that was still under the sway of grunge, he saw the possibilities of a niche Brit pop night.
"You'd go to the Dance Cave back in '94 and throughout the night, they would play a three-song set of all this good stuff like Ride and Happy Mondays in the middle of all this crap," he said. "This whole crowd of people would come out from the woodwork and fill the dancefloor and then you wouldn't see them the whole night. That's when I knew that if you did a club night that played that type of music all night, you would get all those people."
A trip to England that year gave Lovell a glimpse of what could be. When he returned to Toronto, he and some friends handed out flyers to the first Blowup party at The Red Raven (now The Pour House) at St. George and Dupont. "Lo and behold, it was packed - 150 the first night," he said. "It never did less than 150 people ever."
Initially a monthly event that moved to different clubs, popular demand caused Lovell to change Blowup to a weekly party; a decision he described as "liver killing." The party eventually found a home at the El Mocambo and led to a few excessive moments.
"We were standing in the DJ booth at the El Mo and we brought a blender in," he recounted. "We were smoking Cuban cigars and we started making margaritas in the DJ booth. We were looking out at this sea of people and realized that this is huge. It was a really great feeling."
Things changed for Lovell and Blow Up when the El Mocambo temporarily closed in 2001. Scrambling for a new home, the party would spend two years at Lee's Palace before winding down at Swallow Lounge. While he's cut down on his DJing duties in the past few years, a major life change forced him to give up DJing at 40.
"The lifestyle of a DJ will just wear you out," he admitted. "Most DJs I know don't even last until 40. They've had enough booze, drugs or whatever. And whether you do them or not when you start DJing, you end up becoming a part of that lifestyle. I had a baby and the lifestyle that goes along with DJing isn't conducive with being a father."
While Blow Up regulars have been increasingly telling how much they miss the night, Lovell has given up that fight. "It's like, 'Start your own club,'" he said with a shrug. "It was basically what we did with Blow Up at the beginning. I think it's definitely up for an uprising."
In addition to leaving DJing behind him, Lovell is leaving Toronto and moving "to a village of like 300 people" south of North Bay. Whether the country life will suit him or not, Lovell got surprisingly modest about he and DJ skills will be missed.
"It's flattering," he said. "I'm just happy to be part of it."
Link to story in National Post here.
He's spun his last record
Brit pop impresario, College Street icon and polarizing indie scenester Davy Love (born Dave Lovell) is a lot of things to a lot of people. Sober isn't usually one of those things, but that's what he was as he sat upstairs at Sneaky Dee's preparing for his last DJ set at his retirement party on June 21.
"This is the first time I'm going to DJ sober," he says with a laugh. "I figure it's going to be my last time, so I want to remember everything."
Most retirement parties are sombre affairs but the gregarious Lovell doesn't do somber. The owner of the 45 rpm record label Magnificent Sevens is best known as the force behind Blow Up, the weekly Brit pop party that ran from 1995 to 2005. It was the biggest accomplishment in his DJing career, which began in his teenage years.
"When I was 13, I worked at a biker bar and one day the DJ didn't show up," Lovell said. "The bar owner asked if anyone was a DJ and I said I could do it. The bikers thought I played great music. The owners fired the DJ and I worked there for the whole summer."
After doing the Orillia teen club circuit, Lovell moved to Toronto where he tired launching a number of nights to little success. Faced with a club scene that was still under the sway of grunge, he saw the possibilities of a niche Brit pop night.
"You'd go to the Dance Cave back in '94 and throughout the night, they would play a three-song set of all this good stuff like Ride and Happy Mondays in the middle of all this crap," he said. "This whole crowd of people would come out from the woodwork and fill the dancefloor and then you wouldn't see them the whole night. That's when I knew that if you did a club night that played that type of music all night, you would get all those people."
A trip to England that year gave Lovell a glimpse of what could be. When he returned to Toronto, he and some friends handed out flyers to the first Blowup party at The Red Raven (now The Pour House) at St. George and Dupont. "Lo and behold, it was packed - 150 the first night," he said. "It never did less than 150 people ever."
Initially a monthly event that moved to different clubs, popular demand caused Lovell to change Blowup to a weekly party; a decision he described as "liver killing." The party eventually found a home at the El Mocambo and led to a few excessive moments.
"We were standing in the DJ booth at the El Mo and we brought a blender in," he recounted. "We were smoking Cuban cigars and we started making margaritas in the DJ booth. We were looking out at this sea of people and realized that this is huge. It was a really great feeling."
Things changed for Lovell and Blow Up when the El Mocambo temporarily closed in 2001. Scrambling for a new home, the party would spend two years at Lee's Palace before winding down at Swallow Lounge. While he's cut down on his DJing duties in the past few years, a major life change forced him to give up DJing at 40.
"The lifestyle of a DJ will just wear you out," he admitted. "Most DJs I know don't even last until 40. They've had enough booze, drugs or whatever. And whether you do them or not when you start DJing, you end up becoming a part of that lifestyle. I had a baby and the lifestyle that goes along with DJing isn't conducive with being a father."
While Blow Up regulars have been increasingly telling how much they miss the night, Lovell has given up that fight. "It's like, 'Start your own club,'" he said with a shrug. "It was basically what we did with Blow Up at the beginning. I think it's definitely up for an uprising."
In addition to leaving DJing behind him, Lovell is leaving Toronto and moving "to a village of like 300 people" south of North Bay. Whether the country life will suit him or not, Lovell got surprisingly modest about he and DJ skills will be missed.
"It's flattering," he said. "I'm just happy to be part of it."
Link to story in National Post here.
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