Canadian Crossing

2022 Toronto Blue Jays MLB playoffs preview

Sea you soon 😉

Get your popcorn ready! #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/I4ov7ioFlV

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) October 5, 2022

Matt Chapman's second half torrid pace. Teoscar Hernandez showing us that trading veterans such as Francisco Liriano can yield benefits. Bo Bichette's electric September hits wise. George Springer's steady veteran leadership on and off the field. Whit Merrifield being a great teammate and displayed his versatility.

Alek Manoah on the mound at the start of the game. Jordan Romano at the end of the game.

While the 2021 Toronto Blue Jays team might have been the best MLB team to not make the playoffs, the 2022 Toronto Blue Jays took the #4 seed in the 2022 MLB playoffs.

Unlike the 2020 version, there will be home playoff games in Toronto in 2022. This was the first season since 2019 that the Blue Jays played all their home games in Toronto.

The Seattle Mariners, a team that has missed the playoffs since 2001, will be the Toronto opponent at Rogers Centre. The games will run Friday-Sunday in Toronto with the best 2 out of 3. The Sunday game is only necessary if there isn't a sweep.

The Blue Jays made a crucial decision to install John Schneider as the manager to replace Charlie Montoyo. Toronto fired Charlie Montoyo on July 13 with the team at 46-42. Schneider went 46-28 and got a playoff spot. The Blue Jays finished in second place in the American League East Division with a 92-70 record.

The wild card round will be on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada with Buck Martinez and Pat Tabler. ESPN will carry the series in the United States with Dan Shulman calling the Blue Jays series for ESPN Radio.

Enjoy the Buck Martinez coverage. There is a possibility that Martinez may retire from the booth after this season. Here is the Rogers Sportsnet coverage of all the opening round series games.

The ESPN coverage will be either on ESPN, ESPN2, or ABC. Dave Flemming, Jessica Mendoza, Tim Kurkjian, and Coley Harvey will have the series in Toronto. By ESPN standards, this could have been a lot worse.

TBS carried a Tuesday night game in Toronto last week. Mostly because New York Yankees and Aaron Judge. Still, there was some love for the Blue Jays on U.S. national television.

MLB Network usually carried the home feed unless Toronto was at home to the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.

If the Blue Jays advance, Houston will be the opponent and the American League Division Series will be on TBS in the States.

Date	Opponent	Time	U.S. television
October 7	Seattle	4p	ESPN
October 8	Seattle	4p	ESPN
October 9	Seattle+	2p	ABC

All games on Rogers Sportsnet. All times are Eastern Daylight Time.

The Game 3 time will be unchanged if there are 3 Sunday games, including Toronto. In the event of 2 Sunday games, the Blue Jays move to 4 pm on ESPN. If the Blue Jays are involved in the only Game 3, the scene will shift to 7 pm on ESPN.

The 1946 Montreal Royals should be a significant part of the Jackie Robinson Museum

2022 Toronto Blue Jays second half preview

2022 Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Game preview

🇨🇦 HISTORY 🇨🇦

For the first time, a #BlueJays game was won AND saved by Canadians! @pop_zach pic.twitter.com/rQYOtlSbv6

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) October 2, 2022

2022 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta in the spotlight

Toronto Blue Jays should get creative in broadcast booth with Buck Martinez's cancer diagnosis

2022 Toronto Blue Jays preview

2022 Toronto Blue Jays spring training schedule

Toronto Blue Jays get swept in 2020 MLB playoffs

The young core did get some playoffs experience in 2020. The circumstances were very different, especially in the worst MLB ballpark. Hyun-Jin Ryu got 5 outs and gave up 7 runs in Game 2. Charlie Montoyo took Ryu out of that game. Neither of them are here for the 2022 playoffs.

Danny Janzen might be the only Blue Jays player with any decent memory of that short-lived season.

CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage

Rob Thomson is only the 4th manager in MLB history to take over a team at least 7 games under .500 and lead them to the postseason.

Dick Howser, 1981 with the Royals

Cito Gaston, 1989 with the Blue Jays

Jim Tracy, 2009 with the Rockies

Rob Thomson, 2022 with the Phillies

— PhilliesNotes (@PhilliesNotes) October 4, 2022

We noted earlier this season that Rob Thomson was the first Canadian MLB manager (beyond a game) since 1934. Thomson and Schneider have something intriguing in common.

Joey Votto — the best Canadian MLB player outside of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — had his season cut short for surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. Before the surgery, Votto played in his 1,989th career game to set a new Canadian record.

Votto's highlights in 2022 included an excellent series in his hometown of Toronto as well as growth on social media for making friends wherever he goes.

Toronto Blue Jays playoffs history

2022	Seattle	0-0
2020	Tampa Bay	0-2
2016	Cleveland	1-4
2016	Texas	3-0
2016	Baltimore	1-0
2015	Kansas City	2-4
2015	Texas	3-2
1993	Philadelphia	4-2
1993	Chicago (AL)	4-2
1992	Atlanta	4-2
1992	Oakland	4-2
1991	Minnesota	1-4
1989	Oakland	1-4
1985	Kansas City	3-4

Twitter captures: @bluejays (x2); @PhilliesNotes
photo credit: @bluejays

Quebec selects CAQ for its second term as majority government

Continuons. The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) slogan roughly translates to "Let's go on." The CAQ actually increased its numbers, based on unofficial results from last night's election in Quebec.

François Legault won 89 seats last night, compared to 76 seats at the dissolution of the assembly and 74 seats in 2018. The party took seats from the Parti Québécois in the east and Liberal seats surrounding the island of Montréal. The CAQ took 7 PQ seats and 5 Liberal seats.

Liberal leader Dominique Anglade, in her first election as leader, watched her party fall from 31 seats in 2018, 27 seats as the race began, to 23 seats last night. The Liberal Party dominated the island of Montréal as the preferred party of anglophones but there was very little red outside the island.

Québec solidaire, the left-wing party with Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois with Manon Massé are co-spokespeople, must love the number 10 (Guy Lafleur's number) with 10 seats last night, same as the 2018 election.

The Parti Québécois sank to a new low with only 3 seats, lowest in party history. Party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon did win his seat; the party had 7 seats at the start of the election cycle, down from the 10 seats won in 2018.

The irony was that the Parti Québécois had a higher vote share (unofficially) than any party outside of the CAQ. The Liberals and Conservative Party, no relation to the federal party, with Éric Duhaime as the leader had similar vote totals yet the latter party didn't win a single seat. The Conservative Party had 1 seat on a floor crossing before the dissolution of the assembly.

Back-to-back majorities solidify CAQ as a powerhouse. https://t.co/2LGj9AHyCo

— CBC News (@CBCNews) October 4, 2022

The Coalition Avenir Québec has a stronger majority despite troubles during the campaign. Jean Boulet, CAQ immigration minister, spoke at a debate in Trois-Rivières and reportedly said,"80 per cent of immigrants go to Montreal, do not work, do not speak French or do not adhere to the values of Quebec society." Hours later, Legault told the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal that immigration above 50,000 per year would be "suicidal" to the province. "If we increase the number of immigrants while French is in decline, it would be a bit suicidal for French."

The Liberals got off to a slow start in the campaign. The fight on Bill 96 wasn't as strong as it could or should have been.

The Québec solidaire lost momentum defending what had been labelled as "le tax orange."

2022 Quebec election preview

Quebec turns to Coalition Avenir Québec to run province

CanadianCrossing.com Quebec coverage

Kateri Champagne Jourdain (CAQ) from the Duplessis riding is the first female Indigenous MNA in the history of Quebec.

Legault said the CAQ elected more women than any other party in history. The party had 40 women win, up 12 from the 2018 election. The Liberals elected 15 women of its 23 seats, down 1 from 2018. Québec solidaire went from 5 women in 2018 to 3 women in 2022. The Parti Québécois had 4 women in 2018 and fell to 0 in 2022.

Exploring the consequences of Bill 96 in Quebec

Looking at Bill 21 in Quebec during a pandemic

Manitoba offers respite for those suffering under Bill 21 in Quebec

We noted when victory speeches feature French in other Canadian provinces. Legault did speak briefly in English, vowing to be the "premier of all Quebeckers." "When I say that Quebeckers form a great nation I mean all Quebeckers, from all regions, of all ages, of all origins."

Difficult to know how sincere that was on the heels of Bill 96 and Bill 21 along with the use of the notwithstanding clause.

Bill 21 should reach the Supreme Court of Canada during this Legault term. We will be curious if there is a more conciliatory path toward anglophones and allophones in the next 4 years.

2022 Canadian politics preview

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

The Ontario-Quebec comparisons have a few layers. Both were 2022 elections. Right-wing parties that had failing track records on COVID-19 where the population didn't seen retribution. The Nova Scotia election in 2021 turned on handling of COVID-19 among other issues.

Quebec was not as bad as Ontario was but had issues that other provinces avoided. Like Ontario, the Quebec populace wasn't eager to punish the right-wing party in charge for how the pandemic was handled.

The economic insecurity didn't affect either incumbent government.

The big difference: Ontario set a new low with a 43% turnout. Quebec's turnout was down a couple of points yet rested at 64% in 2022.

photo credit and Twitter capture: CBC News

Canadian film review: Blackbird

The premise is fascinating: What would happen if a teenager was falsely accused of planning a Columbine-style killing spree?

Sean (Connor Jessup), who dresses as a goth, is interested in Deanna (Alexia Fast), Deanna is known as a "puck bunny," interested in hockey players. Deanna likes playing both sides of the fence. The hockey players antagonise Sean, so he writes a story about revenge and puts the story on the Internet.

The police come and arrest him and his father (the latter on weapons charges). They know he didn't have a plan but the treachery of the justice system isn't interested in the real truth. Having to serve time in a juvenile hall before a trial, Sean is forced to plead guilty. Yet he still likes Deanna.

"Abandon ye all of hope" is the mantra for this film. The viewer is trapped in the nightmare where the evidence is circumstantial and he has to go back to that community once he gets out. No one really learns anything, especially for Sean, who has to give up goth to try and fit into the community that doesn't want him.

Jason Buxton (writer/director) has Connor Jessup in his corner. Jessup, also known for Closet Monster, puts up with a lot in the film and handles it all like he could take another hour of what is happening. He plays Sean like he is in the middle of a tornado and has no clue what to do.

Buxton takes a great premise but there isn't a lot beyond the premise. The decline of Sean is the film. The juvenile scenes are haunting when you realise an innocent boy is trapped with young men more likely to have done their alleged crimes.

Blackbird delivers quite well for those who enjoy the process of a character in decline.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Blackbird was the co-winner of the Best Canadian First Feature Film award at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. The film received Canadian Screen Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay (Buxton) and Best Editing (Kimberlee McTaggart). The film also won the 2013 Claude Jutra Award for the best Canadian film by a first-time film director.

Blackbird is available in the United States on Tubi and in Canada on CBC Gem.

video credit: YouTube/TIFF Originals
photo credit: Blackbird

2022 NBA Toronto Raptors preseason schedule

The joy of last season's Toronto Raptors NBA preseason games schedule was having the team in Toronto for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The 2022 preseason also marks a return to NBA preseason games in Canada outside Toronto.

The preseason opener will be in an arena that has never hosted a NBA game: Rogers Place in Edmonton against the Utah Jazz.

The Raptors finish their NBA preseason schedule at the Bell Centre in Montréal. This is an arena that has hosted 6 previous Raptors preseason games. The Bell Centre is the home of the Montréal Canadiens.

The games in Canada outside Toronto at Scotiabank Arena are considered part of the NBA Canada Series. There have been 14 NBA preseason games across 5 provinces since 2012.

The Toronto Raptors played in Japan in the 2019 preseason. While that trip was exciting, good for the team to show some love in Canada in the 2022 preseason. The Raptors team is in Victoria, BC for training camp that started September 26 and runs through today.

Rogers Sportsnet (October 2, 9) and TSN (October 5, 7, 14) split the telecasts in Canada. The NBA Network may have tape-delayed coverage.

Date	Opponent	City	Time
October 2	Utah	Edmonton	6p
October 5	Boston	Boston	7:30p
October 7	Houston	Houston	8p
October 9	Chicago	Toronto	6p
October 14	Boston	Montréal	7p
All times Eastern.

Toronto Raptors fall in 6 games to Philadelphia in 2022 NBA playoffs

2022 Toronto Raptors NBA playoffs scoreboard

2022 Toronto Raptors NBA playoffs preview

2021 Toronto Raptors NBA preview

CanadianCrossing.com NBA coverage

The Toronto Raptors will open the 2022-23 campaign at home against Cleveland Cavaliers on October 19.

photo credit: Toronto Raptors/NBA

2022 CFL Week 17 preview

For the first time since the revenge games weekend, the CFL is back to 4 games in a weekend. Every game is out west this week so Brit Dort will need some help.

The primary prairie teams start out the week in Winnipeg as the first half of the Friday night doubleheader. Saskatchewan needs to focus on being the crossover team.

The Ottawa RedBlacks might need a nap before playing the nightcap in Vancouver against the Lions. ESPN2 will carry this game in the United States. The conclusion of the first game might be part of the coverage since 2½ hours is not enough of a window for a CFL game.

Trevor Harris knows his way to Commonwealth Stadium as Montréal will be in Edmonton for a Saturday afternoon encounter. The Elks home losing streak stands at 14 games, tied for the worst in CFL history.

Toronto goes west to Calgary to complete the Alberta doubleheader in the game in prime time in the east on Saturday night.

Hamilton gets a well-deserved break to end the month.

ESPN2

Friday
Ottawa @ BC, 10:30p

TSN

Friday
Saskatchewan @ Winnipeg, 8p
Ottawa @ BC, 10:30p
Saturday
Montréal @ Edmonton, 4p
Toronto @ Calgary, 7p

Bye week: Hamilton

The Edmonton Elks are going for a very bad record: most consecutive CFL home losses. The Elks are now at 14 home losses dating back to 2019. The Montréal Alouettes stand in the way in the early Saturday game.

Edmonton is tied with the Ottawa Rough Riders for their streak during the 1987 and 1988 seasons.

The current Ottawa incarnation has a worse scenario in contrast with the Elks. The RedBlacks now have lost 21 of the last 22 at home. The RedBlacks last home win was over a year ago on September 28, 2021 with a 34-24 win over Edmonton. The previous home win was June 20, 2019 with a 44-41 win over Saskatchewan. That victory gave Ottawa a 2-0 mark to start 2019 and only won 1 other game the rest of the season.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have the opposite issue. The Ticats are 4-3 at home but 0-7 on the road.

2022 CFL Week 16 preview

The Alouettes proved the second half could be very different in its key home game with Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats had a lot of poor penalties and some questionable play calls. Dane Evans is in a lot better shape but this might be too late for Hamilton this season.

This was the first game Montréal won after a bye this year, now 1-2.

42 points off turnovers: all you need to know about this game. The Argonauts took advantage of RedBlacks mistakes to blow out Ottawa for the second time in 3 weeks in the nation's capital. Both teams had a bye in between.

There is a slim chance of 3 teams coming out of the East for the 2022 playoffs. Very slim.

2022 CFL Week 15 preview

The Calgary Stampeders made a statement in Vancouver after the BC Lions won the first 2 games in Calgary by a combined 3 points. The Stampeders ended up with a better point differential in the season series but the Lions have the tiebreaker to potentially host the West semifinal.

Jake Maier continues to do well as the Calgary quarterback. The Stampeders played much better defence.

2022 CFL Week 14 preview: Revenge games

2022 CFL Week 13 preview: Labour Day weekend

For the first time since 2018, the BC Lions are in the CFL playoffs. The Lions clinched that berth before kickoff with losses by Hamilton and Ottawa. Calgary also clinched a playoff berth with its win and the losses by those East teams.

The Toronto Argonauts clinched its playoff berth with the win over Ottawa.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are edging closer to being the crossover team. Even though Calgary and Saskatchewan have not played, the Stampeders are 3 games ahead with 4 games to play. The Roughriders are 2 games up on the Elks with 4 games to play and have the tiebreaker. Saskatchewan is 2 games ahead over the Tiger-Cats with 4 games to play but has to finish with a better record.

The Montréal Alouettes might feel the same about finishing second. The Alouettes are 2 games behind Toronto with a tiebreaker to be determined. Montréal is 2½ games lead over the Tiger-Cats and with the tiebreaker.

The best battle is for second in the West with the BC Lions ½ game ahead of Calgary and the Lions have the tiebreaker.

Canada observes the initial National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The BC Lions have a lot planned for Orange Shirt Day today in Vancouver. This is the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The Lions will have its Indigenous-themed logo on their helmets. Kwakwaka’wakw/Tlingit artist Corrine Hunt designed the logo.

We saw the logo on the T-shirts and having them on the helmet will be wonderful. ESPN2 will have the game in the States, which might be a coincidence. Either way, the coverage is a happy coincidence.

Going to miss this guy! Massive part of our Habs on TSN team! So happy my guy @JohnLuTSNMtl gets to go back home to Winnipeg for the Jets gig. @djpoulin20 said he will step up his suit game in John’s absence. Much love buddy ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ObkCywRQX0

— Bryan Mudryk (@BryanMudryk) September 27, 2022

John Lu has been covering Montréal for TSN for a very long time. Lu is the last piece of the puzzle for the Winnipeg Jets coverage on TSN3. Lu replaces Sara Orlesky, who joined the Winnipeg Jets as a senior host/producer.

Lu, who is from Winnipeg, will also cover the CFL in Winnipeg. His CFL Winnipeg debut could be tonight in the Manitoba capital.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Duane Forde had the weekend off as he was inducted into the University of Western Ontario Hall of Fame. Congratulations to Forde for that honour. Rod Smith and Matt Dunigan did road trips with John Lu in Montréal on Friday and Claire Hanna in Ottawa on Saturday.

Dustin Nielson and Glen Suitor were with Farhan Lalji in the late Saturday game in Vancouver.

Dave Naylor was in for Matt Dunigan on the CFL on TSN panel.

logo credit: CFL
photo credit: BC Lions/CFL
Twitter capture: @BryanMudryk

CBC Saturday night Canadian film schedule for early October 2022

We are hitting the homestretch of a summer and early fall of Canadian films seen on CBC on Saturday nights. The NHL season starts October 12 so there are 2 more weeks of the Canadian films on CBC.

The October 1 primary films are Indigenous tales with sports as a theme but very different stories. The final film of the night is just sports related.

The October 8 films spotlight Black talent and hockey with a documentary and fictional story. The documentary gets repeated in the late-night slot.

CBC has some good timing given the NHL season will start soon as well as the Legacy Awards from The Black Academy last Sunday.

This shows out the variety you can find in Canadian films, even ones on the CBC on a Saturday night.

Some of these Canadian films may have been featured recently on CBC. The films should also be available on CBC Gem. All times are local, adding 30 minutes in Newfoundland.

Here is the schedule for early October 2022.

October 1

9p Indian Horse (2017)
11p The Grizzlies (2018)
1a Goalie (2019)

October 8

9p Soul on Ice: Past, Present and Future (2015)
11p Across the Line (2015)
1a Soul on Ice: Past, Present and Future (2015)

Canadian film review: Indian Horse

Canadian film review: The Grizzlies

Canadian film review: Goalie

Indian Horse is a heart wrenching film to watch but tells a valuable story about suffering in residential schools. Americans can find the film on Netflix. The Grizzlies could have been a lame idea about sports overcoming adversity. Yet the presentation and realistic portrayal makes this a more meaningful film.

Goalie is the portrayal of Terry Sawchuk by Mark O'Brien.

The Black Academy will have an awards show on CBC in 2022

Canadian film review: Across the Line

Soul on Ice: Past, Present and Future is a documentary new to us about the contributions of Black athletes in hockey. We have reviewed the interesting if inconsistent Across the Line film featuring the real life brothers Stephan James and Shamier Anderson.

CBC Saturday night Canadian film schedule for late September 2022

CBC Saturday night Canadian film schedule for early September 2022

CBC Saturday night Canadian film schedule for late August 2022

CBC Saturday night Canadian film schedule for early August 2022

CBC Saturday night Canadian film schedule for late July 2022

A recap of CBC Saturday night Canadian films in late spring and early summer 2022

The Canadian films run through October 8, the Saturday before the start of the NHL season.

CanadianCrossing.com CBC coverage

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Enjoy the Canadian films!!

logo credit: CBC
photo credit: The Grizzlies; Across the Line

Canadian film case study: Brooklyn

Brooklyn is one of the most well-known Canadian films in recent memories. Brooklyn qualifies as a Canadian film, being a co-production between the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada. Given the worldwide praise toward the film, touting Brooklyn as a Canadian film success makes sense.

Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) essentially is in Ireland. Moves to America aka New York City aka Brooklyn in 1951. Goes back to Ireland. Will she go back to Brooklyn?

This is a cursory look at the plot. Love enters into the equation. Being homesick enters into view. Ronan is American-born and Irish-raised and was perfectly suited for the role.

If you wonder why she keeps going back and forth, that is not the best approach to this film. Just know some of the story is in the United States. Some of the story is in Ireland. None of the story is in Canada.

The story is more about romance and the "what if" questions involved in romantic stories.

John Crowley directed the film with the screenplay from Nick Hornby based on the Colm Tóibín novel Brooklyn.

The major players in Brooklyn are either British or Irish. Further down on the callsheet is Jessica Paré, the most famous Canadian in the film. Other Canadians in the cast include Emily Bett Rickards, Ellen David, and Christian de la Cortina.

The New York portions of Brooklyn were filmed mostly in Montréal with Ireland serving as Ireland.

CBC Saturday night Canadian film schedule for late April 2020

Canadian film review: Room

Room was a Canadian film in part because of the book of the same name by Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue. Brooklyn stems from a book by an Irish author.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Ronan is the primary reason to see the film with a marvelous performance. Brooklyn is a pleasant film you will likely enjoy. Don't be surprised if you forget most of the film about a month after you saw the film.

Brooklyn received 3 Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actress for Ronan. The film won Canadian Screen Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Musical Score.

video credit: YouTube/Rotten Tomatoes Trailers
photo credit: Brooklyn film

Canada drops all COVID-19 measures at borders as of October 1

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announces the lifting of #COVID19 border measures, including vaccination & testing requirements for all travellers & mandatory use of ArriveCan app. Mask requirements on trains & planes will also be lifted. The changes take effect Oct 1.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/pT8Garg9Ed

— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) September 26, 2022

The news has been leaked for a few days but is now official: Getting into Canada will be a lot easier as a travel destination when the month changes to October.

The ArriveCAN app will be optional when the change is made.

This had been a great concern especially for border cities whose officials were concerned because American travelers were much less likely to cross into Canada, especially for cross border shopping. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made things easier for Canadians to shop within the U.S. on quick cross border trips but not the other way around.

Travelers won't have to submit public health information through the ArriveCAN app or website or provide proof of vaccination. There are other provisions that will be dropped.

Canada to finally lift pre-arrival COVID-19 tests for air and land border crossings

U.S. to open border to fully vaccinated travelers starting today

The restrictions led to actions such as the service of the Windsor Tunnel Bus to be suspended. You have an international border, the busiest crossing between the countries. Greyhound went to Windsor before the pandemic but now Greyhound doesn't go to Canada (outside of Toronto and Vancouver from the United States). You couldn't cross on foot on the Ambassador Bridge or the tunnel.

We hope the Tunnel Bus and other suspended service will return shortly after the government's announcement this morning.

For those who criticise us for not being critical enough of the prime minister, well, you should read our border crossings coverage. We appreciate the overall diligence of the Trudeau Government on COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic. We do feel the government has carried on good policies far too long.

Where to visit Canada in 2022

This change affects the sports world in that unvaccinated athletes can travel to Canada as of October 1. The Toronto Blue Jays had to deal with that in terms of visiting MLB players and in the acquisition of the previously unvaccinated Whit Merrifield from Kansas City. The Blue Jays host Boston on October 1-2. The team might not play any home playoff games in the opening round, depending on the playoff seeding.

This is more relevant to the NHL teams that won't have to worry about unvaccinated players playing in Canada.

Ideally, people would be vaccinated in coming to Canada. The issue was that the good intentions produced a policy that made traveling to Canada not worth the hassle.

CanadianCrossing.com border crossings coverage

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

The obvious time to make the change would be heading into a travel summer. Hopefully, people can make travel plans to Canada in the beautiful fall and for those who enjoy winter. Our look at where to visit Canada in 2023 is going to be a lot brighter.

Twitter capture: @CPAC_TV
photo credit: me

2022 CFL Week 16 preview

Another small week in the CFL where this time most of the West gets to rest while the East gets to shine.

The lone Friday night game has the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the final meeting with the Montréal Alouettes, this time in La Belle Province.

The winner gets the tiebreaker that may prove rather important. ESPN2, in a rare sighting in the fall, will carry this game in the United States.

Toronto goes east to Ottawa in the Saturday evening opener.

The BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders finish their home-and-home series with a trip to Vancouver in the prime time spot out on the West Coast.

Edmonton, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg get to rest up on an early fall weekend.

ESPN2

Friday
Hamilton @ Montréal, 7:30p

TSN

Friday
Hamilton @ Montréal, 7:30p
Saturday
Toronto @ Ottawa, 7p
Calgary @ BC, 10p

Bye week: Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg

Saskatchewan blew a 10-0 lead yet regained the lead 24-23 with 68 seconds left. The Elks hadn't won in Regina since 2015 in over 2,500 days. Edmonton hadn't defeated a divisional opponent since beating Calgary on the road on Labour Day 2021.

Sergio Castillo kicked a 47-yard field goal to give Edmonton a 26-24 lead with 28 seconds left for the victory.

Despite Edmonton's home woes, the team is now 4-4 on the road in 2022.

The Roughriders are 2 games ahead of the Elks with 4 games left for each team and have the tiebreaker, despite the loss last Friday.

2022 CFL Week 15 preview

Everyone had a good laugh about the Winnipeg Blue Bombers return to Hamilton, site of the 2021 Grey Cup where Winnipeg won its second straight Grey Cup. Sure Dane Evans was back in the starting lineup as the Tiger-Cats quarterback. Winnipeg figured to easily trounce Hamilton.

Evans did throw 25-for-32 for 327 yards and a career-high 5 passing touchdowns. The Tiger-Cats scored 24 points to blow open the game for Hamilton in the second quarter.

The Blue Bombers now have 2 losses this season, both to East Division teams.

2022 CFL Week 14 preview: Revenge games

The BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders are almost certainly headed for a CFL playoff game in 2022. The Lions had a ½ game lead going into last week's tilt in Calgary. Nathan Rourke had led BC to a 1-point victory earlier in Calgary. Vernon Adams Jr. showed why the Lions traded a 1st-round draft pick for him.

Adams went 25-for-32 for 294 passing yards and added 32 rushing yards in his first start in orange.

Jake Maier might wonder if his coach Dave Dickenson will lean toward Bo Levi Mitchell. An overtime loss is still a loss.

The Lions have the tiebreaker over the Stampeders with the final game between the teams Saturday night in Vancouver. BC only has 3 more points than Calgary in the first 2 games. That theoretical West semifinal will be a game to remember.

2022 CFL Week 13 preview: Labour Day weekend

Calgary linebacker Cameron Judge will sit out this week's game in Vancouver after punching BC Lions receiver Lucky Whitehead on the field following the game at McMahon Stadium.

I can’t thank @saraorlesky (aka the 🐐) enough for showing me the ropes of sideline reporting the last few months.🏈To say she will be missed, is an understatement! One of the most beautiful people inside & out! (Only makes sense we end up twinning on our last game together) pic.twitter.com/foAq8i8wgn

— Brit Dort (@britdortCTV) September 5, 2022

Brit Dort essentially took over for Claire Hanna at CTV Regina (Channel 2 CKCK-TV) as Hanna went to Ottawa. Even when Sara Orlesky was still on the TSN staff, we noted the absence of sideline reporters out west for the CFL on TSN.

Ryan Rishaug (Edmonton) has been on other TSN duties. Farhan Lalji is in Vancouver and he has worked extra duty on play by play (only in Vancouver) and in Toronto as host of the CFL on TSN panel.

Dort is new and can only cover so much territory: Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, and Edmonton is a large beat for just one person. Matthew Scianitti covers Toronto and Hamilton but they are close to each other. Hanna came out from Ottawa to help out this past week in Calgary.

Your humble narrator likes Donnovan Bennett, host of The Waggle official CFL podcast. Yet I haven't listened too much to the podcast of late. Sara Orlesky did make an appearance on The Waggle. If the CFL had a working app, that would be an easy way to listen. 

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Dustin Nielson and Glen Suitor worked with Brit Dort in Regina on Friday and with Claire Hanna in Calgary on Saturday. Rod Smith and Duane Forde with Matthew Scianitti were at the Hall of Fame Game in Hamilton.

The Canadian Football Hall of Fame has always been in Hamilton since 1972 but moved into Tim Hortons Field in 2016.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @britdortCTV

2022 NHL preseason schedule

There are 2 kinds of NHL fans: those who count the seconds until preseason and the others who are like, "September already?"

The NHL preseason schedule is that sign that real hockey games are coming quite soon.

Good news for the the people of Twillingate, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Elsipogtog First Nation, New Brunswick, winners of Kraft Hockeyville in 2020 and 2021, respectively. These communities will finally get their preseason game.

Both communities will get the Montréal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. The teams will face off in nearby communities: Gander, NF at the Steele Community Centre on October 6 and nearby Bouctouche, NB at the J.K. Irving Centre on October 8.

The games are on TVA Sports. Rogers Sportsnet isn't carrying the games.

The Canadian teams generally play each other with the grand exception of the Seattle Kraken, a random Habs home game with New Jersey, Vancouver hosting Gary Bettman's second favourite desert team, and a home-and-home with Toronto and Detroit.

There will be preseason games in non-NHL cities: CAA Arena in Belleville, ON with the Battle of Ontario on September 30 and Abbotsford Centre in Abbotsford, BC with Edmonton and Vancouver on October 5.

Montréal played a preseason game at the Centre Videotron in Québec City in the before (COVID-19) time. That tradition has not returned.

2021 NHL preseason schedule

2019 NHL preseason schedule

September 24

Ottawa @ Toronto, 1p/7p+

September 25

Winnipeg @ Edmonton, 6p
Calgary @ Vancouver, 7p+
Vancouver @ Calgary, 8p+

September 26

New Jersey @ Montréal, 7p
Edmonton @ Seattle, 10p

September 27

Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 8p
Calgary @ Seattle, 10p

September 28

Montréal @ Toronto, 7p
Edmonton @ Calgary, 9p

September 29

Winnipeg @ Montréal, 7p
Seattle @ Vancouver, 9:30p

September 30

Toronto @ Ottawa, 7p (Belleville, ON)
Calgary @ Edmonton, 9p

October 1

Montréal @ Ottawa, 7p
Edmonton @ Winnipeg, 8p
Vancouver @ Seattle, 9:30p

October 3

Toronto @ Montréal, 7p
Seattle @ Calgary, 9p
Vancouver @ Edmonton, 9p

October 4

Ottawa @ Montréal, 7p

October 5

Calgary @ Winnipeg, 8p
Edmonton @ Vancouver, 10p (Abbotsford, BC)

October 6

Ottawa @ Montréal, 6p (Gander, NL)

October 7

Toronto @ Detroit, 7:30p
Winnipeg @ Calgary, 9p
Seattle @ Edmonton, 9p
Arizona @ Vancouver, 10p

October 8

Montréal @ Ottawa, 6:30p (Bouctouche, NB)
Detroit @ Toronto, 7p

+ split squad games; All times EDT.

Rogers Sportsnet may or may not have posted a full preseason schedule. They have to consider Toronto Blue Jays potential postseason games. Will update as needed.

September 24 Ottawa @ Toronto, 1p/7p+
September 25 Calgary @ Vancouver, 7p+
September 28 Montréal @ Toronto, 7p
September 29 Seattle @ Vancouver, 9:30p
September 30 Toronto @ Ottawa, 7p (Belleville, ON)
October 1 Vancouver @ Seattle, 9:30p
October 3 Vancouver @ Edmonton, 9p

TSN issued its full preseason schedule.

September 25 Winnipeg @ Edmonton, 6p (TSN3)
September 26 New Jersey @ Montréal, 7p (TSN2)
September 27 Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 8p (TSN3, TSN5)
September 29 Winnipeg @ Montréal, 7p (TSN2, TSN3)
October 1 Montréal @ Ottawa, 7p (TSN5); Edmonton @ Winnipeg, 8p (TSN3)
October 3 Toronto @ Montréal, 7p (TSN2, TSN4)
October 4 Ottawa @ Montréal, 7p (TSN2)
October 7 Toronto @ Detroit, 7:30p (TSN4)
October 8 Detroit @ Toronto, 7p (TSN4)

The NHL Network will have preseason games involving Canadian teams. Most of that coverage will be tape delayed. The above feeds will indicate whether a Canadian feed could be used. ESPN+ will also have select NHL preseason games.

There will be a new Winnipeg Jets TV voice to replace Dennis Beyak.

We will update TV schedules as needed. 

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CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

The regular season for Canadian NHL teams starts on October 12 with Toronto at Montréal followed by Vancouver at Edmonton on Rogers Sportsnet.

photo credit: Kraft Hockeyville/NHL