CBC producer Chris Rands is not famous. The remarks overheard from Justin Trudeau at the NATO summit in Watford, just outside of London in England are now famous.
Rands went through the footage as part of his job and discovered Trudeau's words in the middle of a private conversation with France President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
"Well, yeah. Because the one camera that was capturing all this had a really good microphone. To capture sound at that distance, they're very directional. They sort of point in one way. So you could hear the prime minister because he was facing the microphone. The other leaders had their faces away or to the side, so their voices were sort of drifting off somewhere."
Rands explaining to Carol Off of CBC Radio's As It Happens why you could hear Trudeau but not the other world leaders. This is crucial since Macron, Johnson, Rutte, and later Princess Anne are in the conversation but we don't know what they said. Rands also has to provide context to what we could hear Trudeau saying because the words in themselves don't add up to much.
We are so used to the words "controversy" that we should look at what Trudeau actually said. There was no criticism of policy, just frank observations on being late for being wrapped up in an unscheduled press conference and the surprise unofficial announcement of the new location of the G7 summit.
For that, Trudeau gets labeled as "two-faced." For all the horrible policy that has been aimed at Canada in the last almost 3 years, Trudeau was drawing proverbial blood from biting his tongue.
Let's also be clear about the "two-faced" element. People speak about Donald Trump behind his back because they are afraid to say things to his face. Thin skin is not a shining train of someone in his situation.
Trump abruptly canceled a press conference and left the NATO meeting early in response to the video.
While NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was critical of Trudeau for saying different things in public vs. private, "There's many reasons to criticize Mr. Trump, but criticizing about making someone late to a cocktail party is not one."
The world is laughing at President Trump. They see him for what he really is: dangerously incompetent and incapable of world leadership.
Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, a presidential candidate for 2020, put up an ad pointing to world leaders laughing at Trump. The ad is actually more fair because Trudeau is seen as part of the group.
Trump has been obsessed with NATO countries reaching defence spending of 2% of GDP. Of the 28 NATO countries, 9 countries are at 2% or higher. The United States, to no one's surprise, is far above and beyond with 3.42%. 4 of those 9 countries are between 2% and 2.05%.
There are 19 countries below the 2% threshold. Canada rank at number 20 with 1.31%. Even though there are 19 NATO countries, Trump singles out Canada every chance he gets.
Could you imagine the Canadian election if the budget priorities were flipped to get close to the 2% figure. Pharmacare is more important to Canadians than the false bravado of defence for the sake of defence. Perhaps the U.S. could cut back to 2.8% and give its citizens a single-payer health care system.
An ideal Canada-U.S. relationship would be full of low-level negotiation on topics such as why the U.S. has suddenly doubled the number of 5-year bans on travellers from Canada. Like the NAFTA 2.0 negotiations, everything is about Canada and not the United States. World affairs require leadership and compromise: in this relationship, all of those are on one side.
My hopes (limited) on being a columnist with the StarMetro newspapers are now dashed. TorStar is shutting down the StarMetro commuter newspapers in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and Halifax with December 20 as the final date of publication. 73 jobs will be lost in the closing of the newspapers.
I am more familiar with the free newspapers under the previous Metro banner. They weren't worth much but served a purpose when visiting a city. The TorStar rebranding came about a year ago.
There are reports of digital bureaus opening in all those cities except for Toronto with 5 reporters in Vancouver, 5 reporters in Alberta, and 1 in Halifax. That would mean a negative 62 jobs lost.
This is about the 2-year anniversary of the terrible TorStar-Postmedia "trade" where the large media companies acquired papers to then close them.
Postmedia acquired the Metro Winnipeg and Metro Ottawa free dailies to then close them. Torstar acquired and closed 24Hours Toronto and 24Hours Vancouver, rivals to the Metro newspapers.
Personal note: I am changing employment. I’ll be joining the Globe and Mail later this month.
I have considerable experience in column writing and a strong expertise in Canada. Being a white man would theoretically (and sadly) make me ideal to be a newspaper columnist in Canada. The major drawback is that I am likely too liberal for Canadian newspapers.
The most recent columnist additions to The Globe and Mail lineup would confirm that theory.
Andrew Coyne has moved from the National Post to The Globe and Mail. Robyn Urback recently made the move from CBC News to The Globe and Mail. Coyne and Urback fall in the centre-right position on the Canadian news spectrum.
You might be more familiar with Coyne since he is on the At Issue panel on The National on CBC News. Urback writes the kind of columns where you think you know where you stand on an issue and she writes the opposite of that viewpoint.
They essentially replace Margaret Wente, who took a buyout, as a columnist with the newspaper. The Globe and Mail kept Wente on long after plagiarism accusations in 2012 and a pair of columns in 2016 that failed to meet the newspaper's attribution standards.
Coyne and Urback are upgrades over Wente even in columns that weren't plagiarised. I don't begrudge their success; I would love to have my voice in the Canadian news landscape.
photo credit: StarMetro Toronto Twitter capture: @acoyne
We mentioned Bill 21 a few times during the Canadian election season, mostly for the leaders who were reluctant to stand up for minority rights in La Belle Province. The argument has been that Bill 21 is going through the judicial process.
Manitoba decided to get involved.
Bill 21 prohibits certain workers for the province (lawyers, teachers, police) from wearing religious symbols (hijabs, yarmulkes) on their person while at work.
The Brian Pallister government in Manitoba ran newspaper and digital ads in Quebec to lure French-speaking people to come live in Manitoba. The ad lists 21 reasons to match the number on Bill 21. The Winnipeg Jets, affordable housing, the largest French population west of Ontario, and microbreweries were some of the reasons. The primary reason: being able to wear religious symbols.
Pallister says Manitoba has a shortage of bilingual employees in some areas of its civil service. Manitoba has a number of French-speaking areas, especially St. Boniface in Winnipeg.
"I think this money would have been better spent for French services in Manitoba. And I think Mr. Pallister should work to keep his own people in Manitoba, like Dustin Byfuglien with the Jets," replied Quebec Premier Francois Legault. Byfuglien was suspended by the Winnipeg Jets after not reporting to training camp.
"Rights and freedoms of Canadians should be everyone's business," Pallister told Vassy Kapelos on CBC's Power & Politics. The NDP opposition in Manitoba is on board. "Any policy, any legislation, any ruling that is based upon how you look or what faith you practise, is not right," said NDP heritage critic Diljeet Brar in the assembly.
The media did a pretty good job of conveying the impact of Bill 21 before the bill became law. Unfortunately, since the bill has been implemented, the Canadian media have dropped the ball on how the bill currently impacts Quebecers.
Even if you don't put much hope in the Manitoba drive, a move by a Progressive Conservative government finally got the press to spend a bit of time on Bill 21. People's lives are being dramatically altered and somehow those people aren't worth covering in the eyes of Canadian media.
"People's lives are being ruined. People are being forced to leave their professions. People are being forced to leave this province," Catherine McKenzie, a lawyer representing civil rights groups, told the Quebec Court of Appeal late last month.
Justin Trudeau was the only viable politician to form government who even mentioned the idea of a court challenge of Bill 21. Trudeau's confrontation with Jagmeet Singh on the topic during the final French language debate was worth further mention but that got lost in the Canadian election cycle.
We have made several points during the campaign about the timidity of federal party leaders on Bill 21. There was the concern over lost votes in Quebec. Brian Pallister and Manitoba don't have to be afraid. The question is why the Canadian media is as afraid as Andrew Scheer and Jagmeet Singh.
The story gets lost in English Canada because this law is in French Canada. The argument is specious at best since all rights apply across the board in Canada and also applies to Quebec.
Legault says Bill 21 is "a decision to be taken by Quebecers and Quebecers only" and isn't the business of anyone else. That will literally be for the courts to decide. In the meantime, Bill 21 has impacted negatively the lives of Canadians. The impact is highly newsworthy.
Those who speak French in Quebec who are impacted by Bill 21 have many places to go in Canada. New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province in Canada. There are French-speaking places scattered all over Canada, especially Ontario, Alberta, and oui, Manitoba. Likely, they will want to stay in Quebec but without Bill 21.
photo credit: Global News video credit: Power & Politics/CBC News
The cancellation of Anne With an E came the day after its run on CBC; the show done after 3 seasons. No one cited poor quality or bad ratings or however Netflix figures this out.
What was left unsaid is that Anne With an E might have been the first casualty of the CBC announcement that the public broadcaster would no longer work with Netflix. "We’re not going to do deals that hurt the long-term viability of our domestic industry," CBC president and CEO Catherine Tait said in October.
Season 3 of Anne With an E debuts on January 3 on Netflix.
Anne With an E had 7 nominations and 4 wins at the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards. The show won for Best Drama Series; Best Actress, Drama Series (Amybeth McNulty); Best Supporting Actress, Drama (Geraldine James); and Best Supporting Actor, Drama (R.H. Thompson). In the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards, Anne With an E had 7 nominations and 2 wins: Best Drama Series and Best Supporting Actor, Drama (R.H. Thompson).
These are the level of accolades that should be celebrated in Canadian television.
Beloved fans & friends of #AWAE, I’m sorry for the sad network news today 🧡 I wish it could be different but it cannot. We have reached the end of the red Green Gables road after 3 wonderful seasons. My heart is… https://t.co/IqODF0muzB
Anne with an E greatly benefited from the CBC/Netflix arrangement. A Canadian story told by Canadians to an international audience that wanted to know more about this story.
Moira Walley-Beckett took the timeless classic and gave a strong, feminist 21st century update. She came back to Canada to give life to Anne and had great success. Amybeth McNulty brought the enthusiasm and vulnerability that makes up Anne. Walley-Beckett added an LGBTQ storyline and the show's first black character in Season 2. Season 3 added an Indigenous element.
CBC and Netflix thanked Walley-Beckett, co-executive producer Miranda de Pencier, and the cast and crew "for their incredible work in sharing Anne's story with a new generation." de Pencier also played Josie Pye in the 1985 Anne of Green Gables series and its sequels.
People outside of Canada got to appreciate The Tragically Hip and the show's theme song Ahead by a Century. They may have also seen Long Time Running, also on Netflix, but the reinforcement of the song in a well-loved drama adds significance.
The Netflix influence didn't get off to a good start. The show started out as Anne in Season 1 on CBC. Netflix changed the name of the show from Anne to Anne with an E. Netflix also dramatically changed Anne's appearance in initial promotion of the show.
Despite the bizarre influence of Netflix, Anne with an E likely would have ended on its own terms, such as what Orphan Black did and Schitt's Creek will do this spring. The surprise is that the show apparently wasn't viable without the Netflix money, yet alternative sources of income weren't established to save the show.
There was the obvious benefit to Prince Edward Island in terms of promotion and tourism that disappears with the end of the show. There was criticism that the show shot mostly in Ontario as opposed to PEI but that wouldn't be as obvious to viewers.
let’s save the show that saved us. let’s save the show that showed us its okay to be different. let’s save the show that brought tears to our eyes and left us in awe. let’s save the show that means so much to us and the cast. we can do this. #SaveAnneWithAnnE#AnneWithAnEpic.twitter.com/1mjsvtUpRQ
There is a push online to save the show. There are split issues in trying to revive the show. The Americans are pushing on Netflix but Netflix's role is limited. CBC could have brought back the show on its own but Americans who don't get a CBC feed would struggle to be able to watch the show. Season 3 of Mary Kills People still doesn't have a home in the United States.
No one is saying the words "this show was cancelled because CBC doesn't want to work with Netflix because of a possible Netflix tax." If Netflix was the issue, we didn’t realize Netflix’s money was the difference between renewal and cancellation.
The separation by the CBC felt premature. If Netflix ran because of the Netflix tax, that would be sad but understandable. CBC ran away without a Netflix tax or any other kind of deal. Anne with an E is the first casualty but we fear not the last.
photo credit: Anne with an E/CBC Twitter captures: @YoWalleyB; @sadierosemx video credit: YouTube/Netflix
Bill Peters is gone as head coach of the Calgary Flames after the use of racial slurs came out a decade ago. Peters coached the American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs in 2009 when he used the n-word against Akim Aliu.
Flames general manager Brad Treliving (above), who conducted a thorough investigation, named assistant coach Geoff Ward as the interim head coach. Treliving kept Peters away from the team during the investigation.
There was also accusations of physical violence against players when Peters was coach for Carolina in the NHL. Michal Jordan alleged Peters kicked him and punched a teammate.
This morning, #Flames GM Brad Treliving received and accepted a letter of resignation from Bill Peters: "Effective immediately, Bill Peters is no longer a member of the Calgary Flames organization." pic.twitter.com/IImaQVaXml
The Peters apology letter seemed to make things worse. Aliu called the apology "misleading, insincere and concerning."
"I am aware that there is no excuse for language that is offensive. I meant no disrespect in what I said, and it was not directed at anyone in particular. But, that doesn't matter; it was hurtful and demeaning. I am truly sorry."
The n-word is a sign of disrespect and aimed at specific people. There was a dispute about an apology: Aliu said there wasn't one, Peters said there was one.
There may be some correlation to what happened to Don Cherry. Hockey is for everyone. That is the message of the present and future for the NHL and hockey in general.
Mike Babcock in his stupid move with Mitch Marner is its own issue. Cherry and Peters don't quite understand what happened to them. The mentality (hazing included) of this macho, white-bread mentality needs to be reversed.
The Calgary Flames struggled even before this Peters controversy. Having a resolution will help the team. The team has had Bob Hartley (2012-2016); Glen Gulutzan (2016-2018); and Bill Peters (2018-2019) in recent years. Gulutzan and Peters combined for 9 playoff games with a 1-8 record.
NBCSN has a lone December telecast with Toronto hosting its American cousins from Buffalo close to the holiday break.
The NHL Network has its Ottawa season debut near the end of the month, though on the road in Pittsburgh. The channel will show a highly rare NHL game from Alberta on New Year's Eve. The New York Rangers have more appearances (3) just against Canadian teams in December than Montréal (2), Winnipeg (0), and Vancouver (0) combined.
The Jets got 3 telecasts in the first 2 weeks but have disappeared since then. The Canucks would love to have that problem as the NHL Network hasn't carried Vancouver this season.
The 2020 World Juniors start on Boxing Day, December 26, in Ostrava and Třinec in the Czech Republic. The gold medal game will be on January 5, 2020. TSN in Canada and NHL Network in the United States will have the coverage. The games are in the middle of the afternoon in the eastern part of the United States, so the NHL Network is taking advantage and showing NHL games in prime time.
The NHL takes a holiday winter break between December 24-26.
NBCSN
December 17 Buffalo @ Toronto, 7p
NHL Network
December 1 Montréal @ Boston, 7p (HH) December 7 Toronto @ St. Louis, 7p (HNIC) December 14 Detroit @ Montréal, 7p (HNIC) December 20 Toronto @ NY Rangers, 7p December 22 Calgary @ Dallas, 7p (HH) December 28 NY Rangers @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC) December 30 Ottawa @ Pittsburgh, 7p December 31 NY Rangers @ Edmonton, 9p
ESPN+
December 1 Edmonton @ Vancouver, 10p December 3 Toronto @ Philadelphia, 7p December 8 Buffalo @ Edmonton, 8p December 9 Calgary @ Colorado, 9p December 10 Montréal @ Pittsburgh, 7p December 15 Philadelphia @ Winnipeg, 5p December 17 Carolina @ Winnipeg, 8p Pittsburgh @ Calgary, 9p December 19 Nashville @ Ottawa, 7:30p December 20 Pittsburgh @ Edmonton, 9p December 21 Detroit @ Toronto, 7p December 23 Carolina @ Toronto, 2p December 27 Calgary @ Edmonton, 9p
Hockey Night in Canada
December 7
Buffalo @ Vancouver, 4p/Toronto @ St. Louis, 7p Los Angeles @ Calgary, 10p
December 14
Columbus @ Ottawa, 1p/Toronto @ Edmonton, 7p/Detroit @ Montréal, 7p Vancouver @ San Jose, 10p
We knew there would be a transition. Brian Burke was the centre of speculation and that might happen down the road. Rogers Sportsnet has a chance to rethink the first intermission segment and may want to start fresh in the fall of 2020.
Stan Temming of Yahoo Sports Canada suggested Burke, Paul Bissonnette, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, and Patrick Roy as possible replacements. Those are excellent choices. I would throw in Hayley Wickenheiser and yes, Glenn Healy. Healy is really smart on hockey, opinionated, and has lots of experience with Hockey Night in Canada.
As for the future of hockey, Don Cherry fans should take a look at this vision of the good ol' hockey game. (Here is the original version with Ron and Don.)
Don Cherry getting fired is the only reason that the Toronto Maple Leafs firing Mike Babcock isn't the top story of the month. The tweet says it all: short-term thinking doesn't help most NHL teams get out of the doldrums. The Maple Leafs had significant injuries, a lack of depth on defence, and a backup goalie situation so bad Toronto needed a 36-year-old accountant to play, like Chicago had in 2018.
Mike Babcock is one of the best coaches in the league; no offence to Sheldon Keefe, who is in his first NHL head coach position. Keefe might make the Leafs a bit better in the short term. Toronto's goal should be the Stanley Cup. Babcock understood what that took.
Babcock might have been fired for the playoff losses. Getting past Boston when the refs are on the side of the Bruins was a problem that even Babcock couldn't solve.
We ran the rest of the Canadian ads from the NHL Center Ice free preview in November. The 2019 election called for a separate entry. Hope you enjoyed all the ads. We also have the ads on our YouTube page. The service stopped running those idiotic promos that blocked out the first commercial in the break so we got more ads.
All 7 Canadian teams playing on a Saturday is fairly common. The challenge for Rogers Sportsnet on November 2 was having to cover all 7 teams AND not have them play each other. None of those games were in Canada. This was the only time ever that 7 Canadian teams played on a Saturday all outside Canada.
Edmonton @ Pittsburgh for the Saturday matinee went to the Oilers local weekend crew with Kevin Quinn and Drew Remenda.
The 7 pm timeslot had Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, and Calgary.
Toronto: Jim Hughson/Craig Simpson
Montréal: John Bartlett/Garry Galley
Ottawa: R.J. Broadhead/Greg Millen
Calgary: Rick Ball/Cassie Campbell-Pascall (Flames local weekend crew)
The late games had Vancouver and Winnipeg in warmer climates. Dave Randorf and Louie DeBrusk had the Jets not on CBC while the Canucks crew — John Shorthouse and John Garrett — called the Vancouver game on CBC. Vancouver is seen as higher on the NHL chain than Winnipeg. Scott Oake almost always works the CBC game and he didn't on November 2.
Bob Cole likely would have been in Ottawa if this happened last season.
I asked the NHL Public Relations on Twitter for help on the missing city on my list. They did not reply to my message on Twitter. Let's go through the ones we know.
Winnipeg, Montréal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Kanata, Vancouver — current Canadian cities with a NHL franchise
Quebec City — Canadian city with a previous NHL franchise
Ottawa — early NHL days and the 2017 NHL 100 Classic
Saskatoon, Hamilton, Halifax — Canadian cities that hosted NHL games from 1992-1994
Regina — 2019 Heritage Classic host
Ottawa and Hamilton had old-time NHL franchises. As far as we know, they didn't play outside their cities.
The early 1990s experiment brought 8 games to Hamilton; 6 to Saskatoon; and 3 to Halifax.
We know from the cryptic clue in the tweet that the missing city is not in Saskatchewan. Let us know in the comments section if you know the missing city.
There might have been a time where Mike Milbury might have fit in well in the Coach's Corner seat. Cranky and knowledgeable, Milbury would have excelled in that role. Milbury struggles as a game analyst and has trouble not pulling for Boston. I would rather have Eddie Olczyk call a Chicago game with a Canadian team than Mike Milbury with Boston. NBCSN should know better.
The Edmonton telecast is essentially a simulcast of the NBC Sports California feed. Yawn.
November 5 Boston @ Montréal, 7:30p: John Forslund/Mike Milbury November 19 Edmonton @ San Jose, 10:30p: Randy Hahn/Kendall Coyne Schofield/Bret Hedican
Watched a bit of the Maple Leafs and the St. Louis-Calgary late game on CBC Gem on November 9 while on Canadian soil. I recall a couple of years ago trying to stream Hockey Night in Canada on the CBC Web site and finding that difficult. The process was very easy on CBC Gem by clicking on live TV. You can only get the CBC games that way. That proved to be helpful since I didn't have TV where I was staying.
Kyle Bukauskas read the first period and second period promos back-to-back in the November 2 game. The upcoming episode of the Great Canadian Baking Show was the season finale. The promos are not supposed to run back to back. There were only 5 promos on November 2.
Family Feud Canada with Gerry Dee doesn't start until December 16. Red Bull Signature is only available on CBC Gem. The Still Standing promo aired before the third period started on November 16.
November 2 early game: Great Canadian Baking Show; Still Standing (1st); Great Canadian Baking Show; Still Standing (2nd); CBC Listen (3rd)
November 16 early game: CBC Listen; Anne with an E (1st); Family Feud Canada; Red Bull Signature (2nd); Still Standing; Family Feud Canada (3rd)
video credit: YouTube/PWHPA Twitter captures: @canadian_xing; @PR_NHL
The Trudeau Government did an expected cabinet shuffle in preparation for Justin Trudeau's second term as prime minister.
Pablo Rodriguez moves from heritage minister to the government house leader role. The move is considered an upgrade for Rodriguez. Steven Guilbeault, a high-profile Quebec environmental activist, is new to cabinet and will be the new heritage minister.
Guilbeault represents the Laurier–Sainte-Marie riding in central Montréal and was elected for the first time in October. He is a founding member of the Quebec environmental organization Équiterre. Guilbeault is famous for scaling the CN Tower to bring attention to climate change. He would seem well-suited for a climate change portfolio.
Guilbeault is familiar with Radio-Canada and CBC as a commentator. He would do well to go over the Liberal Party platform to "strengthen the regional mandate of CBC/RadioCanada, so that local stations can broadcast more local news; and require CBC/RadioCanada to open up its digital platform, so that journalism start-ups and community newspapers can access affordable technology to develop and distribute local content."
The new heritage minister might want to consider the platforms of the NDP and Green Party: on this subject, considering the minority government status. As the NDP platform notes: "Public broadcasting has a remarkable legacy of connecting all points of our country – and it needs to have an even stronger future now more than ever to help make sure that Canadians have access to accurate, relevant information no matter where they live."
Guilbeault would be the one that would make a reality out of the Liberals campaign promise of a $200 culture pass for Canadians when they turn 12 years old. The party said the pass would apply to "theatres, museums, galleries, workshops, and other cultural venues and local Canadian content."
Guilbeault is the third heritage minister under Justin Trudeau preceded by Mélanie Joly and Rodriguez.
The Broadcast and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel will have its final report sometime in January to update the Broadcasting Act. Guilbeault will finish what Rodriguez started.
The "Netflix tax" might be the singular priority for Guilbeault in his new role. Given that Guilbeault is new to the beat, here are some of the priorities we would love to see from Guilbeault:
-- The Netflix tax bounty, if there is a Netflix tax, will go toward TV projects. The Liberals did vow to "continue to support Canadian film by increasing annual funding for Telefilm Canada by nearly 50 per cent a year" and "introduce a new Cultural Diplomacy strategy, with at least one international mission each year to promote Canadian culture and creators around the world." There should be a way to channel more money into the film industry. Streaming services show movies and television.
-- Channel the assistance for Canadian journalism to go to projects that can improve the flow of news and information. Look into how U.S. hedge funds can own "most" of the largest newspaper company in Canada (Postmedia).
-- Develop a federal film ratings system. We've seen the mess in Ontario and noted provinces banning films in the past. Ontario is currently using the British Columbia ratings system guidelines. Start with the BC guidelines and incorporate elements that other provinces are doing well.
We're not sure how successful the Just Ask campaign was in Canada Election 2019. The idea was for those in the business to ask MP candidates about their concerns on Canadian TV, film, and Web content. As we noted, backbenchers don't usually have much of an impact on policy. Guilbeault should sit down with the Just Ask folks as well as other major Canadian content organisations to get a prospective on their concerns and what the Trudeau Government can do to improve the Canadian culture landscape.
Guilbeault is invited to read our content. We have written a lot of articles on Canadian content, where it is and where it can go. He is bilingual, though French appears to be his first language.
While environment would be a better portfolio, Guilbeault was likely given heritage to ease him into cabinet and not upset Western interests who seem to be always angry. A minority government might not last all 4 years so the Guilbeault era at heritage may not last long. Still, Guilbeault should use the time in heritage to develop solid, long-term solutions on Canadian culture.
Andrew Harris, a Winnipeg native, wears #33 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Blue Bombers scored 33 points in the 2019 Grey Cup win 33-12 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Calgary
Since the Most Valuable Canadian award started in 1971, Harris is the only Canadian to win both Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Canadian in the Grey Cup. The last Canadian to win Most Valuable Player was Russ Jackson in the 1969 Grey Cup.
Harris also won Most Valuable Canadian in the 2011 Grey Cup while with the BC Lions, ironically against Winnipeg.
On Sunday, Harris had 134 yards on 18 carries along with 35 yards on 5 receptions, scoring a touchdown each on the ground and in the air.
The 2-game suspension was a buckle in an otherwise impressive season for Harris and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Seemed fitting for the 2019 Winnipeg Blue Bombers that the starting quarterback would have fewer passing yards than his opponent. Zach Collaros went 17-for-23 for 170 yards while Dane Evans was 16-for-27 for 203 yards. Chris Streveler only threw 3 passes, all completions, for Winnipeg for 39 yards with a 18-yard TD pass to Andrew Harris. Collaros and Streveler combined for 209 yards, barely surpassing Evans.
When Matt Nichols was healthy, his passing yards weren't that impressive but that was the way Winnipeg won all season.
Streveler was seen limping at times in the postseason. While we know he's thrilled to win the Grey Cup, Streveler is likely happy to let his legs recover in the offseason.
I was 10yrs old the last time the Bombers won the Grey Cup, so it was pretty cool to get a pic of MY 10yr old watching tonight when they finally won it again. #CFL
There is no cheering in the press box. There isn't. This was a nice human moment after Winnipeg won from TSN's Sara Orlesky. She is based in Winnipeg. There is an emotional impact. Journalism is about honesty. Thanks for being open and sharing with us.
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Paul LaPolice on offence and Richie Hall on defence. We don't often reflect on the coordinators but both were outstanding this season. Hall's defence only gave up a single touchdown in the West final and the Grey Cup. The lone Hamilton major came late in the 3rd quarter.
The perception of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers changed before the 2016 season when Andrew Harris and Justin Medlock signed with the Blue Bombers in free agency. Harris came home from BC while Medlock came over from Hamilton.
Medlock went 6-for-7 on field goals in the 2019 Grey Cup. He hit the last 6 attempts from 45, 17, 39, 41, 17, and 18 yards. Medlock was the fourth kicker to hit 6 field goals in a Grey Cup.
We noted in our 2019 Grey Cup preview that the losing fan base would be crestfallen by the result. Hamilton has lost 3 Grey Cups in the 2010s in 2014, 2015, and now 2019. The streak will be 21 years in 2020. Montréal will have the second-longest streak at 10 years in 2020.
Ottawa had a 40-year drought between CFL title championships. The city didn't have football from 1997-2001 after the loss of the Rough Riders and 2006-2013 after the loss of the Renegades. About a third (13) of the drought were seasons where Ottawa didn't have the CFL.
Hamilton had an amazing run with a all-time best 15-3 record. The Tiger-Cats struggled on offence and had the first 6 turnovers of the game.
"It's not up to the standards of modern sport...I'd like to say this is the last time we'll have a Grey Cup at McMahon."
McMahon Stadium has a great intimacy but isn't high on the list of ideal CFL stadiums. The stadium (1960) is the second-oldest CFL stadium to Percival Molson Stadium (1915). There isn't an outcry in Montréal since that situation is very different. Calgary had a need to replace both McMahon and the Saddledome but the talk has been mostly about the Flames, not the Stampeders.
The 2026 Winter Olympics bid would have solved both of those issues with a large payday for Calgary, but the voters said no.
The 108th Grey Cup will be on November 22, 2020 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan. Regina will host for the fourth time and the first at Mosaic Stadium. The 2021 Grey Cup will be at Tim Hortons Field for the first time in Hamilton since 1996. Those stadiums are the newest crown jewels in the CFL.
The 2010s will have 8 different CFL teams with a title. Toronto and Calgary have won 2 Grey Cups each in the decade while Montréal, BC, Saskatchewan, Edmonton, and Ottawa have won a single Grey Cup in the decade. Hamilton (1999) and Winnipeg (1990) will vie to be that last Grey Cup winner in the decade.
Zach Collaros and Simoni Lawrence. Their paths literally collided knocking Collaros out for weeks and Lawrence served a 2-game suspension. They are on opposite sides of the final game of the 2019 CFL season.
Hamilton narrowly defeated Winnipeg at home 23-15 on July 26. Jeremiah Masoli got hurt in that game and Dane Evans took over for the Tiger-Cats. Hamilton had little trouble with the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg 33-13 on September 27.
Neither team has won the Grey Cup in high-definition or on TSN. The 2019 Grey Cup in Calgary will be long-awaited joy to one fan base and yet more tragedy to the other fan base.
ESPN2
Sunday Hamilton vs. Winnipeg @ Calgary, 6:30p
TSN
Sunday Hamilton vs. Winnipeg @ Calgary, 6:30p
We know the two teams in the game, but who has the edge at each position?
The 2019 Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the first team that isn't a top seed to be in the Grey Cup since 2013 and only the 11th third-place team to reach the Grey Cup. When you hold the top seed in the West without a touchdown, that team can make a lot of history.
"We got down inside the five three times and couldn't score a touchdown. When you play like that, you don't deserve to win," said Saskatchewan quarterback Cody Fajardo. Fajardo went back and forth between comfortable and not-so comfortable with his oblique injury. He only has a single major run and that was late in the game. The Roughriders lacked a bit of imagination in the scoring zone.
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Edmonton chose to take the wind in the 3rd quarter when traditionally done in the 4th quarter. The Esks didn't score in the 3rd quarter with the wind and only 3 points in the 4th quarter.
The Esks had a couple of early turnovers. The Tiger-Cats had all the big offensive plays of the game.
While Edmonton was the third crossover team in the last 4 years to make the East Division final, no crossover team has ever made the Grey Cup.
Orlondo Steinauer has reached the Grey Cup in his first season as a CFL head coach. You might recall that June Jones had willingly stepped aside to let Steinauer be the head coach. Hamilton does owe some gratitude to June Jones and Jerry Glanville. Some American coaches come to Canada and are overwhelmed by the CFL nuances. Jones and Glanville embraced their time in Canada and made the Tiger-Cats better.
Steinauer played in three Grey Cups, winning twice in 1999 and 2004. The 1999 game was the last time the Tiger-Cats were CFL champions.
Mike O’Shea is also in his first Grey Cup as a coach. O’Shea won 3 Grey Cups as a player with Toronto.
Steinauer and O'Shea won a Grey Cup in 2012 as assistant coaches in Toronto: Steinauer as the defensive backs coach and O'Shea as the special teams coordinator.
O'Shea's team defeated teams coached by the Dickenson brothers: Dave with Calgary and Craig with Saskatchewan. Like Steinauer, this was Craig Dickenson's debut season as a CFL head coach.
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Jeremiah Masoli and Matt Nichols might be playing the Grey Cup in their minds as Dane Evans and Zach Collaros are on the field in Calgary. In the year of the backup quarterback, Evans and Collaros took different paths to get to Calgary.
The NHL chose to move the Hometown Hockey game to nighttime on Grey Cup Sunday. In recent years, the game has been in the afternoon, like with the Super Bowl. The Edmonton Oilers are in Arizona opposite the Grey Cup. Edmonton sports fans would have had a tough dilemma if the Oilers and Esks were playing at the same time.
The Oilers play late on Saturday night and have to fly on Sunday, which is likely why the Oilers have to play at night. The NHL should respect the Grey Cup when making out its schedule.
The Oilers game is on national TV in both countries as the NHL Network will carry the Hometown Hockey game.
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The teams last met in the 1984 Grey Cup where Winnipeg won 47-17 over Hamilton. The 1984 Grey Cup was also the last time Winnipeg represented the West Division in the Grey Cup.
Those who read last week's CFL preview might have thought I predicted a Hamilton-Winnipeg Grey Cup. Not the biggest fan of predictions or speculation — just the idea that all the CFL teams should have recent success.
The current players aren't responsible for the frustration of these long streaks but they will feel it on Sunday. Collaros guided Hamilton to a Grey Cup in 2014.
Despite the recent droughts for Winnipeg and Hamilton, the franchises have been quite successful. Toronto (17) and Edmonton (14) dominate the standings of current teams. Winnipeg is third with 10 and Hamilton tied for fourth with 8 Grey Cup titles.
Calgary (8), Montréal (7), BC (6), Saskatchewan (4), and Ottawa (1) round out the current list. The Ottawa Rough Riders (9) won a lot of Grey Cups but none after 1976.
Hamilton was in the Grey Cup in 2013 and 2014. Winnipeg has had quite a few Grey Cup appearances since 1990 in 1992, 1993, 2001, 2007, and 2011.
Keith Urban will be the halftime entertainment star. The Beaches will play at the Grey Cup kickoff show. The opening festivities also has the Calgary Stampede Showband and a young guest vocalist performing the national anthem.
ESPN2 coverage is scheduled to start at 6 pm Eastern.
CFL crossover games
Year
Team
Result
2019
Edmonton (8-10)
beat Montréal (10-8), lost to Hamilton (15-3)
2018
BC (9-9)
lost to Hamilton (8-10)
2017
Saskatchewan (10-8)
beat Ottawa (8-9-1), then lost to Toronto (9-9)
2016
Edmonton (10-8)
beat Hamilton (7-11), then lost to Ottawa (8-9-1)
2014
BC (9-9)
lost to Montréal (9-9)
2012
Edmonton (7-11)
lost to Toronto (9-9)
2009
BC (8-10)
beat Hamilton (9-9), then lost to Montréal (15-3)
2008
Edmonton (10-8)
beat Winnipeg (8-10), then lost to Montréal (11-7)
The 2019 Windsor International Film Festival was a grand 10-day celebration of Canadian film. We had been critical of the film festival not having enough Canadian films in recent years. This year's version had plenty of Canadian films.
Kuessipan won the WIFF Prize in Canadian Film award. The winning film gets the honour and a $10,000 cash award. This is the first year WIFF has had this award.
Kuessipan won over a rather remarkable group of Canadian films to win the award. My vote would have gone for And The Birds Rained Down but the vote would have been close. The other Canadian film nominees were Antigone; Castle in the Ground; Easy Land; Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind; Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger; Matthias and Maxime; Prey; and Willie.
The jury was comprised of Karen Bruce, Women in Film & Television Toronto executive director; Joshua Riehl, director of The Russian Five; and Isabelle Corriveau, Radio-Canada producer.
There were a number of films that we could not cover during the film festival.
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band was the most prominent film. We will cover the film in a separate film review. Lie Exposed and For Those Who Don't Read Me were fiction films that we really wanted to cover. Hope is not high to find either film but we hope for hope.
Other documentaries not reviewed from the film festival were Conviction, Final Offer (1985), Killing Patient Zero, and There Are No Fakes. Co-productions not covered were Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees; City Dreamers; and Toxic Beauty. Other local films not covered were Ghost Artist; Go-Boy! Memories of a Life Behind Bars; Last Call; Prey; The Quick and Dirty (preceded by Finding Feather Hat Guy); and That Is All.
photo credit: me logo credit: Windsor International Film Festival
