Canadian Crossing

Watching the CFL from 30,000 feet in the air

As we continue the almost month-long exile from the CFL on our televisions, this is a good time to tell the story I forgot to mention the story of being able to watch a CFL game — up in the air.

On the same weekend where I saw the games live in Edmonton and Calgary, the Sunday contest was Saskatchewan taking on the B.C. Lions from Vancouver. I didn't think much about that game since I would be in an airplane flying back home.

I flew round trip to Calgary on WestJet — my first experience on the airline. I noticed the TVs in the back of the seats in front of us on the flight to Calgary, but didn't give them much thought since I don't need to pay extra to be entertained on a flight. Going to Calgary, the only thing I could get on the TV was a map that showed where we were on the flight.

On the way back, we were told that the TV was free, though if you didn't have headphones, you had to rent them to be able to hear the TV. Fortunately, I had my headphones with me.

The TV array was amazing, especially to an American. East and West feeds from CBC, CTV, Global. TSN. A bunch of other cable channels. CTV Newsnet. CBC News Network. I was in heaven, even in the clouds.

The sad timing was that the CFL game wouldn't start for an hour, so my concern was missing the end of the game. In flipping around, I found that Global Vancouver was showing The Simpsons episode where Homer and Marge are curling and go to the Olympics in Vancouver. While this was not Canadian content, the episode felt appropriate to watch over Canadian air space.

The feeds were pure: commercials and everything. I went from someone who didn't need a TV on a flight to wishing I could do my own replays on my personal PVR (DVR in the States).

Watching a game on a tiny screen was not the best way to see the CFL, but who was I to complain. B.C. was down early and was driving for a score, but got stopped on downs. Shortly after that series, the picture became erratic and I lost the signal. Talk about bad timing; I was really getting into the game. I flipped around. Some of the signals were working, but others had problems. The movies came in clear, but I wanted the game.

Turns out we had crossed out of the satellite space. I asked the flight attendants about what had happened. They said the rules had changed for how far the satellite coverage would travel, so we couldn't get the signal for the whole trip. This is why the TV was free. I didn't quite understand their explanation, but I knew that I wasn't going to watch the rest of the game.

I had been so happy to watch the CFL game in the air that I would have even paid to watch the rest of the game.

Canadians who get all of this beautiful Canadian television would take this for granted. And they might feel the same way about the cable selection in my apartment. But I was jealous of them. Better to have had a taste of what I want than not have a taste at all. But it left me wanting more.

Oh, and how did the Lions-Roughriders game turn out? B.C. came from behind to win 24-5. I had to watch the highlights on my computer once I returned home.

Canadian fall movie preview: Depressing, scary films coming soon

If you are looking for upbeat, happy-go-lucky Canadian films this fall, you might need to wait another year.

"Rebelle" or "War Witch" is Canada's foreign-language entry into the Oscars. The film is about a 14-year-old girl who is forced to fight with a rebel commander in Sub-Saharan Africa, and later becomes a sex slave for that rebel commander.

Newcomer Rachel Mwanza stars in the title role; she was abandoned by her parents and lives on the streets in Congo's capital Kinshasa. Mwanza has already won best actress trophies at Tribeca and Berlin.

"War Witch" is one of four full-length Canadian films to play in next month's Chicago International Film Festival.

"Antiviral" is the latest movie from Brandon Cronenberg, son of David. The film's plot centers around selling diseases from famous people to those who worship celebrities. "Antiviral" also played in the Toronto International Film Festival.

"In Their Skin" is a horror film about stylish urbanites confronting neighbors that turn out to be more menacing than first believed. When you hear the phrase "claustrophobic atmosphere," this won't be a light-hearted comedy.

Also known as "Replicas," "In Their Skin" stars American actress Selma Blair and Canadian actor Josh Close.

"The Final Member" is a documentary about an Icelandic man who has assembled a collected of penises from different species, but is still looking for one from a human being. If you go check this out, let us know. Thinking we're skipping this one.

Antiviral and In Their Skin should get a moderate number of showings in the United States outside of film festivals. Suspense and horror do better with "American" mainstream movie audiences. Though that doesn't explain why "Daydream Nation" didn't take off more in the States, especially when the female lead is a now more-famous Kat Dennings.

"Rebelle" is another example of a Canadian entry in the foreign language Oscars category that has little to do with Canada. "Incendies" and "Water" are two recent examples that made the cut to the Top 5. We still have a long way to go to see whether "Rebelle" makes that list. The film does have an American distributor, which should get the film into more theaters than last year's Oscar entry, "Monsieur Lazhar."

The international world of film is becoming more mixed where Canadian filmmakers are shooting films set and based outside Canada. That trend will probably get more entrenched. In that spirit, hopefully non-Canadian films will do more than shoot their films in Canada, but also bring the spirit and actors from the Great White North onto the big screen.

Sarah Polley's new documentary "Stories We Tell" isn't a part of the Chicago festival, though we're hoping that the film, and some of the other titles that played in Toronto will also be at the upcoming Windsor International Film Festival, this year from November 7-11. Maybe some of those titles will be less depressing and more "Canadian."

Of Gentlemen and Cowards latest Canadian band to come out of nowhere

 

Jose Bautista and Joey Votto can attest to Canada's power to stuff a ballot box. Hamilton, Ontario's Of Gentlemen and Cowards benefited from that love to win a chance to play on "The Late Show with David Letterman" last week.

Guitarist Christian Fedele, drummer Jake Warren, vocalist Simon Edwards, and bassist Josh Dawson played Save Me in the Ed Sullivan Theater. By day, these four are students at McMaster University in Hamilton.

The escapade started when Of Gentlemen and Cowards entered the song "Save Me' in a contest to be part of the soundtrack for "We Made This Movie," which was produced by Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants.

The band members were joined on stage by fellow Ontarian Paul Shaffer, who leads the CBS Orchestra on Letterman’s show.

Even with the enthusiasm of the Internet followers, fans wouldn't have voted these bands in unless they were also good and talented. Canada is filled with these bands that not many have heard of without these contests.

The story of the band reminds us of a similar unknown band that entered a contest to win acclaim. You might remember The Sheepdogs from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan who made the cover of the Rolling Stone. Admittedly, we haven't heard much from The Sheepdogs since. But they will always remember that time.

The Internet is light years ahead of 2008, so maybe Of Gentlemen and Cowards can take better advantage of their newfound fame.

YouTube feed courtesy of IdolXfactor2.

MLB notebook: Nationals playoff spot reminds Expos fans of what's missing

The story will be about a drought that has lasted since 1933. The quieter story is about a drought since 1981, even if few of those people will actually celebrate that moment.

Watching the Washington Nationals make the playoffs, likely as a division winner, is cause for jubilation in the United States capital city. The Nationals haven't done well since coming to DC in 2005, in part because of the maltreatment from MLB, which owned the team in the late stages in Montréal.

The Nats have a few links to the past, including broadcaster F.P. Santangelo, bench coach Randy Knorr, and shortstop Ian Desmond, drafted by the Expos in 2004 and played in the minors under the Montréal umbrella.

The city went without baseball from 1972 to 2004, and suffered 11 horrible seasons with the Washington Senators 2.0 from 1961-1971. All of this while the Minnesota Twins, the original Washington Senators, reached the World Series in 1965 and the playoffs in 1969 and 1970. You have to go back to game 5 of the 1933 World Series when the Senators lost to the New York Giants for the last time playoff baseball was played in the city.

A different group of fans remember the playoffs in 1981 when Rick Monday hit a game-winning home run at Olympic Stadium. The Expos were heading to the playoffs in 1994 when a strike wiped out the entire playoffs that year.

People aren't hitting Rue St. Catherine or St. Denis to celebrate a team in the playoffs. Even with the linked history, those in Montréal might barely notice that the team that was once theirs is in the playoffs in a different city.

When Washington fans went through that frustration in 1965, they did have a team, even if that team was not nearly as good as the team they had. And that Minnesota team came to play at RFK Stadium. Even in the time when the city didn't have a team, MLB wasn't far away in nearby Baltimore.

Montréal wasn't even allowed to host the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies at Olympic Stadium during the G8/G20 summit in Toronto. And the nearest MLB cities to Montréal, Boston and Toronto, don't have National League baseball.

Montréal remains the largest market in the U.S. and Canada without a MLB team. Like the Quebec City scenario in the NHL, the forces would have to build a new downtown, retractable roof stadium for MLB to even consider coming back to La Belle Province.

The city has the Alouettes in the CFL and the Impact in the MLS. But Montréal's tradition is with baseball, first as a farm team with the Brooklyn Dodgers and later as Canada's first major league franchise.

Montréal baseball fans suffered a lot even when a team was in town. The hurt of watching their previous reincarnation in the playoffs in a different city can't be expressed in words. The bitter reminder of what happened to Montréal fans got a little more intense to think of what might have been.

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The Toronto Blue Jays aren't having a happy second half of the season. Yes, Edwin Encarnacion is putting up incredible numbers despite injuries to the lineup all around him. But Encarnacion is the bright spot.

The Blue Jays suspended Yunel Escobar for three games for a gay slur in Spanish written in the eye black on his face.

People can respectfully disagree on whether the punishment should have been longer. But what I like about this deal was how the Blue Jays handled the situation.

First, the Blue Jays suspended Escobar, not MLB. The Blue Jays felt like this was their problem and responded well.

Also, Escobar will have to take in an outreach initiative, helping to educate society about sensitivity and tolerance based on sexual orientation. The shortstop also has to attend a sensitivity training program.

Escobar noted that the phrase wasn't meant to be a slam against gays, pointing out gay people in his life. Still, Escobar does seem to understand why the phrase was wrong.

Toronto has a significant gay population and is a true melting pot for Canada. The Blue Jays recognize as part of the community of the weight this places on its organization to live up to those ideals of inclusion.

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MLB teams ideally like to have their top minor-league team close to where they are in case you have to call up a player at the last minute. This is especially helpful when both teams are playing at home.

Unfortunately, the Toronto Blue Jays have struggled with this, given that their Triple A team has been in Las Vegas. If you are a minor-league player, a young person with free time when not playing baseball, you might enjoy the idea of Vegas.

The New York Mets wanted out of Buffalo, and the Toronto Blue Jays didn't mind the idea of having a team about 2 hours away. So the teams essentially switched farm team cities.

So now when Buffalo players get to the border at the Peace Bridge and are asked their purpose in entering Canada, they can say with a straight face, "To play in the Major Leagues." Let's hope for the Blue Jays sake that customs won't keep them too long.

CFL notebook: Too many running backs in Edmonton

So how is this 3-headed running back experiment working in Edmonton? Well, the Esks have a 3-game losing streak, and the way the B.C. Lions are playing, hosting the Lions at Commonwealth Stadium will likely not be enough.

Edmonton has fallen into a last-place tie with Saskatchewan. Edmonton started out with a 8-0 run in Hamilton last weekend. The Tiger-Cats rolled off 52 straight points. The key blow was a blocked FG that was run back for a TD at the end of the first half. This is why the CFL is more exciting: a key 10-point turnaround at the end of a half made an impact on the rest of the game.

Meanwhile the Esks and their 3-headed running backs quandary is living proof of too much of a good thing. The team had no idea that Jerome Messam would be available so soon after signing Cory Boyd. Then again, Hugh Charles was having a good season before the Boyd signing.

Then again, Montréal could use a running back as Brandon Whitaker is out for the year with a torn ACL.

Though the Esks played well against the Stampeders, the team is in a spiral. Though Kerry Joseph is the best quarterback the team has right now, he isn't enough to help the team win.

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Travis Lulay has somewhat quietly moved up to second all-time in the CFL for most games in a row with a TD pass. Given the number of TDs, you would think this would be no big deal. A lot of those TDs are quick 1-yard runs, so the actual TD pass isn't as common as you would imagine.

For a franchise that had recently struggled with picking one quarterback, the B.C. Lions — along with the Montréal Alouettes — are as smooth at quarterback as the CFL gets right now.

Even with Calgary on a 4-game winning streak, the one team you don't want to face these days is the B.C. Lions, now with the CFL's best record at 8-3.

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Drew Willy got his first start for the Roughriders in Montréal, a difficult place to make your first start. Willy hung in there, though a couple of late interceptions didn't help.

Whether Darian Durant has anything to worry about, similar to Stephen Jyles in Edmonton, depends on how many games the team wins under the backup QB.

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Who knows when the Montréal Canadiens will battle the Toronto Maple Leafs. And while Toronto FC and the Montréal Impact play in the MLS, the true battle between the two biggest Canadian cities will be Sunday afternoon at Molson Stadium as the Argonauts travel to battle the Alouettes.

Montréal has a 1-game lead on Toronto in the East Division. The Argos won the last game between the two clubs 23-20 back on July 27.

While this game won't remind you of the classic Anthony Calvillo-Damon Allen battles of years past, these two teams are once again rivals for the right to host the East Division final. The question will be whether the game will be indoors in Montréal or indoors in Toronto.

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On paper, the Calgary Stampeders 4-game winning streak looks impressive. The Stamps did pull out two tough wins against archrival Edmonton and blew out Winnipeg last week. And the Roughriders, the team that helped Calgary start is streak, is back for more. Calgary isn't going to complain about beating these teams, and you have to beat bad teams to get ahead in this league. They may have to beat B.C. to get noticed though.

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Hamilton needs a boost this week at the Tiger-Cats travel to Winnipeg for Friday Night Football. The Lions will be in Edmonton Saturday night. Sunday offers a doubleheader in the tradition of the NFL with the Argos-Alouettes matchup early and the Stampeders-Roughriders late.

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Speaking of the NFL, As much as Canadians love the CFL, on Sundays, they are also into the NFL. While Canadians with cable can watch way more games than those in the United States, they are at the mercy of Canadian outlets for the coverage.

An error somewhere along the CTV feed forced a commercial instead of showing the crucial missed field goal at the end of the Arizona at New England game.

Even if the viewer was watching the game on Fox, the feed is supposed to be a sim sub (where the CTV feed would run on what would normally be the channel position for the Fox affiliate). The only way around that is to watch the Fox affiliate with an antenna, something most Canadians can't do.

Some Canadian cities are likely going to lose valuable NHL preseason games

One of the first (of many) casualties of the NHL lockout is the lost opportunity for non-NHL cities to get to see the best players on their ice.

If/when the NHL plays again, the league will push for as few exhibition games as possible, and those would be in the home rinks so the owners can try to make back the money lost in the lockout.

The only exception might be — might be — Kraft Hockeyville, scheduled for Stirling-Rawdon [Belleville], Ontario. The excitement each year when the Canadian cities enter the contest — this is what the NHL should be celebrating. Instead, Gary Bettman is on his 3rd lockout, 3 more than the other commissioners of the NHL combined.

This would have been the 2012-2013 NHL preseason schedule if the season had started on time. The Hockeyville crowd was scheduled to see Columbus and Toronto on October 3. The NHL has already announced that exhibition games have been cancelled through September 30.

London, Ontario was also scheduled to see the Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers. Last year, you might remember the ugliness involving the racial slur against Wayne Simmonds.

Les Habs' annual contest in Quebec City was supposed to be with Carolina on October 2. Bettman has criticized the Colisée Pepsi as not being "good enough" for regular-season play, though an exhibition game is OK with him.

Ottawa was scheduled to play a split-squad against a split-squad of the New York Islanders at Molson Centre in Barrie, Ontario.

The Islanders also would have taken a split squad to play a split squad of the Edmonton Oilers at Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan on September 27. Winnipeg was to welcome in the Boston Bruins to the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on September 29.

Halifax hosted a game last year, but not this year. Barrie and Regina are new this year. St. John's, Newfoundland hosted last year's Hockeyville.

These Canadian cities will miss a chance at showcasing their own cities to the general public. Though London could use less publicity than last year.

Here is the original NHL exhibition schedule involving Canadian teams. This is what we are missing.

September 23
Ottawa at Montréal, 7p

September 24
Ottawa at Toronto, 7p
Buffalo at Montréal, 7:30p
Vancouver (ss) at Calgary (ss), 9p
Winnipeg at Edmonton, 9p
Calgary (ss) at Vancouver (ss), 10p

September 25
Toronto at Ottawa, 7:30p
Edmonton at Winnipeg, 8p

September 26
Toronto vs. Philadelphia, 7p (John Labatt Centre, London, ON)
San Jose at Vancouver, 10p

September 27
Montréal at Ottawa, 7:30p
Edmonton (ss) vs. NY Islanders (ss), 9p (Brandt Centre, Regina, SK)
NY Islanders (ss) at Edmonton (ss), 9:30p

September 28
Toronto at Buffalo, 7p

September 29
Buffalo at Toronto, 7p
Vancouver at Edmonton, 8p
Winnipeg vs. Boston, 9p (Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, SK)

September 30
Ottawa (ss) vs. NY Islanders (ss), 5p (Molson Centre, Barrie, ON)
NY Islanders (ss) at Ottawa (ss), 5p
Edmonton at Calgary, 6p
Boston at Winnipeg, 8p

October 1
Phoenix at Vancouver, 10p

October 2
Philadelphia at Toronto, 7p
Montréal vs. Carolina, 7:30p (Colisée Pepsi, Quebec, QC)
Winnipeg at Minnesota, 8p
Calgary at Edmonton, 9p

October 3
Columbus vs. Toronto, 7p (Hockeyville at Stirling-Rawdon [Belleville], ON)
Carolina at Montréal, 7:30p
Phoenix at Calgary, 9p
Vancouver at San Jose, 10:30p

October 4
Minnesota at Winnipeg, 8p

October 5
Toronto at Detroit, 7:30p
Edmonton at Vancouver, 10p

October 6
Boston at Montréal, 7p
Detroit at Toronto, 7p
Ottawa at Winnipeg, 8p
Minnesota at Calgary, 9p

October 7
New Jersey at Montréal, 7p

Battle of intense mayors: Toronto's Rob Ford visits Chicago's Rahm Emanuel

After a month's rest to the day, Rob Ford is once again in the same city where I am.

Okay, so I had a bit of fun on Twitter last month because Rob Ford was in Edmonton when I was in Edmonton, at Commonwealth Stadium when I was, went to Calgary when I went back, and we both were at McMahon Stadium at the same time.

Coincidence? Yes. Chances are the Toronto mayor isn't reading my Twitter feed or following this blog, but if he is, Welcome to Chicago.

Other than New York City Michael Bloomberg, the two most visible mayors in North American, especially in terms of approach and style, will go mano et mano. Rob Ford vs. Rahm Emanuel.

Both mayors are having their struggles. Ford is dealing with several issues, especially a conflict of interest charge that could get him thrown out of office. Emanuel is dealing with a just-ended teachers strike that gained national prominence. Both mayors have watched their cities suffer horrible summers in terms of violence and murder, though Emanuel's numbers are significantly higher than Ford's.

Ford is in Chicago on a trade mission, bringing along 62 business and political leaders to the Windy City. The leaders include several council members, including Ford's brother, Doug, along with two former Conservative Ontario premiers, president of Porter Airlines Robert Deluce, McDonald's Canada founder George Cohon, and Carol Wilding, president of the Toronto Board of Trade.

The mayors will also renew their Sister Cities commitment. Toronto and Chicago are long-time Sister Cities, a program designed to enhance business and awareness of other cultures around the world.

The schedule for Ford includes a breakfast, a tour of the Chicago waterfront (something Toronto can learn from), a session on cities being economic growth centers, a luncheon with U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson.

Ford got off to a rough start in Chicago when he confused Winnipeg for Windsor when talking with someone from Chicago.

Given Ford's love for sports, they arranged for a tour of U.S. Cellular Field, home of the MLB Chicago White Sox, on Wednesday. Ford should have sneaked in a trip Tuesday night to Wrigley Field, where he would have seen Toronto's own Joey Votto, star first baseman for the division-leading Cincinnati Reds. Then again, I was at Tuesday's game at Wrigley Field, and I can understand Ford wanting to take a break from seeing the same sports games as me.

Photo credit: Don Peat/Toronto Sun

Yes, Calgary and Edmonton have a food truck scene

I have seen sausage trucks in Toronto and Vancouver. Oh and a truck in downtown Windsor. So my experience with food trucks in Canada have been limited. And none of those trucks are as chic as the ones we see on cable television.

I was pleasantly surprised in my research of the two major cities in Alberta that both cities had food truck scenes. Yes, I know Vancouver has a decent scene now, though not as awesome as its nearby neighbors, Seattle and Portland. And Toronto is behind the curve, though slightly ahead of Chicago.

At some point, I'll hit food trucks in those cities. Until then, my experience in Calgary and Edmonton was quite cool. You certainly have some options, especially when the weather is quite nice.

For more on my adventures in the food truck scenes in Calgary and Edmonton, check out this column from our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com.

NHL might start on time thanks to Quebec, Alberta labor law

The NHL season could start on time for three teams, which would put more pressure to not have a lockout, leading possibly to a full season.

If that happens, you can thank Quebec and Alberta labor law.

Labor law in Quebec says employees can't be locked out if their union is not certified, and the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) is not certified in either province.

If the players were on strike, none of this would apply. The players want to play and would be willing to play under the current contract. Gary Bettman has said "no" all along to that idea.

Generally speaking, employers in Quebec cannot lockout employees who are not members of a certified union, which applies to players because the NHLPA is not certified in the province.

An application is being heard in an emergency hearing of the Quebec Labour Relations Board this morning in Montréal.

The situation in Alberta is a little different as the NHLPA contends that the mediation process required by that province’s Labour Relations Code was not followed properly for dealing with a lockout.

Even with the law on their side, these applications may not produce the desired effect. Yes, you might get 3 of the 30 NHL teams into training camp. And the Canadiens, Flames, and Oilers can get some badly needed wins, even if they are against each other.

That would freak out the NBC Sports Network much less Gary Bettman to have the only 3 teams playing NHL hockey be in Canada.

Of course, if the teams get in and don't play each other, then the owners of the 3 teams have to pay their players to not play.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in response to the applications. "This is a joke." The odds aren't good that the applications will be successful, though many hockey fans would love to see Daly eat those words.

If the applications work, then the visual of having three teams in camp would put pressure on Bettman and Fehr to actually work on getting a NHL deal.

Alison Pill shows Canadian sensibility in reaction to accidental topless photos

The story of a young actress having leaked topless cellphone photos is rather common these days, but Alison Pill's saga and her reaction to what happened speaks to her Canadian self-deprecating sense of humor.

When we last saw Pill, she was starring in "Goon" and she had brown hair. Now, she (left, with her blouse on) is in "The Newsroom" (the American version, not the Canadian show) and very blonde.

Pill sent a topless picture of herself accidentally to her 14,000 followers.

"Yep. That picture happened. Ugh. My tech issues have now reached new heights, apparently. How a deletion turned into a tweet... Apologies."

Soon after, she deleted the tweet. But once something hits the Internet, it's out there. If you are interested in seeing the picture, here is the NSFW link.

Her fiancé, actor and fellow Canadian Jay Baruchel, tweeted this:

"My fiancée is an hilarious dork. #imjustgladitdidnthappentomefirst. Smartphones will get ya."

Even though she played a sex maniac in "Goon," Pill did no nudity in the film. She did a topless scene in "Dear Wendy."

Perhaps her reaction is a testimony to the Canadian approach to nudity in a much less prudish country. Any way you look at it, Pill and Baruchel showed us good examples of how to react to accidental nudity.

Previous coverage:

'Goon' is no 'Slap Shot,' but a pretty good movie, if you can deal with fighting

'Goon' is more violent than typical Canadian films, yet may find a U.S. audience

photo credit: Melissa Moseley/HBO