Canadian Crossing

NHL the month in preview February 2020

Editor's Note: NBCSN is picking up the Montréal-Washington game on February 20. This is a simulcast of the NBC Sports Washington feed. The NHL Network dropped the Winnipeg-Philadelphia game on February 22.

Hockey Day in Canada is February 8 from Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. The NHL Network will have a simulcast of the CBC coverage of the daytime coverage plus the matinee game and the Toronto-Montréal matchup. The late game would have been too much to ask.

The Hometown Hockey games are matinees on February 2 because of the Super Bowl. The same courtesy wasn't granted to the Grey Cup in November.

NBCSN carries a Canadian doubleheader on February 12. Both games are on U.S. soil. Edmonton hosts San Jose, the reverse of an earlier NBCSN telecast, on February 6. The Maple Leafs travel to Pittsburgh in the other NBCSN telecast of the month. The channel only showed 2 games involving Canadian teams in the previous 2 months.

The NHL Network loads up on Winnipeg Jets games in February. The channel is showing its first Vancouver Canucks game of the season in a rarely shown all-Canada matchup. NBC's insecurities forced the NHL Network to not carry a game opposite the Stadium Series on February 15.

ESPN+ has a strong slate of games, a nice alternative to NHL Network, especially for non-HNIC games. The service isn't afraid to carry the Battle of Alberta.

We didn't leave out February 26 for Wednesday Night Hockey; no Canadian teams play that night. Then again, the February 12 coverage has 3 games, 2 of which also air on NBCSN in the U.S.

We haven't seen a midseason NHL Center Ice free preview. If that changes, we will update this story.

NBCSN

February 6
San Jose @ Edmonton, 9:30p
February 12
Montréal @ Boston, 7:30p
February 12
Calgary @ Los Angeles, 10p
February 18
Toronto @ Pittsburgh, 7p
February 20
Montréal @ Washington, 7p

NHL Network

February 1
St. Louis @ Winnipeg, 7p (HNIC)
February 8
Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 2p (HDIC)
February 8
Toronto @ Montréal, 7p (HNIC)
February 22
Winnipeg @ Philadelphia, 1p (HNIC)
February 29
Vancouver @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC)

ESPN+

February 1
Edmonton @ Calgary, 10p
February 2
Vancouver @ Carolina, 2p
February 3
Florida @ Toronto, 7p
February 4
Edmonton @ Arizona, 9p
February 6
Winnipeg @ St. Louis, 8p
February 9
Chicago @ Winnipeg, 7p
February 11
Chicago @ Edmonton, 9p
February 12
Chicago @ Vancouver, 10:30p
February 14
Montréal @ Pittsburgh, 7p
February 16
Toronto @ Buffalo, 7p
Chicago @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
February 17
Anaheim @ Calgary, 4p
February 19
Minnesota @ Vancouver, 10:30p
February 20
Pittsburgh @ Toronto, 7p
February 21
Boston @ Calgary, 9p
February 22
Carolina @ Toronto, 7p
Boston @ Vancouver, 10p
February 24
Ottawa @ Columbus, 7p
February 25
Toronto @ Tampa Bay, 7p
February 27
Calgary @ Nashville, 8p
Washington @ Winnipeg, 8p

Hockey Night in Canada

February 1

Ottawa @ Toronto, 7p/St. Louis @ Winnipeg, 7p
Edmonton @ Calgary, 10p

February 8 (Hockey Day in Canada)

Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 2p
Toronto @ Montréal, 7p/Nashville @ Edmonton, 7p
Calgary @ Vancouver, 10p

February 15

Toronto @ Ottawa, 7p/Dallas @ Montréal, 7p
Chicago @ Calgary, 10p

February 22

Winnipeg @ Philadelphia, 1p/Carolina @ Toronto, 7p/Montréal @ Ottawa, 7p
Boston @ Vancouver, 10p

February 29

Vancouver @ Toronto, 7p/Carolina @ Montréal, 7p/Detroit @ Ottawa, 7p
Winnipeg @ Edmonton, 10p

Hometown Hockey

February 2 Columbus @ Montréal, 2p/Vancouver @ Carolina, 2p (Châteauguay, QC)

February 9 Chicago @ Winnipeg, 7p (Ottawa, ON)

February 16 Toronto @ Buffalo, 7p (Quebec City, QC)

February 23 Calgary @ Detroit, 7p (LaSalle, ON)

Rogers Sportsnet national telecasts

February 4 Edmonton @ Arizona, 9p

February 5 Toronto @ NY Rangers, 7:30p

February 6 Nashville @ Calgary, 9p

February 12 Montréal @ Boston, 7:30p/Calgary @ Los Angeles, 10p/Chicago @ Vancouver, 10:30p

February 18 Toronto @ Pittsburgh, 7p

February 19 Boston @ Edmonton, 8:30p

February 21 Boston @ Calgary, 9p

Canada's most iconic drummer sets the stage for hockey's most iconic night.

The late Neil Peart provides the soundtrack for #HockeyNight. 🥁🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/33iWhUNlIS

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 12, 2020

The U.S. audience outside the CBC markets had to go online to watch the Hockey Night in Canada open featuring the late Neil Peart of Rush. Peart passed away on January 7 after a long struggle with brain cancer.

The song Fly by Night (1975) was one of Rush's first hits with its new drummer.

The matchups that night were all-Canadian games with Montréal at Ottawa and Edmonton at Calgary. Their hometown Maple Leafs had a rare Saturday night off.

Neil Peart, legendary Rush drummer and lyricist, passes away at 67

Bob Cole got on Hockey Night in Canada. Cole never got out of the pregame show on January 18. Ron MacLean talked to Cole about the blizzard they had in his home province. Newfoundland got more than 75 cm (30 inches) of snow with winds approaching 150 km (93 miles). They had a great shot of the Rocket Bakery on Water Street in downtown St. John's.

MacLean asked Cole about how often he had to fly out early because of storms in St. John's. Cole said he had to fly out early 3-4 times in his career and never missed a game.

Cole got in a crack about how a state of emergency got him back onto Hockey Night in Canada. Still sounds good.

NHL the month in preview January 2020

"Calgary and Edmonton pulled off the James Neal/Milan Lucic trade. Neal, who could score everywhere but Calgary, takes his horrible contract north to Edmonton. Lucic, who was tough and could score in Boston and Los Angeles but couldn't score in Edmonton, goes south with his horrible contract. As slow as Lucic has been, I was shocked to find out he's only 31. Edmonton gets the advantage in the deal in our book because Neal has shown upside in other cities. Good luck to both players and teams."

You didn't have to be Nostradamus to realise Edmonton would win this trade. James Neal proved that he can score everywhere but Calgary. His veteran leadership was also helpful in the Oilers great start to the season. Milan Lucic gives the Flames some intangibles but hasn't proven to be all that tough or able to score. Calgary could claim that not having Neal is useful regardless of what Lucic provides.

Neal has more goals (19) than Lucic has points (10). Neal has power play goals (12) than Lucic has points. Neal has 28 points while Lucic has 4 goals and 6 assists. Lucic has the huge advantage for penalty minutes: 38-10. Neal is a surprising -20 in the +/- category while Lucic is at a surprising 0. They have different skills. Both teams are doing well in a very tight division.

NHL the month in preview December 2019

The 2021 Winter Classic will be at Target Field in Minneapolis. The Winnipeg Jets would be a logical opponent. The NHL has allowed Toronto (2014) and Montréal (2016) into the Winter Classic. Minnesota hosted an outdoor game in 2016 against Chicago (yawn). Montréal has not hosted an outdoor game.

When Boston landed a Winter Classic at Fenway Park, Montréal was the logical opponent. The NHL claimed Philadelphia was a great rival and picked them over the Habs. NHL, don't do the same lame thing to the Winnipeg Jets.

The NHL works really hard to promote the Winter Classic and Stadium Series. The NHL hardly promotes the Heritage Classic on the few years where the league allows its existence.

Elliotte Friedman talked about the likelihood of Edmonton hosting an outdoor NHL game for the 2021-2022 season. Montréal still hasn't hosted an outdoor game. Canada could host a game in back-to-back seasons but the NHL frowns on that prospect.

Back to the business of media. I'm told that the regional tv rights for your @NHLFlames + @EdmontonOilers both expire after this season. Those in the know believe @Sportsnet will walk away from @NHLFlames and stick with @EdmontonOilers. More as season progresses.

— jonah (@yyzsportsmedia) January 4, 2020

We won't speculate too much until this becomes true. Rogers changed over the Calgary team in 2014 bringing in Rick Ball, who was working for the BC Lions and Vancouver Canucks, and Kelly Hrudey. For the complaints about the Edmonton crew, the previous Calgary crew was much worse.

Ball might want to stay if either Shaw or TSN takes the rights, unless Rogers is serious about making Ball a national announcer. R.J. Broadhead, not Ball, has been the one to fill in on national games. Hrudey might pick Toronto for the Hockey Night in Canada crew. Cassie Campbell-Pascall would be torn with her national work and a chance to do colour analysis for the team that employs her husband.

Mark Lee and Drew Remenda would make a nice combination. Sportsnet is definitely underutilising Remenda on the Edmonton Oilers studio segments.

NHL the month in preview November 2019

Canada defeated the United States 2-1 in a 3-on-3 women's hockey battle in St. Louis at the NHL All-Star Game festivities. That was fun watching players play for the puck instead of pile driving each other into the boards.

Rebecca Johnston scored a quick goal early in the first of a pair of 10-minute periods. Melodie Daoust added a then insurance goal early in the second period. 

Canadian goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens was outstanding, stopping some tough American shots, including a glove save against Amanda Kessel at the end of the game. Hilary Knight had the only goal for the Americans.

Other Canadian players were Marie-Philip Poulin, Meghan Agosta, Blayre Turnbull, Sarah Nurse, Natalie Spooner, Renata Fast, and Laura Fortino. Let's get the NHL behind a real women's league where they make some decent money.

NHL the month in preview October 2019

Canada's 6-0 defeat to Russia, the team's first shutout defeat in over 2 decades, didn't seem to lend itself to Canada winning the gold medal at the 2020 World Juniors in Ostrava and Třinec in the Czech Republic.

The Canadian team came back from a 3-1 deficit in the 3rd period to post a 4-3 victory over Russia in the gold medal game. This was Canada's 3rd world junior gold medal in 6 years.

Akil Thomas scored his first and only goal of the tournament at 3:58 remaining in the third period for the winner. Alexis Lafreniere and captain Barrett Hayton both suffered injuries during the tournament but came back to help win the gold. Nico Daws started in goal for Canada; Joel Hofer was the backup but was in goal for the gold medal game.

The Boxing Day win over the United States snapped a 4-game losing streak against its southern rival.

Canada had little trouble with Slovakia in the quarterfinals and Finland in the semifinals. Canada outscored opponents 22-5 after the Russia loss and before the gold medal game.

The 2021 World Juniors will be in Edmonton and Red Deer in Alberta. Edmonton hosted the tournament in 1995 and 2012 while Red Deer was the primary host in 1995.

What we missed during the 2019 NHL offseason

Our guide to the NHL Canadian teams coverage

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

January 6 Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p: John Forslund/AJ Mleczko

Our issue with Forslund is he doesn't seem to like Canada or its teams. An all-Canadian matchup is a nightmare for Forslund. Forslund will likely take over for Doc Emrick someday unless Gary Thorne shifts back to hockey. Mleczko is getting better. Good to see her without another colour analyst.

The NBCSN game crew went out of its way to not focus on Leon Draisaitl. They only seemed interested in Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews to the exclusion of their teammates. Forslund referred to Toronto's Mitch Marner as "Mitchell." Mike Milbury seemed drunk or had the flu during the first intermission. The game production was so stripped down you wondered whether Forslund and Mleczko were even in Toronto.

As for CBC promos, there was a Hockey Night in Canada game on January 18 but the CBC feed (via the NHL Network) was blacked out for your humble narrator. The only other HNIC game was January 4 via the Citytv feed.

photo credit: Rogers Sportsnet
Twitter captures: @sportsnet; @yyzsportsmedia

Canadians won't be able to watch Super Bowl LIV ads

The CUSMA | USMCA has a petty provision that nullifies the CRTC ruling that allowed Super Bowl ads to be shown on Canadian television. The NFL and Bell Media, holders of the Canadian rights to the NFL and the Super Bowl, worked hard to get the ruling reversed.

The language in the trade deal had Canada agreeing to rescind "Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2016-34 and Broadcasting Order CRTC 2016-335."

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled 7-2 last month that the CRTC went too far outside the Broadcasting Act. So CTV and TSN won't have to show the American ads during the Super Bowl.

Whatever side you are on this battle, Canadians should make that decision, not Americans.

The U.S. Congress has passed the new trade deal earlier this month. Canada has not passed NAFTA 2.0.

CUSMA passes through U.S. Congress

Simultaneous substitution during live programming allows Canadian networks to acquire programming from the United States and simsub Canadian ads to cover the U.S. ads. This policy applies to the Canadian broadcaster. Canadians who can pick up the U.S. digital feed (Windsor, Toronto) can see the U.S. ads. Digital signals travel shorter distances than analog signals and are less reliable.

Fox will carry the Super Bowl for those desperate to see the U.S. ads. Those in Windsor can tune into Fox 2/WJBK from Detroit. Those in Toronto and Hamilton can get Fox 29/WUTV Buffalo. Montréal is a long shot but those in the region can try to pull in Fox 44 WFFF in Burlington, Vermont.

CTV aired American ads during Super Bowl LIII with no confirmed trade deal

Bell Media Super Bowl LI ratings drop 39% from last year

Canadians can watch Super Bowl LI ads but not without U.S. pressure

Super Bowl XLIX preview: CRTC to allow Super Bowl ads in 2017

The CTV page for Super Bowl LIV isn't filled with incentives to get viewers to watch the Super Bowl. No contests to keep you glued to the Canadian feed. CTV knows you will watch because the Super Bowl is the biggest NFL game. Canadians will likely see many not-so-great ads for Canadian Tire and other companies. A Canadian Super Bowl ad wouldn't have to be that expensive to produce. The bar is really low. Give Canadian viewers something fun to watch in between tackles.

CTV had been drawing about 7 million Canadians in 2016 before the CRTC stepped in on the Super Bowl ads for the last 3 Super Bowls. The numbers fell to about 4.5 million where the American ads could air on the U.S. stations. Bell Media hopes those numbers will rebound substantially.

TSN 1/3/4/5 will simulcast the CTV Super Bowl LIV feed because, why not. TSN2 will have a rebroadcast of the Toronto Raptors game from earlier in the day.

Super Bowl LII ads light on Canadian content

Canada makes little presence in Super Bowl LI ads

Canadians get a lot of U.S. TV, but normally get shut out of Super Bowl ads

CanadianCrossing.com NFL coverage

Super Bowl LIV will air this Sunday at 6:30 pm Eastern on Fox in the United States and CTV and TSN in Canada.

photo credit: Bell Media

Anna Maria Tremonti launches interview podcast

Matt Galloway is firmly in control of The Current on CBC Radio One. Laura Lynch produced some great radio as the interim host of The Current. All of this since we've heard from The Current original host Anna Maria Tremonti.

Tremonti went off to create a pair of podcasts. She teased the one-on-one interview series in November at the Hot Docs Podcast Festival. Now More with Anna Maria Tremonti has launched. The debut episode matching celebrity with theme is Catherine O'Hara (SCTV, Schitt's Creek) and the power of collaboration.

Matching a person with a meaningful topic is a clever way to cut through celebrity clutter.

New changes to CBC Radio in 2020

Matt Galloway will be the new permanent The Current host

Laura Lynch to take over The Current through the federal election on CBC Radio One

Here is the upcoming podcast schedule:

• January 28: Catherine O'Hara on the power of collaboration
• February 4: Vivek Shraya on fear and hate
• February 11: Samantha Bee on finding your way
• February 18: Elle Mills on being vulnerable in public
• February 25: David Suzuki on growing older
• March 3: Naomi Klein on finding hope in today's world
• March 10: Margaret Atwood on leading a political life
• March 17: Frank Gehry on standing out
• March 24: Malcolm Gladwell on changing your mind

Anna Maria Tremonti to leave The Current this week

CanadianCrossing.com radio coverage

CanadianCrossing.com CBC coverage

You get to learn some things about O'Hara in the opening episode that you likely did not know. You learn a tiny bit more about Tremonti, who is not used to sharing.

The opening list is rather impressive, filled with significant Canadians who make contributions to the dialogue of the world.

We look forward to hearing how the conversation goes with these people and on these topics.

The original announcement had Tremonti also producing a podcast along the lines of a serialized story but with other voices. We don't know the status of that podcast.

photo credit: CBC

Learning a lot from lists of top all-time Canadian films

We recently reflected on the top Canadian films of the decade. The end of the 2010s marked 50 years of significant Canadian film growth. The Canadian film industry existed long before 1970 but didn't really come into significance until 1970.

There is the recently updated TIFF all-time list of Canadian films. I've seen every film of the 2015 list. The only film I are missing from the 2004 list is Good Riddance | Les Bons débarras (1980) from Francis Mankiewicz. Films I have not seen from the 1993 list include Good Riddance, The Grey Fox (1983) from Phillip Borsos and The Adjuster (1991) from Atom Egoyan.

I've only seen 5 of the 10 films from the 1984 list. Good Riddance and The Grey Fox were on the list along with Pour la suite du monde (1963); Nobody Waved Goodbye (1964); and The True Nature of Bernadette (1972). I have seen Mon oncle Antoine (1971); Goin' Down the Road (1970); The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974); Les Ordres (1974); and J.A. Martin Photographer (1977).

As we learned from finally finding Goin' Down the Road (1970), the older films are flat out hard to find outside, and perhaps inside, Canada.

Top 10 best Canadian films in the 2010s

Canadian film review: Goin' Down the Road

TIFF ranks top Canadian films

We randomly found a couple of lists of what they felt were the best Canadian films of all time. Let's see how many of these films we have seen:

We found this list of the Top 20 Canadian movies.

1. The Sweet Hereafter (1997) Atom Egoyan
2. Mon Oncle Antoine (1971) Claude Jutra
3. Jesus Of Montréal (1989) Denys Arcand
4. Wavelength (1967) Michael Snow
5. Dead Ringers (1988) David Cronenberg
6. Exotica (1994) Atom Egoyan
7. Leolo (1992) Jean-Claude Lauzon
8. Videodrome (1983) David Cronenberg
9. The Decline Of The American Empire (1986) Denys Arcand
10. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001) Zacharias Kunuk
11. The Barbarian Invasions (2003) Denys Arcand
12. Last Night (1998) Don McKellar
13. I've Heard The Mermaids Singing (1987) Patricia Rozema
14. Tales From The Gimli Hospital* (1988) Guy Maddin
15. My Winnipeg (2007) Guy Maddin
16. Away From Her (2006) Sarah Polley
17. The Five Senses (1999) Jeremy Podeswa
18. Kissed (1996) Lynne Stopkewich
19. The Grey Fox* (1982) Phillip Borsos
20. The Red Violin (1998) Francois Girard

The films I have not seen are marked with an *. This is a great list. A little too English-oriented with only 4 French language titles. Wavelength is an experimental short film.

This list feels a bit more sophisticated.

1. My Winnipeg (2007) Guy Maddin
2. The Decline Of The American Empire (1986) Denys Arcand
3. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001) Zacharias Kunuk
4. Hard Core Logo (1996) Bruce McDonald
5. Leolo (1992) Jean-Claude Lauzon
6. Shivers (1975) David Cronenberg
7. I've Heard The Mermaids Singing (1987) Patricia Rozema
8. Stories We Tell (2012) Sarah Polley
9. The Sweet Hereafter (1997) Atom Egoyan
10. The True Nature Of Bernadette* (1972) Gilles Carle

The films I have not seen are marked with an *. I've heard a bit about Carle but haven't found any of his films. Only 2 French films on this list.

The Sweet Hereafter; Leolo; The Decline Of The American Empire; Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner; I've Heard The Mermaids Singing; and My Winnipeg appear on both lists. Sarah Polley and David Cronenberg have different films on each list.

Can't vouch for the 3 films on the lists that I haven't seen. The films on these lists are all very good. I can't imagine a list of top Canadian films without Xavier Dolan or Les Ordres (1974).

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Even though we had the list of the Top 10 Canadian films of the 2010s, compiling an all-time Canadian film list still feels like a daunting task. Have I seen enough Canadian films to truly be able to judge? Have I seen the best of the best?

I do have a sense of my top favourite Canadian films with an unofficial placeholder in the English and French categories. Both films are mentioned in this article. I might have to set out to do the best 50 Canadian films of the last 50 years. Will have to do a bit of research to narrow down that list.

photo credit: Goin' Down the Road

Canadian film review: French Immersion

The recently departed Kevin Tierney was the producer behind Bon Cop, Bad Cop, the film that brought together French and English in a Canadian film. Tierney directing another film that also involves English and French is understandable, the result being the comedy French Immersion.

The plot is pretty simple: Anglophones come to St-Isidore, a small town in Quebec, to learn French effectively and quickly. The small French town is in trouble because the government is investigating their school, the major business of the small town.

The anglophones include Bobby Sexton, a politician who wants to run for federal party leadership (Gavin Crawford), someone needing to know French for a promotion (Fred Ewanuick, Corner Gas), a flight attendant (Oluniké Adeliyi, Republic of Doyle) who has taken the immersion course twice before, and a New York City chef (Jacob Tierney) who wants to open a French restaurant.

The townsfolk include the head of the French immersion school (Pascale Bussières), her father (Robert Charlebois, Gabrielle), a federal senator, and the teacher (Karine Vanasse).

The running joke is all but one of the people in the town have the last name Tremblay. Sexton gets confused when he is told that he will be staying in the bedroom of the daughter who is away at CEGEP. Sexton thinks the daughter's name is Cegep and she was killed by a bus. These jokes are aimed more at the Quebec audience than the anglophones.

Sexton is running for the leadership of the Completely Canadian Party against Michael Pontifikator (Colm Feore, Bon Cop, Bad Cop).

As a nice reminder that not everything in Canada is English and French, we have Kumar (Ali Hassan), a chef from Mumbai who moved to the small town since he was told the region was where the Indians were, which Kumar took to mean those from India.

Jacob Tierney is the son of Kevin Tierney: Jacob's resume is full of acting, directing, and writing. He is a co-creator, director, and star in Letterkenny. He wrote and directed The Trotsky and Good Neighbours and co-wrote The Death and Life of John F. Donovan with Xavier Dolan.

The anglophones get yellow cards by the townspeople when they speak English. There is a hockey game, well, street hockey game between the anglophones and francophones. The simultaneous English and French anthems is a priceless moment.

French Immersion has the bilingual spirit of Bon Cop, Bad Cop with a much lighter presentation. The languages get along even better in French Immersion. Knowing Canada helps the jokes but like Bon Cop, Bad Cop, you can enjoy the film on its own merits. The people in the film seem like they are having fun on this adventure.

Saint-Cesaire, Quebec serves as St-Isidore for the filming.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

The secondary part of the title is It's Trudeau's Fault | C'est la faute à Trudeau — Pierre, not Justin, since the film came out in 2011. The idea of being a bilingual country grew under Pierre Trudeau.

French Immersion is available through Amazon Prime for an additional fee.

video credit: YouTube/FilmBuff Movies
photo credit: French Immersion film

CBC The National slightly skews its numerous hosts lineup

CTV has a single primary anchor in Lisa LaFlamme; Global has a single primary anchor in Dawna Freisen. CBC has had 4 primary anchors on The National since November 2017.

The lineup featured Adrienne Arsenault (international reporter), Andrew Chang (local anchor), Ian Hanomansing (CBC News Network anchor), and Rosemary Barton (politics expert).

There were concerns from the start about the large number of hosts to replace the long-standing host Peter Mansbridge. Like we saw from Q, a transition host (Shad) is sometime the best option to figure out what you want to do in the future.

The new solution is to use Arsenault and Chang (Monday-Thursday), Hanomansing (Friday, Sunday), and Barton (CBC News chief political correspondent). Not sure how this addresses the problem of too many anchors.

Arsenault and Chang will anchor in Toronto. Hanomansing will anchor from Vancouver.

How does the new CBC The National fare in the news landscape?

CBC picks 4 hosts to replace Peter Mansbridge

Peter Mansbridge to leave CBC News after Canada Day

Barton's expertise was helpful during the election cycle. With female anchors in the CTV and Global chairs, having only Hanomansing as the major anchor might not be seen as a good move. Arsenault is better in the field and is also a solid anchor.

As a viewer, having potentially all 4 of the hosts on any given night seemed exhausting for them much less the audience. The National doesn't air on Saturday nights during Hockey Night in Canada.

CBC doesn't have to be limited to a single anchor like CTV and Global. The private networks do a 30-minute newscast while CBC runs an hour with considerable world reporting and coverage. CBC does need a solid plan with its anchor setup. They didn't have one other than a lengthy on-air tryout.

CanadianCrossing.com CBC coverage

CanadianCrossing.com journalism coverage

CanadianCrossing.com TV coverage

If I were in the decision chair, I might have flipped Hanomansing and Chang. Hanomansing has more national anchor experience. Chang makes a great weekend anchor and substitute weekday anchor. Hanomansing might be doing more reporting with 2 days as the host.

I would put Hanomansing in the anchor chair Monday-Thursday with Andrew Chang on Friday and Sunday. I would ask Adrienne Arsenault to be the fill-in anchor weekdays whenever she wanted when she wasn't reporting on a large story. I would have Arsenault anchor her own story within an anchor since she would explain that story better. 

Peter Mansbridge thought of himself as chief correspondent for CBC News as well as anchor of The National. The on-camera people at CBC do a lot more than read off a teleprompter and anchor live news coverage. Hopefully, this lineup will help Canadian viewers focus on a rather strong national newscast that Americans would dream of having on their own soil.

photos credit: CBC News
logo credit: CBC

Larry Walker is now the second Canadian in the Baseball Hall of Fame

Like his Montréal Expos teammate Tim Raines, Larry Walker reaches the Baseball Hall of Fame on his 10th and final try. Walker was on 76.6% of the ballots, making the Hall by a 6-vote margin.

Walker is the second Canadian and first position player from Canada to reach the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ferguson Jenkins was the first Canadian player to reach the honour in 1991.

Although I believe I’m going to come up a little short today I still wanna thank all you that have been pulling for me and showing your support. I’m grateful for all of you! It’s been fun leading up to today reading everyone’s thoughts. Cheers 🍻 LW

— Larry Walker (@Cdnmooselips33) January 21, 2020

Walker, the pride of Maple Ridge, BC, showed Canadian modesty earlier in the day. Walker did thank all those for their support.

Walker had a lifetime .313 batting average with 383 HR and 230 SB with an OBP of .400. He won a MVP in 1997 and 3 batting titles.

The outfielder won 7 Gold Gloves, 2 with Montréal. Walker turned 40 double plays as an outfielder in his career, ranking him 10th in MLB history. His .565 slugging percentage was 12th best all time. Walker is one of 20 players since 1900 (minimum 5000 plate appearances) with at least a .300 average .400 OBP, and a .500 slugging percentage.

Walker started his career with the Montréal Expos from 1989-1994. He left for Colorado as a free agent, playing for the Rockies from 1995-2004. Walker finished 2004 with St. Louis before retiring after the 2005 season.

Roy Halladay officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame

Roy Halladay makes the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first attempt

Vladimir Guerrero makes the Baseball Hall of Fame on his second attempt

The road to the Baseball Hall of Fame was rough for Walker. His lowest point was 10.2% in 2014 (75% is the threshold needed). The highest total in the first 6 years was 22.9% in 2012.

In 2017, Walker was at 21.9%. The outfielder moved up to 34.1% in 2018 and 54.6% in 2019.

Celebrating Montreal Expos legacy in Washington, DC

Toronto Blue Jays help celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Montreal Expos

Ryan Dempster on the MLB Network Monday night pointed out the impact of Walker was a "Hall of Famer for a lot of different reasons."

"(Walker) influenced an entire country and changed the dynamic of which we play baseball up there." Dempster talked about Canadians who would be on the fence as to whether to play hockey or baseball.

Seeing Walker succeed made them "believe now that they could play in the major leagues and be successful major leaguers because of him. And to me, that influence he had on an entire country and a generation of baseball players coming from there should put him in the Hall of Fame alone."

When Walker started his professional baseball career, Canadians weren't eligible for the MLB draft.

Walker made a significant impact on Canadian baseball. He noted that his high school didn't even have a baseball team. MLB has a lot more Canadian players: Joey Votto, Justin Morneau, and Russell Martin will get some potential HOF mention and who knows about Mike Soroka and Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.

Tim Raines had to wait even longer to make Baseball Hall of Fame speech

Tim Raines finally makes the Baseball Hall of Fame

#Retire33 Weekend will be April 17-19 at Coors Field, culminating with the number retirement ceremony on Sunday, April 19. pic.twitter.com/TtGoo2STg5

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) January 17, 2020

Walker has a sense of humour. The best example of that came in the 1997 All-Star Game in Cleveland. Walker was facing Seattle's Randy Johnson, lefty against lefty. A Johnson pitch sails over Walker's head. Walker has fun in the moment putting his batting helmet on backwards and hitting right-handed.

Walker described himself after being accepted into the hall that he thought of himself as the B-side of a 45 record with Derek Jeter also getting the honour.

He also found out last week that the Colorado Rockies will retire Larry Walker's #33 on Sunday, April 19.

As wonderful as Walker would look in a Montréal Expos cap, the outfielder will almost certainly be in a Rockies cap. The effects of the 1994 Montréal Expos team and the unceremonious breakup of the team thanks to the strike meant that Walker would find fame in a different uniform.

CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage

Walker will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY on July 26. There will be plenty of Montréal Expos fans at the ceremony.

photo credit: MLB Network
Twitter captures: @cdnmooselips33; @Rockies

Little Women; Anne with an E are relevant updates to appreciate timeless classics

There is no conclusive data that men are afraid to see the latest remake of Little Women, up for best picture at the 92nd Academy Awards. We wouldn’t be surprised if some men are afraid or reluctant to see the film.

Your humble narrator wasn’t excited about seeing the film. I didn't get too far into the 1994 version. The 1994 version had Trini Alvarado as Meg; Winona Ryder as Jo; Claire Danes as Beth; and Samantha Mathis and Kirsten Dunst split time as Amy.

I didn’t know there was a 1949 version (Janet Leigh as Meg; June Allyson as Jo; Margaret O'Brien as Beth; and Elizabeth Taylor as Amy).

If you read the book, you know how the movie turns out. Their stories aren’t all that hopeful. That doesn’t always appeal to some filmgoers, regardless of primary gender.

Little Women (2019) brings the story to life unlike its well-meaning predecessors, thanks to Greta Gerwig, who was nominated for an Oscar for best adapted screenplay but sadly not nominated for best director.

Emma Watson as Meg; Saoirse Ronan as Jo; Eliza Scanlen as Beth; and Florence Pugh as Amy play the March sisters in the newest version.

Gerwig does a great job in making clear the distinction between the sisters. True fans might find that to be obvious; casual viewers might struggle. Gerwig covers a lot of ground with flashbacks to different points in the story without making the audience nauseous. The story was a lot easier to follow, even if you have read the book.

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The paths of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy don’t change. They are given more honour in this adaptation.

Some true fans might find the 1994 and 1949 as well as other versions to be more authentic. The story feels more modern in Gerwig’s hands and guidance.

A number of fans had a similar reaction to the latest version of Anne of Green Gables, Anne with an E on CBC and Netflix.

Moira Walley-Beckett and Miranda de Pencier incorporated women writers and inclusion themes into the timeless classic story. Amybeth McNulty had an unique brightness and energy to the spirited Anne Shirley Cuthbert.

The criticism over a character of colour and an Indingenous girl reflects the reality of the time instead of ignoring the obvious.

Anne with an E cancellation might be start of fallout with CBC and Netflix

Females make up slightly more of the population and a significant percentage of those who see movies. They see a lot of films because a guy encouraged them to go see a film. The films that dominate the best director category leap to mind: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; The Irishman; 1917.

I had an acquaintance who posted on FB say “I’m guessing no film directed by a women (sic) was worthy this year.” I replied "Little Women, Hustlers, The Farewell. Booksmart."

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Film and TV are about insight into stories. To ignore stories from women, people of colour, and other visible minorities prevents us from seeing all of humanity. We are making strides with foreign films such as Roma and Parasite getting more recognition; films by women deserve much more recognition.

Louisa May Alcott and Lucy Maud Montgomery might have a few notes or two about the latest adaptations of their heroines. They might embrace the spirit of those characters told in a modern embrace.

The realities of girls and women in 2020 are a lot different than 1994 (Little Women) and 1985 (Anne of Green Gables). Men, women, those that identify otherwise: they see these modern adaptations as taking in these timeless stories in a more relatable prism. Your humble narrator hopes to live long enough to see the next remakes 30 years down the road. And he won’t be afraid to see them.

photos credit: Little Women film; Anne with an E/Netflix

CUSMA passes through U.S. Congress

Today is a federal holiday in the United States with the impeachment trial resuming tomorrow morning.

Even without those elements, the U.S. Congress passing the CUSMA | USMCA still would have little attention. The Senate voted 89-10 last week to approve the deal. The U.S. House passed the legislation 385-41 last month.

NAFTA 2.0, er, USMCA is a nightmarish trade deal for Canada

"Canada's existing cultural exemption is preserved under the new deal. This is in place to protect Canada’s cultural institutions from being bought out by U.S. business interests. Though as we’ve seen, U.S.-based hedge funds dominate control over Postmedia, the largest private newspaper company in Canada, with a reported 98% ownership level by U.S.-based hedge funds."

We go into garish length to say why this is a horrible trade deal for Canada. Victory is being defined as not losing important issues such as Canada's cultural exemption.

U.S. gets more access to Canada on the milk, eggs, chicken, and turkey markets and introduces the artificial growth hormone recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) allowed in American milk but banned for Canadian milk.

Clause 32 deals with any attempt by Canada to negotiate with a “non-market country” (i.e., China) and how Canada would have to keep the United States up to date in obnoxious detail. A cornucopia of petty for the U.S. and against Canada.

Just to be clear, Canada doesn't gain anything of advantage from the United States.

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The Trudeau Government has said good things about the trade deal. You have to smile when you are being extorted and sign a trade deal under the threat of bullying. Not an idle threat with the tariffs that came down. Still have a tariff on Canada on softwood lumber, which wasn't solved with NAFTA 2.0.

Canada is the only country that hasn't passed the trade deal. The prime minister has a minority government. The Liberals wouldn't get votes from the NDP and Greens. The Bloc Quebecois aren't likely to support the deal because of Quebec's aluminum industry, dairy industry, or both.

The Conservative Party could help get the trade deal over the threshold. Can't believe we're saying this, but the Conservatives would do Canada a great favour by refusing to accept the deal. Someone would have to translate what a minority government has to confront to Donald Trump.

CanadianCrossing.com trade coverage

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The Trudeau Government argued against a sunset clause, which could trigger uncertainty in trade. Canada has been living with uncertainty since 2017, which is part of the anguish of signing a bad trade deal. There is a sunset clause in this trade deal: a 16-year sunset clause. The deal is also subject to a review every 6 years. That is a long time to wait to fix a really horrible trade deal.

Parliament is back in session on January 27. Laws and regulations have to be adjusted based on elements in the new trade deal. The Senate will likely take its sweet time, as they are required to do. The new trade deal kicks in 90 days if Canada approves the deal. 

photo credit: Government of Canada

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle living in Canada will be easier by staying fewer than 6 months

"A British and American couple, both unemployed, are seeking to emigrate to Canada despite having no real skills to offer the country, early reports indicate. British and American media have said that an American actor and her husband have the intention of living in the country on a semi-permanent or permanent basis.

"The actor has found some previous work in Toronto which may help her immigration and work permit applications although Citizenship and Immigration Canada has not identified acting as an in-demand trade."

The Beaverton captured the Harry and Meghan saga of potentially living in Canada better than any serious article.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are looking into living part of their lives in Canada. British Columbia seems to be a more specific target since the couple and new son, Archie, spent the holidays on Vancouver Island and Markle has been spotted this week in Vancouver.

We've seen quite a bit of coverage about the hurdles the couple would have to go through to live in Canada part time. As lovely as that coverage has been, there is one huge consideration. None of those concerns apply if the royal family spends less than 6 months in Canada. Everything gets more complicated if they stay beyond 6 months.

The couple doesn't have to stay in England for 6 months provided the family travels elsewhere.

Having a lot of money and staying within the guidelines makes living in Canada rather easy. The family won't get help from Canada outside of security costs. Their pounds will go further in Canada. The pound has been trading lower thanks to Brexit. Still, the pound is trading at approximately $1.30 U.S. and $1.70 Canadian.

The awkwardness of having them in Canada would come with working in Canada. As we've learned, the standard is high in that you have to be supremely qualified that no Canadian could do what you do. Actors and hockey players, among others, get special dispensation.

Markle does have work experience in Canada having worked on Suits in Toronto. She would have an easier time working in Canada than the prince would.

Prince Harry could do some of his royal work while in Canada. The country has more of an issue with taking jobs in Canada as opposed to people with overseas jobs being physically in Canada.

Canadian snowbirds in the United States have limitations on how long they can stay in the United States. Unlike Americans in Canada, Canadian snowbirds have to be concerned with spending enough time in Canada to keep their health insurance.

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There was even speculation of Prince Harry becoming Canada's Governor General. The National Post poll had 61% supporting the prince in that role. So many problems with that from the royal end, such as the awkwardness of a close blood relative representing the monarch, whether that be grandson of the current Queen or son or brother of those next in line. Let's talk about that from Canada's perspective.

The end of World War II brought a number of significant changes to have Canada be more autonomous from the United Kingdom. The Canadian Citizenship Act in 1947 created the designation of Canadian citizenship. Canadian passports were issued to Canadian citizens, as opposed to British subjects, the following year.

Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent advised Queen Elizabeth II days into her reign in 1952 to appoint Vincent Massey as the first Canadian-born Governor General. Every Governor General before was British; every governor general since has been Canadian.

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Neither Harry or Meghan have a felony, DUI or otherwise. Whatever the platitudes about moving to Canada, having a felony would be a considerable concern.

Markle did have the distinction of spending $20 bills in Canada with the picture of her future grandmother-in-law.

Staying slightly more in the United Kingdom would be a warm gesture to the royals and make living in Canada a lot easier. I would be willing to live in their place in the 6 months where they don't live in Canada.

The Canadian media will be a bit star struck at the beginning. They won't be as awful as the British tabloids have been, especially to Markle and her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana of Wales.

Markle has enough time spent in Canada so the royal family doesn't need this blog to help them. They can read about Canada at CanadianCrossing.com with almost next to nothing about them.

photo credit: Facebook/Downtown Eastside Women's Centre, Vancouver
video credit: Daily Show with Trevor Noah/Comedy Central