Canadian Crossing

2022 CFL Week 8 preview

Division games. Nothing but division games.

Montréal stays east and on the road with a trip to Hamilton to start the CFL week Thursday night.

The BC Lions make their way to Regina for Friday Night Football. ESPN2 will show the Friday night game.

Calgary comes off the bye with a home game. The bad news is that the Stampeders have to deal with Winnipeg. Revenge, perhaps, for Calgary's lone loss of the season. ESPN2 carries this game on Saturday night.

The Toronto-Ottawa battle is renewed in a rare Sunday game in the late afternoon at BMO Field. Though this is the second straight Sunday game for the Argos because of the COVID-19 delay in Regina.

Edmonton gets to sit out for the week.

ESPN2

Friday
BC @ Saskatchewan, 9p
Saturday
Winnipeg @ Calgary, 7p

TSN

Thursday
Montréal @ Hamilton, 7:30p
Friday
BC @ Saskatchewan, 9p
Saturday
Winnipeg @ Calgary, 7p
Sunday
Ottawa @ Toronto, 5p

Bye week: Edmonton

The first 🇨🇦 to rush for 10,000 yards 👏

Congratulations to @andrewharris33 on a remarkable milestone!

MORE: https://t.co/rWiXoY8c3F#CFLGameday | @TorontoArgos @Wpg_BlueBombers @BCLions pic.twitter.com/TaupRFiMkf

— CFL (@CFL) July 24, 2022

Andrew Harris is the first Canadian running back to hit the 10,000 yards mark. Harris needed 75 yards on the ground in Regina and ended up with 143 rushing yards.

Mike Pringle (16,425) leads the way followed by George Reed (16,115), Damon Allen (11,920), Johnny Bright (10,909), and Charles Roberts (10,285). Roberts was someone Harris followed as a boy growing up in Winnipeg. The Damon Allen totals are remarkable since he was a quarterback (yes, Marcus Allen's brother).

Seeing Harris in the double blue may be a bit odd after his time in Vancouver and Winnipeg but he hasn't lost a step. His yardage on the ground and through the air was crucial in the Argonauts win over Saskatchewan.

2022 CFL Week 7 preview

The BC nailbiter over Hamilton gave the West win #14 in head-to-head competition. The Argos swept the season series against Saskatchewan. The Roughriders also lost in Montréal. The West is now 14-3 against the East in 2022 in the CFL.

Touchdown Atlantic 2022 showcased Nova Scotia and its love for the CFL

2022 CFL Week 6 preview: Touchdown Atlantic comes to Wolfville, NS

Jake Dolegala did better than expected as the Saskatchewan quarterback. Mason Fine was the backup while Cody Fajardo got to rest his knee. COVID-19 did its number on the Roughriders that might have been tied to their time in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Toronto played well enough to win, taking advantage of some Saskatchewan stumbles. The Roughriders lost a couple of points trying for 2-point conversions. Charleston Hughes could have kicked the fumbled ball and scored a touchdown; touching it meant no touchdown.

24 seconds. The power went out at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. TSN and ESPNews both bailed out with the power out. It's the old joke about how you can't say we're off the air if you are off the air.

CFL finally puts a regular season game in Nova Scotia

Blue Bombers QB Zach Collaros completed 7 passes in the Winnipeg win in Edmonton. The Elks home losing streak is at 11. Nigel Tufnel loved 11 but Edmonton fans are almost looking forward to the road games.  

Collaros made good use of those passes. The Alberta road trip's next stop is in Calgary, where the performance will need to be much better.

2022 CFL Week 5 preview

The Ottawa RedBlacks are a really good CFL team that happens to be winless. 0-6 sounds bad though only 3 wins away from Toronto in the East Division. The team doesn't get blown out; the RedBlacks have been within a touchdown in 5 of their 6 losses. The Alouettes have won 5 of the last 6 against Ottawa; the teams have 3 more games against each other.

Caleb Evans shows prowess in the air and on the ground as the Ottawa QB. Nick Arbuckle finally got into a play for Ottawa, throwing a 47-yard pass on a fake short run play. Antoine Pruneau had a most excellent tackle for a safety.

With the 7-point Montréal win, the Alouettes are the only East team with a positive point differential at 174-169.

2022 CFL Week 4 preview

The BC Lions, when a decent team, has a mystique with home games, especially against the East. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats could have pulled off this game late in the 4th quarter but came up empty.

The Tiger-Cats had trouble in the red zone yet are only a game out, win wise, in the East Division. Their red zone playoff calling needs a dose of creativity.

Nathan Rourke had a solid game for BC but knows this wasn't a great game for the Lions.

This might have been the only CFL game without a single 4th quarter point.

TRANSACTIONS | The Elks have acquired 🇨🇦 Jon Ryan (P) from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in exchange for a conditional 2023 8th round pick. #GoElks #CFL

DETAILS | https://t.co/VQEg5j5hAi pic.twitter.com/Gt6WelKahD

— Edmonton Elks (@GoElks) July 26, 2022

If you thought Jon Ryan being in the East Division was odd, you might be happy to know Ryan is back in the West Division. The Tiger-Cats, a team that needs a strong punter at home, was eager enough to trade Ryan to Edmonton.

Ryan started his CFL career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2004-2005) before his NFL career. Ryan was in Saskatchewan, a different colour green in 2019 and 2021. Ryan's tenure in Hamilton lasted all of 16 days with no time spent on the field.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Dane Evans and Matthew Shiltz were involved in a creative play for the Tiger-Cats. Glen Suitor pointed out that this year, 2 quarterbacks could be involved in the same play. Didn't realize you couldn't do that before. Flea flickers usually involve wide receivers and even running backs throwing passes.

Pope Francis I arrives in Canada on Sunday for an expected apology on residential schools

Commonwealth Stadium was in the news this week even with the Elks having the week off. The stadium was used for a mass with Pope Francis I on Tuesday.

You could make a remark about how the stadium had a lot more people for the mass than for the Elks game. Then again, the team has gone over 1,000 days without a home win.

Random appreciation tweet: In the last 48-hours my man Duane just went TOR ➡️ OTT ➡️ TNF ➡️ TOR ➡️ CGY ➡️ EDM ➡️ FNF ➡️ OTT ➡️ TOR.

All while cracking up our crew & providing elite #CFL analysis. Dude is great & does everything possible to make your @CFLonTSN experience better. pic.twitter.com/ySxwSyRTz4

— 🇨🇦 Marshall Ferguson 🏈 (@TSN_Marsh) July 23, 2022

Even in the pre-pandemic era, going Ottawa to Edmonton in back-to-back nights wasn't easy. There seem to be a few extra stops in Duane Forde's itinerary, according to Marshall Ferguson. Having to fly from Ottawa to Edmonton through Toronto and Calgary seems a bit excessive, even for Canadian airplanes in 2022. The return trip to Ottawa also feels odd.

Glen Suitor ended up in Vancouver on Thursday and Regina on Sunday, though the latter game was scheduled for Saturday.

Marshall Ferguson with Claire Hanna were with Forde in Ottawa on Thursday. Farhan Lalji and Suitor with Blake Price hung out in Vancouver on Thursday.

Dustin Nielson was with Forde with Sara Orlesky in Edmonton on Friday. Rod Smith had a single game with Suitor with Brit Dort (from CTV Regina) in Regina on Sunday. All 4 play by play people were on this past weekend.

Dave Naylor was in for Milt Stegall on the panel on Sunday.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter captures: @CFL; @GoElks; @TSN_Marsh

Iqaluit takes a bold step to require churches to apply for property tax relief

You've likely asked the obvious question: "why are churches exempt from taxes." This could apply to mainstream churches as well as TV preachers and megachurches.

The city of Iqaluit, the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, passed a bylaw that could require churches to begin paying property taxes. The idea is that churches would pay property taxes but then apply for relief from those taxes.

Those applicants must meet a series of strict conditions; the total annual funding for all groups is capped at $300,000.

The "intent of this bylaw is to provide a fair opportunity, to all community-based organizations, to apply for full or partial property tax relief." — in a statement from a spokesperson for the city of Iqaluit.

Pope Francis I arrives in Canada on Sunday for an expected apology on residential schools

The timing would seem to be targeted at the Catholic Church's role in the residential schools. Pope Francis will be in Iqaluit on Friday as part of his tour.

The program will kick in beginning in 2023. Local churches could get partial tax relief or no relief.

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout (NDP) pointed out to Global News that Iqaluit is already struggling to pay for basic services. "It's not fair to the rest of the municipality to have to carry the burden of a faith-based group — that itself is part of the history of colonialism."

While this solution might not go far enough to appease those concerned with the tax break that religious institutions automatically get, the solution works in that those religious institutions have to say how they are helping the community.

As we noted in our preview of the Pope Francis trip, "48 Catholic church entities signed on to fundraise $25 million for survivors as part of a settlement agreement with the term 'best efforts.' Somehow, those 'best efforts' resulted in just under $4 million." Maybe Vatican City can cut a check to the local churches.

Religious institutions in Canada are generally exempt from paying taxes. Iqaluit’s new bylaw, first proposed by the mayor last year, requires churches and other community groups to apply for tax relief.https://t.co/C4ZcYclyRT

— Globalnews.ca (@globalnews) July 26, 2022

Daily Show pokes fun at Rob Ford's (alleged) crack

TBS cancels Full Frontal with Samantha Bee after 7 seasons

In lieu of the TBS announcement that Full Frontal with Samantha Bee was ending its 7-year run on that cable channel, we fondly think back to a Daily Show moment in 2013. This was around the time of the then-alleged use of crack by Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.

Jason Jones and Bee, real-life married couple, had the setup that all Canadians smoke crack. When Jones asked Bee if she wanted to smoke crack, her reply was "Is Iqaluit the capital of Nunavut?"

The regular writers could not have come up with that joke. Now, some people may think of Iqaluit in a different light.

Canadian film review: Iqaluit

Canadian film review: Angry Inuk

Nunavut's high food prices gaining worldwide attention

CanadianCrossing.com Indigenous coverage

CanadianCrossing.com territories coverage

Pope Francis is supposed to spend 3 hours in Iqaluit. 3 hours?? That feels like an insult all its own. 

On top of the purpose of this trip, the pontiff could also weigh in on the food insecurity in this part of the world. That would seemingly be at the heart of a leader of a major church in the world. He and his entourage might learn about those concerns if they were going to be there for more than 3 hours. 

photo credit: @CityofIqaluit
Twitter capture: @globalnews

Canadian film review: Scarborough

Heartbreaking. A very good film but so damn heartbreaking.

There is also joy in Scarborough. The story centres around Bing (Liam Diaz), Sylvie (Mekiya Essence Fox) and Laura (Anna Claire Beitel), 3 children with very different family lives who meet in an after-school program.

The individual stories are set up initially in the film before they ever meet. We learn about their family dynamics.

Bing's mother Edna (Ellie Posadas) loves Bing and works hard literally to give him what he needs, a very supportive mom who has to do it all alone. Sylvie gets love from her mother Marie (Cherish Violet Blood) but is lost in the family shuffle. Her husband is on disability and she can't get a diagnosis for her son Johnny (Felix Jedi Ingram Isaac) who appears to be on the spectrum. This is champagne and caviar compared to Laura's parents (Kristen MacCulloch and Conor Casey), whose portrayal would be labeled as unrealistic, except we know this happens in real life.

Ms. Hina (Aliya Kanani) is our hero, the person who runs the after school program. She is not getting much support from her mostly unseen boss. The e-mail content is infuriating and sadly all too realistic.

The film is often on the kids' level. Bing is lost in his world. Laura takes in a lot and says very little. Sylvie needs attention.

Catherine Hernandez adapted her 2017 novel Scarborough for the screenplay. Her genius move was bringing in filmmakers with a documentary background in Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson. You want this story to not be real; the way this was shot, you know the story is real. As sad as these stories are, the viewer needs to know this is reality in Scarborough.

Even if you don't know Scarborough, you know you are in the actual place. The filming was reportedly in the Galloway Road neighbourhood of Scarborough.

Ms. Hina is working really hard to give these kids a better life and deserves so much more support than she gets.

Scarborough dominates 2022 Canadian Screen Awards for film honours

2021 TIFF wrapup

2021 TIFF preview

The only critique of note is the pacing of the film. We spend about an hour getting to know the kids and their lives before they find the common ground of the after school program. There is also a false ending 25-30 minutes from the end and the film has to regain momentum for the finish. These are very minor issues in an otherwise amazing film.

Sometimes we see a film that dominates the award season and we think that film can't be that good. Scarborough will break your heart but it is that good of a film.

Mike Myers explores the why of Canada in his new book

Saturday Night Live alum Mike Myers is from Scarborough and is very proud to be from there. He even named his character Ken Scarborough in The Pentaverate on Netflix. The Scarborough in the film is very real and very different from the Scarborough of Myers' youth. If all you know is Scarborough from his youth, you should know that the area is a different experience now.

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2021

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

The film made the prestigious TIFF collection of the Top 10 Canadian films of 2021.

Scarborough received 11 Canadian Screen Award nominations and won 8 awards. The Canadian film won for Best Picture, Best Director, Liam Diaz for Best Actor, Cherish Violet Blood for Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Casting in a Film, Best Sound Editing, and the John Dunning Best First Feature prize.

Scarborough won the Shawn Mendes Foundation Changemaker Award at TIFF 2021 as well as first runner-up for the People's Choice Award and honourable mention for Best Canadian Feature Film.

Scarborough is available on Crave in Canada. Hopefully, soon, there will be an on demand release in the United States.

video credit: YouTube/Level Film
photo credit: Scarborough

TBS cancels Full Frontal with Samantha Bee after 7 seasons

Full Frontal is leaving TBS to go spend more time with her family.

— Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (@FullFrontalSamB) July 25, 2022

Sometimes your favourite TV show gets cancelled for bad ratings or low viewership. Sometimes that show is done because the people who love are forced to flee the organisation.

The Warner Bros. (TBS) and Discovery merger earlier this year is why TBS is getting rid of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee after 7 seasons.

"As we continue to shape our new programming strategy, we've made some difficult, business-based decisions," TBS said in a statement.

Translation: TBS new owner (Discovery) is getting rid of new programming on the channel. Other quick cancellations include The Last O.G. and Chad, the latter got axed the same day of its intended second season premiere. They paid to produce a show and that decided at the last minute not to air said show.

Long-time readers might remember a similar decision is why Lifetime didn't carry Season 3 of Mary Kills People. This doesn't explain why Hulu still hasn't picked up the third and final season.

The late-night show has had to bend and break at times with the TBS relationship. The show had to deal with sports interruptions from the NCAA men's basketball tournament each spring. This past spring, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee lost episodes to the NHL playoffs. The show had been featured on Wednesday nights for the first 6 seasons. The show was forced to move to Thursday nights for Season 7 due to wrestling.

"After 7 seasons, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee will not be returning to TBS this fall. We're so thankful for our loyal audience, our amazing team, and that we got to annoy the right people every week — that there wasn't wrestling or baseball or a very special episode of Big Bang." via the show's Twitter feed.

Canadian presence on 2022 U.S. TV upfronts

We have noted the Canadian talents of Samantha Bee as well as Alanna Harkin on the show. The program has aired on the CTV Comedy Channel. That Canadian airing depends on finding a new media organisation of some kind in the United States.

The program has also been filled with fun Canadian theoretical moments in Bee's TV career.

Would Americans get an abortion in Canada?

Canada is a safer place for abortion though access should be improved

The timing comes at a terrible time given the loss of health care rights over abortion decisions no longer being a federal matter in the United States.

The program has often done a better job in journalism than actual U.S. journalists and on topics that cable news never seems to get around to covering.

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee is an established show with an unique format. Bee's extensive time — along with her husband Jason Jones — on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart impact what the new show has become.

There should be a few streaming or cable options for the show. Hopefully, the show finds a home, a good home where the show can grow.

Twitter capture: @FullFrontalSamB
photo credit: Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

2022 Toronto Blue Jays second half preview

.@bluejays messed up firing #CharlieMontoyo. Nothing against #JohnSchneider, the new interim manager. Should learn from @NHL teams too easy on the trigger. Montoyo had amazing rapport and connection. #nothisfault @MLB https://t.co/JHo2lLJa4C

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) July 13, 2022

The Toronto Blue Jays fired Charlie Montoyo with a 46-42 record, a mark that would have earned a playoff spot had the season ended at that point. John Schneider is now in charge on an interim basis for the rest of the season.

The team has gone 4-1 since the move, all of those games at home. Too early to tell.

The Blue Jays played significantly better baseball once back at Rogers Centre in 2021. Many think the team's best baseball is yet to come. Having Hyun Jin Ryu out for the year with elbow surgery has not helped.

Pitching, starting and relieving, needs to be more steady. The offence is not offensive enough so far.

All Blue Jays players making their Opening Day roster are vaccinated, which may give them a real home field advantage. Unvaccinated players by current law r unable to travel to Canada to play immediately. Though vaccination rates r up, many players on other teams remain unvaxxed.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 5, 2022

We've seen teams "rest" a few players on the trip to Canada. Some players didn't make the first trip but did make a subsequent trip to Toronto. Teams outside the American League East Division would only make a single trip in 2022. Only a few National League teams are in Toronto, including Joey Votto and the Cincinnati Reds, in 2022.

The New York Yankees have taken a commanding lead. Boston, Tampa Bay, and Toronto are fighting for those wild card spots. Toronto has had so many disadvantages that a break or 2 feels fair. Besides, all the players need to do is get vaccinated.

Any player the Blue Jays would acquire at the trade deadline will have to be vaccinated, something that isn't necessarily true for any other MLB team.

This breakdown shows there isn't really an advantage for the Blue Jays.

The Toronto Blue Jays had 6 players represented at the 2022 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. George Springer was selected but injured. Starters Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alejandro Kirk each went 0-for 2.

Pitcher Alek Manoah struck out 3 batters and hit another batter in a memorable 2nd inning. Santiago Espinal came in the game in the 4th inning, grounding out once and then taking a walk. Jordan Romano didn't get into the All-Star Game.

Manoah got to pitch to Kirk, as he requested. Very cool. Fox Sports put a microphone on Manoah.

Mic'd up for his first appearance in the All-Star Game, Alek Manoah didn't disappoint. The Blue Jays right-hander stole the show in many ways, showcasing his live arm and engaging personality in an impressive performance. (@ShiDavidi)https://t.co/Kf25Et7J0J

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 20, 2022

Rogers Sportsnet runs the international feed for the All-Star Game. While most Canadians didn't have access to the microphone part, there is one feature that Sportsnet always carries that MLB on Fox is always afraid to run on television.

2022 Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Game preview

Canadian Anthem actually televised! And sung by a Canadian actress/singer.

If only they didn’t have the organist playing. #ASG2022 pic.twitter.com/Py9RxySq5H

— Bex (@bex_pix) July 20, 2022

O Canada never seemed like a sinister song to ban from television. This sad little game with MLB on Fox, MLB, and Rob Manfred gets more bizarre. Happens every year for more than a decade. No one with power seems to notice or care. A few scattered people go on Twitter and ask, "Didn't we miss the Canadian anthem?"

Fox runs several commercials and promotion spots that serves as a disgrace and insult to Canada. We used to note that Fox Sports would run O Canada on MLS telecasts. Then again, English and Spanish national outlets in the United States won't carry MLS Canadian teams in the regular season.

Melissa O'Neil did a really nice job with the Canadian anthem. She sang the middle part in French. No reason for the ban.

2022 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta in the spotlight

Rarer than even a Canadian quarterback in the CFL is a Canadian manager in MLB. Rob Thomson, Philadelphia Phillies bench coach, is the interim manager for the rest of the season. Thomson was named to the post following the firing of manager Joe Girardi on June 3.

Thomson is from Corunna, Ontario and was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.

George Gibson (London, Ontario) was the last full-time Canadian MLB manager with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1934.

There have been fill-in moments for Thomson in New York and Philadelphia. Canadian catcher Russell Martin managed the Toronto Blue Jays in the team's final game in 2018 as a goodwill gesture from manager John Gibbons.

Ernie Whitt has managed the Canada team in the World Baseball Classic. Stubby Clapp could have been a good MLB manager. Maybe Joey Votto will go that route in his post MLB playing career.

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

Rogers Sportsnet hasn't been reasonably creative with Buck Martinez being sidelined with cancer treatment. The fill-ins for Dan Shulman have been a combination of radio play-by-play Ben Wagner filling in on TV with a TV/radio simulcast or Matt Devlin, Toronto Raptors play by play person, on the TV side.

Joe Siddall has been helping out on days when Pat Tabler is not available.

Part of the idea of being creative is remembering when the Chicago Cubs had guest announcers fill in for Harry Caray years ago. The Cubs got a bit ridiculous with the replacements. If the Blue Jays had a second radio announcer, Wagner would be the logical go-to fill-in for Shulman.

2022 Toronto Blue Jays preview

2022 Toronto Blue Jays spring training schedule

CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage

The Toronto Blue Jays start the second half of the season at Fenway Park for a 3-game road trip. The Jays have a 6-game homestand starting on Tuesday with 2 games with St. Louis and 4 games with Detroit.

There may be a MLB Extra Innings preview. Maybe not.

Twitter captures: @canadian_xing; @JonHeyman; @Sportsnet; @bex_pix
photo credit: @BlueJays

2022 CFL Week 7 preview

Editor's note: This story has been updated with the switch of the Toronto game at Saskatchewan from Saturday to Sunday. The move is tied to COVID-19 test results from Roughriders players and staff.

The East division gets a showcase in a rare Thursday night doubleheader.

The Highway 417 (Autoroute 40) series debuts in 2022 in the nation's capital. The rivalry with the Alouettes and RedBlacks is relatively young but the cities have more than just football between them.

Hamilton makes the long pass trip to Vancouver in the nightcap.

Winnipeg hopes its trip to Edmonton will be more of a funk for the Elks and their suffering fans. Edmonton has a 10-game home losing streak, a club record stretching back to 2019. ESPN2 will show the Friday night game.

Toronto and Saskatchewan complete the somewhat home-and-home going from Wolfville, Nova Scotia, to Regina, Saskatchewan on Sunday night. ESPNews makes a cable appearance for this game.

Calgary gets to rest after the Calgary Stampede came through the city.

ESPN2

Friday
Winnipeg @ Edmonton, 9p

ESPNews

Sunday
Toronto @ Saskatchewan, 7p

TSN

Thursday
Montréal @ Ottawa, 7p
Hamilton @ BC, 10p
Friday
Winnipeg @ Edmonton, 9p
Sunday
Toronto @ Saskatchewan, 7p

Bye week: Calgary

Touchdown Atlantic 2022 showcased Nova Scotia and its love for the CFL

We covered the pageantry, the game, and the pathetic ESPN+ behaviour. The cover-up is worse than what happened. The game is still missing.

The teams meet up this week in Regina. A bit of skirmish from teams that only meet twice a season.

2022 CFL Week 6 preview: Touchdown Atlantic comes to Wolfville, NS

The Edmonton comeback and late Toronto win now means the West is now 13-2 against the East in 2022 in the CFL. Saskatchewan has suffered both losses against the East in Montréal and Wolfville.

CFL finally puts a regular season game in Nova Scotia

The Danny Maciocia era in Montréal was off to a fine start. A 19-point lead early in the second half at home at Molson Stadium. The Elks were considered one of the worst teams in the league and starting their 3rd quarterback in 6 games.

The undisciplined play Maciocia cited in firing Khari Jones proved costly with 3 major pass interference penalties. Elks quarterback Taylor Cornelius' strong arm helped force those penalties. Turnovers, such as a fumble recovery from Scott Hutter and Ed Gainey's first interception as an Elk, did not help.

The Elks now have 2 road wins, still winless at home since 2019.

2022 CFL Week 5 preview

How close was the final battle of the undefeated teams? Kamar Jorden caught the ball in the end zone for Calgary, a touchdown that could have tied the game in the final minute. Jorden's arms hit the turf and the ball popped up into the arms of Demerio Houston of Winnipeg for the interception.

Dustin Nielson's "What is happening?" call was beautiful. Hope Rod Black is enjoying his retirement. His call on that play would have been one for the ages and not in a good way.

Calgary left crucial points on the table in the second half. 2 drives inside the Winnipeg 5 netted 3 points. Marc Liegghio missed a key extra point, leaving the Winnipeg lead at 7 points, setting up a potential Calgary tying touchdown.

Winnipeg didn't need another tall, impressive receiving target but got one in Carlton Agudosi, who caught 2 TDs in his CFL debut.

We don't normally suggest going back and watching the videos, but that finish is worth watching, whether you've seen it once or 10 times. The fans who were there (and some who weren't) will tell that story for decades.

The Stampeders host Winnipeg next week after a bye. Perhaps a different result at McMahon Stadium.

2022 CFL Week 4 preview

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats won a home game. That used to be an automatic statement but this has been a rough start for the Tiger-Cats and Ottawa RedBlacks.

Hamilton switched from Dane Evans, after another key fumble, to Matthew Shiltz. The QB shift wasn't bad but the play calling had the fogginess of someone who had a COVID-19 booster shot. The Tiger-Cats won despite this drive.

The relative good news for both teams is this was the first division game for both teams. Each East team plays 10 division games, which will likely decide the 2 (maybe 3) East playoff teams.

A boost for Hamilton at a sacrifice to the TSN panel: former Montréal head coach Khari Jones has joined the Tiger-Cats as a consultant.

2022 CFL Week 3 preview

Mason Fine is the Saskatchewan backup quarterback. You might remember Isaac Harker in this role. Fine is invisible since Saskatchewan doesn't like to take Cody Fajardo out of the game. Could be a blowout and 90 seconds left; Craig Dickenson has Fajardo in the game.

Fajardo's knee injury is clearly bothering him. The low blow he took on Saturday was a roughing the quarterback call that should have been called, Even Glen Suitor thought it was a penalty. Fajardo leads the league by far in roughing the quarterback calls that don't get called.

The Roughriders have to decide whether to rest Fajardo to help that left knee. The team hasn't had a bye so far and won't have one until the first week of August.

📻 Proud to announce our partnership with @cfweradio & @cjweradio on the first Indigenous language broadcast in @CFL history!

Our July 22 game vs. @Wpg_BlueBombers will be radio broadcast in nêhiyawêwin (Cree) across Alberta.

DETAILS | https://t.co/UIDRyFi3mb#GoElks #CFL pic.twitter.com/YRu0vWWAuG

— Edmonton Elks (@GoElks) July 8, 2022

The Edmonton Elks will be the first CFL team to broadcast in an Indigenous language. Tomorrow night's game with Winnipeg in Edmonton will be available in Cree on Windspeaker Media's CFWE (98.5 FM in Edmonton) and CJWE (88.1 FM in Calgary). Wayne Jackson, Darcy Houle, and Edwin Thomas will call the game.

Edmonton Elks president and chief executive officer Victor Cui announced other related events for the game. The Canadian national anthem will be performed in both Cree and English. An Indigenous performance will be held at halftime. Grand Chief of Treaty 6 First Nations George Arcand Jr. will handle the pre-game coin toss.

Given the previous nickname for the Edmonton franchise, this is an especially nice gesture. Hope some of those elements end up on TSN and ESPN2.

Pope Francis I will have a papal mass at Commonwealth Stadium on Tuesday as part of his Canada trip.

We have just acquired the rights to offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif! If he plays in the CFL, he’ll be doing so in his own backyard! 👉https://t.co/6zeMGO75xL pic.twitter.com/Vxqs8Q7f5P

— Alouettes de Montréal (@MTLAlouettes) July 15, 2022

Montréal acquired the CFL rights to offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif from Calgary. The Alouettes will send a 2nd round pick to Calgary in whatever year the McGill alum signs with any CFL team. Calgary also has the option of switching 1st round picks in the subsequent draft.

Danny Maciocia may have chosen the timing to boost interest in the Alouettes with the coaching change. Jon Ryan was an exception where a NFL star came to play in the CFL.

Your humble narrator would not have known who owned Duvernay-Tardif's CFL rights before the deal. Would be fun to see him plays for Les Alouettes.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Rod Smith and Glen Suitor worked their way east with a stop in Montréal on Thursday before eating a lot of seafood in and around Wolfville on Saturday. John Lu was in Montréal with Matthew Scianitti in Wolfville.

Dustin Nielson and Matt Dunigan with Sara Orlesky witnessed the final battle of the undefeateds in Winnipeg on Friday night.

Marshall Ferguson and Duane Forde with Claire Hanna had their lone game of the week in Hamilton.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter captures: @GoElks; @MTLAlouettes

Pope Francis I arrives in Canada on Sunday for an expected apology on residential schools

Pope Francis is coming to Canada next week. Not a vacation for the 85-year-old Catholic pontiff; definitely a business trip.

The pope will visit Edmonton, Maskwacis and Lac Ste. Anne in Alberta, Quebec City in Quebec, and Iqaluit in Nunavut.

The schedule includes 9 homilies and addresses and saying 2 Masses. The primary focus for Pope Francis is an expected apology for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in residential schools.

The pope will arrive in Edmonton on Sunday and be in the area July 24-27. He will be in Quebec City July 27-29. His stay in Iqaluit will be less than a day.

Could Marc Cardinal Ouellet be the first Canadian pope?

While the apology will be welcome, there are other pressing concerns from the church. 48 Catholic church entities signed on to fundraise $25 million for survivors as part of a settlement agreement with the term "best efforts." Somehow, those "best efforts" resulted in just under $4 million. The Catholic Church can afford to write out a check for the difference.

The church could also release all residential school documents and records to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Theoretically, the pope has the power to make all of that happen. The requests aren't for anything extra but to get justice for those damaged by the residential schools system.

Canadian films that might explain a bit about the world of residential schools

CanadianCrossing.com Indigenous coverage

CanadianCrossing.com trade coverage

We hope that the relevant population gets some relief from the papal visit to Canada. Quite frankly, more transparency and compensation, too.

If you still don't know too much about residential schools, especially if you are deeply Catholic, we invite you to read our Indigenous coverage to get some idea before Pope Francis lands on Canadian soil.

video credit: CBC News

2022 Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Game preview

A special moment for Espinal. ⭐️💙#NextLevel | @BlueJays pic.twitter.com/t7gK8OJbUa

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 16, 2022

The 2022 Toronto Blue Jays will have an extensive All-Star Game presence tonight at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles for the 2022 version.

Catcher Alejandro Kirk will start in his first All-Star Game while 1st baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. starts in his second straight All-Star Game for the American League.

Pitcher Alek Manoah, 2nd baseman Santiago Espinal, and relief ace (and Canadian) Jordan Romano will attend their first All-Star Game. Romano and Los Angeles first baseman Freddie Freeman are the Canadian players on the National League and American League rosters.

Centre fielder George Springer was added to the American League roster but had to withdraw due to an injury.

Other Blue Jays did well in the voting process with Springer and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. finishing 4th and 5th among outfielders; Espinal finished second at 2nd base and Bo Bichette was the runner-up at shortstop.

Houston manager Dusty Baker said Guerrero would bat cleanup for the American League and Kirk will bat in the 9 spot.

Guerrero was invited to the Home Run Derby but declined the invitation. His 2019 performance was memorable even if most don't remember he didn't win. We think that messed up his 2019 second half performance. Team over a flawed derby setup.

2022 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta in the spotlight

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

2022 Toronto Blue Jays preview

2022 Toronto Blue Jays spring training schedule

CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage

We will have much more about the 2022 Toronto Blue Jays on Friday when the regular season resumes.

The 2022 All-Star Game airs on Fox in the United States and Rogers Sportsnet in Canada. You'll know if you are watching the Canadian feed because the coverage will air O Canada. Fox has refused to run the Canadian anthem for over a decade.

Rob Manfred, if you reading this, share with our readers why you encourage such repulsive and shameless behavior.

Twitter capture: @Sportsnet
photo credit: @BlueJays

Touchdown Atlantic 2022 showcased Nova Scotia and its love for the CFL

There's a saying in Atlantic Canada that if you're not of this place then you're from away, but if you come to this place, come to stay.@TSNScianitti takes a closer look at the CFL's Touchdown Atlantic tradition, and what makes this CFL event and Atlantic Canada so unique. pic.twitter.com/zukf1Nljmt

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 16, 2022

Wolfville was not Halifax; the CFL finally played a regular season game in Nova Scotia with Touchdown Atlantic 2022. The wind off the Atlantic Ocean played havoc with some of the kicks, not unlike the wind at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.

The streets of Wolfville and Halifax were filled (mostly) with the green of the Saskatchewan Roughriders fans who made the trip. There were a number in double blue, rooting for the Toronto Argonauts.

The Argos, a seafaring team based on the nickname, were victorious 30-24 at Raymond Field in Wolfville, home of Acadia University. Sure the cliche is true: everyone involved were winners on Saturday.

Football is family 💚🏈

A special moment for @brettlauther in front of the home crowd 🙌#CFLGameday | #TDAtlantic @sskroughriders pic.twitter.com/DPgy9jdDwR

— CFL (@CFL) July 16, 2022

Brett Lauther's family and friends represented 180 of the 10,000 fans. Lauther is from nearby Truro, Nova Scotia and played university football at St. Mary's Stadium in Halifax (where the 2020 Touchdown Atlantic was scheduled).

This is one of the selling arguments to having a presence in Atlantic Canada. Players from the region making the CFL and either playing for the Atlantic Schooners or coming as a visiting player. The TSN crew interviewed Acadia University head coach Jeff Cummins, a former CFL player.

We know the NHL uses this as a theory for keeping a particular team in a city where the maximum capacity next season will be 5,000 because of Auston Matthews. The theory in Atlantic Canada and the CFL is a lot stronger.

Lauther made 3 of 4 field goal attempts for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Remembering an amazing grilled sourdough bread in Halifax

Celebrating advantages of the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market

Searching for a good lobster roll in Nova Scotia

The seafood is amazing on the East Coast. TSN used part of the halftime to talk seafood. The Bar Down segment was a bit baffling. 3 Saskatchewan players looked at pictures of seafood. Their reaction was mostly negative based on pictures, especially the player in the centre who wasn't into seafood.

The seafood is way better than what was portrayed in that segment. We needed to see them eat Atlantic Canada seafood.

Wolfville is normally a town of 4,000 people. There were 10,886 fans plus the TSN personnel and other relevant people. That is a lot to ask on a place without that kind of infrastructure. Credit to Wolfville for rising to the occasion.

We were glad to see Halifax get some of the celebration for Touchdown Atlantic 2022.

2022 CFL Week 6 preview: Touchdown Atlantic comes to Wolfville, NS

CFL finally puts a regular season game in Nova Scotia

CanadianCrossing.com Nova Scotia coverage

McLeod Bethel-Thomson played for Toronto in Moncton in 2019. Boris Bede played for the Alouettes in 2019 and the Argos in 2022 for Touchdown Atlantic. Brandon Banks signed with Hamilton in 2013 after the Touchdown Atlantic visit to Moncton.

We noted Brett Lauther's local roots earlier in this story. Toronto linebacker Hénoc Muamba played his second Touchdown Atlantic, having played for Montréal in 2019 in Moncton. Muamba played for St. Francis Xavier University in nearby Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

.@ESPNPR @ESPN WTF? Show the @CFL game from @TSN. Huge game in terms of the league and you won't show us the feed. We literally pay your salary. Give us what you promised.

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) July 16, 2022

We hate to mention the major blemish on the U.S. streaming side. ESPN+ picked a horrible time to be asleep at the wheel. The U.S. fans lost the pageantry and the first 2:01 of the game.

Who knows how many American viewers left because the game wasn't on their screen.

ESPN made things even worse by refusing (at press time) to carry the rebroadcast of the game. Every other CFL game is available, except for Touchdown Atlantic 2022.

TSN lost its own feed and missed the first Toronto Argonauts touchdown live.

2020 Touchdown Atlantic in Halifax: What would have been

If CFL plays in 2020, have all the games in the Maritimes

As for the actual game itself, Toronto linebacker Wynton McManis picked a great time for a Pick 6, returning an interception from Cody Fajardo to give the Argos a 30-24 win. Saskatchewan had won 8 straight over Toronto dating back to 2016.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson went 26 for 37 for 276 yards with 2 TDs and an interception. Fajardo was 24 for 34 for 284 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

Andrew Harris passed TSN panelist Milt Stegall and is now 4th all-time in yards from scrimmage. Stegall finished with 15,209 yards.

Harris had 39 yards rushing, 25 yards receiving for 64 yards for the day. He only needed 46 to pass Stegall.

The veteran running back is still short of 10,000 rushing yards. When Harris reaches that mark, he will be the first Canadian and the 6th CFL player to hit that mark.

Rod Smith and Glen Suitor called the game on TSN with Matthew Scianitti on the sidelines and in the crowd.

The panel made the trip with Kate Beirness, Davis Sanchez, and Milt Stegall there on Friday and Saturday. Matt Dunigan made the trip from Winnipeg on Friday to be there on Saturday in Wolfville.

Stegall talked about how this was his first trip to Atlantic Canada. Sanchez says he thinks Stegall would be someone from Atlantic Canada if he were Canadian.

CFL once again comes to Moncton for 2019 Touchdown Atlantic

Analysis: Could Moncton host a permanent CFL franchise?

CFL hits Moncton, showcasing New Brunswick

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

We know the idea of building a stadium in Halifax to house a team got sidelined during the pandemic. We know the decades-long uphill battle this has been. Let's hope Touchdown Atlantic is a CFL game every year until the Atlantic Schooners start playing for real.

Twitter captures: @TSN_Sports; @CFL; @canadian_xing
photos credit: TSN/CFL

CBC Saturday night Canadian film schedule for late July 2022

We did feature the Canadian films that would run on CBC in early July. Wanting to continue the summertime tradition of sharing in advance the films schedule to run on CBC on Saturday nights.

No Olympics or Paralympics to get in the way of Saturday nights in the summer to show Canadian films.

Sports will get in the way in the sense that some nights only have a single feature. Other Saturday nights could have 2-3 films on the schedule.

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

Here is the schedule for late July 2022.

July 16

9p Clara (2016)

July 23

9p Akilla's Escape (2020)

July 30

9p The Song of Names (2019)
11:30p Into Invisible Light (2018)
1:30a Brooklyn (2015)

Canadian film review: Akilla's Escape

Canadian film review: Clara

We've seen and reviewed the films for July 16 and July 23. The July 30 listings are bookended by Canadian film in name only. Have not seen The Song of Names but sat through Brooklyn. Brooklyn is nice enough. The Irish parts are more interesting; just throw out logic and you'll be okay.

We rarely, but occasionally, run into a Canadian film that the CBC features on a Saturday night where we have no previous knowledge. Star Jennifer Dale co-wrote the script with director Shelagh Carter based from the Anton Chekov play Uncle Vanya. The film also features Peter Keleghan, always a plus.

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

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

CanadianCrossing.com CBC coverage

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Enjoy the Canadian films!!

logo credit: CBC
photo credit: Clara