Canadian Crossing

NHL notebook: Hockey Day in Canada comes to Canmore, Alberta on Saturday

Canmore, Alberta will host Hockey Day in Canada on January 18. This will be the first time Alberta has been involved in the Canadian celebration since Lloydminster (Alberta and Saskatchewan) hosted in 2014. Canmore is about 90 kilometres west of Calgary in southern Alberta.

This is the 25th anniversary of the event. Hockey Day in Canada started in 2000. There was no Hockey Day in Canada in 2005 due to the lockout. Chris Cuthbert's criticism of the lack of an event is likely a factor as to why then CBC Sports executive director Nancy Lee terminated Cuthbert's contract at the CBC. Cuthbert jumped to TSN to cover the CFL and NHL.

The coverage starts at 1 pm Eastern on CBC and Rogers Sportsnet with more details, including alternative languages to watch the games. Hopefully, CBC Gem will be an option.

The game lineup looks like this:

• Boston @ Ottawa, 3p
• Toronto @ Montréal, 7p
• Calgary @ Winnipeg, 7p
• Edmonton @ Vancouver, 10p

The NHL Network will carry Toronto @ Montréal. ESPN+ is a good option in the United States for the other games. Can't understand why the story part isn't more prevalent on the U.S. side.

Following NHL logic is usually difficult, especially with a Canadian team is involved. Tampering another team's player is a rather serious offence. The New York Rangers likely engaged in soft tampering concerning Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk.

The league was "so upset" that a month after deputy commissioner Bill Daly warned the league's GMs about tampering, all teams were sent a detailed memo, reminding everyone about rules in place and penalties for violations.

No investigating and certainly no penalty against the New York Rangers.

NHL the month in preview December 2023

The Ottawa Senators will forfeit a 1st-round draft pick in either 2025 or 2026 for not submitting a no-trade list for a player they traded. Ottawa traded Evgeni Dadonov to Las Vegas. Then Las Vegas tried to trade Evgeni Dadonov to Anaheim. Seems like Las Vegas should have looked into this but failed to do due diligence.

Ottawa got significantly punished, not the very protected Las Vegas franchise. If the shoe were on the other foot, the league wouldn't have the first-round draft pick penalty. The NHL might even investigate the tampering allegation.

This is one of the many ways why we had to cut back our coverage.

Reminded us of when everyone rushed to defend Matt Cooke, an ominous repeat offender, for a vicious injury to Erik Karlsson, then with Ottawa, when Cooke cut Karlsson's Achilles tendon with his skate in 2013. Even Rodney Dangerfield would be like, "I thought I didn't get any respect. Woah. Ottawa Senators have me beat by a mile."

Fun fact for those not aware before becoming the TV voice for the Red Wings in 1997. Ken Daniels was with CBC from 1985 until 1997 doing hosting duties and doing commentary mainly the Western teams from 1994 until leaving for Detroit beginning in the 1997-98 season https://t.co/BIAu9fVKDV

— Darcy Armstrong (@DArm91) December 24, 2024

We saw that the first substitute for John Forslund on Amazon Prime Video in Canada was an actual Canadian: Ken Daniels of the Detroit Red Wings. Daniels used to cover national games in Canada for the CBC in the last century.

Daniels is one of the best American based hockey announcers, along with fellow Canadians Dave Randorf and Rick Ball.

We noticed that the NHL Network gave the U.S. audience the horrendous Florida feed instead of Amazon Prime Video with the Edmonton Oilers on December 17.

In memory of his late son, Scott Oake co-founded the Bruce and Anne Oake Memorial Foundation and the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, which serve marginalized populations across Canada.

Learn more about the #OrderOfCanada appointees: https://t.co/t3TZGfrZ4z. pic.twitter.com/8vY8bCIWqD

— Governor General of Canada (@GGCanada) December 19, 2024

Longtime hockey broadcaster Scott Oake was among 88 recipients of the Order of Canada for those who make lasting impacts on their communities.

Oake, a native of Sydney, NS, has appeared on Hockey Night in Canada since 1989. He hosts the primary late game as well as After Hours.

Oake is known for his tireless work in co-founding the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre in Winnipeg, an addiction treatment facility.

We have a soft spot for Oake and are thrilled for him to receive this honour.

NHL notebook: Kenzie Lalonde is the first female play by play person for TSN

We definitely have missed the Christine Simpson interviews. They would have served a good purpose for the upcoming Hockey Day in Canada.

On the Couch with Colby (Armstrong) didn't really replace the Christine Simpson interviews. Yet Armstrong's barely interviews have a sponsor. Ugh.

Casual observation: Harnarayan Singh is spending more time out east on Hockey Night in Canada. Dave Randorf was the original (in the Sportsnet era) West Coast play-by-play person along with Mike Johnson (feels like and was 10 years ago). Of course, Rogers Sportsnet has plenty of regional help with John Shorthouse, Rick Ball (until last spring, now Jon Abbott), and Jack Michaels when Edmonton is involved.

Singh in the east means less luck for Mike Luck, who was drawing some of those Ottawa and Winnipeg games on Saturday nights. Singh was seen as a cheaper option than Randorf, which is why Sportsnet likely let him go during the pandemic.

As much as we would like to think TSN and Sportsnet will share the new Canadian TV contract, Bell Media bailing out of MLSE might mean less competition than even Gary Bettman wants in the new Canadian TV deal with the NHL. Amazon Prime Video may become more prevalent.

NHL notebook: First look at Monday Night Hockey on Prime Video Canada

Jonah Sigel runs yyzsportsmedia.com. For those who don't know or also don't know the Rush song, YYZ is the airport code for Toronto-Pearson.

Sigel is concerned that since Bell has divested its MLSE shares, and other moves, that TSN could be up for sale. This would concern the CFL coverage as well as whether TSN bids on the new NHL deal in Canada in 2026.

Gary Bettman, Rogers Sportsnet, and your humble narrator want a split deal instead of everything in one company. CBC is interested in carrying games, maybe even to make some money. Amazon Prime Video may want more, including playoff games. Bell Media, current TSN owners, may not be excited about wrapping so much money in the NHL. ESPN owns 30% of TSN.

CTV Sportsnet launched in 1998 as a competition to TSN. CTV, Rogers Media, and Liberty Media (owned by Fox) were the original owners. Bell Globemedia (The Globe and Mail) had to divest its stake in the network following its 2001 acquisition of NetStar, which owned TSN.

The media landscape is very different in 2025. An understatement.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Calgary got the 2026 Grey Cup against odds. There may be a NHL connection to this event. The NHL logic — i.e., skipping Montréal — for Canadian outdoor games means Calgary is up next on the clock. The Flames played in the last Heritage Classic in Edmonton in 2023 and last hosted a Heritage Classic in 2011.

The league is genuinely good at promoting special events … unless they are in Canada. Burying the games in late October (2016, 2019, 2023) is part of the strategy to diminish the few games Canada gets.

The theory is that the NHL would take advantage of the extra seating at McMahon Stadium for the Grey Cup and put in a Heritage Classic at the home of the Calgary Stampeders. Hopefully, that would mean a late November Heritage Classic in more appropriate Canadian winter weather.

Just a theory but maybe.

Its been 21 years since #NHL teams started having road teams wear white on the road instead of at home. I still hate it. pic.twitter.com/NM8snrcGvr

— Rob Fai (@RobFai) December 15, 2024

We have way more than 99 problems with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. This one isn't even in the Top 100 yet I love this tweet because all NHL fans can get behind this trend.

This especially bugs me when Winnipeg is at home in the playoffs. The Winnipeg Whiteout was where the fans would wear all white. Very odd to see the fans in white yet the Jets have to dress in blue for home games.

Home teams should get their choice of colour for any game, especially the playoffs.

2024-2025 NHL preview: Cutting back significantly on our NHL coverage

2024 NHL preseason schedule

A few more TV notes:

Sometimes, good journalism comes from noticing the absence of something. We haven't seen where Rogers Sportsnet took a Toronto Maple Leafs game on a Saturday night and make the game exclusive to Sportsnet. We have seen that pattern in the last couple of seasons: the Vancouver at Toronto game Saturday night likely would have ended up on Sportsnet in past years. Don't know why the policy has shifted and no guarantee that won't change. Still, this is worth noting.

Still no change in the Chicago TV situation. Chicago fired their coach (former Montréal assistant Luke Richardson) before the TV deal got fixed. If only Chicago Sports Network read the market and/or made the TV signals as available to everyone in the market, like a handful of NHL teams have done.

TNT finally shows a Canadian team for the first time this season tonight. The Edmonton Oilers are in Minnesota, so not in Canada. The U.S. network isn't scheduled to show a game in Canada until March 19 in Toronto. TNT is only scheduled to show 3 Canadian teams all season.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

Neighbours helping neighbors. 🇨🇦🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/qRuEsu31T0

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 9, 2025

Calgary will have to make up a road game in Los Angeles. The January 8 game was postponed over the Los Angeles area wildfires. Canadian planes and pilots are helping to put out the fires. That is what a good neighbour does.

photo credits: Rogers Sportsnet; NHL
Twitter captures: @DArm91; @GGCanada; @RobFai; @JustinTrudeau

Canadian film review: Down River

Down River eentres on the relationship between a proverbial mother hen Pearl (Helen Shaver) and three younger women in her apartment building: actor Fawn (Gabrielle Miller, Corner Gas), visual artist Aki (Jennifer Spence), and musician Harper (Colleen Rennison).

The film goes back and forth between their individual stories. Fawn feels like she has to choose between a TV show and her fiance. Aki has to deal with a domineering father and getting notice for her paintings. Harper is working on getting her songs recorded.

Men are at the forefront of these women's lives. Fawn with her fiance and potential director on the TV series; Aki with her father and the art gallery owner; and Harper using a guy to afford the steps to further her career. Though Harper is also dealing with her ex girlfriend who comes back into the picture.

We know less about Pearl. She loves to swim in the open water. Pearl also has a significant pain in her back.

Down River has the feel of U.S. independent films from the 1990s (a good thing) in that the stories have connection yet can be viewed as separate stories. Being actual actors, they can relate well to the frustrations of these characters.

The stories are uncomfortable at times but the writing makes you pull for all 4 women. The more we learn about Pearl, the more we understand her motivations.

I didn't look at or think about the writer and director. Was a bit surprised to learn a guy (Benjamin Ratner) wrote and directed the film. The film was reportedly created as an homage to Canadian actor Babz Chula, whom you might remember from her roles in Canadian films such as My American Cousin, American Boyfriends, Live Bait, and Last Wedding.

The advice scenes near the end of the 2013 film feel a bit hokey, almost like they summarized the film we just saw. I found myself disagreeing vehemently with one piece of advice, which made for an interesting twist in the storytelling.

The film is definitely Vancouver but like Vancouver with no makeup and its hair pulled up.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Your humble narrator finds these types of women stories to be intriguing so I might like the film more than you would. Love the intimacy and not so well lit interior scenes. Canadian films get teased for not looking like a Hollywood film but this film benefits from the realistic portrayal. Life is not always well lit.

The film is well-written and goes at a solid pace. The characters feel real and you ride their roller coaster.

Rennison received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Molly for Best Original Song at the 2014 Canadian Screen Awards.

Down River is available on Tubi in the United States.

video and photo credit: Down River

Canadian film review: Drinkwater

On the surface, Drinkwater is a contender to be a quintessential Canadian film.

Penticton, BC is the place where the film is set and the film is shot there. A Tim Hortons drive-thru. Bathroom vs. washroom. A Wayne Gretzky rookie card. American and Canadian taunts before a binational cross country race.

Drinkwater has an incredible soundtrack, mostly Canadian bands: Loverboy, Doug and the Slugs, BTO, The Kings, April Wine, Sheriff, and Trooper.

Mike Drinkwater (Daniel Doheny) is our teenage protagonist. Mike is a lonely teenager very much into Bruce Lee films and stalking the ideal girl: Danny (Chloe Babcook). Hank (Eric McCormack) is Mike's father. Mike calls him Hank. Hank wears a neck brace and is scamming the insurance company to get out of work.

Their major outside contact are next-door neighbours Cliff (Vincent Cheng) and Linda (Linda Darlow). Their granddaughter Wallace (Louriza Tronco) transfers from New England to Penticton in British Columbia.

You kind of know the story from other similar films. Our protagonist is the loser. The new girl helps boost his confidence, which he wastes on the unattainable pretty girl who is dating the all-star athlete who has a jerk father.

There are sincerely sad moments. Wallace goes into what happened with her mother to Mike yet the audience had no idea what she was trying to say. That could be her telling a difficult story.

A saving grace is anytime there is an excuse for a song, a great Canadian song (or other song) will play to distract you from the plot.

A running joke is that Wallace is so bored she will even spend time with Mike. While Mike is our hero, he isn't that interesting. The film's take on the "Canadian girlfriend" was the funniest scene in the film.

We get why Danny is alluring but the character looks 26 years old.

Trying to find the quintessential Canadian film

We can't tell if writers Luke Fraser and Edward McDonald and director Stephen Campanelli are presenting this format as irony or sincerity. "If the Americans can make this time of a film, why can't Canadians make this type of film."

The pacing in the first hour — 112 minutes in total — is so slow and inane. Condensing 20 minutes out of the first hour would make this a stronger film.

We loved Doheny in Adventures in Public School and he does his best with the script in this film. McCormack is having a good time in this film. Tronco is trapped in the first half of the film in the mindless sidekick role. When Wallace becomes more interesting, so does the film.

If you enjoy this format and you want to see such a film in Canadian hands, Drinkwater will be a pleasant date night film. The soundtrack is the star of the film.

This review felt like Drinkwater "might also be one of the most Canadian films of all time." Is Drinkwater the quintessential Canadian film? No. If you don't take the film too seriously, you will get plenty of Canadiana.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Drinkwater (2021) is available on Tubi in the United States.

video credit: LevelFilm
photo credit: Drinkwater

Where to visit Canada in 2025

Hi. I love traveling from the United States to Canada. I have been to all 10 provinces; no territories yet. Despite the potential turmoil between the 2 countries in 2025, we always encourage travel between the 2 countries.

Canadians and Americans have more in common than some idiots think they do. Traveling helps people figure that out.

Traveling lately has been a struggle for your humble narrator. Real life is not going well. Just know my heart wants to be there in Canada, even outside of Windsor.

A trip back to Montréal. A first trip to Saskatoon. A chance to see relatively new CFL stadiums in Regina and Hamilton. The Icefield Parkway in Alberta. Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. Gander in Newfoundland. Churchill in Manitoba, though that might be a pipe dream. The interior of British Columbia, a world not Vancouver or Victoria.

I've been to Quebec City but would like to try areas of the city I didn't get to see. Stratford, Ontario as an adult: have been there as a kid. Explore the Acadian part of New Brunswick.

We've written these words a few times. Still our travel goals in 2025. Here are some travel thoughts from the past year:

Canadian travel notebook: Brittlestar talks up Atlantic Canada

2024 Civic Holiday notebook: Jasper is the latest Canadian city to suffer from wildfires

Canadian film notebook: Évelyne Brochu gets caught in a love triangle in French Girl

The painful footage of seeing Jasper in flames was a low point in Canada and travel in 2024. Getting to these places before a tragedy feels odd. This is not a place where I have been but was/is still on my list. If you can, support those local businesses that are still there.

In a parallel universe, I work as an ambassador to what makes Atlantic Canada awesome. I would be the outsider who can explain how incredible that travel experience can be. There are a few drawbacks like living there in February and the occasional tropical storm from a long ago hurricane.

I love the La Banquise story about Timothée Chalamet from Denis Villeneuve. I have served as an unofficial guide to what to do in Montréal. I had several people in 2024 make their first trip to that city. I offer up mostly food suggestions: La Banquise comes up a lot. The thing about poutine is that most Americans I know haven't had a decent plate of the dish. You can dislike poutine and I will be your friend. I just want people to try how it can be. La Banquise is one of many places to get a good plate of poutine in Montréal.

High-speed rail brings people closer together, even in wide open spaces such as Alberta

CanadianCrossing.com Alberta coverage

Americans generally like the idea of traveling to Canada. Getting Canadians to travel within Canada is more difficult. Flying to London, England is easier and cheaper than going to see New Brunswick or Newfoundland.

While we don't have the 2025 CFL schedule, we know there won't be a Touchdown Atlantic (past years) or Touchdown Pacific (2024). Hoping someday for Touchdown Windsor, which might not seem likely. Yet there is talk about a CFL game within sight of the United States. They are considering Acumen Stadium at St. Clair College and Alumni Stadium at the University of Windsor.

Victoria looked gorgeous during Touchdown Pacific. The fact that CBS Sports Network was convinced to add that game meant Americans could see a part of western Canada below the 49th parallel.

Canadians often use the CFL as an excuse to travel to different parts of the country. Seeing the Saskatchewan fans in New Brunswick in September for Touchdown Atlantic was a wonderful feeling. I have seen CFL games in every CFL city and Moncton, NB but not the current stadiums in Hamilton and Regina.

Jayme Poisson, host of CBC Radio's Front Burner, is a conservative journalist. Poisson was in love with the protesters in Ottawa and is often cold with seemingly progressive topics in the news. The fact that Poisson did a recent episode on high-speed rail and was only mildly snarky was quite a surprise.

The episode was sparked in great part by the Trudeau Government plan to do high-speed rail between Quebec City and Toronto with trains to reach speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour.

The high-speed rail train would run on a separate electrified track. The plan is to run the train from Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Laval, Montréal, Ottawa, Peterborough, and Toronto.

MacLean's makes a case for high speed rail helping to ease the housing crisis. Rail travel and high-speed rail are seen as "left" or "progressive" when all political stripes would get advantages of being able to travel faster across Canada. Lots of Toronto-Ottawa business trips where you can get more work done on a train than waiting at the airport. People who need to work in Toronto but like the lifestyle of Peterborough: those are the 905 people who tend to vote conservative.

Canada does have its struggles with rail infrastructure on the local level: Metrolinx problems in Toronto; Ottawa's local trains; Calgary Green Line. Wise and thoughtful infrastructure isn't sexy and won't produce screaming headlines in the National Post. They would improve the lives of Canadians in ways they haven't imagined.

Why Canadians should want to see a Canadian film

Why New Brunswick is mostly absent from Canadian film landscape

We do talk about seeing Canada through Canadian film. This is why Canadian films in name only that don't show Canada; a different genre from Canadian stories that happen to take place outside Canada.

We've seen great films from British Columbia, most of them in and around Vancouver. We've even seen Winnipeg in many ways from Mother and the Bear to Universal Language. Bonus for The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom, shot in Manitoba outside Winnipeg.

Quebecois films in Montréal and rural Quebec. So many Nova Scotia and Newfoundland films. A few scattered Prince Edward Island films.

We didn't see that much of New Brunswick in Do I Know You from Somewhere and Drive Back Home. Yet we got 2 entertaining films with a feel, a reflection of the forgotten province.

Here is hoping for more from New Brunswick in Anglais or en Francaise.

Where to visit Canada in 2024

Where to visit Canada in 2023

Where to visit Canada in 2022

Where to visit Canada in 2021

Where to visit Canada in 2020

Where to visit Canada in 2019

Where to visit Canada in 2018

Where to visit Canada in 2017

All Canada national parks are free in 2017

Where to visit Canada in 2016

Where to visit Canada in 2015

Where to visit Canada in 2014

Lots of amazing travel stories to explore over the years. Perhaps I have been to a place where you haven't. A good travel resource for 2025 for going to Canada.

As always, do research. Hope that trip will be what you want that to be. Someday. Please make it soon.

CanadianCrossing.com now has stories grouped by provinces and territories

CanadianCrossing.com border crossings coverage

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

The future is better for tourism in Canada. Even a day trip to Canada — if you are close enough — could improve your mood.

Share your Canadian tourism wishes for 2025 in the comments section below. Time to make travel plans.

map credit: Ezilon.com
Twitter capture: @CFL

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2024

Celebrating the very best of Canadian cinema 🇨🇦

Announcing TIFF’s annual Canada’s Top Ten list of features and shorts for 2024, presented by @mubicanada. https://t.co/jP5NP89pn8 #SeeTheNorth #TIFF50 pic.twitter.com/E2NhkgPUDU

— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) January 8, 2025

The wait for the TIFF Top 10 list of Canadian films in 2024 took us to 2025. There are, dare I say, pleasant surprises in this year's list. 2 films your humble narrator saw at WIFF 24 that I would have put in my Top 10 but wouldn't expect TIFF to do the same.

We have the major TIFF film award winners on the list. This includes the Canadian submission to the Academy Awards, which made the shortlist.

Let's get acquainted with the list of Canadian films. Here is the 2024 Top Ten list with the directors:

40 Acres (R.T. Thorne)
Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story (Lucah Rosenberg-Lee, Michael Mabbott)
Can I Get A Witness? (Ann Marie Fleming)
Matt and Mara (Kazik Radwanski)
Paying For It (Sook-Yin Lee)
Rumours (Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson)
Seeds (Kaniehtiio Horn)
Shepherds (Sophie Deraspe)
The Shrouds (David Cronenberg)
Universal Language (Matthew Rankin)

Universal Language and Shepherds are those TIFF film winners with the former being an Oscars contender. The Shrouds and Rumours are from legendary Canadian filmmakers.

My 2 surprises are Can I Get A Witness? and Seeds (Kaniehtiio Horn) with 40 Acres being less of a surprise. I had high expectations for all 3 films and they delivered more than I hoped.

Matt and Mara and Paying For It are solid choices on the list.

There are 3 Canadian films on the list that we haven't seen. We missed a chance to see Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story at WIFF 24 and have plans to see the major films Rumours and The Shrouds.

We only have 2 films not in English: Shepherds (Sophie Deraspe) in French and Universal Language (Matthew Rankin) in Farsi and French. There is some Cree in 40 Acres; French, Swedish, and German in Rumours; and Kanien’kéha in Seeds.

The only documentary is Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story. There is one Indigenous film with Seeds.

All of these films played at TIFF 24 except for Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story.

We have now seen all of the titles from the TIFF Top Ten of 2023. Crave was a godsend in supplying those films. The reviews of Hey, Viktor! and Kanaval are in the pipeline. There is no film on the 2024 list that we would consider as bad as Solo.

Universal Language is first Canadian film in 8 years to make the Oscars shortlist

TFCA presents the top 6 nominated Canadian films of 2024

TIFF postpones the announcement of the 2024 Top Ten Canadian films until 2025

The TFCA feature finalists are all on the TIFF Top 10 as well as Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story in the documentary category.

The brand new Charles Officer Legacy award will be given on February 5.

Canadian film review: Universal Language

Universal Language is Canada's entry into the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

Universal Language is the first Canadian Oscars entry for Best International Feature Film to make the list since Drunken Birds | Les oiseaux ivres (2021).

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2023

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2022

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2021

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2020

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2019

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2018

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2017

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2016

Not counting this year's list, there are only 4 films from the TIFF Top 10 that we haven't seen dating, back to 2017.

2021 the almost impossible to find Ste. Anne (Rhayne Vermette); Canadian film in name only The White Fortress (Igor Drljača)
2020 Canadian film in name only Fauna (Nicolás Pereda) and Judy Versus Capitalism (Mike Hoolboom)

For an American with limited funds, this is still rather impressive.

The particular elusiveness of Ste. Anne even among Canadian films

2024 WIFF Canadian films in review

2024 TIFF wrapup

TIFF has done these lists since 2001. The lists included feature and short films through 2006 when TIFF put in Top 10 lists for feature and short films (20 in all). We've seen these films from that first list in 2001: Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (Zacharias Kunuk); Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett); Last Wedding (Bruce Sweeney); Parsley Days (Andrea Dorfman); and Soft Shell Man | Un crabe dans la tête (André Turpin).

The Top 10 list has been a guide for Canadian films, some of which we see at Windsor and some to track over the course of the upcoming year. We try to see as many as we realistically can.

One way for those in Toronto to see the Canada’s Top Ten selections is to watch them February 5-9 at the TIFF Lightbox. We also have the list of Top 10 short films from TIFF for 2024.

The total story of Russians at War and the Ukrainian protesters

Who Do I Belong To wins 2024 WIFF Prize in Canadian Film

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

The great thing about the list is that we have Canadian film options to find to watch over the holidays and into the winter. We also have a source for potential conversations about what films would belong on our list.

Twitter capture: @TIFF_NET
photo credit: 40 Acres
video credits: Can I Get a Witness; @TIFF_NET

Golden Antlers should be an option for the Canadian Screen Awards

whoever decided to pair Seth Rogen and Catherine O’Hara together is a genius #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/aqecJ22rm3

— Natalie ❁ (@livelyackles) January 6, 2025

The Canadian Screen Awards are sufficiently invisible that the idea of Golden Antlers and Beavers sound better than the actual Canadian film awards. Seth Rogen and Catherine O'Hara had fun inventing this imaginary world of Canadian film celebrations.

Golden antlers and beavers were part of the bit during the 2025 Golden Globes. The crowd got a sense that Rogen and O'Hara were teasing but without any reference points in regular life.

BAFTA and Cesar are the film awards for the United Kingdom and France, respectively. The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television shifted from the Genie Awards (film) and Gemini Awards (television) to the Canadian Screen Awards in 2013.

Despite proposals, such as Norm Macdonald suggesting Candys after John Candy, the academy has just gone with Canadian Screen Awards.

2024 Canadian Screen Awards wrapup: Technically better than 2023

Rogen and O'Hara made the Canadian film awards sound way more impressive than the actual Canadian Screen Awards. A tape delayed hour program to cover Canadian film AND Canadian television. Not even close to enough.

Gilded Gretzky award. The Beaver award for adult films since Canada didn't have a Puritanical background, according to Rogen.

There was a deeper purpose for Rogen and O'Hara presenting at the Golden Globes. They are working on The Studio for Apple TV+ starting May 21. Rogen and Evan Goldberg, his writing partner, co-created the series. That show won't win any Canadian awards.

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian TV coverage

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

While the jokes were extremely funny, the lack of significant coverage for Canadian film is a serious concern. The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television should personalize the ceremony to make Canadian film and television seem more accessible to Canadians.

Twitter capture: @livelyackles
video within the tweet and photo credit: Golden Globes

2025 Canadian politics preview

Editor's note: We didn't expect things to move this quickly. The Justin Trudeau resignation opens up a Liberal Party leadership race. The Foreign Interference report comes out January 31. Parliament is prorogued until March 24.

We imagine how well the Trudeau Government would have fared without having to fight the orange toddler from 2017-2021 and soon 2025-???. We also imagine what might have happened to Canada under an Andrew Scheer, Erin O'Toole, and Pierre Poilievre government.

Depending on when the 2025 Canada federal election will happen (between now and October 20), we will not be able to put in our usual energy into covering the campaign. I am as disappointed as anyone over this but real life is throwing punches I have to defend.

Parliament returns on January 27, the day after my birthday. We rarely offer political advice but Trudeau should take a page from the Stephen Harper handbook, who used prorogation in 2008 and 2009 to keep minority governments afloat. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart even explored this occurrence.

Harper was in worse shape and somehow didn't politically suffer from taking such action. 

We have been absolutely appalled by the push for mainstream Canadian journalism, including CBC News, for Justin Trudeau to resign. Stephen Harper had done way worse in 2015 and there wasn't such a push.

If the U.S. election had gone the other way (and there is concern that it really did), a lot of what happened politically happened in Canada would not have occurred.

Let's start with the huge influx of provincial elections from 2024.

British Columbia might be going back to NDP and the Greens

Liberals win New Brunswick election; Susan Holt to be province's first female premier

Saskatchewan Party makes it 5 majority governments but a smaller majority

Progressive Conservatives get a supermajority in Nova Scotia

Canada only has 10 provinces. Ontario has threatened an early election but that would be this year, not in 2024. The first 3 stories were from provinces that were required to have elections. All of them around the time of the Windsor International Film Festival. Nova Scotia had the gall to call a very unnecessary election during said film festival.

British Columbia is back to somewhat familiar territory in that the difference is close. New Brunswick picked a more rational approach to high school students, abortion, and overall health care. Saskatchewan picked MLAs to keep the mean policy against some high school students but with a small majority. The Progressive Conservatives of Nova Scotia took a light gamble and got a stronger majority.

When 2024 started, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia had never elected a female premier. Susan Holt reversed that in New Brunswick. Saskatchewan had a decent chance but fell short. Nova Scotia didn't come close. Alberta, of all place, has 3 elected female premiers.

Reflecting on the complete legacy of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney

Speaking of British Columbia, former premier John Horgan died in November at 65. Horgan served as premier from 2017-2022. He stepped down to focus on his health. Horgan was diagnosed with cancer for the third time this June. He had been serving as Canada's ambassador to Germany.

The other major political death was former Progressive Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney back in February. Though I knew of Pierre Trudeau when I was a child, Brian Mulroney's reign was when I took Canadian politics courses at university.

The fact that some provincial premiers talked about dropping Mexico from a form of NAFTA: Mulroney pushed for free trade between the United States and Canada and that existed years before NAFTA. One of many legacies for Mulroney.

British Columbia fine tunes decriminalizing drug policy

Canada finally takes the leap for a national school lunch program

Everybody says they love democracy. Unfortunately, more progressive policies are subject to harsher criticism when elections are coming up. British Columbia made significant changes under the pressure of the 2024 provincial election. The school lunch program will be in great danger if the federal house shifts to the opposition party.

Some elements of government should have more freedom to pursue needed improvement without the threat of a hostile takeover.

Canadian politics notebook: Very little of Canada in latest CPC ad

Doug Ford puts beer access in Ontario over more pressing concerns

The attention span of constituents on this continent are legendarily short, especially where conservatives are involved. Hoping the CPC ad from this past summer comes up during the 2025 election cycle. Somehow, that was magically not get mentioned.

The Canadian journalism scene is salivating to get Trudeau out and Poilievre in. They hid this story as well as they could. Some of us were paying attention.

Doug Ford's list of ways to funnel money into the pockets of his friends is longer than Santa's naughty list. Yet Ford skates by with little to no resistance. The threat of an early election in 2025 is a reality: will one of the female party leaders rise up to produce a clear path to a new government at Queen's Park?

Dear Donald, Thanks for including us in your deranged Christmas message. Being Canadian means free health care and limiting access to assault weapons. In your 51st state our kids would get shot at in school and CEOs would be shot for denying health care. So no. Now piss off. Your northern neighbour

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— Charlie Angus (@charlieangus104.bsky.social) December 25, 2024 at 3:55 PM

Election Day 2024 in the United States: What is on the line for Canada?

We are legitimately frightened for what will happen in the U.S.-Canada relationship as of January 20. The idea of a worse U.S. Ambassador to Canada than Kelly Knight Craft is a disturbing thought. Pete Hoekstra is more encouraging but we are wary for good reason. David L. Cohen hasn't impressed us too much but seems like James Blanchard or Bruce Heyman by comparison compared to Craft.

Our anxieties and depression were exacerbated by covering the monster from 2017-2021. Our coverage can't be as elaborate as what we did before. The Three Amigos concept feels like a pipe dream. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will have his hands full if he had as many hands as the Hindu goddess Durga has. Of course, that relationship could theoretically change in October, or before.

Canadian journalism notebook: Pierre Poilievre overreacting to a CTV News mistake

Pierre Poilievre also wants to defund the CBC

We don't think Poilievre is bluffing, like Scheer or O'Toole might have done. We've seen CBC News capitulate to him. We saw the attack he railed on CTV News. We've seen the disrespect he gives to journalists, especially female journalists. Poilievre is a jerk but hasn't had to pay the price for his behaviour.

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

Here are the tentative election dates for the provinces (and country) in 2025:

• Canada — October 20
• Newfoundland and Labrador — November 24

Here is the list of the provinces and the year of their last provincial election.

Nova Scotia — 2024
British Columbia — 2024
New Brunswick — 2024
Saskatchewan — 2024
Alberta — 2023
Manitoba — 2023
Prince Edward Island — 2023
Ontario — 2022
Quebec — 2022
Newfoundland and Labrador — 2021

We were a bit surprised that each of the 3 scheduled provincial elections in 2024 (British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan) kept their dates so close together. The timing of those elections around the Windsor International Film Festival is awful for your humble narrator. Not looking forward to 2028, especially with Nova Scotia calling a snap election on that trip.

Ontario is a candidate for a snap election in 2025; the province is required to have one by 2026. Of course, there will be a federal election in 2025. We mildly predict that Newfoundland and Labrador will keep on that schedule for a November election.

The Canada Elections Act requires the federal election to be held on the third Monday in October, which is October 20. There is a proposal to delay that call until October 27 to work around Diwali and Alberta municipal elections. There is the very real possibility that Pierre Poilievre can have his dream of an early election.

Fixed election dates are relatively new in Canada. Traditionally, they had to be done within 4 years but not tied to a specific day or date. There will be a federal election in 2025.

2024 Canadian politics preview

2023 Canadian politics preview

2022 Canadian politics preview

2021 Canadian politics preview

2020 Canadian politics preview

2019 Canadian politics preview

2018 Canadian politics preview

Some fun prime minister trivia. Charles Tupper, John Turner, and Kim Campbell were prime ministers to never sit in Parliament while prime minister. Kim Campbell (1947) and Stephen Harper (1959) are the only Baby Boomers to be prime minister. This is a sharp contrast to American federal leadership.

Justin Trudeau (1971) is the first Gen X person to be prime minister. Trudeau turned 53 on Christmas Day. The other major party leaders are also in Gen X: Poilievre (1979), Jagmeet Singh of the NDP (1979) and Yves-François Blanchet of the Bloc Quebecois (1965).

Elizabeth May (1954) of the Green Party is the only Baby Boomer with a shot at the top spot. May would be the second PM to be born outside Canada. John Turner was born in England while May was born in the United States.

2017 Canadian politics preview

2016 Canadian politics preview

2015 Canadian politics preview

Canada is losing female premiers: Politics or sexism?

I write with mixed feelings to announce that today I will be sending a letter to the Speaker of the Alberta Legislative Assembly, advising of my intent to resign my position as the MLA for Edmonton Strathcona, effective December 30, 2024.

It was last January this year when I… pic.twitter.com/jPRsmTEkRo

— Rachel Notley (@RachelNotley) December 12, 2024

We knew Rachel Notley was going to leave the leadership of the NDP in Alberta. Notley was succeeded by former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi. Still sad that Notley left the assembly.

We are mildly curious if Notley will run for federal office in 2025. That is not speculation; just a curious guess.

Canada has 2 female premiers in its provinces: Susan Holt became New Brunswick's first female premier in 2024 and Danielle Smith (Alberta) got elected in 2023.

Carla Beck is the leader of the opposition in Saskatchewan and the NDP leader since 2022. Beck ran a good race in 2024. Claudia Chender is the new opposition leader in Nova Scotia, the first female elected to that post in the province. Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia are the only 2 Canadian provinces to have never had a female premier.

Marit Stiles is the Ontario NDP leader and provincial opposition leader. Bonnie Crombie is the Ontario Liberal Party leader. Stiles and Crombie need to make a distinction to fight back against the damage Doug Ford is doing in Ontario.

Manon Massé (Québec solidaire) is a female leader of a provincial party with legislative members. Sonia Furstenau (British Columbia Green Party) is the leader but lost her seat in the BC election in October.

photo credit: CTV News
BlueSky capture: Charlie Angus
Twitter capture: @RachelNotley

Canadian TV notebook: What is coming to the private networks in the winter of 2025

We had some love for the upcoming Canadian TV on CBC before the new year. Let's look at the few Canadian television titles on the private networks this winter.

CTV has the other 8 episodes of Season 4 of Children Ruin Everything coming back on Wednesdays starting January 8 at 8:30 pm ET/PT. The first half of those episodes ran this fall on CTV and in blocks in December on The CW.

The Bell Media press release notes significant upcoming guest stars including David Cronenberg, Carolyn Taylor, Scott Thompson, and Jesse Rath. Bruce McCulloch, Thompson's Kids in the Hall buddy, plays a politician who is Astrid's boss.

Sight Unseen (Season 2) is back on CTV on Monday nights at 10 pm starting January 20. Sullivan's Crossing (Season 3) will be later this year (presumably) on CTV. All of these shows also air on The CW.

Extracted mentions the Canadian wilderness but is a reality show from Fox also airing on CTV.

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent comes back to Citytv on Thursday nights starting on February 20. We haven't heard anything of note as far as changes. We might even assume Season 2 has 10 episodes, same as last year.

The only live Citytv Canadian programming in the fall involved the NHL on Saturday nights. Hockey Night in Canada continues on Citytv through the regular season in April.

The western Citytv stations (Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver) carry a late game as well as an early game.

The Hudson & Rex repeats will give way to repeats (likely) as well as new episodes of the Newfoundland-set crime drama starting January 14. This will be Season 7 for Hudson & Rex.

The Citytv Canadian TV lineup should last as long in this story as the promo to the left. How does the CRTC allow this?

Global ran all 8 episodes of Murder in a Small Town with Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk. The season-ending episodes got a nice performance from Noah Reid.

The network will run Doc this winter that starts Canadian acting legend Molly Parker. Both shows run on Fox though Doc is not a Canadian TV show. Doc starts on January 7 in both countries.

Global has Season 3 of Family Law cued up to start January 5 on Sunday nights at 8 pm. The U.S. viewers are actually ahead of the curve, having seen that season on The CW.

Season 3 is better than Season 2. Season 4 will have to wait on both sides of the border.

Doc is distinct for an American TV show for a few reasons. This is an American adaptation of an Italian TV series. The show has a female protagonist instead of the male protagonist in the original Italian TV series Doc – Nelle tue mani (Doc – In your hands). A show on Fox has a female lead who is [whispers] over the age of 50.

While Nathan Fillion is the lead in The Rookie, a purely American production, having a Canadian lead in an American TV show is unusual. We have had a soft spot for Molly Parker since we saw her on Twitch City a couple of decades ago. Parker deserves this kind of an opportunity. Let's hope the scripts can be worthy of her talents.

As we have noted previously, Global TV only has 2 original Canadian TV programs on its schedule: one on Fox and the other on The CW (Family Law).

2025 CBC television winter preview

Reminding our American readers that The CW will carry Season 2 of Wild Cards on Wednesdays at 8 pm starting February 5. We are guessing that the U.S. network will wait until spring to show Season 4 of Son of a Critch along with the second half of the Children Ruin Everything episodes.

We found out that production on the 6th and final season of The Handmaid's Tale has been underway.

North of North will eventually be on Netflix globally (outside Canada) sometime in the spring. The CBC show starts January 7 and also runs on APTN, a great channel that would find a niche in the United States.

To our Phriends and Phamily in the 🇺🇸, season three of @runtheburbs is streaming now on @hulu! #runtheburbs pic.twitter.com/G3qSg1HTXY

— Andrew Phung (@andrewphung) December 12, 2024

One of the few joys I get these days is to enjoy the final season of Run the Burbs, thanks to Hulu. I love the characters on this show, especially the well-drawn supporting characters: energetic Hudson (Jonathan Langdon), intense Sebastian (Chris Locke), and love-shy Cathy (Samantha Wan). That would have extended to Candy (Candy Palmater), who was a part of Season 1 but passed away in real life.

Canadians can catch up on all 3 seasons on CBC Gem.

Goodbye, eh, to How I Met Your Mother

We have crossed the 10-year point of the end of How I Met Your Mother on CBS (and Citytv). Very easy to say that Robin Scherbatsky aka Robin Sparkles aka Robin Daggers was the best drawn Canadian character in U.S. television history. Cobie Smulders is Canadian and from Vancouver.

The task of whether a Canadian TV show has created a character so Canadian is perhaps unfair. After all, Canadian characters are Canadian and don't have to show that off within Canada. Robin defended her Canadian status to not lose that within New York City and her friends.

Sandra Bullock played a Canadian in The Proposal but didn't seem to act as if she was Canadian at key points in the film. Molly Parker and Nathan Fillion are Canadians as American TV leads playing American characters.

Rick Mercer felt Canadian in his rants in the alley but he wasn't a fictional character. Red Green sure summed up an element of Canadiana but are Canadians that talented with duct tape? Stevie Budd (Emily Hampshire) would get a few votes for being sarcastic and searching for her niche in her world. Older Canadians might vote for Nick Adonidas (Bruno Gerussi) from The Beachcombers.

I don't have a grand answer to this question or even nominees for who that might be. Just a thought to ponder. If you have a nominee, let us know in the comments section.

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian TV coverage

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

U.S. fans of Transplant will have to wait until at least March to get Season 4, the final season, on NBC. We are coming up on the 1-year anniversary (January 19) of the final episode on CTV. I would almost subscribe to Peacock if I thought I could get the episodes sooner.

photo credits: Family Law/Global; Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent/Citytv; How I Met Your Mother/CBS
video credit: Doc/Fox
Twitter capture: @andrewphung

Happy New Year 2025

CANADA IS... pic.twitter.com/biazACVHgB

— Brittlestar (@brittlestar) June 2, 2023

Welcome to 2025. As you may imagine on the surface, this is a volatile year in Canada. That should require extra diligence from a blog that covers Canada.

Unfortunately, real life is crashing around your humble narrator. Mental health is so important and that is an area where I am deficient.

In years past, we would have a NHL monthly January update. No more regular updates. We might even talk about World Juniors. Parliament is dark until January 27, so that will give a temporary reprieve on the insanity.

We struggled to finish our politics and travel previews that we normally run early in January.

We may limit our posts to Canadian film and Canadian television. There will be no rhyme or reason. TIFF Top Ten and the Oscar nominations are guaranteed stories. We apologize in advance for the gaps in this blog. We will shift this if we can.

We normally pride ourselves in coverage of Canadian elections, especially the federal one. I don't think that will happen unless somehow the election is in the fall. Any time short of that and I may not be able to give an early election the diligence Canadians deserve. As much as we rely on CBC News, not even they are at their usual standard.

We have category listings to the right for you to explore elements of Canadian society that appeal to you. We invite you to check them out.

Thank you for your patience. Don't be afraid to get mental health help, even if that isn't easy.

2025 CBC television winter preview

Happy Holidays 2024 comes at a less optimistic time for Canada

Canadian film review: Sugarcane

Universal Language is first Canadian film in 8 years to make the Oscars shortlist

TFCA presents the top 6 nominated Canadian films of 2024

TIFF postpones the announcement of the 2024 Top Ten Canadian films until 2025

For those frustrated with Twitter, we do post Canadian things and more personal observations at times to BlueSky. If you find overall Twitter to be harsh, especially these days, you can go straight to our Twitter page and just see lovely things about Canada. We may be harsh on behaviour and actions but we don't attack people for the sake of attacking. We enjoy conversation and learning more about Canada and Canadians.

Twitter capture: @brittlestar
photo credit: me