Canadian Crossing

Canadian film review: Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song

Hallelujah is one of many amazing songs from Leonard Cohen. Significant for his own version and the many covers, specifically Jeff Buckley. Fair to say a lot of the music world discovered the song from Buckley and not Cohen.

That is often the path of Leonard Cohen songs from Suzanne (Judy Collins) and Dance Me to the End of Love (Madeline Peyroux). If you were to make a documentary about a modern song, you might be inclined to pick Layla, The Loco-Motion, or Black Magic Woman instead of Hallelujah.

The first part of the film is about the long path to Cohen coming up with the song over several years, how Columbia refused to release the album Various Pictures that featured the song, and how Cohen reworked lyrics in a live version long after the song was released on the album (by a different record label).

The second part of the film is the path of the song in the voices of other artists including John Cale, Buckley, Myles Kennedy, Brandi Carlile, Shrek the film with Rufus Wainwright and Cale, and k.d. lang. Watching Steven Page sing the song at the funeral for Jack Layton felt very Canadian.

Religion and secularism get long stretches in the documentary. The song is about a spiritual chase.

The growth becomes so huge that at one point on the UK Charts in 2008, the Alexandra Burke version was #1, Buckley's version was at #2, and Cohen's version was "only" at #36.

Leonard Cohen, Canada's poet, passes away at the age of 82

Canadian film review: Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love

There are great interviews with various people involved with Cohen at that time. Some interviews from Cohen himself. Former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson is a prominent guest, given her history as a CBC host who talked to Cohen a lot.

The pacing of the film is the main drawback to the documentary. The early part is almost an hour into a almost 2-hour film. You might benefit from watching the second half of the film before the first part.

Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine wrote and directed the film. They pack a lot into the film that is worth watching. Just know the second half of the film is better.

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Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song played at the 2022 Windsor International Film Festival. The film is available in the United States on Netflix.

video credit: YouTube/Mongrel Media
photo credit: Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song

Canadian film review: Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine

Triumph was one of the many Canadian bands that popped up in the United States between 1979-1981. Lay It on the Line was a decent hit for the band in 1979. Magic Power from Allied Forces along with Fight the Good Fight were huge songs in 1981.

Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine shows us that the band was a lot more than just those moments. Triumph was a major force in the band's live shows where they developed a loyal fanbase. The documentary leads up to a moment where they will play in front of their superfans as well as looks back to how Triumph came together.

Most bands don't understand the business end of rock and roll. Gil Moore (drums, lead/backing vocals) and Mike Levine (bass, keyboards, backing vocals) were rare exceptions. In fact, Moore and Levine had a record deal early on in the process, a proverbial golden ticket back in the day. Rik Emmett (guitar, lead/backing vocals) was the last person to join the group. Even though Emmett sang the band's best known songs, Moore sang a lot of the songs in the group.

They produced their early albums, again something you almost never hear a band doing for themselves.

Directors Sam Dunn and Marc Ricciardelli make good use of animation to help tell the story, especially in the early days of the band. We learn a lot about the nuances of the stage show that made the band legendary in concert with lots of explosions.

The documentary also explores another solid reason why Triumph made such as impact. Their lyrics were positive and uplifting. Fans tell many stories about how the lyrics got them through rough times.

The Trailer Park Boys make cameos in the documentary, adding some more Canadian flavour to the fandom.

Turns out Triumph is in the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame (2007), Canadian Music Hall of Fame (2008), and Canada's Walk of Fame (2019).

Celebrating Canadian classic rock contributions

1981 was amazing year for Canadian classic rock artists

Some thoughts on what could go into a Canada music national playlist

CanadianCrossing.com music coverage

The story takes the almost necessary path of the breakup and reunion. Smartly, the documentary spends a good chunk of the film as the band formed and the bumps along the way. A much more interesting chapter.

If you think you know a little bit about this band, you will learn plenty in this documentary about Triumph.

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Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine is available on Crave in Canada.

video credit: YouTube/Banger Films
photo credit: Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine

Canadian film review: Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On

Ahead of her time. Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On does a very solid job at showing who this person was as a singer, songwriter, and activist. You also learn of the many wonderful thoughts and ideas where Buffy Sainte-Marie was way ahead of the rest of us.

Or as Buffy Sainte-Marie tells us, sometimes you have to "carry the medicine for a long time."

She was way ahead on opiods, writing a song called Cod'ine in 1964. Sainte-Marie had been diagnosed with a bronchial infection and was treated with codeine. Robbie Robertson describes in the documentary about how you can get pain reliever from the drugstore that has codeine in Canada.  

Sainte-Marie was calling what happened to Indigenous people as a genocide decades before a lot of others weighed in on the topic.

She appeared in The Heritage episode of The Virginian in 1968. Sainte-Marie insisted that actual Indigenous people play the extras.

They say the strength of a songwriter is measured in how often others want to do a cover version of a song. The Universal Soldier became so popular than many (sadly) thought Donovan wrote the song. Until It's Time for You to Go was covered 157 times since its original release in 1965. Elvis Presley was a big fan of the latter song.

Sainte-Marie won an Academy Award for co-writing Up Where We Belong from An Officer and a Gentleman. During the time where she was blacklisted from having her songs on the radio, she became a frequent guest on Sesame Street. Sainte-Marie breastfed her son Cody on Sesame Street. She said it wasn't controversial then but would be now.

Later in her career, Sainte-Marie made music with computers, again ahead of her time.

We also learn about her activism. There is a teaching moment, as she points out, when someone in the crowd asks about the red dress hanging on stage. Sainte-Marie points out the dress represents the missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women.

Sainte-Marie was born on the Piapot 75 reserve in Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan to Cree parents. As part of the then government policy, she was taken as an infant and adopted by Americans in Wakefield, Massachusetts.

The documentary shows her in Yorkville in Toronto, playing the folk scene in Canada's largest city. 

Some of the Canadians in the documentary include Robbie Robertson, Joni Mitchell, and George Stroumboulopoulos.

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My parents had Buffy Sainte-Marie records when I was a kid. I had no clue she was Canadian. The thought of her being Indigenous back then wasn't even a thought. They liked folk music and she was a significant artist in their collection. My father has been gone for 22 years and my mother has dementia. They would have loved to see a look at the life and career of Buffy Sainte-Marie.

Canadian rock and roll documentary makes Independent Lens debut on PBS

Sainte-Marie was in Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World, a Canadian documentary that has also aired on PBS. If this documentary makes you more curious, this other documentary will help satisfy some of that curiosity.

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Director Madison Thomas incorporates some reenactments in the film to show moments that weren't captured in the moment. Thomas has a lot of ground to cover. The documentary answers a lot of questions yet keeps the viewer curious to learn more, simply because a documentary, any documentary can only cover so much ground.

Whether you do or don't know much about Buffy Sainte-Marie, this documentary will teach you a lot.

The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8.

Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On debuts tonight on PBS as part of the American Masters series. Check your local listings for the PBS station in your area and when the station will show the film. Canadians can watch PBS through cable or satellite as well as antenna in limited areas. The PBS version may be censored in some parts, depending on the station. The film is available in Canada on Crave.

video credit: Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On/PBS
photo credit: Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On

Youngest Canadian Juno nominee encouraging people to try new foods

The Junos, celebrating Canadian music, is a lofty goal for most Canadian musicians and singers. To get a Juno nomination is impressive.

Imagine being 4 years old and getting a Juno nomination.

Romeo, offspring of Walk Off the Earth members Sarah Blackwood and Gianni (Luminati) Nicassio, is part of a project called Romeo Eats. There are lots of videos where Romeo tries new foods. The family released the album Walk Off the Earth & Romeo Eats, Vol. 1.

Our sibling blog, BalanceofFood.com, appreciates the difficulty of trying new foods. They go more into depth on the project and what that could mean for enjoying food variety.

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You can find their videos on YouTube.

video and photo credit: YouTube/RomeoEats

Canadian film review: Stupid for You

Love and music make the world go round, based on Jude Klassen's 2 feature films. Love in the Sixth (2016) had a potpourri of elements within the film that somehow was cohesive enough to work. Stupid for You is a more focused film.

Kat (Mikhael Klassen-Kay) is in love with Eden (Caylin Turner). Stevie (Mia Rodne) is Kat's bestie and is secretly in love with Kat.

Eden tells the story that she was conceived after the final Polyamorous Diatribe concert. Turns out Kat's mother Dani Destroyer (Klassen) was the lead singer of this punk band.

Kat struggles to hit it off with Eden. Seeing your mother's face on Eden's T-shirt: this doesn't help Kat in trying to make a move on Eden.

Kat and Stevie are working on their own music. Dani encourages them to showcase their music but Kat isn't ready. At Dani's last show, she got stage fright and ran off.

Stupid for You gives the characters the opportunity to sing how they feel. This is not a musical in any sense. Music videos within the film and lots of music, just not a musical. We get to see a pop-up video of the band's major hit Theoretically Sentinent.

Dani has her own love triangle as she meets Magnus (Matt Clark). She doesn't know Magnus is friends with Sid (Michael Coughlan), who was the guitarist of her group and her former lover.

The chemistry in the film is rather strong. Klassen-Kay is the child of Klassen and also appeared in Love in the Sixth. This time, Klassen-Kay plays more of a character. The opening montage implies that Klassen-Kay and Rodne might know each other in real life. You feel like they are best buddies, not just on screen.

Turner, as Eden, has a more complex character and shines in the role. Eden is extremely confident while hiding secrets underneath. The film could have suffered with a lesser actor in the role.

Love in the Sixth highlights Canadian films in 2016 CIMM festival

Stupid for You is an independent film where the players believe in each other. The awkwardness within Polyamorous Diatribe feels like they've been a band for a very long time.

Klassen uses Toronto as a side character, not necessarily the touristy parts but real locations she clearly knows well.

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Klassen makes a smart move to let the younger characters dominate the film. The older adults scenario is mostly a setup for parallels to the younger people. Several of the characters from the older and younger characters sing Thin Skinned, which applies well to the struggles of success in music and love.

Music and love; mother and child: the parallels are sewn in by hand, not with a large sewing machine.

Stupid for You brings a lot of energy and strong music with not much of a budget. Part of the lure of the Canadian independent film is how much they do with little money.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

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Stupid for You is currently making its way through the film festival circuit. Love in the Sixth is available in the United States on Tubi.

Full disclosure: I know Jude Klassen in real life, meeting her when Love in the Sixth was at a film festival.

photo credit: Stupid for You film

Randy Bachman brings back Vinyl Tap to commercial radio in Canada

If you missed Vinyl Tap with Randy Bachman on CBC Radio, the show is returning to Canadian airwaves on commercial radio. We mentioned the announcement of the program leaving after 16 years on CBC Radio. The final program aired on CBC on Canada Day 2021.

The deal with Orbyt Media and Corus Entertainment calls for the new Vinyl Tap on Corus classic rock stations across Canada including: Q107 Toronto, Rock 101 Vancouver, 101.1 BIG FM Barrie, Q107 Calgary, Boom 101.9 Cornwall, Chuck at 92.5 Edmonton, Hamilton, Kingston, 107.5 Dave Rocks Kitchener, London's Best Rock FM 96, The Wolf 101.5 FM Peterborough, and Power 97 Winnipeg. The program will air Sunday evenings at 9 pm local time.

There will be 48 episodes of the new show in a year compared to about 36 for CBC Radio. Of course, there will be commercials.

For those who aren't familiar with Randy Bachman's music career, think the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Bachman is also a very good storyteller.

2021 Victoria Day notebook

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U.S. radio listeners might get the short end of the stick if they can't listen to the local Canadian stations. Americans could listen on the CBC Listen app to the CBC version. A podcast is reportedly in the works for listeners in the United States and abroad.

photo credit: Vinyl Tap/CBC Radio

Canadian film review: Oscar Peterson: Black + White

Your humble narrator listens to Saturday Night Jazz with Laila Biali on CBC Music (aka Radio 2). Was a huge fan of Tonic with Tim Tamashiro on the old CBC Radio 2.

Oscar Peterson came up a lot as a Canadian jazz legend. Even as a fan of jazz music, I had no clue about Oscar Peterson or his career. Fortunately for all of us, we can learn more about him through a new documentary, Oscar Peterson: Black + White.

We learn about how Norman Granz managed Peterson's career and often stood up for him when touring through the U.S. South. The story about how Peterson made his New York City debut is noteworthy.

The documentary notes the significant musical collaborations, especially double bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis. We hear about Peterson from Jon Batiste, Quincy Jones, Ramsey Lewis, Herbie Hancock, Branford Marsalis as well as Billy Joel. Still not quite sure why Joel is in the documentary. There are contributions from Dave Young, Larnell Lewis, Jackie Richardson, Joe Sealy, Measha Brueggergosman, Denzal Sinclaire, and Robi Botos.

Peterson had a stroke late in life that affected his left hand. The imagery is set of 3 hands playing the piano instead of 4 hands before the stroke.

CBC Radio 2 still exists but under the CBC Music banner

CBC Radio 2 drops Tonic and The Signal; jazz relegated to Saturday nights

Oscar Peterson: Black + White takes us through the basic notes of Peterson's story. The best parts are when he is playing and talking. Showing us how great Peterson is a lot more fun than hearing others talk about how great he was.

Feels like a lot is missing from the musician's story. He was married 4 times but we only hear from his widow and youngest child. There is little to no context of Peterson's impact on jazz. The artists who used Peterson as inspiration exist but not in this documentary.

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Director Barry Avrich takes us briefly through Peterson's childhood in Montréal. Avrich hits the basic notes but the melody of Peterson's life is missing. You could learn a lot more from the Wikipedia page.

Still, you get a basic introduction to Oscar Peterson (1925-2007), who was a major impact on jazz, regardless of country. See the documentary and then do some more research.

2021 TIFF wrapup

2021 TIFF Canadian film preview

CanadianCrossing.com music coverage

Oscar Peterson: Black + White premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is available in Canada on Crave.

photo credit: Oscar Peterson: Black + White film
video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers

How to experience the 50th Juno Awards for Canadian music

We don't write about Canadian music too often since music isn't as confined to borders. Also, Canadian music has a chance to grow in Canada thanks to CanCon (Canadian content) rules that don't apply to Canadian film and marginally apply to Canadian television.

We are thrilled to make an exception for the 50th Junos coming this Sunday to CBC television and other CBC platforms.

We mentioned in our hockey coverage that the Tragically Hip has a old/new album Saskadelphia out. Listening to the album is an experience of going back to a more raw sound to the early years of the band. Feels like a good time warp.

The surviving members of the Tragically Hip will perform with Feist at the 50th Juno Awards. This will be the first TV appearance for the group since the death of lead singer Gord Downie in 2017.

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush will present the 2021 Humanitarian Award to the band.

The Tragically Hip released their video for Ouch on Thursday. The video features Jay Baruchel, his wife Rebecca-Jo Dunham-Baruchel, and comedian Rick Mercer.

The actual ceremony will be on Sunday night at 8 pm Eastern. You can consume the program on CBC-TV, CBCmusic.ca/junos, CBC Music Facebook, CBC Music Twitter, CBC Music YouTube, CBC Music TikTok, CBC.ca/listen, and CBC Gem. The artists include Justin Bieber, Ali Gatie, Tate McRae, and more. You can see the full schedule of events.

The CBC Listen app is great for listening to CBC Radio One and CBC Music. Listeners south of the 49th parallel can enjoy some of what CBC Listen offers.

Canadians and those Americans who can access a CBC television signal can watch pre-ceremony programming. All of this programming is also available on CBC Gem. All times Eastern.

5 pm CBC Music presents: The Intro Hosted by Saroja Coelho, this special Junos edition of The Intro showcases rising artists from across the country through interviews and live performances.

6 pm CBC Music presents: If These Walls Could Talk A one-hour special taking you inside Canada's iconic music venues and hidden gems. Top Canadian musicians share stories of their historic nights at some of the country's best concert halls.

7 pm CBC Music presents: My Junos Moment The biggest Canadian artists relive their iconic Juno moments. Alessia Cara takes on hosting duties as some of Canada's top music experts help define these special moments in Junos history.

Tom Power Q interview with the remaining Tragically Hip members (CBC Radio)

CanadianCrossing.com music coverage

Before the pandemic, CBC television covered the Canadian Screen Awards on television and the program was available online. Canadians should celebrate their own music, television, film, and other arts. Nice that those outside Canada can watch the celebration.

The Junos are cool in that unlike some U.S. music shows, there is a true variety of music celebrated in the Junos. You may not love everything but chances are you will love a few things.

Hockey fans will note that CBC will not carry Game 3 of the Winnipeg-Montréal series in order to carry the Junos. You can watch Game 3 on Rogers Sportsnet.

photo credit: Junos
video credit: YouTube/Tragically Hip

2021 Stanley Cup notebook: Winnipeg Jets pull off the sweep

The Edmonton Oilers have lost 11 of their last 13 playoff games. You think Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and a few other players can pull off postseason excellence. That hasn't been happening.

The Oilers did defeat San Jose in the first round in 2017. Edmonton lost Games 3-5 in the second round with Anaheim after going up 2-0. The Oilers won Game 6 before losing Game 7. There was some terrible officiating but the team struggled.

Edmonton missed the playoffs in 2018 and 2019. They drew a #5 seed in 2020 but only won Game 2 against Chicago. Couple all of that with 4 straight losses to Winnipeg in 2021.

3 of the 4 games involved overtime, including triple overtime. The mistakes were small but costly. Josh Archibald in Game 3. Ethan Bear in Game 4. Edmonton could have, should have won those games.

Game 4 was a back-to-back for both teams. Winnipeg could have gone with Laurent Brossoit. Edmonton wouldn't go with Mikko Koskinen short of an injury to Mike Smith.

Nikolaj Ehlers missed the first 2 games for Winnipeg but scored 2 goals in Game 3, including the OT winner. Mark Scheifele scored 2 goals in Game 4. Kyle Connor added the game winner in triple overtime.

Under pressure, Winnipeg got things done and advanced. Edmonton needs to learn that skill to do well in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

PAUL STASTNYYYYYYYY 🚨

The @NHLJets take a 2-0 series lead! #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/XYNN9l2oAn

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 22, 2021

Good to be a player named Paul on a Canadian team in the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Paul Stastny got the game winner early in overtime in Game 2 for the Winnipeg Jets.

The goal wasn't spectacular but the timing and screen were excellent. "No way he would shoot from there." Sometimes, they do.

Paul Byron's game winning goal in Game 1 for Montréal was spectacular. A short-handed goal for the Canadiens, where the team led the league in short-handed goals with 9 in the regular season. Someone scored on the struggling Toronto power play and the Maple Leafs didn't score.

Toronto's power play did a lot better in Game 2.

PAUL. BYRON. 😱 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/vXnG7Q79rV

— NHL (@NHL) May 21, 2021

The clock is running out on NBCUniversal's time as the U.S. NHL gatekeeper. This could have gone badly or with a few good surprises.

Giving Game 1 of the Montréal-Toronto series to the NHL Network felt like a gift of good intention. Giving Game 3 of the Winnipeg-Edmonton series with a CBC feed on NBCSN was more about having regular announcers out of action.

The NHL Network isn't doing much with those gifts. They aren't showing anthems and Rogers Sportsnet intermissions. They are getting back to action after the period starts.

The dynamic would have been different if Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro (or Mike Johnson) had been available. Miller and Johnson are covering the World Championship in Riga, Latvia.

NBCUniversal had 5 Canadian simulcasts in the play-in round in 2020 with a lot more teams. The Calgaey-Winnipeg got 2 of them, Toronto drew 2 of them, and Vancouver had the other one. We were promised a Canadian feed for the Vancouver clinching game but that promise was broken.

The NHL Network intermissions are a decent crime thriller compared to the blank coloring book that is the NBC intermissions. The crayons are broken as well.

The Victoria Day doubleheader involved both series playing back-to-back games. None of the American series had back-to-back games. Either this was a gesture to punish Canadian teams for finishing later, a sweet gesture to give Canadians a holiday doubleheader, or the likeliest answer, both.

2021 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs preview for Canadian teams

Even if John Tavares had not suffered a concussion in Game 1, Tavares still had a significant knee injury. In hockey speak, Tavares had a upper-body injury (concussion) and lower-body injury (knee).

Given that Ben Chairot hit the knee of Tavares, Nick Foligno could have fought Chairot instead of Corey Perry. Then again, fighting isn't logical. Chairot and Edmonton's Zack Kassian got injured this season by winning fights.

There was no way Perry could have avoided hitting Tavares. We are desperately hoping that Tavares heals well and quickly.

We hate playoff hockey because there is much more senseless hitting and the finesse of offence disappears. Olympics hockey is better because there is more space and less hitting. Just play hockey. We know that won't happen.

You have been hearing the Tragically Hip into the breaks on the Canadian coverage. The group has a old/new album Saskadelphia coming out.

Ron MacLean did an interview with the Tragically Hip on Hockey Night in Canada. Kingston, home of the band, is about halfway between Toronto and Montréal.

The Tragically Hip will perform with Feist at the 50th Juno Awards June 6. This will be the first TV appearance for the group since the death of lead singer Gord Downie in 2017.

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush will present the 2021 Humanitarian Award to the band.

2021 Stanley Cup playoffs scoreboard

The whole civic pride is part of the fun of rivalries. You knew the mayors of Toronto and Montréal would have a wager on the outcome of the Stanley Cup series between the Maple Leafs and Canadiens.

For Toronto Mayor John Tory and Montréal Mayor Valerie Plante, the mayor of the losing city will have to raise the winning team’s flag at their city hall.

Each mayor will donate $500 to their local team’s charity (MLSE Foundation for Toronto and the Montréal Canadiens Children’s Foundation). The mayor of the losing city will donate an additional $500 to the winning team charity.

There is also a food exchange: smoked meat sandwiches with a Leafs win and peameal bacon sandwich with a Habs win.

Foodies would root for a Toronto win since smoked meat sandwiches are the better pick.

The Edmonton-Winnipeg mayoral battle isn't about them eating food: wearing the opponent sweater and donating $200 to a local food bank. Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman issued the challenge. Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson gladly accepted.

.@NHLonNBCSports posted "Edmonton, AL" instead of "Edmonton, AB" You all were in the Alberta capital last summer in the bubble. A simple Internet search would have avoided the mistake. @NHL #StanleyCup

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) May 20, 2021

We've seen U.S. outlets mess up U.S. postal codes because they make assumptions instead of looking up the information. States that begin with A and M can cause confusion but only if you assume.

Canadians know more about states than Americans know about provinces. Knowing Canadian geography is helpful to understanding provinces and where they are. Some Americans know Saskatchewan from the CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders; the province doesn't have a NHL team.

U.S. outlets have rarely carried the Battle of Ontario and before this season, the Battle of Alberta. Inter-provincial battles help define geography for the casual fan.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

May 19 Game 1 Winnipeg at Edmonton 9p Alex Faust/Dominic Moore
May 20 Game 1 Montréal at Toronto 7:30p CBC feed
May 21 Game 2 Winnipeg at Edmonton 9p Alex Faust/Dominic Moore
May 22 Game 2 Montréal at Toronto 7p John Walton/Dominic Moore
May 23 Game 3 Edmonton @ Winnipeg 7:30p CBC feed
May 24 Game 3 Toronto @ Montréal 7p CBC feed
May 24 Game 4 Edmonton @ Winnipeg 9:45p John Walton/Jody Shelley

Dominic Moore is a good analyst while being a bit green on experience. We were impressed with Dominic Moore when NBCSN covered the Battle of Alberta. Jody Shelley is a former Canadian NHL player who works colour analysis for Columbus. Alex Faust and John Walton have been fine.

Fine is okay with us. The intermissions have been short on non-existent on the game we are watching. Rogers Sportsnet might have too much in its intermissions; NBCUniversal never had that problem.

We have had a decent number of Canadian feed simulcasts, especially compared to 2020. With other series ending early, there is sadly more pressure for NBCUniversal to produce more games.

Both NBCSN and the NHL Network aren't showing the anthems. Playoff time should mean anthems.

NBCUniversal had holes to fill this past weekend and used Ken Daniels on a game on Sunday. Daniels is the long-time TV voice of the Detroit Red Wings and used to work on Hockey Night in Canada. NBC has used Daniels every so often. We would welcome Daniels to call games from the Canadian series where NBC chooses to use their own announcers.

Keith Jones is one of the few from NBC that we respect, though being stuck in the studio means Jones can't add too much to the mix. Jones tied the Edmonton collapse in Game 3 to the senseless lower-body hit of Edmonton's Josh Archibald on Winnipeg's Logan Stanley. The power play did give momentum to the Jets.

Louie DeBrusk wasn't going to point thus out because his analysis is very basic and he isn't inclined to criticise an Edmonton player.

Patrick Sharp jumped in and pointed out that the hit was senseless at any time.

Archibald received a 1-game suspension.

You might think this is better delivered as a studio analysis than an in-game analysis, We figure mentioning that right away is smart analysis. The NBC crew treated that tidbit like a dog who can't let go of a bone, which is sadly part of what they do. The analysis was still strong.

Shockingly, even for NBCSN, no one mentioned Archibald or his suspension during Game 4 last night.

NHL notebook: Waiting to start the Stanley Cup chase in Canada

We are tracking CBC telecasts in the link above. The public broadcaster had American games 3 of the first 4 nights. Since then, CBC has had all-Canadian games including the Victoria Day doubleheader last night.

We knew Rogers Sportsnet West would go with the Edmonton-Winnipeg game last night if the Canadiens and Maple Leafs had gone to overtime. The CBC might have split regionally. Both games were being streamed at cbcsports.ca.

CBC promos are thin at best. The winter season is over and we don't have a fall announcement, like the upfronts on U.S. television. The NHL Network was so tight on not joining the action until after the period starts that we may have missed promos.

The #ProudlyAsianCanadian is about promoting online content. This also includes Blacks in the Prairies. Really interesting stories.

The Block is a new show weeknights at 7 pm on CBC Music (aka Radio 2).

The CBC Gem promo in the 1st period Sunday night in Winnipeg ran right after a Rogers ad, which is against the spirit of the CBC promos.

Montréal-Toronto Game 1: #ProudlyAsianCanadian; CBC Gem; Tokyo 2020 Olympics (2nd); CBC News app (3rd)

Edmonton-Winnipeg Game 3: CBC Kids Tokyo 2020 Olympics; CBC Gem (1st); CBC News app; 2021 Junos (2nd); CBC Listen app; CBC Sports app (3rd)

Toronto-Montréal Game 3: #ProudlyAsianCanadian (1st); CBC Gem; 2021 Junos (2nd); The Block (3rd)

Twitter capture: @sportsnet; @NHL; @canadian_xing
photo credit: Rogers Sportsnet/NHL

2021 Victoria Day notebook

Happy Victoria Day!! May 24 is the queen's official birthday. The day is celebrated on the Monday preceding May 25. This is the latest Victoria Day can come on the calendar.

The day marks the unofficial start of summer, the initial long weekend, in Canada. Outside of the Atlantic provinces, summer 2020 was not remotely normal in the rest of Canada. This includes Americans "driving to Alaska." We are rooting for Canadians and Americans to cross the border sometime this summer.

The Atlantic travel bubble was supposed to return May 3 but is on indefinite wait and see. The 2020 Atlantic Bubble ran from July 3-November 26.

Travel between provinces is being discouraged. British Columbia is restricting travel to other regions (e.g., Vancouver to Victoria) and to Alberta. Manitoba is requiring self-isolation except for essential workers. Ontario has restrictions on travel with Manitoba and Quebec.

Canada is catching up on vaccines, some of them even in Ontario. The difference between the first shot and the second shot is a lot longer in Canada (4 months) than the United States (more like 4 weeks).

We are even rooting for the people of Saint Pierre and Miquelon to travel to Newfoundland and vice versa.

As for the picture (above), this is the first Beavers Tail I had in Canada along the water in downtown Halifax in 2009. The O was in honour of President Barack Obama, who made a trip to Beaver Tails when he visited Ottawa in February of that year. A reminder that traveling to Canada brings on new adventures you can't get if you don't live in Canada.

Greyhound leaves Canada for good

Greyhound Canada to abandon western Canadian provinces

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

Traveling within Canada will have to involve a bus company other than Greyhound. Greyhound Canada finished the piecemeal destruction of their Canadian service with the withdrawal of southern Ontario and Montréal.

Your humble narrator would love to research other bus companies that have taken over some of the routes. Greyhound gave a smooth experience with coordinated schedules before abandoning western Canada and northern Ontario in 2018. Yes, ViaRail does cover some of that ground with less than ideal schedules and a lot more money. Intercity bus travel is essential for many in a country that is as spread out as Canada.

You might have to do more research to travel across Canada by bus. The journey is worthwhile.

2021 Toronto Blue Jays preview

The Toronto Blue Jays have a "home" game on Victoria Day, per tradition. The Blue Jays are playing their last game in Dunedin, FL for the season, hosting their regional Tampa neighbours. That game will be on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada and the MLB Network in the United States.

The Blue Jays are 23-22 resting 4½ games out in the American League East. The team lost the first 3 to Tampa, that team is on a 10-game winning streak. Toronto has lost its last 5 games.

The Blue Jays will start playing their home games June 1 at the refurbished Sahlen Field in Buffalo, a short distance from Canada. Capacity will start out at 5,810, 35% of the 16,600-seat stadium. The park is split in half between vaccinated and unvaccinated fans.

The team played its home games at Buffalo in 2020 where fans were not permitted.

2021 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs preview for Canadian teams

Having 4 Canadian NHL teams in the playoffs on Victoria Day is a mirage. Either the teams are long gone or if you go back far enough, the 1979 Montréal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup on May 21.

The NHL surprisingly gave Canadians a most unusual NHL doubleheader on Victoria Day with Game 4 of the Winnipeg-Edmonton series and Game 3 of the Montréal-Toronto series.

The Jets have a commanding 3-0 lead after consecutive overtime wins. The Habs and Maple Leafs have split the first 2 games.

The game in Montréal starts at 7 pm while the game in Winnipeg follows at 9:45 pm. CBC and Rogers Sportsnet will have the games in Canada while NHL Network (Leafs-Habs) and NBCSN (Oilers-Jets) have the games in the United States.

Governor General Julie Payette resigns following workplace investigation

U.S. may not pick a permanent replacement for Ambassador to Canada until well into 2021

Victoria Day marks a time where Canada doesn't have a permanent Governor General and the United States doesn't have a permanent U.S. Ambassador to Canada.

Canada Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Wagner has been the acting governor general since January. Wagner is the head of Canada’s judicial, executive and legislative branches of government. That scenario should be tenuous at best, especially with a minority government.

The only time in the modern era (1952-present) of Canadian governors general where there was an interim gap was when Georges Vanier passed away on March 5, 1967. Roland Michener didn't take over until April 17, 1967.

We haven't heard a peep about candidates that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will consider with the consent of Queen Elizabeth II.

We have heard speculation about Comcast executive David L. Cohen as the potential nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Canada. If that is true and Cohen doesn't screw anything up, he likely won't take over in Ottawa until at least the fall. We were not impressed on the surface for either of Barack Obama's picks though they turned out okay.

Am willing to bet I would outscore Cohen on a quiz about Canada, even if Cohen has been studying. The United States has not had a permanent ambassador since August 23, 2019 and even then, not much of an ambassador.

Katherine Brucker has served as the acting ambassador since November 9. We are sure she is doing a fine job as did Richard M. Mills Jr. (August 23, 2019-November 9, 2020). A permanent ambassador has more sway on important issues such as reopening the border.

Kirsten Hillman has been Canada’s ambassador to Washington since March 26, 2020. Hillman previously was acting ambassador and deputy ambassador. The Canadian process makes getting and implementing ambassadors much easier. They tend to be career diplomats as opposed to random heavy donors. This is in part because Canada values the relationship between the two countries more than the United States does, even under Democratic presidents.

Speaking of politics, Wednesday marks the end of the Mike Duffy era in the Canadian Senate. Senators have to retire when they reach 75. Duffy was part of the Senate scandal on claiming improper housing expenses. Duffy accepted a $90,000 "bribe" from Nigel Wright, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief of staff, to repay the expenses. Duffy ran into ethics issues over a Stephane Dion interview while he was with CTV before being appointed to the Senate by Harper.

2020-2021 Toronto Raptors season wrapup

CanadianCrossing.com NBA coverage

I made a promise as a kid to my mom i would never remove my turban. Today it is in the Hall of Fame. Embrace what makes you different. It is your superpower. This is the crown I wear each day. Thank you mom. pic.twitter.com/s6cCjxbdhR

— Nav Bhatia Superfan (@superfan_nav) May 19, 2021

Nav Bhatia is the superfan of all fans. Now he is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Bhatia and the Toronto Raptors are synchronized together.

Bhatia has never missed a Toronto Raptors home game in Canada. He is well known for buying tickets and getting people of different cultures to sit next to each other.

Bhatia was the grand marshal of the 2019 Toronto Raptors World Championship parade.

His story of being a mechanical engineer in his native India to coming to Canada and ending up selling cars to make a living is extraordinary. Maybe someone will make a Canadian film out of his story some day.

2021 Canadian Screen Awards film winners

2021 Canadian Screen Awards television winners

There is an argument that more Canadians could have seen Beans, the Canadian Screen Award for Best Motion Picture, than other recent winners. The film played as part of the Toronto International Film Festival, available to more Canadians through streaming. I have seen Blood Quantum, winners of 6 CSAs, one of the best films of that genre I have seen, regardless of country. Have been impressed with Jeff Barnaby.

Perhaps more Americans are watching some Canadian television than Canadians. Canada is producing some amazing television even if you only count what Americans can watch. We hear about Schitt's Creek, Kim's Convenience, and Workin' Moms. Transplant (CTV/NBC) and Coroner (CBC/CW) as well as Trickster (CBC/CW) might have hit the U.S. airwaves because of the pandemic. Then again, they were great TV shows.

CFL cancels 2020 season

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

In the original 2021 CFL schedule, the BC Lions would have been in Calgary yesterday at 4:30 pm Eastern for the first preseason game. The season was scheduled to start June 10 with a rematch of the 2019 Grey Cup with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Winnipeg to take on the Blue Bombers.

The targeted start date is now August 5. The 2021 Grey Cup is set for December 12 at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, the first Grey Cup in the Steel City since 1996. This is, as we known for awhile, subject to change.

From TSN's Dave Naylor earlier this month: " … the CFL has for weeks been working on a schedule that opens with all of its games being played in Western Canada. Provincial and municipal governments in the West have indicated a greater willingness to open stadiums to fans as COVID-19 case counts come down and more Canadians become vaccinated."

We suggested in 2020 that the CFL play in the Atlantic provinces. There was talk of a bubble in Winnipeg. Setting up the 4 East teams in the Prairies would ease concerns in Ontario, a province slow to give approval. There would be a lot less travel. The implication is that the western Canadian provinces might be more likely to allow fans in the stands. The Hamilton-Toronto battle might look odd at Mosaic Stadium in Regina but better than not playing at all.

I love safety as much as the next person but if the NFL is going to play in London, the CFL has to play in the Prairies.

Vinyl Tap from Randy Bachman will end its 16-year run on CBC Radio on the next major Canadian holiday: Canada Day 2021. While CBC is ending the show's run on the public broadcaster, Bachman wants to continue Vinyl Tap either with another broadcaster or as a podcast.

Bachman plays songs, tell anecdotes, presents a theme for the show, and even has musical demonstrations. Bachman is known for his stints in the Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive.

The battle has been to give the 2-hour timeslot to a more current show versus giving a home to a Canadian music legend.

The program airs on Saturdays at 7 pm on CBC Radio One with a rebroadcast Sundays at 6 pm on CBC Music (aka Radio 2) and Fridays at 11 pm on CBC Radio One. Those in the United States can tune in on the CBC Listen app. The app offers Canadians more options such as multiple streams in a variety of music formats.

The art of the double double

Katherine Barber, known as the Word Lady segments on CBC Radio One and editor-in-chief of The Canadian Oxford Dictionary, died last month in Toronto at 61. Barber did a lot of diligent work with The Canadian Oxford Dictionary, released in 1998, with more than 2,200 Canadian definitions for words such as toque, double-double, and English muffin.

Barber even resorted to trashy novels to find national and regional language unique to Canada and Canadians.

Canadian English might be a combination of British English and American English with Canadian words not used in the U.S. or UK. Thank you Katherine Barber for your hard work. RIP.

photo credits: me; Vinyl Tap/CBC Radio
Twitter capture: @superfan_nav