Well, I must apologize first of all for not writing before Sunday evening this weekend, but the entire week has been running away from me since the beginning, and even now I feel I am playing catch up before finally retiring for the night.
I hit a bit of a milestone this past week, and I am almost afraid to talk about it yet, but give me a bit of time and I will come clean in this space. But for now, some random thoughts on the week just passed and the weekend now wrapping up.
I tweeted this week about something that has been bugging me lately, and I suspect I am not alone. If you, like me, work in an environment that listens to so-called 'life-rock' stations (I will refrain from noting the call letters of the local station, although being a powerhouse you'll likely know who they are). This week my endurance ran out for the John Legend song All of Me, a dreary, syrupy effort you know will be the first dance song at weddings for the next couple of years or so.
Don't get me wrong on this: I have more patience than most since I come from the radio industry and worked in music radio much of my adult life. But for heaven's sake, there must be something better out there than this piece of music...PLEASE! Once or twice you hear it and okay, it isn't bad, but when you hear it several times a day, well, I just about want to toss the radio out the window.
It begs the question, when is it too much of a good thing, and is this as good as our music is going to get from here on in? If so, let me off at the next commercial break, as I can't take it anymore.
There, I've gotten that off my chest; now on to other things...
This weekend the first Niagara Integrated Film Festival was held at several venues throughout the region, in particular at the Landmark Cinemas at The Pen. It was a four-day affair with some pretty innovative programming and great opportunities to see films (and in particular documentaries) you would not otherwise have available in this area.
I was only able to catch one of the films tied in to the Festival, a documentary on the birth of the co-operative food market movement early in the last century. It is an idea that has been refined and realigned for a new generation, and co-op food stores are now springing up throughout North America again. A new one opened just outside of Buffalo and one in Hamilton recently, and we are hard at work bringing our very own, the Garden City Food Co-Op to fruition hopefully by 2015.
The film was screened Friday evening at the Niagara Artists Centre on St. Paul Street and I must say, even though the NAC venue is a small one, the place was packed to the rafters, and many of those in attendance are already founding members of the local co-op. Bodes well for both the future of the Garden City Food Co-Op and by extension, the Niagara Integrated Film Festival.
This is just the kind of innovative, forward-thinking programming we need in the Region, especially with new venues for showing films coming online locally in the near future. The Niagara Integrated Film Festival is apparently the brainchild of Bill Marshall, the man who founded the Toronto Film Festival long before it got all highbrow and snooty.
The numbers are not in as of this writing, but I suspect the first Niagara Integrated Film Festival will certainly not be the last. We're on to something here, so let's nurture it and show we have an appetite for something more than just rom-coms and Disney family fare. Congratulations to all involved in putting on a great event this weekend; take a bow, people, you deserve it!
By the way, if you want to know more about the Garden City Food Co-Op, go to their website at www.garsencityfoodcoop.ca, or find them on Facebook. We need YOU!
Finally, I have taken note of the return of the pedestrian mall in downtown St. Catharines earlier this month, on a stretch of James Street now closed off to vehicular traffic from King Street to the entrance to Market Square. Last year you might recall, it didn't get off the ground until August and lasted until October.
This year everyone is better prepared and the entire summer is being given over to the pedestrian mall idea with an eye towards making it permanent some time in the future. But for now we have to make do with pavement underfoot and some nice tables and chairs to sit on.
The city has done a great job sprucing up the area a little more this year, with nice park benches and patio umbrellas now installed, and lots of planters as well. It really is a nice little refuge in the heart of the city, and this Tuesday the Civic Square summer season will officially kick off with several performances throughout the day by Canadian guitarist Pavlo, who will be playing at noon, 5 and 6:15 pm this Tuesday.
The Pavlo shows are organized by the new Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines, who have booked a variety of shows for the new outdoor space throughout the summer. Kudos to them for getting things on track and making the Civic Square a happening place this summer. The Tuesday concerts dovetail nicely with the return of the evening farmer's market at Market Square next door, which is back for the summer season as well.
Just two more reasons to come downtown and enjoy what's happening in the heart of St. Catharines. And the best part is this is only going to get better!
June 22nd, 2014.
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