You know by now, of course, an end to an era occurred late last month when the 45th season at Centre for the Arts at Brock University came to a close April 23rd. The performance by Flamenco guitarist Jorge Miguel not only closed the season at Brock, but the stellar run of seasons dating back to 1969.
Next fall, all performances will emanate from the brand-spanking new First Ontario Performing Arts Centre on St. Paul Street in downtown St. Catharines. That means another era begins, but not without a tear or two being shed beforehand.
It's almost hard to believe Centre for the Arts has been around for 45 years now; yet I can't imagine a time when the performance venues at Brock were not operating. Just imagine for a moment what we did here in St. Catharines before the Centre for the Arts opening at Brock 45 years ago.
In all likelihood, any performances would have been in school auditoriums or churches in the area, since there would not have been many proper entertainment facilities available just about anywhere in the Region. Movies would have been more popular forms of entertainment out of necessity, one would think, and the occasional live performance would likely include a chorus of "we need a decent performance space" from those who attended.
That brings us to 1969 and the beginning of the Centre For the Arts era at Brock, admittedly a much shorter season than what we are used to now. But it was something, and the state-of-the-art theatre facilities at the time were light years ahead of what we had seen up to that time.
Since then, the storied venue has hosted musical acts ranging from Bob Geldoff to Dizzy Gillespie, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth to Anne Murray, Stomping' Tom Connors to Diana Krall. In other words, something for everyone.
My own memories of Centre for the Arts include sitting in the audience for countless performances by the Niagara Symphony, as well as memorable evenings spent with the likes of La Bottine Souriante and guitarist Jesse Cooke. I can't say I have ever sat through a bad performance at the place, ever.
I've also participated in many shows there myself, having for many years been the so-called "Voice of God" for the off-stage announcements for the NSO. I also stood on stage for announcements on occasion, and looking up at that large expanse of full seats at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre was more than a little intimidating, let me tell you.
Over at the David S. Howes Theatre, once known simply as The Playhouse, I remember spending many a Wednesday afternoon back in the 80s enjoying shows by our local theatre company, Press Theatre, headed up by the late Diane Nyland-Proctor. Their performance of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest I recall as being particularly memorable.
For both venues, I also provided artist chat sessions after the performance for a few seasons, and that was always a challenge balancing information and entertainment with the artist for the enjoyment of the audience. But again, I never had a bad experience while doing those popular chats for many years.
Much of the time Centre for the Arts has been in existence - well, for 30 years of it at least - Director Debbie Slade has guided the ship from success to success, through most of the 1,450 performances there since it opened in 1969. I occasionally heard grumblings the season line up was weighted too heavily towards East-Coast performers, but hey, you don't mess with success and Deb experienced a lot of it with her deft handling of the seasons' programming.
Few people in the industry have garnered the respect of both her peers and the acts she has booked as Debbie Slade has. Everyone knows her and more importantly, they and by extension we - trust her talent for booking winning acts year in and year out. They can't all be winners of course, but there have been far more winners than losers over the years, and that track record is to be admired.
Sadly, Debbie has chosen this particular juncture in local entertainment history to bid farewell and retire, rather than stay on and guide the programming at the new First Ontario Performing Arts Centre in the future. It must have been a tough decision for Debbie certainly, but also for those around her who in many cases have known no other Director of Centre for the Arts, ever.
To give you an indication of the respect Deb has acquired over the years, when I spoke to Canadian singer John McDermott back in January by phone for an article I was writing for Centre for the Arts magazine, I could almost hear his jaw drop over the line when I broke the news to him. John is one of those artists who placed his trust and respect in Debbie and her talented team, having played Centre for the Arts something like 29 times over the years.
But you know what they say: quit while you're ahead and still on top, so perhaps Debbie was seeing the proverbial tea leaves aligning in just a way that to her seemed to spell out an auspicious time to hang it up and put down her booking pen one last time.
The legacy she will leave behind will be significant, as Centre for the Arts would not of - could not of - grown to its present size without her sheer determination and grit. I don't think I am overstating the case by saying for most of us in Niagara, Debbie Slade simply was Centre for the Arts at Brock University.
Having said all that, this coming Thursday evening Niagara gets a chance to bid farewell to a classy lady who often worked in the wings to bring some pretty big stars out on stage for our enjoyment. On Thursday, it is Debbie's moment at centre-stage as we get to say thanks for the memories, job well done, and all the best in retirement.
Tickets are only $25 and includes light hors d'oeuvres at 6 pm before action shifts to the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre stage where Debbie has worked her considerable magic for so many years. For tickets, call the box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257 or go online at www.arts.brocku.ca.
The rest of the Centre for the Arts staff including Debbie's right-hand girl, Sara Palmieri, will all be moving to First Ontario Performing Arts Centre in the fall, but Debbie will move on at the end of this season. Afterwards, the performance spaces she has known so well over the years will be converted into university lecture space, I'm told.
But that's all in the future. Right now, let's raise a collective toast to a lady who not only earned our respect and admiration, but also won our hearts by giving Niagara the entertainment line up year in and year out we have almost taken for granted. It is a lot of hard work and Deb has earned the right to take a break right about now.
But not before we say goodbye, and that happens Thursday night of this week.
Have a great retirement, Debbie, and all the best in the future. You will be very much missed!
May 11th, 2015.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
HPO announces new music director
With symphony seasons starting to wind down for another year, announcements come along about the upcoming season and other exciting news to tantalize subscribers and other patrons to renew for another year.
The Niagara Symphony has one last Masterworks concert of the season next weekend, and I will write about that and their new season announcement in this space next week.
Today, let's look at the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, which has been doing their due diligence the last two years looking for a replacement for former music director Jamie Sommerville, who announced he was leaving the HPO at the end of the 2012-2013 season.
It is never easy going through this process, as people connected to the Niagara Symphony well know. A few seasons back the search to replace former music director Daniel Swift proved a long and difficult task, with the announcement the new music director would be Canadian Bradley Thachuk, who would return to his native country after working several years in the United States.
I remember that season of auditioning prospective music directors well, as the audience was asked to rate each candidate on their performances in both Masterworks and Pops! repertoire. There were four candidates in all, three men and one woman, Diane Wittry, currently the music director and conductor of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania.
I found all the candidates brought their "A-game" to the podium, as it were, but what Wittry brought was particularly special. I found her controlled and understated approach to the chosen repertoire quite refreshing, frankly, and well-suited to what the NSO was in need of at the time.
That being said, Maestro Thachuk has put his own unique stamp on the NSO and made the orchestra his own since he took the helm not that many seasons ago.
While the Niagara Symphony missed out on a chance to blaze a new trail with a female music director, they have for many seasons of course benefitted from the considerable talents of associate conductor Laura Thomas, who is for my money one of the better arranger-conductors in the business. Laura has ably handled many of the Pops! and NextGen concerts over the last several seasons.
But down the QEW in Hamilton, it was announced today the new music director for the HPO is a 28-year-old native of New Zealand, violinist and conductor Gemma New. New has been conducting since her teens, so she is a bit of an old hand at this game.
The press release issued today quotes HPO board chair Robert Savage as saying New is "an outstanding musician and an experienced conductor; she's also smart and creative. And on a personal level, she's warm and down-to-earth." He goes on to say Gemma is a great fit not only for the HPO but for the city as a whole.
In addition to conducting the HPO during the 2014/2015 season, all six candidates for the position were also taken to community events in order to meet people. There was a time this would not even be considered; a conductor and/or music director would own the podium but not be particularly accessible to the community beyond the concert hall.
Could you imagine, say, Toscanini or Reiner hobnobbing with members of the community at a local event? I can't. Oh, I am sure they did their part in some small way, but back then I think there was a very clear line of division between the conductor and the audience.
Today, with audience numbers dwindling for many symphony orchestras and those left are getting older, the old rules don't apply anymore. Like anything else, the role of a music director has had to change and evolve with the times and that means interact with the audience on a more basic, personal level.
Social media has had a big hand in making this change a reality, as many music directors and arts administrators have embraced several platforms through which they can communicate directly with the audience outside of the concert hall. Those who don't embrace the new reality of social interaction risk losing younger audience members to other forms of entertainment.
Social media allows these music directors and arts administrators to help develop that audience of tomorrow, so it is incumbent on them to be savvy. I think in the future it will simply be a requirement of the position.
So Gemma, who is quoted in today's release as saying she is "very excited to be coming to Hamilton...I was impressed with the orchestra and all the people I met during my audition", will join that still rather elite circle of female conductors and music directors that includes Thomas, Wittry, Buffalo's JoAnn Falletta and of course, Baltimore's Marin Alsop, among others.
I missed out on seeing Gemma or any of the five other candidates do their thing the past season for the HPO, but hopefully in the fall I will be able to catch a concert or two and hear for myself what attracted Hamilton to Gemma and Gemma to Hamilton.
The 2015-2016 season was also announced today, and along with the big works of Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Mozart, among others, the HPO will also be highlighting major works by 20th-century Russian composers Prokofiev and Shostakovich conducted by Maestro New.
There will be a host of conductors for the upcoming season as Gemma New wraps up her current duties as associate conductor with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and her season debut will be in February of 2016.
I look forward to hearing what she brings to the podium the coming season and beyond, and how a great orchestra responds to this young, talented New Zealander. Interesting times lie ahead for the HPO and their audience; may the New sounds embrace their future as well as their past.
For ticket information on the coming season or to subscribe, you can call 905-526-7756.
Enjoy the week!
May 5th, 2015.
The Niagara Symphony has one last Masterworks concert of the season next weekend, and I will write about that and their new season announcement in this space next week.
Today, let's look at the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, which has been doing their due diligence the last two years looking for a replacement for former music director Jamie Sommerville, who announced he was leaving the HPO at the end of the 2012-2013 season.
It is never easy going through this process, as people connected to the Niagara Symphony well know. A few seasons back the search to replace former music director Daniel Swift proved a long and difficult task, with the announcement the new music director would be Canadian Bradley Thachuk, who would return to his native country after working several years in the United States.
I remember that season of auditioning prospective music directors well, as the audience was asked to rate each candidate on their performances in both Masterworks and Pops! repertoire. There were four candidates in all, three men and one woman, Diane Wittry, currently the music director and conductor of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania.
I found all the candidates brought their "A-game" to the podium, as it were, but what Wittry brought was particularly special. I found her controlled and understated approach to the chosen repertoire quite refreshing, frankly, and well-suited to what the NSO was in need of at the time.
That being said, Maestro Thachuk has put his own unique stamp on the NSO and made the orchestra his own since he took the helm not that many seasons ago.
While the Niagara Symphony missed out on a chance to blaze a new trail with a female music director, they have for many seasons of course benefitted from the considerable talents of associate conductor Laura Thomas, who is for my money one of the better arranger-conductors in the business. Laura has ably handled many of the Pops! and NextGen concerts over the last several seasons.
But down the QEW in Hamilton, it was announced today the new music director for the HPO is a 28-year-old native of New Zealand, violinist and conductor Gemma New. New has been conducting since her teens, so she is a bit of an old hand at this game.
The press release issued today quotes HPO board chair Robert Savage as saying New is "an outstanding musician and an experienced conductor; she's also smart and creative. And on a personal level, she's warm and down-to-earth." He goes on to say Gemma is a great fit not only for the HPO but for the city as a whole.
In addition to conducting the HPO during the 2014/2015 season, all six candidates for the position were also taken to community events in order to meet people. There was a time this would not even be considered; a conductor and/or music director would own the podium but not be particularly accessible to the community beyond the concert hall.
Could you imagine, say, Toscanini or Reiner hobnobbing with members of the community at a local event? I can't. Oh, I am sure they did their part in some small way, but back then I think there was a very clear line of division between the conductor and the audience.
Today, with audience numbers dwindling for many symphony orchestras and those left are getting older, the old rules don't apply anymore. Like anything else, the role of a music director has had to change and evolve with the times and that means interact with the audience on a more basic, personal level.
Social media has had a big hand in making this change a reality, as many music directors and arts administrators have embraced several platforms through which they can communicate directly with the audience outside of the concert hall. Those who don't embrace the new reality of social interaction risk losing younger audience members to other forms of entertainment.
Social media allows these music directors and arts administrators to help develop that audience of tomorrow, so it is incumbent on them to be savvy. I think in the future it will simply be a requirement of the position.
So Gemma, who is quoted in today's release as saying she is "very excited to be coming to Hamilton...I was impressed with the orchestra and all the people I met during my audition", will join that still rather elite circle of female conductors and music directors that includes Thomas, Wittry, Buffalo's JoAnn Falletta and of course, Baltimore's Marin Alsop, among others.
I missed out on seeing Gemma or any of the five other candidates do their thing the past season for the HPO, but hopefully in the fall I will be able to catch a concert or two and hear for myself what attracted Hamilton to Gemma and Gemma to Hamilton.
The 2015-2016 season was also announced today, and along with the big works of Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Mozart, among others, the HPO will also be highlighting major works by 20th-century Russian composers Prokofiev and Shostakovich conducted by Maestro New.
There will be a host of conductors for the upcoming season as Gemma New wraps up her current duties as associate conductor with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and her season debut will be in February of 2016.
I look forward to hearing what she brings to the podium the coming season and beyond, and how a great orchestra responds to this young, talented New Zealander. Interesting times lie ahead for the HPO and their audience; may the New sounds embrace their future as well as their past.
For ticket information on the coming season or to subscribe, you can call 905-526-7756.
Enjoy the week!
May 5th, 2015.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Wasn't that a party in downtown St. Catharines this weekend?
I'm just back from a party at Gord's Place on James Street, home to the Big Reveal Party for the Garden City Food Co-Op, and up the street from the epicenter of the In The Soil Arts Festival this weekend.
To say downtown St. Catharines was abuzz with activity this weekend would be understating the case considerably, and I for one am happy with the excitement generated in our city core.
First, let's talk about In the Soil, now into its 7th season bringing art, music and people together in our downtown core on the last weekend of April. In The Soil this year packed about 150 acts, exhibits and interactive activities into just a couple of city blocks and for the most part, I think things went particularly well.
I visited a few times on Saturday afternoon after I finished work, visiting along James Street the various exhibits and interactive displays, along with the musical entertainment. I also took advantage of the offer extended by the performing arts group Fixd Point, who were on site in a tiny little trailer recording people's memories and impressions of St. Paul Street for an upcoming opening week event at the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre event in the fall.
Afterwards I visited my artistic neighbour Sandy Middleton's project in the upper level of the Oddfellows Hall on James Street, co-produced with photographer Erin Riley. It was a paint-by-numbers effort everyone could take part in and seemed to be going very well when I visited late afternoon.
Much more was planned for the Festival today, but things were winding down when I again stopped downtown for the Garden City Food Co-Op Big Reveal Party at Gord's Place. This has been in the works for some time and has been highly anticipated, as everyone connected to the project was anxious to hear where the new co-operative market would be located in downtown St. Catharines.
It was nice to see the joint jumping when we arrived, with barely a seat available shortly after the doors opened at 7 pm. Things were noisy and festive, but everyone's attention pointed to the front of the restaurant as it was announced the location for the Garden City Food Co-Op would be...ta-da! 57 Carlisle, right across from the bus terminal.
It might be surprising to some that will in fact be the location, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. It is centrally situated in our downtown, the building already exists, and it is very close to public transit for those who have no vehicle of their own in order to get around. After all, that was often the big complaint once the old A&P closed in the Midtown Plaza on Welland Avenue: seniors and those with no car would have a difficult time leaving the downtown area for the shopping malls and grocery stores outside the core.
Landlord Nick Atalick knew what he was doing when negotiations with the co-op folks got serious. He knew the area around the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre would be in demand, and what better business to have on one of his area properties than a co-operative owned and operated by the citizens of St. Catharines? Much better than yet another bar, you have to agree.
So the preliminary drawings look promising and the building size seems sufficient, so now the push is on to gather even more members to support the cause. As of this writing membership sits at over 400, up considerably from the 300-member threshold that was deemed necessary to get this thing off the ground in the first place.
Hopefully now with a location made public and an expected completion date of late 2015 or early 2016, the membership can expand even more in the coming months.
There is still much work to do on this project but it will happen. And it will be successful, if what I saw at Gord's tonight is any indication. There is genuine excitement for the co-op concept, and bringing it to downtown St. Catharines furthers the objective of creating a wider appeal and more family-friendly vibe in our city centre.
Can a new civic square be far behind? Well, the jury is still out on that one, but considering the accomplishments in our downtown the last few years, I would not be the least bit surprised if it does happen sometime in the near future.
Exciting things are happening downtown...are you going to be a part of it?
Have a great week!
April 26th, 2015.
To say downtown St. Catharines was abuzz with activity this weekend would be understating the case considerably, and I for one am happy with the excitement generated in our city core.
First, let's talk about In the Soil, now into its 7th season bringing art, music and people together in our downtown core on the last weekend of April. In The Soil this year packed about 150 acts, exhibits and interactive activities into just a couple of city blocks and for the most part, I think things went particularly well.
I visited a few times on Saturday afternoon after I finished work, visiting along James Street the various exhibits and interactive displays, along with the musical entertainment. I also took advantage of the offer extended by the performing arts group Fixd Point, who were on site in a tiny little trailer recording people's memories and impressions of St. Paul Street for an upcoming opening week event at the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre event in the fall.
Afterwards I visited my artistic neighbour Sandy Middleton's project in the upper level of the Oddfellows Hall on James Street, co-produced with photographer Erin Riley. It was a paint-by-numbers effort everyone could take part in and seemed to be going very well when I visited late afternoon.
Much more was planned for the Festival today, but things were winding down when I again stopped downtown for the Garden City Food Co-Op Big Reveal Party at Gord's Place. This has been in the works for some time and has been highly anticipated, as everyone connected to the project was anxious to hear where the new co-operative market would be located in downtown St. Catharines.
It was nice to see the joint jumping when we arrived, with barely a seat available shortly after the doors opened at 7 pm. Things were noisy and festive, but everyone's attention pointed to the front of the restaurant as it was announced the location for the Garden City Food Co-Op would be...ta-da! 57 Carlisle, right across from the bus terminal.
It might be surprising to some that will in fact be the location, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. It is centrally situated in our downtown, the building already exists, and it is very close to public transit for those who have no vehicle of their own in order to get around. After all, that was often the big complaint once the old A&P closed in the Midtown Plaza on Welland Avenue: seniors and those with no car would have a difficult time leaving the downtown area for the shopping malls and grocery stores outside the core.
Landlord Nick Atalick knew what he was doing when negotiations with the co-op folks got serious. He knew the area around the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre would be in demand, and what better business to have on one of his area properties than a co-operative owned and operated by the citizens of St. Catharines? Much better than yet another bar, you have to agree.
So the preliminary drawings look promising and the building size seems sufficient, so now the push is on to gather even more members to support the cause. As of this writing membership sits at over 400, up considerably from the 300-member threshold that was deemed necessary to get this thing off the ground in the first place.
Hopefully now with a location made public and an expected completion date of late 2015 or early 2016, the membership can expand even more in the coming months.
There is still much work to do on this project but it will happen. And it will be successful, if what I saw at Gord's tonight is any indication. There is genuine excitement for the co-op concept, and bringing it to downtown St. Catharines furthers the objective of creating a wider appeal and more family-friendly vibe in our city centre.
Can a new civic square be far behind? Well, the jury is still out on that one, but considering the accomplishments in our downtown the last few years, I would not be the least bit surprised if it does happen sometime in the near future.
Exciting things are happening downtown...are you going to be a part of it?
Have a great week!
April 26th, 2015.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Need a dose of the Arts this weekend? Niagara has you covered!
This weekend is one of those weekends in Niagara you wish could be about 4 days long, as there is simply so much to see and do. I've rounded up some of the best events on this weekend so you can perhaps best plan your time efficiently and accordingly.
First and foremost, Suitcase in Point presents the annual In the Soil Arts Festival in downtown St. Catharines right through the weekend. In fact, James Street between King and St. Paul was closed to vehicular traffic this morning and the day was spent setting up for today's 5 pm opening of the Festival.
On Saturday there will be a full slate of events planned all day long, including a Poetry Slam showcase starting at 2 pm at Mahtay Cafe and Lounge on St. Paul Street, right across from the new First Ontario Performing Arts Centre. Featured will be a number of talented local spoken word poets in an audience-interactive forum running through to the evening hours.
On James Street itself, Fixt Point, a performing arts organization focused primarily on the site specific promenade theatre performance concept, will have a trailer set up to gather stories for the re-mount of The Tale of the Town St. Catharines. Headed up by Artistic Director Lisa Marie DiLiberto, the idea is to have people stop by the trailer and talk about their memories and experiences on our main downtown thoroughfare, St. Paul Street.
Once all the stories are collected for the site-specific theatre project that will incorporate live and recorded music, interview sound bytes and video footage, it will be presented as part of the opening ceremonies at the new First Ontario Performing Arts Centre in October.
I've been invited to stop by the trailer at 2 pm to offer my impressions of the street, and they will be on site through to the end of the Festival on Sunday to capture yours.
Along with all the on-street activities taking place on James Street, if you head upstairs at the Oddfellows Temple between 12 noon and 7 pm you'll be able to catch a free interactive workshop by photographer Erin Riley and my neighbour, artist and photographer Sandy Middleton. Dubbed an Interactive Paint by Numbers Project, visitors will be able to participate themselves during the day-long event.
The collaboration between Toronto-based documentary photographer Erin Riley and Niagara-based artist/photographer grew out of their collaborative work in Toronto a little while ago, and this event just seemed to touch on so many of their shared inspirations.
It's impossible to list all of the more than 150 things to see and do during the three-day event, but you can access all the details and pick up your Festival passes at www.inthesoil.on.ca. You can also stop by the Hub on St. Paul Street to pick up a Festival pass on the spot. Many of the events will be free, but others charge a small admission fee, so the Festival pass is by far your best value if you plan to spend a fair amount of time at the Festival.
In the Soil is a celebration of the arts in Niagara and beyond, with lots of interactive events and great music throughout the weekend right in the heart of downtown St. Catharines. Why not come out and dig it for yourself?
Tied in with In the Soil is the Big Reveal Party being held at Gord's Place on James Street Sunday evening at 7, hosted by the Garden City Food Co-Op. This is the event we co-op members have been waiting for - the announcement of where the innovative food co-operative project will take root downtown.
There has been lots of speculation on just where the location will be, but we'll have to wait until Sunday evening to get the final word at Gord's. The event is free, with food available for purchase at Gord's Place during the event, with plenty of entertainment planned as well.
As founding members of the Garden City Food Co-Op, my far better half and I plan to be in attendance to get he good news first-hand, and you should be, too. Want to find out more? Stop by the St. Catharines Farmer's Market Saturday morning where the will have a display set up, and you can find out all about the project and even sign up if you have not already done so. You can also check out their Facebook page or website at www.gardencityfoodcoop.ca in order to RSVP for the event Sunday evening.
Community Care of St. Catharines & Thorold will have collection barrels set up at the event and you're asked to bring a non-perishable food item to contribute if you possibly can.
Elsewhere on the weekend the Marilyn I.Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts 5th festival of the arts known as Industrial Fabric continues with a performance by the Avanti Chamber Singers with conductor Harris Loewen at St. Barnabas Church on Queenston Street. The concert, entitled Folk Song Sweets, will begin at 7:30 pm.
A lot of the music will have a Spring touch, to be sure, featuring traditional Canadian and International folk songs from all over the world, including new choral arrangements by local composer and Brock University Associate Professor Matthew Royal.
Tickets will be available at the door prior to the concert, or in advance by calling the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3275.
And finally this weekend, the Niagara Symphony (NSO) will wrap up their Pops! series at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts at Brock University. The concert is dubbed "The Very Model"...of Gilbert & Sullivan and will feature a number of Niagara's municipal leaders joining the orchestra for a G&S extravaganza.
Performances are Saturday evening at 7:30 and Sunday afternoon at 2:30, and tickets should still be available at the door or in advance by calling the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3275.
There you go...sunshine and lots of great ways to spend time in it and out of it all weekend long in Niagara.
Have a great weekend!
April 24th, 2015.
First and foremost, Suitcase in Point presents the annual In the Soil Arts Festival in downtown St. Catharines right through the weekend. In fact, James Street between King and St. Paul was closed to vehicular traffic this morning and the day was spent setting up for today's 5 pm opening of the Festival.
On Saturday there will be a full slate of events planned all day long, including a Poetry Slam showcase starting at 2 pm at Mahtay Cafe and Lounge on St. Paul Street, right across from the new First Ontario Performing Arts Centre. Featured will be a number of talented local spoken word poets in an audience-interactive forum running through to the evening hours.
On James Street itself, Fixt Point, a performing arts organization focused primarily on the site specific promenade theatre performance concept, will have a trailer set up to gather stories for the re-mount of The Tale of the Town St. Catharines. Headed up by Artistic Director Lisa Marie DiLiberto, the idea is to have people stop by the trailer and talk about their memories and experiences on our main downtown thoroughfare, St. Paul Street.
Once all the stories are collected for the site-specific theatre project that will incorporate live and recorded music, interview sound bytes and video footage, it will be presented as part of the opening ceremonies at the new First Ontario Performing Arts Centre in October.
I've been invited to stop by the trailer at 2 pm to offer my impressions of the street, and they will be on site through to the end of the Festival on Sunday to capture yours.
Along with all the on-street activities taking place on James Street, if you head upstairs at the Oddfellows Temple between 12 noon and 7 pm you'll be able to catch a free interactive workshop by photographer Erin Riley and my neighbour, artist and photographer Sandy Middleton. Dubbed an Interactive Paint by Numbers Project, visitors will be able to participate themselves during the day-long event.
The collaboration between Toronto-based documentary photographer Erin Riley and Niagara-based artist/photographer grew out of their collaborative work in Toronto a little while ago, and this event just seemed to touch on so many of their shared inspirations.
It's impossible to list all of the more than 150 things to see and do during the three-day event, but you can access all the details and pick up your Festival passes at www.inthesoil.on.ca. You can also stop by the Hub on St. Paul Street to pick up a Festival pass on the spot. Many of the events will be free, but others charge a small admission fee, so the Festival pass is by far your best value if you plan to spend a fair amount of time at the Festival.
In the Soil is a celebration of the arts in Niagara and beyond, with lots of interactive events and great music throughout the weekend right in the heart of downtown St. Catharines. Why not come out and dig it for yourself?
Tied in with In the Soil is the Big Reveal Party being held at Gord's Place on James Street Sunday evening at 7, hosted by the Garden City Food Co-Op. This is the event we co-op members have been waiting for - the announcement of where the innovative food co-operative project will take root downtown.
There has been lots of speculation on just where the location will be, but we'll have to wait until Sunday evening to get the final word at Gord's. The event is free, with food available for purchase at Gord's Place during the event, with plenty of entertainment planned as well.
As founding members of the Garden City Food Co-Op, my far better half and I plan to be in attendance to get he good news first-hand, and you should be, too. Want to find out more? Stop by the St. Catharines Farmer's Market Saturday morning where the will have a display set up, and you can find out all about the project and even sign up if you have not already done so. You can also check out their Facebook page or website at www.gardencityfoodcoop.ca in order to RSVP for the event Sunday evening.
Community Care of St. Catharines & Thorold will have collection barrels set up at the event and you're asked to bring a non-perishable food item to contribute if you possibly can.
Elsewhere on the weekend the Marilyn I.Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts 5th festival of the arts known as Industrial Fabric continues with a performance by the Avanti Chamber Singers with conductor Harris Loewen at St. Barnabas Church on Queenston Street. The concert, entitled Folk Song Sweets, will begin at 7:30 pm.
A lot of the music will have a Spring touch, to be sure, featuring traditional Canadian and International folk songs from all over the world, including new choral arrangements by local composer and Brock University Associate Professor Matthew Royal.
Tickets will be available at the door prior to the concert, or in advance by calling the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3275.
And finally this weekend, the Niagara Symphony (NSO) will wrap up their Pops! series at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts at Brock University. The concert is dubbed "The Very Model"...of Gilbert & Sullivan and will feature a number of Niagara's municipal leaders joining the orchestra for a G&S extravaganza.
Performances are Saturday evening at 7:30 and Sunday afternoon at 2:30, and tickets should still be available at the door or in advance by calling the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3275.
There you go...sunshine and lots of great ways to spend time in it and out of it all weekend long in Niagara.
Have a great weekend!
April 24th, 2015.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Recent news on downtown St. Catharines is creating a buzz
First of all, my apologies for being absent the last couple of weeks from this space, but a number of personal issues had to be dealt with that took precedence. Now I'm back with plenty to say, which should come as no surprise to anyone!
Recent news out of our soon-to-be-completed Performing Arts Centre is the naming rights for the complex have gone to First Ontario Credit Union for a sum of $ 3-million. This is indeed great news as the construction continues towards the fall 2015 opening.
I was on Twitter the day of the announcement, commenting on the fact two of the three major infrastructure projects underway on St. Paul Street are now to be named after Ontario credit unions: first Meridian purchased the naming rights for the new spectator facility that opened last fall, and now First Ontario is doing the same for the Performing Arts Centre. What I suggested at the time was that credit unions were investing in us, which indeed they are.
The important thing to remember about both of these significant announcements is they reflect each credit union's commitment to community values. I'm not saying the major financial institutions in this country don't step up the plate themselves; they do with projects such as BMO Field in Toronto, for example.
But these two hit especially close to home, and benefit our community both directly and indirectly. Directly buy injecting funds to help defray the costs of building the projects to begin with, and indirectly by giving them a higher profile in the community through betterment of our way of life and of those around us elsewhere in the peninsula.
If you need proof of how much of an impact these projects have and will continue to have on our community, all you would of had to do is walk downtown during the recent Niagara Ice Dogs playoff run. The season ended Friday night with another loss to the Oshawa Generals in the Motor City, but while the run continued the downtown was electric on game nights, and it was great to see.
I had the pleasure of handing out noisemakers prior to the first two Round One playoff games against Ottawa before Easter and I can tell you, the atmosphere was upbeat and fun. And that fun included lots and lots of families coming downtown on a weeknight to catch a game at the Meridian Centre and cheer on the home team.
I talked to some of the downtown restaurants and bars during the last month or so and what I heard is they were very pleased with the increase in business on game nights. But they were also pleased with the make up of those crowds. More families coming in before or after the game to eat, rather than just a bunch of guys grabbing a beer or two before or after the game.
So family is one of the direct benefits we're seeing here. The Meridian Centre and the Niagara Ice Dogs have given families a reason to come downtown, spend some time and money, and feel good about a night out in our city core. That has not always been the case.
While I was at the Rankin Bridge entrance to the Meridian Centre on game night, I could look down and see the progress on both the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts and the new First Ontario Performing Arts Centre, and I could visualize a night next fall when we have a game at the Meridian Centre, an event at the First Ontario Centre, and ongoing classes and student activity at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts.
If that doesn't get your heart racing just a little bit, you are not a proud St. Catharines resident.
Oh sure, I have heard the naysayers, including one older gentleman who lamented to me the fact we had a chance years ago to build a rink in the lower-level parking lot when the St. Catharines Saints of the AHL were playing over at the Gatecliff Arena back in the 80s. I remember those days well and the heated debate going on over whether we should build in the lower level lot back then or not.
This gentleman reminded me since the Saints were the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs, with the majority owner back then being Harold Ballard, we could have had Mr. Ballard build us a new arena back then.
Okay, I appreciate where you're coming from, but really, if you have to rely on Harold Ballard to support your argument, well, you've lost all credibility in my books.
These new projects are being funded by government at all levels as well as us, the taxpayers. And even if you don't plan to directly appreciate one or more of the facilities, consider others who will. The fact is we are a community, and we can't just opt out if it doesn't fit our own personal vision of what constitutes a community.
Should we only pay taxes proportionate to the length of the street we live on that gets plowed every winter? Of course not. We pay our fair share and that benefits everyone. The same goes for our new infrastructure projects downtown.
I may not often go to an Ice Dogs game, and you might not often go to a Niagara Symphony concert, for example. But think of what both of those events bring to the community as a whole and then you're looking at the bigger picture.
We are investing in ourselves and our future here in Niagara. We are giving families and future generations of families reason to settle here in Niagara and contribute to our economy and our collective lifestyle.
Two of Ontario's largest credit unions get it, and lots of others do, too. We are not waiting for opportunity to knock. We're opening the door and grabbing opportunity by the scruff of the neck and saying "Hey! You might want to stick around here for awhile!"
To Meridian, thank you. To First Ontario, thank you. To the Niagara Ice Dogs, thank you. To all levels of government and all the donors so far and yet to come, thank you all.
Teamwork builds futures. Let's work together as a team to help build ours right here in Niagara.
Have a great weekend!
April 19th, 2015.
Recent news out of our soon-to-be-completed Performing Arts Centre is the naming rights for the complex have gone to First Ontario Credit Union for a sum of $ 3-million. This is indeed great news as the construction continues towards the fall 2015 opening.
I was on Twitter the day of the announcement, commenting on the fact two of the three major infrastructure projects underway on St. Paul Street are now to be named after Ontario credit unions: first Meridian purchased the naming rights for the new spectator facility that opened last fall, and now First Ontario is doing the same for the Performing Arts Centre. What I suggested at the time was that credit unions were investing in us, which indeed they are.
The important thing to remember about both of these significant announcements is they reflect each credit union's commitment to community values. I'm not saying the major financial institutions in this country don't step up the plate themselves; they do with projects such as BMO Field in Toronto, for example.
But these two hit especially close to home, and benefit our community both directly and indirectly. Directly buy injecting funds to help defray the costs of building the projects to begin with, and indirectly by giving them a higher profile in the community through betterment of our way of life and of those around us elsewhere in the peninsula.
If you need proof of how much of an impact these projects have and will continue to have on our community, all you would of had to do is walk downtown during the recent Niagara Ice Dogs playoff run. The season ended Friday night with another loss to the Oshawa Generals in the Motor City, but while the run continued the downtown was electric on game nights, and it was great to see.
I had the pleasure of handing out noisemakers prior to the first two Round One playoff games against Ottawa before Easter and I can tell you, the atmosphere was upbeat and fun. And that fun included lots and lots of families coming downtown on a weeknight to catch a game at the Meridian Centre and cheer on the home team.
I talked to some of the downtown restaurants and bars during the last month or so and what I heard is they were very pleased with the increase in business on game nights. But they were also pleased with the make up of those crowds. More families coming in before or after the game to eat, rather than just a bunch of guys grabbing a beer or two before or after the game.
So family is one of the direct benefits we're seeing here. The Meridian Centre and the Niagara Ice Dogs have given families a reason to come downtown, spend some time and money, and feel good about a night out in our city core. That has not always been the case.
While I was at the Rankin Bridge entrance to the Meridian Centre on game night, I could look down and see the progress on both the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts and the new First Ontario Performing Arts Centre, and I could visualize a night next fall when we have a game at the Meridian Centre, an event at the First Ontario Centre, and ongoing classes and student activity at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts.
If that doesn't get your heart racing just a little bit, you are not a proud St. Catharines resident.
Oh sure, I have heard the naysayers, including one older gentleman who lamented to me the fact we had a chance years ago to build a rink in the lower-level parking lot when the St. Catharines Saints of the AHL were playing over at the Gatecliff Arena back in the 80s. I remember those days well and the heated debate going on over whether we should build in the lower level lot back then or not.
This gentleman reminded me since the Saints were the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs, with the majority owner back then being Harold Ballard, we could have had Mr. Ballard build us a new arena back then.
Okay, I appreciate where you're coming from, but really, if you have to rely on Harold Ballard to support your argument, well, you've lost all credibility in my books.
These new projects are being funded by government at all levels as well as us, the taxpayers. And even if you don't plan to directly appreciate one or more of the facilities, consider others who will. The fact is we are a community, and we can't just opt out if it doesn't fit our own personal vision of what constitutes a community.
Should we only pay taxes proportionate to the length of the street we live on that gets plowed every winter? Of course not. We pay our fair share and that benefits everyone. The same goes for our new infrastructure projects downtown.
I may not often go to an Ice Dogs game, and you might not often go to a Niagara Symphony concert, for example. But think of what both of those events bring to the community as a whole and then you're looking at the bigger picture.
We are investing in ourselves and our future here in Niagara. We are giving families and future generations of families reason to settle here in Niagara and contribute to our economy and our collective lifestyle.
Two of Ontario's largest credit unions get it, and lots of others do, too. We are not waiting for opportunity to knock. We're opening the door and grabbing opportunity by the scruff of the neck and saying "Hey! You might want to stick around here for awhile!"
To Meridian, thank you. To First Ontario, thank you. To the Niagara Ice Dogs, thank you. To all levels of government and all the donors so far and yet to come, thank you all.
Teamwork builds futures. Let's work together as a team to help build ours right here in Niagara.
Have a great weekend!
April 19th, 2015.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Where is all that Easter music this weekend?
It is Easter Sunday, the Christian holiday that celebrates Jesus' resurrection from the dead three days after his crucifixion. Easter is what is known as a moveable feast, as it is one of the few floating holidays in the calendar year, as it is based on the cycles of the moon.
Jesus we are told rose from the dead on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring, so for that reason the holiday can fall as early as March 22nd, as it did a few years ago, or as late as April 25th. Easter marks the end of the 40-day period of Lent which for many Christians is a period of alms giving and giving up something they particularly enjoy, which for me is usually chocolate.
While many are spending the day with family and/or friends and preparing to feast rather than fast now that Lent is over, I have other things on my feeble mind.
Where is all the great Easter music?
For reasons unbeknownst to me, Santa and his pals have cornered the market on seasonal sounds on the radio and in our hearts, leaving the poor Easter bunny to fend for himself on his special day. While it doesn't take long (like by September in most grocery stores) for the Christmas music to start flooding the airwaves, Easter music has just never caught on. Why is that?
Oh sure, Irving Berlin's Easter Parade with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire can take pride of place, but beyond that, what else is there? Here Comes Peter Cottontail? Give me a break. I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket? C'mon... Can you come up with anything better?
Now it could be argued we don't really need Easter music at all, and I grant you if we did and it were played to death every year like Christmas music is, we'd all get sick of it, too. But I thought about the obvious lack of seasonal music at this time of year and well, an inquisitive mind asks "Why?"
You really have to go back to the classics to really get a handle on some great music for this time of year, and that thankfully will never change. There are always great performances and recordings available of Bach's St. Matthew Passion and B Minor Mass available, for example, and sometimes even the St. John Passion. That Johann Sebastian Bach...he really knew how to rock Easter, didn't he?
I jest, of course, but seriously, you don't see the release of new recordings of Easter favourites nearly as often as yet another recording of say, White Christmas or even Panis Angelicus. That's why I was particularly pleased to see two new recordings out this month geared towards Easter celebrations that are worthy of mention here.
The first is a new recording of Bach's St. Matthew Passion with the Academy of Ancient Music with Richard Egarr directing from the harpsichord. The three-disc set is on their own label, AAM, and features an all-star roster of soloists performing the original 1727 version of the work.
The second is a new DVD by The Choir of King's College directed by Stephan Cleobury entitled Easter from King's and is the first DVD release of the regular BBC broadcast, which forms the cornerstone of the BBC's Easter programming. This recording was first broadcast in 2014 from the College's magnificent Chapel, and features seasonal hymns and readings alongside choral favourites such as Allegri's Miserere, the Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem and of course, the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's oratorio Messiah.
Both of these fine recordings are available through my website, A Web of Fine Music, at www.finemusic.ca or by emailing me directly at music@vaxxine.com, by the way.
Speaking of Handel's Messiah, why don't we ever hear the complete work at Easter rather than Christmas? Every December you find lots of performances the world over, but at Easter? Not much.
Truth is, Messiah is about Easter just as much as it is about Christmas, as the libretto clergyman and writer Christopher Jennens provided Handel was based around the birth and Passion of Christ. Handel set the work on the libretto in August, 1741, completing the score in just over three weeks.
The resulting oratorio, performed more in theatres than in churches during Handel's day, by the way, is of course divided into three parts: the first deals with the Prophecy of the Messiah and its fulfillment. The second moves from the Passion to the triumph of the Resurrection. The final part deals with the role of the Messiah in life after death.
The first performance of Messiah took place not at Christmas, but April 13th, 1742 at the New Music Hall in Dublin to huge acclaim. The following year it was triumphantly reprised at London's historic Covent Garden. And today? Always in December and rarely at Easter.
Just once I would like see a choir abandon so-called choral protocol and programme Messiah at Easter and see if they can bring in the crowds then, leaving the Christmas season open to any number of other great seasonal offerings. It is a gamble I suspect could pay off handsomely.
All of which brings us to the outside-the-box thinking of the University of Toronto, which will be observing the 50th anniversary Festival of Medieval Theatre in June of this year with a 12th-century Easter production that will be part of the Poculi Ludique Societas (PLS) at the University in June.
You don't have to wait until June or drive to Toronto to catch this musical theatre milestone, actually. There will be a special Brock preview of Visitation Sepulchre (The Visit to the Sepulchre) this coming Tuesday evening, April 7th in the Concordia Seminary Chapel at Brock beginning at 7:30pm.
There will be a pre-show talk at 7 with Dr. Brian Power, Music Director for the production, and Stage Director Virginia Reh prior to the performance that will feature Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts students.
This 12th-century Easter music-drama is an acting version transcribed and translated by W.L. Smolden from the "Fleury Playbook" and is a joint production of the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Department of Dramatic Arts and the Department of Music at Brock.
The admission charge is by donation, so you certainly can't go wrong if you have some time on Tuesday evening this week to catch a rare glimpse of Easter from Medieval times.
Now doesn't that sound like a rare treat? I thought so.
Happy Easter!
April 5th, 2015.
Jesus we are told rose from the dead on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring, so for that reason the holiday can fall as early as March 22nd, as it did a few years ago, or as late as April 25th. Easter marks the end of the 40-day period of Lent which for many Christians is a period of alms giving and giving up something they particularly enjoy, which for me is usually chocolate.
While many are spending the day with family and/or friends and preparing to feast rather than fast now that Lent is over, I have other things on my feeble mind.
Where is all the great Easter music?
For reasons unbeknownst to me, Santa and his pals have cornered the market on seasonal sounds on the radio and in our hearts, leaving the poor Easter bunny to fend for himself on his special day. While it doesn't take long (like by September in most grocery stores) for the Christmas music to start flooding the airwaves, Easter music has just never caught on. Why is that?
Oh sure, Irving Berlin's Easter Parade with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire can take pride of place, but beyond that, what else is there? Here Comes Peter Cottontail? Give me a break. I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket? C'mon... Can you come up with anything better?
Now it could be argued we don't really need Easter music at all, and I grant you if we did and it were played to death every year like Christmas music is, we'd all get sick of it, too. But I thought about the obvious lack of seasonal music at this time of year and well, an inquisitive mind asks "Why?"
You really have to go back to the classics to really get a handle on some great music for this time of year, and that thankfully will never change. There are always great performances and recordings available of Bach's St. Matthew Passion and B Minor Mass available, for example, and sometimes even the St. John Passion. That Johann Sebastian Bach...he really knew how to rock Easter, didn't he?
I jest, of course, but seriously, you don't see the release of new recordings of Easter favourites nearly as often as yet another recording of say, White Christmas or even Panis Angelicus. That's why I was particularly pleased to see two new recordings out this month geared towards Easter celebrations that are worthy of mention here.
The first is a new recording of Bach's St. Matthew Passion with the Academy of Ancient Music with Richard Egarr directing from the harpsichord. The three-disc set is on their own label, AAM, and features an all-star roster of soloists performing the original 1727 version of the work.
The second is a new DVD by The Choir of King's College directed by Stephan Cleobury entitled Easter from King's and is the first DVD release of the regular BBC broadcast, which forms the cornerstone of the BBC's Easter programming. This recording was first broadcast in 2014 from the College's magnificent Chapel, and features seasonal hymns and readings alongside choral favourites such as Allegri's Miserere, the Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem and of course, the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's oratorio Messiah.
Both of these fine recordings are available through my website, A Web of Fine Music, at www.finemusic.ca or by emailing me directly at music@vaxxine.com, by the way.
Speaking of Handel's Messiah, why don't we ever hear the complete work at Easter rather than Christmas? Every December you find lots of performances the world over, but at Easter? Not much.
Truth is, Messiah is about Easter just as much as it is about Christmas, as the libretto clergyman and writer Christopher Jennens provided Handel was based around the birth and Passion of Christ. Handel set the work on the libretto in August, 1741, completing the score in just over three weeks.
The resulting oratorio, performed more in theatres than in churches during Handel's day, by the way, is of course divided into three parts: the first deals with the Prophecy of the Messiah and its fulfillment. The second moves from the Passion to the triumph of the Resurrection. The final part deals with the role of the Messiah in life after death.
The first performance of Messiah took place not at Christmas, but April 13th, 1742 at the New Music Hall in Dublin to huge acclaim. The following year it was triumphantly reprised at London's historic Covent Garden. And today? Always in December and rarely at Easter.
Just once I would like see a choir abandon so-called choral protocol and programme Messiah at Easter and see if they can bring in the crowds then, leaving the Christmas season open to any number of other great seasonal offerings. It is a gamble I suspect could pay off handsomely.
All of which brings us to the outside-the-box thinking of the University of Toronto, which will be observing the 50th anniversary Festival of Medieval Theatre in June of this year with a 12th-century Easter production that will be part of the Poculi Ludique Societas (PLS) at the University in June.
You don't have to wait until June or drive to Toronto to catch this musical theatre milestone, actually. There will be a special Brock preview of Visitation Sepulchre (The Visit to the Sepulchre) this coming Tuesday evening, April 7th in the Concordia Seminary Chapel at Brock beginning at 7:30pm.
There will be a pre-show talk at 7 with Dr. Brian Power, Music Director for the production, and Stage Director Virginia Reh prior to the performance that will feature Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts students.
This 12th-century Easter music-drama is an acting version transcribed and translated by W.L. Smolden from the "Fleury Playbook" and is a joint production of the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Department of Dramatic Arts and the Department of Music at Brock.
The admission charge is by donation, so you certainly can't go wrong if you have some time on Tuesday evening this week to catch a rare glimpse of Easter from Medieval times.
Now doesn't that sound like a rare treat? I thought so.
Happy Easter!
April 5th, 2015.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Visiting a downtown on the move...in Thorold
Being a long-time resident and supporter of downtown St. Catharines, I have written often in this space about goings on - both good and bad - in our work-in-progress downtown. I have often written as well about the lengthy and sometimes stalled revitalization of downtown Niagara Falls. But I have not written about downtown Thorold...until today.
I had occasion to spend some time driving around after work this afternoon and decided since I had a delivery to make to my accountant, Lucy Popoli in downtown Thorold, I would get out of the car and explore a bit of the downtown core on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
I'm not a stranger to downtown Thorold, as I have enjoyed many a visit in the past for any number of reasons, ranging from the Santa Claus Parade to the old days when the Thorold Arts & Crafts Show was held on a July weekend at Battle of Beaverdams Park. I was even a visitor from year one to the annual Italian Festival until it appeared to run out of gas a few years ago.
A lot of my favourite Thorold haunts are still there: Riganelli's Bakery on Ormond Street and Clarkson Cycle at the corner of Pine and Richmond amongst them. Sadly, some of my favourites from the past are now gone: Ricky's Big Scoop on Front Street (formerly on Pine) and going way back, the old grocery store on Pine near Sullivan that was right out of another era.
But to every end there is a beginning, and change brings with it some welcome new additions and an opportunity to revisit some old friends you haven't seen in awhile. So it was on my walk along Front Street this afternoon.
I began my walking tour with a visit to the local heartbeat of downtown Thorold, Henderson's Pharmasave, still looking grand 75 years after it all began. It was great to see things were still bustling inside, as they have been almost from day one.
I was also happy to see the best hangout for a leisurely weekend breakfast, Cosmo's Diner, still going strong with their newer facade, and other mainstays such as New York Bar & Grill and Elio's Foot Comfort Centre keeping the locals happy on a Saturday afternoon.
But there are changes afoot in the downtown, I found. Next to Henderson's, for example, a big new building is well on its way to completion and I'm told it will be a walk-in clinic with apartments above.
There will also be construction across the street in the near future, I'm told, as the building housing Home Hardware is apparently coming down and a new mixed-use building there will house a newly-expanded Shannon Passero enterprise, moving over from their present location in the old firehall building.
Along a stretch on the east side of Front Street you can now find a number of nicely updated storefronts housing several new businesses and a bistro, adding some new flavours to the downtown. I stopped in to two of them today: The Pie Man of Thorold and The Honey Bee Store.
I was acquainted with Old Angus, the original Pie Man when he operated his original shop next to Clarkson Cycle some years ago. While he still supplies many of the pies for sale in the shop even today, there is a new owner and for the last year the Pie Man has actually been a woman, Jen Cottage, whom I met today. The pies look just as great as ever, and I came away with a tourtiere I plan to get better acquainted with very soon.
There are now 28 varieties of meat pies and sweet pies for sale, and space now to sit and enjoy a coffee with your selection right then and there should you choose to. You can find out more about The Pie Man by checking out their website at www.ThePieMan.ca and also check them out on Facebook.
Just a few doors down I stopped in to chat with Chris Pezoulas, the affable owner of The Honey Bee Store. The original Honey Bee store is still going strong on West Street in Port Colborne, but Chris tells me the new location in Thorold, open now since November, is doing just great, thanks. He credits the obvious revitalization underway in downtown Thorold for his decision to open a second location in the town.
Chris stocks a large selection of locally-produced natural honey, as well as Canadian maple products, loose leaf tea and much more. If you wish, you can sample many of the varieties of honey for sale in the shop. I came away with my favourite from when I visited the shop in Port Colborne: Basswood, which is particularly good. It's in short supply, though, so get it while you can.
You can find out more by visiting the website at www.thehoneybeestore.ca or check them out on Facebook.
Now I know Thorold has had a bit of a bad rap over the years for reasons either real or imagined. But I have always liked the city and always enjoyed my visits. I recall back in the late 1980s a downtown revitalization was well underway and I was impressed with the transformation back then. But things seem to stall for awhile there and the downtown appeared to be sliding backwards a little bit.
But now Thorold appears to be back on track and grabbing opportunity in a big way, and it shows with a renewed sense of pride in the downtown core. It isn't complete yet, for sure, but the signs are pointing in the right direction. I expect in a few short years the downtown could be a very trendy, fun place to be all over again.
I plan to return again soon, to revisit some old and new friends, and check out some businesses I didn't get to today, such as Gypsy Alley and a really cool looking Panini Cafe that looks particularly inviting.
Nicely done, Thorold. You should all be proud of what you're accomplishing downtown. And yes, people are noticing.
Enjoy your weekend!
March 28th, 2015.
I had occasion to spend some time driving around after work this afternoon and decided since I had a delivery to make to my accountant, Lucy Popoli in downtown Thorold, I would get out of the car and explore a bit of the downtown core on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
I'm not a stranger to downtown Thorold, as I have enjoyed many a visit in the past for any number of reasons, ranging from the Santa Claus Parade to the old days when the Thorold Arts & Crafts Show was held on a July weekend at Battle of Beaverdams Park. I was even a visitor from year one to the annual Italian Festival until it appeared to run out of gas a few years ago.
A lot of my favourite Thorold haunts are still there: Riganelli's Bakery on Ormond Street and Clarkson Cycle at the corner of Pine and Richmond amongst them. Sadly, some of my favourites from the past are now gone: Ricky's Big Scoop on Front Street (formerly on Pine) and going way back, the old grocery store on Pine near Sullivan that was right out of another era.
But to every end there is a beginning, and change brings with it some welcome new additions and an opportunity to revisit some old friends you haven't seen in awhile. So it was on my walk along Front Street this afternoon.
I began my walking tour with a visit to the local heartbeat of downtown Thorold, Henderson's Pharmasave, still looking grand 75 years after it all began. It was great to see things were still bustling inside, as they have been almost from day one.
I was also happy to see the best hangout for a leisurely weekend breakfast, Cosmo's Diner, still going strong with their newer facade, and other mainstays such as New York Bar & Grill and Elio's Foot Comfort Centre keeping the locals happy on a Saturday afternoon.
But there are changes afoot in the downtown, I found. Next to Henderson's, for example, a big new building is well on its way to completion and I'm told it will be a walk-in clinic with apartments above.
There will also be construction across the street in the near future, I'm told, as the building housing Home Hardware is apparently coming down and a new mixed-use building there will house a newly-expanded Shannon Passero enterprise, moving over from their present location in the old firehall building.
Along a stretch on the east side of Front Street you can now find a number of nicely updated storefronts housing several new businesses and a bistro, adding some new flavours to the downtown. I stopped in to two of them today: The Pie Man of Thorold and The Honey Bee Store.
I was acquainted with Old Angus, the original Pie Man when he operated his original shop next to Clarkson Cycle some years ago. While he still supplies many of the pies for sale in the shop even today, there is a new owner and for the last year the Pie Man has actually been a woman, Jen Cottage, whom I met today. The pies look just as great as ever, and I came away with a tourtiere I plan to get better acquainted with very soon.
There are now 28 varieties of meat pies and sweet pies for sale, and space now to sit and enjoy a coffee with your selection right then and there should you choose to. You can find out more about The Pie Man by checking out their website at www.ThePieMan.ca and also check them out on Facebook.
Just a few doors down I stopped in to chat with Chris Pezoulas, the affable owner of The Honey Bee Store. The original Honey Bee store is still going strong on West Street in Port Colborne, but Chris tells me the new location in Thorold, open now since November, is doing just great, thanks. He credits the obvious revitalization underway in downtown Thorold for his decision to open a second location in the town.
Chris stocks a large selection of locally-produced natural honey, as well as Canadian maple products, loose leaf tea and much more. If you wish, you can sample many of the varieties of honey for sale in the shop. I came away with my favourite from when I visited the shop in Port Colborne: Basswood, which is particularly good. It's in short supply, though, so get it while you can.
You can find out more by visiting the website at www.thehoneybeestore.ca or check them out on Facebook.
Now I know Thorold has had a bit of a bad rap over the years for reasons either real or imagined. But I have always liked the city and always enjoyed my visits. I recall back in the late 1980s a downtown revitalization was well underway and I was impressed with the transformation back then. But things seem to stall for awhile there and the downtown appeared to be sliding backwards a little bit.
But now Thorold appears to be back on track and grabbing opportunity in a big way, and it shows with a renewed sense of pride in the downtown core. It isn't complete yet, for sure, but the signs are pointing in the right direction. I expect in a few short years the downtown could be a very trendy, fun place to be all over again.
I plan to return again soon, to revisit some old and new friends, and check out some businesses I didn't get to today, such as Gypsy Alley and a really cool looking Panini Cafe that looks particularly inviting.
Nicely done, Thorold. You should all be proud of what you're accomplishing downtown. And yes, people are noticing.
Enjoy your weekend!
March 28th, 2015.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
