If the term “his own man” applies to anyone, it certainly applies to Ian Tyson Toronto in the mid-1960s was very different from what it is today. Much smaller in population and historically perceived as a primly Protestant city, it was in the early stages of shedding the image of “Toronto the good.” To paraphrase…
Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever Roadshow movies were once a thing, particularly in the 1960s. And certain characteristics defined the genre. You could reserve seats in advance; tickets were pricier than the norm; and the films were longer than usual, thus facilitating an intermission that mimicked the live theatrical experience. While it didn’t quite have live…
Bing Crosby’s Silent Night is one of the best-selling records of all time Silent Night, probably the most famous Christmas carol of all, will be over 200 years old this Christmas Eve. It was first performed at the parish church in the Austrian village of Oberndorf during midnight mass on Dec. 24, 1818. And, fittingly,…
The trio received a golden buzzer from all four judges and the host, only the second time in America’s Got Talent's history it has happened
While I don’t watch America’s Got Talent, the occasional video clip has caught my eye on social media. One that went viral on the recently-completed Season 17 involving Chapel Hart, a country music vocal group, has led to a national audience, unexpected stardom and a bright future. Chapel Hart, consisting of sisters Danica and Devynn…
The changes in attitudes over the past half-century are little short of astounding
It was 55 years ago this summer that English journalist William Rees-Mogg penned a widely read editorial for London’s Sunday Times. Borrowing from the 18th-century poet Alexander Pope, Rees-Mogg’s piece was titled Who Breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel? In it, Rees-Mogg took issue with the severity of the legal treatment meted out in consequence…
After escaping from Afghanistan, Aftikhar Mominzada feels an obligation to create opportunities for others
It was the worst case of bad timing. Aftikhar Mominzada was elated after graduating from the Aga Khan Academy in Hyderabad, India, in the spring of 2021. When he started the academy’s international baccalaureate program in middle school, it was the opportunity of a lifetime, freeing him from the parochial religious education he was likely to receive…
The month must move beyond symbolic gesture to include action, says U of A scholar
As a graduate student at Western University more than 20 years ago, Michael A. Bucknor was asked for his thoughts on Black History Month by a student journalist. His response was deliberately equivocal: “I am more than black and less than black.” The resulting profile in Western’s Gazette stirred controversy, with some wondering if Bucknor was claiming…
Neocolonialism and huge military budgets are prevalent. So is the myth that militarism means order
In our age of cancel culture, it seems odd to see an artist cancelling himself. New-wave icon Elvis Costello recently asked radio stations not to play one of the most popular original hits of his storied career, Oliver’s Army. He added that he will no longer perform the song publicly. The song contains the n-word,…
How something quite ordinary can be transformed by a specific performance
In late 1965, coming to Canada from Ireland had its revelations. My Dublin hometown may have been more architecturally distinguished, but it couldn’t match Toronto’s relative abundance of decently paying jobs. There were also things like diners – which I’d only seen in American movies – and the language esoterica pertaining to “double-double” coffees. Top…The Christmas tree is a universal symbol that delivers a message of endurance and light during the dark winter months
The traditional German song O Tannenbaum is often translated as O Christmas Tree. This translation is only partly accurate, however. The English version is quite different from the German: the essence of the German song is far more universal. One of the beauties of learning languages is discovering what words and poetry mean to those…