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The gang gets together to close the book on Discovering Downie. They share their experiences from their journey to Kingston, Toronto, and the fundraiser. Transcript:Track 2:[0:17] Hey, it's J.D. here and welcome back to Discovering Downey, an 11-part project.Track 2:[0:24] Where you're finally getting the 11th part. It's got a focus on music and poetry of Mr. Gord Downey, the late frontman of the Tragically Hip. He gave to the world an extensive solo discography on top of all of the great music we got from the Tragically Hip. Gord released five albums while he was alive and three more posthumously. Now, listen, you may think you're the biggest fan of the Tragically Hip out there. I've got three of them sitting right in front of me right now. But why is it that so few of us have experienced Gord's solo catalog? Have you really listened to these records? My friends, Craig, Justin, and Kirk, giant fans of the hip in their own right, fell into that camp. So earlier this summer, I invited them to discover Downey with me, JD as their host. Every week this summer, we got together to listen to one of Gord's records working in chronological order. We would discuss and dissect the album, the production, the lyrics, and we would break that sucker down song by song. But that's come to an end. We put it to bed on July 19th. And here we sit on August 5th.Track 2:[1:34] Gang, we fucking did it. Yeah. Yeah, we fucking did it. We did. We got stickers to prove it. Yeah. We got stickers to prove it. All over Kingston, in fact, we've got stickers to prove it. Well, tell us more about that, Justin and Kirk. We did a little vandalizing of Kingston. That was okay, right? Do not call it vandalizing. We call that- Yeah, I was bruising up. I would call that an art improvement project for Kingston. I love it. Yeah, it was good. What a, what a beautiful little city that is. Oh my God. Amazing. I just watched the video again. And I mean, I know I haven't watched it 15 times or 20 or something. I don't have an issue watching or hearing myself, but I mean, honestly, I think I've been rewatching it, you guys, just cause I can't believe it happened. Um, just like still that we have it documented that, you know, we went to one of our favorite bands cities after this whole project so i i mean it's it still hasn't sunk in for me and it's been a couple weeks.Track 2:[2:44] Well, let's start at the start. On Wednesday, the 17th of July, both Craig and Kirk set out from the West to fly into YYZ. YYZ. Oh my gosh. They're going to take my passport away now. We need to redo this Canadian quiz here. Jesus Christ, right? And Justin, this guy, jumped in his hot rod and fucking drove all the way to Kingston. How many hours was that, Jack? 10, 10-ish. Oh, just 10. Oh, man, that wasn't bad. No problem. Just 10 hours. Each way. You know, just for the day, too, right? Each way. Yeah, 10 out, 36 there, 10 back. And you beat us.Track 2:[3:29] Yeah, I did. I was there 10 minutes before you guys got there. Yeah, what was our holdup? Oh, I ended up driving all over to try and find the 407. That's what it was. This is going to save us so much time getting on the 407. So we leave, uh, Kirk and Craig and I met at a hotel near the airport and we woke up the next morning and we basically said, we're never going to talk about last night again. And then my probation officer thanks you, by the way, we met for breakfast and then Then we got in our ride and we headed out to a rest stop on the way to Kingston where we met Dean and David, who were so gracious to join us and capture all the stuff and made us, I don't know how they made you feel, but they made me feel a little bit like a celebrity, you know, walking around Kingston. And they're like, stop right here. David, you know, David would always be like, like Dean tries to capture the au naturel is how I feel. And David's always like, Jamie, back up one step. Okay, Craig, tilt your head over here. You know, like, I want this to look this way. But I'm talking way too much now. Because from that rest stop, we met up with them. And we started recording this Kingston video.Track 2:[4:48] And it wasn't until we got to Kingston a couple hours later that we met up with Justin. And I'll let somebody else carry the story on from here. Because otherwise, it's just me droning on. Craig, what, what, um, what was the drive from Toronto to Kingston? Like for you, was it, was it what you expected? Was it. Yeah, it's pretty much what I expected, except for it was a lot, there's a lot more green than I expected. Driving along Lake Ontario, anytime I could see the water, it just made me feel at home. But it was, it was a long drive, but, you know, had great company. And so that made it, made the time pass a lot faster. And I was super tired. I did a lot of the driving, but, um, I had had zero sleep. I was adjusting to the time, uh, time change. And so for me, when we met in the lobby that morning, it was like 4 AM for me. So, so I was very tired, but got through on fumes and it was, yeah, we drove out and met Justin at the Gordownie pier.Track 2:[5:54] Yeah, it was good though. Really good. And you mentioned it earlier, JD, but Dean and David are just two top-notch dudes, let alone act like full-on professionals at what they did. And they made me feel like a rock star for sure. And you go back through and you look at some of those pictures and some of the video and some of the posting and us walking through the city of Kingston and people stopping us going like, why are they filming you?Track 2:[6:24] Why are they taking pictures? you know like that that part that that was to me the part that kind of pushed everything through like this whole project like that was definitely not what i had thought was going to happen like just the thought of going to kingston was cool but like that we got the full tour and like we had some things that that fell through that were going to happen that were really cool you know the the radio stuff and whatnot but but everything we did do was well above and beyond you know anything that i expected and again here we are two weeks later and i'm watching video and i'm looking at pictures and i still don't believe it happened honestly like just it's so insane to think the level of of interaction that we had with uh with again what we've said from the beginning like just somebody a band we loved and an individual that that you know had such an impact obviously as a band, which brought us into this. But then with the solo work that we just spent a wonderful amount of time going through. And as we mentioned, I think on this first call, we're all just roaming around aimlessly like what the heck are we supposed to do now? Yeah. Yeah.Track 2:[7:40] Yeah. That, that tour of the bath house that day though, was, was the highlight for me and meeting Niles and hearing the stories about some of the instruments in there, the piano that, um, you know, Stranger was played on. And then the piano that Haunt Them was played on and a couple of little stories around that was just so cool. And to see the artwork, you know, the, some of the artwork we've seen in the albums. For the albums. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And even video too, though, right? That they just filmed part of it was in there. Yeah. Right. Right. Oh, which one? For the doc.Track 2:[8:22] Oh, well, the cover of the book he said was, um, was taken up in the loft that we got to visit. See, I didn't see the loft last time. So to me that way. Yeah. That was unreal. And that's prominent in the book too. Big time prominent in the book. Is that? Yeah. How would you know that, Kirk? How would you know about the book? Because maybe someone spent a little bit of extra money. It was a good conversion from US to Canadian. And I might have gotten a book. And I might have gotten a jersey. And I might have gotten a few other things. But it all went to a- And a tattoo. And a tattoo. Show us that on. And I got a really cool tattoo. And I think all of my funds went to great causes. So I'm very- Oh, yeah. Right. So you are probably, other than the band, probably one of the few people in the world with that book right now. We'll have to wait another couple months, but hi. Yeah, let's just give some, we'll give some context on that. One of the items we had in our silent auction, which was for people that were there only, was a advanced copy of the Tragically Hip book that is called, it's eluding me right now. What is it called? What is it called?Track 2:[9:37] Sure you've got it right there this is our life this is our life that's right yeah and um sorry i didn't and it's well worth buying it's way better than i expected i just glanced through it that night and it's not i'm super pumped to get i thought it would be you know a lot of photos and very little text but there's a ton of info in there i really oh yeah you're right craig i expected it to be a coffee table book right which is lots of pictures little subs but it is i mean this is going to be a full-on commitment to sit down and read all this. And I'm excited about getting through more than just my, you know, going through and looking at some of the pictures and whatnot, but yeah. And this is just the base level level version too. And it was packed full. I can't even imagine what the, uh, right. Expensive one looks like. It was pretty cool when I came home and I was showing the book to my family, I was showing the pictures on my phone and items that were on my phone were there in the book, you know, just front and center.Track 2:[10:36] Oh my God. And it was really just cool to just like go, like we, we, we weren't just there. We didn't just get a tour. Like we spent time and talked about it. And like, for us, I think the tour almost began when we did those interviews ahead of time. Right. When we talked to Niles and we talked with Kevin and we talked with, um, Josh and, and others, like those were the pre-tour for me. And then obviously, because we know so much about the band, we've seen footage and we've watched all the videos, but like to get that pre stuff to already have a base knowledge and then to get in there and, and it didn't feel rushed at all. And we went everywhere. I mean, like Patrick even said at the event afterwards, Oh, did you go for a dip in the pool? And he wasn't joking.Track 2:[11:24] He honestly, if we would have said, yeah, he would have said to Niles, oh, we're going to jump in the pool. It would have been no big deal. And that's the way it felt when we were there. And, um, like to go up in that rehearsal room, but just to go to the garage, to get to the rehearsal space. Like, I don't know if you guys slow walked that. I know you all did. Oh yeah. You were looking at all the, like, I'm looking over the boxes to see what's in that, that other case that's down there. And I just was like, wanted to go, Hey, now, do you mind if I just clean this place out? Like, I'm just going to clean it up. It looks a little dirty. I'm not taking anything. I just want to arrange it. It was like that big museum type thing at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. There's that big warehouse where they keep all the Ark and things. It was like that. All these treasures unfold inside there. Great analogy. Yeah. You didn't talk about the part where they opened up that one gearbox and Dean's face melted off. This is true.Track 2:[12:24] Yeah, it was, I thought it was so cool that we're like, we're walking through that garage, which is just musty and dirty. And like, we're oohing and aahing over the stuff that that's just where the crap goes. Like, that's not the room you're supposed to see. And like, that's the one that we're like, wow, look at that over there. Oh my gosh. Yeah. I was, in retrospect, kind of glad that our tour, our actual tour of Kingston fell through because I think we were able to soak up things a little bit more and enjoy them as it unfolded. It probably would have felt a little bit more rushed had we had that time commitment. Yeah, you're probably right. We got to really spend a lot of time with Niles, and he was so gracious having us there, and he didn't rush us out the door. He was like you guys good like what you know he he was a great host and oh he showed us everything and did you guys have a favorite uh moment from the from the tour.Track 2:[13:25] Of the bathhouse? Oh, it was definitely when he went to the bin at the end of the tour and got that little whatever it was. So what happened was I, I asked him, uh, my MVP track for away as mine was, or sorry for introduce yourself was, um, snowflake. And I asked him what the jangly sound was and you could see him sort of, you know, go through the Rolodex in his mind. And then I was expecting just an answer like, oh, that was a blah, blah, blah.Track 2:[13:56] But instead he runs out of the room, goes through this tickle trunk, uh, Canadian reference there. Um of uh stuff and and pulls out these bells like just like almost like toy sleigh bells and starts jangling them in his hand and just said you know it's just this and i added some reverb and it was so cool and it sounded exactly like it when i heard i was like that's so cool when we were in the kitchen and you asked the question that the i just watched his face and watched him process the question and you could see him within seconds like go through the inventory in the house and he knew exactly where it was and then he go yeah i i called it a hamper what did you call it craig a tickle trunk a tickle trunk and he like he goes to that and he's like and it's just a bunch of johnny faye's percussion stuff and he just reaches in and grabs it that that was a magical moment um watching him try and uh hook up the the speaker on the leslie the b3 the the leslie's you know in a rotating speaker. That was really cool.Track 2:[14:59] Obviously going into the, uh, the rehearsal space to me, seeing that mic, I think was probably the highlight for me out of like many highlights to see the mic that Gord used on the last hip show, you know, down to the XLR cable. And it's just a straight stand and a, and a good old SM 58 and like being an audio visual guy and knowing that he still uses that mic that's been around, you know, that brand has been here forever, like 30, 40 years, and it's still considered the industry standard. And he used that for his vocal when there's tons of other mics out there that are, you know, considered to be better, but just to see that basic level and to see that it was the last one and to be in that, that room, I think just that, that was my highlight moment for sure. Well, just imagine what's been created in that room. Right. And not just from the hip.Track 2:[15:59] I mean, having that discussion with Miles about all the different people that have been in there and recorded, you know, like, yes, the hip and gourd did some amazing, but it's not just them. Like so much magic has come out of that space. Yeah. There was a, when I was asking him that question in the kitchen right behind him was a, a half man run album with his name on it. And that's, they're one of my all time favorite bands. bands and um and he said i think july talk was coming in the following week and just yeah so many great canadian and and probably not canadian bands rolling through that place and yeah so cool i had a little bit of imposter syndrome walking through there like i don't know if this is the right place for me like i soaked it all up but it's like i don't think i should be in this room right now you know he kind of toward he well we were going through oh that was a little upstairs who's kind of shown us i was like yeah this is uncomfortable i did take a quick selfie on gorge's couch but i couldn't resist i'll never be there again and craig craig forced me to take a picture of him playing paul's guitar i asked i did ask niles to paul if you ever hear this niles said i could not permission uh i got chills when um he played the keys on that piano um from haunt them.Track 2:[17:18] Holy crap I was like yeah I gotta go outside for a second because it immediately it was like a full body experience you could feel it not just hear it but you could feel it it was a very distinct sound on that piano and you know I loved the seeing the bass drum from some marching band in Rochester New York or wherever it was from you know and seeing the books on the bookshelf like this is where these ideas came from.Track 2:[17:45] You know, that was super cool. God, it was just a really good place. I mean, I think overall, especially, you know, having, I've been to Toronto, but I haven't been to Kingston, but like not only finding stuff in the bathhouse, but just driving around, you'd see subjects to hip tunes or gourd tunes, like either titles of songs or references. Yeah. Millhaven and right by that was the Ferry to Glenora sign. Yeah. And then like the, the pictures of the, uh, just at the bath house itself, the, um, uh, oh gosh, help me out. The Jamie, you took a picture with one that not garden gnomes, but the, oh, the gargoyles. Thank you. The pictures of the gargoyles were there that you've seen in, in, you know, several of the, um, on your t-shirts shirts and hip and gourd related stuff. But that part to me is pretty cool when you see it wasn't there, but the actual unit that they did Phantom Power, the photo from was they had taken it out for the photo shoot for the box set. But, and as Craig mentioned earlier, like seeing artwork from actual albums, that parts, I get the imposter syndrome, right? Because it's, you see these things right there in front of you, the real, and they've helped create, you know, moments in your life that obviously musically have moved you beyond anything. So that part, that part is very cool too.Track 2:[19:14] Yeah, really cool. So from there, well, actually before there, I just want to touch on this really briefly. We, we did meet at the Gordani pier and these three guys all fucking jumped in. We did. Like they, they, they changed. I would have just fallen asleep. I almost, I almost didn't come back either. I was going down. I went down with my mouth open and I got half of the lake in my lungs. Oh God.Track 2:[19:43] So from there we ended up driving. No, not like that. No. I have to say though, that lake was insane and I can see why it was such a, you know, such a common thread through Gord's music like that. Like, you know, I, I grew up on a large lake, but this, this is like an ocean. It is insane. Sorry, JD. No, no, no. Uh, no, it's Lake Ontario is pretty formidable and it's not even, you know, the biggest one. No, it's the fourth, isn't it? Fourth biggest? I think so. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, so where did we go from there? We left Niles and we went and had that, that weird pizza place. Yeah. Great pizza. What, what, um, Justin, what did I make you get again?Track 2:[20:30] Oh, I got the poutine pizza. The poutine pizza. Yeah. I totally forgot. Weren't they from. And the owner was really, really cool guy. He, he had a recording studio, he said down the, down the street and he was, um, building a larger space and he was, um, they were giving out grants to allow people to record for free. Really interesting, man. Yeah. And that place was only what, three or four months old. He said the building had just been built, and he was so excited to show us his sound equipment. And play it for us, too. Whether we wanted to hear it or not. And play it for us, yeah. He cranks up Thunderstruck. That's right. And then he put on the headband. And let me tell you, for us, I love pizza, and I love poutine. They don't belong together. You heard it here, folks. It was good cold the next day. It was good.Track 2:[21:22] So then we left to that delicious lunch. lunch and we had already toured kingston a bit at that point right yeah so did we go to our we went to joe's house oh fuck we went to joe oh yeah who wants to take that one the same day that day is just the the never in a good way yeah and you guys remember sorry going back to the bathhouse like.Track 2:[21:45] You wouldn't have known it was there if someone oh yeah pulled in like it was you you couldn't tell it was insane and then just to go oh yeah not that far away over to joe's house and you see this i think i called it a hip sanctuary and i think that's like being kind but just he's spent years creating this space his garage into this hip sanctuary and i mean from floor to ceiling like that's checkerboard floors literally he's got uh he's got graphics on the the garage uh with you know, really cool, you know, an earlier shot of the hip and then, and one from the, you know, final tour, um, the, the signed jerseys, the, um, the art piece artwork of the band that he got, I think from his wife on as part of their wedding gift, just everything. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The table. It was pretty spectacular. He had the, he had the set list from the troubadour and, and, uh, a show that I'd actually gone onto and he actually had the, the, a poster for the Anaheim and LA and San Diego shows I went to as well. So just. Yeah. Really? Yeah. A story for every, every item. I guess I, I didn't know that. That's crazy. Every item had a story. You're right, Craig.Track 2:[23:01] Every item. In fact, his beer fridge too, stocked full of. I was going to say the beer was cold. Stocked full of all Trashly Hip themed and we were, um, you know, lucky enough to be able to give him some podcast Pilsner to add to his collection.Track 2:[23:16] Yeah. That's right. He had the wines, the ciders, everything was hip related. And then that really cool photo of him, because, you know, as you do, you wake up one day and you go, I'm going to run a marathon without training. Cause, cause that's what you do. And, and then you do it the next year and you go, Oh, I'm going to dress up as Gordon, carry a guitar the whole time and raise, what did he say? Like 20 grand or 10 grand. He raised a bunch of money. Yeah. Um, so it just, the guy himself was, I mean, he was a really cool individual, great story, chiropractor, fireman, you know, the story with Billy Ray and, and, um, helping him. And that's how he got that, that grace to Jersey, which was really cool.Track 2:[24:04] Um, oh, also I didn't tell you guys, but he had the copy of the, um, um, uh, secret path book there. And that I took the picture of here, here, here for my tattoo from his book. Cause I didn't have it from already and I couldn't find it on, on a Google search. So, so Joe, if you're out there, my tattoo came from the photo of your book. Nice. That's great that's awesome uh that's great and he was such a he was such a good host like he kept us laughing the whole time and you know you guys need more beer and we're like all right man, it's cool yeah it was a whirlwind day but it was a good day because from there we left joe's and we went and just sort of chilled or did we go for dinner yeah we went, We checked into the church first. Yeah, which was the church. Oh, our Airbnb was in the 18th century. The church.Track 2:[24:59] Which now has Brown. Yeah, which now has a clean apartment. Sorry. I don't even remember. Who spilled the coffee? Went for dinner. We're not going to announce it. I think it was Dave. Sorry, Dave. It wasn't us. Sorry, Dave. You owe me some money, Dave. Oh, okay. It was like 10 minutes before we left. play guitar and then we went to Tim Hortons. Tim Hortons was five seconds down the street, like five second walk. That's right. It was like two doors down the street. We walked to dinner. That place was cool. Oh, that's right. We went to that cool place. And you guys saw that dude from the hairband. The bass player. We were inside. This is a crazy story. We were part of that. It relates to the hip too. I wasn't there. I just heard the story after. So we're we stayed inside and uh just having a chat jd and i and um we it was either david or somebody else we were talking to dean somebody and um it was dave outside what's that it was dave outside with us because so we're just chatting in and i'm like yeah i'm from la and when i said i'm from la this guy walks out of the car with his wife or girlfriend or whatever and or wasn't both Thank you, folks.Track 2:[26:18] And he goes, oh, I'm from LA too. And so we just started chatting. And he ends up going, well, yeah, I'm originally from Kingston, but I moved out there when, you know, I was trying to be a rock star with his band, Anna Black.Track 2:[30:20] And they were a full-on hair metal band that did okay. And they were in L.A. and Hollywood. And he tells a story about how they were playing the Roxy and the hip were playing the whiskey. So it wasn't that famous Roxy, which I think we had mistaken when we were talking that night. So they were playing the opposite places. So Anna Black was playing the Roxy and the hip are playing the whiskey, which if you're familiar with it, it is quite literally a two blocks, a block walk from each other on the sunset strip. And so he tells the story of he's driving the car up, they're going to the gig for, you know, to do to get ready. And there's a line around the block for the other venue where they hit for play. So he was really worried that you know that there was there weren't going to be people there because every canadian in town was going to go see the hit but he said he said there was a crowd so.Track 2:[31:19] But then he went on to you know tell the story how you know when they found out they're from kingston and ended up you know talking to each other you know both in the u.s and back in kingston and you know him and uh rob ended up becoming pretty good friends he had mentioned and And yeah, and part of his, you know, part of the interview we took is, is on our Kingston video. So that was definitely look for the Kingston video. Cause it's, it's, it documents everything that we just told you. It's what is it? It's not 10 minutes long. It's eight minutes. Yeah. So it's like, if, if you've got some time and you want to watch it, it's a lot of fun. And you get to see all three of us with our shirts off.Track 2:[32:03] They could have done some like color correction. I should have mentioned right there. I know. Well, they had a whole like three hours to edit it. Yeah. Yeah. Oh my God. And that's the other thing. Like not only were Dean and Dave awesome and they were very much part of our I think they made the experience a lot better just being good dudes. But Dean worked on that video until five minutes before the event started on Friday. It was wild. We were all running around like chickens with their heads cut off. But anyway, we'll get there. Because it was like, we get to the, so basically the next day we drive.Track 2:[32:39] Uh, we drive back to Toronto and then by the time we get back to Toronto, we've got to run around. And like, I anticipated having much more time than we actually had, but it was run around, run around, run around, and then head to our, Oh, I didn't even go to the Airbnb. Two of you guys went to the Airbnb and two of us went to the venue, right? Well, we went to your house for a little while. We got, got to check out the scenery. Your view jd is insane by the way i didn't know toronto had yeah green stuff there was a lot and such a cool skyline too yeah and you can see all of it yeah yeah we got to record some of our promo videos too which was nice up there on the yeah yeah we we did a good job that day i think of we recorded a video of the program we recorded a video of the guitar recorded a video for dinner so we were we were we were doing our best to try and help support the people that were supporting us that's right and you know it was we're not gonna lie it was a small but mighty crowd like i they didn't make it they didn't make us feel like they were a small crowd by any stretch.Track 2:[33:53] Now some of you might be wondering why are we not listening to the actual episode that you recorded that night and i can tell you the answer to that we didn't record the episode that night we did the episode it was an in-person but we didn't record yeah we are the dance and baby yeah what was your experience like with the final event just for people that didn't get a chance to go um i had a blast meeting patrick i mean it was it was great hanging out with you guys but patrick is just a dude like us and he was so approachable and was like he was there for the whole night um he was drinking beers and talking and and just being a guy and and he's he's as big a fan of the hip and of Gord as we all are. And I mean, obviously he's his brother, so he's got some, some more background, but you know, he, he was cool with whatever questions we had for him on or off Mike. I mean, he, he was a superstar.Track 2:[35:10] I had so much fun getting to know him that night. Yeah. Me too. He stayed like, it was there three hours at least. Yeah. Yeah, the first thing I said, like, you know, you're welcome to leave, but we'd love to have you hang out if you want. And yeah, I chatted another good 45 minutes with him. And it was, yeah. And then I jumped up on stage with the band, which was awesome. So the Almost Hip, they did a great job. Also a big highlight. And I was lucky enough to get up for, um, they let me choose a song and I did music at work with them with Patrick, uh, standing side stage, which was pretty cool. And, uh, yeah. Yeah. The whole. Very cool.Track 2:[35:57] And listen, I want to, I hope I'm not blowing up his spot here, but, um, maybe you can edit this out if it's not appropriate. But the you know patrick wasn't he's not in love with hip cover bands as i think most most bands are not in love with cover bands sorry craig but you know he at the beginning of the night he said what are these guys called and somebody answered the almost tip and he goes i almost feel bad for them but he stuck around and by the end of it he was i mean he was bobbing his head and tapping his toe and he was enjoying the music and he was like yeah these guys are all right you know i mean I mean, he warmed up to it and he stuck around and he hung out with the fans that were there and he talked to people and was, like I said, he was totally accessible. And I'm talking about Patrick a lot, but the fans, you know, Kirk was the host that night, by the way. Kirk talked to every single person for at least 20 minutes. Or tried to. I'm sorry. And it was great. I tried. I really tried. Yeah. Yeah, but you played the role perfectly. Craig and I sort of last minute handled the auction items with, I'm sorry, I don't remember his name, J.D.Track 2:[37:19] Yeah. And he was awesome too. And he's hilarious. Um, and has a great sense of humor. He was very funny guy. Um, but he, he handled everything. And Craig and I were kind of switching back and forth between beer and water, trying to get through it. And, um, and everybody JD that you brought to help out. Um, and I, I forget most of their names, but, um, they were, they were all wonderful. And um it was all hands on deck and we all pulled in the same direction and none of it when we were yeah when we were did it all of us madly trying to get all these items up online and take photos and, put the pack just together i looked at justin i'm like this isn't phasing you at all is it and he's like yo this just this is what i do this is what with the racing this is yeah and yeah it was it was a good time it was uh a little high stress for a moment there but and then getting up on stage and interviewing Patrick in front of the crowd and like you said it wasn't a huge crowd but they were so supportive um obviously fans mostly of the you know I think most of them were fans of the podcast and big hip fans and we got to what did you have a question that that that you asked Patrick that you you know that did you want to share.Track 2:[38:48] Um, like any that you, you know, that kind of stuck out to you or surprised you. I'll, I'll go, uh, just to, I guess, really back up what Justin said. Well, we've all been saying is, you know, he showed up an hour early, took photos, you know, signed stuff, talked with everyone. Like the fact he, he was so enamored with my hip California shirt. Shirt like he must have stopped me four or five times to like look and look the you know the lyrics that were in there and he took a couple pictures with it and he was genuinely like he wasn't just messing around he genuinely dug the shirt and then um you know the other thing that i thought was cool too is he spent time with every single one of the guys in the almost hip like he took pictures with them talked to him he treated them with the utmost respect and i just so dug that because he could have easily, he could have easily been a star and stayed in the corner that night and not done anything, but he totally opened himself up, not just that night, but all the stuff that he helped, you know, getting with the different items that we got in, like, sorry, I'm going to, I want to answer your question, Craig, but I'm going to put on my producer hat and say, I'm bummed that we didn't get more people because that event was an amazing event. You got more than your money's worth walking in the door, getting the interaction with everyone.Track 2:[40:14] I mean, just getting interaction and accessibility to the auction items. I, I mean, we could spend an hour talking about the different items we got from, you know, the hat, the guitar, the Oxford pennant that day, that day had donated stuff and, um, just all the people that, that stepped up for that. But Patrick was able to, to get a couple of really cool things as well. Um, and then him coming out on stage and I think him talking about, um, like playing on his brother's album, I really appreciated kind of that effort and especially the part. And, and I might be taking Craig's moment and I apologize, but him really understanding how much effort it takes to be a singer. Um, and I'll say that as a singer and the amount of work that you go into prep your voice and, and he really, he just thought it was, oh, you just go in and sing a little bit, but there's, there's a lot more to it. And I think he articulated that extremely well. So I really appreciated that. But again, I just want to say overall JD, that event was phenomenal and people missed out if they didn't go. I mean, um, the band was spot on the, the staff there at the rec room were great.Track 2:[41:35] Oh my God, hold on. I have to interrupt you. Security guard. Yes. It was her first night. It was her first night working there. And she's a huge fan, was raised on the hip by her parents. She was, I don't know, mid to late 20s and had no idea this was happening. And she got to meet Patrick and he took the time and talked to her and took selfies and all this. And she was just like, what the fuck is happening to my life right now? It's all downhill from now. It was such a great moment. Yeah she was just oh my dad's gonna be losing his mind yeah and yeah but there were people that were out in the rec room like having dinner or playing arcade games or whatever and they heard a band they didn't know what was going on they came over and they were interested and i think i think you're right bidding on items too um because they were they were genuinely like what the hell is happening right now and then they became very interested very if you're out there and you're listening and you've got an answer to how do you crack the nut of getting people to come out to your events, send me an email.Track 2:[42:37] DiscoveringDowny at gmail.com. Because I just can't figure out that part. I feel like we nailed everything else. Is it the Toronto thing? I had to wonder that. Well, I don't know. We were up against a baseball game in an IndyCar race. And we are a very niche podcast. podcast this is you know there was a reason why i guess there's not a reason but it's called discovering downey because none of us had ever heard of it you know and you know so i wouldn't i i thought that the crowd that showed up they were there for the right reasons and they enjoyed the hell out of the night and who cares about the numbers and i think patrick even said so on an email said we still raised a good amount of money though how many people were there would have been nice to double that but it was sure nice to not only hit our goal but get a little past it Yeah. JD.Track 2:[43:32] I think that you should stand a little taller than you have been about this whole thing because it's been pretty fucking awesome. And especially being there in the event and seeing everything after it. Meeting your friends and family also says a lot about you, JD, and they're top-notch people. And obviously you guys get along because you're all really good people and you made you know, at least this American feel completely at home and, um, just, uh, really, really enjoyed getting to know all of them and hanging out. Um, yeah, it was, it was fantastic.Track 2:[44:08] And we're all friends because of thanks you know and a a married couple yes spent their honeymoon with us right they drove across the goddamn continent to smack down in the middle of american st louis right almost dead that was so cool yeah that was so cool yeah that people were great um that that was to me and you mentioned justin it was really important because there were word people that drove and flew in from all over the place and a bunch of cool well you got well yeah christ but the fact that you guys all made the trip like that's a big fucking deal don't let that you know just slide away but we we were i think paid back in spades with the experience that we had i mean all all of it out the window just to become friends with you guys has been been great right justin you said that like jdu facilitated that but to go on this experience as hip fans was absolutely phenomenal but to go out there to to fly and get to visit kingston and get to go to the places that we went to and then to be a part of that event that i mean yeah something we'll never forget so it yeah it was yeah it was spectacular it really was and, And then, of course, for me, the next day, it just was...Track 2:[45:33] Put you know i got to walk on the danforth finally got to walk down the danforth and then i got to go into the black pearl tattoo and get you know my my mvp tattooed in which i had planned earlier but to actually have it done there i was just going to go to whatever tattoo place i could go to and to get like we walked in and we had just they just had a cancellation and had that not happened it wouldn't have all came to fruition and kirk do you remember we were even going to go to a different place and i was like oh fuck we walked around the block we missed the black pearl so we had to we went backwards that's right that's right and had we not done that yeah yeah that was pretty special i think the whole thing was pretty special guys and i really want to thank you but before we wrap it up we did do something at the event that uh i would like to reveal on the podcast as well and that was kirk you just mentioned the m mvp tracks the most valuable of your most valuable playable tracks. Kirk, you revealed that yours is... Here, here, and here. That's right, and it's on his arm. Craig, what was yours? Mine was Steeplechase. And yeah, go back and listen to the episode if you want to hear my reasons, but just, I couldn't get away from that song. It's just too good. Yeah, it's great.Track 2:[47:01] All right and uh craig anything else to say about that no i think you've summed it up and you also nailed it by saying go back and listen to the episode, a part of me really wanted to pick um hell breaks loose just because it was just in my head at the time that was like my current favorite song that's become my favorite but i think um yeah steeplechase is pretty hard to beat, Justin, how about you, buddy? Mine ended up being Don't Let This Touch You. It's for a lot of different reasons. But I will say my original pick before I knew that we had to pick from our MVPs was Steeplechase. Mine had changed to Steeplechase, but that wasn't on my original MVP list. I had 11th Threat on that album, which is still ranked highly for me. He was trying to bend the rules, folks. I didn't know the rules. And I wouldn't let him. I wouldn't let him. I had to come down hard. Stern but fair. That's right. Yeah.Track 2:[48:05] So, guys, this has been an incredible journey. And I'm really grateful. You know, Justin, I knew you tangentially, you know, through your donation last year and your emails.Track 2:[48:21] You know, Craig, I knew you from coming to the event. Kirk, you were a wild card, though. you were a wild card and you still kind of is that guy still kind of is it turned out to be a-okay yeah kirk was the last minute addition too it was originally me and justin right and then, jd's like do you mind if i bring in one guy one more guy i think he'd be be great hopefully we're glad you did i kept it interesting oh yeah yeah yeah there were a lot of people that wanted to do it too so it worked out really nice yeah um tremendous journey folks go back and listen to the Gordani solo records, enjoy them parse them, You know, but this is what we've got. What is out there is what we've got. Unless there's, you know, more to come. There was just, I can talk about this now, but when I went for drinks with Patrick Downey before our event, just to sort of get to know him a little bit. And he told me something that was just revealed officially last week on creative control, the podcast, uh, done out of Edmonton by Vish, uh, Kana, um, and creative control. They had, um, oh my gosh, what's his name from the Sadie's? Why can't I think of his name right now? Uh, Travis. Travis. Travis. Yeah. Travis. Yep. And he, uh, and he, um.Track 2:[49:50] Confirmed what patrick had told me that i couldn't say before but there's like five or six, songs that they left off the record that are out there it's 80s songs can't wait it's so interesting that they're doing a reissue of and um that record and the conquering sun, but they didn't include those extra tracks i was i was really blown away by that are we gonna get get to see them like where you know like if if you don't include them on that reissue when are you, i don't know i'm sure they have a plan i'm sure they have a plan but guys it's been just so fun and we'll have to uh keep um some sort of uh book club type, atmosphere going with the four of us that we can get together and talk about things maybe when the up to here box that comes out oh yeah um you guys i definitely look to have you on the next podcast i'm working on which is the tragically hip top 40 countdown which begins january 6th and runs through uh middle of october and the finale will be a fall finale this time it will be in october on the 26th so there's that 2025 correct 2025 okay.Track 2:[51:15] You're making me happy because that's after racing season right, so we'll see if that changes things at all uh in terms of getting people out who knows like uh whoever it was who said a minute ago who fucking who fucking cares the people that were there had a great time we got some good feedback um i had a great time you guys had a great time Patrick had a great time. The band had a great time. What more can you ask, right? We made 5,500 bucks. That's awesome. Like just shy of $5,500. That's nothing to shake a stick at, you know? We also got to get pretty close to some music that we were already close to and didn't really know was out there. So that's definitely worth the price of admission. And the rest of the world needs to listen to it. They do. I'll go around the table one more time. Oh, sorry. Oh, sorry. Just a quick, uh, shout out to the fans too. Like getting emails from, from some of you about your experience with the, with the podcast and going back. And we heard a lot of stories about people like us who, who were discovering this catalog along with us. And so to hear from you was, was really awesome. Yeah. And we're still hearing from you, which is great. Yeah. Stay active on the socials, you guys, we're going to be so. Oh, we should also announce, uh, we, we hit a milestone, uh, recently. Oh yeah, go ahead and that's it, Kirk or Craig.Track 2:[52:40] We officially on Apple podcasts hit 10,000 downloads a couple of days ago. So. Awesome. Pretty pumped for that. Yeah. It's fucking great. That means people like us. They really do. They like us. Well, they may not like us, but they've heard us. This is true. Well, I don't know. The two people that. Hey, it's five star rating. A lot of people reviewed or a lot of people rated, but we also got two actual reviews as well. And they were both very positive. So I feel like if you take the time to write a review, you know, um, you're either pretty pleasantly surprised or you're angry, you know, that's usually the two, the two things. Anyway, I've got a pretty hard stop, but what I want to do really quick before we be at a due is I just want to go around the table one more time for, you know, final thoughts, buttoning this up, uh, obviously as concisely as you can. But, uh, if there's, you know, anything else you want to share or say or do, um, this is a good opportunity for you to do that. Kirk, do you want to start? I'll jump right in. And again, just thank you guys for being a part of this journey for the last, uh, what feels like six years.Track 2:[53:52] Um, I think it was six months. It felt, uh, also like six weeks in certain cases, but it was great. Get to know you guys especially um you know with the the depth and knowledge that you guys have on the hip catalog and the lyrics and everything it was impressive to um who i thought i was a pretty big fan to you know really really see that that knowledge um jd thanks for having us um and for the experience that we just talked about on this episode but i said it and i'll just keep saying it Like this music is amazing. Y'all, you really need to give it the chance. I know there's a lot of hip lovers out there that didn't quite give Downey Gord Downey solo stuff. It'll grow. You'll enjoy it. You'll learn to love it. Use our podcast to help you with some guiding, you know, if you have questions, but you got it, you got to get into this music. It's great stuff. Thanks, man.Track 2:[54:54] Well, it was just a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. It was amazing. I talked from the start about how this music had been sitting with me in this very room, these unopened CDs, and I knew I needed to listen to them, but I just couldn't bring myself to it. And sometimes just finding the time even to listen to new music can be difficult. So this gave me a perfect opportunity to do that. And, you know, the event meeting Patrick, you know, it was just the crowd being a bit smaller actually made it better for me. I enjoyed myself more, I think, than if it would have been like a packed club. And, you know, we really did get to circulate and talk to people and take photos and just have a great time. And, and, and honestly, the highlight was probably just getting to know you guys and talk about this music. It's, I don't get to talk about music very often, even though it's a big part of my life. Um, there's not a lot of people who actually want to talk about, you know, lyrics and break things down like, like we have. So it's just been a blast. Thanks, man.Track 2:[56:09] Justin. Justin? So I just noticed that right there, my wife put an empty can of podcast Pilsner on the shelf right above my desk. I love it. I'm just seeing it right now. And that's like kind of my favorite part of the whole thing was actually when we were in the basement of a church and we were all pretty much hammered. We'd had a good dinner. we were exhausted and we were sitting around playing guitars and singing songs. All right. The six of us. And it's, and I'm, I'm including Dean and Dave. Um, cause they were, like I said, they were absolutely made this thing better in every way. And, um, just the odds of all that coming together. Um, the event was great. Don't get me wrong. And the tour and the, you know, meeting Niles and the whole thing that was great, but sitting together, the, the six of us who didn't know each other at the beginning of the day was pretty fucking special.Track 2:[57:11] And we're all a bunch of nerds and we all have the same interests. And, and I think, I mean, we're going to be friends forever, right? Like this is, this is a much bigger than, than what it was intended to be. So I'm, I'm just thankful for the experience and for JD reaching out, you know, it's, this has been a lot of fun.Track 2:[57:33] And continues to be. It's been so much fun for me too, guys. Like truly, truly, you know, these things are a lot of work, both the fundraiser and, and, you know, promoting the podcast and editing the podcast and doing research and, you know, writing the little mini essays and, you know, that stuff. But I didn't feel any of it, this, you know, with this project, it was, it was an, it was a breeze. stories. Uh, it, it was delightful, you know, it was just a lot of fun. You guys, you guys really brought it. So that was really great. So that's what I have to say. And I, you know, I just thank you so much for bringing everything you had into this project and making it what it was. I'm really proud of this. This is something I'm going to, uh, you know, definitely point out to people when they ask what I do. Um, it's a, it's a great example. of what I try to do, you know, and, uh, take things I'm passionate about and get people who are equally passionate and try to get other people passionate. And, uh, I think that's what we did. So there's that.Track 2:[58:42] That's what we've got for you this week, man. And that's a wrap on episode 11, of Discovering Downy, an 11-part podcast.Track 2:[58:55] Pick up your shit!

Welcome back to another episode of "Beats Vines & Life," where we dive into the worlds of food, wine, music, and more. I'm your host, MJ Towler, and today we have a special treat for all you wine enthusiasts out there. Joining us is Edward Miller, the talented winemaker behind Glenora Wine Cellars, one of the oldest wineries on Seneca Lake in the picturesque Finger Lakes region.Edward brings a wealth of experience, having worked in renowned wine regions like Sonoma, Napa, New Zealand, and Western Australia before settling in the Finger Lakes. In this episode, we explore the diverse range of wines produced at Glenora, from dry viniferous and sweet native varieties to innovative low-alcohol fruit wines. We also delve into the importance of sustainability in winemaking and the renaissance of hybrid grapes, which are making a comeback in a more elevated style.Edward shares fascinating stories about his journey into the wine industry, including his studies in classical history and Latin, his transformative expat experience in Italy, and his dedication to cool climate wines that are lively and delicate. We'll also hear about some memorable bottles he's encountered, like Nebbiolos from Italy and Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, and discuss the unique challenges and joys of making wine in the Finger Lakes.And there's more! Glenora offers a complete immersive experience with an inn, restaurant, tasting room, winery, and a sparkling wine program. You won't want to miss Edward's insights on aging wines and a special 1981 Blanc de Blanc from their library.Grab your favorite glass of wine, sit back, and join us for an enriching conversation that bridges the gap between tradition and innovation in the world of winemaking. Don't forget to subscribe and check out Glenora Wine Cellars' website and social media to plan your visit. Cheers!---A Massive THANK YOU to EDWARD MILLER!!! For more information about Glenora Wine Cellars click the link!Follow Glenora Wine on IG!____________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophers, deep thinkers, and wine drinkers! Subscribe and give Beats Vines and Life a five-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show, sign up at blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguyFollow Beats Vines and Life @beatsvinesandlifeThank you to our sponsor, Finger Lakes Wine Country. The following episodes are brought to you by Finger Lakes Wine Country, New York State's world-class wine destination producing the most award-winning wines in the Northeast, just a short drive away.For more information about Finger Lakes Wine Country click the link Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the pod, the gang settles in to the project and describes their experience with Gord's 3rd solo release, The Grand Bounce.Transcript:Track 1:[0:01] Hey, it's Justin. You know and love us on the Discovering Downey podcast, right? So come hang out with us in person for the finale. Join us for Long Slice Brewing Presents, a celebration of Gord Downey at The Rec Room in downtown Toronto on Friday, July 19th. Craig is coming from Vancouver. Kirk is coming from LA. I'm driving from Vermont. And JD is like walking down the street or wherever he lives in Toronto. Tickets are available now on our website at discovererndowney.com. And when you get your tickets, that means you can come hang out with us and our very special guest, Patrick Downey. And you can bid on some incredibly cool silent auction items, all while jamming along with tragically hip cover band The Almost Hip. And most importantly, helping us raise money for the Gord Downey Fund for Brain Cancer Research. Crack open a long slice, put on some Gord tunes, take a journey with us on Discovering Downey, and then crack open another long slice on July 19th and hang out with us in the 6th. I always wanted to sound cool and say that. For more information, follow us on all the socials and visit DiscoveringDowny.com. Cheers.Track 2:[1:23] Thanksgiving. Victims and their victim-ears sit down to Turkey hungry for punishment full of mercury fullimate, serene after the screaming. Grace makes the mouth make shapes it's never made before. We give thanks for the poetry we read and write all day. For freeing us to drink with impunity a toast to no punishment replaces Amen. The prayer is swallowed away for the silence and the quiet carving serene after the was screaming, a little violent, but turkey nevertheless.Track 1:[2:08] Welcome, music lovers. Long Slice Brewery presents Discovering Downey.Track 2:[2:16] Hey, it's J.D. here and welcome back to Discovering Downey. This is an 11-part opus with a focus on Mr. Gord Downey, the late frontman of the Tragically Hip, but somebody who also gave to the world an extensive solo discography. Eight records in total. But have you heard them? That was what I sought out when I enlisted my friends Craig, Justin, and Kirk to discover Downey. These three are giant Tragically Hip fans, but they had little to no exposure with Gord's solo oeuvre. So every week, we get together and listen to one of the records in chronological order and see what we think. Did we miss out? Or did we make the right choice? We're going to find out on Discovering Downey. This week, we're going to dive into Gord's third solo release. This, with The Country of Miracles, it is the grand bounce. Now let's go to the team.Track 1:[3:27] Justin St. Louis, how are you doing this week? Week i'm worn out man and uh i'm ready for this thing to to take over my life tonight and just be back in the normal and enjoy the music and enjoy talking about it with you guys love it yeah kirk where are you headed off to next yeah actually heading off to the big apple nyc i'm uh going to be chaperoning my uh my youngest and they're going to be performing at carnegie so very proud pops Pops. And, uh, we just got back from a really cool trip in Memphis and Nashville and they did really, you know, they did fantastic there. So I've been surrounded by music and, um, that's inspired me, but I'm gonna, you know, concur with Justin and say, I'm definitely looking forward to a discussion about this album. I mean, uh, it's been a pretty cool journey so far, but this, I think this is gonna, this album is going to spark a pretty good conversation in my opinion. So, but doing well and looking forward to traveling again. It'll be interesting for sure. Craig, how are things on the left coast, motherfucker?Track 1:[4:36] Not too bad. Just got back from a family trip to Disneyland that was six years in the making. We tried it, you know, in 2020 and it didn't work out. And so we finally made it down with the kids and spent a few days in LA at the end of the trip and was lucky enough to have Kirk from Chino drive all the way out to LAX and we hooked up for.Track 1:[4:59] Little conversation and yeah, it was cool. It was a good time. Yeah. So first time meeting in person, which was a great night. It was really cool. Yep. No, it worked out actually great. I just got back from that trip with a choir that I'd mentioned and then, uh, hadn't seen my mom in a bit and she was actually staying, um, uh, doing some pet sitting at a house in garden Grove that had some good memories. So it kind of was a half, half the distance to LAX. So it worked out perfect to go and meet you and and i appreciated uh appreciated you giving up some time from your family for a little bit to have a good conversation so and i know it'll carry over tonight well this week on discovering downey we're here to discuss and dissect the june 2010 released from gord and his band the country of miracles consisting of the usual suspects canadian musicians oh.Track 2:[5:48] Man i'm gonna butcher this julie duaron right is that right yeah so she's on vocals guitar and bass then there is gourd's frequent collaborator josh finlayson.Track 1:[6:02] Dale morningstar on lead guitar dave clark on drums and dr p on keyboards chris walla a former member of death cab for cutie turned the knobs on this release but where do you start with the grand bounce it's been seven years and three albums since Gord's last outing, and The Country of Miracles sounds as though they've been chomping at the bit to jam with Gord yet again. This album, to me, is a band album as much as it is a Gord solo affair. As a result, it sounds more cohesive than the previous two releases. While it rarely reaches the heights of Battle of the Nudes, it is a remarkably consistent effort. It's worth noting that the songs on The Grand Bounce seem more structured and maybe even more thought out as three to four minute rock songs that are reminiscent of Gord's day job, The Tragically Hip. There's an energy on this record that's palpable. Perhaps it's the shorthand of working with the same band for three consecutive records?Track 2:[6:58] I'm not sure, but it's there. Now, once we get into the songs on this 50 minute, 13 song opus.Track 1:[7:06] It's tough not to get caught up in the sonic presence that Walla brings to the table. There's a depth to the maturity, And I'll use the term again, a cohesiveness that wasn't as pronounced on the prior two efforts. While the grand bounce is a perfectly fine listen, it's only after letting it grow on you. For me, it sat growing on me since I did the fully and completely podcast. And that to me is when it shows its real prowess, creating earworms and hooks that reel you in and invite you over for dinner just to hang out with the music.Track 1:[7:40] But what do our friends Craig, Justin, and Kirk have to say about the Grand Bounce? Let's not waste any more time and get right to them. Kirk from Chino, talk to me about your first experience with the Grand Bounce. Yeah, well, after we had finished up talking about Battle of the Nudes, I had had some travel for work, and then I was getting some other stuff ready for a very busy week. So I didn't get to jump on to a listen right away. I mean, it was a number of days. But I was doing a walk at night and, you know, cool walk with the dog and had it in my AirPods. And just right away, I was really taken by it. I really felt the maturity of it, you know, very reminiscent of what you had mentioned, JD, in your lead up to, you know, the discussion about the album is it just had a maturity to it. The band, it felt like a band album, exactly what you said. and I, as much as I loved the first two albums, I just felt a comfort. Like the whole time I've listened to this album, which is, I don't know, maybe 15, 20 times at this point, it just, it's a warm blanket to me. It's like, it now is okay.Track 1:[8:57] It's okay, I can like Gord Downie as a solo artist. You know, I just had a great experience with it. I really, really loved it. I could spend a lot of time talking, but I want to hear what the other guys have to say about it. Well, Craig, what do you think? Yeah, this was really a grower for me. I wasn't sure when I first put this on. I didn't think I would like it as much as I do. And overall, I really love this album. I have maybe a couple of critiques, which we'll get to later. Later but my my journey with this album actually goes back to 2015 when you may remember jd that we had a bunch of target stores open in canada in whenever 2010 maybe and they only lasted about four or five years and they went went under and when they were closing down they had cds on sale for five dollars you can get any it could get any cd and i happened upon the grand balance and And actually the next album we'll be doing next week and pick those both up for five bucks. And they sat on open for many years and I just opened them for this podcast. So I I'm lucky enough to have an actual podcast.Track 1:[10:05] Physical copy and the liner notes that came in them so i may be able to offer a few little nuggets um one i would just want to mention off the top chris walla is actually mentioned as a member when it says the country of miracles are and it lists all the members plus him so i believe he was playing guitar on wow much of the album wow very cool some of those videos he was playing so that i'm not surprised by that and i love that thank you for sharing because this is actually the only album that I couldn't get. I tried to get vinyl of everything, but I don't have a CD. So everything has been streaming or online.Track 1:[10:41] And I watched several videos with interviews and he talked specifically about the inlet, the vocal or the lyrics. And you just showed a picture of it, Craig, and it's not the standard sizing that you normally get. So I appreciate you sharing that. That was pretty cool. And I think also what I learned with this album is again, just to trust Trust, you know, Gord, you know, you may not like it right away, but give this album a good listen if you haven't before. It took longer to grow on me than the other two, but highly recommended. Yeah i think a good strategy with this record is to listen the fuck out of it for like two or three days and then put it on the shelf for a week and then pick it up and there's something like kirk was saying that's comforting about it you come back to it and you're like whoa this is really fucking way more hooky than i imagined when i first listened to it but let's uh talk to our friend mr st louis what do you say on the matter of discovering downey v the grand bounce So I also had the word warmth written down, and I did take your strategy, JD, of I listened to it probably 10 times. I started immediately after recording our last episode, which is how I had done the previous. I was like, okay, this is not Battle of the Nudes.Track 1:[12:04] And I immediately heard what I thought was Bob rock sound. But then I realized this isn't Bob rock sound and neither were those other two albums. This is the era that Gord was in with the hip and all of the Bob rock haters probably owe him an apology because this is the type of stuff that Gord was writing at that time. And so it did feel familiar and it did feel comforting and it did feel warm and I liked it. I also, you know, during this time, um, when the album came out i was listening to kings of leon and mumford and sons and stuff like that and there's a lot of that in this in this sound and i you know i was a uh death cab for cutie fan at the time and you know postal service and all that stuff i mean so it was very contemporary for for when it came out and it felt like it belonged in that 2010 range but.Track 1:[12:58] For me, it was a big letdown after Battle of the Nudes, because that album was so damn good. And because we didn't have seven years between recording these episodes for our musical tastes to change, it was like, whoa, this is a massive shift from what we had just digested into this new album. I don't hate it, but I don't think I love it.Track 1:[13:20] Wow. Yeah. I don't see it as such a massive shift. It's going to be interesting as we get into the track by track. Should we do that now, gentlemen? Let's go for it. Let's do it. Okay, the first track on the record is a great one for me in the sense that winter has ended. But when I think about winter, I think about that. I think about Gord standing on the edge of Riverdale Park and having somebody discuss this east wind with him, this strong east wind that blows in and is very cold. And we're going to hear from Craig first on this one. So, Craig, what do you think of the east wind? This is the one song off the album I was familiar with. I had seen maybe a video, I'd heard it quite a few times, and I love it. I think it's a great opener. I want to point something out really quickly that you guys wouldn't necessarily know without the liner notes, but there are Roman numerals, one through four, throughout the album. And at first I thought maybe it was to do with the record I thought maybe the four-sided record which it is, I looked it up but the.Track 1:[14:29] There's three songs per side on the records, and it doesn't quite jive with the numbers in the booklet. So what I think is, I've come up with a little story around, this isn't a concept album by any means, but it's definitely got a story to it. And so I've actually listed what I think the story is about, and I think section one is about a move. And so you've probably done the research too and and gourd at the time was moving up to glenora on the um on the great one of the great lakes so this this first section i think all the songs kind of relate to moving uh the east wind maybe not as much but also interestingly enough the east wind is the only song that doesn't have lyrics printed out in the booklet and i'm not really sure why that would be what yeah so there's a quote at the top it does say the the quote about the east wind is the laziest wind, but right under that is track two. And if you saw some of the video research or YouTube, he talked about it was a neighbor who was a farmer who was describing the east wind, the laziest wind.Track 1:[15:40] So I found that very interesting, Craig, when you proposed the theory of the story. Because I could think to several of the different interviews and different discussions about different songs and how he's definitely pinpointing some real life things that are happening. Like you mentioned the move and, and, uh, obviously some discussions about relationships and, and then he's got his kids involved in some of these songs too. So you may be onto something, my friend. Another theory theory I have is that maybe this song is meant to be like a little bit of an introduction sort of before the story starts. And maybe that's why it didn't have the lyrics in here or maybe it's a misprint who knows, but the song itself musically is, is great. Uh, very much a band jamming again, like we're used to from the previous two albums, but just more layering, more production.Track 1:[16:30] I really love how the guitars are layered. From my count, there's five guitar players on this track, including one who I couldn't find any mention of anywhere on the internet. Someone named Edgar Lewis played guitar, and I believe he plays the guitar at the end, the little guitar melody, the sort of New Order style melody at the end. I couldn't find anything about who he might be. The name Edgar, of course, made me think of Gord's middle name. So not sure if there's a connection there. But yeah, I could not track this person down online. Anybody out there knows who Edgar, what his name is? I apologize. What's his name again? Edgar Lewis or Louie.Track 1:[17:10] Edgar Louie. If you know who Edgar Louie is, shoot us an email at discoveringdowneyatgmail.com. I wonder if he's an acquaintance of Chris Swala. Possibly. Although they did record in Kingston, so it would have been quite the trip for one little guitar melody. But yeah, maybe he was someone working in the studio. Maybe he's a friend of the band or who knows. But yeah, the Chris Walla production is very noticeable on this song. The way things are, you know, I think Gord even mentions in an interview, he just keeps layering things every few bars and very evident. The drums are a good example of this in the song. They come in kind of lightly, but they're still pretty intense. And then the toms come in, and you've got that really almost tribal beat for the first few bars once the whole band kicks in. And then you get just sort of a regular beat. But it's always driving forward. There's always momentum with the drums. It's always picking up momentum right through the end of the song and really strong playing all together. Such a solid song. I think the second part of that build, when I first heard it, was like, oh, this is sort of like maybe some of the tone that was on Battle of the Newts, where it was kind of subdued and subdued.Track 1:[18:31] Just there. And then there's this massive sound, which really works. I do love the song a lot. And I believe you that there's five guitars in it. Um, cause if you have earbuds in and turn it up, you, you feel it. Yeah. And while the chords are quite simple, when you really listen, there's actually a lot going on, even with Gord's guitar. And I feel like on this album, he has matured as a player. You can tell, you know, he's got another seven years of experience and we never did really talk about on the previous episodes his guitar playing but when he first started playing guitar in the hip it was a bizarre thing to watch his strumming patterns it was so awkward to watch him as a guitar player and i'm not even sure he was really too much in the mix back in the early days but he has grown so much as a guitar player he's playing a lot in open tunings i believe i've read that open c was his favorite so i think a lot of the songs on this album or an open C. I noticed in the videos he was playing a Tele for much of this session rather than acoustic.Track 1:[19:33] And yeah, there is a lot of subtleties to the guitar playing, even though it's basically two chords through the whole song. I was going to mention, Craig, and we've all obviously did our research and saw the YouTube, but the bathhouse sessions when they were recording. And, and I'm honestly, it's like, it's a question to this group. They, they were all isolated, but they were all playing live. And you had mentioned how much he was playing guitar. And in the, that little six part series, I loved how Gord was so committed to playing guitar, as you had mentioned. Like there was typically when you're recording an album like you want to do the the vocal and the guitar separately and he was nope i'm going to do it together because the guitar strumming was creating some of the cadence of the vocals and and i loved how or i felt like that was demonstrated there so i think that's a great point that you brought up craig that he was really focused on that playing yeah that makes this album easier to sing to we had mentioned whether i don't remember if it was on air or off air, but we had all had trouble singing along with the first two albums. And this one is much more poppy and rhythm driven. And I think you're absolutely right, Kirk, that him playing the guitar as he sings and it's in every take really kind of made that happen. I also did notice if you, it's really low in the mix, but when this track first starts, somebody says, no more takes.Track 1:[21:01] Like, we have to do it this time, you know? I really, I picked up on that and I enjoyed it, especially after watching that six part series. I'm gonna jump on your story theme, Craig, and Moon Over Glenora.Track 1:[21:14] The next song on the album.Track 1:[24:18] I absolutely love this song right and he talks about the ferry ride and that really goes along when you think of the east wind and being off the lake and then now talking about the ferry, uh justin what'd you think about this song oh man this song solidified my crush on julie this is, such a great track and the duet through every word and then the live performances of this song that i I was able to find on the, on the hips now for plan a record, there's one lyric that's, we don't want to do it. We want to be it talking about the music and they are absolutely the music while they're playing the song. And it's just a lot of fun. And it's like a, it's like going to a club show, which it probably was. I really did love the song. And for me, the ferry ride across Lake Champlain is just a part of life here when you're going over to New York and it just, just talking about the spotlight, finding the ice in the water. I've been on that ferry and the song is really, I think, about two people falling in love, not knowing that they're falling in love. And they're kind of bickering and arguing about it. And they get outside in the ferry and it's cold and it's terrible and you got to stay warm, so let's complain about something.Track 1:[25:29] And they talk about the wolf and they've killed the wolf by the end of the ferry ride. You know um it's the the imagery is really cool and the dead lake right isn't that the last the ocean is dead the ocean is dead yeah yeah it's a great little song i really do love it but i think the star is julie and this really she's fantastic yeah i uh story-wise i actually had almost the opposite thought to me it was maybe um a couple falling out of love and maybe this is the the cracks are starting to show. Like maybe it's not totally fractured yet. And again, I'm not saying that this is about Gord or, you know, I don't know too much about his personal life, but I do know parts of this are inspired obviously by true events, you know, the move to Glenora. Did anyone watch the interview with Gord with Kim Mitchell? If you guys even know who that is? Yeah, I did. Do you know who he is?Track 1:[26:26] Well i had to look it up i didn't know who he was immediately and i got confused because it was that little two-part interview and he had mentioned something about being and i think like saint paul minnesota and it threw me off because it said toronto but then in the second part they they confirmed they were talking in toronto um the one thing sorry and i hopefully i don't derail your thought but the one thing that i loved on that particular interview is the reverence that gordon had for that particular guy so i definitely had to look him up you know to see the songs that he was involved with and and he was uh you know as he mentioned in that he's a hero so sorry go ahead i just wanted to bring him up because he's a you know a classic canadian artist i'm wearing my my cancon shirt here and uh he was definitely a a big part of you know the music scene here in in the 80s and 90s i guess i brought it up because um this was a song that he mentioned really loving that you know kim really loved it also i found it really interesting I'd never heard this before, but Gord references a song that the two of them wrote together.Track 1:[27:29] And by the sounds of it, it's a song that was never released. So it sounds like Kim Mitchell had a song he wrote and then Gord wrote the words too. And so there may be an unreleased song out there, or maybe if a listener's heard this or has any idea how to track this down, I'd love to hear it. So that was my only thing I wanted to add. Oh, and also Dale does some really really cool guitar, little shots on, on this sort of beat two and four. And then he does these little muted scrub scrubs. I'm not even sure how to.Track 1:[27:58] How to put in words what that sound is i'm you know what i mean kind of like a pick almost like a pick slide into the the bends i mean i don't know it it's almost it's a it's a technique it's not it's a rhythmic pattern that he's doing yeah and with with some notes in there but they're sort of muted but anyways i thought that added some nice accent but i agree with with you justin that julie really steals the show on this one it's such a good song on many of the songs on this album that combination of voice, to me, that was what I had mentioned earlier about how much I enjoyed this album, is when you feel that the band is now a band and you feel that connection. But we are so used to hearing Gord as part of the hip and that amazing combination of vocals that he has, you know, with Paul and then obviously with the guitar phrasing and how the hip is the hip and you can hear that. And I think with the vocals that he has with her on many of these albums, but especially on this particular album and several of these songs, to me, that really solidified like, okay, this is a great combination of musicians that are doing fantastic things. So I so appreciated this song.Track 1:[29:19] Another, Gord has that ability to do like an upbeat rhythm and kind of like Pascal's Submarine that we talked about in the last album, where it's kind of a dark subject, but it's a very upbeat song. So I really felt that with this particular song. I couldn't help but think, as he said, the ocean is, as they were repeating, the ocean is dead at the end. I was just thinking about all the water songs that Gord has and how water must be his Roman empire. There are a couple things that come up on this album over and over. Water is one, color is another.Track 1:[29:57] Um, and day and night is a third thing. There was a fourth, I can't remember right now, but there was some definite themes through the entire album. Kirk, what did you think when you first heard as a mover? What I loved specifically about as a mover is the buildup. I think Justin may have referenced in, in some of the, those interviews where, um, how the production was every four bars, you got to get something new. So this really was uh okay you know you get the train feeling that's going on it's that moving it's the transformation it's the sorry not transformation but him him relocating to glenora as we'd mentioned now we're going into this as a mover and you know this these lyrics not just specifically for this song but for for this all album and i think in one of our messages together.Track 1:[30:53] It was hard to pin down some connections on some of these there there are some that are that are there but I agree with that that that guidance on that so as a mover to me loved it you know the sarcasm hey baby want to kiss closes it out with that that that particular theme and it's It's a driving, great rhythmic song. Another thing that was clear in my memory in some of the interviews that we got to see was he was so excited about this album in that it was genre-less, right? You can't just say it's a country album. You can't just say it's a pop album. You can't just say it's a jazz album. It has a little bit of everything. And he even talked about touring for this particular album, that they were doing a bunch of festivals and that they were jazz festival, a pop festival, a rock festival. It was different. So he was pretty proud of that fact. And I got that feeling with that as a mover. Justin, what was your take on the song? So I found a note somewhere that when Gord was writing this album, he was reading a book about Custer. And the title of the album, The Grand Bounce refers to a phrase that was coined during the Custer's involvement, whatever, in the 1860s. Whenever they deserted the cavalry, they called it the Grand Bounce. And desertion and moving and all this stuff really tie in together and –.Track 1:[32:22] This song is kind of what really sparked my thinking about that. Like, you know, this is, there's something happening here and yes, the, the train, you feel like you're on a train as soon as the song starts. And, um, it's definitely a different sound. This song is way different than anything that Gord had put out previously. And I know, again, I, it, it kind of rubbed me the wrong way a little bit. I mean, I've, I've come into all this with an open mind, but it was like, what is he trying to do here? It didn't, the production of this album, And the sound of the songs just did not match up with the first two albums. And this doesn't even match up with anything else that's on this album. And my first reaction was, is he trying too hard with this song to sound different? But it certainly has grown on me. But the theme of moving and desertion and the grand bounce itself, this song tied the album title together for me. Craig, what do you think? In the lyrics, you've got the wife, you know, not wanting to move and you've got the kids wanting to move all that, you know, wanting to go everywhere. And he says he's in the middle, he's got no opinion. So I kind of like that tension in here. I also love the line where he rhymes pressure and less sure. Oh, and he does it in this low register the second time through?Track 1:[33:44] I'm even less sure. And when he says it, he's almost talking it. It's so great. Yeah. And I know I mentioned to you guys in text that when I first heard this song, I was not a fan.Track 1:[33:58] And JD, you were a bit surprised by that. And then it just grew and grew and grew on me. Like more than any other song on the album. I love the song now. I really was not a fan at first. Just love the whole feel of it. And the little drum shuffle with the brushes. And i think what i didn't like at first was just the chorus there was something weird about just those words as a mover it's just not very smooth sounding it doesn't roll off yeah and so that that kind of bothered me at first but really it's whatever feelings i had about it have totally changed now i think it's totally yeah it's a really cool song i was with you that you know At first, I just didn't like it. But then I remembered the song is now 14 years old. And when it came out, I was listening to Mumford & Sons and I was into that sound. And this could be on one of their albums.Track 1:[34:50] And I had to force myself to transport back to that time period. And I would have loved the song back then. And also the, you know, the title as a, as a mover, it made me think like a double meaning could be like a mover is also a dancer. And the next song we have is the dance and its disappearance. And this was another song that I didn't love at first. It's still not one of my favorites on the album, but once I read the lyrics, once I got into the CD booklet and started trying to figure out what it was about, I started to appreciate it a lot more. And so I just want to read you this quick quote in the booklet. There's a quote from Crystal Pite, who I believe is a dancer. And she writes.Track 1:[35:38] It is an extreme expression of the present, a perfect metaphor for life. And it goes on. Once I kind of got what that phrase meant, it just started making sense. And when you watch the live videos of this song, every single performance of this, Gord has something to say about people in the audience with their cell phones. And he's very appreciative when there's not too many people with their cell phones. And he talks about, if you're filming this on a cell phone, you're getting 10% of the experience. Put it away.Track 1:[36:08] And there was one show in Victoria and I wrote down what he said. He says, you like that things disappear as they're happening. I don't see any phones in the air trying to capture 10%. Your brain can handle it. Let it resonate. Let it sink in. Wait till tomorrow, the day after, it'll be all right. Yeah. And I love that message. Yeah, me too.Track 1:[36:26] Fuck. Kirk? This song, when I first heard it, and we've had this discussion on some of the other albums, You know, can this be a hip song? And that opening little riff on this particular song was very hip-like. And there was another interview that I had looked up, I think Alan Cross was his name. And he had even had mentioned that on this particular, he wrote simply a hip-like song. So I think that was one thing that I appreciated is there was not any fear anymore. Like, it's okay because I am the guy who writes the stuff for the hip. So there's going to be songs that sound hip like, and I think he embraced it. But I think that I, the thing that I loved about this, and as I mentioned on the other songs and you guys as well is the, the harmonies with, with, with Julie on this, like that's okay. This is Gord Downie. This is that sound where with the hip it's, this is what I sound like when I sing with Paul or whoever's doing the backup. And I believe that he really captured that in this album, but that song as well. So that was one thing that I noted in my research on this particular song. I think this is my favorite tune on the record.Track 1:[37:41] Gord had that theme, let it disappear into the night and let it happen, use it up. That is a decades-long theme in whatever he's done, and I love the message. I also love the word a squirrel. Holy crap. What a great way to convey that you can't settle down. My mind a squirrel. Holy crap. Did anyone else look up Sudbury yellow? Speaking of colors, I mentioned earlier that color is a huge theme throughout the whole thing. Also tying into the cover art, which was actually a painting by Gord Downie himself. So I think art was much on his mind during the recording of this album. And there is different mentions of colours in so many different songs. So Sudbury Yellow references the colour of the staircase at Sudbury Hall in England. And when you look up a picture of it, it's a very striking yellow. It's actually pretty neat to look up. And also another great So he rhymes the word orange with door hinge. Yeah. Blood orange with door hinge. Yeah. That's great. And I did notice the color theme throughout this and, and art is again, a decades long theme with, with Gordon. And there are many more examples through and we'll get to that.Track 1:[38:57] Well, let's stick with you, Justin, and move forward to The Hard Canadian. When I think of this song, I always, I can close my eyes and I picture, this is going to be lost on the two Americans, I apologize, but I picture Relic from The Beachcombers as The Hard Canadian.Track 1:[39:16] Beachcombers was a CBC show based in the West Coast, and there were some hard-living fishermen type, and there was one character who was sort of a scoundrel, and his name was Relic, And he just looked like a hard Canadian. He looks like the lyrics to this song. But Justin, what do you think of the hard Canadian?Track 1:[39:34] So I had two trains of thought on this. And one was that I thought Gord might have been singing about himself and just the fuck you today kind of thing. But I also thought it was about the weather, maybe in the winter. And go out to the plains and it's brutal out there. And the hard Canadian weather doesn't care about you. You know, and yeah, so the hard Canadian in my weather theory is the hard Canadian don't give a damn about you. What's a windswept face to the elusive presence of the sun to the hard Canadian? Like, you know, it's winter all the time in some places. It's dark all the time in some places, you know, north of 60, right? And it's the line, whether he's just mean or willfully dense, like the weather is controlling itself. self. It was like Mother Nature or whatever is doing this on purpose to test you. Let's see if you come out the other side. Again, the art theme, there's the quote, and it's in quotations from life nothing to death nothing, refers to a piece of art by Frank Stella, which is, forgive my Spanish here, but de la nada vida a la nada muerte. Is that how you'd say it? But that's what it translates to, from life nothing to death nothing. And it's this massive piece of art that's It's very 1965 looking and it's just another theme in there. And I don't know how it ties in other than it's a.Track 1:[40:59] You know, foreboding dark quote. That's just my, I don't know. That's my interpretation of it. But you know, Gord obviously was going through some stuff too. And, and it, it felt like this was almost a third person narrative of a first person point of view. There was two songs on the album that I'm familiar with. The hard Canadian is the first time I heard it. I had definitely had heard it before, but had not, you know, process that it was not a hip song. I think I thought it was like a deep cut hip song or something when I heard it years ago. But the other one is, and I know we'll talk about it, The Night Is Forgetting.Track 1:[41:36] He would sing it when he would do hip songs. He would sing some of his gourd songs. So when I read that story or heard about that story, I'm like, I know I've heard that song before when they played out here in LA or whatever. So, but anyway, the hard Canadian, what he had mentioned was it was Mike, Mike Clattenberg trailer park boys. That's that, that's it's one of the series that I haven't watched. I've watched letter Kenny and I've watched, you know, several other Canadian, but I have not watched the trailer park boys. And he had mentioned that it was one of the guys I guess is one of the creators and he's like yeah I got this new thing and it's hard Canadian it's dope and and so when I'd heard that description I immediately thought of like if you guys are familiar with letter Kenny like Wayne is he's hard Canadian it's just gonna smoke a you know go out and smoke and have a puppers have a dart yeah having a dart exactly so that that was the imagery that I got from it I want to point out that this is the first song in section number two lyrically in the lyric booklet.Track 1:[42:39] And I just noticed that there's a quote here from Walter von Tilburg Clark, night is like a room. It makes the little things in your head too important. And I just realized that's the second verse of the East wind. And then I glanced forward section three has the lyric from the third verse. So the lyrics from the East wind are in here, but they're, they're heading each sections. And so in my mind, and they're quotes from other authors. Is that what it is? Yeah. It was, um, he said that song was made up of the East wind I'm talking about was made up of quote, like three quotes that he, that he loved. And I had seen that somewhere. Yes. And so the hard Canadian to me is like what JD said, like I'm picturing like a relic type. I had a baseball coach when I was a kid who he's this older guy and he always had like this about one inch left of a, of a homemade smoke. And, uh, and that, that line where he says, takes a puff of puff of nothing and pick something from his tongue. Like I just picture Mr. Heller, my baseball coach who, you know, for four years, you know, first 10 minutes of practice, you don't wear a glove. You're, you're passing the baseball just with bare hands and, and just thinking back to those, those times, there was another line that I want to bring up the silences.Track 1:[43:55] He don't listen to them. Do you think that's a reference to Pascal? Maybe that's interesting. Uh, I hadn't thought that, But because I'm thinking now my mind is a squirrel and I, I'm almost thinking this is about, you know, that, that, you know, rural Canadian, um, you know, like a relic type. And in my mind, Gord is trying to say maybe that, that there's more, more to that person than, than maybe meets the eye. I don't be so quick to judge when he says he, he blurs the image, drags his brush through the wet pigment. To me that line saying you know don't be so quick to judge the hard canadian well right at the end he mentions remembering someone too and that's absolutely you know makes sense and i know a lot of hard frenchmen that are from quebec that have been through hell and you get down to it and they're just you know beautiful soft men inside but you got to get through seven layers of onion to get there.Track 1:[44:56] And that really ties perfectly into the next song, which is Gone.Track 1:[48:41] Because it has a very similar story behind it, which I'll get into it a little bit. But Kirk, what were your thoughts on Gone? Yeah, no, I love that you actually had mentioned that you're going to get into more of the meaning of it. Because I have some thoughts and ideas, but what I really wanted to talk about on this particular one, from the musician side, that I absolutely loved about it is – I'll give the note that I wrote. And I can't remember exactly who it was that mentioned it to Gord, but he said it sounded like a moose in the distance.Track 1:[49:16] And when you listen to this tune, which is a beautiful tune, another great example of the harmonies, it's another one where you just hear the range of Gord's vocals that are just phenomenal and how he can cover the spectrum with that. But the fact that Dale Morningstar was using a theremin and had several different layers of the theremin recorded on that and you hear it. And then when you get confirmation of it, you go back and listen to it and you go, oh, wow. Right. Because there's only a few songs out there that we all know and love that have the theremin. Right. There's only what the Beach Boys and Led Zeppelin or the, you know, have have really pulled it off. So it's cool to see them jump out from a musician standpoint, musicianship standpoint.Track 1:[50:05] The other thing that I wanted to mention before, and I definitely want to hear Craig's thoughts on the meaning of it, was that Gord had mentioned in one of his interviews that this and I think The Night Is Forgetting, he called it the grandma and the grandpa. So he'd had these songs for a long time and he'd matured with them. And so I think that that anticipation of so much time between the two albums, but then having songs that came, you know, at different points along the way. And I just felt like this one had, it had marinated and it was, what was presented was what had, he had settled on, because I think that happens anyone who's done music creation. You're, you write it with a thought, a producer takes a look at it, an engineer takes a look at it, the rest of the band, and it becomes something different.Track 1:[50:55] Anyway, Craig, your thoughts on some of the meaning behind it. In the booklet, there's a quote from a Polish writer named Bruno Schultz. And it says, He had not been rooted in any woman's heart. He could not merge with any reality and was therefore condemned to float eternally on the periphery of life in half real regions on the margins of existence. And apparently this was in reference to his own father. So again, coming out of the last song, it seems to kind of tie into that idea of, at the end of The Hard Canadian, where there's someone he was remembering. So this idea of, there's actually the lyric in the song, gone and feeling half real on the edge of your life. And that ties directly to that quote. quote musically the bridge that there's a building bridge with uh julie singing backup and.Track 1:[51:48] Really really great songwriting and this was another song that really grew on me it's just such a catchy kind of fun fun song uh justin what did you think no i loved it right from the beginning it yeah it builds and it starts really slow and then it gets really slow again in the middle and it's quiet. I didn't dive too deeply into the lyrics, but there's definitely, you know, this is a life story kind of thing. And maybe at the end of it. Yeah. I just, I really love the way the song made me feel and that's only surface deep, but sometimes that's all you need in a song. And I don't know, I could listen to this one over and over. And I have. Okay. Kirk, how about the drowning machine? What are your thoughts there? I think we have another nautical disaster, could we call it, on this next song? Yeah, yeah. Through Drowning Machine. Drowning Machine. Until I actually looked it up, I didn't really know what it was talking about. But apparently, the Drowning Machine is like a common name for a weir, which is a low head dam, which if you've seen pictures of them, basically what happens is the water just cycles. And just if you get if you end up going over one of these dams you're.Track 1:[53:02] Pretty much not getting out and so gourd had apparently read a story about um about some girls being saved from the the bow river in alberta and um there was actually i i kind of looked up this this bow river and there's this this notorious um spot on the river where where i believe it said had 14 deaths in 30 years and they actually had a there one story there was there was actually a boom across so if you if you're totally out of you know if you miss all the signs and you you keep going down you can grab on to this boom at one point a storm had washed it washed it away and so a couple of men died in in i believe 2007 because the the boom had been washed out and so finally they did some construction and they and they have now made it into uh an area called the Harvey, this is called the Harvey passage. And apparently people go there to do white water rafting. And there's actually two kind of, um, passages that go through now two channels, uh, at different levels of, you know, for, for different levels of experience, um, for, for rafters. I had, I had done some research on the, um, Glenora song and there's a very treacherous river that it's like, Hey, don't go there, fly over it.Track 1:[54:20] And this reminded me of, reading about that, it reminded me of Niagara Falls, just the immense force of the water at the bottom. And you're not going to get out of there if you go over the falls.Track 1:[54:37] We had a deer camp when I was a kid on the Huntington Gorge here in Vermont. And there's a plaque with a list of 30 or so names of all the people that have died in the gorge. And our deer camp was the spot where the state police would fish the bodies out of the river every time there was one that ended up there you know we we couldn't get to the to the camp because they would use the front porch to be their their base of operations oh yeah wild and i i have to say at the end um there is some lead guitar at the end by dale that really at this point in the album when I was, especially on first listen, when I wasn't totally jiving with some of the earlier tracks, this song was the one that immediately I loved, like right off the bat. And hearing that guitar when Dale finally cuts loose and really leans into that dissonance, I felt like, okay, I'm starting to get this. And Kirk, what did you think of this? Yeah, I am fascinated, obviously, with Gord's fascination with water and the nautical side of things. But again, I think this song was just another great example of their time together and how they really... And I don't know if you guys noticed this.Track 1:[55:58] I don't think they played this on that six-part one, but I really enjoyed that it wasn't like a monarchy. You know, it wasn't Gord was given direction. It was everyone was involved. And I really loved the different parts that you would see with Chris Swala and his just subtle, nice guy production tips. So, um, I really love that interaction of, of how now that they've been done.Track 1:[56:25] A couple albums together and now it had been a little bit. And I also read something about how, yeah, they wanted to definitely get that indie vibe and they definitely wanted to have a variety of different styles of music, but how they also, you know, they're also very accomplished musicians and they've spent some time with some big bands and have played in some pretty, pretty big arena. So they could bring that to the songwriting and, and, and, and the music within this. So, and I really felt that too, moving into Yellow Days, which was the next one.Track 1:[1:00:51] I love this tune. This tune to me, and maybe I'm hearing something wrong, but there was almost kind of like a jazz bossa nova, just a real kind of amazing groove to it. And I also loved hearing about the story about Josie Dye, I think was her name. And they had had a passing at a festival way back when, when I think she was a hip fan and he was just walking around and that that that's That's actually part of the lyrics in this particular tune. But I love this song. He talks about it in some of the interviews and the descriptions about just the Canadian summers and how much the Canadians love that summer, but it goes by so quick.Track 1:[1:01:36] And so they're really just trying to make the most of every time they have good weather and they have a good moment and also keeping with Craig's color theme, which I love that you brought that up and along with the storytelling that's going on uh you know this is the here we are and and enjoying that summertime and almost reminiscent of them recording this album right for the two weeks i think in august and in 09 so justin did you dig this song yeah because we have the same summer and winter pattern that that you guys would up north today you know inside baseball we're not recording this in the summer when this is coming out we're recording it well before and it was the first warm day this year and I wore shorts and it was only 61 degrees outside. It was very windy. I shouldn't have had shorts on. But you take those moments and you wrap your life around them when you can get them. And 61 felt like 81 today. And I know the Canada gray because we have that here. It's Canada gray. Even as it's warm today, it's Canada gray outside. And just the imagery of it is wonderful. wonderful yeah and i mentioned the earlier the you know the theme of of days and nights so you know that's very obvious here uh and going into the next song and um.Track 1:[1:02:53] A couple of things, Kirk, when you were saying, you know, that beat at the start, I had the same thing. I was actually trying last night to figure out what type of beat this really was. The word that came to my mind was Calypso, but then I looked it up and it was not correct. But like this South American, like it's something I've heard. Bossa Nova was what came to my mind. So, you know, Calypso Bossa Nova, it's definitely a Caribbean feel. And, you know, the fact that it's on a Gord album, you know, again, just really talks to, you know, we had your hardcore on the last one and now we're doing Calypso Bossa Nova, you know, jazz type stuff. It's brilliant in my opinion. It reminded me of my grandmother's organ, you know, had those big tab buttons that there's a there's a pre-programmed beat and it's really bad not that the song's bad but on the organ it is yeah kirk your story about the you know everyone you know in this you know having so few.Track 1:[1:03:54] Summer days in certain parts of canada it reminds me of back in 96 my band was was in winnipeg we were playing you know this show at a you know the club that all the you know the all the decent bands played at and so we were really excited about playing this this club and uh it was on a weekend we thought like this is great and it turns out it was the the long weekend in august and everyone in town leaves for the for the lakes and there was nobody in town like not just for our show but anywhere it was just bizarre so those are the the yellow days of winnipeg well let's Let's continue on with you, Craig. Keep this wagon wheel going and talk about Night is Forgetting, which is a great title. Yeah. So, so again, the day, day and night theme and we go from yellow days and tonight is forgetting.Track 1:[1:04:46] And it was really bugging me this song because I'm like, I know that I know this song and I couldn't figure it out. And then I felt so stupid a week ago when I actually looked in my, on my phone and I had the hip version of this, which is from about, I think 2005, it was just a single. As far as I know, it was just released out of nowhere. It was, uh, I think it was left over from in between evolution. Okay. So, so I did have it. So I definitely been listening to it, you know, in the past, but it never was a song that, that interested me very much. So this one again, grew on me. I think I prefer this version now. It's, it's a little more upbeat. I love the piano. So, so shout out to Dr. P, John Press, who I don't think we mentioned last, last episode, but he is such a great player. I actually looked him up last night. I couldn't find too much about him online.Track 1:[1:05:38] And he is so tasteful. He never overplays until this is like, it was almost like someone said to me, you know, just, just let loose. And you can actually see, I'm sure you guys saw on the, on the bathhouse videos, you can see him rehearsing this on his own, kind of coming up with a part and man, he nails those, those runs. It's very impressive. It's so good. So I wrote, or I heard, and I could have definitely stole it, but I heard piano flurries. And that's exactly what it sounds like as a piano flurry when it starts driving. That's exactly what my note says. Yeah, piano flurries. And the one line that stuck out with me or to me was the dew drops on the luminous veil. And I know he mentioned this in the Alan Cross interview and the luminous veil being the suicide barriers they put up on the Bloor Street street viaduct in Toronto. I guess it was a place where there was just mass amounts of suicides, just 500 suicides and they finally put up this barrier.Track 1:[1:06:41] It's a 10 minute walk from my house, the Luminous Vale. When you guys come here, I'll show you the Luminous Vale. At night, it's very pretty, but in sort of a, I don't even know, like an eerie way because Because the sections that hold the guy wires up all look like crosses. Yeah, it's heavy, man. And so my last thing about this song, in one of the interviews, Gord, he mentions that he read a quote from, I believe, Thomas Jefferson saying something about war is forgetting another country's resources.Track 1:[1:07:19] And he said, I just replaced war with night. On the hip version of this, he actually does sing war is forgetting in the last chorus. us. So he changes that for this version. But I was actually looking up quotes from Jefferson last night. I didn't find anything that resembled such an idea. So if any listeners know what he was referencing here, I'd love to hear from you. So when Gord passed, there was an interview on some news, whatever, with Ron McLean from the CBC, or I don't know if he's the CBC anymore, more, but I knew him from Hockey Night in Canada growing up. And what I think was a quote that Gord said, but I've never been able to find it attributed to Gord, was, night takes the chances, day the reward. I love that quote. And he wrote an op-ed about Gord's passing that included that line as well. And it's just a beautiful line. And I sort of.Track 1:[1:08:19] Think of myself with my work that way. I sleep three hours a night just because that's how my body works. And I'm up till one in the morning and then I get up at 5.30. But I also love that forgetting and forgetting are really just a great sound in the song that can be interpreted in any possible way. Yes, I love that part of it. And as I mentioned earlier, this was one of the songs that I know I had heard before. And honestly, until I just recently had either read or heard that it was a hip song or that it was used on a couple of hip shows, I feel 100% positive that one of the shows that I saw, they played this. I haven't gone back and look at all the set list yet, but I feel pretty confident of that. So yeah. But just love the musicality of the song. I mean, that's the only thing I would add is just the musicality is insane. I have created this little thing that I've called Gord's Annunciation Era, where he's got a section of his career with a hip where he absolutely nails every letter in every word. And think of the lonely end of the rink, and it's a very hard – and this song is a great example of that. You know he says every letter in every word in every phrase and it's just a it's very distinct this this section of maybe eight or ten years of his career whether it's with the hip or solo.Track 1:[1:09:46] And I just love how he really makes his body be an instrument with words. And also the line, he says, weird undercurrent, we're undercurrent. And again, another reference to water in a way, but just thought that was a neat little turn of phrase there. Yeah, he's so good at that. And he changes just little tiny tweaks throughout this album in many different songs with words and lyrics and how he, it sounds the same on first two or three listens. And then you realize, oh no, this is a completely different set of words. Christmastime in Toronto, he did that too on the last album. And at the very end of this song, I love how he's singing over and over. Night is forgetting and then forgetting. And then there's one time when they totally phrase it differently. There's pauses.Track 1:[1:10:37] Do you know what I mean? I mean, the very last line, I think it is just a neat little, I love songs that have just one little quirk like that. Yes, yes, absolutely. You know what? It really goes back to, I'll be leaving you or I'll be leaving you tonight. I mean, right from the beginning, right? It's just a really cool trick that he's always done. Well, another, one of the other tricks that he's famous for is invoking his children and lullabying them. The next song, Moon Show Your Lashes, to me is just the process of writing some of these lullabies and things about his children. That's what it means to me. Mr. St. Louis, how about you? I took it as his battle with insomnia, you know, which is also a common theme throughout his career.Track 1:[1:11:25] And yes, I definitely picked up on the thing. Like, you know, there's a, there's a book that my wife and I love called go the fuck to sleep, you know, talking about your kids, like just give us a break, man. And tonight, in fact, before we recorded, my daughter was taking a bath and she's trying to speak Spanish and she's yelling it and asking my wife questions in the other room in Spanish. And I walked in and Linda looks up at me and whispers, she needs to shut the fuck up. You know, just those moments of give it a rest, kid. But I think that it could be interpreted either way that like, yeah, he's talking about his kids. Like just, okay, relax. We get it. moon slow your lashes.Track 1:[1:12:09] But, you know, I think, The way that I took it was more of Gord by the lamp with a notepad trying to come up with the next song and wondering, you know, there's the line, what must he think? And no more, I think he thinks. And kind of judging himself or his work before it's even completed and just not being able to reconcile that. For what it's worth, I love the lyrics in this song. I friggin' hate the tune. I hate this song.Track 1:[1:12:39] It's so annoying. And I don't know what it is about it. And it's such an earworm. And it's the one I can't get out of my head. I can't stand the song. Get out of here. Wow. Actually just blown away by what Justin said, because I absolutely love the tune. Me too. And I think it's that 2010s, as you mentioned, you know, like there's such a massive influence from all of them individually as artists, but obviously Death Cab and that influence, but I think what they were listening to at the time. And so I mentioned that I really liked this album. So, you know, there's, there's no real duds on it for me. So, I mean, there's little things of course that I could critique, but to me, this particular album and, and, and even this song like this, this one's really up there. For me you know i'm still trying to decide what's going to be my favorite song from this and it's the first time that i didn't know instantaneously i particularly i enjoyed you know again just how it made me feel it gave me that that just that cool this is where we're at in this this time in music like it was it was it had it has some heavy lyrics but it it's i mean not crazy heavy but it was an upbeat song, I think, overall. So I appreciated it. So there was a story, Gord, in one of the interviews online I found.Track 1:[1:14:01] Talks about a radio essay he was listening to by, by someone named Neil McDonald. And he was talking about a woman who would go up to a place called high level Alberta. So when they, when he says high level in the, in the book, in, in, in the song, I had noticed in the booklet, it was capitalized. So it actually is a place up in Northern Alberta. And this woman would go up to um, Northern Alberta and, um, make, make some money. You can probably imagine how she's making her money and, and she would do this in order to support her kids. And, uh, and then when she got back to her kids, I just want to want to hold and smell. And another crazy example of how Gord writes these like incredibly upbeat, like you hear it and you fall in love with it because it makes you feel good, but it's dark AF.Track 1:[1:14:52] It's just got some real, real, real just black undertones in some of it, but the music just keeps you going. And that line that says, when, not if, after, when I get out of high level, when, not if. Yeah. And forget the, in the bridge, I think it is the forget the hawks, jaguars, the knife lickers and creeps. And yeah, it just really changed my perspective of the song and and yeah that that juxtaposition between the the sort of cute music and the dark lyrics some some more themes of um you know burgundy the color burgundy dance dance so again dance is the the one earlier that i was forgetting when i was talking about themes so themes on this album water you've got day and night you've got color and you've got dance and this song has a couple of those things in it and and to me it was like you know the things we do for our family oh like i like i said i i really love the story in the song and the lyrics and trying to figure out what i think i thought but just the tune i can't do it i don't know why man i'm sorry i'm i'm i'm not totally crazy about this song uh it's not my lead i'm actually we passed by my my least favorite without me saying but but to me um The Hard Canadian is the weak link on this album. To me, it's just a... Oh, wow. Yeah, it's just... I think it's the chord progression has just so been done before. Yeah, I'm not in love with it either. And that's the one song that I was familiar with on this album. This song, I wasn't too much of a fan of at first, but I do really like it now. It has grown on me, especially I think hearing that story. Well, are we ready to jump into Retrace?Track 1:[1:20:11] This song, my note, it just says vocally amazing. That's the note I have.Track 1:[1:20:18] I'm sure there's an amazing meaning behind the whole song. I really don't care. I just want to hear Gord sing the main line. I retrace my steps. And it just puts me in this amazing, wonderful, just warm place like we talked about in the beginning. And even Gord in some of his interviews talked about how the process and these songs were company to him. And that's what I felt with this retrace, this tune. And again, another great pairing from harmonies and also great build. And also, as we'd mentioned before, where that whole theory of every four bars coming up with something new, the retrace song, it definitely had additions and installations to create this. I just, yeah, maybe I'm dating myself, but I don't know if you guys are familiar with the band, the Smithereens.Track 1:[1:21:17] Kind of had a Smithereens vibe to it. Had a Lou Reed vibe to it. I know that there'

In this video interview, Samantha Villiard, Regional Vice President, RE/MAX Canada, discusses the real estate company's latest luxury home market report. Samantha Villiard FULL PRESS RELEASE  TORONTO, April 2, 2024 /CNW/ — With the end of quantitative tightening in sight, luxury home-buying activity in most markets across the country are slowly shifting into high gear as buyers reap the benefits of softer housing values, according to a report released today by RE/MAX Canada. RE/MAX Canada's 2024 Spotlight on Luxury Report examined luxury home-buying activity in 10 markets across the country in the first two months of the year and found that, despite a disconnect between buyers looking for deals and sellers' price expectations, almost all regions reported a strong start to the year. Ninety per cent of markets experienced an increase in high-end sales, with more than two-thirds recording double-digit growth. Saskatoon led the country in terms of percentage increases, with a 57-per-cent uptick in luxury home sales, followed by Montreal at almost 56 per cent and Calgary at 52 per cent. Edmonton posted a 32-per-cent increase in luxury sales year-over-year, while Winnipeg, Halifax, Toronto and London reported increases of 19.4 per cent, 16.7 per cent, 14.4 per cent, and 9.4 per cent respectively. Only Ottawa saw a decline compared to year-ago levels, with sales down nearly eight per cent. “While figures remain off peak levels reported during Covid, the upswing in luxury sales signal a return to overall health in the country's major centres,” according to RE/MAX Canada President Christopher Alexander. “The ripple effect is already underway, with stronger home-buying activity at lower price points pushing sales into the upper end. In some cities where inventory levels are particularly challenging at the lower end, multiple offers have returned with a vengeance. While that isn't the case at the top end, pent-up demand does exist, and activity is gaining momentum.” Lower overall values, strong equity gains and downward trending interest rates are supporting demand for luxury product including freehold and condominium properties in markets across the country. While a disconnect is somewhat hampering activity in larger markets, with sellers holding out for Covid-era values and buyers seeking bargains, those serious about making moves are finding common ground. An ample supply of product exists in most markets, although some neighbourhoods are experiencing exceptionally low inventory levels at sought-after price points. An influx of fresh, new properties in the spring will renew buyer interest and activity, but chronic supply issues will likely persist at the entry level to luxury. “Equity continues to play a significant role in the marketplace, driving demand at the top end of the market,” explains Alexander. “Although overall gains have been elusive in recent years, a good percentage of buyers who purchased in 2018 and 2019 are well positioned to make their next moves. For example, in the Greater Toronto market, buyers who purchased homes at an average price in 2018 saw equity rise by almost 43 per cent by the end of 2023 ($787,842/$1,126,591). These buyers are coming to the table with a larger downstroke and reduced risk from a lending perspective.” Luxury home-buying activity is also undergoing change as a younger demographic moves into the upper end of the market. Demand is strongest for newer, well-appointed homes in traditional hot pockets. Turnkey properties are most coveted, although there are some buyers that are willing to renovate. The desire for more space and less congestion is once again an emerging trend, as acreage properties boasting large homes in suburban-rural or rural areas experience an upswing in popularity in London, Ottawa, Edmonton and Saskatoon. Building activity is also making a comeback, with new construction and infill on the rise in half of all markets examined. Some luxury buyers looking to expand their purchasing power are moving over into markets such as London (drawing buyers from the Greater Toronto Area), Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon (drawing buyers from Ontario and British Columbia). However, activity among foreign buyers has fallen dramatically since the introduction of the Foreign Buyer Ban by the Federal Government in January 2023, which it extended through to early 2027. The impact has been palpable in the uber-luxe segment of major markets, such as Metro Vancouver and Toronto, as well as the condominium market in the City of Montreal. “While the idea of a Foreign Buyer Ban sounds good in principle, it makes less sense in practice,” says Alexander. “The ban was originally intended to make a greater number of properties available to Canadians and reduce upward pressure on housing values. The Bank of Canada's 10 rate hikes were all that was needed to achieve that objective, all the while supply remains at historical lows.” Condominiums have been a popular option this year, despite single-detached homes comprising the lion's share of luxury sales. Condo activity was strongest in Metro Vancouver, where sales climbed close to 70 per cent in the first two months of the year (27 versus 16). Solid condominium activity at the high-end price points was also reported in London, fuelled by empty nesters and retirees, and in Ottawa and Montreal. Halifax, which has limited condo product in the top end, has already recorded four sales to date. Some baby boomers in Saskatoon are also opting to downsize from larger homes in high demand areas to newer luxury condominiums in the core. “Buyer enthusiasm is evident as the spring market ramps up,” says Alexander. “Yet, despite the uptick, we're still seeing some factors constraining sales at luxury price points. Most significant is the tax implications at the uber-luxe levels, which have been weighing down the segment, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area.” On the sale of a $4 million home in Vancouver, for example, buyers will pay $90,000 in land transfer taxes. On the sale of a property of similar value in the City of Toronto, land transfer taxes will set buyers back close to $183,000. While sale under $7.5 million remain surprisingly resilient, only one sale has occurred over that threshold (and it was not located in the City of Toronto). The adjustment to higher taxation levels has been slow, but it is being offset somewhat by pent-up demand, with some deciding they can only hold off for so long. Others, meanwhile, are reluctant to list their properties, impacting supply, or are choosing to renovate rather than take a substantial tax hit. “Assuming a continuation of current economic fundamentals, momentum is set to climb at luxury price points from coast to coast,” says Alexander. “With recent inflation numbers coming in lower than expectations at 2.8 per cent, the possibility of further improvement in interest rates only strengthens growing optimism. Yet, there is an air of caution as the challenges of recent years remain fresh in the minds of buyers and sellers. Confidence is building, with the light at the end of the tunnel clearly visible. Demand is coming from a mix of high-income professionals/executives, retirees, empty-nesters, Gen X and millennials, newly landed immigrants, as well as large and multigenerational families – a good sign, as the diversity of buyers at the top end of the market today bodes well for its overall health in the future.” HIGHLIGHTS Condominium sales are up almost 70 per cent in Greater Vancouver. Multiple offers occurring in Calgary; some homes selling sight unseen. Some multiple offers are occurring in Saskatoon, although at the lower price points. This may filter upward in coming months. Alberta markets remain strong – Calgary and Edmonton have been bolstered by affordability, providing buyers with more bang for the buck. Double-digit sales growth was seen in two-thirds of markets (70 per cent or seven out of ten markets examined), including Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon. London is close behind with a 9.4-per-cent increase in top-end sales. The uber-luxe market has heated up significantly in Toronto, with a 77-per-cent jump in sales over $5 million (32 vs. 18), split evenly between the 416 and 905. On the west coast, demand for uber-luxe properties has fallen year-over-year, largely attributed to the Foreign Buyer Ban. Inventory in Toronto is tight in many hot-pocket areas, but values are being held in check for the most part, for now. MARKET-BY-MARKET OVERVIEW METRO VANCOUVER Although softer housing values and greater selection have bolstered sales of detached homes over $3 million in the luxury segment of the Metro Vancouver market in the first two months of the year, strata condominium sales have taken the lead in terms of percentage increases, with sales volumes up 68 per cent year-over-year. Twenty-seven strata condo sales averaging $4 million were recorded between January 1 and February 29 of this year. In contrast, there were 16 sales during the same period in 2023, with an average price of $4.5 million. Just over half of 2024's strata sales (14) occurred in Vancouver's Westside, compared to 11 sales in 2023. Luxury condo buyers at the top end of the market have adjusted expectations, allowing them to sidestep higher interest rates by choosing smaller apartments rather than larger units in the city's most coveted strata buildings. While 2024 appears to be the year of the condominium, year-to-date sales of luxury detached properties in Metro Vancouver have climbed as well, rising almost three per cent in the first of two months of the year. One hundred and fifty-five detached homes changed hands over the $3 million price point so far this year, compared to 151 properties sold during the same period in 2023. Nearly half of those sales (74) occurred in the Westside, where the lion's share of high-end activity occurs in communities, including Point Grey, Dunbar, Kerrisdale, Kitsilano, Kerrisdale and S.W. Marine Dr. Demand for detached housing at uber-luxe levels has fallen this year in large part due to today's high interest rate environment coupled with the Foreign Buyers Ban (implemented by the Canadian government in 2023 and extended until early in 2027). For every quarter point uptick in interest rates, a $50,000 increase in income is required. Those factors, combined with local municipal taxes, including a vacant home tax at two per cent of the total value of the property, and a hefty land transfer tax, have proven insurmountable. Just nine detached homes were sold over $6 million in the first two months of this year in Metro Vancouver, compared to 20 during the same period in 2023. Evidence of the shift in the detached uber-luxe market appeared in the second half of 2023 but has accelerated in the first few months of 2024. Fewer buyers and an increase in the number of high-end detached properties listed for sale in Metro Vancouver has resulted in some downward pressure on values, as evidenced from the sales stats. However, many sellers are holding firm, rather than entertaining lowball offers. Local buyers are the driving force in Vancouver's housing market, but momentum has yet to reach the upper price points for detached housing. Long-anticipated cuts to interest rates are expected to breathe new life into the city's luxury segment as the ripple effect moves through the overall market in the latter half of the year. Demand for both condominiums and detached homes at the top end is expected to improve, especially with rate cuts on the horizon, moving through 2024. CALGARY Calgary's juggernaut real estate market continues to advance, with home-buying activity at the top end of the market climbing 52 per cent in the first two months of 2024. Seventy-six single family homes changed hands over $1.5 million between January 1 and February 29, up from 50 properties during the same period in 2023. Nearly 60 per cent of sales took place in February. Considerable equity gains have allowed local homeowners to step up to larger homes organically in recent years, while luxury buyers from provinces such as British Columbia and Ontario are realizing their dollar stretches much further in the city. The vast majority of purchasers are active in the lower end of the luxury market, stimulating sales between $1.5 million and $2 million. Multiple offers are occurring, and some properties have sold sight unseen in recent weeks. Two-thirds of sales are taking place in Calgary's inner city – including Mt. Royal, Elbow Park, Britannia and Belair – and in neighbourhoods on the periphery of the core such as the Westside, which offer a balance of accessibility and amenities. Communities on the city's outskirts make up the remainder of sales, where the combination of the luxury lifestyle and acreage play a substantial role. Ninety-five per cent of luxury sales are now taking place between $1.5 million and $3 million, with uber-luxe sales over the $4 million price point representing a smaller share of the market. Strong activity at the lower end is likely connected to the mortgage sliding scale and general affordability, with higher interest rates having a greater impact on momentum at the top end. Just over 190 properties are currently listed for sale over $1.5 million, which represents approximately 15 per cent of total inventory. There is a 4.9-month supply of luxury product, which is likely to increase slightly with the spring market just around the corner. The city is on track for a record year of real estate activity in the high end, with any Bank of Canada cut to interest rates expected to encourage greater activity in the luxury segment. With an estimated 3,500 inter-provincial migrants arriving monthly, the pressure on the middle of the market, priced from $800,000 to $1.2 million, will promote spillover into higher price points, further enabling current homeowners to trade up with relative ease to more expensive homes. EDMONTON Edmonton's luxury market continues to fire on all cylinders as both local buyers and those migrating from Ontario and British Columbia spark home-buying activity over the $1 million price point. Sales of high-end homes are up 32 per cent year over year, with 33 single-family and condominium properties sold between January and February of 2024, up from 25 sales during the same period one year earlier. Detached homes in the $1 million to $1.5 million range remain the sweet spot in the market, with the vast majority of sales occurring between these price points. Demand has been greatest in infill core areas of South University, near the University of Alberta and the opposite side of the North Saskatchewan River, including neighbourhoods such as Crestwood, Laurier, and Glenora. The suburban outskirts have also experienced a surge in demand, given new construction in areas like Windemere and acreage properties offering homes with considerable square footage. Condominium sales, on the other hand, are fewer and farther between, with just two sales occurring this year, compared to three one year ago. Large families, multi-generational families, professional athletes, and high-income professionals are behind the push for luxury product in Edmonton. Equity gains have played a role as prices have edged upwards in recent years. Downsizing, lateral moves, and life events have also prompted movement in the market. The upward momentum in the high end is driven by in-migration and relative affordability, where buyers' dollars stretch further. An adequate supply of homes is currently available for sale in Edmonton, with many new builds under construction. The landscape is also changing in many established neighbourhoods as tired, older homes are renovated, or if need be, demolished and replaced by custom builds as investors and builders move to meet the demands of today's buyer. Continued strength and growth are forecast for Edmonton's luxury sector, where the high end represents approximately one per cent of total sales. There are 20 properties pending at present, which foreshadows the strength of the overall market heading into the spring. With lower interest rates on the horizon, there's little doubt that Edmonton's housing market will continue to thrive throughout the remainder of the year. SASKATOON Saskatoon's luxury market is off to a strong start heading into the traditionally busy spring market. Sales of high-end homes over $700,000 are up 57 per cent in the first two months of the year, with 22 homes changing hands between January 1 to February 29, up from 14 during the same period in 2023. A healthy economy and an influx of new Canadians and out-of-province buyers have buoyed home-buying activity in Saskatoon. Net international immigration to the province was just short of 30,000 in the first three quarters of 2023, according to Statistics Canada Quarterly Demographic estimates, provinces and territories: Interactive Dashboard. The strong demand for housing, coupled with a shortage of available properties, is placing strong upward pressure on pricing. Multiple offers are already occurring at lower price points – $350,000 to $500,000 – and threatening to spill over into higher-price ranges. Seventy-nine properties are currently listed for sale over $700,000, with 14 conditional offers pending. New home builders are trying to make up for time lost during the pandemic, when soaring construction and labour costs stymied homebuilding activity. Prices for new construction now start at $600,000 in Saskatoon, with pressure building on existing housing stock. The greatest demand exists at luxury's lower price points, between $700,000 and $800,000 at present, although that could rise in coming months as more sales push through higher price points. Affordability has been drawing buyers from other provinces and there has been a significant increase in young professionals working in oil and gas, mining, and technology. Many are buying properties with small acreage on the outskirts of town where prices are affordable. Equity gains have also played a role, helping local buyers to move up to the next level, particularly those in their late 20s and early 30, who tend to stay in the same neighbourhoods where they grew up. Many are choosing to renovate the older character homes on large lot sizes. Infill is on the rise in many established communities as empty nesters make lateral moves, trading larger lot sizes for newer homes with all the bells and whistles. Baby boomers are selling homes in desirable enclaves such as Caswell Hill, River Heights, Mayfair, Buena Vista, Mt. Royal, North Park, and the original homes along the South Saskatchewan River, and moving to some of the newer condominiums in the centre of the city or across the river in Nutana. The trend toward multi-generational living has also contributed to the uptick in luxury sales, with immigration helping to prop up this segment. With Saskatchewan's commodity-based economy expected to rebound, demand for homes in Saskatoon's luxury segment is forecast to accelerate in 2024. GDP growth in the province is expected to be the second highest in the country in 2024 at 1.3 per cent, following on the heels of Alberta, according to the 2023-24 Mid-Year Report by the Government of Saskatchewan. WINNIPEG Affluent purchasers were strong out of the gate in Winnipeg's luxury housing market, with sales up 19 per cent in the first two months of the year. Forty-three homes sold for over $750,000 between January and February of 2024, the most expensive of which topped $4 million, up from 36 sales during the same period last year. While interest rates have proven challenging for many buyers, the downward trend in mortgage rates has provided some additional incentive for sidelined buyers to take advantage of lower housing values in advance of a Bank of Canada rate drop. Pent-up demand will likely play a significant role in the city housing market once rates fall, placing additional pressure on Winnipeg's already tight inventory levels. Just 130 properties are currently listed for sale over $750,000. Most high-end sales are occurring at entry-level price points, typically between $750,000 and $1 million. Most buyers are young professionals, but there are a growing number of multi-generational purchasers who are looking for larger homes that can accommodate several families. In the city's older luxury enclaves, buyers are looking for dated properties with good bones that are ripe for renovation, allowing them to customize their homes and build value immediately. Demand for infill product is on the upswing, with teardowns now occurring with greater frequency in Tuxedo and North River Heights, where older character homes situated on sprawling lot sizes are commonplace. While many buyers choose to work within the existing structure, custom home builders typically target homes that have been neglected and require a full gut. In some communities, builders are working with the city to sub-divide larger lots in line with the city's commitment to increase density. Depending on their price point, buyers are typically drawn to established communities in Tuxedo, North River Heights, and Victoria Crescent in Norberry, or newer communities in the south including South Pointe, Bridgwater and Sage Creek. These new developments, part of a 15-year development plan between local homebuilders and the Province of Manitoba, are now nearing completion. The average price for a new home in these sought-after communities is close to $1 million. With affordability driving sales at the lower end of Winnipeg's housing market, spillover is expected into higher price points in the months ahead. Many buyers are reluctant to place their homes up for sale too early, fearing that they will not be able to find their next home. Those on the fence are waiting patiently for the right listing to come along, and once it does, they will pounce. LONDON London's housing market is off to a strong start overall with sales up almost 30 per cent in the first two months of the year. Multiple offers are occurring unabated between $400,000–$700,000, yet softer demand exists for luxury properties in the city. Fifty-eight properties have sold to date over $999,999, up 9.4 per cent from year-ago levels for the same period. Most luxury home sales occurred between $1 million and $1.3 million, with just 10 sales reported over the $1.3 million threshold, signifying some hesitancy at the high end. The exception to the rule is the rare uber-luxe property that offers acreage (two to 10 acres), a larger home, and a triple-car garage. Impeding activity at the luxury price point is a disconnect between buyers and sellers, with many sellers still listing properties at loftier 2021 values while buyers are looking for deals. An ample supply of luxury homes is available for sale heading into the busy spring market, where sales of all homes, including freehold and condominium properties, are expected to see increased pressure as the ripple effect takes hold. London continues to experience an influx of buyers from other areas of the province, with the largest segment coming from the Greater Toronto Area. Drawn to the value proposition of the city's residential real estate and its growing base, these affluent buyers are competing with local buyers at the mid-to-top end of the market. Most of the activity in the higher end is occurring in the Southwest (18 sales), where selection is greatest, and the Northwest (20 sales). The remaining sales are occurring on the outskirts of the city. Retirees and upgrading millennials are responsible for the lion's share of activity in the luxury segment, which represented 4.5 per cent of total sales (58/1,036) between January 1 and February 29. Most of the buyers in the city's luxury market are seeking newer homes that are bolder architecturally, with most offering a modern twist, including an open concept, high ceilings, and all the usual bells and whistles. Older character homes in the city's most prominent areas close to the university are also experiencing solid demand, but higher price points are proving challenging. Empty-nesters and retirees are opting for condominiums in close proximity to the city core. Many are willing to renovate older condominiums offering good square footage to their specifications. Home-buying activity in London's luxury segment is expected to heat up in coming months, with lending rates already reflecting the easing expected to impact overall interest rates in the months ahead. Momentum is anticipated to build as buyer's move to realize homeownership before housing values climb beyond their reach. GREATER TORONTO AREA The Greater Toronto Area's (GTA) luxury market has sprung back to life in the first two months of the year, with home sales over the $5 million price point leading the way. Thirty-two freehold and condominium properties changed hands between January 1 and February 29th, up 77 per cent from the 18 sales reported during the same period in 2023. Of the 32 properties sold over $5 million to date, 17 sales occurred in the 416, while 15 were located in the 905. While the new municipal land transfer tax on the luxury segment in the City of Toronto has had some effect on housing sales at the $3-million-plus price point, sales over $7.5 million have borne the brunt, with only one sale occurring over $7.5 million to date, compared to three during the first two months of 2023. Overall luxury sales priced over $3 million are trending higher than year-ago levels, with 167 freehold and condominium properties sold between January and February, up more than 14 per cent from the 146 sales that were recorded during the same period last year. Demand is particularly strong between $3 million and $4 million for detached product, but activity in this range is largely hampered by fewer listings available for sale. Just 115 properties were available for sale between $3 million and $4 million in the central core heading into the traditionally busy spring market. Some communities were down to single-digit inventory levels, including Leaside (3); Cedarvale, Humewood, Forest Hill South, and Yonge-Eglinton (5); Banbury-Don Mills (7); the Beaches (4); and Stonegate-Queensway (5). Realtors with interested buyers have been in constant contact with other realtors regarding upcoming listings in coveted hot pockets and heated price points. Inventory levels remain tight throughout the Greater Toronto Area, with few new listings coming to market at the top end. At least one-third of properties currently listed for sale over $10 million are carryovers from 2023. The disconnect between buyers and sellers remains an issue at luxury price points, where many sellers still expect their homes to fetch similar value to that of the Covid years. Buyers, particularly at uber-luxe levels, are submitting offers at 80 per cent on the dollar but quickly realize that high-end sellers are holding their ground in anticipation of a stronger luxury market down the road. Some areas are more impacted than others, with the Bridle Path in a world of its own, given that listings are especially scarce in the neighbourhood. Some downsizing is also occurring in the market, with empty nesters and retirees making more lateral moves into luxury condominium apartments, townhomes, and new builds on smaller-sized lots in desirable neighbourhoods. Eleven condominiums have sold for more than $3 million in the first two months of the year, compared to 10 between January and February of 2023. Despite strong demand, new builds on small lots are few and far between. Interest rates remain the greatest roadblock to homeownership at present, with many waiting on the sidelines for rate cuts. It's anticipated that once rates start to fall, Toronto's housing market will be exceptionally robust, with pent-up demand the driving force behind heated home-buying activity. OTTAWA While luxury home-buying activity in Ottawa was strong out of the gate, sales softened somewhat in February with affordability taking a backseat to inventory. Just 48 freehold properties priced over $1.2 million changed hands in the first two months of 2024, down over seven per cent when compared to the 52 sales that took place between January and February of 2023. Fewer homes are listed for sale at the top end of the market this year, which has hampered sales activity to some extent. Less than 400 properties are currently available over $1.2 million, 30 per cent of which are priced over $2 million. Equity has played a role in luxury sales this year, as existing homeowners seek to leverage gains against softer housing values. When combined with lending rates that are trending lower, buyers are finding that affordability has improved and what was once beyond their grasp is now attainable. Buying patterns have also changed in the high end this year, given increased demand for detached properties that offer greater privacy and larger lot sizes. As a result, there have been more sales occurring in suburban-rural neighbourhoods, including Stittsville, Kanata, Riverside South, Greely, and Manotick. Demand for more traditional areas, such as McKellar Heights and Westboro, have experienced an uptick. Fewer sales have occurred in Ottawa's coveted Golden Triangle. Luxury condominiums have experienced a slight increase in sales over year-ago levels. Twelve properties were sold over the $800,000 price point in January and February of 2024, up from 10 during the same period in 2023. Condominiums continue to be a popular choice amongst young professionals and downsizing empty nesters and retirees who want to be in the city's core. An ample supply of condominium apartments is available, with 39 properties currently listed for sale. Heated home-buying activity at lower price points, characterized by strong demand and multiple offers, is expected to spill over into Ottawa's luxury market in the second quarter of the year. While a bounce-back is anticipated in the top end, fuelled by lower lending rates and lower housing values, concerns in the civil service sector over the possibility of a federal election could serve to dampen buyer enthusiasm in the short term. CITY OF MONTREAL Strong activity early in the year has set the stage for a robust spring housing market in the City of Montreal's luxury sector. Year-to-date (January 1 – February 29) sales priced over $2.5 million have increased 55 per cent, with 14 freehold and condominium properties changing hands so far this year, compared to nine during the same period in 2023. As lending rates trend lower and consumer confidence levels climb, more buyers and sellers are expected to enter the top end of the market. While inventory is currently ample at higher price points, much of the existing supply has been carried over from 2023. That scenario is expected to change in coming weeks as sellers move to take advantage of the vibrant spring market. While some luxury buyers are still sitting on the fence, hoping values will fall, increased activity is expected to place upward pressure on pricing in the months ahead. Pricing is key in today's market, with local buyers more selective than in years past. Well-appointed homes are generating the greatest interest, especially when located in the city's premier communities that have withstood the test of time – Westmount, Outremont and Hampstead. Younger buyers, looking for more funky architecture, tend to be drawn to areas like Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie and Villeray, where modern renovations and custom builds are cropping up. New infill properties with the latest finishes, located in established older neighbourhoods have also drawn the attention of some high-end buyers. While luxury condominiums sales are up over last year, the market has been somewhat affected by the Foreign Buyer Ban. Would-be buyers from France, the Middle East, and Asia have been shut out of the market in recent years, and the extension of the Federal government's Foreign Buyer Ban to early 2027 has not helped. Evidence of the slowdown is most noticeable at the $800,000 to $1.3 million price point this year. With the end of quantitative tightening by the Bank of Canada in sight, a much-improved housing market is expected to emerge in the City of Montreal. Sales are forecast to be especially brisk at the lower end of the luxury market, priced under the $1.4 million price point, where multiple offers are expected to be commonplace. HALIFAX Despite an overall flattening in residential real estate activity at luxury price points, sales of properties priced over $1.2 million in Halifax reported a 16 per cent increase in the first two months of the year. Fourteen sales occurred between January 1 and February 29, with 10 single-family homes and four condominium/townhomes changing hands, compared to 12 sales during the same period in 2023. Local executives and newly-landed immigrants have been behind the push for high-end housing in Halifax this year. Some softening in values have contributed to the uptick in activity, with the average price of a luxury property sold in 2024 hovering at $1.56 million compared to $1.73 million one year ago. Halifax's Peninsula area continues to draw the greatest number of buyers, with 50 per cent of sales occurring in the community to date. The area offers up a limited supply of stately character homes, some offering waterfront with riparian rights, in a picturesque setting within five minutes of the city core. While listings are scarce on the Peninsula, there are several properties in the area that offer potential for renovation where the money invested will usually provide a decent return upon sale. The remainder of sales activity is occurring in sought-after suburban neighbourhoods and on the outskirts of town where waterfront properties offering lake frontage are a popular choice. Newer, contemporary construction is cropping up in established older communities such as Bedford West, where modern homes are quickly snapped up. An influx of listings early in the year has contributed to greater selection at the top end of the market for buyers but have held price appreciation in check for sellers. This is primarily due to strong upward momentum at lower price points which has pushed more properties into higher price points. As a result, many would-be trade-up buyers have been sidelined, especially at the $800,000 to $1.2 million price point. There are currently 78 properties listed for sale over the $1.2 million price point. The economic impact of 10 rate hikes by the Bank of Canada in a relatively short period of time has affected a large percentage of local buyers, but falling lending rates are slowly drawing some back into the market at lower price points. On the cusp of the traditional spring market, the forecast is promising. Although the flurry of activity experienced during the Covid era is unlikely to repeat itself, the Halifax housing market is expected to ramp up in coming months. About the RE/MAX Network As one of the leading global real estate franchisors, RE/MAX, LLC is a subsidiary of RE/MAX Holdings (NYSE: RMAX) with more than 140,000 agents in over 9,000 offices with a presence in more than 110 countries and territories. RE/MAX Canada refers to RE/MAX of Western Canada (1998), LLC, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada, Inc., and RE/MAX Promotions, Inc., each of which are affiliates of RE/MAX, LLC. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by residential transaction sides. RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence. RE/MAX agents have lived, worked and served in their local communities for decades, raising millions of dollars every year for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals® and other charities. To learn more about RE/MAX, to search home listings or find an agent in your community, please visit remax.ca. For the latest news from RE/MAX Canada, please visit blog.remax.ca. Mario Toneguzzi Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada's Podcast. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 as one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the World by PR News – the only Canadian to make the list. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024. About Us Canada's Podcast is the number one podcast in Canada for entrepreneurs and business owners. Established in 2016, the podcast network has interviewed over 600 Canadian entrepreneurs from coast-to-coast. With hosts in each province, entrepreneurs have a local and national format to tell their stories, talk about their journey and provide inspiration for anyone starting their entrepreneurial journey and well- established founders. The commitment to a grass roots approach has built a loyal audience on all our social channels and YouTube – 500,000+ lifetime YouTube views, 200,000 + audio downloads, 35,000 + average monthly social impressions, 10,000 + engaged social followers and 35,000 newsletter subscribers. Canada's Podcast is proud to provide a local, national and international presence for Canadian entrepreneurs to build their brand and tell their story. businessCanada's Number One Podcast for EntrepreneursentrepreneursentrepreneurshipHomesHousingLuxuryReal Estatesmall business

We dive into city manager Andre Corbould's resignation and why it will matter.Here are the relevant links for this episode:Andre CorbouldAndre Corbould is out as Edmonton's city managerEdmonton city hall's top bureaucrat is gone — how did we get here?David Staples: Province considers move to 'audit and stabilize' the City of Edmonton, say government officialsCoun. Erin Rutherford responseNavigation centre numbersAlberta claiming success with Edmonton navigation support centre, plans to expand to CalgaryHomeless people in Edmonton are dying at 8 times the rate as pre-pandemicRachel Notley says the permanent housing number is 5Glenora heritageCity halts project to protect Glenora's character and starts city-wide strategy83 Avenue pedestrianizationCity recommends removing cars on 83 Avenue near farmers' marketOld Strathcona Public Realm StrategyResidential parking permit zonesEdmonton removing 15 residential parking permit zonesRapid fireTreasurer who stole $160k from Edmonton preschool given 18 months in jailCity halts project to protect Glenora's character and starts city-wide strategySpringtime skunk invasion stinky but short-lived in EdmontonSpeaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven original stories, curated newsletters on various topics, and locally focused podcasts, all in the service of informing Edmontonians about what is going on in their community. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free! ★ Support this podcast ★

The Blue Fish Radio Show is pleased to be back at the Glenora Fishery Research Station six years later to speak once again with MNRF's Collin Lake about the state of fisheries in Lake Ontario's eastern basin. Topics include greater access to urban recreational anglers, whether the commercial fishery on Lake Ontario is underutilize, the downward shift in nutrients and what it means for fishes, fish consumption advisories, the sustainability of local commercial fisheries, and elevating fish to be on par with “farm to fork” initiatives.

Here are the relevant links for this episode:Daryl KatzCha-Ching: Oilers owner Daryl Katz rises wildly on Forbes ranking of 2022 billionairesDigital sign on 109 StreetReturn of eight-metre high 109 Street digital sign approvedCatalytic converter theftsEdmonton police offer $50K for solution to catalytic converter theftsScona Pool Edmonton city councillors vote to pull the plug on 65-year-old Scona Pool over safety issues Edmonton council eyes restoring May to September outdoor pool season Affordable housingNews Release: City approves new affordable housing, eclipses four-year targets Regional transitEdmonton would pay $7.2 million annually for regional transit with 11 routes starting next yearGlenora rezoningProposed rezoning for apartment in Glenora met with oppositionAggregate recycling Edmonton council to keep aggregate facility open for now Union: Road costs may rise as Edmonton closes recycling site Speaking Municipally is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: locally grown, community supported.This week we highlighted the Edmonton Community Foundation which acts as a bridge between donors and charities to create a strong, vibrant community for generations to come. We also talked about Alberta Blue Cross, which offers group benefit plans that enable employees to manage their own health, dental, life and disability coverage online.Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven original stories, curated newsletters on various topics, and locally focused podcasts, all in the service of informing Edmontonians about what is going on in their community. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free! ★ Support this podcast ★

Pt Chev Centre Francis Leger joined the program to preview their upcoming final against the mighty Glenora Bears.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I return to the Finger Lakes for an interview with Gene Pierce, the pioneering founder of Glenora Wine Cellars on Seneca Lake in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York.  Gene’s experience in vineyards spans more than 50 years, and his leadership in the Finger Lakes wine industry spans more than four decades.  Founding Glenora as the first winery on the west side of Seneca Lake, he blazed a trail for the region shortly after the passage of the 1976 Farm Winery Act.  If you like this podcast, please be sure to rate us 5 stars in Apple podcasts and like our videos on YouTube. Due to the extraordinary amount of time video editing has taken, I have put the YouTube portion of the show on hold for a little while. The podcast will continue, and we will continue to deliver great audio content. Stay tuned for more!Check out Glenora Wine Cellars at:https://www.glenora.com/Visit our website at www.VitiCulturePodcast.com, and don’t forget to share with your friends via all major social media platforms @VitiCULTUREPodVisit Bellangelo Winery and Missick Cellars at www.Bellangelo.com and www.MissickCellars.com. Get full access to The Viti+Culture Podcast Newsletter at viticulturepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Nathan Harben is a farmer at Local Forage Farm in Glenora, British Columbia, a 2-acre homestead that grows ethically raised livestock, fruits and vegetables. He also works with the food recovery team of Cowichan Green Community, a non-profit organization that has focused on environmental sustainability in Vancouver Island's Cowichan Region since March 2004.  Listen in as he talks about farming in extreme heat and meeting water needs during times of drought. Learn about local food security measures and how COVID impacted food access for many (and measures to feed people during troubling times). Hear about  methods farmers in areas with short growing seasons do to extend their seasons and grow food year-round. And share in some of his small-farm antics, from chickens laying eggs on the bed to falling in love with fresh asparagus.

Vino Lingo gives you wine words defined by the winemakers! Listen this week to Winemaker Steve DiFrancesco of Glenora Wine Cellars in the Finger Lakes region of New York defining the term “Agraff”

The Finger Lakes region of New York state makes wines that are complex, tasty and surprising. Cool climate grapes in the hands of experienced winemakers, will delight the palate of the most discriminating wine lover. The surprising part is some of the varietals they grow. But then experimenting is all in a day’s work for [...]

Things that happen to us at a young age have a habit of sticking with us. That's what happened to Troy Ruptash when he was competitive figure skater. Born and raised in Vegreville, Alberta, Troy had many days where he found it hard to be the only male in the figure skating group, and absorbed far more than his fair share of belittling and bullying. Those incidents shaped Troy's later decisions to leave skating altogether and when he should come out to his family, and later publicly, about his relationship with his life partner Craig.  In this episode, you'll hear about Troy's journey as the figure skater who frequented the Glenora and Glencoe in Edmonton and Calgary, to becoming an actor in New York. You'll hear about the dozens of roles he's played on films and shows you have certainly watched, and he discusses encounters with actors like Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jon Hamm and George Clooney. You can see what movies and TV shows Troy has starred in here.  But more importantly, Troy has put his heart and soul into a new movie which encompasses much of what you will hear in this podcast. They Who Surround Us is a new movie written and directed by Troy, about a Ukrainian farmer living in Alberta who loses his wife in a tragic accident. Guilt and grief send him into an emotional spiral where mysterious and inexplicable events force him to relive traumatic incidents from his childhood in Ukraine.  Next week's episode will feature Spencer Beach. I know some people might have heard Carrie on 96.3 The Breeze talking about that episode, but we made the switch because Troy's movie is going to released at the Edmonton Film Festival. Check out the trailer here.  Watch for free on Super Channel here.  The movie airs October 9th at 6:30pm Mountain Time.  Please rate, review and follow the podcast! Also, Carrie has a Facebook group you can join. Check it out here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

December 21, 1915, 10.17" of rainfall fell in Glenora, Oregon setting a state record.As it was in the days of NoahI mistakenly attribute the death of Germon scientist Alzheimer to this date in 1915.Story of women who memorized the Bible

The Flash S6E2, Arrow S8E1: Legends of the Arrowverse Episode #11 Welcome back to Legends of the Arrowverse!  This time Phil and Lilith review Batwoman S1E2 “The Rabbit Hole”, Supergirl S5E2 “Stranger Beside Me”, Black Lightning S3E2 “The Book of Occupation: Chapter Two”, The Flash S6E2 “A Flash of the Lightning” and Arrow S8E1 “Starling City”. Show notes: The Flash S6E2, Arrow S8E1: Legends of the Arrowverse Episode #11 Find all of our Social Media & Merchandise here: https://linktr.ee/capesandlunatics Follow Phil Perich on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nightwingpdp Follow Lilith Hellfire on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LilithHellfire Produced by: http://www.southgatemediagroup.com Production Team: Phil Perich The Flash S6E2, Arrow S8E1: Legends of the Arrowverse Episode #11 00:00:10 - 00:15:16 You should be in a lifetime warranty working get there through the link on our website southgate media group Dot Com hey what about that Earth too this episode of Kings Lunatic sidekicks is brought to you by tweaked audio get awesome headphones get tweaked audio dot com and use coupon code southgate get thirty percent off itself again take him in order so that brings us back to supergirl season five episode two so what pretty much every single magazine newspaper has done even the news that negligently changed the keep the rating up though I she's GonNa have like all pollinate Stu I'm sorry but I like the new editor Pat Her I mean though you have to think about it Emily Timmy James apply ask like waiting let's Senator Olsen the you know all the other shows on this supergirl fat woman black lightning flash finally got Arrow second second episode season already she's already Falana almost lex Yeah Ultima action really didn't care for her interaction tat I believe this theory blow from raiding okay we messed up but that's fine Kazbat woman did actually air I I forgot but vital that great I thought you know what's going to happen you go down a little bit we're going to get the crisis we're not gonNa see me thing until then what January yeah that's true welcome back the alleged that the era verse APPs Eleven I am joining me as always rightfully F up for no of course I did but that's very early on I will continue copy as you see things going are but it's like who is he Jonathan Kent or Martha Martha Kit yeah yes season eight premiere final every commercial with the final season of Air Waking Badge shut up what we should Oh on before the Bat Batman what did you think are really kind of sad to see Lena quickly yeah it seems like it's going to the the waking batters shut up and let it yeah we'll get there there she did nothing wrong what's that name I go to look it up I I love saying the name it's fun some some day it should be those birthday Bible Day anyway a new publisher Andrea Ross Ross like did he get any warlike I don't know I mean so far so good then I think it's better than last will get only two episodes in but I think it's improved last season so far yeah Amalia I'm super excited on the books it'd be interesting season Nick we're GONNA go from she's GonNa be full on insane but episode forward I know that's how he thinks he's going to pull out in his tailspin at all it's just GonNa be died they have the rug was pulled from under themselves are especially like with crisis on survive there so we'll bought it though yes so far so good the whole Martian manhunter thing that's going on the I I'm waiting to see how that brother thing plays out but the little falls another live read Sunday we were GonNa make an annual thing on Batman there it turned out I mean really didn't get my child monitor Cresa stuff the last two episodes at third with that you know all year old there I thought it was maybe she doesn't like her forehead or something but I'm just like again I think a proper late I've actually super interested so far is zero they haven't lost yet usually happens but episode five check in with the Improv that it's all so anyway we had a full slate all the reverse well Mutt legends but AH go expert Admiral only be a Biggie yes that's just backed by pretty much take away from episode I've thought that it was pretty good they have that he would kind of the of the black to me just as long he's not made of Electricity Burnell killing me though like I I can't take her seriously with Bang bangs alive your new boss ethnic name secret villain of that's right I had a mustache twirling flashing Arrow back the respectfully new his a lot of people often you know what I mean technically parochial character not you know what I mean yeah yeah the earth I it's those that thought there the crux of it true true okay the banks like I said I think you need to do one identity and not the other that would really you know I mean yeah hey if she doesn't like eight o'clock said about back with a rating bow or or an that women didn't ball that much it's going to be up against supergirl not that woman you o'clock right yeah no member we did the remember we switched the order on these member about woman's on at eight super girls on at night okay what ball it's walking dead and then starting at the different well too but then three this the kingdom come superman matty so maybe I mean who knows I mean we haven't seen any pictures of Tom Welling right now you don't anyway yeah supergirl if you're you're like maybe waiting for a couple of episodes essay jumping I love tweeting supergirl because fans orlands hardcore hard y'all just disgusting so maybe you can enjoy it that way starting this Sunday watchmen is going to be on nine o'clock on HBO at the issue that that will issue no eh on Thursday I kinda like that yeah I think they felt like it was used by they don't WanNa be the DC show I felt like CBS Immobile Warner brothers CBS you know if she wants to cover her forehead for some reason through the bangs his car and then a supergirl where that red had been are you now give it a little F- I don't know football walking dead now watchmen starting always wanted cw to open up another night but apple they Saturday might have accident better the rollback Spit Curl Bobby Knight show actually giving the curl in the star like let's just not my super grellet debut the bank you have to do like the short super short haircut come do the real thing again lenient that's right yeah member must not remember yeah though it's super girl at night or I I'm saying I mean wordy honesty he wanted to be the black he both like that red and blue is used to much pressure and it makes sense about the other superman you will or both we're both or she can't keep them because they're busy exactly yeah Alex also you know people say have been enjoying a one oh you were saying that the ratings were down for supergirl amine again what do you want from Super Hurley you heard it here first people just back from the dead or something now I think I think I remember him saying the everyday have to ask and they really need to fix that afterlife season one I think they can come back within I think I think what was it last season probably mostly they were pushing that whole car and Lena they don't do good though I feel like best is like a thing so supergirl is technically CBS productions though they kind of a friendship and now that that's on the rocks they will get the sisterhood back yet also it's really a shame rate we all Mulino was a total luther I choose my car let's be friends leave ah people asking that online too I was like you know maybe who knows keihin baffle is now by kind of like the member when we had like we had one show Monday through Thursday yeah that was pretty old was what supergirl Monday flash Tuesday Arrow Wednesdays from higher she's giving blood return it dammit that's what I'm saying yeah I mean the core demographic may not be going for those other shows but you know some competition let's talk about that one all right episode asking me question the rabbit hole they're like wait we get joker yeah but how you tie Jervis touched the Kane family that would be that'd be substrates hybrid of like Jervis there were people that are like staying in more like watching TV Matt that night that he used to be because the economy saw that too on a nowhere more should I tried to get out so most killed her girlfriend she might be the tragic leads the intro this just she just can't have a good let's say the waned in the canes or busy beavers move it is man makes us the him to put on the black suit out is he gonNA run the black suit the getting is going to be the Black Sea relationship that the shame would seem what's like her you know her and Caitlyn it's like you you know they can't you know everyone there with it's either she lose them or their turn auto but even though season three was episode you just entitled the Now he's this is just like my I think there's like some kind of weird speaker trade you'll going on maybe if she if she relates Jarvis of like no it's just a total Kuwait unique that Alice has the same alice in wonderland no he's going to be a classic suit he's GonNa put on because remember in that like the the blanche was actually my favorite looking smallville like insperity little senior this this chain China actively prevent lose my career something like Bruce Wayne's like second key you know he'll be a second cousin twice removed how they say that the word I'm looking for lightning on the news navy tain because they're shows don't do good on his always the warner brothers shows that are candidate at e supernatural bases like before last crossover 'cause they're building the origin yeah I just wondered if they were waiting till after crisis Mush Casper I just wonder if he's going to have that can't remember right now is going to say I wonder if he's GonNa come in with Bruce Wayne's phase and try to convince everyone Bruce Lane but he's you know anyway finale at lake there were kind of foregoing that the the week right now nursery China thoughtlessness do I do the Gabriel Mann which is on if you guys events fan yes yet Bruce Wayne type no not really just as long as this as long as they look like he's ninety years old that proves wayne on titans okay kick rods is there some reason he he knows that's Alice but he doesn't want anyone else to know that I'm getting really yeah we're getting hush definitely and I heard that was early on in this unit do okay 'cause I was gonna say I will I just wondered if like this is a little in the past live is in the last that had so many issues insomnia weight Kono changes gave me whiplash. NFL It they lake no matter what happens if the gross here so yeah fell yeah there's that whole thing but the action is like really thou- this show much like era wasn't Versi Eden and the lead heavily on that of re rose ethics caretaker but like kind of backsliding on her character's lowly Thomas Cladding into the background and apple is that sister bondage on what he needs to be either that could be a respect airport I just know flash season one they could be best friend likes kincaid he could be a good dad could happen oh so he will either be either Tommy Elliot face or just like down the Elliott wonder if he was friends with her childhood to like Bruce Whatever it went to a prestigious private school together what do you mean other people know each other's Objects in my head can cause Robert deserved it at that point I was rooting for as root for publicly to Pappas Oughta be hush he's fought Batman numerous times yeah oh I wonder if I mean you'd have to castrate today say and so it's like a rear that we are doing like the Alice in Wonderland theme because this one is the rabbit hole next week is kind of like down down down I'm totally candidate the whole step ma you will step mom thing though but what did the Lucy moyer if you google the pitcher Gabriel man to in a I collection have been or rather hall the other side is what I wonder if Alice is going to lake disappear something you know once crisis starts uh she's behind the the way the shoe behind the seeking of the Queen's Gambit the more that we bought it as aero went on I totally believe that it was how Merlin and she just blame Merlin Scroll raid and yeah screw away that nobody had been my first interview if the second episode absolutely capital actually move on black lightning before year season three episode to the book of Occupation Chapter Two I hate again it's like I hate the I hate when they drag out the prison stuff like I thought Oliver and Berry were in jail too long so it's kind of this long enough but number one I made fun Bruce and he punched me in the face talking about as a kid caught them what season one and all we never saw him again Porco balance what a great interview my thank you later origin stories that are out on an island flashbacks for ninety years Like we just put everything hold the we come back yeah that cave you know along titles needs to I'll say late as much as I wanted to black lightning or Allah the show runner I like what you know they build on what they did in the first episode and I think it I think it was a little better than the first week so that people are starting to feel a little more fleshed out being locked up so it's like with Jefferson like out already but I just wonder maybe there are GonNa be way too late at getting overshadowed in his own show why did the way they try to introduce the ruthless gang like really tally TV. 00:15:16 - 00:28:25 I thought the thought I read somewhere we getting hush avenger up until the premiere I mean I mean like I said they're trying something new I like it but it's like I was hoping that they were going to pull you know when why just wonder if they have locked up as he's going to be in the in the crossover maybe so you know maybe doesn't probably the store back but but yeah even I mean we saw both daughters but it's like except for like that fight the school I mean wasn't that Moore gotTa pick up yeah so that that's just kind of I was like my head cannon for crossover like contained bubble levels part Oh yeah the pace it around in our two thumbs until crisis give me the super bowl that rumor doing cool you can too I just wanted the religion of crime or whatever we're going to get the Crime Bible wondering game the move very quickly actually at elegant late that we don't have the power kind of focus novels mystery road raveling in jail rates I was yeah I was getting impatient for Bo so it's like yeah I don't enjoy drag out the pre you know them Martin Brock Akil is like the bomb dot com I ate slept in read girlfriends the game as it's like really happy that she she seconds yeah Oh hashtag still bitter forever better felt so duke there we watch the I just wonder if like you know the dad's going to turn out to be you know she the bag I saw yeah definitive now Kamya GonNa be that big honor you don't think now I don't I just I was wondering like 'cause I don't think the the show is getting that's the thing about our crossovers sometimes at a like except for the last one obviously to they're sending out Christ urged we knew washing like Caesar one small vo chance of hope the house workouts up the pace I mean compared I mean look at all the other all the air over Che's I mean that is grounded but now it's like we have that blight aided by they have really cool beans and stuff awake anymore action flow bird besides that no this is like some weird like take on the industrial prison complex the blackmail but now why do they call them green light babies like none of them are babies I mean there's like tea like the super show at the same time to yeah an okay how do I say this without sounding completely offensive what are they called that's doing a such a big story lot maybe they'll stay in an actual historic using the character though yeah no no no no no I haven't so it's like this whole in that movie brings up the whole arm being about the blackmail the green lantern radar ready no I thought they were gonNA when they're talking about the more Kobi's and everything like that guy was going to be like okay you work for us it just look you know who I'm talking about he's had a blog you can't look like a hybrid between Savvy Ed Yeah I just wonder if like is is black lightning going to end maybe at least a week before crisis starts up so it was are they gonna like is the amy so much better and I just I don't know what's going on with that show but I agree with you there's a lot of good stuff in here like the seams and stuff but he just needed majors and stuff but it's like you ever given movie probably not no no no offense David retirees she just called me in the you know my my era has houses a crib like that whole thing episode of the death appoint Homey they learned that year Ya know like I I don't know how to go about I guess is are all the set of that episode one dated and you know I don't like the Axon like he can just go take a long walk up short year now and I mean black lightning doesn't get usually get twenty two episodes like Flash Airlines record so the pay should pay should be quicker limited upper garlic's especially you know we'll be to someone come lookin' exactly I mean I know he's had appeared yeah but he's done it before that's the whole thing I guess either very like Hannah on trustworthy Kinda Superhero you know what any I guess we're the government you're gonNA work for us now gop sh hey I get jets superman shirt wearing a superman but it's just super grow they've making fixing as Africa's real characters or yeah talent and this this show kind of prolong steak unnecessarily from season one under is is it confirmation that there's like no other major superheroes on this earth cities in curfew like no one's come investigate so we have tapie robot heroes permission I made it made it they're like Superhero wars I don't know but as far as the public's concern is just the here bribe yeah you're saying ages at a really late on Titan like I am I love that way they're actually dealing with that whole emotional midseason GonNa you know before the holidays our original roads and Jefferson just like pulled through a portal and then you know when the show comes back it's just like but I think the the problem last year's I think they did too much nora which I understand I think they were trying to build her ups like you know she disappeared made him more yeah it's good yeah tight titan season two superior to seize it oh we're not over to you're the best night of the week Tuesday activated I actually prefer Eero this week has favorite erode show the is knowing I don't know I don't know if I'm banned waking do the big lawyer with the the show runners right kind of aesthetic informed superheroes definitely like supposed to be a rope here though that would be Kinda odd for the crossover they're all just bear that woman that Kinda sorta grounded as well and even more so because she doesn't have powers though you gotta definitely differentiations out sometime but we'll get thirty eight thirty seven the the route they they dhadly figured out where their bread is buttered they're they're honing in I love the flash I love this show flashing era or these they were my two favorites this week by aeroplane the best but yeah lashes back heartstrings later I don't know like I can come at it from so many different angle that they were like Hannah taken that whole static shock thing it's a backout so yeah happen you know it's way cars are still on now when Cisco and him came out the last endure like bang babies don't like it could be a lot of things I don't know sometimes I think about black lighting way to people a metaphor is who are we mentioned in previous season but maybe like you know like with that man you are only you know you can't come in you can watch going me Adam personality just the bang baby take on the bank baby so I thought something like that then yeah you're gonNA retirement again perfectly so that bothered who it's fine shoop I could've told somebody like I am retire you know complex thing they have just gloss over that almost all the other media with actually kind of dive into fiery anyways tragic law I think little little memorial for her that was really durable Fred I'm just like okay now I saw man it just I just love when he tried to go to the future hit that an anti-matter just gobbling up the earth is awesome yeah so when we get in Kavanagh's priority oh she looks like his mom Oh oh but you had the love that when they are sent his other nor back if all these ever what's what's her face I initially black but Jessica Yay yet she is a woman in public that is true it was going to have them but at the pep talk but then the final battle just like Berry just taken the blast just like walking right into it uh-huh yeah but you just had love this flashes of the future from December yeah just like straight for the call I know and his his wife who looks just like berries mouth you're right in the year Brown apple or berry right in that moment ooh that's so accurate ethin- hurt I was just like they actually read it did it they even say that Dr Ward it just like he you know he takes the Meta human you know shoots day powered dampener on her like Joe's back being a bad ass I love it's like we have all these alien-green Leonard's was Kenneth Two black ones and John Coogan pink alien but there's going to be a version of Lila that's harboring harbingers have you not as fast right that that's all coming activists parietal but like I was just the is funny because like he kept giving her these weird looks like is just J. 00:28:25 - 00:34:31 think like Berry dated order woman her Earth One and it looked like his way other like they're a legacy on like all they're doing the titans character ha ha but you know he was co created by the new flash show runner or somebody you know what I mean like I'm getting another woman coming with all the all the human -gree Leonard Williams one woman she thought though thanks a lot about that though his name now but I'm just saying I'm just like then they are all shocked can have I mean I prefer the Mala if they're gonNA do another human land like I would begin to to three by so yes they will need a black woman earn Asian woman you down for that Mr Voice Nights Courtesy Ray Palmer yeah yeah I was like they said they we're getting aw that ever happened to be so bad it's courtesy of re Palmer you've failed to city workouts get on it but only man that that that battle at the end will after we get all is thousands like okay I see what you did there don't they didn't see what you did homey cecile become in a defense attorney for many humans up kind of hard by the way you could check out my guest appearance on the last episode of last Son's Crypt on because ray was out so you know what about the what about the killer frosting these days helmet yeah that was a great such Bernie I love the helmet now the only you personally relate to that situation true she short that you I think he thinks he's only like in real life the actresses like five foot 'til Silver Bellina Ebola death have differentiating tyler patrick on the phone yeah instant messages pull the neuro hyper collider I was just like the flex could yeah the disease nobody's really that column on the cast except for our Jesse Grant Rui yeah I know right it's no mystery like Ralph but whatever Oh my Lord went about who killer ooh Oh we were bad mouth and Ben this so adeptly check that out then that basically go get black lightning's wife away are we allowed to have to black out they but seven or something like that I know she still look at all no then then yeah out on deck and Lathi one who Glenora she's rouge short I mean skipping ahead to the end the little bit so was Adrian Chase on the island because frosting you didn't what about the line they throughout the line narrower I'm an adult I don't care killer frost in the errors are now though when the Matt Star Fitting Gary Out that cool of a- character out there I knew I knew you're GonNa love this episode with all season one called we're thinking Nah Nah I could hear the fan fake being written as haven't had title starling city up like the first season do they knew what they did with styling any okay they do and the like wasn't an accident or did the monitor intentionally drop Oliver Leeann you all look intentional John Lewis skip over going back to the island again here's my question that they know listen I know the troll tumbler twitter the kids who are gay yet to give that up just waiting for unlike dropping a bomb on the anti monitor like near nights courtesy array Paul Oliver Tooth but Fido Ero I mean in that on that Earth because he said something about something Bruce Wayne One's told him and then we saw Batman Cower authorities either Batman or about woman's Cowan the Luton Container Aero shut me in the heart with an Arrow Lake Olma God season eight episode one starling city I was like I'm surprised like we late aero has not been as playful so confidence a forceful and being a progressively good story to tell I don't know where the smoking areas like Oh then told me comes down the steps I know I I just nine golden age you are right I think builders by far superior than any other superman I don't even think Oh okay here okay here's my question I mean yeah we know stuff probably GonNa work out the end but how are you having a flat speak GonNa say this episode instant classic incident task of Eero Up reserve holding that now I smell honesty value row and I love that the next episode is welcomed the Hong Kong like okay so Leeann you honker back from twenty forty if earth is wiped out by the anti manner wave in two months so that they're give speech right in here you go okay anything you wow s. 00:34:31 - 00:31:40 made another guest filled in for race we talked by one of my favourite issues of action comics and we were talking about Fleischer Superman corral is at this point on I don't badmouth his third wasn't them but anyway let's get to the island Batman and so that's what I'm saying I wonder if that's where he taught the Oliver Death Stroke was Adrian Chason Batman there flash he plays or something like that if anything I think Earth Ninety Flash I think they definitely want to have a backup in I think they kind of learned accent many Oh my God like Aggie address had all the hill they basically shoved most the season one though in our do some and then like just like shunned him away the last year that right you've kind of forget but then the ice show up the last minute save everybody online but yeah it was great happening what we can see more yeah they come home and everything and then like the whole itchy harsh judge people yeah yeah even for the dummy their lesson after that whole thing rare didn't gauge aws for a while Oh yeah I think they want to keep Jay Garrick around that's on thinking it's going to be earth ninety flash because it's like why did they introducing  

On a super spooky summer vacation episode of 'Unpacking the News', prepare to gasp in terror as host Andre Goulet and Joel Laforest of 'The Alberta Advantage' podcast commune with the ghost of the late, legendary Peter Lougheed (PC Premier, 1971-1985)! How did the pair gain access to the late ex-Premier's haunted house of horror in Edmonton's tony Glenora neighbourhood? What are the '6 Principles'? And who needs a 9-bed 5-bath mansion anyways? Prepare to shudder in fear as Lougheed explains why, through the medium of a simple ouija board (and in contrast to contemporary trends in conservative politics), his legacy for the province is a radical one. Read the source article at https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/09/17/Radical-Peter-Lougheed/ Audio on this episode, 'Canada's Energy Wars' (CBC's 'Power Politics & People' from 1978) and 'Melancholia Music Box' by Ryan Creep can be found on Youtube. This conversation was recorded on June 29th, 2019.

A trip with our wives to Seneca Lake to visit Winery's & Distilleries. We met a nice couple from the Poconos, Victor & Michele. A very nice couple.

Marjorie Newman has an INCREDIBLE story and a deep family history in international politics including a strong influence in both Canada and The Philipines where her father was tragically murdered during his political campaign tour in the Philippines. She then left Asia with under 100$ on her and moved to Canada where she is now a candidate running for political leadership in Glenora, Edmonton Alberta. To learn more and support her google Marjorie Newman Alberta Canda and you can find information and contact info for her. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/self-developed-life/message

If you’re looking for a new wine destination, add the Finger Lakes to your list. From sublime and varied Rieslings to fresh reds, this cool-climate region in upstate New York has plenty for everyone. Wines discussed: @5:10 Hermann J. Wiemer 2016 Estate Bottled and Grown Dry Riesling (Seneca Lake) @8:30 Sheldrake Point 2017 Dry Estate Bottled Rosé (Finger Lakes) @12:40 Damiani 2016 Sunrise Hill Vineyards Lemberger (Finger Lakes)   Transcript: Jameson Fink: Welcome to Wine Enthusiasts, What We're Tasting Podcast. I'm your host, Jameson Fink. Join me as we discuss three fantastic wines and why each one belongs in your glass. This episode, we're looking at wines from the Finger Lakes with tasting director Alexander Peartree, who covers and reviews wines from the region. What We're Tasting is sponsored by the Vivino with the largest online inventory, Vivino finds the right wine every time, including bottles from New York's Finger Lakes region. Download Vivino to discover and buy your favorites and stock up at vivino.com/wineenthusiast. We've talked about the west coast, visited a few places there, went to Texas, and now I think it's time to turn our attentions to wine on the east coast, and in New York, specifically the state of New York, which I live in, and shockingly to some people the state is more than just the city of New York, it's a big, giant state full of interesting wine regions, and for me one of the most interesting is the Finger Lakes. It's a beautiful region, I highly recommend you visit. I don't know if it's underrated, it's starting to get the attention that I think it deserves for a wide variety of wines. I'm really excited to have you here today, Alex to talk about the Finger Lakes. Welcome to the show. Alex Peartree: Thank you very much, Jameson. Jameson Fink: And I guess the first thing is, I mean, I was like my ignorant New York geography I probably need a little lesson. We're in Manhattan right now, but the Finger Lakes is a fairly, a long, not a long journey, but a journey from New York. Where exactly are the Finger Lakes? Alex Peartree: Yeah. It's about a five hour drive from New York City. Most people don't really think beyond the greater New York City area, and they consider upstate New York, Westchester, or like the Poughkeepsie, but the state extends far beyond that, and the Finger Lakes are kind of in central New York, if you picture where Rochester, and Syracuse are they kind of fall right in between the two. Yeah. There's 11 lakes, but there's only about a few of them are pretty much the focus of the wine growing region. Jameson Fink: Yeah. A little quick sidebar, when I lived in White Plains, a friend of mind said, "Oh, you moved upstate," and I was like, "Westchester is not upstate," but that's an argument for another show. Alex Peartree: It's not even an argument. Jameson Fink: But the cool thing about the Finger Lakes is I mean it's really, they're aptly named, I mean they do look like vertical fingers going up and down, it's really quite geographically fascinating. Alex Peartree: Yeah. No. The amazing thing about the Finger Lakes, so there's 11 of them, and they were all carved by glaciers tens of thousands of years ago. They range in deepness levels, but when you look at them from above, yeah, they have that distinct like long skinny finger like look, so it's definitely interesting. Jameson Fink: As far as grapes go, I think my first introduction into wines of the region, and maybe it's the same for a lot of people is through Riesling, is Riesling kind of the Finger Lakes calling card grape? Alex Peartree: Yeah. Riesling has definitely taken hold in the Finger Lakes, it's a cool climate variety that seems to be suited quite well to the variety of soils, and different microclimate that are available in the Finger Lakes. Jameson Fink: How much influence do the lakes have on making it a great wine region? Alex Peartree: Without the lakes there would not be wine there, I mean, that is like 100% true, so the lakes are actually the moderating factors, which help cool, keep the climate relatively cool in the summer, because the summers can get quite hot up there, and then in the winter it helps keep the area around the vineyards a little bit warmer, because it can get pretty cold up there. The lake's kind of soak up all the heat from the summer, and extend it through the winter, so that the vines don't die. Jameson Fink: Yeah. When I was there, I was there in October a few years ago and it was snowing, it started snowing when we were in a vineyard, I was just shocked, I was like, wow, this weather is an extreme region for grape growing. Alex Peartree: Yeah. I mean, I'm an upstate New Yorker, myself, I'm from Rochester, so I'm quite used to the diversity of weather patterns they have up there, and I was recently up there in probably April of last year, and you would think right about then, like it's peaking into spring and it's a lot warmer, but no there were definitely some snow storms, and it was kind of crazy. Jameson Fink: Yeah. Spring and fall you might want to bring a coat and maybe even a hat and gloves. I mentioned a Riesling earlier, the first wine I wanted to talk about is the Herman J. Wiemer 2016 Estate Bottled and Grown Dry Riesling from Seneca Lake, 92 points. One of the things that I think that's interesting about Riesling in general, and maybe specifically in the Finger Lakes is I think people still think sweet when they think of Riesling, but can you talk about dry Rieslings and what they're kind of flavor profile is? Obviously they're dry, but do you still get a lot of that Riesling, those hallmarks of the Riesling grape? Alex Peartree: Yeah. The wonderful thing about Riesling is it can be done in a variety of styles. As you said, most people are more familiar with the sweeter styles of Riesling, just because I think they're more familiar with German Rieslings, and the more commercial Rieslings that have come out of that area. While the Finger Lakes does do Riesling from dry to dessert style wines, I really think that their dry Rieslings are quite expressive and quite different. The Wiemer, the 2016 Dry Riesling, typically, well, from year to year it has this very consistent taut minerality to it, there's nice tension through it, which makes it a really, really balanced and expressive wine, on the other end it also has pretty ripe fruit expression, so there's a lot of peach and stone fruit, a little bit of apple to kind of flush it all out, but at the end it finishes dry and crisp. Jameson Fink: Yeah. Even with Rieslings that have some sweetness to them especially in cool climate regions I think people would be surprised on how dry they drink, because they've got that great acidity, they've got that zip, too, so even though there's that sort of sense of sweetness type of expression when you kind of finish it with that acidity and liveliness that actually might even taste drier than a lot of quote on quote, dry wines made from other grapes. Alex Peartree: Yeah. Definitely. Jameson Fink: Yeah. Don't be afraid of a little sweetness in your Riesling. Alex Peartree: Absolutely, not. No. Jameson Fink: Yeah. And I think, it's also that we said about the Finger Lakes is that you can find Riesling in every shape and form like from bone dry to sort of German style exquisite nectar dessert wines. Alex Peartree: Yeah. They do a lot of late harvest wines up there, and they actually have a good production of Ice wine, because in certain years it actually does get cold enough in the winter to do a traditional Ice wine harvest where you're letting the grapes hang on the vine through December, January, and harvest them, which is not something I would ever do, but I'd totally drink the wine. Jameson Fink: Yeah. I spent one day in a summer years ago, one day, picking grapes and it was the most back breaking work I've ever done. I can't imagine what it's like. I think you have to, do they have to take off every single berry? Alex Peartree: Yeah. They got to weed out the specific berries, and I believe they can't really wear gloves because they need to have dexterous fingers. Jameson Fink: Oh, my God. Yeah. Alex Peartree: t's crazy. Right? Jameson Fink: I don't know, maybe I'd volunteer for one day of that kind of labor, I have a lot of admiration for people who can handle that, not me. Let's move from Riesling, let's talk about Rosé, which is everywhere, which is great. I want to talk about the Sheldrake Point 2017 Dry Estate Bottled Rosé, which you gave 90 points to. Are you seeing more and more Rosé from the Finger Lakes? Alex Peartree: Yeah. Over the years there's definitely been a Rosé boom, and I think that goes across the board for most regions, however, it doesn't mean that every region produces an amazing Rosé, and I think for the Finger Lakes, because it's a cooler climate it actually produces a really nicely balanced Rosé. The Sheldrake is a 100% Cabernet Franc Rosé, which I think is a lovely style of Rosé, you kind of get the herbalness and like the spicy kind of berry notes of Cabernet Franc, but you also blend in later stone fruit notes, and a little bit of that crisp mineral zing. Jameson Fink: Yeah. I really like Cab Franc Rosé. One thing I was thinking about recently with rosé is when you drink a lot of sort of pale nondescript kind of watery ones you don't really get the sense of the grape that it's made from, it sounds kind of silly, and I've written about this before, like with the Cab Franc Rosé, I mean, kind of with your eyes closed you get those notes of sort of like more savory notes that Cabernet Franc has so I think it makes a really distinct Rosé that stands out from a lot of kind of watery, bland plonk. Alex Peartree: Definitely. Yeah. Beyond Cabernet Franc, the Finger Lakes also produces Pinot Noir Rosés, Rosés from Lemberger, Blaufränkisch, so they really kind of hit the whole gambit in terms of Rosé. Jameson Fink: When we talk about Cabernet Franc in Rosé form, and in red form, if I'm a Loire Cabernet Franc fan is this kind of my jam? Alex Peartree: It's definitely more on the old world style. The Finger Lakes kind of has a nice balance between new world and old world, it's not going to be ultra ripe, it'll be a little bit more savory, and herbal, and spicy. A little bit lighter in profile than some of the new world offerings, so yeah, I would maybe make a case that's its more akin to Loire. Jameson Fink: With a lot of these red grapes, and the weather there, you know we talked about snow earlier, is it a problem getting grapes ripe? Is that an issue every year? Alex Peartree: Well, not in the past few years. Jameson Fink: Right. Yeah. Alex Peartree: There's definitely been a lot of warming effect going on in the past few years, and in 2016, and from what I'm hearing from 2017 it's definitely been some pretty warm vintages, but even in the past with cooler vintages know it hasn't really been an issue getting the grapes ripened, it was just more of kind of a vineyard management deal. Jameson Fink: Another wine I wanted to talk about that I've had from the Finger Lakes that I wanted to mention, too, is sparkling wine. I've started to see a lot more sparkling wines and very serious wines have spent years on the lees, and is sparkling wine coming on in the Finger Lakes? Alex Peartree: Well, New York actually has a pretty rich history of sparkling wine, and they had sparkling houses way back pre-prohibition, unfortunately they closed, they shuttered during prohibition, and now a lot of producers are revitalizing that, and one of them is Wiemer, the other is Doctor Frank, which they produce traditional method, sparkling wines with Chardonnay, and Pinot. Jameson Fink: Look out for sparkling wines, too. Alex Peartree: Definitely. Jameson Fink: Hey, we'll be to the show here shortly, but since you're here I know you're already a fan of wine podcasts, why don't you check out our other show called, The Wine Enthusiast Podcast, download it wherever you get podcasts. The third wine I want to talk about is something, a grape, that I really like, and that I kind of got most familiar with in Washington state, but when I was out a few years ago I tried a lot of blends, and single variety versions that I really like and it's Lemberger, it's the Damiani 2016 Sunrise Hill Vineyards Lemberger, 90 points. For people who don't know what is Lemberger? What is it like? Alex Peartree: Lemberger, or as they call it in Austria, Blaufränkisch, which they're the same grape. I kind of would describe it as a similar body to a Cabernet Franc, except it's more on the darker fruit notes, maybe more like a sour dark cherry, a little bit of that spicy dark brambly notes, and definitely pepper. This one from Damiani, I really enjoyed it when I tasted it. It's from a vintage that it had a drought in the middle of the summer, so this actually resulted in lower yields, concentrated berries, so this actually has a really nice depth to it, which I wrote in my note, it's like it's showing its Hungarian oak on its sleeve right now, so it's a little oaky right now, but I think in a few years it'll all balance out, and it actually has that nice ripe fruit, very, very, grippy tannins to help it extend a few more years. Jameson Fink: That's a good point about oak, I mean, there are a lot of people who are sensitive to oak, or really don't like sort of oak that's out there and in your face, I've been on record as enjoying oak, especially in white wines. I think that's something that people don't realize is that sometimes oak can be like you said, like it's wearing on its sleeve, but it's pretty incredible, that's one of the great things about cellaring wine you can just, I mean, even like one, or two, or three years you can really see that oak kind of integrate and then it's just more like bringing something to the party and not putting a lampshade on it's head. Alex Peartree: Definitely. You can't just think about wine as you're drinking it right now you have to kind of have the foresight to see where it would go in a few years, and if all the components are there, but it's just not kind of hitting its stride right now, it might mean that it needs a few more years to settle out, and integrate further. Jameson Fink: I think that's where you can start understanding like on a review, like sort of the drinking windows, I mean that's sort of taking your experience with wine, and region, and wine making styles, and saying, this is something you want to hold onto for a few years, not that it would be unpleasant now, but just sort of noting that this is why I say, drink from 2020 with this wine. Alex Peartree: Exactly. I mean, they're all, we do try to give drinking windows, and they're all relatively subjective, but we do try to offer a really kind of honed idea of when this should be best enjoyed. Jameson Fink: Then with Lemberger, I mean this obviously sounds like a more serious wine, like one you would hold onto, are there more sort of like, is it a grape that can be like a drink now type of style? Alex Peartree: Definitely. There are plenty of Lemberger, or Blaufränkisch examples in the Finger Lakes and they kind of switch labeling, some do, say Lemberger, some say Blaufränkisch, and through my tastings I had plenty that were not as oaky right now, and some that might not even have any oak at all, and they're just pretty fruit forward, but still grippy, nice braid acidity, it's just a well balanced easy drinking wine. Jameson Fink: Yeah. It's interesting when I had it in Washington, the versions I've had, have been a little more on the grippy tannic side, but they're from an area like Red Mountain, which is like the polar opposite of- Alex Peartree: Yeah. Jameson Fink: The Finger Lakes, like a really hot, baking region in Eastern Washington, so it's interesting to see the grape, and that's something that's really kind of fun and geeky to do is to try a grape from different regions, like a hotter region, a cool climate region, and kind of see how obviously wine making has something to do with it, but to really get sort of a handle on a region. Alex Peartree: Yeah. Exactly. I mean, that's what wine is all about your kind of exploring a region through drinking the wine, and as you said, if you try a Blaufränkisch from a warmer region verse Blaufränkisch from a cooler region you'll definitely understand what happens in the vineyard and why one is bigger than the other. Jameson Fink: I also want to talk about availability of the wines, because wine I was living on the west coast, in Seattle, I never saw any Finger Lakes wines, and that's one of the great things about being out here is that I can go to restaurants and there's a great support for all the wines of New York, really, and we're just talking about the Finger Lakes, but there's certainly more regions. What's your take on are we going to see New York wines more nationally? Are people on the west coast enjoying them more? Is it an issue of production, or just people haven't been exposed to them, yet? Alex Peartree: Yeah. Well, definitely here there's a really big drink local thing going on, so you'll see Finger Lakes wines all throughout the east coast, and especially in New York City. There are a good number of wineries that distribute out to the west coast, and I would say Wiemer, maybe Red Tail Ridge, and possibly Glenora are a few that have kind of spread their distribution out there, so you should definitely keep an eye out for them. It's not really an issue of production, it's more of an issue of people wanting to explore what the Finger Lakes has to offer. Jameson Fink: Yeah. They should just, well, I will just say, you just got to go and visit, because it's really, I mean, when you see the views of the vineyards with the lakes behind them it's really, really stunning. Alex Peartree: Oh, God. It's gorgeous. When I used to live up there, and I was just, it was amazing driving to and from work, I used to live in Ithaca, and drive that every day, and I would come over the ridge, and you would just see this sprawling giant lake, it's like you don't have any words for it. That was awful. Jameson Fink: Yeah. That wasn't awful. One last thing I want to talk about, too, is visiting, I love sort of visiting wine country, and food, and stuff. Have you been F.L.X. Wienery? Alex Peartree: I actually haven't been yet. I'm dying to go and I'm dying to see Chris Bates other restaurants like F.L.X. Table, but I haven't been yet, actually. Jameson Fink: Yeah. He's a master sommelier, and he has a couple restaurants. Alex Peartree: He has a winery- Jameson Fink: Yeah. Alex Peartree: As well. Jameson Fink: And winery. Alex Peartree: He's the jack of all trade. He actually also has F.L.X. Provisions, which is a shop that sells wines, and ciders, and all the delicious local things from the Finger Lakes. He is really doing it all. Jameson Fink: Yeah. If you go to the Finger Lakes, F.L.X. Wienery, they make hotdogs and sausages. They make almost everything there, and what's great about it is if you bring a Finger Lakes wine there, there's no corkage fee for it, which is a great way to enjoy your day, and also he has like a fridge with a bunch of really cool esoteric wines, too, if you want to take a break from Finger Lakes wine to have a beer, too, it's a really cool place, but it's really also an exciting place for eating, and drinking, and also like you said, cider, and all kinds of, I mean, you can really spend a lot of time there visiting wineries, and eating, and drinking your way through. Alex Peartree: Yeah. I mean, the Finger Lakes has a lot more to offer than wine. It's a really big agricultural area, as well, like for cider, for cheese, orchards, for apples, and peaches, and cherries, like it really has it all. If you wanted to create an itinerary there where you sprinkled in a little bit of wine, and a little bit of cheese, and then some hiking, and you know going to check waterfalls, it's like you could hit everything. It's amazing. Jameson Fink: Well, I think we've made the case for visiting the Finger Lakes, and drinking the wines from the region. Alex, thanks for joining me on the show, today. Alex Peartree: Thanks for having me. Jameson Fink: And thank you for listening to the What We're Tasting Podcast, sponsored by Vivino wine made easy. The wines we discussed today were The Hermann J. Wiemer, 2016, Estate Bottled and Grown Dry Riesling. The Sheldrake Point 2017 Dry Estate Bottled Rosé. And the Damiani 2016 Sunrise Hill Vineyards Lemberger. Find What We're Tasting on iTunes, Google Play, or wherever you find podcasts. If you like today's episode, please give us a five star rating on iTunes, leave a comment, and tell your friends. What We're Tasting is a Wine Enthusiast Podcast. Check out Wine Enthusiast online at winemag.com ...

Meet Jim Bilodeau, a NAIT instructor with a passion to help artists make money online, and the man behind The Museum Project, an interesting idea to help make that happen. Jim was one of the people who came in for an interview on 100 in 1 Day back in June, when I took over a studio at the Edmonton Public Library's Makerspace to talk to Edmontonians about what they are making. Unlike most of my interviewees, Jim doesn't write a blog or make a podcast or have a YouTube channel. But he wants to help those who do. "I want every individual artist to be in charge of their own career," he says. "If you have talent, you can make money at your art now." He has an idea that he hopes will kill two birds with one stone: Incubate online artistic ventures by providing a production facility, and save the old Royal Alberta Museum building in Glenora in the process. The new downtown museum opens in 2017, but it will take until 2019 to empty. After that, anything could happen to the building, including tearing it down. Jim doesn't want that to happen, and you'll hear more about his idea in this interview. This episode is also available in iTunes, on Google Play, on SoundCloud or on Stitcher. Jim recommended a couple of Alberta artists who are making a go of it on Twitch TV: Body painter Kay Pike Fashion Artist Fady Lace You can follow The Museum Project on Facebook and on Twitter (@yegmuseum). Learn more about Your Entertainment Guild (YEG Society) at yegsociety.ca. You can also see some other ideas for uses of the old RAM on this petition to save the building. This episode of Seen and Heard in Edmonton is brought to you by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven stories about the city, cultivated by the community. Learn more about the project in my chat with co-founder Mack Male. And watch taprootedmonton.ca for our first story, coming soon.  Musical credits: Beethoven’s Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1, played by Daniel Veesey, from freemusicarchive.com.  

Melissa Kaercher returns for our next edition of Scotch Around the World (…world…world)! This time we sample Kavalan’s Concerto Port from Taiwan and Glenora’s Glen Breton Rare 10yr from Canada. Melissa also talks about her recent vacation to England where she walked Hadrian’s Wall and drank at the super secret bar within a bar in London. For more details, press play.

Glenora and her husband Don Slimmons served in Barbados. Glenora helped put together a 4H club and taught home economics. The challenge was communications between estate and small farmers.Talk about capacity building, Glenora just found out that one of her great students, Hansley Ben is now the Minister of Agriculture! Also 2 years ago Juliet Cabarbuku became the Deputy Minister of Sport, also another student.Glenora lives in Brandon, Manitoba. Volunteer for a better world! Join CUSO-VSO, share skills and volunteer in 43 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Volunteers, donate, share skills.www.cuso-vso.org