HAMILTON CITY Magazine - No. 5 - Summer 2023

THINGS TO DO!

N O. 5 - T H E M U S I C I S S U E

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SUMMER 2023

Women on Fire

Hamilton’s music community is deep, diverse, and full of incredibly talented female artists. We feature MELISSA MARCHESE, MARCHESE RITA CHIARELLI, CHIARELLI JUDE JOHNSON and NABI SUE BERSCHE. BERSCHE

A HOME LIKE NO OTHER

A LOCAL SUPPORTED HOUSING PROVIDER IS A LABOUR OF LIFE AND LOVE FOR A MOTHER AND SON TEAM.

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AN AUDACIOUS SANDBOX GRANT AVENUE STUDIO HAS A FASCINATING HISTORY, A WORLDWIDE REPUTATION AND A PROMISING FUTURE.

Be the future of Hamilton, one of Canada’s largest cities and most diversified economies. Home to an active and inclusive community; thriving arts, cultural and music scenes; and a mecca of food and culinary experiences. A waterfront city that embraces its natural environment and beauty with hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails, and so much more.

Join our diverse, talented and ambitious city team who embody our commitment to service quality, a passion for nurturing change and a dedication to steadfast integrity. Our engaged, empowered employees make a difference. So will you. Hamilton is happening. #BeTheReason

Consider joining the City to advance your career in public service.

Scan the QR code or visit hamilton.ca/careers

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PUBLISHER

JEFFREY MARTIN

jeff@hamiltoncitymagazine.ca

A S S O C I AT E P U B L I S H E R + E D ITO R

MEREDITH M acLEOD

meredith@hamiltoncitymagazine.ca

from left, HCM Creative Director Will Vipond Tait, photo assistant Jerrold Hewson and HCM Editor/ associate publisher Meredith MacLeod during a light test in photographer marta hewson’s studio. behind the scenes: scan the qr code to see a video of our Women on fire cover shoot!

C R E AT I V E D I R E CTO R

WILL VIPOND TAIT

will@hamiltoncitymagazine.ca

F I N A N C E D I R E CTO R

GORDON MUISE

accounting@hamiltoncitymagazine.ca

C O P Y E D ITO R

SHERRI TELENKO

HAMILTON CITY Magazine (HCM) is published

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Listen to the music

elcome to the fifth edition of HAMILTON CITY Magazine – our music issue!

Hamilton is truly a city of music. It has a long and deep legacy in musical instruction, military and community bands, choirs, orchestras, and in the last five decades, an enviable history in producing rock ‘n’ roll and blues performers.

That history brings us to today and a Hamilton music industry that has more than 7,700 workers and more than 500 businesses, making it the sixth-largest cluster of music businesses in Canada.

Hamilton has more independent musicians per capita than many top-tier global cities.

The city has hosted the Junos six times, was the venue for the Music Cities Forum last year and will be home to the Canadian Country Music Association Awards for the seventh time this year.

This issue pays homage to Grant Avenue Studio, Hamilton’s music radio legacy, the contributions of female musicians, and its roster of great guitarists. We also feature Burlington’s Precision Record Pressing, and talk to Parachute Club’s Lorraine Segato

about her return to her hometown and to The Trews about setting up shop here.

If that’s not enough, we present an in-depth Q&A with Sonic Unyon and Supercrawl co-founder Tim Potocic, one of this city’s greatest music champions.

If you’ve received a free copy of HCM through the mail, and you love what you see, please consider subscribing. We are rotating delivery of our magazine to different postal codes across Hamilton and Burlington.

If you’ve picked us up at one of our retailer partners or are a subscriber, thank you! We so appreciate your support.

But we need you even more. Please help us spread the word about HCM via social media and to your friends, family, neighbours and co-workers. Visit our website regularly for exclusive online content and check out our Things to Do page each and every week for new listings.

And it’s crucial that you show some love to our advertisers and tell them you saw them in HCM. It truly takes a village to build a great city magazine. For the love of Hamilton!

–The HCM team

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From award-winning writers to world-class photographers, hamilton city magazine is proud to support incredible local creative talent. scan the qr code to read about our amazing contributors.

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HCM SUMMER 2023

Visit the Art Gallery of Hamilton this summer and admire the skill and unique beauty of these stunning pieces!

extended until August 27, 2023!

O RG A N I Z E D A N D C I RC U L AT E D BY

Radical Stitch is one of the most significant exhibitions of contemporary Indigenous beading across North America ever presented and it brings much-needed critical attention to the breadth and impact of the practice.

Radical Stitch is curated by Sherry Farrell Racette, Michelle LaVallee, and Cathy Mattes.

Exhibition tour supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

ADMISSION TO THE AGH IS FREE FOR CHILDREN, STUDENTS, AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. Installation view, Radical Stitch, Art Gallery of Hamilton, 2023. Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Hamilton.

123 King Street West, Hamilton 905.527.6610 artgalleryofhamilton.com

AGH HOURS

Free Thursdays: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm Friday: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm Saturday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm Civic Holiday Monday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

O N T H E C O V E R : M E L I S S A M A R C H E S E , R ITA C H I A R E L L I , J U D E J O H N S O N A N D N A B I S U E B E R S C H E

Photographed by Marta Hewson for HAMILTON CITY Magazine | Photo assistants: Katelyn O’Neil and Jerrold Hewson

inside THE HEADLINERS 14/ A HOME LIKE NO OTHER

Supported housing provider Options for Independent Living and Development is a labour of life and love for mother and son Kathleen Ward and Michael Power.

27/ AN AUDACIOUS SANDBOX Hamilton’s recording landmark has a fascinating history, a worldwide reputation and new owners who envision a promising future.

42/ A CENTURY ON THE

AIRWAVES Since 1922, the city has been a powerhouse of music radio and is home to the oldest English language commercial radio station in Canada.

45/ THE TREWS

Nova Scotia natives, the band’s three original band members have all set up their personal and professional lives in our city.

46/ MINUSCULE IS MIGHTY Laurel Minnes founded a choral ensemble that just keeps growing because so many people want to get in on the folky, feminist fun.

pg39 STARS OF THE STRINGS This city has produced more than its fair share of great guitarists over the years. Steve Strongman and others reflect on their careers with their six-string companions.

48/ HOME AGAIN

Lorraine Segato, lead singer for Parachute Club, may have lived in Toronto for 40 years, but she never really left her hometown behind.

59/ GETTING THE SCOOP

We are definitely screaming for ice cream! Check out our list of some great options that will satisfy your frozen cravings.

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HCM SUMMER 2023

pg56 FOOD ON FILM

food is me docuseries follows Five Hamilton eateries, including Maria’s Tortas Jalisco.

TURNING THE TABLES

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Burlington’s Precision Record Pressing is one of North America’s leading vinyl manufacturers, producing 1.4 million albums a year.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS

L A N D A C K N O W L E D G E M E NT

The City of Hamilton is situated upon the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas.

This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, which was an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. We further acknowledge that this land is covered by the Between the Lakes Purchase, 1792, between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

Today, the City of Hamilton is home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island (North America) and we recognize that we must do more to learn about the rich history of this land so that we can better understand our roles as residents, neighbours, partners and caretakers.

7/ CITY LIFE 23/ MADE IN HAMILTON 33/ ARTS + CULTURE 55/ FOOD + DRINK

REGULAR STOPS 8/ FOR THE LOVE OF HAMILTON 20/ LIFE IN THE CITY 52/ HAMILTON READS 62/ CITY VIEW

Both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day take place on Sept. 30 and recognize that at least 150,000 Indigenous children from across the country were forcibly separated from their families and their communities.

FirstOntario Investment Shares Annual Dividend Rate

5-Year Investment Learn more at

FirstOntario.com/InvestmentShares *Dividend rates and payments are not guaranteed. Dividends may not be paid or may not be paid at the target rate; however, FirstOntario Credit Union has historically always paid a dividend on its previous five series of Investment Shares. Past payment of dividends in no way predicts future ability to pay dividends at all or at the target rate. Funds for each member’s subscription will be placed in a holding account based on where the money originated and will remain there until the issue date. These shares are only available by obtaining an offering statement detailing all the terms, conditions and risks of this investment.

SUMMER 2023 HCM

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40 years of the collection

2022 Brendan Lee Satish Tang, Manga Ormolu Version 4.0r, 2013, Ceramic and mixed media, 16 × 13 × 20 inches.

Purchased in part through the support of the Elizabeth L. Gordon Art Program, a program of the Gordon Foundation and administered by the Ontario Arts Foundation.

ON NOW UNTIL OCTOBER 8, 2023

Admission to the AGB is free Gallery Hours Monday: Closed Tuesday/Wednesday 10 AM – 9:00 PM Thursday – Sunday 10 AM – 5:00 PM The AGB is generously supported by the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Art Gallery Burlington | agb.life

Painting the Town CONCRETE CANVAS IS A WEEKEND-LONG EVENT IN AUGUST THAT CELEBRATES STREET AND HIP-HOP CULTURE AND LEAVES A COLOURFUL LEGACY.

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amilton has long been a city of stories, but thanks to local artist Leon Robinson, these stories are more plentiful, more varied, and certainly more colourful.

In founding Concrete Canvas Art Festival, the multi-day visual arts festival, Robinson’s aim was to celebrate street culture, youth culture and hip-hop culture – groups whose collective voices are often silenced – while at the same time elevating the visual landscape of Hamilton. The festival attracts both local and internationally acclaimed artists, inviting them to paint large-format, breathtakingly intricate murals live at designated spots throughout the city.

What began as a small-scale event atop the roof of Jackson Square in 1994 has grown into a weekend-long festival and an ever-expanding swath of street art – 39 murals in 2022! – dotting the city. A visit to the self-guided event now requires a map – available at concretecanvas. com – and a good pair of walking shoes. Some murals even have an augmented reality experience available through a QR code.

This year’s festival, running Aug. 11-13, celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop culture. Championing all four elements of the genre – graffiti, DJing, breakdancing and emceeing – Concrete Canvas also features live performances that provide a steady backbeat to the event.

Robinson, together with Concrete Canvas’s lead curator, Hamilton-born Scott McDonald, and creative director Scott Martin, hope the exposure to street art that grows with each year of the festival will inspire young artists to keep grinding to ensure their voices are heard.

Knowing the power and potential of today’s youth, the team also offers a mentorship program where young artists are connected with more seasoned pros, allowing them to build their skills and strengthen their own voices, which will ultimately continue to inspire others.

Unlike most festivals, Concrete Canvas is an event that lingers. Long after the paint dries, the murals remain – quietly awaiting discovery around every corner – each with its own story to tell. n

This mural adorns the St. Matthew’s House building at 414 Barton St. E. Created by Hamilton mural crew Clear eyes Collective, this explosion of colour was one of 39 works of art created for the 2022 Concrete canvas festival. This year’s event is Aug. 11-13. photo: Hamilton city magazine

SUMMER 2023 HCM

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FOR THE LOVE OF HAMILTON THIS REGULAR FEATURE WILL HIGHLIGHT PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WHO HAVE EMBRACED HAMILTON AS THEIR NEW HOME.

RYAN McMAHON who he is:

Filmmaker, writer, comedian and father. interviewed by:

Jeff Martin photo by:

Eagle Thom

Don’t miss an in-depth story online:

Read all about Ryan McMahon’s experience as an Indigenous man, what’s next in his varied career, and his take on all things Hamilton: scan the qr code

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HCM SUMMER 2023

RYAN McMAHON, WHO IS FROM THE COUCHICHING FIRST NATION IN TREATY 3 TERRITORY, was born in Fort Frances, Ont. and grew up in Thunder Bay. The oldest of four children, McMahon was the first person in his family to graduate from high school. He then graduated with a degree in theatre from the University of Minnesota on a full hockey scholarship. He also completed a two-year program at the Second City Conservatory in Toronto with a full scholarship. McMahon was host of the 2018 Canadaland podcast Thunder Bay that was adapted into a four-part television documentary series of the same name that he developed, produced, wrote and co-directed.

SHINING A LIGHT What brought you to Hamilton?

I had a plan to move to Toronto. This was at the beginning of production on the Thunder Bay TV series.

I was looking at an apartment in Toronto because I was going to be working in Toronto for about 18 months.

Then I fell in love with a girl from Hamilton, Madeline Wilson Shaw, and the rest is history. I just never left.

She’s Mohawk and she captured me — she captured the Ojibwa. We moved in together in the spring of ‘21.

One of the first times I flew in to hang out with Mad, we went for a drive to look for snacks. Then Mad gave me the tour and we started driving around. We drove up the Mountain. We drove out to Dundas and just did a loop. And I thought, this is a really beautiful place, it’s really naturally beautiful. I just loved it.

Your documentary Thunder Bay is out on Crave TV. It’s about police corruption and racism and the deaths of Indigenous people in Thunder Bay. Beyond the obvious here, what was your motivation personally to do the documentary after the podcast?

After the second season of the podcast, being a journalist, I thought an important question to ask was, ‘What is a reasonable timeframe for change?’ There’s so much pressure on the city, on its leadership. All of the reports and the city’s problems were so highprofile that I thought we all have to go away and let this city do its work. So, I left for a year. And then I started to hear that things actually weren’t great there and that people were feeling like they were being gaslit by the city’s leadership.

There are particular challenges in Thunder Bay with the local media in terms of resources and ability to

follow this story consistently. The Thunder Bay police operated in a way where they didn’t give you access to information, they just provided press releases.

You never got a scrum with leaders. You never get a conversation with local leadership there. They have for years operated under this press release system where: ‘We are going to tell you what’s happening, and that is our official statement.’

That motivated me. I wanted to go there and ask more questions.

What Hamilton arts or cultural events do you most look forward to attending?

I loved Supercrawl last year. I think some of the programming is really exciting. Anything that’s happening down at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market.

We’ve stumbled into some fantastic things at the market we really love. And the gritLIT annual literary festival. I know there are a number of great authors here. There’s something here with words that really excites me.

Hamilton’s best-kept secret that you’ve discovered?

I think Hamilton’s best-kept secret is just how family friendly the city is. I think often people would say the art community or the film community or something like that. But this is a city that has a lot of resources and opportunities for kids, whether it’s T-ball or soccer in the park or the splash pad down at HAAA. Just in this neighbourhood there are so many things for the kids to do. The little library here on Locke has children’s programming. /continued online

IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE FEATURED IN FOR THE LOVE OF HAMILTON, PLEASE CONTACT meredith@hamiltoncitymagazine.ca

SUMMER 2023 HCM

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The Niagara Escarpment spoils us for recreational and natural amenities in Hamilton, including walking and biking trails, stair systems for exercise, and incredible views of our city. photos: supplied

EMBRACING OUR OWN

NATURAL WONDER THE NIAGARA ESCARPMENT IS A WORLD BIOSPHERE RESERVE RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH THE CENTRE OF OUR CITY. IT’S A CRITICAL PART OF THE CIVIC IDENTITY AND RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL LIFE OF HAMILTON. WE SHOULD BE PROTECTING AND CELEBRATING IT MUCH BETTER THAN WE HAVE, SAYS URBAN PLANNER PAUL SHAKER.

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t is probably our biggest asset, yet it’s a virtual afterthought when it comes to thinking about the city’s present and future.

From the Dundas Valley, to Red Hill, to Cootes Paradise, other cities would be lucky to have Hamilton’s “natural architecture,” its geological features or natural setting, but where does it register on a list of the city’s strategic assets or priorities?

Central to this architecture, both literally and figuratively, is the Niagara Escarpment.

It’s so embedded in civic life that we take it for granted. The view of the lower city and the expansive vista from east to west is a common experience for Hamiltonians, whether driving or walking. Thousands move across it every day. Residents orient themselves with it – “the Mountain” to the south, harbour to the north. We have a whole series of roads with the prefix “upper” 10

HCM SUMMER 2023

because of it. It’s so fundamental to daily life, perhaps we don’t fully realize the treasure we have.

However, it is well past time that we fully embrace the potential of the escarpment, especially in decisions that will impact the quality of life of our community over the coming years. The escarpment is connected to issues of urban sustainability, climate change, air quality, tourism, and economic development.

First, why is this landmark so significant?

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated the Niagara Escarpment a World Biosphere Reserve. Biosphere reserves are internationally designated protected areas that are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature.

They are learning areas for sustainable

development under diverse ecological, social and economic contexts.

There are a limited number of reserves around the globe that belong to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In Canada, there are 19 of these reserves, including Clayoquot Sound on the West Coast and Fundy on the East Coast. While the Niagara Escarpment runs from Niagara to Tobermory, what is unique about this biosphere reserve is that it is one of the few that travels directly through the centre of a major Canadian city: Hamilton.

The escarpment isn’t a place that we travel to, it is part of the natural architecture of the city itself. To some extent, we have embraced its value as an amenity with City parks on the brow and a network of trails along the escarpment itself. In any provincial or national park, this is common, but in

Hamilton, this exists in the centre of a city, within a few steps of vibrant neighbourhoods and thousands of residents.

However, we have only begun to scratch the surface of what we could do if we fully embraced this natural asset. As a starting point, as we plan for future growth within our current urban boundary, we need to ensure our World Biosphere Reserve is front and centre. This includes elements like enhancing sustainable access as a place for urban greenspace as well as the protection of waterways that flow over the escarpment to the lake below, such as Chedoke Creek.

Everyone loves the waterfalls, so let’s protect the landscape that creates them.

Similar to outstanding historic building architecture, new development should seek to be complementary with the old, without simply destroying existing landscapes in the name of progress. Part of this is protecting some views to and from the escarpment and ensuring that vertical sprawl doesn’t crowd out this treasure. This is not dissimilar to other progressive global cities, such as Montreal, that find ways to be compatible with local geological features and aim to protect their presence.

From an air quality perspective, the escarpment is home to an extensive tree canopy, which acts as a giant air filter for the city, so canopy preservation, maintenance, replanting, and expansion should be a priority. Again, this natural asset is mere steps away from thousands of Hamiltonians in several neighbourhoods so the impacts to health, both physical and mental, are significant.

Additionally, the consequences of not protecting the escarpment go way beyond recreational greenspace and beautiful views.

The same elevation difference that gives us expansive vistas is also the reason why we have flooding in the lower city. In fact, mitigating the impacts of climate change is another reason we should learn to grow sustainably within our boundaries, with our biosphere reserve at the heart of our city.

From a tourism perspective, the potential of the escarpment as a destination is massive.

While there are some parks with vistas of the lower city, we can do so much more while still ensuring that preservation of the natural environment is protected from increased tourist activity. First of all, how many people even know that a World Biosphere Reserve

Hamilton’s incline railway was a fixture in the city from 1895 to 1936.

runs through the centre of Hamilton? This could be the basis for an entire tourism campaign that directly challenges outdated notions of the city.

Secondly, how can the escarpment become more of a destination? Already, thousands of Hamiltonians use the network of stairs that traverse the Mountain each day, but a look to our past as well as the example of other cities, offer additional ideas.

Some cities have embraced their elevation difference as a means to offer a unique transportation experience. Hamilton’s American steel city cousin Pittsburgh still has an incline railway similar to what was found in Hamilton a century ago. Portland, Ore. has a cable tram that offer unique views of the city while connecting upper and lower neighbourhoods.

These ideas are not as far-fetched as you might think. In fact, the 2007 Hamilton Transportation Master Plan suggested that, “An inclined railway or similar facility for pedestrians and cyclists in the vicinity of Wentworth Street and Concession Street, has the potential to generate the most excitement.

If carefully planned, this inclined railway could encourage cross-escarpment walking and cycling, stimulate tourism, and recapture part of Hamilton’s past.”

Just imagine a ride to the top of the escarpment to a restaurant offering a patio with views of the entire lower city. How many major cities in Canada could offer this

experience? The entire view from the brow is something uniquely Hamilton: The sight of downtown, the harbour, the Skyway bridge, Lake Ontario in the distance, not to mention the panoramic view from Dundas to Stoney Creek.

The potential to create a destination experience on the escarpment brow is not new. Over 100 years ago, the Summers Stock Theatre Company was located at the top of the Wentworth Street incline railway. The 700-seat theatre officially opened in May 1902 and crowds of 73,000 patrons ascended the incline railway each summer to attend the theatre. For 11 seasons, this one-of-a-kind attraction turned the Mountain brow into a “theatre district,” until the theatre burned down in 1914. With the success of events like Supercrawl or Festival of Friends, it’s not too hard to imagine a modern day music or theatre festival on the brow reviving this unique experience.

Balancing environmental protection with any development that makes the escarpment more of a destination will be key. However, it’s a challenge worth embracing. For too long, our World Biosphere Reserve has been an afterthought in terms of maintenance, investment, and overall recognition. It’s time to make our natural architecture a more fundamental part of how we plan our city moving forward. n Paul Shaker is a Hamilton-based urban planner and principal with Civicplan.

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THIS CONTENT IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE INCITE FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS

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Reaching Out

he Incite Foundation for the Arts has contributed more than $5 million to 30 Hamilton-area organizations in grants from $2,500 to $150,000 since it was founded in 2011.

It is the legacy of the late Carl and Kate Turkstra who believed the arts are key to quality of life and critical to the future of Hamilton. And they believed anyone, regardless of circumstance, should be able to enjoy and pursue music, theatre and visual art.

HAMILTON CITY Magazine is showcasing the incredible, creative and talented recipients of Incite grants. Here we share the work of Factory Media Centre and Burlington New Millennium Orchestra.

FACTORY MEDIA CENTRE Active for over 18 years, Factory Media Centre is Hamilton’s artist-run centre for film, video, new media, installation, and sound art.

It is a facilitator within the media community, builds the profile of Hamilton arts by supporting and employing local artists, and fosters healthier communities via affordable and accessible arts education. Factory empowers media arts production through accessible space, equipment, resources, and workshops and promote media arts practice through screenings, events, and exhibitions. It propels exploration of media arts through a vibrant creative community.

In October 2022, with support from Ontario Trillium Foundation, Factory Media Centre opened new studios and gallery space at 366 Victoria Ave. N. within a new accessible media arts hub called Evil Empire Studios. The space includes new editing suites, an audio suite, immersive 360 projection space, and interactive tools.

Factory has a membership of about 150 artists who utilize its resources to create and share experimental media artwork.

The Incite Foundation for the Arts has supported Factory’s educational programming since 2020, which has been vital to its operations and programming during pandemic closures as well as the transition from James Street to the new larger home on Victoria Avenue.

With Incite’s support FMC has facilitated 35 free workshops, six film screenings, 12 residencies and numerous networking events for media artists to find community in Hamilton.

“At FMC, we can’t thank Incite enough for their dedication to the arts in Hamilton. We strongly believe that they have strengthened not only our own organizational stability, but our sector and community as a whole,” says operations coordinator Kristina Durka.

THE BURLINGTON NEW MILLENNIUM ORCHESTRA The Burlington New Millennium Orchestra (BNMO) is a professional concert and recording orchestra comprised of respected professional musicians.

Founded in 2016 by acclaimed conductor,

Thanks to incite funding, The burlington new millennium orchestra presented prodigiem in may, featuring nine young performers.

scan the qr code to read more about Incite

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Factory media Centre is now located on victoria avenue north. photos: submitted

composer, and arranger Charles Cozens, the BNMO presents a variety of musical genres including classical, Broadway, jazz, pops and world music. Cozens is the 2023 inductee into the Burlington Performing Arts Hall of Fame.

The BNMO often blends traditional and electronic instrumentation with multimedia technology. The experience elevates the senses and brings enhanced listening pleasure to live audiences, digital streams, and recordings.

Frequently performing at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, the BNMO presents high-calibre live concerts to the people of Burlington, Halton, Hamilton and the GTA. Maestro Cozens and the board of directors believe the arts should be available for everyone. The BNMO, working in conjunction with Halton Region and local organizations, provides free access to our concerts to those of limited financial means. Access to the rehearsal for the most recent concert was also open to school-aged music students.

“As a professional orchestra with significant payroll expenses, Incite funding was consequential for BNMO,” says Cozens.

“Their support enabled local professional musicians to participate in three video recordings during the pandemic lockdowns.

The significant grant received in 2022 allowed us to present Prodigiem in May 2023 as our first live performance post-pandemic with a full orchestra backing nine young performers. It was an outstanding way to start off the post-pandemic concert season.”

Visit burlingtonnewmillenniumorchestra. com for information on future concerts and to enjoy past video recordings. n incitefoundation.ca

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NIAGARAPARKS.COM

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HCM SUMMER 2023

A home

like no other

SUPPORTED HOUSING PROVIDER OPTIONS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING AND DEVELOPMENT IS A LABOUR OF LIFE AND LOVE FOR MOTHER AND SON KATHLEEN WARD AND MICHAEL POWER. THEY ARE DETERMINED TO FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE OF THEIR GEORGE STREET FAMILY. b y M e r e d i t h MacL e o d

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| p h o t o s b y G a r y G r e e n f o r HC M

henever developers come to poke around the connected stretch of stately homes along George Street in Hamilton’s west end, Michael Power tells them the same thing.

The 49 people who live there will have nowhere to go if these seven properties are redeveloped into condos or flipped for highend rentals. And he won’t stand for that.

There is no doubt he and his mother Kathleen Ward could simply cash in on the valuable real estate and retire. They could stop working seven days a week. They could go on vacations.

But instead, they continue the work Ward started close to 48 years ago, which is providing affordable housing and supportive programming for those who likely would otherwise fall through the cracks.

Power and Ward are behind Options for Independent Living and Development (OFILD), a residential community for people with intellectual and developmental challenges or mental health struggles.

The goal for each resident is the development of the self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-worth that fosters independence and happiness.

Spend some time here, in gathering spaces called The Hub and The Learning Kitchen, where plenty of crafts, games and themed educational activities happen, or in any of the beautiful interconnected outdoor spaces, and you are bound to be moved by a model that is entirely different from many of the group homes and residential care facilities in this city.

The residents gush about the place and family members arrive and leave with big smiles. Visitors are greeted like old friends.

Everyone talks about OFILD as home and family.

On the day I visit there is a Victorian tea underway in The Hub. The day before, residents had a picnic at nearby Victoria Park. The next day, they were heading to a neighbourhood school to swim. Exercise is valued, as is the teaching of life skills, goalsetting and integration into the community.

There are trips to the movies, the theatre, concerts, the Royal Botanical Gardens, local festivals, tourist attractions and sporting events, often thanks to donated tickets.

But even where there aren’t donations, Ward makes things happen.

“I believe so strongly in people getting out

in the community to experience things,” she says. “When we go out for dinner, everyone has their own money, orders their own meal, and pays for it. It helps them be ready to go out together in the community on their own.”

OFILD’s Strathcona neighbourhood is highly walkable and well-served by transit, allowing for access to shopping, recreation, and dining amenities, and most importantly, enhanced independence. Residents are encouraged to go out in the city in pairs or groups.

Ward often takes a chosen resident or two on shopping trips to Costco or Walmart and there is usually some kind of special treat involved. Ice cream or hotdogs are particular favourites.

The Residents OFILD is about the farthest thing from an institutional setting as one could imagine.

Some people come for day programs and go home to their families, but the majority live at OFILD. The youngest resident is 22 and the oldest is 73.

Eighty-five per cent of OFILD residents are female and more than half of them have lived there for more than a decade. For some, it’s been much longer.

They line up to sing the praises of the place they call home. The same word keeps coming up.

Carol Anne has lived at OFILD for 30 years.

She was scared when she lived on her own, she says.

“I have a wonderful life here.”

Marilyn once lived in an apartment but felt cooped up all alone. She’s lived at OFILD for about six years and is much happier now.

“I love this place. The staff here is wonderful,” she says. “Kathleen is like a second mother to us.”

Ryan comes to day programs five days a week. It’s great comfort knowing that OFILD will be there for him after she’s gone, says his mother Barb Ruaux.

“It’s truly a wonderful place.”

Jessie (not her real name), 38, is one of the newer residents at OFILD. She moved there about a year ago when her parents died.

“We have a lot of adventures here. This is definitely the place for me. My friends are /continued on next page

top left: Kathleen ward and michael Power stand in front of their home at 153 george st. with some of the 49 residents who live at Options for independent living and development. Bottom left, Ward shares a hug with leanne. Bottom right: francine expresses how she feels about where she lives.

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like family.”

Catherine lived at OFILD years ago. There, she learned to manage her schizophrenia before she was well enough to leave to raise a family.

Conflict with her youngest daughter brought her back to OFILD about a year ago.

“I called Kathleen when things got to a crisis point. It’s been life-changing for me. It’s like a secondary family,” she says.

Walter has lived at OFILD for 31 years and does many custodial duties around the properties. He rhymes off dates of activities as if he’s reading a calendar. He knows every facet of the weather, too. He once didn’t engage much in activities, but now he’s happy and loves to socialize, says Ward.

“Kathleen is proud of all of us,” says Nancy, who has made a home at OFILD for 18 years.

“It is marvelous here.”

She’s right. Ward is proud. Many of the residents have experienced trauma, hardship, and neglect. Some aged out of foster care and had nowhere to go. Others have not had their mental illness treated properly, resulting in addiction issues or troubles maintaining a home or a job.

OFILD residents have come from psychiatric hospitals and homeless shelters.

They’ve arrived after a parent has died or gone into a nursing home. Many still have loving families, but parents and siblings are aging.

Ward knows each person’s story inside and out and she isn’t afraid to advocate for them.

She’s confronted doctors, social workers, and governments to fight for what she thinks is right. She demands that the voices of her residents be heard.

“People are so much more than their diagnoses or the drugs they are taking. But we have high expectations for behaviour here, too.”

That includes living by the Golden Rule and complete abstinence from alcohol or unprescribed drugs.

“We are unorthodox,” says Michael. “We aren’t for everybody but we are there for those who are counting on us.”

Margaret Stradwick, program coordinator, says she knew that OFILD was the place for her after spending a day there eight years ago as part of her job interview.

“It called to me immediately. There is no better place to work than here. There is a great purpose to what we do.”

Louise Anger, whose sister has lived at 16

HCM SUMMER 2023

KAthleen ward and her son michael power Could coast into retirement. Instead, they are embarking on a major expansion at options for Independent living and development that will provide barrier-free living to allow residents to age in place.

OFILD for five years, is constantly amazed by what she witnesses there.

“Kathleen sees people for who they are, not what they have been or what they’ve done.

She sees potential, not what limits people.”

Anger is grateful to the social worker who pointed her to OFILD when her sister had to leave her previous residence.

“I saw it and it was just so wonderful.

I figured it would never happen, that the waiting list would be far too long. But we managed to get in. It’s been a blessing for my sister. She is happy there. She has friends and things to do. She finds purpose in helping those less capable than she is. She’s built a life there.”

That is part of the culture at OFILD.

Residents are given responsibilities based on their abilities and interests, such as laundry, cleaning up, helping with meal preparation or working in the gardens.

“Everyone needs a purpose and to see value in their contributions,” says Anger.

The Setting Where there once were fences dividing backyard properties there are now pathways connecting colourful gardens growing flowers and vegetables, shady pergolas and decks with comfy lawn furniture, and open areas that frequently host barbecues and parties.

Power, who has planted many of the trees, bushes and vines himself, is justifiably proud

of the surroundings. The property includes a greenhouse where the ferns and flowers are nurtured over the winter.

“It’s so important to us that our residents can come to spend time outside, listen to the birds, watch the wildlife or grow things.

There is great therapeutic value in that.”

There is even a shaded corner where beloved pets are memorialized.

It goes without saying that the last few years have been a challenge. OFILD created its own bubble during the pandemic, so residents were never confined to their rooms, unlike many other care facilities. But during the height of COVID, field trips and outings were sidelined and family visits curtailed.

And residents who had part-time jobs or volunteer positions had to give them up.

And now, rising costs of food, utilities, insurance and other necessities are hitting hard. Staffing is an ongoing challenge and Power is frank: “I wish we could pay our staff more. They are incredible. They have sacrificed because they share the vision.”

OFILD relies on 17 staff and a few volunteers.

“We run this as a calling. We’ve all sacrificed to hold on and defend what we do,” he says.

Jo-Ann Fougere has worked at OFILD for 28 years. Her mother was a 30-year employee when she retired.

“It’s grown so much, it’s incredible,” she says. “I get love and appreciation and joy from my job. Some people hate their job, but I come home excited. They are my extended family.”

Mother and Son Ward and Power are about as humble as they come. It’s hard to get them to take credit for what they’ve done. But she will talk for hours about the residents, what they’ve accomplished and the memories they’ve made together.

Looking every inch the kindly grandmother that she is, Ward is also fiesty.

Power is logical and careful. Both are equally determined.

“They definitely broke the mold with Kathleen and Michael,” says Anger. “They are big thinkers and nothing is impossible.

Kathleen likes to say there is always a way, you just haven’t thought of it yet.”

The two have an “incredible bond and partnership,” says Stradwick.

HOW YOU CAN HELP n OFILD is grateful for corporate and/or personal donations via Zeffy, a Canadian website

dedicated to providing 100 per cent of every donation to the designated registered charity beneficiary. Zeffy provides charitable donation tax receipts and can be accessed at ofild.ca. n Donations may also be made by cheque payable to OFILD and mailed to 41A Ray St. S.,

Hamilton, ON L8P 3V4. A charitable donation tax receipt will be provided. n OFILD also welcomes corporate sponsors to oversee the furnishing of a suite in a future building.

“They work through ideas, hash things out and decide together. It’s unique and special.”

Ward is grateful her son chose to join her in her life’s work. She knew he was cut out for it when he was a toddler.

“He’s an exceptional man. He cares very deeply. As a wee boy, he was wise. He understood the power of making a difference and that some people needed help.”

It all began in 1977 when Ward, a single mother to Power and his sister, opened her home on James Street South under the Family Approved Home program of the 1970s. Her first residents were two foster children but soon she was taking in referrals from the city’s psychiatric hospital.

Ward worked weekends at Hamilton’s Elizabeth Fry Society group home, which housed women who had recently been discharged from prison. There, she learned to listen to the women’s stories and came to appreciate that sometimes life deals unfair hands.

When Ward wanted to buy her own home to take people in, she had to rely on a kindly bank manager to approve a mortgage since those were the days when single women couldn’t borrow money.

But she leveraged the equity in that first building at 255 Caroline St. to buy 153 George St. Over the last 35 years, under the operating company George Street Residences, equity was converted into buying the house next door and so on, until Ward and Power owned seven properties on George and Ray streets.

When I tell Ward she’s inspirational, she’s quick to evade the compliment.

“I am just lucky to have found what I was supposed to do with my life.”

The Future Not only do they continue their mission, but at 62 and 80 respectively, Power and Ward are gearing up for a major expansion.

As they age themselves, they see the average age of their residents climb to 57 and

they are determined to ensure they can age in place. But none of the existing facilities at OFILD are accessible.

That will change with a new 15-bed complex that is expected to get underway this year. Fast on the heels of that construction project at the eastern end of OFILD’s connected group of homes along George Street, will come the redevelopment of the organization’s headquarters at 153 George St. It is a handsome brick home that will be drastically expanded to 24 barrier-free units.

It will feature plenty of common spaces and patios and large, sunbathed rooms with private bathrooms. OFILD, which sustains its operations with only the social assistance incomes of residents, gets no government funding and has previously done no fundraising.

But it is now hosting events and taking donations to raise money for this $8-million project. In 2014, OFILD became a charitable foundation, which allows it to collect donations and to apply for grants.

“We are always looking to the future to make things more efficient and sustainable.

We’ve weathered storms over almost 48 years, so we have the confidence to know better days will come,” says Power.

He acknowledges it’s an uphill battle to realize these expansion plans. Again, he and his mother could choose a much easier path.

But they’ve not even considered it.

“Ultimately, failure isn’t an option because our people are depending on us. Where can they go? We need to ensure the future of this place. That’s worth fighting for.” n hamiltoncitymagazine.ca photo gallery online!

See many more images of the wonderful impact being made at options for independent living and development. scan the qr code SUMMER 2023 HCM

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THE RETURN OF TWO BALD EAGLES IS A HUGE SUCCESS STORY FOR THE ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS’ EFFORTS TO RESTORE COOTES PARADISE. B y J a s o n A l l e n

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photo: gary green/ allfiredup photography

hen I was eight or so, my family took a trip to Waterton Lakes National Park on the Alberta/Montana border. The highlight of the trip was a boat ride from the Canadian side to the American side where the guide announced breathlessly that if we craned our necks upward, we could see a bald eagle! A combination of hunting and DDT had nearly led to their extinction but now they were slowly returning to the wild.

Fast forward more years than I care to mention to May of this year and my friend Sean announcing on Facebook: “I swear I just watched a bald eagle fly over Hamilton!” Could there really be bald eagles flying over the downtown of one of Canada’s most industrial cities?

Not only is it true, but it’s a huge success story for the Royal Botanical Gardens and their effort to restore Cootes Paradise.

According to Tys Theijsmeijer from the RBG, migrating eagles have always used Hamilton as a stop over, but in 2011 two decided to stay and built the first nest in decades. After two unsuccessful years, the pair have produced two eaglets almost every year since 2013. “It’s quite remarkable really,” explains Theijsmeijer. The birds, he says, fall into a category of “large birds that didn’t quite get along with people.” These include wild turkeys, ravens, sandhill cranes, and other birds that in the past either ended up on the dinner table or were shot for harassing livestock.

Eagles need a certain level of ecosystem health to be successful. “They need a bunch of space,” says Theijsmeijer. “They need such a large area of greenspace relative to other birds, because they need to hunt in that area.” He explains they also need water to hunt the fish that make up most of their diet, tall trees, and freedom from harassment by people.

The birds have become a bit of a marker of the seasons for RBG staff and birdwatchers. “They always lay their eggs on Valentine’s Day,” he says.

“The eggs hatch the first day of spring, and the little ones lift off from the nest the first day of summer.”

Our warm winters allow the birds to stay here all winter, which means they lay their eggs much sooner than eagles that migrate.

For Theijsmeijer, it’s the size of the birds that allows them to capture our imagination. The birds at Cootes Paradise have a wingspan of at least six feet. “When you see them reasonably close you realize, holy smokes, those are really big birds.”

They also catch fish, which is fun to watch. Their status around the world as big predators keeps us searching the sky for a glimpse and creates a sense of awe every time we see them.

This sense of wonder captured Gary Green when

he was just a child. “I was always drawn to them, always stopped to look when they were on TV.” Green, whose stunning photograph accompanies this article, first realized there were eagles near his Stoney Creek home about six years ago. Green, a recently retired firefighter, has always enjoyed taking photos of wildlife, but photographing raptors has really “kicked the hobby into high gear.”

Raptors are more of a challenge to photograph than songbirds or animals like deer. “You can sit for hours without seeing a raptor,” he says. “Some days I get some wild, phenomenal shots, and some days I walk away empty handed.”

Highlights for Green over the years have included watching an eagle for an hour and a half as his cell phone buzzed frantically in his pocket. He broke eye contact with the eagle for just a moment to check his phone and looked up to see the raptor flying just over his head. He figured his luck had run out and was headed home when he noticed the sound of crows squawking at something. As he turned around, he managed to capture some photos of that same eagle returning to its nest with a rabbit.

Indeed, Green recommends that if you’re in the woods looking for eagles or even owls, you should watch for crows. They tend to mob raptors, and groups of crows squawking loudly can indicate that they are driving away a bird of prey.

Whether being mobbed by crows or not, the presence of bald eagles at Cootes Paradise are a bellwether for our Hamilton ecosystem. Not only do they provide hours of entertainment for hikers, paddlers and photographers like Green, but they also represent a level of ecological health for the area and, in a way, for our city.

As Theijsmeijer explains, “They are sort of that thing in the background that gives you confidence for the future.”

In these days of wildfires and apocalyptic headlines, two big eagles and their not-yet-big offspring could be just the thing we need to have hope for our ecosystem for the future. Sometimes all you need to do is look up. n Jason Allen is the host of The Environmental Urbanist, Tuesdays at 1:00 pm on 93.3 CFMU, and has been encouraging Hamiltonians to explore the outdoors for almost two decades. hamiltoncitymagazine.ca

photo gallery online!

Check out incredible photos, including the eaglets of cootes paradise. scan the qr code SUMMER 2023 HCM

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LIFE IN THE CITY

From festivals and films to galas, galleries and gigs, Hamiltonians love to have a good time and these photos are definitely worth a thousand words.

HAMILTON CITY Magazine was there – were you?

photos By brent perniac, Donna Waxman and Gary Green 2

1. Nick Bontis and family, at the Hamilton Soccer Hall of Fame class of 2023 induction dinner at Michelangelos, May 12. Bontis was presented the HSHOF Presidents Award.

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2. Astrid Hepner, Tom Wilson and Margot Burnell at the Art Gallery of Hamilton Gala, May 27.

3. Justin Joseph, Mayor Andrea Horwath and Josh Van Kampen at the Carmen’s rebranding celebration, June 5.

4. The Pistolettes, with Ginger St. James, at The Corktown, June 16.

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5. Author and headliner Anne Marie MacDonald, centre, with interviewer Annette Hamm and Jamie Tennant, author and HCM contributor at gritLIT, April 22.

6. Amanda Marshall at the FirstOntario Concert Hall, June 22.

The Hamilton Runway Project “Ethos of Summer” at Bad and Boujee, June 20: 7. Erica Thos, Ken Biehler, Kamryn Philippe and Kaylee Shallow. 8. Erica Thos.

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To check out more photos, scan the qr code 20

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Not to be Missed There is nothing better than exploring your city in July and August. Summer breezes, anyone?

With that in mind, here are a few of our favourite local happenings.

A GOOD CLEAN WALK

If your aura is feeling a little grimy these days, Dundas Valley Conservation Area has a cure for what ails you with forest bathing walks. The exercise – a practice that supports health and wellness through guided immersion in natural environments – is an ideal way to stop for a moment, centre yourself, and reconnect with the bigger picture. If you think a reset does wonders for your phone, imagine what one could do for your well-being. July 20, Aug. 24, Sept.21 conservationhamilton.ca/forestbathing

ARRR, MATEY Adventure on the high seas of Hamilton Harbour awaits on this unique sailing children’s theatre. Docked at the Bayfront Park boat launch through October, the immersive theatre experience aboard a pirate ship includes face-paint tattoos, pirate nicknames and firing the water cannons. Sure to thrill your mini swashbucklers, this theatre features a pay-what-you-can sliding pay scale (starting at $27) and kids three and under are free. There is even an evening haunted ship adventure for brave pirates ages 11 and older. piratelife.ca/hamilton

POP UPS AT THE PIER

HOT ROLLERS The Hammer City Roller Derby crew is back on track this year, their 15th season displaying feats of incredible athleticism on wheels. A civilized, leisurely skate this is not. The team, which belongs to the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, routinely competes against other leagues in Canada and internationally, a level that is definitely not for the faint of heart, or ankles. The energy of a match is positively electric, and spectating is nearly as much fun as skating – but much safer. Check out their next double-header home game and let the good times roll. Aug. 12, Dave Andreychuk Arena hammercityrollerderby.ca

TIRE-D TREATS Food on wheels typically means a meal delivery service, but at the Burlington Food Truck Festival you deliver yourself to the food instead – and lots of it. The festival will feature 30 food trucks, their vendors ready to cook up whatever you’re craving, whether it’s funnel cakes, seafood, dumplings, or all of the above. Live entertainment, including tributes to Pearl Jam and The Tragically Hip, will help you dance off a few calories as you shimmy through the park, heading to your next snack. July 21-23, Spencer Smith Park canadianfoodtruckfestivals.com

Make sure to add some monthly trips to the waterfront to your summertime to-do list. One weekend each month through September, a series of fresh pop-up events will overtake the Pier 8 space, each different from the one before. Movies, music, games, vendor markets, and more will span each designated weekend, and promises waterside fun for the whole family that is much closer – and easier – than a trip to a cottage. Check the website for the full schedule. pier8popups.ca

GETTING PEACHY Wine gets most of the glory in Niagara, but stone fruit is the star of the 56-year-old Winona Peach Festival. There are art and craft vendors, a midway, children’s activities and live music, but peach sundaes, peach pies, peach cobber and peach crepes rule here. And this year, brother and sister mascots Peter and Paula are getting a makeover. Aug. 25-27 winonapeach.com

hamiltoncitymagazine.ca scan the qr code Make our Things to Do section your go-to destination for city life and arts and culture events listings!

SUMMER 2023 HCM

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YOU POP-UP A BIZ WE PUT DOWN SOME BUCKS Did you know there’s money available to help you achieve your pop-up retail dream?

FOR MORE INFORMATION investinhamilton.ca/incentives

_HMC_EclecticLocal_HamMag_wPhotos_PRINTREADY.pdf

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12:30 PM

MADE IN HAMILTON IS SPONSORED BY CITY OF HAMILTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INVEST IN HAMILTON

Rockin’ the diamond SINCE 2015, HAMILTON’S MUSIC COMMUNITY HAS GATHERED ON SUMMER EVENINGS FOR FUN AND BRAGGING RIGHTS ON THE BASEBALL FIELD.

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icholas Daleo loves playing music and playing baseball. For years, the idea of a baseball league for the city’s music community was batted around. But nothing ever came together.

So Daleo, a drummer who also plays bass and guitar, decided to take matters into his own hands.

Daleo started Hamilton Rockers as a Facebook group where he put the word out about games to his network.

People would come out, have fun and then tell their friends.

It just kept growing. Some nights there were as many people on the bench as on the field.

The games are fun, social events but they get competitive, too, he says.

“Musicians are a special kind of people bu they are not always the most reliable. I can say that because I am one myself.”

So Hamilton Rockers functions without a formal schedule.

Games come together spontaneously, though since the pandemic, numbers are down.

The summer season wraps up with a year-end tournament at Rosedale Park in east Hamilton after teams are “drafted” by captains sharing a beer together.

“We’ve had all kinds of people come out to play like Terra Lightfoot, Brad Germain and the guys from The Trews

…” says Daleo. There are also studio owners, technicians, promoters and venue owners who take the field.

“The league brought together musicians from different genres and styles who might not otherwise have crossed paths with each other. It’s led to bands and projects that wouldn’t have happened without baseball.”

After about 24 years, and work in bands PFA, Hoosier Poet, The Inflation Kills, Vatican Chainsaw Massacre, Moonlight Desires, and Sons of Butcher, Daleo is taking a bit of a break from music. He’s got daughters who are 8 and 5 and a demanding research job at ArcelorMittal Dofasco. He knows these years with his kids will fly by but music will always be there for him.

So, others have stepped up to take charge of Hamilton Rockers, including agent Joey Balducchi of Spherical Productions, and musicians Dylan Hudecki (The Dill), Jimmy Hayes (formerly of Harlan Pepper) and Chris Whetstone of Dead Tired.

“What’s cool about the music scene in Hamilton is even when you’ve been in it for more than 20 years, you are still meeting new people,” says Daleo.

If you work or play in the music scene in Hamilton and want to play some baseball, reach out to Hamilton Rockers on Facebook. n

The hamilton rockers baseball league is an informal group from the local music scene that get together for some fun on the diamond. photo: Nicholas Daleo

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BURLINGTON’S PRECISION RECORD PRESSING IS ONE OF NORTH AMERICA’S LEADING VINYL MANUFACTURERS, PRODUCING 1.4 MILLION ALBUMS A YEAR.

By Meredith MacLeod

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here is little doubt vinyl is having a moment.

Well, more like a 17-year moment.

Record sales have been on the upswing since 2006 and last year overtook CD sales for the first time since 1987.

In a world dominated by streaming, vinyl is still a force.

Why is that? Nostalgia? Probably.

Better sound? There are many audiophiles who say the audio of records runs circles around digital. So check that one, too.

Is it a yearning in a digital age to have something to hold in one’s hands? Likely.

“Even for young people, it’s something tangible. There’s lyric notes and posters and album art. And you have to get off your ass to flip it over,” says Ernie Addezi, senior vice president at Precision Record Pressing in Burlington.

Then there is ritual to it all: searching for the record you want to hear, sliding it out of its cover, choosing which side to listen to, placing it on the turntable, setting down the needle and hearing that unmistakable crackle.

The listener hears the songs in the order in which the artist intended. And there is a multisensory experience to records – sound, sight, touch, even smell. They have to be handled carefully, and that fragility makes them precious. You can watch the record spin and see the diamond in the stylus travel over the grooves, seeming to coax the music through your speakers.

In comparison, listening to streamed music feels like something that happens to you, rather than by you.

It’s also apparent that many people buy vinyl as collector items, perhaps even as art pieces. According to music data company Luminate, only 50 per cent of vinyl buyers actually have a record player.

And then there is this retro-tech resurgence among Generation Z (and some of Generation Alpha) that is making digital point-and-shoot cameras popular again, along with old PCs, game consoles and even typewriters.

When CDs swept in 40 years ago, lots of manufacturers got out of the vinyl game. But rumours of the death of records were wildly exaggerated it turns out.

Last year, vinyl album sales in the United States grew for the 16th consecutive year, according to the Recording Industry

“Even for young people, it’s s o m e t h i n g ta n g i bl e .

T h e r e ’ s ly r i c n o t e s and posters and a lb u m a r t . A n d y o u h av e t o g e t o f f y o u r ass to flip it over.”

Ernie Addezi, senior vice president, Precision Record Pressing

Association of America (RIAA). The 41.3 million EPs/LPs sold was up more than 45-fold compared to 2006 when the vinyl comeback began.

So in 2022, vinyl albums earned $1.2 billion, compared to $483 million for CDs, says the RIAA. In Canada, sales tracker MRC Data reported 1.1 million vinyl records were sold in 2021, an increase of 21.7 per cent over 2020 when sales dipped amid COVID-19 and supply issues. The 2021 numbers topped the previous record of 1.03 million units sold in 2019.

Precision Records has been pressing vinyl since 2016. It formed as a partnership between Czech Republic-based GZ Media, the largest vinyl record manufacturer in the world, and Canadian music distributor Isotope Music.

Precision puts out 1.4 million albums a month from its 20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in a business park in the Guelph Line and Harvester Road area.

A little over two years ago, Precision had to add a second location 10 minutes away, a 100,000-square-foot packaging plant and warehouse just off Hwy. 403 at Burloak.

Precision is now among North America’s largest pressing plants and employs 300 people who pump out records 24 hours a day, five days a week.

Precision produces for independent labels, bands and solo artists but also the biggest titles of the major labels – Universal, Sony, Warner and Disney. It ships all over North America, with 80 per cent of its albums going to the United States.

During the pandemic, booming record

sales led to a backlog of six to eight months to get a record pressed. Precision invested in new presses and now its lead time is down to about 10 weeks. GZ North America has record plants in Memphis and Nashville, too.

Addezi is fascinated by vinyl technology – basically a plastic platter of grooves that produces sound when a needle passes over them – and how digital MP3 audio files are converted into a record. It’s a technical process called direct metal mastering that involves using a diamond stylus to cut grooves into a steel disc coated in high purity copper that correspond to a master recording (lower frequencies mean deeper grooves). Once the master is formed, it is plated in a pure nickel solution that ends with a “stamper” that serves as a negative of the metal master (it has peaks instead of grooves) and, will in turn, press out negatives of itself on vinyl.

One stamper is generally good for around 1,000 records, before it splits in the press or is worn out.

“The science blows my mind,” says Addezi.

Precision uses the DMM method over a more traditional lacquer process because it allows for closer grooves, enabling more music to be fit on a side while also reducing the risk of surface noise.

The range of vinyl possibilities are endless in terms of colours (Precision has a catalogue of 48 base colours, including translucent, opaque, neon, and glow-in-the-dark options) and effects (splatter, colour-in-colour, stripes, marble, galaxy, clear), and using art and images directly on the vinyl.

Even the round shape can be changed.

“If an artist can conceive of it, we can do it,” says Addezi.

Precision is also constantly developing recipes for new designs and effects. That means scooping compound out of the washing machine-sized boxes it’s shipped in from a GZ plant in Tennessee and mixing new formulations in buckets. The mixes are then tested in automated presses.

The PVC pucks – soft blobs of plastic that will become records – are produced by GZ Media in Europe, as are the metal stampers and the compound, the rice-sized pieces of plastic that are melted into the vinyl to form colours and patterns.

GZ also produces all the print material, album sleeves, liner notes and posters that /continued on next page SUMMER 2023 HCM

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are packaged with the vinyl.

Precision has 25 automated presses that produce an LP every 23 seconds and five double-sided manually-operated machines for specialized pressings.

Stampers (one for each side of the record) are fixed to moulds inside the presses, where high-temperature steam and a literal tonne of hydraulic pressure squeezes the raw PVC into a grooved flat disc.

After a few seconds, the steam is replaced with cold water, which allows the record to become firm enough to be removed from the press.

The company takes quality control seriously. A bank of fully automated turntables and sophisticated audio software tests the production records against the masters, note by note.

“We can test eight albums at a time. No other pressing plant has this level of quality control.”

If an anomaly is found, records pressed before and after are tested. The search keeps expanding and affected vinyl is quarantined, until the issue no longer appears.

Sometimes it means cleaning the stamper or that there is a problem with the vinyl pucks or the compound.

It’s mesmerizing to watch an operator on a manual press take a puck of clear PVC and roll it in blue and red pellets, like a ice cream sandwich rolled in sprinkles. This is going to create a galaxy effect.

She takes a label for A side and B side (they’ve been pre-baked to remove moisture so they don’t split when pressed) and inserts the puck in between. She pushes a button and the press squeezes. She retrieves the record and places it on the “trimming turntable,” where excess vinyl is cut away to leave a smooth edge. Once cooled, it’s ready to play.

That excess material goes right back into the hopper to be reused and the vinyl goes into a tray that stacks into rolling towers.

Those towers are shipped to Precision’s packaging and warehouse facility.

It’s a bright, sprawling place with rows of elevated shelves packed with boxes ready for shipment. Name a band and it’s likely you’ll find their albums stacked here somewhere.

On any given day, about 80,000 records arrive from the pressing plant and about 35 shipments leave the warehouse.

Nearby, employees manage high-speed packaging lines. On this day, it’s Taylor Swift’s 26

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Ernie Addezi is senior vice president of precision record pressing in burlington. photo: hunter o’leary for hcm

Folklore album being manually slipped into sleeves. It’s here that posters, stickers, liner notes, inserts with download codes and any other goodies are added before the sleeves run through a high-speed cellophane wrapping machine.

Precision’s operations earned it a Burlington Economic Development Corporation award for innovation and technology in 2019.

Addezi had spent a 31-year career with an automotive supplier when Isotope Music Canada founder Gerry McGhee asked him if he might want to head up a new record plant.

When he came to visit the location, Addezi couldn’t envision how producing records could ever fill the space.

“I remember thinking, ‘What have I done?’

There was a lot of anxiety about leaving a secure job.”

McGhee, who died of cancer in 2020, was the lead singer of rock band Brighton Rock.

He founded Isotope in Burlington, and it is now Canada’s largest vinyl CD, and music DVD wholesaler with over 60,000 titles in stock. It specializes in both bulk and direct-

to-consumer fulfillment for acts such as Elton John, Mark Knopfler, Blue Rodeo, Great Big Sea and Santana.

Addezi was born in Italy and came to Hamilton as a toddler. He grew up in the Barton and Sherman area before moving to the Mountain. He now lives near Mount Hope.

He hoped to make a living as a musician as a young man during his time in Hamilton band The Rockers – before grown-up responsibilities beckoned – and he still has a recording studio in his house.

When the Precision opportunity came up, his kids urged him to jump in, even if it was a risk.

“This has been a great job for me. It’s a fun business to be in. Who doesn’t want to talk about music all day?” n hamiltoncitymagazine.ca check out a behindthe-scenes video highlighting the fascinating manufacturing process at precision records. scan the qr code!

GRANT AVENUE STUDIO:

‘An audacious sandbox’ HAMILTON’S RECORDING LANDMARK HAS A FASCINATING HISTORY, A WORLDWIDE REPUTATION AND NEW OWNERS WHO ENVISION A PROMISING FUTURE. B y K e r r y D o o l e

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t remains a busy recording space, but Hamilton’s Grant Avenue Studio simultaneously functions as a living, breathing exhibit of music history. Yes, there are the customary gold and platinum records and album covers on the wall, but the most fascinating mementos are on the studio floor.

The chipped key on the grand piano? That was inflicted by Brian Eno in one of his sonic experiments 40 years ago. The one brick painted black? That was decorated by Johnny Cash during a break in the taping of his Johnny Cash bank machine commercial. Then there are the vintage microphones, instruments, and pieces of recording equipment, some still in use, others stored in the basement. This is all located in a red-brick

Edwardian house nestled at the foot of the Niagara Escarpment just east of downtown Hamilton.

As news of a new ownership group at Grant Avenue has spread, it is timely to take a look at the past, present, and future of a place that has helped put Hamilton on the international music map and played a crucial role in the nurturing of this city’s vibrant musical community over five decades.

Digging into Grant Avenue’s compelling history, HAMILTON CITY Magazine conducted extensive interviews with past and present owners and operators, former employees, and some notable clients who proved very happy to sing the studio’s praises. /continued on next page

Daniel Lanois, co-founder of Hamilton’s grant avenue studio, has gone on to a stellar career working with some of music’s biggest names. photo: marthe vannebo SUMMER 2023 HCM

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HOW IT ALL BEGAN The studio opened in 1976, but its origin dates back six years before that to a house on Robina Road, Ancaster where a recording space created by brothers Daniel and Bob Lanois and boyhood friend Bob Doidge in the Lanois basement was dubbed Master Sound Studio.

Doidge, then bassist in Tranquillity Base, a band headed by Ian Thomas, caught the recording bug in 1970.

“Dan was in Florida on a motorcycle trip.

We wrote letters back and forth and I told him about recording. He said, ‘I’m on the way home. I’ll sell the bike and we can buy some equipment.’ Bob Lanois then returned from Europe. He was really into electronics, and he remodelled the whole basement, eventually installing an eight-track tape recorder and eight-track board.”

Word of the welcoming ambience of this space and the technical chops of its three operators soon attracted clients from Hamilton, Toronto, and beyond. Artists recording there included folk singer/ songwriters such as Bruce Cockburn and Willie P. Bennett, funk legend Rick James, children’s music icon Raffi, and local protopunks Simply Saucer.

“If there is a training period in my career, it was that time,” Dan Lanois tells HCM. “We were self-taught, I never studied recording with anyone. As a young guitar player, I was doing recording sessions in studios in Toronto, so I was able to make observations there and apply them to whatever it was I was doing.

“I guess the biggest lesson from my mum Jill’s basement was from recording gospel quartets. That built my skills as an arranger.

Running a recording studio is one thing, but if you want to be a record maker, you have to bring something to the table. I learned about vocal and instrument harmonies and transferred that knowledge to all my later recording sessions.”

Jocelyne Lanois, younger sister of Dan and Bob and a prominent composer and musician (Martha and the Muffins, Crash Vegas) in her own right, recalls that “there were freaks in the house all the time! It was always exciting, and the fact my mother was so open to it is something of a miracle. She’d come back from work and ask how many it would be for dinner.”

Dan gradually realized relocation was essential. “The respect for my mother’s house 28

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Chief engineer amy king spent 21 years at the controls at Grant Avenue. photo: submitted

W e w e r e s e l f - ta u g h t , I n e v e r s t u di e d r e c o r di n g wi t h a n y o n e . A s a y o u n g g u i ta r p l ay e r , I wa s d o i n g r e c o r di n g s e s s i o n s i n s t u di o s i n T o r o n t o , s o I wa s a b l e t o m a k e o b s e r vat i o n s t h e r e a n d a p p ly t h e m t o w h at e v e r i t wa s I wa s d o i n g . ” Dan Lanois was enough reason,” he tells HCM. “She was just the best, never complaining about anything, but it got to be a little too much.

Just one bathroom upstairs, with everyone lining up.”

He initially considered an industrial unit, a blank concrete slate on which his team could build a studio from scratch. Doidge recalls that a unit in west Hamilton was found, “but then we thought how often does the symphony need to record here? Once every five years? The usual client is one to five people, so let’s make a cool space for them.”

With ample parking a plus, the house at 38 Grant Ave. was selected and major renovations began. The result was, and still is, a genuinely homey space that enabled Grant Avenue to bill itself as the polar opposite of

the large corporate studios in Toronto that dominated the Canadian music industry in the mid-’70s.

The vibe of the house itself was accentuated by the setup of the studio on the ground floor. It’s designed to boost both comfort and creativity and has truly stood the test of time. Walk up the outside steps and the control room is on your immediate left.

There is no big reception area and securitycontrolled corridors here – the orthodox layout of the big studios.

That mission control space looks out onto the studio floor, one containing separate vocal and drum booths, but all totally visible to each other, allowing an invaluable unfettered connection between band members and those manning the console.

Setting up Grant Avenue, Dan learned from the mistakes he’d seen at those huge Toronto studios. “I don’t tell many people this but I saw so much time being wasted there. People hitting the drums for hours trying to get a sound and it never really got there. I thought this can’t be right,” he recalls.

“I built what we call house sound – you have a house and it has a sound. No Toronto studio in Toronto had it, and that was our window of opportunity. People would show up for a session and they wouldn’t even bring any instruments because Danny had house sound. My piano was nicely tuned and miked, everything was ready to roll. That made the difference and made us in demand.”

Crucial contributors to the Grant Avenue sound were the Bobs – Doidge and Lanois.

The former was both a highly skilled multiinstrumentalist and an engineer with great ears and technical knowledge, while the late Bob Lanois was something of a genius with electronics and acoustics. It is now a part of studio lore that he instinctively and accurately thought embedding sand around the windows in the studio would help insulate the sound. And his corkboard on the walls remains.

To help pay the bills, Grant Avenue added in-house production company MSR Productions, creating jingles for radio and TV

commercials.

Creative director Ed Roth, who served as a staff producer/composer/advisor at the studio from 1976 to 1982, revelled in this environment. “Grant Avenue was a great sound laboratory producing new musical textures and landscapes, and people worked incredibly long and focused hours to create music. But the secret to the place wasn’t the hard work: It was the playful creativity,” he says.

“I saw the place as a magical sandbox.

You think of an idea and you dive right into the sand, with child-like glee and fearless enthusiasm. And you build your castle. Just think of all the talented artists who created music here. All came to play in the audacious sandbox that Bob and Dan built.”

Dan Lanois recalls the commercials business with affection. “Prior to my being permanently in the studio, Bob Doidge and I were on the road playing in show bands.

I’d go to Brockville and play in a hotel for a week, and I’d carry a suit with me. I’d play the shows at night, and in the daytime I’d be the sales guy in the suit, pitching jingles to the radio station.”

To illustrate that point, Lanois shares a snippet of his $400 jingle for Hamilton clothing store Fay Jackson’s. “We can help you look like the woman you want to be,” he sings.

Those jingles put a jangle in the studio coffers, enabling it to buy more gear. A real turning point for the studio’s reputation came when, through one of the studio producers Billy Bryans and new wave duo The Time Twins, Dan Lanois connected with famed English producer and composer Brian Eno. Their creative bond was quickly cemented, with Eno spending long periods of time in Hamilton, working at Grant Avenue with Dan on a series of highly influential and acclaimed albums in the ambient music genre, from the likes of Harold Budd, Brian and Roger Eno, Jon Hassell, and Michael Brook.

Eno’s presence in Hamilton encouraged Dan Lanois to become much more experimental in the studio, as sister Jocelyne observed then. “Dan drank it in.

He had never met anybody who had taken those approaches. He was surrounded by traditional people who really thought he was being pretentious.”

In the early to mid-’80s, Grant Avenue was at the top of its game, with major Canadian artists seeking out both its ambience and the production and engineering skills of Dan Lanois and Bob Doidge. The first Parachute Club album and its anthemic hit “Rise Up” were recorded there, along with acclaimed and popular albums by Martha and the Muffins and Luba.

The Eno connection placed Dan Lanois on the radar of such major artists as U2 and Peter Gabriel, and the chance to work with them across the Atlantic proved irresistible, hastening Lanois’ departure from Hamilton and Grant Avenue. “I felt I was suffocating there, and the time was right for me to go abroad,” he reflects. “I never really came back.

When I went to Europe I put in the time and developed my skills and then it was about doing soulful music and special things.”

HOW IT CARRIED ON

Grant avenue studio co-founder Bob doidge is Pictured in the control room with his beloved MCI 500c recording console, which he repairs himself. photo: bob doidge

After selling Grant Avenue to Bob Doidge in 1985, Lanois went on to create new studios in New Orleans, California, and beyond, soon establishing himself as one of the most sought-after and successful producers in contemporary music. His all-star resumé includes production credits for Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Ron Sexsmith, Robbie Robertson, U2, Peter Gabriel, and The Neville Brothers, plus an ongoing series of acclaimed solo albums. /continued on next page SUMMER 2023 HCM

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Lanois’ post-Grant success shone a spotlight back on Grant Avenue that proved invaluable to its survival. Doidge was the perfect new captain at the helm, with his calm, warm demeanour and musical and technical skills at the fore.

Taking over Grant Avenue as the new owner was no easy task, Doidge recalls. “I didn’t have two cents to my name, but I met Martin Zucker. His father was a wealthy philanthropist in Hamilton, and Martin bankrolled me. He leased it to me, and then we worked out a mortgage and paid all his money back. I took over in June 1985, starting a 37-year journey. We retained the same energy and passion, and it was always about doing the best work possible.”

After assuming ownership, Doidge left the jingles side of the business behind, focusing on recording a wide range of local, national and international recording artists from virtually every musical genre. That diverse group ranged from post-punk pioneers Pere Ubu and Allen Ravenstine, avant-garde luminary John Cage, and roots music heroes Los Lobos, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, and Prairie Oyster, through to jazz vocalist Chantal Chamberland, singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, top Canadian rock bands, such as The Trews, Crash Test Dummies, Finger Eleven, Big Wreck, and others too numerous to mention.

On the recording technology side, Doidge remained old school, faithfully sticking to the gear and the recording approach he knew and loved, avoiding the seductiveness of the latest gadgetry. “Most studios’ advertising was based on having the newest gear, but it’d be outdated before it even left Japan. We never advertised once, it was all word of mouth.

People showing up for a session were already on board, they didn’t care what we used.”

For the bulk of its life, Grant Avenue was analog based, not digital, with the jewel in the studio’s crown being the famed MCI 500c recording console housed in the control room. Custom-built for Grant Avenue in 1980, it is described by Doidge as “the most important console in history. The Bee Gees did all their work on it, Elton John, The Eagles, and now Bruno Mars. Ours was custommade for us, with 30 preamps built into the unit. When you look inside, it’s almost hard to fathom. The space shuttle and its wiring is perhaps the only thing that comes close. I love the console to this day. I keep 30

HCM SUMMER 2023

Music history is everywhere at Grant Avenue Studio. photo: bob doidge

maintaining and upgrading it, and I love fixing it.”

Doidge adds that “for the last 15 years we’ve used a recording system called RADAR. It features a 24-track tape recorder used digitally that acts like a 2-inch tape recorder.

There is no mouse or screen, you push buttons for play, record, rewind. It does the digital tasks too, editing, copying and pasting.

It is so fast, and unlike Pro Tools, it never crashes. After a year of using it, we all agreed it was 10 per cent better sonically than 2-inch tape.” Invented by Canadian Barry Henderson, RADAR has also been used by Dan Lanois on all his projects since U2.

Grant Avenue has continued to hire the best producers, engineers, and local session musicians. Bob Doidge’s right-hand person at the controls for the past 21 years has been award-winning chief engineer Amy King, and she’s eager to give Doidge credit for keeping Grant Avenue going. “People call it ‘the house than Dan built.’ Absolutely and respectfully, yes. Dan was there for nine years, and Bob for 47. If Dan built the house, Bob certainly made it a home, and I’m so thrilled to have been a part of it.”

One meaningful connection King made at Grant Avenue was with famed producer/ engineer David Bottrill whose career began there. She recalls that “I grew up as a ’90s

kid, listening to hard rock and bands David produced, like Tool. I was blown away to learn that he used to sit in the chair I worked in every day. Meeting him at the studio’s 40th anniversary party is one of the few times I’ve been starstruck.”

The musical skills of Doidge and King benefitted many studio clients, says King, “An independent artist might come in with just an instrument, and often Bob or I would take five minutes to add another instrument. One of the joys of the job is to have creative input like that.”

Earlier this year, Doidge decided to put Grant Avenue up for sale and retire from the daily rigours of studio life in favour of spending more time in his beloved Piper Tomahawk aircraft and on archaeological adventures. When asked to name his biggest career highlight, he replies, without hesitation, “working with Gordon Lightfoot.”

As a teenager, Doidge learned the bass parts to every Lightfoot song, and he notes with pride that “after spending 40 years trying to work with him, I made five CDs with Gord at Grant Avenue.”

That began with the 1997 album, A Painter Passing Through, concluding with the July release of Live At Royal Albert Hall, which comes out about two months after Lightfoot’s death at 84.

Doidge and Lightfoot developed a close friendship. The most challenging work was on 2004’s Harmony, as Lightfoot suffered a near-fatal aneurysm during its recording.

“I played all the instruments on two of its songs as Gord was in a coma in a Hamilton hospital,” says Doidge.

come in with just

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

an instrument, and

Stepping in to buy and operate Grant Avenue are Torontonians Mike Bruce, Marco Mondano, and Andrew Lauzon, all musicians, and all experienced in the music and film industries. Bruce is the founding partner of Aeon Bayfront Studios, an established Hamilton movie and TV studio.

HCM sat down with the trio in the studio control room to get an update on this transition for the studio and their future plans for Grant Avenue. Bruce stresses that “First of all, we are all musicians and huge music fans. This project is huge for us. The ability to step in and potentially save a piece of history and continue its legacy, hopefully for the rest of our lives, that is a big deal.”

In-house producer/engineer Lauzon (aka Audio Geek) was very aware of the Grant reputation, and he recalls that “walking in here for the first time, I felt like an eight-yearold with the keys to a toy store.”

Changes are afoot upstairs, with an artist lounge and a writers’ room in the planning stages. The studio setup and the beloved console will remain the same, with Lauzon explaining that there will be some modernization. ”There have been many advances in the way music is made over the last five years, and I really want to develop that in this environment. I see so much potential to move into the future.”

New avenues to be explored include remote recording and developing software based on the studio’s vintage equipment.

Giving her blessing to the new regime, King notes that “Bob and I are really happy it’s not being turned into condos. They have a good team in place and are still focusing on some of the things that make it a legacy building. As long as they maintain that, they’ll still have the respect of the people who recorded there over the years. I’ll keep going there for as long as people ask me to.”

Doidge will also work on projects there, and continue to be the console repairman.

Says Bruce: “Bob and Amy still have their keys to the studio.” n

An independent artist might

often Bob or I would ta k e f i v e m i n u t e s to add another instrument. One of the joys of the job i s t o h av e c r e at i v e i n p u t l i k e t h at . ” Grant avenue studio has put hamilton on the musical map. Photo: bob doidge

OTHER STUDIO GREATS The internationally famed Grant Avenue Studio aside, the Hamilton area is home to many other top-notch recording studios. As JohnAngus MacDonald of Hamilton-based rockers The Trews tells HCM, “There are just so many studios here. Per capita, Hamilton punches way above its weight. You could do a whole issue on that!” Here is a glimpse at some of the notable studios: CATHERINE NORTH: Located in a converted downtown church, it was established by Glen Marshall and Dan Achen (Junkhouse) in 1999, and has recorded music by such stars as Feist, City & Colour, Broken Social Scene, Arkells, Loreena McKennitt, and many more. It boasts Hamilton’s first Dolby Atmos mix system. catherinenorth.com/ JUKASA RECORDING STUDIOS: Situated in Ohsweken on Six Nations, this space is rapidly gaining attention and notable clients that have included The Trews, Snoop Dogg, July Talk, Alexisonfire, Three Days Grace, Harrison Kennedy, Logan Staats, and Terra Lightfoot.

It features the legendary SSL 4072G console, purchased from Abbey Road Studio and offers on-site accommodations and a school of recording arts. jukasamediagroup.com/jukasa-studios

Amy King award-winning chief engineer

HALO: This Augusta Street “vibe-centric space designed for creativity” has recorded such artists as Whitehorse, Walk Off The Earth, Envy of None, Golden Feather, and LT the Monk. halomusic.ca/music THE MULE SPINNER: Located in a historic building in The Cotton Factory, this is an in-demand space for live performances, film shoots, and audio and video recording. The space was established by veteran record producers Glen Marshall and the late Bob Lanois, of Grant Avenue fame. facebook.com/theMuleSpinner DOWNTOWN SOUND RECORDING STUDIOS: It is owned and operated by Mario Petrangeli, an experienced record producer/engineer and member of such bands as The Blue Demons and The High Tides. His studio has hosted the likes of The Dirty Nil, Chris Houston, Simply Saucer, and Dennis Dunaway. downtownsound.com

hamiltoncitymagazine.ca what they’re saying: Read what some heavy-hitters have to say about their time at Grant avenue studio. Plus more photos! scan the qr code SUMMER 2023 HCM

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‘Not to be missed’

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RADICAL STITCH EXHIBIT AT THE ART GALLERY OF HAMILTON EXPLORES THE POLITICAL, CREATIVE AND AESTHETIC ASPECTS OF INDIGENOUS BEADING.

f you haven’t yet taken in Radical Stitch at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, you have only a few weeks left to see a groundbreaking exhibition that invites viewers to immerse themselves in the political, creative, and aesthetic dimensions of contemporary Indigenous beadwork.

According to the exhibit’s description: “Beading materials and techniques are rooted in both culturally informed traditions and cultural adaptation, and function as a place of encounter, knowledge transfer, and acts of resistance.”

Radical Stitch, organized and circulated by the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, opened in Hamilton on Feb. 11. It was slated to close May 28, but the incredible response it generated led to it being extended until Aug. 27.

“From the moment we became aware that Radical Stitch was being developed, we knew we wanted to present it at the Art Gallery of Hamilton,” says Tobi Bruce, head of exhibitions and collections and chief curator.

“Every so often an exhibition comes along that is so timely, so unique, and so important that you do whatever you can to support its circulation. The initial public response was extraordinary and so an extension of its run was definitely something we were interested in. What we’re finding is that people are coming back two, three, even four times to truly take in it. You can’t ask for more than that.

Radical Stitch is truly a landmark exhibition, one that is not to be missed. Those who have seen it, will not forget it. It’s that moving and impactful.”

Beading is simple gestures repeated thousands of times, says exhibit co-curator Sherry Farrell Racette.

“Most of us were taught to clear our minds and think positive thoughts before we begin. It’s finicky so you have to be calm. Each stitch – particularly when you’re making something for someone you love – carries that emotion.”

There is also healing in the rhythm of beading, she says.

“It’s often collaborative, so visiting and laughter create beading circles of family and community. And beading – along with other traditional art forms – is a way to connect to our ancestor artists and become part of an unbroken thread between the past and the future.”

Radical Stitch features works by 35 contemporary Indigenous beaders, along with videos that share stories and ways of seeing with beads, along with large-scale photographs and a beaded QR code.

“Together the works in Radical Stitch show the importance of experimentation with themes, materials and aesthetics,” says co-curator Cathy Mattes.

The exhibit includes the Beading Room, where guest beaders host workshops and events. n

radical stitch, WHICH IS ON DISPLAY AT THE ART GALLERY OF HAMILTON UNTIL AUG. 27, EXPLORES CONTEMPORY INDIGENOUS BEADING AS A MEDIUM OF KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND an act of RESISTANCE. photo: ART GALLERY OF HAMILTON

SUMMER 2023 HCM

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HAMILTON’S MUSIC COMMUNITY IS DEEP AND DIVERSE AND FULL OF WE SHINE A LIGHT ON JUST A FEW OF THEM. MELISSA MARCHESE, MARCHESE RITA CHIARELLI SHARE THE JOYS AND TRIBULATIONS OF

Let’s hear it for

34

HCM SUMMER 2023

INCREDIBLY TALENTED WOMEN. HERE, JUDE JOHNSON, NABI SUE BERSCHE AND MAKING MUSIC WHILE FEMALE. B y Va n e s s a G r e e n

the girls

From left: Melissa Marchese, Jude Johnson, Nabi Sue Bersche and rita chiarelli. photo: marta hewson for hcm

W

hen This Ain’t Hollywood closed its doors in 2020, it left a rock ’n’ roll-sized hole in the Hamilton music scene.

The iconic James Street North music venue had been a landmark in the city for 11 years, hosting thousands of shows, from Juno afterparties and drag events to punk-rock nights and open-mic performances.

For many aspiring female musicians in Hamilton, it’s also where they got their first break.

“I used to call This Ain’t Hollywood my home base,” says Melissa Marchese, a singersongwriter who’s been part of the Hamilton music scene for over a decade. “I feel like I grew up on that stage. This city has been such a huge part of my journey as an artist.

The community here has been everything.”

As a gritty, post-industrial rust-belt city, Hamilton has made a reputation for itself as a welcoming and inspiring place for musicians.

But its contingent of female artists often haven’t been given the time in the limelight they deserve.

“I always grew up thinking that making music or being an artist was for other people.

That it wasn’t for regular people like me,” says Marchese. “But this city has proved otherwise.”

Growing up in Niagara Falls, Marchese, says she spent five nights a week singing covers on local patios for tourists as a teen.

She never considered that she could one day write her own songs and perform them live.

It wasn’t until she moved to Hamilton that she realized she could make a living as a professional musician.

“I’m just so super in love with the city.

Everything I have been gifted musically has come from here. I feel so blessed to be in a city that oozes creativity and possibility. You really can do anything in Hamilton.”

Marchese, who defines her sound “as if Adele and Alanis Morissette had a baby,” counts a number of well-known Hamilton groups among her musical influences, including Arkells and The Dirty Nil. But topping the list is Hamilton’s hard-rock band Monster Truck. After idolizing them for years, Marchese opened for the band at Festival of Friends last year.

“It was on my bucket list. Before I knew them (personally), I had made a list of people I wanted to open for. To see what has played /continued on next page SUMMER 2023 HCM

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out has been pretty magical.”

Last year, Marchese released her debut album Mad Love.

The album is described as running the gamut “from anthemic bluesy-rock, to soulful Motown-inspired romp, to lamenting pianoheavy ballad, as her trademark soaring vocals lead the way.”

The album was a long time coming, according to Marchese. After being part of bands for many years, she said she knew it was time to go solo and write about her experiences as a female musician.

“The album really chronicles my last 10 years of being a woman in this industry and in the city, and all the trials and tribulations and pitfalls and mistakes that go along with it,” says Marchese. “But always with an ounce of hope. I’d like to think that I live my life with a pretty positive attitude. So (I was) just trying to extract all the lessons out of all those not-so-wonderful experiences.”

Going out on her own, however, required a bit of persuasion from another famous Hamiltonian musician.

“There was a point where I had stopped playing music for a little bit,” says Marchese.

“And I ran into Terra Lightfoot.”

Lightfoot asked about Marchese’s music.

After finding out she didn’t have a band and didn’t know how to write songs, Lightfoot encouraged her to buy a guitar and learn to play it.

“And that’s exactly what happened. I mean, I just owe her so much for that. It’s a good pal that can give you that kick in the butt.”

While Marchese says Hamilton has been a welcoming musical community for her, the music industry, in general, hasn’t always been so supportive of aspiring female musicians.

“When I started out, there were hardly any women performers,” says Canadian roots and blues legend Rita Chiarelli. “And I think the reason is, of course, that women are the ones (historically) that have the babies and stay home. It’s a male-dominated industry. And consequently, women performers were seen more as a novelty act.”

Canada’s size and the cost of travelling between major cities made it prohibitive for women of her generation to go on tour, she says. When Chiarelli was starting out as a performer, she found she wasn’t taken seriously and often had to work harder than her male counterparts to prove herself. She 36

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Melissa Marchese’s latest album chronicles a decade of trials, tribulations and lessons that come from being a female musician. photo: marta hewson for hcm

also said she was paid considerably less.

Chiarelli, who has been called “the queen of Canadian blues,” was born and raised in Hamilton and credits its rawness and bluecollar roots as inspiration for her music.

“Hamilton was the place where I learned the blues. This heavy steel town was a good place to learn the blues as a kid. Growing up here, all the influences of the surroundings and the environment are in my music, for

sure.”

Chiarelli got her start performing in Ronnie Hawkins’ band in the ’80s and she has gone on to release a dozen records and win a laundry list of awards, including a JUNO award and a Canadian Folk Music award.

(When asked for her age, Chiarelli’s answer through her manager was: “Young enough to still rock and old enough to do it well.”)

Jude johnson found success as a singer and a music educator.

It hasn’t always been easy in a male-dominated industry. photo: marta hewson for hcm

Though she is known as a legendary roots and blues artist, Chiarelli has also released a recording of traditional Italian folk songs, Cuore – The Italian Sessions, as well as a widely praised collaboration with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Uptown Goes Downtown Tonight. She’s also had her music featured on a number of famous soundtracks, including Bruce McDonald’s 1989 hit “rock ‘n’ road” film Roadkill.

Most recently, Chiarelli has been working on a documentary about her experiences visiting a maximum security penitentiary for women in Topeka, Kansas. This project follows in the footsteps of her 2010 documentary Music From the Big House. The film, also directed by McDonald, chronicles Chiarelli as she visits Louisiana’s Angola Prison to learn about its blues tradition while performing with the inmates.

“I sang with a country band, gospel band, blues band and an acapella band. It was insane! The music was great, and they were really great players. (The inmates) were very respectful once they understood that I just wanted to shine some light on their situation.

Really great stuff came out when they told their stories.”

Though she’s made her name as a solo artist, Chiarelli also found creative success performing in a larger group. Five years ago, she started the all-star female bluesy band Sweet Loretta, featuring saxophonists Carrie Chesnut and Elena Kapeleris, Hamilton keyboard player Lily Sazz, trumpet player Rebecca Hennessy, bass player Carlie Howell and Morgan Doctor on drums. Chiarelli takes on guitar and lead vocals.

Chiarelli says the inspiration for this group came from wanting to defy the “novelty act” reputation of female musicians by showcasing the talents of seven accomplished performers with successful and established careers. In 2018, the group toured Europe, receiving rave reviews.

As for her success, Chiarelli credits her tenacity and willingness to evolve as an artist.

“You really have to be persistent. You have to think outside the box, and you have to reinvent yourself. I think my longevity has been (a result of) naturally wanting to try different things. Things that make you grow as an artist, opportunities and experiences that enhance your artistry. It’s trying to do things that are outside the box rather than playing the same things.”

Nabi Sue bersche, singer in Ellevator, says she has a ‘weird mix’ of confidence and insecurity that is now fuelling her lyrics. photo: Helen Piekoszewski

Another Hamilton musical icon who knows a thing or two about reinvention is Jude Johnson.

The acclaimed jazz singer and songwriter has released eight solo recordings and sung backup on over 50 records, including for Canadian folk legend Stan Rogers. Johnson was also married to Rogers’ brother and musical partner Garnet Rogers.

“I was in that whole folky scene. And then Garnet and I split up,” says Johnson. “So, I cut my hair, dyed it and found leopard skin and jazz. And I loved it!”

Among a myriad of award wins, in 1992 Johnson received the Canada 125 Medal and was also named Hamilton’s Woman of the Year in the Arts. The following year, she took home the Hamilton Arts Award.

“Hamilton has always been very supportive of artists, and I made a living here for 45 years. You just have to be your authentic self,” says Johnson, whose family lineage in Hamilton go back to the late 1700s.

Not only is 69-year-old Johnson a decorated Hamilton artist, she’s also a bit of

a musical chameleon. On top of being a folk and jazz legend, she’s performed hundreds of children’s concerts and was director of the Music, Art and Drama (MAD) Creative Art School in Hamilton for 35 years.

MAD offered children an immersive experience in different artistic disciplines to foster creativity, skills development, and a love for the arts.

“I had 9,000 kids come through (the MAD school), and every single one of them wrote a frickin’ song! I still get phone calls and emails from songwriters out there, and they’ll say, ‘I remember MAD camp, we wrote songs, and I’m still writing.’”

Despite a successful career, Johnson says she’s also been exposed to the seedy and sexist underside of the music business.

“As a young, beautiful woman, it was brutal sometimes. Whoever was in a position of power, at festivals or clubs, there was always an undercurrent of, ‘You do this for me, I’ll do this for you.’ And, of course, that’s just not my thing,” says Johnson. “I remember at this one /continued on next page SUMMER 2023 HCM

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festival, the director came up to me and said, ‘Would you like to play next year?’ And I said, ‘Oh my god, that’d be wonderful.’ And he said, ‘Well, come on back to my room.’ And I went, ‘Oh, OK. I really like your wife. And she said she really liked you, too!’”

Although this power dynamic between men and women in the music industry is nothing new, Johnson says female performers are often forced to adopt traditional masculine behaviour to regain control in their careers.

“Women have been dealing with that (power struggle) for a long time in music.

And it still goes on,” says Johnson, who is taking a sabbatical from performing to write a memoir.

“But what happens is that as a woman, you become like a guy. I can swear those guys under the table. I can tell just as dirty a story.

I can do all of that. And all of a sudden, you’ve become this power broker yourself.”

Female artists have often used their music to process some of the more challenging parts of making a livelihood in the music industry, especially when it comes to their appearance.

“There is a pressure to remain young and fresh-faced, and beautiful and slim, and sexual on stage, to move with confidence and grace, and to be super hot while you’re doing it,” says Nabi Sue Bersche, the frontwoman of Hamilton indie-rock trio Ellevator.

Bersche, who was raised in Guelph, got her start at a local pub’s open-mic night. She played her own music there for five years and met her band mates, guitarist Tyler Bersche (now her husband) and bassist-keyboardist Elliott Gwynne at a festival in Guelph. The group has been ascending to success ever since.

“That has been the main difficulty for me. I have this weird mix of confidence and like absolute devastating insecurity,” says Bersche.

“And I love to sing, and I love to write songs. But I

Rita Chiarelli credits her long career to tenacity and constant reinvention. photo: marta hewson for hcm 38

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feel like when you put a physical body into the picture, tonally, that’s where things get really difficult for me sometimes. I am finding it challenging getting older in the industry and feeling slightly nervous about my place in that world. The main way I have dealt with that is probably through aggression in my lyrics and sort of channelling that into a ferocity and an anger. And that’s actually really helped my performance and my confidence. So I’m trying to keep going down that road.”

Bersche, 32, says she feels lucky to have been uplifted by her family and the musical community in Hamilton.

“Since I was a kid, my parents never pressured me to choose a different career.

As soon as I started singing and expressing interest in wanting to do that and write songs, they dedicated themselves to just making that possible,” says Bersche.

“Historically, I’ve been in bands full of men, but for the most part, I’ve been treated

equally. I’ve been treated with love and support, and kindness. I haven’t had too many issues of sexual harassment or disrespect or being treated like I’m dumb.”

Bersche is a passionate, expressive lyricist and cites Canadian artists Feist and Hawksley Workman (now a close friend) as her biggest musical influences. Ellevator is an ode to “taking people up and down” on an emotional journey, with elle, French for she, honouring Bersche as frontwoman. The band describes its music as the “world’s hardest soft rock.”

In 2017, Ellevator signed with Toronto record label Arts & Crafts, which represents top-tier Canadian musical talent like Broken Social Scene, Kevin Drew and Wintersleep. In 2018, Ellevator released a self-titled EP and in 2022, followed up with a debut full-length album The Words You Spoke Still Move Me. It was recorded at Catherine North Studios and Threshold Recording Studios in Hamilton.

Years earlier, when the band was performing under a different name, they recorded an album in the city.

“We were just enamoured with Hamilton.

At the time, it was the summer Art Crawl.

So it was in full swing. And I was like, ‘Holy shit. I didn’t know this place existed. This is so dreamy. We have to move here.’ Tyler and I were trying to figure out where to live, and Hamilton seemed like the right place.”

But Bersche says Hamilton has changed drastically over the years.

“There’s so much I’m thankful for in Hamilton, especially as an artist and as a creative person. But I also think that a lot of what drew me to Hamilton in the first place is sort of what has maybe unavoidably, and also unintentionally, caused a lot of the issues that we have in Hamilton right now. It’s kind of weird to acknowledge that I’m a part of that.”

Despite all the profound change, Bersche is still a proud Hamiltonian.

“We’ve just fallen more in love with it over the years. It really has become home over the last decade.” n

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THIS CITY HAS PRODUCED MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE OF GREAT GUITARISTS OVER THE YEARS. STEVE STRONGM AN, TERR A LIGHTFOOT, LUKE BENTHAM AND MIKE TREBILCOCK REFLECT ON THEIR CAREERS WITH THEIR SIX-STRING COMPANIONS. B y J a m i e T e n n a n t

STARS OF THE STRINGS

dirty nil’s Luke Bentham fell in love with guitar for the age-old reason kids do things: his parents hated it. photo: submitted

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amilton’s a rock ’n’ roll town.

It’s a cliché, but it’s a cliché because it’s true. Yes, new artists are more likely to be deft with a microphone, a mixing board or modern music software – but the city’s roots are in rock, in the classic collaboration of drums, bass and guitars. It’s no surprise, then, that Hamilton has produced innumerable guitar players, some of whom possess immeasurable talent.

Guitar players usually choose the instrument at a young age. Why, though?

Why not the violin, or the accordion, or simply the piano? One answer might be that

the guitar is still the embodiment of a certain kind of cool. That might sound trite, but when you’re choosing an instrument at 13 years of age, it matters.

Veteran blues player Steve Strongman can’t quite recall what led him to the guitar. After 40 years slinging one, it has all become a blur.

“I probably saw somebody on TV playing guitar and thought that looks pretty cool,” Strongman says, trying to recall his 10-yearold mindset. It’s easier for him to recall the teenage inspirations – such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Stevie Ray Vaughan – who led him from rock ’n’ roll to the blues.

“If you distil all the rock music that I was listening to down, it was essentially just blues music,” he says. “Blues is like a blank canvas for me and the guitar was the best way to express myself through it.”

Terra Lightfoot came to the guitar via her mother, who bought her a guitar with five strings for six bucks at a garage sale.

“I had lots of examples set out for me in my family,” she says. “My aunt on my dad’s side played lead guitar in a country band and sang and was basically an explosion of cool. I wanted to be just like her.” /continued on next page SUMMER 2023 HCM

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Like Strongman, Lightfoot started with modern music. She went from punk and power chords (“the easiest way in to learning how to play guitar,” she says) into learning other, older techniques. “As I got a little bit older, I really paid attention to finger-picking experts like Mother Maybelle Carter,” she says. “A guy like Leadbelly is still one of my favourites.”

Luke Bentham, singer and guitarist for The Dirty Nil, fell in love with the guitar for that elemental rock ’n’ roll reason: his parents would hate it.

“It would have had to have been seeing my parents physically recoil when Nirvana’s ‘You Know You’re Right’ came on MuchMusic,” says Bentham. “That gave me an indication that this was something that I should look into. Anything that can piss off my parents that much was very interesting.”

Bentham maintained an interest in punk and hard rock, citing Pete Townsend and James Williamson of The Stooges as two of his favourites. “Pete Townsend mystified me when I was a kid,” he says. “I got a copy of (the film) The Kids Are All Right and watched all the playing sequences.”

Bentham also credits his guitar teacher with real-world inspiration. That teacher was Mike Trebilcock, film composer and frontman for the rock group The Killjoys. Trebilcock loved to sing and saw that the guitar seemed best suited to the pursuit. “That was the real draw. My father had a kind of three-quartersize acoustic guitar with rusty strings on it, and I just kind of sat around with my thumb trying to pick out tunes on it.”

For Trebilcock, it was the songs that came first, and his favourite artists used the guitar in a different way. “It was Alice Cooper and KISS and things like that,” he says. “The (guitar) leads were melodic, there wasn’t a lot of jamming or soloing. The solo is like a song within a song. It has its own arc. That’s still the way I play now.”

Style is important for a guitarist, whether that means versatility (for artists who hop genres) or simply knowing what sounds best in your own music. Bentham and Trebilcock, who both front three-piece rock groups, are adept at filling in space to make their sound fuller and richer. “With The Killjoys, even when I’m soloing, I’m playing all the strings,” says Trebilcock. “I got good at muting certain strings, but still getting sound out of them.

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Terra lightfoot took up the guitar because she wanted to be just like her aunt, who was an ‘explosion of cool.’ photo: submitted

mike trebilcock of the killjoys has developed a percussive, harmonic style of guitar playing. photo: submitted

why he picked up a guitar is a bit of a blur for steve strongman but it’s been an extension of him for 40 years. photo: josé crespo/crespo media works

and that muted string sound, even when I’m playing a solo. I didn’t even realize I’d developed that sound. It was by necessity, just to keep the noise going.”

Bentham describes a similar approach to his own music. “I’m a terrible improviser,” he says. “I came from pop music and punk music. It’s all about taste, because nobody gives a fuck how fast you can play guitar.

There’s nothing less interesting to me. It’s about getting a good sound and having the taste of knowing when to not play.”

Mastering the guitar solo is much more complex than simply playing like Eddie Van Halen. It’s about feel as much as it is about fingers. Being a better lead player is something Lightfoot strives for constantly.

“When I was a kid,” she recalls, “my teacher said, ‘You’re never going to be very good at soloing so why don’t you focus on playing rhythm?’ I listened to him and I wish that I hadn’t in some ways, because it took me many years to even try.”

Loving the guitar can, for some people, become a bit of an obsession for the physical object. Fair enough, guitars – even massproduced ones – are works of art. Each one feels different in the player’s hands and they all have their own personality. “Having worked at a music store in my earlier years,” says Lightfoot, “I know that every guitar that comes to the store is different. Even from the factory. They all play differently. They all have different strengths, weaknesses, beauty, flaws, all of that.”

Lightfoot, Bentham and Strongman each have about 15 or more guitars. Strongman isn’t a collector, per se; he simply has a guitar for every occasion, be it a Dobro, a 12-string, a full-body acoustic, a Les Paul, and so on. Strongman’s favourite, though, is the guitar he nicknamed Number One, a Gibson ES 335 he has owned for three decades.

Bentham has a 1975 Les Paul Custom that he got when he was about 25 years old, and that’s basically the only guitar he really plays, despite having a collection of them.

Lightfoot’s fans know her favourite guitar is named Veronica, a Gibson SG she has owned since she was 17.

“As you grow with only one instrument, it becomes a part of your sound,” she says. “Like Willie Nelson’s Trigger, he’s never really put that down. He’s always played it and even if it’s had multiple holes, he has them repaired and keeps going. I find that inspirational.”

It ’ s n o t o f t e n t h at w o m e n a r e c o n s i d e r e d a s g u i ta r p l ay e r s . T h e r e ’ s a l o t o f s w e e t l i tt l e k i d s w h o w i l l c o m e o u t a n d s e e m e p l ay g u i ta r a n d g o , ‘ w o w , t h at ’ s r e a l ly c o o l , I ’ d l i k e t o d o t h at . ’ A n y b o d y c a n s i n g a n d w r i t e a song, but it’s quite another thing to pick up an instrument and bond with it and get to know it, and be able to express yourself in a language without words.”

Trebilcock is the outlier of the group. “I have an electric and an acoustic, which I think is all I need,” he says. “I’m not really a collector. When my dad gave me my first decent guitar, he said this is not something to be babied. This is a work tool.”

Mind you, all four agree on that statement.

Each of them is a working guitarist. Playing guitar has become the “day job.” It’s a fortunate position to be in. Lightfoot hopes she can use her platform to inspire others, especially young women and girls, to consider picking up the guitar.

“It’s not often that women are considered as guitar players,” she says. “There’s a lot of sweet little kids who will come out and see me play guitar and go, ‘Wow, that’s really cool, I’d like to do that.’ Anybody can sing and write a song, but it’s quite another thing to pick up an instrument and bond with it and get to know it, and be able to express yourself in a language without words.”

Trebilcock continues to teach and share his talents with up-and-comers as well. “I’ve had some pretty great students,” he says.

“It’s gratifying when they go on. I’m sort of helping them do what they already have in them. Most of the ones that go on, there’s this fire they’ve had since they were, like, 12. Even the ones that are just there to have some kind of experience outside of the house and learn something fun, it’s still gratifying because they’re learning social skills that they wouldn’t otherwise learn.”

So what makes a great guitar player, in the minds of these professional players? Again, it’s not speed or flashiness or the ability to kick mid-air (though Bentham throws a mean scissor-kick.)

Terra Lightfoot

“The best guitar players are guitar players that you know it’s them as soon as you hear them,” says Strongman. “There’s a signature style to their playing. BB King plays two notes and you know it’s BB King.”

“The ability to listen,” says Lightfoot.

“Sometimes you get a technical guitarist who can go, ‘Look at this blistering solo!’ but they barely seemed to be paying attention to the song that came before it. That’s never fun.”

Guitar, as the focus of modern music, is currently waning. That doesn’t mean it will never come back to take the lead again. So far, all the clichés – “rock ’n’ roll will never die” – have proven true.

Yet, whether or not playing the guitar is the height of cool is irrelevant. In fact, making a living playing guitar is irrelevant. Playing in front of people is irrelevant. Not to get all Zen about it, but what matters is simply the playing itself.

“It’s been a really good companion over the years,” Bentham says. “Especially as a teenager. I think most teenagers feel like they don’t fit in most places. It was a fantastic companion through all that stuff and continues to be now. When the world’s crazy and doesn’t make any sense, you can always strap on your Les Paul and play a really loud E chord and everything will be all right.” n

hamiltoncitymagazine.ca DON’T MISS MORE ONLINE! Check out these guitarists in action, and a list of others not to be missed. scan the qr code SUMMER 2023 HCM

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airwaves SINCE 1922, THE CITY HAS BEEN A POWERHOUSE OF MUSIC RADIO AND IS HOME TO THE OLDEST ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION IN CANADA.

by Jody Aberdeen

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efore Spotify and iTunes, before television, cassettes and CDs, certainly before MP3s and wifi, there was radio.

Many people have vivid memories of long summer nights spent in backyards and parks, cold drinks in hand, listening to distant voices on the FM or AM dials, whether it was a sports game, the news, or most commonly, music.

There was no algorithmic “curation” of your song options, no genre-specific “playlist” that you could change; with radio, you took what you got. If you heard a song you didn’t like, you could change stations, but unless you phoned in to request a song, what the DJ played was what you heard. Many stations would offer a mix of songs and artists across genres on their regular programming: you could hear classic rock one moment,

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R&B the next. DJs had a unique role as purveyors of new tracks from up-and-coming performers. Often, a single broadcast could lead to fame and fortune.

It was truly a different era, and while it’s certainly still here today amid our many options for entertainment, there was something special about the time when radio was king.

The story of Hamilton radio broadcasting is that of a scene that’s consistently punched above its weight class relative to larger markets like Toronto and Buffalo in terms of its influence on musical and creative culture.

No one can properly convey the story in its entirety in a single article, but we can offer an entry-level overview of some of the more notable moments, institutions, and remarkable characters whose collective legacy continues to broadcast out into the wide world beyond Steeltown.

How it all began The story of Hamilton radio begins where all Canadian radio begins: Montreal, with the establishment in 1918 of the country’s first radio station atop a building on William Street in Ville-Marie by a private subsidiary named for the father of radio himself.

The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of Canada opened the first commercial radio station, XWA (designated CFCF) in the country. The company was named, of course, after Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of modern radio, who notably achieved the first transatlantic telegraph transmission at Signal Hill in St. John’s, Nfld. in 1901.

With its audience initially limited to those equipped with experimental “crystal set” listening devices provided by the company, XWA nonetheless began regular broadcast programming in 1920.

From 1920 onwards, there was a proliferation of private commercial radio stations across the country, as transistor radios became more available (and affordable) for ordinary Canadians over time.

Hamiltonians would get their first taste of commercial radio in 1922 with the opening of CKOC AM (1150 AM).

CKOC hit the airwaves on May 1, 1922, founded by Wentworth Radio and Auto

Supply owners Herb Slack and George Crawford as a way to help grow their own transistor radio sales. Hamilton Mayor George Coppley would take to the airwaves one week later as part of the official launch, and the station quickly flourished in the community, with a first location at King William and John Street that changed several times over the years, eventually landing at 883 Upper Wentworth in 1990.

Starting in 1960 up until 1992, CKOC’s Top 40 Hit Parade became a mainstay for Hamilton listeners, with the station becoming known as “The Busy Bee” and broadcasting top hit songs around the Golden Horseshoe, giving the Toronto radio stations a run for their money in ratings.

But while CKOC had many notable achievements to this point, the station’s 1968 promotion of an energetic young musician (and one-time law student) from the copy department to the music director’s office would usher The Busy Bee into a golden age.

“The Hitmaker” A top graduate of Ryerson’s Radio and Television Arts program, Nevin Grant quickly rose to prominence at CKOC, becoming program director in 1972. He was passionate about helping launch the careers of talented

Ba c k i n t h e d ay , Ha m i lt o n and Toronto were very distinct and s e pa r at e m u s i c m a r k e t s . CKOC , f o r example, had its own r e g i o n a l au d i e n c e a n d t h at wa s enough for people west of Toronto.”

Alan Cross host of The Ongoing History of New Music Longtime radio personality and music writer Alan Cross spent some time on hamilton airwaves. photo: supplied

Hamilton-based performers. Grant believed that Canadian radio stations had a special obligation to promote Canadian artists, and would work to develop the careers of on-air personalities and musical acts here at home.

The late-great guitarist for Teenage Head, Gord Lewis, once credited Grant with helping to elevate “Let’s Shake” into a major hit, telling The Hamilton Spectator in 2015 that back then, double-sided hits only happened to major acts on the scale of the Guess Who, The Beatles, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

During his long career with CKOC, Grant would be instrumental in launching such notables as Roger Ashby (one third of the famous Roger, Rick, & Marilyn Morning Show at Toronto’s 104.5 CHUM-FM), Ronald J. Morey, Gord James, former Hamilton mayor Bob Bratina, Dave Charles, Brent Sleighthom, Bob Steele, and Mike and Peter Jaycock, all of whom lent their voices to the CKOC airwaves along their own careers. For these efforts, he would eventually be known as “The Hitmaker.”

The Busy Bee, however, was far from the only show in town during those halcyon days. In the 1960s, new radio stations arrived, bringing new competition for listeners and critical advertising revenue.

“Back in the day, Hamilton and Toronto were very distinct and separate music markets,” says Alan Cross, longtime host of The Ongoing History of New Music. “CKOC, for example, had its own regional audience and that was enough for people west of Toronto.

Some would listen to CHUM, but Hamilton has always been a hometown kind of place, so as a result, you had radio stations making a pretty good living just on the Hamilton and surrounding markets.”

Cross notes that this began to change when other markets outside of Toronto – St. Catharines, Kitchener, Cambridge, and Guelph – started to open their own radio stations, which reduced the footprint and impact of Hamilton radio over the area.

The growth of regional radio meant that new on-air talent began to emerge, with a few of them making their way to Hamilton to make their contributions to the local radio scene.

One of them was David Marsden, first known to Hamiltonians of that time by his stage name, “Dave Mickie.” /continued on next page

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Rogue radio In 1963, when Marsden’s bosses at CFCO in Chatham found out he’d been playing rock songs on their easy-listening format for several weeks, they fired him on the spot, only to rehire him soon after they learned that the ratings had gone up during his rogue broadcasts.

Marsden would eventually go on to become an iconic figure in Canadian broadcasting history, mostly associated with Brampton’s CFNY, today known as 102.1 The Edge. Under Marsden’s watch as program director, CFNY would become the country’s first “alternative” music station under the iconic motto: “The spirit of radio.”

Now known as “The Mars Bar” on the air, Marsden was an early adopter and proponent of punk and New Wave music, and is credited with giving audiences their first listens of acts that went on to become massive successes, including Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode, and the Sex Pistols to name a precious few.

But between his time at CFCO and CFNY, Marsden had an interlude at Hamiton’s CHIQ 1280 Radio at its original studios at 206 King St. W. (a building between Caroline and Bay that has sinced burned down. The property is slated to become the 14-storey Radio Arts condos), where he hosted the evening show.

Marsden also hosted a TV dance program on CHCH called Mickie A Go-Go, which aired on Saturday afternoons in 1965. According to some area residents who grew up during that time, Marsden became a local celebrity, often driving around town in his convertible and stopping to sign autographs for fans.

For many Hamiltonians, the “Dave Mickie” moniker is synonymous with that earlier time in the city’s history.

Another notable figure from CFNY, Alan Cross himself, would leave a lasting impact on Hamilton radio, helping two very different radio stations make a big switch.

The Y95-Energy 108 Switch-Up By the time Cross arrived in Hamilton to become program director at CJXY 95.3 FM in 2001, Canadian conglomerate Corus Entertainment had acquired the station, along with Burlington-based CING 107.9 FM. In September 2001, Corus decided that CJXY, then known as Y95 as a classic rock station, would begin broadcasting on 107.9 and be rebranded as Y108. Cross was 44

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in Toronto, country hasn’t worked very w e l l , s o m o s t o f t h e t i m e , t h e o n ly t h i n g t h at T o r o n t o l i s t e n e r s c a n d o i s f i n d a n o u t - o f - m a r k e t s tat i o n , w h i c h i s e x a c t ly t h e opposite of everyone else. In the case of KX 9 4 , p e o p l e f r o m T o r o n t o a r e t u r n i n g t o a Ha m i lt o n r a d i o s tat i o n . ” Alan Cross host of The Ongoing History of New Music

instrumental in steering the switchover.

“There was an interesting philosophy when I signed on in 2001,” says Cross. “Y95 had a very powerful signal, and was doing extremely well, taking as much as $750,000 of advertising out of the Kitchener area.

Because of its particular flavour of rock, it was bringing a lot of money from a wide footprint. When I got there, there were all kinds of problems with costs and staffing. We had to boost our revenues and market shares and cut costs. Our music programming needed to be cleaned up.”

Corus’ plan was to create a ring of Energy radio stations surrounding Toronto so they could beam in, from multiple frequencies, the same programming, from Oshawa, Barrie, and Kitchener, with Hamilton at the centre.

In order to do this properly, Corus needed a better signal for Energy 108.

The switch wasn’t without hiccups for CJXY, as Cross notes. “One thing we found out was that the Y95 signal on the 107.9 frequency didn’t cover Hamilton as well as we thought. If you were inside Stelco, for example, you had a hard time picking up the station, because the signal had moved from the tall transmitter in Stoney Creek to a shorter and less powerful tower on the Niagara Escarpment north of Burlington.”

Eventually, CJXY was able to weather the change, but CING (known as Energy 108 or Energy Radio) was now broadcasting to a wider area, putting it in direct competition with more stations. As a result, CING fell into something of an identity crisis over the next few years as it struggled to find a competitive niche.

During the 2000s, Corus would shuffle

CING between various categories, from hot adult contemporary/Top 40 formats similar to Toronto’s CHUM-FM to a brief focus on stand-up comedy, classic rock, back to Top 40, and then back to dance.

Its most successful interlude, however, was as Country 95.3 starting in 2002.

CING seemed to have finally struck gold: it remained Hamilton’s pre-eminent country station for seven years until 2009, when it was changed yet again to the classic rockformat Vinyl 95.3.

This change left the Hamilton radio market without a country music station, leaving the door open for another broadcasting company in two years’ time.

Durham Radio and KX 94.7 Douglas Kirk gained full ownership of Durham Radio in 2001 when his minority stakeholder partner, Ancaster resident Rae Roe, gave up his stake. The partners had opened CIWV or Wave 97 FM in 2000, where it played adult contemporary music for over a decade.

In 2011, looking to capitalize on the market gap left by the changeover at CING, Kirk changed CIMV to a country music format. Now known as KX 94.7, along with its sister KX stations in Ajax and Oshawa, serving suburban and rural areas outside of the big city.

As Cross notes, country is a very difficult format to program in this part of the world.

“They’re often No. 1 in many cities, but in Toronto, country hasn’t worked very well, so most of the time, the only thing that Toronto listeners can do is find an out-of-market station, which is exactly the opposite of /continued on page 54

The trews make their professional home in hamilton and the three original band members live here now, too. photo: supplied

THE TREWS MAKE AN ‘EAST COAST' HOME IN HAMILTON NOVA SCOTIA NATIVES, THE THREE ORIGINAL BAND MEMBERS HAVE ALL SET UP THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES IN OUR CITY. B y K e r r y D o o l e

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ife as a rock ‘n’ roll band is nomadic in its essence. Pandemic lockdowns aside, extensive touring is crucial for a group’s success, as the example of The Trews indicates. In their case, that nomadism has also extended into the members’ personal lives.

Since forming in Antigonish, N.S. in 1997, the band has spent almost all its career based in various southern Ontario locales, and is now currently headquartered in Hamilton.

This city’s music community has been pleased to embrace one of Canada’s most popular rock outfits into its midst. In turn, its three original members, brothers Colin MacDonald (vocals, guitars) and John-Angus MacDonald (lead guitar, vocals), and Jack Syperek (bass) are outspoken in expressing their love for this city and its music scene.

That became crystal clear when HAMILTON CITY Magazine chatted with the three over coffee on an east end patio recently. There, the trio recounted their gradual relocation to this city over the past decade.

On the advice of his pal Max Kerman of the Arkells, John-Angus bought in the Kirkendall area, close to another comrade, Tom Wilson.

Colin MacDonald chose the Locke Street area. “I loved it right away. I like the pace in Hamilton better. It’s a good place to be an artist musician or writer, so I’ve been really happy here.”

Drummer Chris Gormley lives in Mississauga and keyboardist Jeff Heisholt in Toronto, but The Trews’ business HQ is now in Hamilton.

Helping the transition was Hamilton music

industry veteran Glen Marshall. “He recorded us at Catherine North studio when we were a baby band,” John-Angus recalls. “We kept in touch and he offered us a really inexpensive space in The Cotton Factory, then let us rehearse at The Mule Spinner, which is such a cool event space.”

“Out of all the Ontario cities, Hamilton seems most like the East Coast,” says Colin.

“It’s a grounded place, where people are blue collar and real. They’re welcoming beneath a tough exterior, and you have to be a good band. When you play a Hamilton show, you can’t shoegaze, you have to put on a show.

The East Coast is like that.” n Don’t miss an in-depth story online: Read highlights about The Trews’ career and what’s next for the veteran band: scan the qr code SUMMER 2023 HCM

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LAUREL MINNES FOUNDED A CHORAL ENSEMBLE THAT JUST KEEPS GROWING BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO GET IN ON THE FOLKY, FEMINIST FUN. B y Va n e s s a G r e e n

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groups of people to sing together has been lost, says Minnes.

“I feel like hearing a bunch of bodies vibrating in a room singing used to be experienced a lot more. Now we have less opportunity to experience that because (choral music) was tagged as this whole gospel or religious (musical genre),” says Minnes. “But a group of people singing together is a choir – it doesn’t matter what you’re singing about. And for some reason, as soon as religion was removed from that, we did that less. And I think that’s sad because it is a religious experience in a different way. It is spiritual.”

Minnes grew up in Grimsby in a home brimming with musical energy. Her father (who plays keyboard for Minuscule) and mother both played in bands and her sister (also a backup singer in Minuscule), sings alto. As kids, the sisters would often don tap shoes to perform for family friends, and singing and acting were also a formative part of their childhood.

After discovering that her voice was the

instrument she really wanted to use, Minnes began recording herself singing, then using GarageBand to loop and layer the recordings.

She fell in love with the medium and how easy it was to create interweaving melodies while also having a dialogue that represented the various conversations going on in her head.

In 2018, Minnes decided to apply to the In the Soil Arts Festival. Now in its 15th year, the festival is a week-long multi-arts program in downtown St. Catharines featuring performance, music, digital art, theatre and interactive experiences.

She enlisted the help of her high-school barbershop chorus, The Bobby Pins, and Minuscule – initially made up of just eight members – was born.

Miniscule is an ever-evolving entity, with members coming and going depending on their availability and where the group is performing. What’s so special about this collective, and perhaps what sets it apart from other folk acts, is its ability to draw in new members, almost calling them to join in the chorus.

photo: Lauren Garbutt

L

aurel Minnes is making choral music cool.

But she’s not doing it alone. She’s got a backing band. And a 30-piece all-female choir.

“After every show, somebody comes up and says: ‘Are you taking more members?

Can I do this with you?’” says Minnes, lead vocalist and ukuleleist for the group. “We’ve since had to stop (taking on more people) because we can’t really all fit on stage. We’ve actually never all been on stage together.”

The tongue-in-cheek-named Minuscule (also a play on Minne’s last name) is a true auditory delight; an ever-evolving chorus of women delivering raw, emotive harmony to support Minnes’s striking vocals.

“I really struggle with whether or not to use that word ‘choral’, knowing that it will come with a stigma. But at the same time, I am compelled to use it and use it hard so that it is reclaimed in a way that is inclusive of all kinds of music.”

As we’ve moved away from being a church-going society, the opportunity for

“Total strangers literally come up to me at shows and ask to join the group. And I feel compelled to honour that courage,” says Minnes. “I think that’s why we’ve grown as large as we have. We don’t need to be 30 people. But if anybody comes up to me and says, ‘I want to do this, and I think I can,’ then I want them to do it. (Minuscule) is an opportunity to give people a stage who maybe wouldn’t otherwise do it on their own. And now, some of them have started to pursue their own musical things or been reinvigorated to visit their own musical personalities. And that is so inspiring and so precious to me.”

In 2019, Minuscule released a debut album, Great. Minnes and her partner Taylor Hulley (who also plays drums for the group) recorded the album themselves, investing in equipment and studio space to give the group the time and creative control to record the album the way they wanted. Minnes and Taylor also make up Laurel & Hulley, a cover band that performs across the Niagara Region.

Though Minnes is opening doors for many aspiring female singers, she also has a number of mentors whom she says have helped shape her musical career.

Among them is Danno O’Shea of My Son the Hurricane, and guitarist and vocalist KW Campol, from Hamilton’s Vile Creature.

But no one has given Minuscule the opportunity to share their music with the world more than Tony Dekker, lead singer of Canadian indie folk band Great Lake Swimmers.

The group, which has been on the Canadian music scene for over 20 years, has released eight studio albums and been nominated for a Juno award, Canadian Folk

Music award and shortlisted for a Polaris Prize.

Dekker was recording the band’s latest album, Uncertain Country, at Wow Studios in St. Catharines. He wanted to feature a choir on some of the tracks, and studio owner Joe Lapinski said he knew just the group. Together, Great Lake Swimmers and Minuscule collaborated on three songs on the new album: “Moonlight, Stay Above,” “Respect For All Living Things,” and “Think, Think” and recorded them at a church in Ball’s Falls.

“Tony has been one of those people that I just am so thankful for. We had coffee a couple of months ago, and he just said, ‘I believe in you, and I believe in your project.

How can I support you?’ I said, ‘Give me your coattails. And let me hang on for dear life.’ (Great Lake Swimmers) have built such a beautiful community and a beautiful following over the last 20 years.

And their fans, I think, are our fans, so (our collaboration) makes a lot of sense.”

Minuscule opened for the Great Lake Swimmers on the East Coast leg of their recent Canadian tour, hitting up Fredericton, St. John, Halifax, Charlottetown and finally, Quebec City. They also performed the songs they collaborated on for Uncertain Country.

While Minuscule’s exact musical genre is hard to pin down, it has been referred to as a new form of feminist pop music, and that’s a badge Minnes wears proudly.

“People have said, ‘Oh, don’t say feminist, you’re gonna scare off a certain subset of the population.’ And I say, ‘Well, then it’s their loss.’ I can’t be everything to everyone.

Feminism is not about women ruling the world, it is about them having a seat at the table and being even with everybody.”

Minnes is a talented lyricist, and each

of her original songs exudes a refreshing honesty and captivating rawness. And though she is a champion for women, the themes of Minuscule’s music are intended to resonate with everyone. “(Minuscule) is not meant to be a girl band. And the music is not meant to be (just) for women,” says Minnes. “I want to be as authentic as possible. And I think a lot of what we sing about is totally universal, about addiction and grief and loss and embarrassment and empowerment. And those are all themes that everybody can get on board with. The purpose is to make people not feel alone. I am compelled to just be as vulnerable as possible. I feel like that is my role so that others feel like they are allowed to be as well.”

That openness and vulnerability is clear in every Minuscule performance, but perhaps what is even more palpable is the chemistry of the group. The camaraderie and connection, the group of bodies vibrating together. It’s what drives Minnes – and leaves no room for ego.

“I don’t think that I ever want to do this alone. It’s not meant to be (done) alone,” says Minnes. “It’s meant to be a shared catharsis.

It just feels so much like a community, and I treasure every member. I’m so happy to have them. We have members come and go, at every age, every life stage – it’s nondiscriminatory in that regard. But once you’re in it, you’re never out.” n

WHAT TO KNOW Website: minusculemusic.com FB: @minusculemusicofficial IG: @minusculemusic YT: @MinusculeMusic

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HAMILTON IS HOME AGAIN FOR

LORRAINE SEGATO LEAD SINGER FOR PARACHUTE CLUB, A LONGTIME SOCIAL ACTIVIST AND NOW A MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF CANADA, SEGATO SAYS SHE MAY HAVE LIVED IN TORONTO FOR 40 YEARS, BUT SHE NEVER REALLY LEFT HER HOMETOWN BEHIND.

By Kerry Doole

Lorraine segato is Best known as the lead singer of parachute club. photo: rainer sogetrope 48

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023 is already shaping up as a milestone year for Lorraine Segato.

A multi-hyphenated creative talent as a singer, songwriter, filmmaker, and playwright, she remains best known nationally as the frontperson of Parachute Club, the Toronto-based group that had major commercial success and a serious cultural impact back in the 1980s.

That band’s biggest hit, “Rise Up,” is an uplifting anthem that still possesses a potent relevance, as shown by Segato-curated versions of the song in 2018 (country) and 2019 (pop), designed to fundraise for charity.

Segato’s work in Parachute Club and her social activism as a longtime feminist and advocate for gay rights led to her being named to the Order of Canada on Dec. 29, 2022. She was also recently shortlisted for a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 City of Hamilton Arts Awards.

This honour has a real significance, as it both acknowledges Segato’s deep roots in Hamilton and her return to the city in which she was born and raised. The bulk of her creative and social endeavours may have taken place in Toronto, her home for 40 years, but she has never forgotten those origins.

Chatting with HAMILTON CITY Magazine over a beer at The Brain, Segato stresses that “although I was away from the city for so long, I’ve always been the Hamtown girl.

I talk about it in my solo records and plays, and it has informed every aspect of who I am and what my core values are. I take that with me and that’s why I chose to accept the arts awards nomination.”

Segato was born on Wentworth North between Burlington Street and Barton, the daughter of hard-working Italian immigrants. She now reflects that “those early experiences of growing up here, the daughter of immigrants and experiencing what that meant in the ’60s and early ’70s, well, it wasn’t easy at certain points. Later we had terms for it, like bullying and racism, but it made me strong. I was considered by my early friends to be a scrapper. I was getting beaten up going to school so I had to learn how to fight back,” she says.

“I could have become something of a bully myself, but I decided from that narrative I was living out to use my energy to, in a way, give voice to the marginalized. It turned me in this other direction, and solidified my core values. The idea that connection to the

community and the family is really important came out of being here.”

After film school at Sheridan, Segato relocated to Toronto and immersed herself in the fertile Queen Street West music scene that spawned Parachute Club. Released in 1983, the self-titled debut album featured the huge hit “Rise Up” that propelled the group to national stardom. The large band had an eclectic and rhythmic sound, and Segato’s strong voice and charismatic stage presence was at its core.

The heyday of Parachute Club lasted until 1988 and featured the release of three acclaimed and popular albums. After spitting in 1988, the core members reunited from 2005 to 2012 for occasional performances.

That group’s legacy includes five Juno Awards, two Platinum and one Gold records, a SOCAN Classic Award for “Rise Up,” and induction into the Indie Hall of Fame. With the breakthrough debut album turning 40 this year, Segato hints at “some cool stuff coming up in the fall” around that milestone.

Segato’s post-PC solo career has

encompassed three solo records, documentary films, theatre work, and continued social activism. She was able to combine many of these roles when she was appointed artist in residence by developer The Daniels Corporation in downtown Toronto neighbourhood Regent Park in 2014.

Segato has toiled for many years on the writing of a one-woman show, Get Off My Dress. She is currently revising that to incorporate material from the family situation that has brought her back to Hamilton (specifically Dundas).

“It is an interesting full-circle moment for me. I came back because my father has dementia and is in longterm care and I wanted to look after my mother. Luckily I am in a moment where I can give back to them.”

A gradual relocation began in 2019, and intensified with the pandemic, a period Segato says “gave me the time and space to think about what I want to do in the last third of my life. With my move back to Hamilton, I am planting seeds that I know will grow into my next creative projects.”

One major project in recent years has been in the leadership field. She recalls that “as I was entering my 60s, a friend of mine, (Olympic champion swimmer) Mark Tewkesbury, asked me to join his team. We are now six people running this boutique leadership course, and I’m loving it and dreaming of a course I’m going to do for young artists.”

So, even as honours like the Order of Canada come her way, don’t expect Lorraine Segato to ease up. “I’ve never been that person to rest on laurels,” she stresses. “Now I think I have to live up to this by getting my shit together and working really hard.” n

hamiltoncitymagazine.ca DON’T MISS AN INDEPTH STORY ONLINE FIND OUT ABOUT LORRAINE SEGATO’S BIKER BAR GIG AND HER WARDROBE MALFUNCTION: scan the qr code

Crafting a creative hub HAMILTON CRAFT STUDIOS OFFERS AN AFFORDABLE AND FUN SPACE TO WORKING ARTISTS, ALONG WITH WOODWORKING, TEXTILES AND CERAMICS CLASSES, IN A SPRAWLING FORMER 1920S-ERA WIRE FACTORY. B y S t e p h a n i e V e g h

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Dayna gedney is a co-founder of Hamilton Craft studios. photos: Nick Parry 50

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ayna Gedney and Joseph Bauman tripped over the former wire factory at 121 Princess St. during an online property search. Both graduates of Sheridan College’s furniture craft and design program prior to moving to Hamilton in 2014, the couple had hatched a business plan during the pause of the pandemic. That factory was the spark the idea needed to ignite.

A fellow Sheridan-trained woodworker, Jake Whillans, was next to join their team after an enthusiastic six-hour phone call with Bauman. Whillans had previously worked out of a Mimico shop that was structured as a cooperative, but which he describes as “15 indie businesses in silos.” He wanted a different kind of space, one that would break away from the trope of “the angry, disgruntled woodworking shop.”

The group signed a lease for that hollowed-out factory with the rare benefit of a great landlord who prefers creative space over condos. With the addition of Matt MacDonald as a fourth woodworker and director, the founders of Hamilton Craft Studios got to work transforming a literal blank slate of bare concrete floors, adding everything from electricity to washrooms and enough equipment to fill what would become a 14,000-square-foot craft studio.

A sprawling woodworking studio on the second floor was first to open in May 2022.

Rather than risk losing access to its potential, HCS swiftly claimed the third floor to support textiles, upholstery, and ceramics, as well as a fridge and coffee maker. “It’s the only way to get the woodworkers up here,” Gedney jokes.

The top floor opened in mid-September and a fifth director, David Scola, rounded out their team in November.

Gedney assumed administrative leadership of HCS by its second week when the inevitable management tasks began to pile up. Now serving as executive director, she oversees the complexities of this dynamic

new space with a cheerful ferocity: sourcing equipment and materials from wholesalers, inducting new members, and programming classes alongside a team of artists gathering within the walls.

Among the first to set up shop was Zoë Pinnell, who had moved to Toronto for a residency after graduating from Sheridan’s ceramics program but found the city lacking in career support – particularly during a pandemic. Early Instagram posts from HCS inspired her to cold-call Gedney with an offer to help set up the studio’s ceramics facilities.

She arrived while the third floor was empty save for moving boxes and has become one of its most active artists. In addition to providing technical support for ceramics, Pinnell joined Pippa Samsworth as one of the studio’s first instructors when classes began last fall, and she has been recruiting artists to the space during shifts at The Cannon coffee shop.

Like Pinnell, Curtis Mohrhardt found HCS via Instagram after struggling with a 100-square-foot share of a rented shop in Mississauga. Will Barton joined the studio five days after his first phone call, eager to escape a backyard workspace that required him to move his lawnmower every time he needed to cut into a sheet of plywood. By contrast, the HCS woodworking shop boasts professional equipment and plenty of elbow room in a safely ventilated, sunlit space that is also proving to be a conduit to paid work for its artists.

In less than a year, HCS has attracted 52 members, ranging from hobbyists to fulltime artists. While membership provides its benefits, the studio prides itself on being open to newcomers. A noteworthy feature here is the absence of any walls beyond the glass and brick envelope of the building itself.

The lack of private studios is a deliberate choice, “and not just because the fire marshall said so,” says Gedney. By sharing tables and tools in common, each artist becomes mindful of the needs of others, and enters into casual chatter that can solve problems and fuel creativity.

So far, HCS has primarily attracted makers outside of Hamilton who are drawn by affordable facilities and friendly faces that can be hard to find in a new city as a midcareer artist. But Hamiltonians are showing up in classes and recognizing what this space has to offer, as both a facility and an

Furniture-maker Joseph bauman is a co-founder of Hamilton craft studios.

example to artists seeking more agency over their creative careers. Outreach programs with Hamilton Public Library, school field trips and art camps for local children are all helping HCS find its footing in Hamilton while sustaining the studio and its members with paid work.

Most artists cannot live on the short hours of contract teaching alone, but Gedney envisions a wider range of activities that can support their independent makers. HCS is planning its first holiday market for the first weekend of December – the beginning of an annual tradition that pushes the studio doors wider open and supports its self-sufficiency.

A growing social calendar is building kinship among studio members and offering

ports of entry for new artists, such as their monthly queer craft club, and a fibre arts brunch. With new makers bringing further skills to share, HCS is always adapting to anticipate the needs of its future community and will undoubtedly be shaped by the energies of its incoming artists as much as its founders.

Gedney recalls a recent studio cleanup that ended with a backyard barbecue and a game of cornhole using bean bags and boards made on site that day. It was a rare opportunity for her to set aside her administrative duties and take joy in the community she has cultivated – one where, as she says, “the more you give, the more you get out of it.” n SUMMER 2023 HCM

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HAMILTON IS THE ‘BEATING HEART’ OF PEBBLE & DOVE, THE MOVING NEW NOVEL

BY AMY JONES. B y J e s s i c a R o s e

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here’s an inside joke in Amy Jones’s family that she’s jinxed when it comes to spotting wildlife.

“My parents will go out in the boat and see dolphins and whales and sea turtles all frolicking under a rainbow or something, and then I go with them the next time and see nothing,” says Jones. Her most recent book Pebble & Dove stars the unlikeliest of characters – a once-famous manatee now living in an abandoned aquarium in Florida.

“When they first told me about their experience seeing a manatee while kayaking in the Intracoastal Waterway in Sarasota, where they spend winters, I was determined I would see one. But, of course, for years, I saw nothing!” she says.

Finally, Jones’s aquatic dreams came true when a mother and baby manatee visited her kayak. “It was such a life-changing experience for me. They are so curious and playful, and yet that’s what makes them so vulnerable. I just knew that one day I was going to write about them.”

Pebble & Dove, Jones’s third novel, weaves together the stories of three generations of women: Lauren, her daughter Dove, and her enigmatic mother, Imogen, who has recently passed away. A mysterious photograph leads Dove to the abandoned Flamingo Key Aquarium and Tackle where she meets Pebble, the world’s oldest manatee in captivity.

Jones, who often visited her grandparents in Florida as a child, based Pebble loosely on Snooty, a captive manatee who died in a devastating accident at the South Florida Museum in 2017.

“I love Florida, and even though it’s going through a very bad time now, politically, I was sort of inspired to write this book as a testament to the perseverance and resilience of Florida’s natural environment in the face of everything humankind has been throwing at it,” says Jones.

Despite being set in Florida, Jones says Hamilton is the “beating heart of this book.”

Written mostly during the pandemic, Jones says she came up with her best ideas while 52

HCM SUMMER 2023

THE SONG OF WRATH (THE BONES OF RUIN #2) SARAH RAUGHLEY

In 2021’s The Bones of Ruin, local author Sarah Raughley introduced readers to Iris Marlow, an immortal tightrope dancer with no memories of her past. Now, Iris is back in the trilogy’s second installment, The Songs of Wrath. This time, she’s fighting for a normal life – an impossibility after the first book sent her into a grisly tournament, forcing her to confront her past. The result is another exhilarating adventure story showcasing Raughley’s growing reputation for crafting pulse-pounding tales. The trilogy will conclude next year with The Lady of Rapture.

THE WAR AS I SAW IT: IN RHODESIA, NOW ZIMBABWE, THROUGH THE EYES OF A BLACK BOY G E O R G E M AT U V I

Amy Jones’s new novel pebble & dove, was inspired by a close encounter with manatees in florida. photo: Pamela Crichton/Ten West Photography

walking around her neighbourhood, strolling through the tropical greenhouse at Gage Park, getting lost on the Red Hill Valley trail, or huffing her way up the Kenilworth stairs.

Originally from Halifax, Jones moved to Hamilton a number of years ago, and since then, she’s been “blown away” by a welcoming and vibrant Hamiton literary community.

“I’m a pretty social person, and I love going to literary events and talking with other writers, so that’s really crucial for me,” she says. “One thing I’m excited about, now that we’re able to move a little more freely in the world, is to get back into my coffee-shop writing routine,” she says.

“This summer you’ll probably catch me posted up at The Cannon on any given afternoon, working on the next book.”

In his first book, The War as I Saw It, George Matuvi intimately recalls his journey as a young boy fleeing violence in Chamini, a rural area in Zvishavane, Zimbabwe. Now an electrical engineer and business owner in Hamilton, Matuvi looks inward, chronicling a life marked by hardship, displacement, and resilience. However, The War as I Saw It isn’t only a sombre tail of conflict. It’s also a timeless story about boyhood.

Readers will delight in stories of soccer balls made from discarded plastic bags, stories told around a fire, and other moments of joy.

ADVENTURIZE YOUR SUMMER C H R I S PA N N E L L

Earlier this summer, the Hamilton Arts Awards recognized artists and community leaders for their excellence and contributions to Hamilton.

Local poet Chris Pannell took home one of four arts champion awards for his contribution to, and championing of, local arts. His most recent collection of poetry, Adventurize Your Summer, is a wide-ranging look at travel, art, and life, drawing from Pannell’s own lived experiences, combining Pannell’s signature blend of humour and empathy. n

Art and About There is never a shortage of fun and inspiring arts and culture events in Hamilton and Burlington.

Here are a few of our favourite local happenings.

BOTANICAL BARD The Bard’s Bus Tour by the Driftwood Theatre Group has been bringing Shakespeare to the masses in some of Ontario’s most picturesque locales for nearly 30 years.

With the RBG’s Laking Garden as the backdrop, Living With Shakespeare – the most recent production – takes a personal turn in a beautiful setting. The original piece by the group’s artistic director Jeremy Smith recaps his lifelong passion for William Shakespeare by interspersing stories, music and passages from some of The Bard of Avon’s greatest works. As the summer evening falls, settle into your lawn chair for a one-of-a-kind bedtime story.

Aug. 25-27 rbg.ca

THE SUPER IN CRAWL

A LITTLE NACHTMUSIK Treat your lawn chair to a field trip this summer by taking it to one of the free outdoor concerts held weekly at the Pier 8 Waterfront Stage, presented by the Hamilton Waterfront Trust. Each week features a new artist, so you and that portable chair might want to schedule a regular date night to fully reap the sensory rewards of experiencing live music on a warm summer evening. Check out the website for a full schedule. Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 until Aug. 31. hamiltonwaterfront.com

LIFE ON THE FRINGES All life is theatre, and when the Fringe is in town, so is all of Hamilton. With over 50 artistic companies performing at 11 stages during its run, the Fringe Festival – the largest theatre festival in the GHA – offers audiences more than 350 performances to choose from, including storytellers and magicians, comedies and improv, dancers and ghost stories, coming-of-age tales, puppets, musicals, and kids shows. And the hard-working artists get 100 per cent of ticket revenue. The Fringe Club outside of Theatre Aquarius serves as the festival’s hub, offering free performances, panel discussions, food, and, thankfully, a licensed patio where dedicated Fringers can take an intermission of their own before heading back out to the stages. July 19-30 hftco.ca

We are still counting our lucky stars that Supercrawl made it through the pandemic, because boasting about the weekend event is part of a Hamiltonian’s DNA. Who would we be without it? An epic weekend party celebrating art, community and music, last year’s Crawl drew over 275,000 visitors taking in the sights, sounds and snacks spread over 20 city blocks centred around James Street North. That boasting is really getting the word out. The jam-packed musical lineup has always been top-tier – and this year’s headliners don’t disappoint. They include BADBADNOTGOOD, Broken Social Scene, Rita Chiarelli & Sweet Loretta, The Flatliners, Hamilton Superstars, and Raine & Chantal. What a good time it will be. Sept. 8-10 supercrawl.ca

IVAMOS AL PARQUE GAGE! The PanAm Games of 2015 may be long gone, but it left a legacy in Hamilton that we can all enjoy. The Latino Festival is coming, with Gage Park providing the locale for a community celebration of Latin-Hispanic culture – a rapidly growing segment of the city. Live music, art exhibitions, a vendor market and dance classes (zumba, anyone?) will keep every family member busy, and perhaps out of breath, while an array of food offerings will guarantee that no one leaves hungry. iTe veo allí!

Aug. 18-20 facebook.com/hamiltonlatino

hamiltoncitymagazine.ca scan the qr code Make our Things to Do section your go-to destination for city life and arts and culture events listings!

SUMMER 2023 HCM

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@macmuseum museum.mcmaster.ca

/continued from page 44 everyone else. In the case of KX 94, people from Toronto are turning to a Hamilton radio station.”

Where Are They Now?

Shelley Niro, Nature’s Wild Children, 2022.

Image courtesy of Smokestack Studios.

Chasm ( Curated by Pamela Edmonds and Betty Julian Opening Reception: Thursday, September 28, 5 – 8 PM

)

“An immense pleasure to read ... The love of invertebrates and the complexity of human behaviour are beautifully married in this imaginative thriller ... The murders are clever and gruesome ...

I thoroughly enjoyed it" MARVIN GUNDERMAN Entomology Instructor at McMaster University's Department of Biology (retd)

amazon.com/author/markcoakleybooks

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HCM SUMMER 2023

It’s impossible to cover the entirety of Hamilton’s radio scene in a magazine story.

We haven’t even touched on Hamilton’s vibrant campus offerings such as McMaster’s CFMU 93.3 or Mohawk’s CIOI (aka the amazing INDI 101.5), nor have talked about the on-air personalities of today.

This can only be a high-level view of more than 100 years of Hamilton radio history. This writer regrets all that was left out.

How has it all turned out, then?

Kirk’s Durham Radio has since acquired over 15 stations in multiple cities as one of the last family companies in radio today. KX 94.7 is Hamilton’s top country music station.

After serving as CJXY program director for three years, Cross would return to CFNY in 2004. He, of course, continues to host The Ongoing History of New Music on 102.1 The Edge and streaming services on the web. Following several iterations, CING is now known as Energy 95.3 and plays adult contemporary music. CJXY remains a classic rock station as Y108.

“One of the things that radio is extremely good at is being local,” says Cross. “You could listen to a Toronto or a Buffalo radio station, but it’s not going to tell you what’s happening down the block from you, where you can shop in your community. Radio provides a very consistent connection to the area where you live, and Hamilton radio has done that very well for many decades. In order to survive and thrive, it will need to continue doing that.”

Marsden would continue to shepherd radio in new directions, helping to create Iceberg Radio, Canada’s first Internetbased radio service, in the early 2000s. He would later be inducted into the Radio and Broadcasting Hall of Fame and honoured by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Today, Marsden co-hosts NY: The Spirit and continues to talk all things radio.

CHIQ would be rebranded as CHAM and eventually switch to AM 820, its studios relocating to the building at 883 Upper Wentworth, down the hall from its old rival, CKOC. Today, it goes by Funny 820 and

primarily offers comedy programming.

Grant would eventually be inducted into the Canadian Broadcasting Hall of Fame and earn an Allan Waters Lifetime Achievement Award at the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards in 2019, among many more accolades. The talent networks he built would continue to grow over the years, helping new Canadian artists such as Drake and Alessia Cara become international superstars. Grant died in 2020 at 80.

“The Busy Bee” would undergo its own permutations as FM supplanted AM as listeners’ preferred broadcasting mode for music. It was briefly rebranded as “Oldies 1150” in 1992 until a letter-writing campaign by angry residents restored the CKOC letters to the name. In 2015, it became TSN 1150 on a sports radio format, and most recently in 2021, was purchased by BNN Bloomberg, a business talk radio network owned by Bell Media.

As of this writing, the venerable station that began its life as CKOC-AM continues to broadcast through the airwaves as it has done for the past century. It is the oldest English language commercial radio station still operating in Canada, and the thirdoldest overall in the country. It has outlasted even XWA/CFCF, the Marconi-built station in Montreal that started it all, which went off the air after 90 years in 2010. As of June 2023, both AM 1150 and AM 820 are being sold to a third party that, as of this writing, has not been disclosed.

For folks of certain generations, it’s understandable to look back and think that the golden era of radio has passed us by, that people today – inundated as we are with curated, algorithmic-driven content across multiple platforms – will never understand what’s been lost. Long gone are the simpler days of having a blank cassette tape in the player ready to record a favourite, hard-to-find song when it came on. The comparatively-few grand personalities of yesteryear loom larger in our memories compared to the multitudes of on-air and online talent today.

Yet radio still holds a commanding position in the creative and cultural life of the Steel City, and in the daily lives of new generations of city listeners. The story of Hamilton radio goes on, and shows no signs of going silent anytime soon. n

The Food Court Foodie THE TOWNHALL SOCIAL EATERY SERVES UP A TOP-TIER VARIETY OF OFFERINGS UNDER ONE COOL ROOF ON CONCESSION STREET.

K

ara Liersch is no stranger to the hustle of the restaurant business. As one-third of Social Event Group, the Hamilton restaurant collective responsible for some of the coolest food joints in town – The Dirty South food truck and restaurants among them – she was well versed in the pivoting required when feeding the masses. When the pandemic threw the group’s most recent plan a curveball, rather than pivot, they dug in their heels and got to work.

Concession Street’s Townhall Social Eatery was imagined as a “food court but cool,” with a variety of vendors serving top-tier fun food for every member of the friend group and family. “As we have young kids we wanted to create a space that is inclusive to all and a place where parents don’t have to sacrifice quality,” says Liersch. After the uncertainty created by the pandemic left them with a great idea, a fantastic space, but no participants, Liersch and her partners – chef/husband Brett Liersch and operations manager Sean Keast – decided to pool their extensive knowledge of the industry, and go it alone. “We were, of course,

scared because we were left to create and run multiple stalls (brands essentially), but our team is amazing and we all figured it out together. We agree that it worked out for the better.”

The results are stunning, with no hint of the creative gymnastics that preceded its May opening “after three years of COVID, construction and City holdups,” sighs Liersch. The decor is insta-worthy, and the menus varied and delicious. Whether it’s coffee, tacos, a local brew, or some plain old comfort food, flavour and fun are guaranteed – and, thanks to a guest stall reserved for pop-ups, there’s always something new. The role of this rotating space is to support local business and not just food. “We are completely open to any maker wanting to use the space. We really want to showcase local and continuously change things up,” Liersch says.

Change is a theme with Liersch and her crew, and with the addition of Townhall Social to the Mountain, a creative bright spot in a landscape rich in chain restaurants, change is definitely good. n

Townhall Social Eatery on Concession Street offers an upscale food court experience. photo: supplied

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top left: dear grain OWNER adri greenspan removes high-hydration sourdough from the oven. photo: food is me. top right: display of bread welcomes viewers of food is me premiere. photo: diane galambos. middle: A popular north indian sweet snack called jalebi is made at himalya. photo: food is me. bottom left: marias tortas owner maria ojeda (centre) and daughters angelina boce (left) and helen tafolla (right). photo: marias tortas. bottom right: joe and lindsey mrav, owners of grain & grit beer co. photo: grain & grit beer co.

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FOOD IS ME DOCUSERIES FOLLOWS HAMILTON EATERIES DEAR GRAIN COMMISSARY, TOMAH, GRAIN & GRIT CO., HIMALYA AND MARIA’S TORTAS JALISCO.

By DIANE GALAMBOS

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omantic comedies often contain a “meet-cute” scene of a couple’s first encounter. Kris Osborne and Nathan Sizemore have a terrific meet-cute story though the only “romantic” part is their shared love of food. Osborne was off to Europe with her spouse and young family for three months. Sizemore and his family, who’d been staying in small digs across the road, happily took over the rental while they were away. The two families became acquainted and mutual interests led to collaboration on creative projects.

The most recent is the docuseries Food Is Me, which premiered to a full house at Hamilton’s Westdale Theatre. Funded by Bell Fibe TV1 and produced by Osborne and Sizemore’s Wild Fig Studio, the films have been described as “an intimate, vulnerable, and often funny exploration of the people, food and drink behind five of Hamilton’s most noteworthy breweries, bakeries and restaurants.”

They are Dear Grain Commissary, Tomah, Grain & Grit Co., Himalya and Maria’s Tortas Jalisco.

Growing up in a family-run restaurant, Osborne, who now lives in Westdale, is an accomplished recipe developer, food writer, and food media producer with more than a decade of experience in the food, health

and wellness space. She has worked with many high-profile brands, organizations and publications. Sizemore is a Toronto-based filmmaker, with decades of experience making films and commercial video. Since childhood, he has loved film, which he says encompasses all art forms and demands creative contributions from a team.

The docuseries’ secret ingredient is talent showcasing talents. If the premiere crowd’s response was any measure, they agreed. As an expert on watching food shows, I’d say Food Is Me tapped into the best element of this format – choosing people who had great stories. Hosted by celebrated food writer and cookbook author Tara O’Brady, each film perfectly balances personal narratives with demonstrated artisanal skills. Considering that Hamilton has such a vibrant food scene, it’s a pity there is little in the way of a film archive. Here’s hoping Osborne and Sizemore can continue with this project.

DEAR GRAIN COMMISSARY When it comes to love of food, it’s hard to top Adri Greenspan’s passion for bread. He and his wife Lidiya Kirilova founded Dear Grain with this stated goal: “We’re in the business of making people fall in love with sourdough bread all over again.” Working as a private chef, a whole new world opened up

for him when he was asked to make bread.

“I didn’t really choose bread. It chose me,” he says in the series. He looks at bread with love and waxes poetically that breadmaking incorporates all the elements – earth, water, fire and air.

Spending hours away from home when the bakery opened, Greenspan was soon joined by Kirilova. He demonstrates on film some of the steps in making bread from highhydration dough, which has a long shelf life and is highly digestible. Kirilova discovered her own passion for pastries and the bakery now makes sweets that always satisfy and are often inspired.

With Hamilton as their main commissary, they also have a storefront in Toronto. Their bread blog offers many helpful tips for home bread-making.

TOMAH There are two things compelling about Tomah’s owner Mohamad Tomeh: His story and his irresistible food. His food includes what many agree are the best falafels in town, along with kibbeh, dips, artfully presented hummus, and “sandwiches.” It’s a feeble word for the Syrian shawarma of spiced, juicy chicken breast with garlic sauce and pomegranate molasses, and rolled into saj, an (unleavened) flatbread that is lightly charred, resulting in a delicious thing of beauty. Tomeh also makes unique cheeses that are central to his story and he demonstrates his techniques for Turkmani cheese (and falafels) on camera.

His family’s journey to Hamilton began in Syria where Tomeh was running three restaurants and a cheese factory that produced dozens of products. His story about leaving behind the fruits of 20 years of work is told, with heartbreaking images, in the Food Is Me film. Tomeh speaks of his love for the Hamilton community from which the family received an outpouring of support when forced to move from their first restaurant location. He says he “makes food with love.” No surprise then that his falafels are heart-shaped.

GRAIN & GRIT BEER CO. The segment about Grain & Grit opens in the home kitchen where this small-batch microbrewery began. Lindsey Mrav said /continued on next page SUMMER 2023 HCM

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once she could see her husband Joe was “head over heels” in love with what began as a hobby, they agreed to “take the leap” and open a business.

They share their story while walking viewers through the beer-making steps.

Lindsey was determined to create a “mom and pop shop” that welcomed everyone, including families. Where else will you find “Babies and Brews” days where moms can chat and connect, or “Doggie Days” for fourlegged family members?

Snacks can be enjoyed with a new brew on tap each month. “Flavour Master” Joe’s creative use of aromatic oils result in a tantalizing IPA with “flavours of pear, lemon thyme, grapefruit, pithy citrus and pomelo.”

Their website proclaims that they are “a couple of beer-obsessed, home-brewing, family-oriented, fun-loving folks who’ve made our home in the fine city of Hamilton.”

If you look closely, you’ll see “Grit” tattooed on Lindsey’s arm. She says, “It was such an important word to us. It felt like Hamilton. We felt that Hamilton has so much grit and we love that about the city.”

HIMALYA The Himalya segment of the docuseries is about a business – and a family – that has grown over the last 30 years. Simranjit Barda (the second-oldest daughter) takes the lead in introducing family members.

Patriarch Tej Pal left India and began a long kitchen journey after arriving in Hamilton and working as a chef. The family eventually opened Himalya in 1996, serving vegetarian North Indian cuisine. Pal credits his wife Shakuntla Pal for all her hard work in building the business.

Making samosas at the restaurant, series host Tara O’Brady learns about everyone’s contributions. Tej Pal is now retired but still involved as “samosa supervisor” and son Gaurav has assumed a leadership role.

Opening a vegetarian restaurant at the time was a risk but they gained fans with an impressive menu of classic dishes that includes curries, pakoras, kofta, korma, eight types of bread and delicious desserts. Using their own spice mixtures, they let patrons specify heat levels. With a still-growing group of faithful patrons, Shakuntla stresses that they welcome all customers be they Indian or Western. Their website invitation? Come and treat your palate.

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MARIA’S TORTAS JALISCO The segment on this Mexican eatery ends with founder Maria Ojeda singing. From Jalisco, home of the mariachi tradition, Ojeda was an accomplished and celebrated singer at home and in Los Angeles before journeying to Canada. From a taco stand, then a full-service restaurant in Toronto, her latest life chapter brought her to Hamilton where she was joined by her two daughters in opening Maria’s Tortas.

Host Tara O’Brady is clearly a regular customer. She makes various – spicy – salsas with Ojeda, later joined by daughter Helen Tafolla, all sharing stories. Though delicious tacos, burritos and quesadillas are on the menu, the eatery name refers to the classic Mexican sandwiches not often served in Mexican restaurants in Canada. French-style buns, buttered and grilled, are filled with cheese, meat and toppings. Ojeda is also considered queen of birria – a traditional meat stew.

This singing chef admits that she became more famous with her hands than with her voice but she vows to return to singing if her daughters ever take over the eatery. The Food Is Me premiere concluded with Ojeda singing with force and joy.

Bell Fibe TV1 subscribers can watch these films online before they are released to YouTube. n

NEED TO KNOW Dear Grain Commissary 103 Vine St., Hamilton deargrain.com IG: @deargrainbakery Grain & Grit Beer Co. 11 Ewen Rd., Hamilton grainandgritbeer.com IG: @grainandgritbeer Himalya Restaurant 160 Centennial Pkwy. N. thehimalyarestaurant.com IG: @the_himalya_restaurant Maria’s Tortas Jalisco 438 Hwy 8, Unit 1, Stoney Creek mariastortasjalisco.com IG: @mariastortasjalisco Tomah 242 King St. W., Hamilton tomahhamilton.ca IG: @tomahrestauranthamilton Wild Fig Studio wildfigstudio.ca IG: @foodismeseries

A plate of heart-shaped falafels, hummus and salad from Tomah. photo: diane galambos

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hen the sun is high in the sky and temperatures start climbing, what could be better than heading down to one of our local ice cream parlours for a frozen treat? From the tried and true classic ice creameries of beloved family memories to modern, new-on-the-scene parlours serving unique options, ice-cream loving Hamiltonians can find it all. B y H e at h e r P e t e r

Getting the

scoop

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NEVER ENOUGH ICE CREAM Here are some other great options when a cold treat beckons HOMESTEAD ICE CREAM 3151 Homestead Dr., Hamilton FB: @HomesteadIceCreamStore CRAZY CRAVINGS 1654 Wilson St. W., Ancaster crazycravings.ca TASTY SCOOP 100 Plains Rd. W., Burlington 1075 Wilson St. W., Ancaster IG: @tastyscoopicecream

the parlour dairy bar offers a colour blast of nostalgia alongside comfort classics and plenty of ice cream options. photo: kristen avery photography

FOUNDRY ICE CREAM IG: @foundryicecream

Foundry Ice Cream slings small-batch ice cream made from scratch. Using seasonal fruits like strawberry, orange, blackberry, and blueberry, you cannot go wrong with any of the offerings here. Put the Girl Guides’ Cookies and Cream down as a must try. Find them at the Ancaster Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays, the Waterdown Market on Saturdays, or at local shops around the Hamilton area. Check them out on Instagram for more details.

WILLARD’S ICE CREAM 942 Main St. E., Hamilton willardsicecream.com

The creators of Willard’s Ice Cream value simplicity of ingredients and creativity in flavours, which means you’ll find everything from classic to quirky at their store on Main Street. With flavours like Dunkaroo, orange pekoe, roasted peach, and root beer – you can bet you’ll find something unique here. All the options are nutfree and there are many vegan options to choose from, too. Guess the special weekly surprise flavour for a chance to win a free cone!

THE PARLOUR DAIRY BAR

224 Ottawa St. N., Hamilton 581 Concession St., Hamilton thesocialeventgroup.com/the-parlour/ From the food and drinks to the décor and tunes, The Parlour is a colourful blast from the past.

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burger or grilled cheese and finish with a sweet treat or frankly, just come for the ice cream. Build your own sundae with 20 (give or take) ice cream options and top it with all sorts of goodies like candies, sauces, fruits, and chocolates. With two locations to choose from, The Parlour gives double the chance to enjoy this retro-style dairy bar.

PANINI & ICE CREAM 1505 Main St. E., Hamilton IG: @paninisicecream

Panini & Ice Cream is known for … you guessed it … paninis and ice cream. Melts, grilled cheeses, and paninis go perfectly alongside their giant topped sundaes or famous “half and halfs” (half sundae, half milkshake). These sundaes are not just delicious, they’re photo-worthy with their fancy toppings and flavours like strawberry cheesecake, Reese’s Pieces and cookie monster.

Make sure to take a pic and make Instagram as happy as your taste buds.

DICED ICE

129 Locke St. S., Hamilton IG: @_diced_ice Diced Ice introduces a new experience to the city – drum roll please – Thai rolled ice cream!

This little shop is a hidden gem serving the Thai delicacy of rolled ice cream, made fresh to order and very customizable. Just choose a base and a flavour to “dice” in and enjoy. If you’re not sure what to choose (or enjoy food puns), you can read the extensive menu of pre-chosen flavours like Gimme Gimme S’more, We’re Mint to Be, and Candy Crush.

FAIRLY FROSTED BAKERY 78 Ottawa St. N. (Moving and reopening soon) fairly-frosted.square.site CC SWIRLS 826 Queenston Rd., Stoney Creek www.facebook.com/ccswirls BIG SCOOPS 2 Duke St., Hamilton https://www.facebook.com/BigScoopsIceCream/ BIGGIES 519 Upper Sherman Ave. E., Hamilton https://www.facebook.com/biggiesicecream/ WATERFRONT SCOOPS 47 Discovery Dr., Hamilton hamiltonwaterfront.com/waterfrontscoops-ice-cream-parlour/

SO CHILL

IG: @sochill.hamilton/

A & J SUGAR BOWL 124 MacNab St. N., Hamilton FB: @ajsugarbowl EZ ROLLS ICE CREAM 1565 Barton St. E., Hamilton ezrollsicecream.com

Based out of a cute, little ape car (check out their Insta if you’re not sure what that is), So Chill is relatively new on the ice cream scene. This little ice cream vehicle travels around, mostly to private events, but sometimes you can find them set up at locations around Hamilton like Bayfront Park. Come for a delicious frozen treat and a ridiculously adorable photo op.

OMG ICE CREAM & FROZEN TREATS 1047 King St. W., Hamilton IG: @omgfrozentreats

THE PURPLE PONY ICE CREAM SHOP

AMO GELATO CAFFE 171 Locke St. S., Hamilton IG: @amogelatocaffe

346 Wilson St. E., Ancaster The vibrant lavender colours and literal purple ponies surrounding this open-concept shop make the Purple Pony Ice Cream Shop hard to miss. Located in Old Ancaster Village, this little shop specializes in classic scooped ice cream with flavours like mocha almond, black cherry yogurt, mango, bear claw, and more.

BLISS TRUFFLES & GELATO 621 Barton St., Stoney Creek trufflesandgelato.com CAPRI GELATERIA (opening soon) 13 Hatton Dr., Ancaster caprigelateria.ca PARADISE ICE CREAM PARLOUR 919 Upper Paradise Rd., Hamilton IG: @paradiseicecreamparlour WINONA ICE CREAM 1247 Hwy 8, Stoney Creek FB: @winonaicecream PINOCHI ICE CREAM 1786 Stone Church Rd. E., Hamilton pinochiicecream.ca GOLDIES FAST FOOD 152 James St. S., Hamilton IG: @goldies_fastfood

purplepony.ca

CHOCOLAT ON JAMES chocolatonjames.com/

123 James St. N., Hamilton Chocolat on James serves up decadent softserve ice cream, dipped in Belgian chocolates and topped with everything from birthday cake pieces and sponge toffee to Oreos and Butterfingers. Enjoy them in a cup, waffle cone, or even a waffle bowl!

ANCASTER ICE CREAM PARLOUR 286 Jerseyville Rd. W., Ancaster ancastericecreamparlour.ca/

At more than 100 flavours of ice cream, the Ancaster Ice Cream Parlour has to have one of the most exhaustive lists of flavour options in the Hamilton area. They have every flavour you can dream of, including vegan, gluten-free, and dairyfree options. The new location at the Ancaster Little League Park makes it the perfect summer evening stop.

HUTCH’S ON THE BEACH

280 Van Wagners Beach Rd., Hamilton hutchs.ca For those looking for that ultimate summer experience, Hutch’s on the Beach provides the perfect atmosphere. Take in a view of the Hamilton waterfront while you enjoy summertime favourites like hotdogs, hamburgers, fish and chips, and of course, ice cream. Serving about 35 flavours of ice cream, Hutch’s has something for everyone to enjoy before or after a warm, breezy stroll on the boardwalk.

The Purple Pony Ice Cream Shop is a notto-be-missed stop in Old ancaster village. photo:@studiobicyclette

HEWITT’S DAIRY BAR 4210 Hwy 6, Hagersville hewittsdairy.com/dairy-bar/

If you grew up in the area, we’re going to bet that Hewitt’s Dairy Bar and products are part of your summertime memories. Many local ice cream shops carry the popular brand, but Hewitt’s Dairy Bar is the place to go to get it straight from the source. Open since 1962, the dairy bar is where they make all of their 60-plus ice cream flavours and a place where you can relive memories from a simpler time. The décor and the products haven’t changed!

LA CRÈME DE LA CRÈME CREAMERY INC 389 John St., Burlington lacremedelacremecreamery.ca

Offering something a little bit different from the traditional ice cream cone, this Burlington favourite makes it easy to enjoy a cone of soft serve with Belgian chocolate dip. What’s difficult is choosing between white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate dip options and toppings like fruity pebbles, toasted coconut, or waffle cone pieces. It’s the perfect treat to savour while exploring downtown Burlington or walking along the waterfront.

AMICA STONEY CREEK DAIRY

135 King St. E., Stoney Creek The original Stoney Creek Dairy may be gone, but you can still grab a scoop of nostalgia and ice cream at the retirement complex built where the ice cream parlour once stood. Amica Stoney Creek’s in-house ice cream parlour is open to the public on weekends in the summer from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. until the Labour Day weekend. The new dairy bar showcases memorabilia salvaged from the original Stoney Creek Dairy, which closed in 2012, including serving trays and giant milk drums, along with old newspaper clippings and historic photos. Enjoy sundaes, milkshakes and a rotating selection of 10 flavours of Central Smith ice cream, a family-run Ontario creamery, while reliving all those memories of family outings, date nights, and first jobs that happened at the dairy over its 70-year history. n SUMMER 2023 HCM

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MAKINGBEAUTIFULMUSIC TIM POTOCIC is co-founder of record label Sonic Unyon and the driving force behind Supercrawl, Because Beer Craft Festival and venues Bridgeworks and Mills Hardware. He’s also among the local pioneers who invested in Hamilton’s downtown long before it was cool to do so. B y J o d y A b e r d e e n 62

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has helped on some level

You started Supercrawl in 2009. Could you have ever anticipated what it has grown into?

We never imagined it. We just kept moving forward with it and it evolved with the audience. It was the perfect storm, the right content, the right place, the right time. We knew there was demand in Hamilton for an urban street festival, James Street North was coming back and we got great support from those who were part of that turnaround. It was a semi-educated experiment and it worked and we just worked on making it better every time out. We brought together music, fashion, theatre, art, writers, food trucks, vendors so that all of these elements were feeding off one another. We’d like to continue to bring new elements of the city into Supercrawl.

seriously and are great people.

Also, the Red Hill Valleys: I’m not a country fan at all, but I don’t see them as a country band. They write great songs and keep at it, working really hard at what they do. There are so many good acts in the city right now. One of my favourite acts that wasn’t originally from Hamilton but recently moved here is Elliott Brood: amazing people who’ve been at it a long time and continue to hone their craft and write great tunes.

From your viewpoint, what is the best thing that has come out of Supercrawl for the city?

The best thing out of Supercrawl is that it has helped on some level to get Hamilton on the map as a cultural centre. It’s added to the infrastructure of the great things already happening in this city. It’s also helped on some level with the redevelopment of the downtown. Seeing tens of thousands of people downtown on the streets allowed people to see the opportunity. It opened some eyes. And artists that we’ve booked have built an audience here and now Hamilton is a necessary stop for them.

photo: supplied

The best thing out of

Sonic Unyon Records will be 30 years old next year. What does that feel like?

Well, time sure flies. I’m still loving what I do in this business.

There is constant evolution and it’s been a great ride. We’re working on expansion plans on the label side. We’ve signed a bunch of new bands, newcomers and bigger bands like Danko Jones and Big Wreck. We’re excited about the music we’ll be putting out.

Who are some performers and acts to watch from Hamilton?

I could say all of ours, but that would be too obvious (laughing). There are definitely some interesting artists that I’m a big fan of in town outside of the ones we work for directly who I’ll always be here to support. For example: Terra Lightfoot. I’m so passionate about her abilities and career and I want to elevate her up a few notches on the ladder. Her new record is over-thetop good and I’m really excited for her to be touring the world for this album, starting in the next 18 months to two years. We recently re-signed Danko Jones: we put out a Danko record last year, got another one this year. I’ve also been a big fan of the Dirty Nil since they started. They stuck to their guns the whole time and have just been pounding out rock songs and they have their own vibe. I’m a massive fan and try to go to as many of their shows as possible. They’re super fun and though they’re serious about their art and career, they don’t take themselves too hamiltoncitymagazine.ca expanded Q+A online: to read more of the Interview with Tim Potocic, including expansion plans for sonic unyon: scan the qr code

S u p e r c r aw l i s t h at i t t o g e t Ha m i lt o n o n t h e m a p a s a c u lt u r a l c e n t r e .

You have invested in a number of downtown properties, starting in 1996, when few people saw promise in Hamilton’s core. What kind of vision did you see for the city then and what do you see now?

We have 10 properties with various partners. We’ve been in the right place, at the right time and got lucky. These properties weren’t being utilized and the prices were right back then. At the time, foot traffic was up and we invested knowing that we wanted to provide things for people to do. This was such a vibrant city when I was a little kid. The streets were busy, there were so many mom and pop stores. But we just got hammered in the ’80s. It was still hard to get bank loans when we started buying in the ’90s. You needed massive downpayments but if you had businesses and tenants lined up, you could make it work. Now, there are cranes on the skyline and condos being built. That brings people to the streets to eat and shop. But there is a lot of work to do to bring the mom and pops back to the core. Small business is so critical. We have to ensure it can come and thrive.

What’s your ideal way to spend a lazy day in Hamilton?

I love to get up early to get a bike ride in and then hang out with friends in the backyard. We have a few drinks and talk about politics, which always gets me going.

What’s the best meal you’ve eaten in the city?

That’s really hard to narrow down. My go-to is Shenai and August 8. I love Rapscallion and The Mule, Aberdeen and The French. We have such incredible food in this city.

What is Hamilton’s best-kept secret?

People don’t realize how awesome this city is in terms of nature. We’ve got the greatest trail system in southern Ontario. I’m a cyclist and in 10 minutes, I’m riding in beautiful countryside or at one of the great conservation areas here. Our waterfront is spectacular too. It’s a really unique place. n SUMMER 2023 HCM

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TONIGHT, TOMORROW, THIS WEEKEND, NEXT MONTH?

what to do?

LET US HELP WITH THAT.

HAMILTON CITY MAGAZINE HAS CURATED EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FROM DOZENS OF ORGANIZATIONS, PROMOTERS, CLUBS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE HAMILTON AND BURLINGTON AREA.

Instead of endlessly searching the internet, you only have to go to one place: hamiltoncitymagazine.ca. Check out the Things To Do section on our homepage menu and use the dropdown menu Find An Activity to search by the type of activity or event you’re craving.

It’s all there for you – including our feature stories that highlight local events, found under Happening Now. things to do scan the qr code to be taken DIRECTLY to the events and ACTIVITIES landing page.

hamiltoncitymagazine.ca

Join us at Jackson Square for

Music in the City!

Curated by Big Time Productions

Lloyd D. Jackson Square Rooptop Garden

Lunchtime Live Music Series Monday to Friday 12–2 PM — All Summer Long July 4–7 Michael Maguire

July 24–28 of Fly Terry Rhodes by Nite

August 14–18 Paul Sage

July 10–14 Jamie Shea

July 31–August 4 Alfie Smith

August 21–25 of Lowdown Paul Wootton Dirty Mojos

July 17–21 Hayley Verrall

August 8–11 Kyle Pacey

August 28–Sept. 1 Danny Boy Phalen

Celebrating 51 Years of Free, Live Concerts Schedule & artists subject to change.

Updates will be shared on social media.

2 King Street West, Hamilton L8P 1A1

50% OFF TICKETS* FOR THEATRE AQUARIUS 50TH ANNIVERSARY! JULY 24 TO 28 ONLY

JONAS AND BARRY IN THE HOME SEP 27 - OCT 14, 2023 WRITTEN BY NORM FOSTER

BOY FALLS FROM THE SKY OCT 25 - NOV 4, 2023 WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY JAKE EPSTEIN DEVELOPED WITH & DIRECTED

BY ROBERT MCQUEEN TALK IS FREE THEATRE PRODUCTION

POLLYANNA THE MUSICAL DEC 6 - 23, 2023 BOOK & LYRICS BY STEVEN GALLAGHER MUSIC BY LINDA BARNETT

UNCLE VANYA JAN 10 - 27, 2024 WRITTEN BY ANTON CHEKHOV DIRECTED BY CHRIS ABRAHAM ADAPTED BY LIISA REPO-MARTELL A CROW’S THEATRE PRODUCTION

SHIRLEY VALENTINE MAR 6 - 23, 2024 WRITTEN BY WILLY RUSSELL

BEAUTIFUL SCARS APR 24 - MAY 11, 2024 WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL CREATED

BY TOM WILSON & SHAUN SMYTH INSPIRED BY THE BOOK BEAUTIFUL SCARS: STEELTOWN SECRETS, MOHAWK SKYWALKERS AND THE ROAD HOME BY TOM WILSON

* Offer applies to evening performances and gold-level seating. Regular price $70, now $35 (taxes and fees apply).

905-522-PLAY (7529) OR 1-800-465-PLAY (7529)

BOXOFFICE@THEATREAQUARIUS.ORG THEATREAQUARIUS.ORG

190 KING WILLIAM STREET, HAMILTON, ONTARIO SUMMER 2023 HCM

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