Doug Ford presented a new three-step plan to get Ontario back to where things were before Omicron. But the public health measures also won’t entirely end by the second anniversary of when it all began, in mid-March. The timeline is too slow for some and too soon for others. Quebec is avoiding similar debates by keeping things shut.
The claims of shame for Pride
“Misdirection of Funds and Settler Colonialism” is the title of a study that historian and Pride Toronto board member Tom Hooper also outlined on Twitter, alleging the misdirection of $1.85 million of Heritage Canada grant funding. The details are destined to be discussed in an annual general meeting ahead of future plans.
The entire board of directors of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre has stepped down. Departures from the Toronto queer stage company came amid a process of “organizational review and transformation” initiated in 2020. Sky Gilbert, the original co-founding face, had his connection to Buddies severed in 2019, after 40 years.
Les Expos remaining a memory
Nostalgia for the Montreal Expos was roused by the retirement of 82-year-old Dave Van Horne, who did play-by-play for the team from 1969 to 2000, and then spent 21 seasons with the Miami Marlins. Meanwhile, hope for Major League Baseball approval for the Rays to split games between Montreal and Tampa Bay was officially dashed:
Meat Loaf dead at 74. The success of his album Bat Out of Hell was sparked by Toronto radio airplay on CHUM-FM in January 1978, followed by an El Mocambo showcase caught on tape. Four decades later, the stage musical version was backed by Bell Media, by which time Mr. Loaf had retired from performing for health reasons.
Finally, bard of Bloor and Yonge
Kiefer Sutherland shared the title track of Bloor Street in October. With the release of the rest of the album, he’s making the rounds to discuss how it was inspired by visiting his old haunts while shooting three seasons of Designated Survivor in Toronto, where the live music lifestyle depicted in his new “Chasing the Rain” video is on hold: