A couple of days before Nazareth embarked on its Canadian tour in August, Pete Agnew’s phone jangled in his pocket. It was Dan McCafferty, lead singer for the band for 43 years. It was 11 a.m. and McCafferty had a special request. “Listen,” he told Agnew, bass player for Nazareth and founder of the group. […]
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Jason Brown: His Light Falls on Toronto
Everyone needs a little dose of Jason Brown now and again. Feeling the blues? Brown will wrap you up in the little tornado of his personality and make you forget it all. Feeling lonely and alone? Brown will bounce off to the airport and pick you up, just because that’s what he does. Loving […]
Weaver and Poje Masterpieces
With an Olympics in their rear view mirror, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje have apparently created little masterpieces of programs this season. Their secret is the joy out of which they made them. Their short dance is understated, elegant and beautiful. Their free dance, emotional and important. Once perfected, both will linger in the […]
Jun-Hwan Cha Comes of Age
OAKVILLE, Ont. This weekend Jun-Hwan Cha, he a dreamy child not so long ago, grew into something else. A dreamy-eyed young man with a presence. The 16-year-old South Korean skater has been around, for sure, the dark locks of his bob flying out in all directions on a spin. At first sight of a […]
Hanyu: Not Perfect. But Calm.
OAKVILLE, Ont. There’s so much to drink in when you watch two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu steam about the ice on well-oiled springs. Perhaps that’s what inspires so many fans to make the long trip from Japan and snap up tickets. Some camped out all night outside the front doors of the Sixteen Mile Sports […]
James and Cipres: Dancing to Cizeron’s Tune
So they’re back. It would be understandable to think Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres of France would want to hang up the skate laces after finally winning their first world medal – a bronze – last season. After all, James is 31 years old, Cipres 27. Pair skating doesn’t get any easier when you get […]
Weaver and Poje: Dancing With their Hearts
For now, we will only get Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje for a whisp of a moment in the competitive world when they set foot at Autumn Classic in Oakville, Ont.. this week. And remember how they always had the power to make you weep with their emotional performances? No different this season. In […]
Moore-Towers, Marinaro: Taking the Next Big Step
Yes, this is the start of the next quadrennial. And it has turned Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro into the senior members of the national pair team heading out to Grand Prix events this season. They had a quick lesson in leading the pair show at the world championships last March in Milan when […]
Walsh and Michaud: Stepping it Up
The next quadrennial of figure skating begins with a young pair team pushing limits. Yes, a raft of top Canadian pair teams has left the scene, but Evelyn Walsh and Trennt Michaud will be carried forward by what the others have left behind. It’s all very highly motivating. Walsh and Michaud will compete at their […]
Keegan Messing: What Now?
Finally, the world knows who Keegan Messing is, now that he’s turned 26. He’s a light-footed dazzler, with a penchant for rotating jumps at the speed of a tornado, and he has a collection of heart-thumping spins, to boot. If he slips and falls on anything, he has a way of skating back into an […]