Welcome with Karim Kanji

David McPherson joins the show to discuss his new book 101 Fascinating Canadian Music Facts which features stories about musicians and their experiences across Canada.

Hosts Karim Kanji and Gregg Tilston start the episode off by discussing the Much Music documentary and tour, sharing details about the special guests and expressing their enthusiasm for the brand’s continued impact on Canadian culture. They also reflected on recent interviews with celebrities, highlighting their admiration for their work and personal qualities.

David McPherson joined the conversation to discuss his book on Canadian music facts, sharing interesting stories about musicians and their experiences in the industry. The group also talked about guitars and musicians, highlighting the importance of chance encounters and the role they can play in success.

The episode continued with David McPherson sharing an interesting story about the Maple Leaf Forever guitar, which was made using wood from a tree that inspired Canada’s unofficial national anthem. He also discussed his upcoming book tour. The group discussed the Much Comes Out initiative and its significance in Canadian music history, as well as various topics related to music, including Neil Young’s recording process and The Kings’ performance at the Heatwave Festival. David McPherson shared the inspiring story of Adrian Sutherland, an artist who created his debut solo record during COVID using an old shipping container as a studio.

The episode concluded with David McPherson discussing his music preferences and promoting his book, “101 Fascinating Canadian Music Facts.”

Karim Kanji and Gregg Tilston discuss the recent Canada’s Rock of Fame which took place in the historic Massey Hall.

Karim Kanji and Gregg Tilston discuss their experience attending Canada’s Rock of Fame event which was, in part, sponsored by Forty Creek Whisky. The hosts share their thoughts on the performances of various bands and artists, highlighting the talents of some lesser-known musicians. They also discussed the relevance of songs from decades ago and the importance of strong female voices in the music industry.

Karim and Gregg also mention the performances of Trooper and Crown Lands, who nailed their respective songs. They also raved about the performances by Lee Aaron, Platinum Blonde, Rough Trade, Parachute Club, Chilliwack, Lighthouse and others.

The hosts also discuss their differing opinions on approaching famous musicians and rock stars. They discuss the Canadian culture of not bothering famous people and how it can be different in other countries. They also talk about the importance of being introduced to famous people through mutual friends rather than approaching them directly.

More than 2 years ago Israel and Palestine attacks on each other prompted me to have a chat with Karim Awad.

Karim Awad's ancestral roots trace back to the historic region of Palestine, prior to the establishment of the modern state of Israel. In our engaging conversation, Karim provided glimpse into his family's history in the complex landscape of Israel and Palestine.

As the discussion unfolded, we embarked on a journey through the numerous occasions when Karim ventured back to his homeland, visiting the culturally rich city of Jerusalem, the resilient West Bank, and the challenging terrain of Gaza. His personal experiences shed light on the deep emotional connections that many individuals of Palestinian descent maintain with their homeland.

Delving into the heart of the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel, we strove to gain a holistic perspective by examining the motivations of both sides. This allowed us to better comprehend the multifaceted issues at play, recognizing that there are genuine concerns and aspirations on all fronts.

Towards the conclusion of our conversation, Karim shared his insights on what a potential path to peace may look like in the future. His thoughtful reflections offered hope and vision for a harmonious resolution to a long-standing conflict, leaving us with a sense of optimism in a quest for a brighter future.

Karim Kanji and Gregg Tilston take to the red carpet at the 299 Queen Street West Much Music documentary premiere to speak with former VJs.

Karim interviews former Much Music VJs about their favourite memories of Much Music, including stories of their experiences at the network and the impact of the station on Canadian culture. Gregg and Karim also talked about the premiere of the Much Music documentary, 299 Queen Street West, and the opportunity to meet special guests, including Ed the Sock, Steve Anthony, Monika Deol, Sook-Yin Lee, Denise Donlon, and musician Andy Kim. Additionally, Andy Kim shared details about his upcoming Christmas show at Massy Hal. Gregg and Karim reminisced about past interviews with Much Music VJs. Overall, the interviews were a nostalgic and engaging discussion of Much Music’s influence on viewers and the music industry.

Jamaluddin Aram is a documentary filmmaker, producer, and writer from Kabul, Afghanistan. His works have appeared in Numero Cinq, The Write Launch, and Cagibi literary magazine among others. Jamaluddin’s short story “This Hard Easy Life” was a finalist for RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers in 2020. He was selected as a mentee by Michael Christie for the Writers’ Trust of Canada Mentorship program for his book Marchoba, now titled Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesday, his debut novel. He is the associate producer of the Academy Award–nominated film Buzkashi Boys. Jamaluddin has a bachelor’s degree in English and history from Union College in Schenectady, New York. He lives in Toronto. Connect with him on Facebook @Jamaluddin.Aram or on Instagram and Twitter @JamaluddinAram.

Omer Aziz is the author of the book "Brown Boy". The book is a memoir in which Aziz reflects on his experiences growing up as a Pakistani Canadian Muslim and explores themes of identity, belonging, and family.

This past week John Shannon joined me to chat about his career and new book, Evolve or Die (published by Simon and Shuster). Topics we discussed: - His relationship with Don Cherry - working with Richard Peddie and Sherali Najak - why he decided to write his first book - working with Bob McCown - working at Wayne Gretzky's last NHL game - and so much more! Who is John Shannon: John Shannon is a Canadian sportscaster, television producer, and former panelist on Rogers Sportsnet's Hockey Central. He won a Sports Emmy Award in 2003 for Outstanding Live Sports Special for his work on NBC's broadcast of the XIX Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Shannon was named Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network in 2008, in addition to being Executive Vice President of Programming and Production for the National Hockey League. In 2009, he left the NHL Network to become an on-air panelist for Rogers Sportsnet and a co-host of sports talk radio show Prime Time Sports on Fan 590 in Toronto alongside Bob McCown. The show was simulcast on Rogers Sportsnet. The show aired for the final time on June 19, 2019, before its cancellation. On August 28, 2019, it was reported that Shannon would be retained by Rogers Sportsnet for the upcoming NHL season. In 2020, Shannon became a co-host of the sports talk podcast, "The Bob McCown Show," alongside Bob McCown, which discusses sports topics of the day and features guests from the sports industry.

From the long time host of The Weather Network comes a behind-the-scenes look at Canada’s biggest weather events and climate phenomena.

Chris St. Clair was a weather presenter and journalist on The Weather Network for more than twenty-five years.  He is also a popular speaker on meteorology and climate change. He lives in Kingston, Ontario. Connect with him on Twitter @CStClair1.

For more than twenty-five years, Chris St. Clair was on the frontline of Canada’s biggest weather events as a popular presenter on The Weather Network. For the first time, he shares his never-before-told stories covering the country’s most astounding weather events.

From the flooding of the Red River in Winnipeg to the ice storm in Montreal, the hurricanes in Newfoundland, the devastating wildfires in Fort McMurray, the hailstorm in Calgary, and the heat dome and horrifying floods in British Columbia, St. Clair recalls these extreme weather events and relays their impact on communities across the country. He also follows Canadian snowbirds south to Florida and recounts their dramatic escape from record-breaking Hurricanes Matthew and Irma.

A vivid personal narrative with accessible scientific explanations and meteorological analysis, Weather Permitting tells the story of how the weather has shaped the character and psyche of our nation, and is an homage to the strength and resilience of Canadian communities from coast to coast.

I've known Mike for quite some time. He's a stand up guy who lives in Brampton and cares about his community. 

When asked by the Brampton Guardian who he wanted to run this is what he said, "Originally, I decided to run since the incumbent, Pat Fortini, was running unopposed. Everyone needs a choice and I put my name in so that people would have an option. Once I realized what a regional councillor could do with helping people, I decided that I was going to put 110 per cent into this campaign."

This was Mike's first time running for public office. So I thought I'd ask him on what lessons he learned. Hope you enjoy this conversation.

Photo from Brampton Guardian.

Ali Hassan is a stand-up comedian, actor, and professional chef. He is the host of CBC’s Canada Reads as well as Laugh Out Loud. He is also a frequent guest host of q, CBC’s premier national arts and entertainment show. His comedy has been performed at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and Toronto’s JFL42. He is a Canadian Comedy Awards nominee, and his solo show, Muslim, Interrupted, was performed at the world’s largest comedy festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He has appeared in three award-winning films, Breakaway, French Immersion, and as the memorable Lebanese Uncle Stevie in the hockey hit Goon, in addition to other film and TV roles, most recently CBC’s Run the Burbs. He lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his family. Follow him on Twitter @StandUpAli and find him at StandUpAli.com.

In the early 1990s, as AIDS tightens its grip on major cities around the world, the relative safety of Montreal’s nightlife becomes a magnet for gay men. But when they start turning up dead in hotel rooms, beaten lifeless in city parks, and violently murdered in their own homes, the queer community has more to fear than the disease. While the city’s police force dithers over the presence of a serial killer, a group of queer activists starts making connections, and rises up to start a movement that would end up changing thousands of lives. Hosted by Francis Plourde.

Listen on the CBC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

BIo: Zaileen Janmohamed is a masterful marketer and a steadfast leader known for providing the vision necessary to navigate complex scenarios and deliver results. Zaileen has a wealth of experience on the brand, agency, and property sides of the sports marketing business, and is an advocate for diversity and inclusion to drive culture and business. In her role with USOPP, Zaileen is working at the intersection of sales and partner servicing, extracting key insights from the market to guide the evolution of Team USA and LA 2028’s business strategy, while also maximizing the offering for both existing and future partners. She joined the team in April 2019.

“Cournoyer has it on that wing. Here’s a shot. Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell. Here’s another shot. Right in front...they score! Henderson has scored for Canada!”

These immortal words, spoken to hockey fans around the world by the legendary broadcaster Foster Hewitt, capture the historic final-seconds goal scored by Paul Henderson that won the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. Hockey fans across Canada know the moment well, but the story of those amazing eight games has never been fully told—until now.

Here is my conversation with author Scott Morrison.

Published by Simon & Schuster.

Purchase a copy today: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/1972/Scott-Morrison/9781982154141

Aneil Gokhale is the Director of Philanthropy for the Toronto Foundation. In his role he is responsible for the development and management of the new business portfolio.  In this episode we discuss:

• his work with the Toronto Foundation
• the Love, Scarborough fundraising initiative in support of the Scarborough Health Network Foundation.
• how he switched from business and science to philanthropy.
• his favourite things in Scarborough.
• how young adults can become involved in philanthropy.
• why Toronto is the best city in the world...for some people. 

https://torontofoundation.ca/

https://torontofoundation.ca/black-and-indigenous-futures-fund/

https://twitter.com/a_goks

https://twitter.com/TorontoFdn

https://www.vosnl.org/

This is Husein's second appearance on the podcast. In this episode Husein calls in from hot and sunny Dubai where rumour has it that it is cold at night. Husien stars in the new film, Donkeyhead. 

Donkeyhead is a 2021 Canadian comedy-drama film written and directed by Agam Darshi in her directorial debut. It stars Darshi as Mona, a woman tasked with taking care of her father with the help of her three siblings after he is diagnosed with cancer and his health starts to deteriorate.