New documentary follows Kitchener man's dream to become a wrestling referee
When you watch pro wrestling, it's often about the two or more athletes in the ring putting on an entertaining show — but another character in every fight is the referee. In their new film, Colin Hunter and Sara Geidlinger wanted to focus the camera right on the wrestling referee. The movie is being released this weekend along with a charity wrestling event at The Aud. The filmmakers and Jeff Black, one of the stars of the movie, spoke to CBC's Aastha Shetty about their new film: The Ref Didn't See It.
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CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
‘Forget about the past': Fans weigh in on criticism of Wayne Gretzky over Trump ties
Former NHL player Wayne Gretzky, right, and his wife Janet Jones arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP) EDMONTON — It wasn't long ago that some Canadians were up in arms about hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's ties to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. But as the Edmonton Oilers skate their way through the Stanley Cup final, hockey fans say it's time to let bygones be bygones. 'I don't think it matters,' said Craig Hiscock, a longtime Oilers fan, as he posed Wednesday for a photo with a statue of Gretzky outside Rogers Place in Edmonton ahead of Game 1. 'Let's forget about the past. What he did here was a lot for the city, a lot for hockey.' The statue was vandalized in March and smeared with what appeared to be and strongly smelled like feces. On Wednesday, a hip-high metal fence was up around the bronze figure. An online petition started in February calling for a new name for Wayne Gretzky Drive also has about 14,000 signatures. Gretzky, the Ontario-born hockey star who led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories in the 1980s, recently drew the ire of Canadians for his public support of Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire for Canada to join the U.S and become its 51st state. The Great One was photographed with Trump several times at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. In January, Gretzky and his wife, Janet, attended Trump's inauguration in Washington. Frustrations grew after he appeared as honorary captain for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off final with the United States. Video footage showed him giving the U.S. team a thumbs-up as he walked to the ice. Gretzky also congratulated Dallas Stars players in their locker room last month, after they advanced to the Western Conference final. The Oilers eliminated the Stars in five games and now have one win against the Florida Panthers in the Cup final. Game 2 is Friday night. Brian Foulken, who became a fan during the Gretzky era and collects Oilers merchandise, said Gretzky's accomplishments, including multiple scoring records that stand to this day, still resonate with people. As for the criticism, Foulken said people are going to have their own opinions. 'At the end of the day, (Gretzky) played here for a long time. The diehard Oilers (fans), we love him,' he said outside the arena before Game 1. 'He's an amazing player.' Foulken added that current Oilers captain Connor McDavid is inching closer to Gretzky-level greatness. Darren Rogers, a Gretzky fan since the Oilers' inception into the NHL in 1979, said Gretzky's leadership led the team to win multiple Stanley Cups. Politics aside, that accomplishment should matter more to people in the grand scheme of things, Rogers said. Gretzky was in Edmonton for Wednesday's game. And as storied as Gretzky is to the Oilers franchise, he appeared to still be catching up to this new generation's fan base. On an American sports network, he sat side by side with commentators, as they discussed the Oilers' new tradition of playing the pop song 'Pink Pony Club.' Players have been tight-lipped about the significance of the Chappell Roan hit, typically heard after the team plays 'La Bamba' by Los Lobos following a win. 'Pink Pony — is that a band or is that a song?' the 64-year-old Gretzky asked TNT Sports co-host Paul Bissonnette following the Oilers' 4-3 overtime victory in Game 1. '(Roan) sings a song, 'Pink Pony Club,' and it's famous. It's on the radio,' Bissonnette answered. 'It's the new generation, Wayne,' he added. Gretzky appeared disappointed to learn Roan isn't Canadian, but still seemed eager to check out the song. 'I gotta get that (as) my ringtone,' Gretzky said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Get ready to soar at Thunder Bay's Kite Festival this weekend
The annual Kite Festival in Thunder Bay, Ont., is back this weekend at Chippewa Park. The event features special kite flying areas, amusement rides, artisans, food vendors and more. The CBC's Matt Fratpietro met up with Karen Kadolph, the city's special events developer, to find out more — and to give one of the kites a test flight.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
The party's over on CaféTO even if it isn't the main cause of congestion
Here's a riddle: What looks like the long lines of dirt and timber, protected by felled trees with sharpened branches, that General Ulysses S. Grant's Union troops charged at Cold Harbor in June 1864? What is so ugly that if you stuck it in an art gallery and placed a sign in front entitled 'Poor Choices' you'd win the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale? What would make a nice addition to the Do Lung Bridge, the remote American outpost portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece Apocalypse Now, that is destroyed every night and rebuilt every day? What may not be the main cause of traffic congestion but significantly exacerbates it none the less? If you answered a 'CaféTO curb lane patio' to every question, you'd be correct. Yes, the Great Canadian curb lane patio – more evidence that there is no pleasurable activity that Canada (the country that put the 'un' in 'fun') cannot spoil. In theory, Canada's myriad levels of government want its citizens to experience pleasure. In practice, it hates seeing them do it. The result? Canada takes activities that other countries enjoy effortlessly and dilutes them through a finely tuned system of bureaucracy and puritanism. Alcohol? Check. Cannabis? Check. Casinos where you can't get comped alcoholic drinks? Check. The message is simple, 'You can enjoy yourself, just don't have fun doing it.' Curb lane patios are another shimmering example. Introduced in 2020 as a response to the economic damage wrought by COVID-19, cities inaugurated programs such as Toronto's CaféTO and Vancouver's 'Pop-up Patios.' These opened streets to impromptu patios in a desperate attempt to entice customers back to restaurants. They were embraced by a public reeling from COVID cabin fever. Traffic was light because no one was driving to the office and the creation of thousands of little bottlenecks did not have a significant impact. They made the program an annual event. It runs each year from May 1 to October 15. Now the party's over. Congestion is horrific. No one can argue that CaféTO curb lane patios are the main cause of traffic congestion. Nor can anyone deny that the patios make it worse. Curb lane patios occupying live traffic lanes increase congestion, particularly if they are placed on major arterial roads. In February, the Toronto Board of Trade released a report on congestion called 'Breaking Gridlock.' The paper argued that 'CaféTO curb lane patios should be reviewed based upon the impact they have on circulating traffic, especially on major arterial roadways serving dedicated connectors.' The report was derided as being 'car centric.' Curb lane café proponents believe the congestion is worth the upside. Last year, 1,500 establishments participated in CaféTO: 304 of these were curb lane cafés. Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas says they generated $130-million in economic benefits, down from $204-million in 2022. Curb lane café enthusiasts like to hail them as being 'European.' To these folks, I reply, 'We already have problems with the Americans, there is no point getting the Europeans angry at us too.' Canadian curb lane cafes are many things but 'European' is not among them. Aside from their breathtaking ugliness, CaféTO curb lane patios are far from Rome's cobbled streets or the grand boulevards of Paris. Entrees are served with exhaust fumes. Traffic is noisy and angry. Forget soft music; curb lane café meals are accompanied by a symphony of car alarms. Last summer there was a CaféTO curb lane on Yonge Street south of Richmond Street. It caused terrible bottlenecks and for what? So that customers could suck carbon dioxide, inches from traffic, while watching suffering people sprawled out on the sidewalk in front of Goodlife Fitness? C'est magnifique! Do not, however, imagine that Europeans universally embraced curb lane patios when they were introduced. In 2021, for example, Bloomberg reported that Rome 'inadvertently ignited a fierce battle for the city's streets' when it allowed cafés and restaurants to set up outdoor seating in public areas. Drivers in a city with the 'highest motorization rate in Europe' were infuriated. So, Canadians who are fed up with curb lane cafés are not alone. Is there a solution? Absolutely. Well-funded public transit paid for by congestion pricing and toll roads would solve congestion problems. Unfortunately, that will never happen in Canada. Our frustration over traffic congestion is only surpassed by our steadfast refusal to do anything about it. We are proud CARNADIANS! Here's a thought: If car congestion is the problem, maybe the best way to alleviate it is to get rid of the cars. Don't they cause the congestion? When my bathroom drain is clogged, I don't clear it by pouring in more gloop. Instead of eliminating curb lane patios, let's get rid of the cars. Let's build pedestrian zones filled with bustling cafés and restaurants, where children can play without fear of being struck by an automobile. Skeptics may ask, 'Won't that cause more congestion?' No, because everyone who used to be in cars will be enjoying themselves having a gelato or aperitivo instead of driving. That's European. On second thought, forget it. Let's do nothing and blame the government. That's the Canadian way!
