Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor have a soft spot for Montreal
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They spoke about those ties to our city in a recent Zoom conversation from their respective homes in the Toronto area. Blue Rodeo will headline a free outdoor show on the main TD Stage at the Place des Festivals, part of the Montreal Jazz Festival, Friday at 9:30 p.m. and the much-loved band — whose hits include Try, Diamond Mine, Lost Together, Hasn't Hit Me Yet and many others — will also be returning to play at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in Place des Arts on Jan. 17 next year, on their 40 th anniversary tour.
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Keelor, who was born in Inverness, N.S., moved from Toronto to Montreal in 1963 when his dad was transferred here. The family moved to the Town of Mount Royal and 'it was like a paradise for a 10-year-old,' Keelor said. 'TMR was very youth-oriented, very sports-oriented. There were lots of activities for kids and I was a little goalie and they had a great intercity hockey team, the TMR Eagles. It was completely enchanting before I even knew what enchantment even meant.'
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His parents moved back to Toronto in 1971 and Keelor stayed a year longer in Montreal to play hockey, moving back in with his parents in 1972.
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'I went to North Toronto, which is where I met my buddy Jim,' Keelor said.
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Cuddy was born in Toronto but his dad almost immediately moved the family to the U.S., where they lived in different cities, following his dad's career path as a business consultant. They moved to Montreal West in '63, the same year Keelor arrived in TMR, and his mom vowed to never move again.
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'She'd probably moved 12 times at that point so she said she'd never move again,' Cuddy said. 'We loved Montreal West. I liked it, but it was very strict. The school we went to was Protestant but it was very parochial. They had a lot of rules. Then the summer of '67 came and I was a big Toronto Maple Leafs fan. I'd been born in Toronto but never lived there so I had this mystique about Toronto. And that was the last year that Toronto won the Stanley Cup, beating Montreal. Then Expo started. We all had passes. It was the new métro. I was 11 and completely independent. I had a paper route. I'd come and go to Expo all summer long. Then by the middle of the summer, my dad said we're moving to Toronto. For a month, my mom said no. I just thought this was the greatest time of my life. It was Expo, the Leafs had just won the Cup, and I'm actually moving to this city that I cherish. My mom declared that was her last move and it was her last move.'
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The Province
31-07-2025
- The Province
Michael Geller: Expo 2025 in Osaka opens window on promising future
World Fair shines light on human wellness, social inclusion and global connectedness The most striking feature of the 2025 Expo site in Osaka, Japan is a multi-storey 'grand ring,' approximately two kilometres in circumference, constructed from mass timber. Photo by Michael Geller Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. What do an elevator, sewing machine, typewriter, telephone, dishwasher and mobile phone have in common? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors They were all introduced to the public at International Expositions. Industrialist Elisha Otis first demonstrated his elevator to the public at the 1854 Crystal Palace Exhibition in New York City. He famously cut the hoisting rope of the elevator platform to display its safety brake, which prevented it from falling. The home sewing machine was first displayed at the Paris Exposition in 1855. The typewriter and Alexander Graham Bell's telephone were first publicly displayed at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. The dishwasher, as we know it, was first displayed at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Fifty-five years ago, visitors to Expo 1970 Osaka were delighted to discover 'Dream Telephones' at the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) pavilion. Today we know them as mobile phones. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The first world exposition I attended was Montreal's Expo 67, which featured a monorail passing through Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome and Moshe Safdie's Habitat 67, comprised of stacked prefabricated concrete housing modules. Like most Vancouverites, I have vivid memories of Expo 86. Although it was not a formally designated World Exposition, it celebrated Vancouver's Centennial. We were encouraged to invite the world, and the world came. More than 22 million attended the fair. Expo 86 gave us Canada Place, B.C. Place Stadium, SkyTrain, and established Vancouver as a global destination. Following 1986, Metro Vancouver's annual population growth doubled from 1.5 per cent to three per cent. Whether it was for better or worse depends on who you talk to. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Visitors to the Canada Pavilion are handed augmented reality tablets and experience interactive exhibits that transform white interior icebergs into scenes from across Canada. Photo by Michael Geller Since Expo 86, World Fairs have fascinated me since they offer a glimpse into the future. I have been fortunate to attend expositions in Lisbon, Shanghai, Yeosu, Dubai, and Astana. Recently, I spent a week at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. 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Some of the most popular and talked-about pavilions at Expo 2025 include the Japan Pavilion, Better Co-Being Pavilion, Future of Life Pavilion and Canada Pavilion. The Japan Pavilion highlights Japan's vision for a sustainable future. Its circular structure is designed to symbolize the cycle of life. Japanese initiatives and innovative technologies are showcased throughout the pavilion, including a biogas plant that utilizes food waste and carbon recycling technologies to promote sustainable practices. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Better Co-Being Pavilion offers a speculative look at our future shaped by technological co-evolution. Located within the Forest of Tranquility, it embodies the transformation from a world focused on economic growth to one that places greater emphasis on the environment, health, human rights and education. The Future of Life Pavilion focuses on human-robot coexistence and the potential for technologies, especially robotics and AI, to enhance and expand human life. The pavilion gives visitors the opportunity to encounter androids, robots, computer-generated characters and other avatars created with the latest technologies. Upon first view, the Canada Pavilion's white, geometric forms reinforce the overused cliché of Canada as the Great White North. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I was fortunate to have a chance encounter with Laurie Peters, commissioner-general for the pavilion, who was outside on the plaza during a false fire alarm. She told me the theme is not at all the Great White North. Rather, it is Regeneration. Visitors will not read about this since words are not used anywhere in the pavilion. 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If you do attend Expo and there is a lengthy line at the Canadian pavilion, mention to a staff member that you are Canadian, and you will likely be directed to the fast-pass lane and get in immediately. Although Osaka may seem like a long way away, I highly recommend a visit to Expo 2025. You will get a glimpse of the future and it is much more promising than you might expect. Michael Geller FCIP, RPP, MLAI, Ret. Architect AIBC is a Vancouver-based planner and real estate consultant. He also serves on SFU's adjunct faculty. You can reach him at geller@ and find more information and images of Expo 2025 on his blog Read More Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Canucks News Celebrity Vancouver Whitecaps
CBC
29-07-2025
- CBC
Blue Rodeo celebrates 40 years of music with free show in Toronto
Iconic Toronto band Blue Rodeo is celebrating four decades of making music together. Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor formed the group in the 1980s. To mark their anniversary, Blue Rodeo performed a free show in Toronto's Distillery District.
CBC
29-07-2025
- CBC
Blue Rodeo celebrates 40 years with packed hometown show in Toronto's Distillery District
Social Sharing From 5 Days in May to 40 years in 2025: Blue Rodeo took to Trinity Street Stage in Toronto's Distillery District for a free acoustic set Monday afternoon, celebrating four decades of music. It may have been 4 p.m. on a weekday, but it didn't stop a large crowd from packing in front of the stage by Mill Street Brewery and belting along to a set of classic Canadiana in the band's hometown. Blue Rodeo was formed 40 years ago by Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, who met in high school in Toronto, and led Monday's concert along with Jimmy Bowskill and Colin Cripps. The group would rise from a Queen Street bar band to a part of Canada's cultural fabric. Craig Hamilton said he took the train in from Long Branch to catch the anniversary show. "The sound of Jim Cuddy's voice, can't miss that," he said. Hamilton said he was thrilled the band led off with his favourite song, 5 Days in May, which he said contains his favourite lyric from any Canadian songwriter. "When he sings, 'Rain on the windshield headed south' — every time I hear that line it just conjures up all these images, and I just love that song," he said. "They've been bringing us fantastic music for many, many years." Hamilton was one of many people in the crowd enjoying a specially crafted beer put out in honour of the band's milestone, which he said was a perfect complement to the sun and music. "Everybody loves Mill Street, and who doesn't love Blue Rodeo, so to bring the two of them together … it's fantastic." MPP Chris Glover, who represents Spadina-Fort York, was also on hand for the show. "It was fantastic. How often do you get to see Blue Rodeo, especially on their 40th anniversary, and in this setting in the Distillery? It's just a beautiful setting," he said. "This is what makes Toronto so much fun to be in in the summertime." It's a setting Blue Rodeo knows well. The band got its start in Toronto, playing its first show in 1985 at the Rivoli, according to its official website. It had been selling out shows in the city for months before the release of its first album, Outskirts, in 1987. But it took off when the music video of its lead single Try, already a popular staple at its concerts, was put on heavy rotation at MuchMusic. WATCH | 40 years of Blue Rodeo examined in new documentary: Blue Rodeo: Lost Together | Trailer | Watch now on CBC Gem 6 months ago For the first time, Blue Rodeo tells the story of their incredible 40-year journey. A brand new documentary, now streaming on CBC Gem and the CBC Docs YouTube channel. Six years later, the band released its most commercially successful album ever, 5 Days in July, and never looked back. Blue Rodeo was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in September 2009 — the fifth band to receive the honour. This year, the group was the subject of a documentary called Lost Together, available on CBC Gem, and got its own Canada Post stamp. It kick off its official, country-wide 40th anniversary tour this fall.
