Toronto Legends

The Toronto Six’s homegrown hockey talent Saroya Tinker talks about being an EIGHT-sport high school athlete, living at Yale amongst ‘the Normies,’ playing in front of Ivy League crowds at ‘The Whale,’ her incredible mentors within the Toronto Six organization, a roadmap to consolidation for a single professional womens’ hockey league, her friendship with fellow Toronto ice hockey professional Way...

Glass Tiger frontman Alan Frew talks about the New Year’s Eve name changeover from ‘Tokyo’ to Glass Tiger [and how author George Plimpton inspired the new name], opening for Boy George & Culture Club, sharing urinals at the Grammy Awards with Roger Daltrey & Doc Severinson, how being last to the bus gave him his ‘Beatles’ moment in Saskatoon, confusion with Rod Stewart about who actually was the f...

Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae talks about his incredible career as a diplomat, lawyer and politician, Canada’s role as the 7th largest donor to the United Nations, shares an actual ‘day in the life’ of our Ambassador, the funny/not so funny shaving cream incident caused by Frank Zappa at U of T’s Convocation Hall, the emotional joy of taking the same job for PM Justin Trudeau a...

Writer & Journalist Ivy Knight talks about pivoting from 10 years in restaurant kitchens to writing, her realization that the pressure had turned her into a ‘dickless man’ and a ‘rage machine,’ the wonderful mentorship of James Chatto, her role in the documentary “The Heat: A Kitchen [R]evolution,” getting published in The New Yorker, enjoying her neighbourhood’s transition from 'Crackdale' to Par...

The Toronto Star’s City Columnist Edward Keenan talks about innocently attempting to walk behind the President’s desk in the Oval Office [spoiler: don’t do it!], Mayor Tory’s debate frequency strategy [down from 50 to 2!], how the upcoming municipal election is his Super Bowl, the Globe’s Marcus Gee as a ‘fond acquaintance,’ his South Riverdale days & Degrassi connections, morphing from an intern...

Lynx Equity Limited Co-founder and President Brad Nathan talks about ranking #478 of Canada’s largest 500 companies, hitting $650mm in revenue while shooting for $1B, his entrepreneurial start drilling peepholes [legally!], an absolutely horrible interaction with a cantankerous Tommy Lasorda, attempting to outsource his paper route to his father, transitioning his leisure time from combat sports t...

As Toronto Raptors Broadcaster Jack Armstrong enters his 25th season [Hellooooooo!], he talks about his MVP [Mom!!], growing up in Brooklyn NYC, Fordham U road trips driving the team van to fine dining establishments [White Castle!!], differentiating between broccoli and skittles, his love for fellow Toronto Legend Chuck Swirsky, Vince/Jack/Chuck all sharing their first NBA game together [with Pau...

Two-time Olympic Champion/three-time World Champion Sprinter Donovan Bailey talks about solo vs team gold medals at Atlanta in 1996, his better-late-than-never appointment to the Order of Canada, being drafted by the BC Lions, his thoughts 25 years after the 150m SkyDome race against Michael Johnson, the enduring legacies of announcers Geoff Gowan and Don Wittman, meeting Nelson Mandela and Muhamm...

Filmmaker & Marketing Executive Barry Avrich talks about RENT-A-FAN CLUB, getting stuck in an altercation between Jackie Mason & Jerry Stiller, why you need to treat ‘yelling’ as performance art, why his Bob Saget anecdote was far too filthy to share, whether we can expect an update to Unauthorized: The Harvey Weinstein Project, how Hollywood is the “only place you can die of encouragement,” his f...

Publicist and Music Industry Expert Eric Alper talks about music entering his bloodstream via his Grandfather Al’s Grossman’s Tavern, the influence of American Hot Wax & Music World at Promenade Mall, why Snoop Dogg travels with his own personal joint roller, launching Nickelback’s 1st EP, The Wiggles’ roots in punk rock [!!!!], why Bill Wyman hitting on his wife was cool, recollections of Ringo S...

‘When Canada Shut Down’ author Sean Mitton talks about Paul Henderson’s Goal of the Century being Canada’s ‘Man on the Moon’ moment, the Henderson Hat Trick [THREE game-winning goals], how Phil Esposito’s passionate ‘rant’ galvanized the country, shares the bond between Tretiak and Henderson’s grandsons, tells tales of the ‘Russian Stick Boy,’ explains how the Henderson goal actually saved a marri...

Multiple-time Manager of the Year Jake Gold talks about his first concert [Beatles at Maple Leaf Gardens 1964!], 17 years of managing The Hip/a 17 year break/starting anew in 2020, music’s most important North American cities [NYC, LA, Toronto], getting creative backstage with Robert Plant, earning bona fides from the Rolling Stones by playing through a cross-storm hurricane, Dan Aykroyd’s advocac...

Broadcaster/Podcaster Ted Woloshyn talks about taking over for Wally Crouter for a decade of mornings at CFRB, dealing with 2:45am wakeups when you aren’t a morning person, his 11 year run of ‘Saturdays with Ted’ on Newstalk 1010, losing the Best Comedy Album Juno Award to some guys named Bob & Doug, getting early encouragement from Bob McAdorey at the CNE, his ahead-of-everyone-else recognition t...

Little Canada’s founder & visionary Jean-Louis Brenninkmeijer introduces us to ‘Our Home & Miniature Land,’ learns about Wayne Gretzky [“who is this The Great One?”], explains why the process is as important as the product, shares the trials & tribulations of moving the exhibition into it's display space [spoiler alert: cut a hole and lower it through the floor!], enjoys NHLer Sam Gagner dropping...

Former NHL referee Paul ‘Devo’ Devorski talks about his Centennial Cup win for Guelph, how he handled Darren McCarty in ‘that Detroit game’ [aka The Brawl], being there for Ray Bourque’s Stanley Cup win, his Valentine’s Day card to Pat Quinn, the incredible end to game 7 of Pittsburgh’s 2009 Stanley Cup victory over Detroit, always finding Bruce Boudreau in his swimming pool, working the 2006 Turi...

Superstar singing impressionist André-Philippe Gagnon talks about Jay Leno discovering him at Just For Laughs, getting the ‘blessing’ to approach Johnny Carson after his breakout spot on The Tonight Show [after DECLINING his 1st invitation!], PM Brian Mulroney promoting him to Lady Diana, singing with Celine Dion in front of 95,000 in France, singing We Are The World to Quincy Jones, playing the f...

Broadcasting executive Nelson Millman tells us how grade 10 was ‘the best 4 years of my life,’ about being Bob McCown’s boss, why he prefers production over being on-air, overseeing Blue Jays radio broadcasts in ’92/’93 as the team won back-to-back championships, how sports radio is a clubhouse, ‘The Fan’ staying true to its brand by engaging fans, and what a truly great person Don Cherry is! TORO...

Singer/songwriter Matt Dusk takes a 'Matt Dusk Sings Sinatra' tour break to talk about dining with the Queen & Prince Philip, his graduation interaction with Oscar Peterson, his breakout role on Mark Burnett’s The Casino, Michael Buble: friend? enemy? frenemy?, his celebrity status in Poland, fond feelings for The Reservoir Lounge and The Rex Hotel, how building relationships in Las Vegas is like...

Entrepreneur & Business Executive Mark Cohon shares his journey from cheeseburgers to basketball to baseball to pigskin to music to the Gin Smash, tales of the ‘Big Mac Bus’ & ‘George the Amphibious Car,’ how the Royal Family has the same problems as any family business, having TWO Members of the Order of Ontario in the same family, going from Forest Hill to Siberia to NYC to Sumatra, memories of...

Toronto Star’s The Fixer Jack Lakey shares lessons learned from being the garbageman at a pickle factory, his advocacy for the Little Guy, dialing 311 vs The Fixer, the power of not wanting to look bad in the Star, why you must talk to the organ grinder and not the monkey, the bureaucracy of the ‘city media funnel,’ loving the action of horses and poker, his 8 years ‘causing discomfort’ at City Ha...

Film critic/author/broadcaster Richard Crouse talks about his Donald Sutherland ice-breaker, Simon Le Bon’s love of Mr Greenjeans’ Buffalo Chips, kind words for Cameron Bailey’s leadership and agreement with his view that ‘moviewatching is best as a communal experience,’ Brad Pitt’s insouciance to a tidal wave of flashbulbs, why Hugh Jackman and Lady Gaga are ‘good people’, his upcoming book of Le...

ESPN Rules Expert & ex-NHL Referee Dave Jackson talks about his Montreal origins, reffing his first game in corduroys and a yellow helmet, a horrible yet career-defining incident post-game in Lachine, boyhood hero Guy Lafleur [and his hair!] swooshing by during a game, taking Trevor Linden’s advice on dealing with The Great One, working the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, the ‘work commute’ to his...

Ahead of the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, CEO Cameron Bailey talks about growing up in the countryside of Barbados, his time at NOW during the heyday of alternative weekly newspapers, writing his first movie review [DIE HARD!], why he initially said ‘NO’ to Piers Handling, TIFF’s focus on being a ‘walkable audience-centric festival,’ being a voting member for the OSCARS, the craziness...

The King of Bay Street Wes Hall talks about his humble beginnings in rural Jamaica, lessons learned from his Grandmother, coming of age in Malvern, his past life as the Chicken Catching Grim Reaper, the importance of construction NOT demolition, taking the BlackNorth Pledge, using ‘skin in the game’ to break through barriers, the difference between deals closing on Dragons’ Den vs In Real Life [yo...

Emergency Room Physician/Author/Radio Host Dr Brian Goldman talks about his long-suffering Maple Leafs fandom, being a ‘browner’ who would study for a blood test, extending his storytelling from the ER to bookwriting to his CBC Radio show, how ‘Medical B.S.’ became ‘White Coat, Black Art,’ avoiding the ‘sunk cost fallacy’, the benefits of teamwork & unburdening, and his best advice for both physic...