Toronto Legends

Toronto International Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey returns to the podcast to talk TIFF 2023, about the ramifications of the Hollywood actors/writers strike on the red carpet, about the most attention-grabbing & most highly-anticipated films [and their stars], how you can enjoy TIFF even if you aren’t attending any movies, the ‘informal market’ that drives the incredible amount of business tran...

Dine Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Sara Waxman talks about meeting her husband Al three days after arriving in Toronto from Winnipeg, his worldwide popularity from the television shows King of Kensington, Cagney & Lacey and Twice in a Lifetime, her 25 year run as the Toronto Sun’s restaurant critic, her renowned cookbooks & house parties, Al’s statue in Kensington Market, her appointment to the Order...

With the imminent publication of his memoir A Mic For All Seasons, the most versatile sports broadcaster in North America Kenny Albert talks about learning by osmosis from Dad Marv and Uncles Al & Steve, working alongside The Great One Wayne Gretzky [and #99 writing the foreword to his book], taking over for ‘the Vin Scully of hockey’ Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, the confusion about how John Tavares pronoun...

King of NHL ’94 World Championships organizer Darrell Sampson talks about why the GOAT of all hockey video games [from a 16 bit computing world!] still resonates today at its 30th anniversary, that scene in 'Swingers' where Vince Vaughn made Wayne Gretzky’s head bleed and legs spasm [actually NOT from NHL '94 which was fightless/bloodless], Jaromir Jagr being the last player to play in the NHL who...

Raising Empowered Athletes author Kirsten Jones talks about her membership in the William & Mary Athletics Hall of Fame alongside Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons, shares stories from 15 years on the global footwear team at Nike under founder Phil Knight, parses the real from the fictional in Matt Damon/Ben Affleck’s Nike movie AIR, draws lessons from [in]famous athlete/parent combos including Tiger/Earl...

Zane Caplansky from Caplansky’s Delicatessen talks about the titans of Jewish Deli [Yitz’s, Centre Street Deli, Pancer's, Shopsy’s, Switzer’s], his origins at the Monarch Tavern [T.O.’s first pop-up], the role of Thunderin’ Thelma [T.O.’s first modern day food truck], opening his eponymous restaurant on College St, collecting Geddy Lee’s email address & naming a meal after him, why Adam Sandler co...

Narativ’s Zev Shalev has travelled from Israel to South Africa to Bathurst/St Clair [arriving with $2k in a snowstorm] to NYC to LA & back to Toronto, along the way sharing experiences with Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Valerie Pringle, Dan Matheson, Jennifer Hedger, Arisa Cox, Ben Chin, the late Sarika Sehgal, Dina Pugliese, Roz Weston, Billie Holiday, Barb Williams, Moses Znaimer, Cheryl Hickey,...

Canadian boxing legend Syd 'The Jewel' Vanderpool talks about working out with his 4 older brothers in the makeshift boxing ring in the carport of their Kitchener home, winning his first bout at 6 and a half years old [!!!], meeting the emotional hurricane that is Iron Mike Tyson, missing out on meeting Wayne Gretzky despite arranging for his daughter Paulina to sing the national anthem before one...

7-Mary-3! 7-Mary-3! Jon Baker is IN the house! CHiPs star Larry Wilcox talks about going from Wyoming to Vietnam to Hollywood, his big break getting $450/week acting opposite a Collie named LASSIE, initially turning DOWN the role of Officer Jon Baker, meeting Presidents Reagan & Bush Sr, why today he recognizes that anonymity is a GIFT, being haunted to this day by Ponch’s singing rendition of ‘Ce...

PointsBet Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer Nic Sulsky provides an A+ primer on the Ontario iGaming market, why it was essential to move from a ‘grey’ to a licensed/regulated sports betting market, how partnering with MLSE builds on the strength of 365 live events per year, building a ‘challenger brand’ by being authentically Canadian & wrapping yourself in the red & white flag [via The Trailer Pa...

Molloy + Van Wert’s Jimmy Molloy talks about a lifetime spent in the Annex/Yorkville, how being a busboy in 1976 was “a summer job that got out of control” resulting in his ownership of French fine dining institution Auberge Gavroche, transferring his service skills to the world of luxury real estate, wise lessons learned from Franco Prevedello/Galen Weston Sr/Bar Italia, how a home is ‘the filing...

Global News Morning Kingston’s Bill Welychka talks about starting at MuchMusic the same week he graduated from Seneca College’s Radio and TV Arts program, the surreal experience of moving from WATCHING [on tv] to WORKING alongside Christopher Ward/Steve Anthony/Michael Williams/Laurie Brown/Denise Donlon, sliding from MuchMusic over to MuchMoreMusic, his anticipation for and involvement in the upc...

While awaiting his day with the Stanley Cup in Scottsdale, Vegas Golden Knights Director of Goaltending Sean Burke talks about his 18 year NHL career, lugging his goaltending equipment on the TTC from his Bloor/Dufferin home [before buying a Chevy Cavalier hatchback!], the misfortune of facing Wayne Gretzky on his return to Edmonton in the 1989 All Star game, representing Canada at TWO Olympic gam...

Freed Developments’ Glen Baxter talks about making the move from Montreal to Toronto, doing CBC French language traffic reports without ever owning a car, getting ‘the call’ in 1991 from Moses Znaimer, his 20 years at 299 Queen Street West for MuchMusic/CityTV/CTV's In Fashion, his excellent interactions with David Bowie/Drake/Rihanna/Deadmau5/Jeanne Beker/Tim Blanks/Jay Levine/Rick Campanelli/Dav...

Sirius XM/Kool Button Podcast’s Steve Kouleas shares tales from over 30 years in hockey broadcasting via TSN/The Score/Sirius, gives shoutouts to the gang from Woburn CI & Ryerson, shares the parallel universe of his Dad being at Paul Henderson’s Goal of the Century in Moscow 1972 AND Steve being at Sidney Crosby’s Golden Goal in Vancouver 2010, talks about sharing a smoke & a drink with St Louis...

ET Canada’s Cheryl Hickey talks about being a Day One co-host of our domestic version of the iconic Entertainment Tonight brand, moving up the career ladder from Shallow Lake to Owen Sound to London to Barrie to the Big Smoke, the surreal experience of going from watching Rick Campanelli on MM to being his co-host, the multiple life victories achieved in her Le Chateau power suit, her excellent ex...

Canadian Elite Basketball League Co-Founder/Commissioner Mike Morreale talks about his TWO Grey Cup championships, playing for BOTH Hamilton and Toronto in numerous Labour Day Classics [and the differences in playing in Steeltown vs Hogtown], the completely different personalities of his teammates Doug & Darren Flutie, why the late great Don Matthews was the ultimate players’ coach, the surreal ex...

5x Grey Cup Champ/TSN Analyst Jim Barker talks FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL, why Doug Flutie is the BEST, why Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons is even BETTER, stories behind his XFL experience and winning the ‘Million Dollar Championship Game,’ how he helped convince Vince McMahon to honour his financial commitments despite losing $120MM on the XFL, provides an explanation of the ROUGE [and why he loves it...

Former Global/CFTO/Sportsnet broadcaster Gerry ‘Dobber’ Dobson talks about his active retirement, 18 years covering Premier League + TFC soccer, being a ‘day-oner’ at Sportsnet, covering 6 Olympic Games and why Calgary 1988/Barcelona 1992 were his most memorable, starting out from a farm outside Barrie doing grades 1-8 in a one-room country schoolhouse, his continuing admiration for the annual Rob...

Postmedia/Toronto Sun journalist Steve Simmons talks about Ironman Phil Kessel’s never-ending Hot Dog story, why Raghib ‘The Rocket’ Ismail was a real pill, expanding his Sunday Notes column from 600 to 2200 words, paring down his 9,000+ columns to select the best mix of 89 for his book A Lucky Life, leveraging Cliff Fletcher’s real estate transactions to score the front page of the Calgary Herald...

Author/Card Collector/Sportsnet’s Ken Reid talks about his instant chemistry with co-anchor Evanka Osmak [Country Mouse & City Mouse], how 70,000 sportscards doesn’t take up nearly as much storage space as you would think [T&P to his understanding wife!], chasing his sportscard ‘white whales’ [1950s Gordie Howe & Mickey Mantle], Kirk Muller breaking the tension of working rinkside for HNIC at the...

Vancouverite Courtney Watkins takes the big leap to Hogtown to open her 3rd retail location of Mine & Yours! Courtney talks about leaving for Los Angeles at 17, the emotional experience of working at the beck & call of Ms. Paula Abdul, how she saw first-hand that it’s NOT so great to be famous, why she did NOT have a passion for owning/operating a sawmill, implementing her business strategy of Bri...

The Hockey News Publisher & Hockey Stick/Equipment Mogul Graeme Roustan does NOT talk about his possible interest in purchasing the Ottawa Senators, but DOES talk about living in Los Angeles with roommates Pat Brisson [now CAA’s Super Agent] & Lucky Luc Robitaille [greatest left winger & best 171st draft pick in NHL history], being an oh-so-close finalist in the competition to purchase his hometow...

Rivalry Co-Founder & CEO Steven Salz talks about sports vs casino gambling, operating at the intersection of E-Sports & Entertainment, moving content from a 'transactional' to an 'entertainment' focus, the unbelievable magnitude & growth of E-Sports worldwide, appealing to his predominantly Millennial & Gen Z customer base, why ‘skins’ were the original currency for betting on gaming, lessons lear...

Longtime Hockey Commentator & Author Scott Morrison talks about writing his upcoming book 'Draft Day' with pickleball devotee Doug MacLean, serving as a protégé of the late great George ‘The Baron’ Gross at The Toronto Sun, why Harold Ballard called him ‘Whiskers,’ why the 1972 Summit Series is still so fascinating 50+ years later, why Rick Vaive’s #22 should ABSOLUTELY be raised to the Scotiabank...