CBC | torontolife.com

The comprehensive index of every blog post, magazine story and restaurant review that appears on Torontolife.com

All stories relating to CBC

The Canada Reads drama continues, with terrorism accusations and Facebook rebuttals

A White Cedar anti-bullying campaign image posted today to Nemat’s Facebook. Coincidence? (Image: Facebook)

Since when did the Canada Reads book competition turn into a Hunger Games–style death match? In yesterday’s debate, colourful Quebec lawyer Anne-France Goldwater accused Prisoner of Tehran author Marina Nemat of telling “a story that’s not true, and you can tell it’s not true when you read it.” (That goes a long way to explaining Nemat’s angry Facebook outburst yesterday.) But Nemat wasn’t the only one to get a Goldwater smackdown; the TV personality also called author Carmen Aguirre “a bloody terrorist,” adding, “How we let her into Canada, I don’t understand.” In response, Nemat again took to Facebook, this time to ask for a public apology from Goldwater (and to post a photo and link about bullying. Coincidence?). While she waits for that apology, Nemat can take some solace in today’s elimination of John Vaillant’s The Tiger—the book Goldwater was defending. Karma (and fuming writers) will get you every time.

The Hype

Shelf Life

February 6, 2012 | 2:57 pm

Comments

Canada Reads author Marina Nemat shows literary types can bring the drama

The opening day of debates for CBC’s annual Canada Reads competition was as full of leaked information and sour grapes as a finale of The Bachelor. First, book enthusiasts reprimanded resident blogger Terry Fallis (whose novel The Best Laid Plans won last year’s competition) for tweeting a spoiler—that Marina Nemat’s Prisoner of Tehran was the first book to be ousted. Then, Nemat published a blistering Facebook post in response to the elimination, writing that “Prisoner of Tehran was just voted off Canada Reads simply because it is the most popular in Canada according to the polls.” She added, “The judges seemed to be interested in winning only and not in which book actually has more merit. Very disappointing and irresponsible I think.” Yikes! We always thought the format of Canada Reads—in which celebrities like Alan Thicke and Stacey McKenzie defend their chosen book—allowed authors to rise above the debate and avoid looking petty. If only they would.

The Hype

Prime Time

January 10, 2012 | 3:15 pm

36 Comments

Redemption Inc., episode 1: wherein we pick our favourite ex-con (Team Jeff!)

We wouldn’t be surprised if reality TV producers, up in their fancy boardrooms, are actually just using Mad Libs to come up with new shows: x number of (people with a zany commonality) compete in weekly challenges to prove to a (media-loving celebrity) that they are the best at (skill) and win the grand prize. Fill in those blanks with “ex-cons,” “Kevin O’Leary” and “business stuff,” and you have Redemption Inc., CBC’s grittier version of The Apprentice. Each week, the former criminals perform some arbitrary challenge, and the weakest (or least telegenic) of the lot is sent off with a package of mentoring and educational gifts to ease the pain. O’Leary is clearly way too busy with Shark and Dragon duties to be on hand for the hijinks, but he’s arranged for ex-con businessman Brian O’Dea to watch the challenges and report back (“rat” in jail terms). Although we wish O’Leary were onscreen more to maximize the opportunity for gloriously arrogant monologues, last night’s episode proved that while O’Leary’s bons mots are lacking, at least O’Dea is bringing a fantastic fashion sense to the table. The man has great taste in an ear stud. Find out what shit O’Leary said and check out our TV brief of the pilot episode after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Informer

Ford Focus

January 9, 2012 | 4:45 pm

Comments

There’s a new character in the sordid tale of Rob Ford versus Marg Delahunty: the almighty CBC ombudsperson

Although Bill Blair swooped in to save Rob Ford from reports that he’d called 911 dispatchers “bitches”—and called himself “Rob fucking Ford”—the CBC’s ombudsperson says the case isn’t necessarily closed. The Toronto Star reported last week that CBC ombudsperson Kirk LaPointe offered the most obvious of conclusions on the incident: that both Blair and the CBC have vested interests in the matter, that only one of them is right and that “it just isn’t clear whom.” He also said the budget squabble between Ford and Blair is reason to cast doubt on the chief’s version of events (you can read the full report here). Of course, we’ll likely never hear the recording of that fateful 911 call—but that doesn’t mean the story is going away anytime soon. For which, honestly, we’re kind of grateful. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »

The Goods

From the Print Edition

January 3, 2012 | 2:00 pm

1 Comment

The List: 10 things the star of Gerry Dee: Sports Reporter and the new CBC sitcom Mr. D can’t live without

The List: Gerry Dee
1| My alma mater
I spent 13 years at De La Salle College, first as a student and then as a gym teacher. It was a great job to have when I was pursuing comedy. I could take time off for gigs, and eventually I took a leave of absence that I never returned from. I plan to send my kids there, too.

The List: Gerry Dee 2| My BioSteel
It’s an electrolyte drink developed by Matt Nichol, the former strength coach for the Leafs. A lot of high-level athletes are drinking it now instead of Gatorade. I drank it when I was filming my sitcom and working 14-hour days.

The List: Gerry Dee 3| My running route
I run up the hill near my house (the big one at Wilson and Yonge) twice a day. It’s a pretty tough hill—it takes 10 minutes, and it makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Informer

Ford Focus

December 22, 2011 | 12:55 pm

5 Comments

Rob Ford embarks upon the most predictable year-end media blitz ever

(Image: Christopher Drost)

Rob Ford is wrapping up his year-end interview circuit, having spoken to (most of) the city’s major dailies, along with a few local broadcasters. The media bits are mostly predictable affairs, with Ford repeating things he’s been saying since he ran for office. But there are a few gems hidden among all the talking points. In the Globe, for instance, Ford professes his love for quarterback Tim Tebow. While the interviews are disappointing, it’s worth noting that it’s Ford, not the reporters, who deserves much of the blame here (although not always). Ford’s the one who seems unable to stray from a small smattering of talking points. A roundup of the mayor’s media blitz after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Informer

My Name Is Lucre

December 12, 2011 | 4:31 pm

Comments

Reaction roundup: What the city’s sports (and business) writers are saying about the MLSE deal

Sure, the fact that Bell Canada and Rogers have teamed up to purchase Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment is old news now, but the full implications of the deal remain to be seen. For our part, we’re wondering if the Toronto Maple Leafs will be slapped with absurd roaming charges on the road, or whether fans will have to purchase beer by following a series of annoying prompts on their cellphones. Of course, there’s also the tricky matter of whether or not the $1.32-billion purchase will turn out to be a good thing or a bad thing for Toronto sports teams—and, by extension, their fans—when it comes to the business of winning and losing. We round up what the city’s sportswriter corps is saying on the matter, after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Hype

Prime Time

November 24, 2011 | 10:31 am

10 Comments

Do you want to see the “evil, left-wing CBC” privatized? There’s a bumper sticker for that

This speaks for itself (and your car) (Image: manybones12)

EBay is filled with many hidden treasures, and today Twitter uncovered something political: a call from one bumper sticker maker to put an end to the public financing of the CBC (or, as the Sun puts it, the state broadcaster) with the sale of a pro-privatization bumper sticker ($8.99 + $2.45 shipping). It’s being touted as a “great stocking stuffer,” so if you know any capitalist motorists who hate Being Erica, Heather Hiscox and Nancy Wilson that much, this would make the perfect present.

The Goods

From the Print Edition

November 1, 2011 | 3:00 pm

12 Comments

The List: 10 things Kevin O’Leary, the professional Dragon and author of Cold Hard Truth, can’t live without

The List: Kevin O’Leary 1| Fine wine
I have a cellar of wine from Burgundy and Bordeaux. Château Latour ’90 is my current favourite. I bought a couple of cases when they weren’t expensive, but now the Chinese have discovered French first growths, and they’ve gone way up in price. It’s hard to drink them because I know they’re impossible to replace.

The List: Kevin O’Leary 2| My vintage camera
I got hooked on photography when I was a TV editor and would take stills during filming. I have lots of cameras—both film and digital—but my most prized is a Leica M3 that has never left its box. I have the sales receipt from 1963. It’s worth thousands. If you know Leica, and you see this, it’s better than sex!

The List: Kevin O’Leary 3| My digital music
I have more than 129,000 songs in my collection, all of which I ripped from old CDs and vinyl. It was a labour of love that took me three years. Vinyl just sounds different—listen to an album like Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue, and you’ll notice the bass you can’t get with digital recording.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Informer

Ford Focus

October 31, 2011 | 3:15 pm

Comments

Bill Blair comes to Rob Ford’s rescue over disputed 911 call

Bill Blair hasn’t exactly been Rob Ford’s staunchest supporter of late. But at the end of last week, the police chief came to the mayor’s defence, wading into the ongoing saga between Ford and the CBC. Blair issued a statement on Friday, offering that he had listened to the tape of the secret 911 call at the centre of the brouhaha and that the mayor didn’t use the word “bitches.” He also stated that Ford “did not describe himself as the original account claimed.” Here, we can only assume he’s referring to the whole “Rob Fucking Ford” bit. Which, really, is a shame—“Rob Fucking Ford” would look awesome on campaign materials (like these from our friends at Torontoist) in 2014. Read the entire statement [National Post] »

The Informer

Ford Focus

October 31, 2011 | 11:15 am

11 Comments

Rob Ford crushes Glenn Beck to claim Keith Olbermann’s Worst Person in the World award

The left-wing media recently took a break from its attacks on Mayor Rob Ford to present him with an award: that of, um, the Worst Person in the World. American pundit Keith Olbermann regularly hands out the award on his news and political commentary show, Countdown, and Ford snagged the top spot following an ambush interview from 22 Minutes’ Marg Delahunty. Olbermann lays out why Ford is the world’s worst person in his best mock-Canadian accent (or just the voice he uses when impersonating a simpleton—we can’t tell). Adding insult to injury is that Ford edged out Glenn Beck for the honour. In case you’ve never watched Beck’s show or heard him on the radio, just know that he’s pretty much made his career, and a small fortune, out of being a terrible person.

The Informer

Ford Focus

October 28, 2011 | 4:55 pm

34 Comments

Video: Mary Walsh calls Rob Ford a “big, loud-mouthed, bombastic buffoon,” then tells him to “chillax”

In an interview with Zoomer Media today, This Hour Has 22 Minutes Mary Walsh offers her thoughts—and a lot of zingers—on Rob Ford’s overreaction to getting ambushed by Marg Delahunty, her 22 Minutes alter-ego. At one point, Walsh compares Delahunty to Ford, describing them both as “big, loud-mouthed, bombastic buffoons” (really, she just thinks it would be nice if the simpatico personalities became friends, and that’s why Delahunty showed up at Ford’s home). She also offered a few words of wisdom for the mayor: namely, “chillax.” Of course, you should watch the video in full for yourself.

The Informer

Ford Focus

October 27, 2011 | 2:35 pm

11 Comments

Rob Ford releases a statement: he admits to dropping an F-bomb, but claims things are not be as bad as they once seemed

Image: Christopher Drost

The story of Rob Ford’s encounter with the CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes took a potty-mouthed turn this morning with news that Ford allegedly berated 911 dispatchers and insisted that he was, in fact, “Rob Fucking Ford.” But now the Globe and Mail disputes these claims, reporting that the CBC’s story is inaccurate, as does Doug Ford, offering a competing interpretation of the events in an interview with the Toronto Star. The mayor also released a statement on his Facebook page this afternoon, providing his own take as to what went down that fateful morning. Read the entire statement, after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Informer

Ford Focus

October 27, 2011 | 2:00 pm

Comments

Rob Ford’s stance of drug testing for TTC employees actually sounds kind of reasonable

Wow, Rob Ford sounds surprisingly cool on the issue of drug testing for TTC employees (unlike, say, his surprisingly uncool response to being ambushed by Mary Walsh of the CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes earlier this week). “How do you know if someone has a beer or smokes a joint on a Friday and they come into work on Monday,” Ford told the Toronto Sun. Sure, he added that he’s “not quite sure how [the testing] works,” but these remarks are interesting all the same, given they’re coming from a mayor who’s not exactly known for his support of public employees. Read the entire story [Toronto Sun] »

The Informer

Ford Focus

October 27, 2011 | 10:15 am

3 Comments

Rob “Fucking” Ford allegedly berates 911 dispatchers in aftermath of 22 Minutes ambush

That a simple Google search for “Rob Ford, bitches” now returns a wealth of recent stories is definitely bad news for the mayor. The latest in the ongoing Ford-versus-CBC drama is that Ford, who called 911 twice during Monday’s ordeal, allegedly abused dispatchers. To put it more directly, he called them “bitches” and asked (we assume rhetorically) “Don’t you fucking know? I’m Rob fucking Ford, the mayor of this city!” We could point out the irony in Ford’s impatience with pushing for police cuts and then complaining about lengthy wait times. Or that the poor mayor doesn’t seem to know what 911 is actually for. But instead, we’ll just wait patiently for the recorded phone call to leak. Read the entire story [CBC] »

All stories relating to CBC

Contests

Links and Offers

Most shared stories today

The latest from across the St. Joseph Media network