KILLARNEY – fish and chips and roads and pics

Back when we were in Little Current, a group of people spotted our storymobile and pitched us to come to Killarney… so, to Killarney we went!  It was a long road into town off of highway 69, but finally we arrived in this small and splendid little town, population 500.

When we arrived on Channel Street, the main street in Killarney with one side water one side road, the mayor flagged us down in his truck and came to greet us.  He insisted that he treat us to the famous Herbert’s fish and chips.  Herbert's was the hottest spot in town and before long, the town historian, a town elder, and our connector from back in Little Current, Mary Jane, were all with us on the dock as the tale of a town turned the conversation to the changes in Killarney over the years.

Inside the storymobile I was fortunate to talk with the town historian, Rosiland Zimmiska whose family has lived here in Killarney for four generations.  The photos I saw of the main street in days gone by sent my imagination soaring.

In the meantime, Charles took a walk on the dock side of main street with Marvin Roque, town elder who told tales of the busy days of commercial fishing in the channel.

Later, Mary Jane took us to the hand built stone church whose name changed to St. Bonaventure from St. Joseph when one priest decided that he liked that name better…

Also, check out the backwards number 1.  Apparently the stone carver ran out of space, so he decided he'd just flip it...

You might assume with a name like Killarney that this is an Irish settlement, but think again. Killarney, Ontario is Native and French with a long and languid history.  No electricity until 1950, and no road to get in until 1962!! Life was isolated and insular here in most people’s earliest memories of this town, but apparently the parties were indescribable…. If you have a story about Killarney, call our storyline at 1-855-CAN-TALE and we'll be sure to add it to the collective community memory map of this small but sensational town.

Come sit in on our Killarney conversations to hear more about this joyful place where all you have to do is look out to see its stunning beauty.

A Walk Down Main Street - Killarney Edition.

SUDBURY – we did the elgin strip

First off, the drive from Little Current to Sudbury, across the swing bridge, along highway 6 & 16 was so breathtaking - you have to go and see it for yourself. The night we arrived in Sudbury, we got a phone call from our friend and colleague back home advising us to head straight to the Townehouse bar on Elgin Street and look for Paul, the manager.  So to the Townehouse we went! It was one of those restored, old taverns, with a seemingly secret side entrance and eventually we did find who we were looking for.  We booked a meeting with Paul for the next morning.

It was fascinating to hear what Paul had to say about the story of Sudbury’s downtown over the years.  Always a meeting place, a rail town turned mine town, with two standout flat iron buildings, many other torn down buildings, a mall where a market has been, and a strip that is making its way back on the map with cool new cafes, bars and boulangeries. The Elgin strip they call it, which apparently had been long neglected, is where we met Paul – at the other place he manages, The Laughing Buddha, where all kinds of imported beers are just an order away.  Guess what else we found out – Stompin’ Tom wrote that song at the Townehouse.  You know the one…

After our meeting with Paul we parked downtown.  A steady line of people came to see us at our storymobile and we got a feel for this nickel city built atop a meteor crater.  You can check out a selection of stories we gathered on our story map HERE.

Some of the local press caught us downtown too...!

Northern Life Article

Sudbury Star Article

After our storymobile stint we went to meet up at the Sudbury Theatre Centre with David Savoy to talk tale of a town.  David invited the creative and savy Matthew Heiti and the four of us imagined together what it would be like to take audiences down the streets of Sudbury while telling its tales…

A site specific performance is certainly something that would breathe life into these story filled streets and spread the good news that Sudbury’s downtown is here to stay.  Details to come…

In the meantime, why not tune in to our podcast and hear about if for yourself!

A Walk Down Main Street – Sudbury Edition.

LITTLE CURRENT - gi zah gin! i love you!

In Little Current, we stayed at the legendary Anchor Inn, one of those old hotels we've heard so much about, but this one was renovated and truly rockin'!  In their community room, we sat in on the live broadcast of The Cruiser’s Net with Roy who keeps the boats on the other side of water street afloat.  Outside, we met the father daughter team - owner and editor of The Manitoulin Expositor who convinced us to join the Let It Be campaign -a civic initiative to keep the Little Current Post Office downtown!

It was a whirlwind 24 hours in Little Current.  Trading ice cream for stories, we ran in to some of the most delightful people we have met so far.  It's true, there is something spirited about this island.  We could have stayed...forever!

To hear from the mouths of the haweaters themselves, tune in to our podcast, created for The Walrus.

A Walk Down Main Street – Little Current Edition!

TURTLE CREEK – writing, recording and a surprise wedding

How lucky we were that there was a cancellation at Turtle Creek Lodge on Manitoulin Island!  We drove straight from Markdale to Tobermory, drove onto a ferry boat, took a gorgeous cruise north to the spirit island, and found our way to this secluded paradise on the biggest lake on the biggest island on a freshwater lake in the world! It was in this mystical place that we wrote and recorded our first few editions of our podcast series: A Walk Down Main Street.  To check out the series in its entirety, go to our soundcloud page and take a stroll around! 

One very touching thing that happened while we were at Turtle Creek – a couple got married down at the water!  A bagpiper announced the surprise celebration and we joined in for the ceremonies.  Later that night the couple treated the lodgers to a fireworks show and we watched from our cabin as we worked the night away…

A thank you to Jack and Joyce who made our stay so, so nice.  I don’t want to advertise how amazing and gorgeous and beautiful their place is for fear that it will be all booked up for next summer when we want to go back… But that would be just too selfish, so here it is (but keep it under wraps!) http://www.manitoulin-island.com/turtlecreek/

Before we left we checked in with Points North on CBC Radio, to let the north know we were on our way to Little Current, then onto Sudbury.  CBC.ca | Points North | Storymobile lets people trade stories for ice cream.

And zoom! we were off again to search out some more stories in this province of towns and trees…

MARKDALE – ice cream and cake wheels

The main street in Markdale seemed quiet at first glance, but once we got chatting, stories started seeping out!  We started our search with the very friendly Eric Robertson, a real estate agent who grew up in Markdale.  And as we walked with Eric down the main street, we ran into almost everyone in town going in or coming out of the post office to pick up their mail.  And that's when we discovered the post office is where we should always park our storymobile downtown... and slowly but surely, the people came. We spoke to former mayor Stan Baker,

Rotarian Jerry Bartley,

former school principal Willard Foster... among others.

In  between storymobiling, we stopped into some stores on the strip.  We hit up the Bargain Store, where whoppie cusions have been selling for a dollar as long as anyone can remember;

we popped into Jeans Jeans and More Jeans where the band the Constantines got their swag;

we waltzed into Quilter’s Line to find out about the this gathering place that threads together the stories of rural women;

And we ducked into a café where every customer has their own mug to talk to a local teen; and we pranced into a toy store for a little play on words.

Finally, we headed to the Chapman’s newly built factory, which replaces the old creamery that burned down only a few years ago.  I’m sure the old Chapman’s had a nostalgia that can never be duplicated, however, this new ice cream machine is sleek and sexy and sensational.  We interviewed Ashley Chapman, the vice president of Champan’s Ice Cream.  He's the grown up version of that little boy whose face is on the Chapman’s logo!  He's the kind of guy you just can't help but hug.  (well, I couldn't help it, I'm a hugger...)

After a great chat with Ashley, we met his magnificent mother, Penny Chapman, who co-founded  this fabulous company along with her husband David.  It was a real treat to talk to Penny in person and hear the story how this booming business began, firsthand from the one who built it up.

Markdale is full of memories.  A farming town that became an important industrial town which became once again the small town that it is today.  In the heart of grey county – a beautiful, beautiful part of this province.

Take a listen to some to hear more of the memories we gathered in the land of ice cream dreams!  Tales of the street frolic, the cake wheel, the house of refuge await you...

A Walk Down Main Street - Markdale Edition! 

LONDON DAY THREE – water, stones, suits, and ice cream!

A walk around town with Sean Galloway is something we highly recommend.  This is a man with a plan!  Sean took us through the future ideas for downtown, including streetscape and sidewalk renovations, an urban beach at the Thames, plans to fill in some of the superfluous parking lots and his personal vision for the future… and we must say, if Sean gets his way, the future looks so bright you’re going to have to buy a pair of shades at a downtown shop! Here’s Sean at the site of some of his downtown dreams…

Next we me with Jonathon Bancroft-Snell at his breathtaking gallery at 258 Dundas Street.  Jonathon opened in Galleria Mall during its heyday and then moved to his current location. Jonathon is a true storyteller and we had a ball interviewing him.  We especially loved the story of one of his fantastical customers who comes in and picks out a whole shelf of ceramics as a gift for someone and asks to have the items wrapped and ready for when he returns.  Jonathon plays along with this fantasy, knowing full well that this customer will not really be returning to complete this purchase.  He enjoys meeting everyone who walks into his gallery and being part of the world of downtown.

We loved this piece.  It feels at home here in this spectacular downtown gallery.

In the early afternoon we met with THE David E. White.  This gentleman, (and he is a true gentleman), takes care of the men of London.  In his realm on Richmond, he not only has a men’s wear shop, but also a barbershop to get a cut and shave, a dry cleaners to keep it clean, and a little art gallery where you can buy a piece of art for your wife, perhaps.  David spoke to us of the old days in London where there were over 50 men’s wear shops among a bustling downtown.  The secret to success according to David E. White?  Perseverance.

Finally, we made it out onto the street with our storymobile!!!  Trading Chapmans Ice Cream for stories is our game, and many people were eager to play along.  Young and old ducked inside to tell a story and 24 ice cream sandwiches later, we packed up and headed to have a pint at Joe Kools and then celebrate Londonlicious at Garlics!

LONDON DAY TWO – more talk on tape…

Hey there!  Today was full of interviews, which are proving to be indispensable in providing us with a base from which to launch our questions that we will ask the public from our story mobile on street level. Today we spoke to Kathy Novackas, the extraordinary founder of the London Fringe among a list of other grassroots initiatives.  Kathy told us of the movers and shakers in the arts community downtown and the venues and theatres that pop up around town.  She recounted her own memories of visiting Kingsmills and Roland Hill Shoe Store as a child where her mom would buy her oversized clothing for the year ahead, that she would have to grow between her next annual visit to London Ontario from London England where she spent her childhood.

Next we met with Michael Gibson, who has had an art gallery downtown since 1984, and in its current location on Carling Street since 1997.  Michael wowed us with stories of the 80’s and 90’s on the scene and then how it felt to be part of the circle of people who held hands around the entire Talbot block to protest bulldozing it to build the John Labatt Centre.  When asked about the stigma of downtown London, Michael brought our attention to his flower basket and the two benches he had the city put in across the street from his gallery.  He wishes everyone would follow suit, knowing all the businesses have a vested interest in the improvement of downtown, but what he says is that not everyone agrees with the best way to make it happen…

GIBSON GALLERY

Finally, we had a quick visit with Natalie Boot of Renaissance Massage Therapy and Spa Ltd.  Natalie’s business is inside the Citi Plaza, which used to be the grandiose Galleria Mall.   The Galleria Mall used to house Eaton’s, The Bay, The Gap, Eddie Bauer, and Ralph Lauren, to name a few.  Those stores are long gone, and now there is a beautiful public library, among other smaller stores and services and empty spaces.  We are curious about this enormous structure right smack downtown.  There’s a story there, we are sure of it, and perhaps it will help shed some light on just what happened over the past few decades downtown….

As we walked back into the downtown office a gift awaited us… Felicia, who was visiting London from Vancouver regaled us with her stories of waitressing at the Mascot, and a Casino bar on Dundas Street, and her one day of working at the lunch counter at Kresge’s where the lights were bright outside the building and flickered on and off all day!

ANYONE ELSE REMEMBER THIS?!  SEND US YOUR MEMORIES OF DOWNTOWN LONDON!

CALL 1-855-CAN-TALE  or email us at INFO@FIXTPOINT.COM and add your story to the collective community memory!

ARRIVING IN LONDON TOWN!

We arrived in London town in the evening. Walked around downtown. Not too many people around. Diners, boutiques, haircuts, pawn shops, restaurants, record stores, McDonalds, a library, beautiful old buildings, parking lots where buildings must have been before. A new place to dig. When the sun comes up we will see the light on downtown London. What will we see?!

Check out our article in the London Free Press HERE!

or read all about it below....

Seeking stories of downtown

JULY 16, 2012 CORE: A Toronto production company adds London to its list for its Tale of the Town By: KATE DUBINSKI, The London Free Press

Remember going to the movies in the underground Smuggler's Alley? How about shopping at the Simpson's department store, or visiting the monkey at the old Covent Garden Market?

Your downtown memories will become the foundation for a unique theatre experience coming to London.  

Members of Fixt Point, a Toronto production company, will set up in downtown London starting Thursday, gathering stories about the city's downtown.

They'll be here for two weeks, listening to and recording tales that they'll turn into a theatre and documentary project using the anecdotes and audio footage.

Eventually, they'll come back to London to put on an interactive performance -- a Tale of a Town -- in an empty storefront.

The exact show will be dictated by the stories Londoners tell.

"We know stories about pioneers and settlers, but one of our beliefs is that we should celebrate our recent past more," said Charles Ketchabaw, theatre director for Fixt Point.

"The stories should be in the living memory of people."

A story-mobile -- basically a trailer -- will be set up in various locations downtown from 2 to 4 p.m. daily for the next two weeks, starting Thursday.

People can come in and tell their stories with Ketchabaw and artistic director Lisa Marie DiLiberto. For those who can't make it downtown, a hotline has been set up.

"It's a multi-layered, site-specific documentary project," Ketchabaw said.

The production company will eventually use archives, props, costumes and artists for its performance.

Similar projects have been performed and are ongoing in Toronto, St. Catharines and Huntsville. Ketchabaw also is working on a Tale of a Town in Kampala, Uganda.

"We want people from all walks of life to share their stories," he said. "Everyone's story is equally important. We want to inspire change, to bring people back downtown, to celebrate the entrepreneurs, the owners, the people who live there, the eyes and ears of the place."

Cities, especially city cores, have larger-than-life characters and places that deserve to be highlighted, Ketchabaw said.

The production company has partnered with Downtown London.

"We want to honour the heritage on which our downtown was built," said Kathy McLaughlin, program co-ordinator at Downtown London.

"This is an interesting mix of creativity and technology. We love our past in London but maybe we don't celebrate our present enough."

HUNTSVILLE DAY SEVENTEEN - showtime!!!!

The show was a true success!!! See for yourself….....

And how did it all happen?  With a little help from our friends, of course…

Tina Turley, the Janis Joplin of the north played guitar in our show to help us bring back the bar era of the Empire Hotel!  Doug Banwell, David Kaye’s best friend sounded a sweet saxophone in silhouette.  Our newest friends Zsiporah and Michael Moon, who we met on the day they moved to Hunstville last week, graced the audience with Harp and song in the prologue.  Our colleague Tony Mara who was cottaging in the area stepped in to play my hilarious husband. Jay Cheel, Kevin McMahon and Kristina McLaughlin of Primitive Entertainment were there to capture us on film.  The Christmas Tyme store lent us lights.  The Great Vine lent us lamps.  The Rotary Club dug out bathtubs from storage and even lent us the coveted Rotary wheel and bell. The Huntsville Festival for the Arts found us chairs and ladders every other little thing we needed. The EXTRAORDINARY Dan Watson, Artistic Director of Edge of the Woods Theatre, put together a MAGICAL Nuit Blanche North for us to take part in.  And last but not least, the people of Huntsville inspired us with their tales.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU EVERYONE!  Another exciting memory was made, about how we brought stories to life on that bright night in Huntsville in July…

Oh, and just in case you are wondering, the tales that made it into the show were:

The Tale of The Bathtub Derby!

The Tale of The Empire Hotel!

The Tale of the Silver Ambassadors!

Shopping on the Main!

Which one was your favourite?!  Drop us a line: info@fixtpoint.com

CREDITS:

The Tale of a Town – Hunstville was produced by FIXT POINT, and created by Lisa Marie DiLiberto and Charles Ketchabaw in collaboration with theatre artists Rob Feetham, Deanna Jones, Adam Paolozza and Annie Wilson.

This exciting site-specific theatre and media project was made possible through generous support from The Ontario Arts Council, The Huntsville Festival of the Arts, Chapman’s Ice Cream, The Walrus Magazine and The Hive Strategic Marketing.

Listen Here for our radio show we crafted with some of these stories:

A Walk Down Main Street – Huntsville Edition

And stay tuned, the tale continues…  Next stop – LONDON TOWN!

HUNTSVILLE DAYS THIRTEEN to SIXTEEN – a blur.

It’s difficult to say how it all happened.  But it did!  From all of the interviews, together we selected stories, and sound bytes and scenarios and created four tales to tell at Nuit Blanche North.  We crafted and cringed and created and collected and carried each other through.  We set up lights and sound, put up projections and pictures, we sang and we danced, we laughed and we cried (but mostly laughed), and all we could hope for, was that on Saturday July 14, the people of Huntsville would be proud of what we made from what they gave… We were so busy making our show, we didn't take too many pics, but here's a fun glimpse of our pre-show set up.  Check us out lighting up the night before unit blanche north!

HUNTSVILLE DAY ELEVEN - ready, set…

We started the day with a fascinating interview with Martha Watson and her friend Kate.  Martha told us the tale of the clock tower that once was part of Union Station in Toronto and came to Huntsville via her father’s crafty ways!  Now, there’s a show piece if I ever heard one!  And Kate, a very good friend of Dave Kaye, told us more about the tragic plight of this local town hero.

Another Kate, a documentary filmmaker based in Toronto but originally from Huntsville, arrived later that day to stay with us for the week and document our process.  The awesome Kate Hemming, back home to work with us!  Kate dug right in as Charles and I got prepped for the week of intense creation ahead.  Paper went up on walls, notebooks were bought, interview clips divided, and schedules firmed up.  We stayed late, wanting everything to be ready for our artists arrival in the storefront so they could get right down to business, or should I say, get right up to play…