podcast

John “Gibby” Gibbons

This episode originally aired on the Welcome To The Music Podcast.

We spoke about:

  • Listener Questions:
    • Aneez from Whitby – It is said that rock stars want to be athletes, and athletes want to be rock stars… Adam Wainwright sang the National Anthem on Opening Day in St Louis… What’s the most John Gibbons Rock n Roll moment in the clubhouse, or on the road, or at a concert?
    • Joshua from Scarborough – What was your walk up music when you were a Met? What would your walk up song be if you were playing today? Why don’t managers have walk up songs? (Fav song is Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd)
  • Baseball:
  • Two WS rings with Braves and 1986 Mets
  • Getting umps to throw John out
  • World Baseball Classic (Ohtani and Trout)
  • One of John’s good friends, JP Ricciardi – disliked in Toronto among the fan base. Why does JP get a bad rap? 
  • Pete Walker, pitching coach with the Jays, played for John
  • Blue Jays new manager Schneider
  • Alex Anthopolous
  • Why John didn’t like the Home run jacket. 
  • Music:
    • Garth Brooks at METS spring training
    • Rik Emmett and Gil Moore of Triumph came to games a lot
    • Gil Moore helped John’s daughter, JORDAN, record couple of albums in his Toronto studio
    • Having dinner with Geddy Lee and RUSH
  • and so much more!

John is the author of the new book, “Gibby: Tales Of A Baseball Lifer”.  Ask for it at your favourite local book store or online.

This is Episode #280 of the Welcome! podcast.

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Omer Aziz – Brown Boy

This past weekend I spoke with Omer Aziz about growing up in Scarborough and his new book, Brown Boy.

We spoke about:

  • living in Scarborough
  • his book, Brown Boy
  • why he wrote Brown Boy
  • how seeing Barack Hussein Obama on television altered the trajectory of his life
  • what his next book will be about
  • his favourite bookstore
  • what’s he’s currently reading
  • and so much more!

Omer Aziz is the author of the book “Brown Boy”. The book is a memoir in which Aziz reflects on his experiences growing up as a Pakistani Canadian Muslim and explores themes of identity, belonging, and family.

In “Brown Boy”, Aziz writes candidly about his struggles with mental health, his relationship with his father, and his experiences of racism and discrimination. He also examines the larger societal and political forces that shape the experiences of people like him, including the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the rise of Islamophobia.

The book has received positive reviews for its honesty, insight, and compelling storytelling. It has been described as a “brave and thought-provoking memoir” that “offers a fresh perspective on the challenges of growing up in a world that often fails to understand or appreciate difference.” Omer Aziz is a Canadian writer, lawyer, and journalist.

This is Episode #279 of the Welcome! podcast.

podcast

John Shannon

This past weekend I had the opportunity to speak with John Shannon.  Who is John Shannon: John Shannon is a Canadian sportscaster and former television producer.

John Shannon joined me to chat about his career and new book, Evolve or Die (published by Simon and Shuster). Topics we discussed: –

  • his relationship with Don Cherry
  • working with Richard Peddie and Sherali Najak
  • why he decided to write his first book
  • working with Bob McCown
  • working at Wayne Gretzky’s last NHL game
  • and so much more!

In 2009, Shannon left the NHL Network to become an on-air panelist for Rogers Sportsnet and a co-host of sports talk radio show Prime Time Sports on Fan 590 in Toronto alongside Bob McCown. In 2020, Shannon became a co-host of the sports talk podcast, “The Bob McCown Show,” alongside Bob McCown, which discusses sports topics of the day and features guests from the sports industry.

This is Episode #278 of the Welcome! podcast.

podcast

Chris St. Clair: Weather Permitting

From the long time host of The Weather Network comes a behind-the-scenes look at Canada’s biggest weather events and climate phenomena.

Chris St. Clair was a weather presenter and journalist on The Weather Network for more than twenty-five years.  He is also a popular speaker on meteorology and climate change. He lives in Kingston, Ontario. Connect with him on Twitter @CStClair1.

For more than twenty-five years, Chris St. Clair was on the frontline of Canada’s biggest weather events as a popular presenter on The Weather Network. For the first time, he shares his never-before-told stories covering the country’s most astounding weather events.

From the flooding of the Red River in Winnipeg to the ice storm in Montreal, the hurricanes in Newfoundland, the devastating wildfires in Fort McMurray, the hailstorm in Calgary, and the heat dome and horrifying floods in British Columbia, St. Clair recalls these extreme weather events and relays their impact on communities across the country. He also follows Canadian snowbirds south to Florida and recounts their dramatic escape from record-breaking Hurricanes Matthew and Irma.

A vivid personal narrative with accessible scientific explanations and meteorological analysis, Weather Permitting tells the story of how the weather has shaped the character and psyche of our nation, and is an homage to the strength and resilience of Canadian communities from coast to coast.

This is Episode #277 of the Welcome! podcast.

podcast

Gabriela Casineanu

Gabriela Casineanu is an award-winning author who founded the Immigrant Writers Association in 2018.

The IWA is a non profit organization that assists new Canadian immigrants find support to express themselves through creative writing.

Each year the IWA releases a new anthology featuring short stories and poetry from their members. This past Tuesday the IWA released a new anthology called Finding The Way featuring 12 new Canadian writers. https://immigrantwriters.com/finding-the-way/

Finding The Way features writing from new Canadians that have come from Ghana, Ukraine, Romania, USA, India, Cuba, Senegal, United Arab Emirates, Trinidad and Tobago.

This is Episode #275 of the Welcome! podcast.

podcast

Mike Dancy on Running for Brampton Council

mike dancy
mike dancy

I’ve known Mike for quite some time. He’s a stand up guy who lives in Brampton and cares about his community.

When asked by the Brampton Guardian who he wanted to run this is what he said, “Originally, I decided to run since the incumbent, Pat Fortini, was running unopposed. Everyone needs a choice and I put my name in so that people would have an option. Once I realized what a regional councillor could do with helping people, I decided that I was going to put 110 per cent into this campaign.”

This was Mike’s first time running for public office. So I thought I’d ask him on what lessons he learned. Hope you enjoy this conversation.

Photo from Brampton Guardian.

This is Episode #274 of the Welcome! podcast.

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podcast

Ali Hassan: Is There Bacon in Heaven? A Memoir

karim kanji with ali hassan
karim kanji with ali hassan

Ali Hassan is a stand-up comedian, actor, and professional chef. He is the host of CBC’s Canada Reads as well as Laugh Out Loud. He is also a frequent guest host of q, CBC’s premier national arts and entertainment show. His comedy has been performed at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and Toronto’s JFL42. He is a Canadian Comedy Awards nominee, and his solo show, Muslim, Interrupted, was performed at the world’s largest comedy festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He has appeared in three award-winning films, Breakaway, French Immersion, and as the memorable Lebanese Uncle Stevie in the hockey hit Goon, in addition to other film and TV roles, most recently CBC’s Run the Burbs. He lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his family. Follow him on Twitter @StandUpAli and find him at StandUpAli.com.

This is Episode #273 of the Welcome! podcast.

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podcast

The Village

Francis Plourde | The Village Season 3: The Montreal Murders

In the early 1990s, as AIDS tightens its grip on major cities around the world, the relative safety of Montreal’s nightlife becomes a magnet for gay men. But when they start turning up dead in hotel rooms, beaten lifeless in city parks, and violently murdered in their own homes, the queer community has more to fear than the disease. While the city’s police force dithers over the presence of a serial killer, a group of queer activists starts making connections, and rises up to start a movement that would end up changing thousands of lives. Hosted by Francis Plourde.

Listen on the CBC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is Episode #272 of the Welcome! podcast.

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Zaileen Janmohamed: Head of Partnership Development & Innovation, LA28

Zaileen Janmohamed is a masterful marketer and a steadfast leader known for providing the vision necessary to navigate complex scenarios and deliver results.

Zaileen has a wealth of experience on the brand, agency, and property sides of the sports marketing business, and is an advocate for diversity and inclusion to drive culture and business. In her role, Zaileen is working at the intersection of sales and partner servicing, extracting key insights from the market to guide the evolution of Team USA and LA 2028’s business strategy, while also maximizing the offering for both existing and future partners.

This is Episode #271 of the Welcome! podcast.

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