The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - The Weekend Special #43 - Is It Time To Name Names?

Episode Date: January 8, 2021

Plus, some of your thoughts and comments about places we've lost.

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here with the latest episode of the Bridge Daily. It is Friday of week 43 and you know what that means, it means the weekend special. And the weekend special is pretty much devoted to you and your thoughts and questions and comments. And this week, it's actually going to be single focus because I threw out a number of ideas this week to look for comments from you. And I actually got quite a few in one particular area.

And so that's the area we're going to key on today when I get around to your comments. But first of all, I want to make a couple of my own. If you don't mind. If you'll let me. And here's how it starts off. I'm sick and tired of the word unhinged. Hey, I've used it.

But you know what? How unhinged do you have to be before something's actually done about it? I think I first started hearing the word unhinged as it related to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, about two years ago. And he started to get out of his office

through anonymous sources the suggestion that he was acting unhinged. About two years ago, when he started to get out of his office, through anonymous sources, the suggestion that he was acting unhinged. That was two years ago. And we hear it all the time. And this morning, I finally said, this is crazy. Why are we, like, can't you kind of move forward from just being unhinged? Today the line was, he's increasingly unhinged. Increasingly unhinged.

He started being unhinged, according to these people close to him, at least two years ago. And now he's increasingly unhinged. I don't know. It just, the whole thing is so ridiculous, what we're witnessing unfold. The terminology that's associated with him just doesn't seem to apply anymore. It doesn't go far enough. And nothing seems to happen because of it. I mean, there's all this talk now, 25th Amendment, second impeachment. You know, maybe it'll happen. I don't know.

Somehow, I doubt it. 12 days to go before the inauguration of Joe Biden. Are they actually going to be able to pull something off in 12 days? Well, listen, if they can, I hope they're successful because he's increasingly unhinged. Here's the other thing, and this also strikes kind of close to home because it's been part of my journalism for years, and we've talked about this before on this podcast, the use of the unnamed source, the anonymous source. And sometimes you simply just have to do that.

You have to be convinced, first of all, that you're using it for the right reasons, and they're not using you for their reasons. But, you know, I'm getting our eye of God. I think it's time to name names. Both two papers I have enormous respect for, the New York Times and the Washington Post, have used that cover to be able to get inside,

basically inside the Oval Office, to describe what's been going on with the president and some of his top advisors. They'll quote unnamed sources or those advisors who they need to protect. And I get it. I understand that. But I'm increasingly uncomfortable with the use of that term in describing what's going on inside there.

And I think it's time that journalists have to push harder with their sources to say, you know what? We need you to step forward now. I've covered you and protected you, but we're now dealing with a situation that nobody thought could ever happen, especially after what we witnessed on the routing of the Capitol building the other day.

Anyway, so those are two thoughts I have as this incredible yet historic week comes to an end and we still have two more weeks to go. Now, to the issue at hand, which is the weekend special on some of your thoughts and comments. Now, let me start it off this way. Part of my childhood was spent in Southeast Asia, very early years, you know, two, three, four, five, six, those kind of years. And if you're anything like me, you don't remember a lot from that time. You remember some things. You don't remember a lot. One of the things that does

though, certainly in my case, stick in my mind and my collection of senses are things like smell, feel, sights, sounds. Those things do. And I find in my case that whenever I go back to anywhere near Southeast Asia, certain things kick in with me on the senses, scale, smells, sights, sounds. Could be traffic. Could be chatter. But they kick in and I go, I remember that. I remember that from my earliest years. And so whenever I'm back, you know, it was Kuala Lumpur

and what was then Malaya where I spent my early years, but I've been back in that general area many times since. Whether it's Thailand or Sri Lanka or India, Hong Kong, China, Japan. And whenever I'm in most of those places, there'll be something that happens that kicks back my memory because of certain senses, like sights and sounds, and smells in particular, especially anywhere near food. So with that in mind, I was driving down one of the streets in Stratford the other day. I suddenly realized that one of my favorite restaurants was closing.

It's called Hans Restaurant. H-A-N-H, where for years, for at least the last 20 years, we've been going on occasion, especially takeout, to have Vietnamese food and a kind of Thai food as well. From Mrs. Hans, and she was always there with a big smile on her face and watching our family grow, watching our son Will. We used to carry him there in the earliest days in his little baby stroller cradle thingy, to now where at six foot four, he bounds in to pick up our takeout order of whatever food Mrs. Hans has put together for us. Well, so I was driving by the other day.

I suddenly realized Mrs. Hans was closed. Shut permanently. And why? Well, you know why. The pandemic just cut too much out of their revenue to the point where they were losing money with no early end in sight. They struggled for months with the pandemic

and finally had to give up. So when I saw that and then I saw the story that I referred to the other day about the number of restaurants that were, and big name restaurants in big cities around the world that were going out of business because of the pandemic. Now, in some cases, there were more than one issue. The restaurant might have been struggling a little bit to start, but this was the nail in the restaurant coffin, if you will. And Mrs. Hahn's restaurant was just another one of those.

So that's why I suggested to you the other day, if you've lost a restaurant that was important to you because of the pandemic, let's hear about it. Let's kind of celebrate the past a little bit with another marker. Because every once in a while on the pandemic story, we try to break apart from the day's headlines to recognize that there's so much else happening

as a result of this terrible virus that's gone around the world and is very much on our doorstep right now. Big numbers and big decisions being made by governments at the provincial and federal level about how to try to curb this. Anyway, on this day, we're going to recognize some restaurants that we've lost in different parts of Canada because of COVID-19, because of the coronavirus, because of the economic impact it's had on this one part of the economy.

We've dealt with lots of different areas over the months, but I don't think we've mentioned this. And I think this is a nice way of celebrating people who have been a part of our lives and no longer will be because of what they've suffered in this past year. So let me get to some of your letters. Michael Brisson writes, and I'm not sure where exactly Michael is.

I think he's in Waterloo because he's definitely talking about a Waterloo restaurant. Marbles. The Marloo restaurant. Marbles. The Marbles restaurant in Windsor. Sorry, not Windsor, Waterloo. Marbles restaurant's great old standby, says Michael, in an old staple in Waterloo, Ontario. Gone forever as a result of COVID. In an old stable in Waterloo, Ontario. Gone forever.

As a result of COVID. Atish Chodha. Atish writes. And I think Atish is in Windsor. We lost our favorite pizza place in Windsor. It's called the Blaze Pizza. It's a subway-style pizza place where you choose from a large variety of toppings and build your own. They also offer gluten-free pizza.

That's an increasingly big deal. And you may recall, we're in a gluten-free house here. Cynthia is celiac and everything's got to be gluten-free here. And we love pizza and she loves pizza. And so we're into the gluten-free pizzas. And the Blaze offered gluten-free pizza that was exceptional, which is important to us because my wife, says Atish, is celiac. We were absolutely disappointed to see it close down. We hope it opens back up after the pandemic is under control. Well, we hope so too, but from the stories I've heard from other restaurants that have closed, it's awfully hard to shut down, give up your lease, get out of the business with hopes of some point maybe opening again.

Rob, it's unclear what Rob's last name is. I think it's Jackson, but let's say it is for now. But he writes from Toronto. I live in Toronto and would like to mourn one of my favorite local restaurants in the St. Clair West neighborhood, which was a burger bar called Dave's. It had such a cozy vibe and feel to it. And great burgers too.

They will be missed. And also a shout out to a great little Jamaican bar called The Whalers, also on St. Clair. Sadly, they were forced to close as well. So there's two in Toronto around the St. Clair West Hood. Gone because of the pandemic. Of the letters you wrote, quite a few actually mentioned burger joints that were big for them.

That's what Carolyn Black writes from Waterloo. One of our favorite restaurants, Little Louie Burger in Cambridge, Ontario. They said their lease was up and it was clear that with the pandemic it was going to be a long haul, so they closed. At the time they announced their closure, it felt like a friend died. We won't really drive any distance outside of Kitchener-Waterloo to go to eat, but Little Louie was the exception, so worth the half-hour drive each way. My mouth is watering thinking about them. Little Louie was nothing fancy, and that's part of what made it so good. You ordered your custom burger with about 50 topping choices, 50 topping choices, at the counter and picked your drink out of a cooler.

Their burgers were the best. Little Louie marked some very significant times in my life. I went there for the first time after I had to take some time off work because I got burned out. The night my mom passed away, a few birthday meals, and it was the last meal we ate out in early March as we realized COVID was real. I hope the owners decide to find a new space and reopen in some form when the dust settles. Okay, I may not get the pronunciations right on some of this one.

In Saint-Bruno-de-Montreville, Quebec, we were saddened to know that our favorite fine restaurant for over 40 years would close last summer. The restaurant was located in a house near the town center and was in need of some significant renovating because of the age of the house. The pandemic made it necessary to plan for considerable extra space to operate, complying with public health requirements and limitation of clients in the space available. Like many residents of San Bruno,

this was the restaurant we frequented for family celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries. It was the place that felt like a friend's home. And over the years, the friendly welcome never diminished. The outdoor terrace and garden that frequently won prizes for the beautiful plants that surrounded the grounds, it was not unusual to come for dinner and run into friends who, just like ourselves, had adopted

La Rabastillère as our spot. Rabatelière. We are fortunate to have a few other fine restaurants nearby, but it will be difficult to match the ambiance that our friendly hosts Norbert, Marc, and Jean-Philippe provided for a night out in a small town. That's from Pat Provo, and Pat sent a picture along too, and it looks, you know, it was obviously the summer,

beautiful gardens around it and nice. You know, you can tell, a nice old place with lots of character and I'm sure lots of memories. That's gone. Chris Glowienka from Scarborough. Sad to hear that the burger seller on Yonge Street, just south of York Mills, has closed its doors. I believe it's been in business for well over 10 years.

You know, let me just say, the restaurant business is tough, right? It's a tough business. And, you know, even in the best of times, restaurants are made or broken quite quickly by the reputations that garner from the people who, who support them. And, and it's expensive. You don't make a lot of money in the restaurant business. And that's why a pandemic is such a killer for many restaurants because they can't go that long without bringing in a steady stream of revenue.

Anyway, as Chris says, I absolutely love their Hogtown Burger, onion rings, and Greek salad with a delicious glass of a full-bodied red wine. We will miss you, the burger seller. Young Street, just south of York Mills in Toronto. we will miss you, the burger seller. Yonge Street, just south of York Mills in Toronto. Trevor Barry writes, as he says, this might be a bit unconventional.

UVic, the University of Victoria, a medium-sized campus in Canada, punches well above its weight on the food services side of things, especially catering to West Coast lifestyle dietary preferences with years ahead of its time options for vegans and omnivores like me that just enjoy those dishes.

But like so many college campuses, devoid of the usual crowds of hungry mobs of students racing between classes, food services have been withdrawn or significantly downsized at my favorite haunts. I haven't been a student nor staff for a decade now, but often enjoy taking my laptop up to the main library's Biblio Café or student residence's VG's Diner or the Student Society's Pub Felicia's or Felicita's at the UVSS Student Union Building. While some things disappear, then returned, it's just not the same experience, ambience, menu anymore.

I hope it all returns back to campus in the fall of 2021. Here's the last one on the restaurant front. And this one's got a good chunk of history to it. The letter comes from Kristen Howcroft. Just wanted to say hi and what a big fan I am. I spent last summer reading your book, One on One. That's the old book from 10 years ago. On the shores of Lake Huron, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm also a huge fan of your wife. My grandparents took us to see her in many plays over the years to Stratford. One of our summer traditions. Here's my shout-out on the restaurant front. Emma's Back Porch in Burlington, Ontario. Now, what Kristen did was she sent along an article that was written about Emma's back porch. And it's a remarkable story.

It's got a serious history to it. Opened in 1919. The restaurant opened with just four tables. Emma and George Byrons were the owners, originally called the Estaminet Standard Hotel, switched to Emma's place. Emma would greet her guests in full evening attire with her talking green parrot, Paul.

The restaurant name was chosen to honor Emma, the original owner. The building has never stopped being a major community establishment. The announcement of Emma's closure was shared on Facebook over 8,000 times. In response to the outpouring, a post from Emma's thanked the community. A lot of people didn't seem to believe it. On May 12th, the owner of Burlington's Emma's Back Porch and Water Street Cooker announced the closing of the popular restaurant. The news resulted in an explosion of over 3,000 social media comments, media coverage from all over the Greater Toronto

region, and a regular stream of people to the location at 2084 Old Lakeshore Road, with some peering through the windows and taking pictures. Craig Kowalczuk, the owner and operator of Emmes said it was with a heavy heart that they announced the closing but that current circumstances, pandemic made it so they could no longer operate and here's his quote

the last 30 years have been truly the best so many memories, friendships and occasions to be celebrated, too many to count. We sincerely appreciate that you have celebrated all of these moments with us. We feel we've been a part of your families and are so thankful for your patronage. Listen, times change. I understand that.

Business can be cyclical. Things can go well for your establishment, and things can go poorly, and sometimes it's your own fault. But this is different. These are all great places that have meant a lot to a lot of people, different parts of our country. It's part of who we are, right? And we've lost it in this circumstances.

So I think it's important that we remember what we've lost. I think it's important that we try to support what we still have in any way we can. But I'm proud to have spent a few minutes talking about some of the restaurants in this country who we've lost as a result of the pandemic. Now, two final notes, and these don even remember what the story was the other day that I got going on and I took a diversion talking about how I couldn't get a copy of this key

for my cabin in the Gatineau that had come from Germany, an old set of iron mongery for the front door of the cabin. And I've never, including in Germany, been able to get a copy of it. And I just kind of mentioned it as an aside. But it's funny, I got an email from Alex Meikle in Shania. And Alex writes, last week I was listening to your Tuesday podcast

as I walked along the old CN Kinghorn rail line in Shania, Ontario. CN had removed the rails and railroad ties a long time ago. I believe the Kinghorn route was decommissioned in 2005 when CN began sharing the CP rail line. It's a nice stroll that's available right next to my home, and in the winter months, the recreational snowmobilers pack down the snow to provide a sturdy walking path.

Anyway, while walking and listening to you, mentioning your adventures of having to obtain a duplicate key for your cabin in Quebec, a thought popped up into my head that maybe a 3D printer technology might assist you with this ordeal. Heck, I've read of homes being built with 3D printer technology, so why not an obscure German key? Good point, Alex. I'm going to check that out.

Makes sense. Some of the stuff that we've seen done with 3D technology, printer technology, is remarkable. And so why not this? Now here's the letter I'm going to close out on today. and you know I was surprised to get this but I was I felt rewarded in getting this and as you know I've offered to do

book plates signed book plates for people who bought extraordinary Canadians and as a result I've received do book plates, signed book plates for people who bought Extraordinary Canadians. And as a result, I've received hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of requests for book plates. And just yesterday, I signed over 60 book plates from people who I guess had got the book for Christmas and had heard that there was a possibility I'd sign a bookplate for them that they could stick inside the book. So this week, as part of the mail that came in, this letter came. Dear Peter, I'm writing to you from Gibsons, B.C.,

on the Sunshine Coast. Beautiful spot. Gibsons. Gibsons Landing, that whole area. I think that's where they used to shoot the beachcombers. Anyway, I'm writing to you from Gibsons, B.C., on the Sunshine Coast. I'm 12 years old, and I enjoy listening to your podcast. My dad received your book as a Christmas present this year,

and I know you've been sending out signed book plates. I was wondering if you have one left that you could send to us. During the summer, I was having trouble sleeping. One night, my mom introduced me to your podcast, and now I listen to it every night before bed. I've also really enjoyed some of the special guests you've had on the podcast, and in particular the podcast within a podcast with Bruce Anderson. I've attached a photo of me and the book. And a great picture of 12-year-old Ella Hoth

in front of her Christmas tree holding a copy of Extraordinary Canadians. Now, that's not why I read this letter. I read this letter because there's a P.S. I am pretty sure you know my grandfather from the CBC, Colin Hoth. And that stopped me immediately as I was reading that letter. Because Ella, absolutely, I remember your grandfather. And I'll tell you why.

And some of the older listeners to the podcast may remember Colin Hoth as well, because he was a journalist, great reporter. When I met him, he was based in Winnipeg. He went on to become CBC's foreign correspondent in Hong Kong. But here's why I especially remember him. It was when I started in the business by a fluke, and you kind of know that story. But I started in Churchill, Manitoba at the radio station there, the CBC Northern Service Radio Station, CHFC. No experience, nothing.

I started there kind of flipping records, really, doing a late-night music show. But I'm not very good at music, but I did have a natural interest in news and current affairs. So I started a newscast. I didn't have one. And as I said, I had no training. I really knew nothing, so the only way I could actually learn how you do news

was to listen to others do it, and I used to sit there and listen on the shortwave. Every once in a while, somebody from CBC Winnipeg would come to Churchill, passing through, either going further north or doing a story in Churchill for television. And one day, it would have been around 1969, into our little operation, and it was a very little operation,

walked Colin Hoth, who was the nationals reporter in Manitoba, based in Winnipeg. And Colin walked in, introduced himself to those he hadn't already met before, including me. And Colin took an interest in the work I was trying to do and my desire to learn more. And over the next year, he would send me ideas, information, advice on how to work, how to do things in the news business. And it was incredibly important to me and to the evolution of my career.

So when young Ella wonders if I remember her grandfather, I absolutely remember Colin Hulse. I can honestly say I wouldn't be sitting here today with the kind of career I've had if it hadn't been for Colin Hoth. So Ella, your grandfather was a really nice person and a great journalist. And many of us benefited from the fact he had those two qualities. All right.

Final thoughts for today are pushing you into next week. When week 44 comes along, since we started doing the daily podcast in mid-March with COVID. Next week, I'm excited about next week. Because hockey starts. NHL hockey starts next week. Next Wednesday, I believe. And as a result, we've got a special program with a special guest on Tuesday of next week. I'm not going to tell you who it is yet.

Don't, you know, it's not like Wayne Gretzky or anything like that. It's very different, but it could be one of the most popular people in hockey right now and one of the most powerful voices in hockey right now. You may be surprised. But hopefully, that's what we'll be doing on Tuesday. And who knows what'll be happening with that unhinged guy, so they say, in Washington. I'm sure we'll have more things on that.

Bruce will be by Wednesday for the podcast within a podcast Smoke, Mirrors and the Truth. And it should be another fascinating week. In the meantime it's the weekend

try and get a break try and get some fresh air In the meantime, it's the weekend. Try and get a break. Try and get some fresh air. But keep in mind, wash your hands. Stay away from big crowds. Wear a mask. Smile. Be kind.

Be caring. Look after yourself. I peter mansbridge this has been the bridge daily the weekend special talk to you again on monday Thank you.