In memoriam 2017

• Evans, Celeste (1931 - 2017) 
• Fattah, Suley ( - 2017)
• Foy, Vincent ( - 2017)
• Fricker, Bruce ( - 2017)
• Khan, Arshan ( - 2017) 
• Sacco, Nick (1947 - 2017)

Please e-mail additions or corrections to "canadasmagic at gmail dot com"

Top 5 posts in December 2017

Out of all the posts at Canada's Magic this month, here are the 5 most viewed posts in the past 30 days:

5. London: Michael Close at The Session 2018 - Sounds like a great way to start the new year!

4. Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries in The Medicine Hat News - Ted and Marion put on a fabulous show!

3. A very Canadian optical illusion - Owen Anderson illustrates an effect I first saw David Acer demonstrate.

2. Phil Matlin's 2017 Ragtime Tour - Magicians, they are a multi-talented bunch!

and the most viewed post this month  ...

1. Vote now for the 2017 Readers' Choice award - 107 votes were cast.  I hope to get the results posted soon!

Thank you for a great 2017!

We couldn't have done it without you!

Thank you to our readers, our fans, our followers, our wonderful guest posters (Dennis Schick and The Magic Demon), those who sent news our way, and last but not least, thank you to all of this year's friends (John Smithman, John Harrison, Richard Lyn, Joan Caesar, The Outerbridges and Ian Crawford) and sponsors (be sure to support them!):

For more information about purchasing Sponsored Posts or about our Platinum, Gold, or Silver level sponsorships, please visit our Sponsorship page.

Or you can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year! 

Donations of any size are always welcome.

London: Michael Close at The Session 2018

From The Session:

The Session & The Event – January 12th – 14th 2018

Now based just two minutes from Heathrow airport (making it very easy to get to!), you’ll learn the true secrets of performing amazing close-up magic and mentalism from some of the best in the industry.

With a variety of workshops, lectures, parties and plenty of time to session (of course), it’s no wonder that The Session has sold out every single year. With one-off events and lectures designed specifically for this event, The Session is not just a conference; it is a learning experience like no other in magic.

The Session 2018 promises to be the best yet! In previous years our guests were sharing magic with the likes of Derren Brown, David Blaine, Dynamo, Rune Klan, Troy, Ben Hanlin, Guy Hollingworth, Pit Hartling, Denis Behr, Daniel Madison, Roberto Giobbi, Juan Tamariz, and more. You would be CRAZY to skip The Session 2017. We’ll be announcing more info soon!

Read more and register.

From the Facebook page of Michael Close:

Hamilton: Michael Kras' "The Year and Two of Us Back Here"

From the Twitter feed of Michael Kras:
A note to subscribers: the content of this post is embedded from another website and is not available to preview. To view the content of the post, please visit http://CanadasMagic.blogspot.com. Some of the embedded code may be visible in this notification.

Also, my new play The Year and Two of Us Back Here is officially premiering at the @HamOntFringe in 2018 at @TheStaircase. It's really personal and also has the longest title at the Fringe this year probably. I can't wait to share it with you. pic.twitter.com/srieQJfaSu

— Michael Kras (@KrasMagic) December 12, 2017

Carleton establishing Chair for the Study of the Conjuring Arts

Speaking of picking a post-secondary school, Carleton is adding a new magical incentive!

(There's a nice mention of Johnny Giordmaine in the post too.)


From the December 20th post at the Carleton Newsroom:

Carleton University is pleased to announce the creation of the Allan Slaight Chair for the Study of the Conjuring Arts, thanks to a $2-million leadership gift from The Slaight Family Foundation that has been matched by the university. The Chair will work with students on various topics in many disciplines and will join the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

“We are honoured to be the recipient of The Slaight Family Foundation’s generosity and excited for the learning opportunities this Chair will create,” says Carleton’s Interim President Alastair Summerlee. “As a society, it’s imperative that we understand when we are being deceived. It’s also important to remember that magicians are among some of history’s greatest performers and influencers.”

Read more.

Isn't this how everyone picks a post-secondary school?

From the December 19 article "The Things We Do For Love (of Magic)" by Evelyn Matlin at the Perfect Magic blog:

So here’s the story. Before Christmas Stephane came to our shop for  supplies. He was talking to Phil at this point, as I was with another customer so I don’t know how the topic came up,  but I caught a bit of the conversation and later got the whole story. Stephane told us when he graduated from CEGEP, he was accepted by four Universities. He told his father he wanted to go to the Polytechnique  Montréal. His father said, “Why do you want to go there? You can go to any University, you can go to McGill!” and Stephane said he made up some excuse that he told his father and that’s where he went.

He said “Very few people know this but I chose it because ...

Read more.

A magical Diversion to start the New Year

From the December 12th article "Entertainment Diversion Opposes The Great Illusion Friday, January 5th!" by Pascal at le blog TV news (translated by Google):

A program presented by Arthur and proposed by Satisfaction, The Television Agency, broadcast Friday, January 5 at 21 hours on TF1.

For one evening, forget everything you think you know about magic and let yourself be immersed in the incredible universe of "DIVERSION"!

" For this second issue, six magicians specializing in illusion or mentalism will take control of your TV!" Caroline Marx "The Sorcerer", Enzo Wayne "The Elusive", Luc Langevin "The Scientist", Gus " The manipulator ", Antonio" the expert "and Viktor Vincent" The mentalist "have given themselves the mission to make you spend an amazing evening that mixes magic and humor On the set, they will surprise anonymous and celebrities with blows many more bluffing turns than the others! "

Read more.

Read original article "Le divertissement Diversion opposé à La grande illusion vendredi 5 janvier !" in French.


From the MT1 Twitter feed:

@Diversion revient sur @TF1 vendredi 5 janvier 2018 à 21:00 présenté par @Arthur_Officiel accompagné de @LucLangevin, #ViktorVincent, @GusIllusionnist, @Caroline_Marx_, @EnzoIllusion, & #Antonio ! #Diversion pic.twitter.com/Ho51X6s8wb

— MT1 🎄 (@MT1_Off) December 12, 2017

Jeff Hobson steals from Toronto police

Catch The Illusionists at The Princess of Wales Theatre until January 7th.


From the December 15th article, "Performer ‘robs’ police chief Saunders of watch" by Alina Bykova  in the Toronto Star:

Saunders, who was in the audience with his wife and son, was picked as Hobson’s “first victim” for a trick that involved a set of cards and ended with him removing a chewed card from Hobson’s mouth.

At the same time, Hobson skilfully removed the chief’s Apple watch from his wrist without him noticing.

“Of course, not being from Toronto, Jeff had no idea who this gentleman in a suit was — and the chief never revealed his identity,” wrote John Karastamatis of Mirvish Entertainment in an email to the Star.

Saunders said he was shocked and amused by the trick.

“What happened is I got duped; buddy removed my watch, but he was kind enough to return it,” Saunders said in a phone interview. “It’s shocking how good he is, he did it without anyone knowing. It was very funny.”

Read more.

Steve Harmer in the Mayerthorpe Freelancer

From the December 4 article "Peter Shokeir" by in the Mayerthorpe Freelancer:

Motivational Magic helps children understand abstract concepts through a magical performance. It offers 10 different shows, which teach subjects ranging from leadership to bully prevention.

"Kids love magic. It captures their imagination," Harmer said. "The message enters in the backdoor."

For Elmer Elson, Harmer did his "Brilliant and Resilient" show that teaches children how to bounce back after difficulties and problems. Some concepts he taught include the importance of interpersonal connections and believing in one's own abilities.

"I love capturing the children's attention," Harmer said. "It's just a fun way to teach. I have more fun than the kids."

Read more.

Ottawa: Ben Train at Magic Monday

From Ben Train's Facebook feed:

A note to subscribers: the content of this post is embedded from another website and is not available to preview. To view the content of the post, please visit http://CanadasMagic.blogspot.com. Some of the embedded code may be visible in this notification.

Videos of Canadians on "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" season 4

Earlier this year I was excited to announce the upcoming appearances by Canadian magicians on season four of "Penn & Teller: Fool Us."   Here are some of their performances!


From Murray Hatfield's YouTube channel:

From Vorgan Moren's YouTube channel:






From Matt Johnson's YouTube channel:






From Ekaterina's YouTube channel:






From Shin Lim's YouTube channel:






From Jean-Pierre Parent's YouTube channel:






From Richard Forget's YouTube channel:





From MagieComik.TV's YouTube channel:

Billy Kidd in GeniiOnline

From the article "Canadian Magician Billy Kidd wants her work to speak for itself" by Chloe Olewitz on Dec 1 from GeniiOnline:

To Kidd, the question of women in magic is a source of frustration. She’s not convinced that the lay audience is even aware that there are fewer female magicians out there, and she’s not sure she cares. “It’s never affected my career, it’s never affected me getting gigs, it’s never affected my audience,” Kidd said. Meanwhile, she does take issue with the push to turn non-magical pretty women into magicians for nothing more than the money-making novelty of putting a female on the bill. “I sometimes think I’m sexist against my own sex,” she admits.

Kidd doesn’t promote herself as a female magician—she is a magician, what else is there to talk about? “Take anyone who’s not a performer and make them famous because of that one little gimmick, their ego will completely explode. And it hurts the people who do put all that time and effort in, because they deserve it. They deserve the spotlight more in that regard,” Kidd says. She believes that sexism is more a fabric of our society today than it is specific affliction in the magic community, and she’d rather not draw so much attention to the topic. “The whole topic just segregates us even more. If your magic is strong enough, your magic should speak for itself.”

Read more.

Toronto: Jay Sankey added to Browser's Bash line up

  

From the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook group:

Dear Magic Friend,

We are so pleased to announce that Jay Sankey will be joining us for the 2018 Browser's Magic Bash!

Now might be the perfect time to request a Bash ticket for Christmas...or maybe to get a gift for yourself!

Jay Sankey is widely considered to be one of the most original thinkers and finest magic teachers alive today. He is also one of the most prolific magic creators on the planet.

Jay has created over 700 original magic effects; many of which have been performed by some of the most famous magicians alive including David Copperfield, David Blaine and Criss Angel.

A bit of Browser's Den history....Some of you may not know that Jay Sankey used to hang out at the Browser's Den shop table in the 1970's. Founder of Browser's Den, Len Cooper was the very first person to show Jay a magic trick.

We are very proud of all the young magicians who have started their career at Browser's Den. But truth be told no magician who started his journey at Browser's has had a bigger impact on the world of magic than Jay Sankey.

The list of tricks and instructional videos that Jay has released is truly stunning. But just to jog our dusty magic memories here are a few of the titles of Jay's creations: Paperclipped, Revolutionary Card Magic, Revolutionary Coin Magic, Anytime Anywhere, Holy Moly, In a Flash, Wrap it Up, Airtight, etc. etc. and etc.

Let's face it... Jay has put a lot of smiles on our faces and brought astonishment into our lives. And no doubt his performance and lecture at the Bash 2018 will do likewise.

Jay Sankey will join Dick Joiner, Pop Haydn, Michael Close, Chris Pilsworth, James Alan, Nicholas Wallace and many others to help make Browser’s Magic Bash 4 the best Bash yet!

If you have not yet purchased a ticket please take a moment to click on the link for full details:

http://www.browsersden.com/bash

Thank you for your kind support
 Old Jeff, Young Jeff, John Talbot & The Browser's Den Team

Phil Matlin's 2017 Ragtime Tour

Phil Matlin - owner of Montréal's magic shop Perfect Magic, will be playing ragtime and touring through Ontario (Cambridge, Elmira, Kitchener, and Waterloo) at the end of December.

If you missed our previous post about the many talents of Phil, have a look at him playing Carolina in the Morning.

Phil Matlin's 2017 Ragtime Tour 

Tuesday December 26th
2 PM Hilltop Manor
42 Elliot St. Cambridge ON Tel. 519-621-3067

Thursday December 28th
2 PM Chateau Gardens
11 Herbert St. Elmira ON Tel.519-669-2921

Friday December 29th
4 PM Waterloo Heights
170 Erb St. Waterloo ON Tel. 519-886-3410

Saturday December 30th
1:30 PM Cambridge Country Manor
3680 Speedsville RD
Cambridge ON Tel. 519-650-0100

Sunday December 31st - New Year’s Eve
1:30 PM Bankside Terrace
71 Bankside Dr.
Kitchener ON Tel. 519-749-9999

Shawn Farquhar on why the world needs magic

At the end of the post, check out the "What's So Funny?" podcast with Shawn.

Watch the 2015 video on The Society of American Magicians YouTube channel:

Shawn Farquhar has been entertaining audiences around the globe for over two decades. His magic has been seen on Television shows like the X-Files and Highlander, in Motion Pictures like Spooky House and the Fly II, for corporate clients like IBM and Konica, and on the most luxurious cruise vessels such as Norwegian Star and Radiance of the Seas.

Shawn is a Life Member of The Society of American Magicians and the Dean of the largest Assembly in Canada and is the 2014-2015 International President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and immediate Past President of the Canadian Association of Magicians.

From What's So Funny?:

Everyone knows Shawn Farquhar is a master magician. One of the absolute best. He's fooled Penn & Teller twice. He's a 2-time world champion of magic. He's the former president of IBM! No, not that IBM; the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He travels the globe most of the year but he dreams of one day being able to open up a little magic theatre here in his home province. Hey, but did you know this: Shawn started out performing comedy magic with comedians like Brent Butt and Ian Boothby and Ian Bagg in comedy rooms around BC. He tells us about the time he tried his act without the magic part. And he's got tons of other great stories, too. Plus we play a round of Talk About, a game show he and his wife were contestants on way back when. We could have gone on for another hour easily.

Read more and listen to podcast.

A very Canadian optical illusion

I remember seeing this at a lecture, but I'm not sure which one ...

Thanks Owen, for reminding me about it!


From Owen Anderson's Twitter feed:

Coffee sleeve #opticalillusion! Can you guess which @TimHortons sleeve is bigger? #timmies #WarmWishes #HamOnt
(Actually they're all the same size -- Google 'Jastrow Illusion' for info) pic.twitter.com/IYm9oP0uX1

— Owen Anderson (@OwenTAnderson) November 29, 2017

Vote now for the 2017 Readers' Choice award

 

The nominations are closed and voting is now open for the 2017 "Readers' Choice Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year" award!  Voting will close on Saturday, December the 23rd at 11:59pm EST.

To vote, scroll down to the bottom of this post and participate in the poll.  (Unfortunately, the poll does not appear in the mobile version of the site.)

Let's have a look at the nominees (in no particular order):

Caiden Finch (12 yo)
Nominated by Phil Matlin.
"He has performed on stage for paying audience and I might say he was great. His magic was excellent. He was dressed for the occasion. He had a themed routine and what I really liked was that came in [to Perfect Magic] about week before the show and asked for some advice. I talked, he listened and implemented 95% of it in his show."

I had the pleasure of meeting Caiden at Sorcerers Safari in 2016.  He's a fine young man with a bright future ahead of him!

Website:

• Read more about Caiden at the Perfect Magic Facebook page.
• Read more about Caiden at the Perfect Magic blog.

Ryan Brown
Nominated by dmdlfyer.

"Ryan started performing magic very early in school. While he was in my class, he would bargain his work completion in order to go to the kindergarten class and perform his latest trick. He continued to perform and cam back several years to perform free at our school's fun fair. True school and community spirit. Ryan has inspired many of the students to believe in their dream and to work hard to achieve it. He continues to seek advancement in his craft by seeking peer help and taking classes taught by more experienced magicians. In 2017 Ryan performed at Screemers at Exhibition Place Toronto in October. Great show Ryan!!  Increased his knowledge of magic by taking classes in Las Vegas with the master of masks and magical knowledge, Jeff McBride earlier this year."

Supporting information from Patricia Silver:

"Ryan Brown is an example of a young man who knew what he wanted to accomplish, kept focused under difficult conditions, and has achieved it - a life in magic. Not only is he talented, he is a joy to work with, both personally and professionally. My agency had the pleasure of mentoring and booking Ryan from early in his career. He takes his magic very seriously, and is constantly working to raise the bar on his show and learn from others. He is worthy of an award."

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"The magic or Ryan Brown. I have known Ryan for many years and not only is he a close friend but amazing magician who is dedicating his life to magic and works extremely hard so he definitely deserves an award."

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"I'd like to nominate Ryan Brown ("The Magic of Ryan Brown"). I've known Ryan since he was a youth and was shown his first magic tricks. From that point on, Ryan became dedicated to learning the craft, and perfecting tricks and routines. He recently won a scholarship to an exclusive magic school in Las Vegas where he had opportunity to perfect his craft further. Ryan creates routines to amaze his audiences with thought to ages he he performing in front of. He continues to create illusions himself. Seeing a performance by Ryan is nothing short of amazing. "

Supporting information from Unknown:

"I second all these nominations of Ryan. I have worked with as his assistant. And he is always improving and raising the bar, trying and accomplishing new tricks and striving to be the best magician he can be. "

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"I nominate Ryan Brown because having known him since he was 15, I have seen him hold fast to his dream of being a professional magician in the face of having his mother suffer a devastating illness when Ryan was age 11.

As a result Ryan had to grow up in a blue collar single parent household in a low income area, having to overcome many obstacles in order to be where he is today."

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"Many years ago, I gave Ryan Brown his first opportunity to perform professionally. Seeing his accomplishments to date astounds me, just like his magic does.

Ryan continues to diversify his act. In 2017 he added new stage illusions and executed them flawlessly in his own style. As Ryan moves to the next phase of his career, I can't help but be inspired by his daily dedication to the craft of magic. New wardrobe, new card manipulation, new stage illusions, he's been hard at work this year.

On a personal level, 2017 was an extra challenging year for Ryan, with the passing of his father. Ryan's first performance on a Las Vegas stage this past September would have made him very proud.

It is for these reasons that I nominate Ryan Brown for "Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year"."


Website: RyanBrownMagic.com

Neil Croswell
Nominated by Anonymous.
"I would like to nominate Neil Croswell. I have watched Neil devote his life to magic from a young age and he has stuck to his vision from day one. His determination and work ethic over the years make him an inspiration as well as his countless awards and international TV appearances (Fool Us, etc.). In 2017, he appeared on "Masters of Illusion" , completed 250+ shows on a cruise in the Bahamas, and performed internationally across Asia which helped raise money for charitable causes in Sri Lanka. To accomplish what he has at his age, I believe, is an inspiration to Canadian magicians with goals of a professional career. "

Neil's Asia appearances include the "Knights of Illusion" magic show held in Colombo, Sri Lanka alongside Michael Finney and Xavier Mortimer.  He also performed 32 stage shows in Beijing, China at the annual "Happy Valley International Magic Festival."  This year, Neil performed over 300 shows across five countries.


Website: NeilCroswellMagic.com



 

Julie Eng
Nominated by James Alan.

Along with running programs such as "Senior Sorcery" and "My Magic Hands," this year Julie has had a few other things on the go!
 
"The Magic of Johnny Thompson": Julie has been project managing the production and publication of "The Magic of Johnny Thompson." Her roles include: photographer, photo editor, and editor.

Magic Live - performer, presenter, and host: Julie was invited back (for the third time since 2015!) to co-host all the general sessions with Jonathan Levit. Sometimes hosting meant interviewing interesting magic characters, like the one-and-only David Williamson, or being part of something like a “show and tell” with Levent (where he talked about 3D printing).

Magicana - Magic Collectors Weekend - producer, host, project manager:  As part of Magicana, Julie staged and produced a Magic History Conference called the Magic Collectors Weekend in Montreal (first time out of the USA).  It coincided with the opening of Illusions: The Art of Magic poster exhibition featuring some of the top-drawer posters from the newly acquired Allan Slaight Collection of posters.

Magicana - A Rich Cabinet of Magical Curiosities -  publisher, project manager: This year, Julie also worked closely with Dr. Eddie Dawes and his family to start the process of publishing the historical series A Rich Cabinet of Curiosities (published in the Magic Circle’s organ the Magic Circular). Magicana will produce and release Dr Dawes's collected monthly series in an epic, multi-volume compendium spanning forty years, of over 450 articles. The first volume is now in the works and with hopes of getting an edition out by the late fall of 2018 or perhaps early 2019.

Magic and Science - performer, host, presenter: Julie was included as part of the Magic and Science special, one-hour documentary for CBC’s "The Nature of Things: which will air sometime in the early part of 2018. Julie acts as “host” and helps to link the segments together, performing a bit of magic along the way. This is Julie's first major television piece.

Somehow, while doing all of that, Julie still found time to be the Executive Director at Magicana.


Website: magicienne.com

Murray and Teresa Hatfield
Nominated by The Magic Demon.
"The Magic Demon nominates Murray and Teresa Hatfield for starring in and producing their second ever extraordinary magic and illusions-filled phantasmagoria "Unbelievable" at this summer's PNE in Vancouver. For the second year in a row, it was again one of the the most inspiring and entertaining stadium-scale magical events Vancouver has ever seen."

In addition, Murray and Teresa amazed on season 4 of Penn and Teller Fool Us this year where Penn said of their performance "I haven't seen a better version of Metamorphosis ever." Murray is also the President of the Canadian Association of Magicians.


Website: MurrayHatfieldMagic.com



 

Benzi Train
Nominated by Ari.
"I nominate Benzi Train because of his tireless work over the years to promote the performance of live magic in Toronto and his efforts at the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club and bringing in of top quality lecturers to our community. His (and partner Jonah Babbins) show Newest Trick in the Book gives any magician a venue/opportunity to perform in front of a live audience. He has inspired many magicians to challenge themselves creatively or to even perform live."


Supporting information from Steven Lafond:
"I second the nomination for Ben Train for his incredible work with the Toronto Magic Company. He is an amazing performer and producer and has worked very hard to keep magic alive in the Toronto performing arts scene."


Supporting information from Natasha:
"I’m nominating Ben Train for all the work he’s done for the Toronto magic community. Besides becoming one of the most popular performers in the city, Ben also founded the Toronto Magic Company and produces different magic shows every week across the city. Whether working with aspiring young magicians to give them the confidence to go on stage, provide professionals with new opportunities to share their magic, or bringing the best magic in the world to Toronto for public shows and lectures, there isn’t anyone in the city doing more for magic than Ben."


Website: BenTrain.ca




Cast your vote now at Poll Junkie!

Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries in The Medicine Hat News

In the article "Time after time: Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries at the Esplanade Friday" by Chris Brown in The Medicine Hat News:

He [Ted Outerbridge] and his partner on and off stage, Marion, will perform Clockwork Mysteries show at the Esplanade on Friday at 8 p.m. The performance will take place in 2017 but will harken back through the years — a lot of years.

“The time machine is about everyone’s desire to travel back in time and change to past. Mariondoesn’t just get into a box and vanish, she’s travelling back in time,” Outerbridge said. “I wish I could travel back and change my hairstyle from high school. We all have that desire so we recognize that and celebrate it.”

Among the time periods visited in Clockwork Mysteries are the 1960s, the 1600s and 1918 to celebrate one of the most famous illusions of all time — sawing a woman in half.

Read more.

Need a little PR help?

 

Happy belated birthday Clive!  Wishing you a wonderful retirement and excited to see this new chapter of your life unfold!

From Clive Court's Facebook page:

I have decided to pack away my gags and trickery---and hang up my wand. I will focus my future efforts on lobbying to improve Canadian television and offering a limited, no-cost publicity service to Canadian magicians, visual entertainers, and maybe a couple of international athletes. Just a small group.

Ryan Joyce helped raise over $11,000 for the Groves Memorial Hospital Foundation

Congratulations Ryan, on receiving the Melvin Jones Fellow award, and of course for all of your fabulous fundraising work!


From Ryan Joyce's blog post "A week of surprises":

This week I’m home and had a wonderful visit with my friends, The Fergus Lions Club.  I was looking forward to sharing my own news* but my excitement was to learn how much we raised for the hospital.  I’m pleased to announce we contributed over $11,000+ to Groves Memorial Hospital Foundation!!

A million thanks to Lion Margaret Murray for her own wizardry!  We sold out one show and 80% the second.  I’m so proud to be apart.  Thank you all.

I couldn’t be happier to live in a community filled with such much to give. 

Ms Murray had another surprise!  While normal Lions Club business agenda was taking place an award was announced and I was looking around the room to see who it could be.  Never in a million years did I ever consider it was directed to me.  I’m still speechless.

This is the Melvin Jones Fellow.

As a Melvin Jones Fellow, your name has been added to our listing of all individuals in the program.  During your next visit to International Headquaters, I invite you to visit the LCIF Room to see your name on this extensive list.

Read more.

From Ryan Joyce's Twitter feed:

We raised over $11k for the new hospital and then this happened! https://t.co/8J9JHnOIz8 I'm humbled. A million thx to Fergus Lions, @lionsclubs and Ms Murray! <3 pic.twitter.com/k7wfggoLCq

— Ryan Joyce (@ryanjoycemagic) November 30, 2017

Michael Close "wraps it up"

I was lucky enough to attend one of Michael's lectures!  Far out magic dude!

(After you've finished reading the blog post, have a look at Michael's latest newsletter which includes a chat with R. Paul Wilson.)


From Michael Close's blog post "Wrapping It Up":

Heading your way first are my new ebooks, tentatively titled The Paradigm Shift Parts 1 and 2. I have been working on this project for almost ten years. I have demonstrated some of the material to a select group of magicians in the past couple of years, and the response has been enthusiastic. (Quentin Reynolds said The IKEA Card Trick is the best routine he’s seen in years.) The focus is on card magic, but you will also find effects that use other objects. There are contributions from Harry Riser, Bob Farmer, Mick Ayres, Roy Walton, and Simon Aronson. In addition to the effects, there are some groundbreaking essays that will help to take your magic to a new level. Each ebook will contain more than thirty chapters. Lisa and I are working furiously in order to have the two ebooks out before the end of year.

Read more.

Gerard Dietrich in the Kitchener-Waterloo CBC News

We previously mentioned Gerard's injury.  It sounds like he's healing well.  We continue to wish Gerard a speedy recovery!
 

From the article "How a broken femur sidelined Santa for 1st time in 46 years" by Carmen Ponciano in the Kitchener-Waterloo CBC News:

Like his counterpart in Miracle on 34th Street, Dietrich has has taken the time to learn sign language and bits of other spoken languages so he can communicate with children from all backgrounds.

"My favourite part is the interaction between the children, the adults and myself," Dietrich said.

Though he's hung up his red suit this holiday season, Dietrich made sure to pack his Santa Claus beard and wig for his time in the hospital, just in case kids from the children's ward stop by.

This year, Dietrich's finances will take a hit as a result of his injury. His son, Scott Dietrich, has set up a GoFundMe campaign to relieve some of that financial burden.

Read more.

Thank you to our December 2017 friends!

Thank you to John Smithman, John Harrison, Richard Lyn, Joan Caesar, The Outerbridges, and Ian Crawford for being Friends of Canada's Magic!

It's good to have friends like you.

You too can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year! 

Donations of any size are always welcome.

Thank you to our December 2017 sponsors!

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.

This site would not be possible without their backing.

We're grateful to have the support of:

• Clive Court - The Fun-da-Mentalist,
• Evelyn & Phil Matlin, owners of Perfect Magic,
• Jeff Pinsky, owner of The Browser's Den of Magic, and
• Michael Close, author of the Workers series and other ebooks.

The next time you see them, let them know you saw their sponsorship here!

For more information about purchasing Sponsored Posts or about our Platinum, Gold, or Silver level sponsorships, please visit our Sponsorship page.

Or you can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year! 

Donations of any size are always welcome.

Toronto: Free magic club

From the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook group:

Hi Denizens,

Friendly reminder that this Saturday December 2nd at Browser's Den is our next free Magic Club. All are welcome.

Club meets from 2:30pm to 5:30pm.
 

Take it easy-Old Jeff, Young Jeff & The Browser's Den Team