Montreal: Magic Unleashed [Jul 8]

Presented by the Montreal Magic Jam and featuring:

• (Derrick) Chung
• Marc Desaulniers
• Alex Moreaux
• Marc Trudel
• David Acer 

For tickets and more information visit the post "Magic Unleashed - SHOW [18+]" at Montreal Magic Jam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regina: Marc Trudel lecture [May 27]

See Marc lecture in Regina while he's touring Saskatchewan with his French school assembly shows.  We saw him lecture in Toronto a couple of years ago and learned a lot!

 

From the May 26th Facebook post by Marc Trudel at SaskMagic:

Wednesday 27th at the Regent Family Restaurant  
3823 Sherwood Dr, Regina, SK S4R 4A8

Hope to see you there!

About Marc Trudel:

A two-time Canadian Magic Champion and the first recipient of the prestigious Grand Prix de Magie Michel Cailloux, Marc Trudel has built a reputation that goes far beyond the stage. With over 25 years of performing experience — from intimate close-up settings to full theatrical productions — he is recognized by his peers as a creator, consultant, lecturer, and educator of the highest calibre. 

Read more. 

 

 

Previously shared on Facebook May 26. 

 

 

 

 

 

IBM Members: Legal benefit and video library

We recently learned that IBM Members are able to receive free legal advice (regarding performance Visas for entry to the US).  Learn more about it at the April 8th Facebook post by the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

We were also recently reminded that IBM Members have access to the IBM's video library which includes:

• Virtual Lecture Series, including
  - John Carrey
  - David Corsaro
  - Mike Breggar
  - Ryan Pilling 
  
  
• JAM Videos, including
  - Anastasia Synn
  - Ben Train 
  - Carisa Hendrix
  - Jonah Babins
  - Ryan Pilling
  - Shawn Farquhar
  - Max Maven, and many more!
  
  
• Something Up My Sleeve interviews, including
  - Eric Leclerc 
  - Billy Hseuh 
  - Hidden Wonders Tour
  - Marc Trudel 
  - Lost in the Shuffle
  - Wes Barker
  - Luc Langevin, and many, many more!
  
  
• "Who Books That?" with Harrison Greenbaum, including 
  - The Evasons
  - Steve Valentine
  - Julie Eng
  - Shin Lim, and many more!
  
  
• Special Contributions, including 
  - Luic Carreon
  - Ryan Pilling
  - Keith Fields
  
  
• Magic Mondays, including
  - Alex Zander
  - Shawn Farquhar
  - Lucy Darling (Carisa Hendrix), and more!
  
  
•  Historical Videos, including
  - Darcy Oake
  - James Cielen

 

If you're looking to consume some magic videos, this should keep you busy for some time! 

 

 

 

 

2025 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase summary

This concludes the 2025 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase (ICMS)! 

We hope you enjoyed reading about many of the talented magicians across the country.  Thank you for joining us on the journey.

A huge shout out to everyone who submitted names and supporting text to us last month.  Thank you for generously making the time to celebrate your peers!

   

We couldn't have done this without the help of:

• Alex Boyer  
• Chanelle Munroe  
• Ken McCreedy  
• Marc Trudel  
• Ryan Michael 
• Sean Watson 
• Tabraze Sheikh
  
• Mystery Magician, and
• Mystery Magician II!
  

Thank you for the thought and time involved in sending us your submissions.

 

Congratulations again to everyone featured.  Keep up the great work!

Be sure to click on the links below to find out what makes each magician inspirational in their own right.  The story isn't just about who was selected.  Of equal, or perhaps greater importance, is why they were selected!

2025 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase featuring (alphabetical by first name):

Alain Choquette
Chris Gowen
Connie Boyd
 Dean Gunnarson
Ed Fernandez
Ian Stewart
Matt DiSero
Ryan Joyce
Stéphane Bourgoin

       

Stéphane Bourgoin: Inspirational Canadian Magician

Next in this year's Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase, is Stéphane Bourgoin!

 

Stéphane Bourgoin: Inspirational Canadian Magician.
 

 

 

Stéphane has been a driving force in the Montreal magic community for years. 

He has been creating relentlessly and consulting on some of the biggest projects out there — from collaborations with Cirque du Soleil to theatre productions and television.

Just this year, he created the magic for Luc Langevin’s new stage show and consulted on the theatre adaptations of Dracula and Peter Pan, just to name a few of his projects. 

Always generous with his time and advice, he continues to be a vital part of our community.

Submitted by Marc Trudel 

Congratulations Stéphane!  Keep up the great work!

To learn more about Stéphane Bourgoin, visit his website at StephaneBourgoin.com or follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

Thank you Marc for your excellent submission!

To learn more about Marc Trudel, visit MarcTrudelMagicien.com and follow him on Facebook and Instagram. 

2025 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase featuring (in order of publication):

Matt DiSero
Dean Gunnarson
Connie Boyd
Alain Choquette
Ed Fernandez
Stéphane Bourgoin
Ryan Joyce
Chris Gowen
Ian Stewart
     

Montreal: Magiestrale Grand Reopening [Sep 22]

The event is FREE but please RSVP at TicketTailor. 

 

From TicketTailor  (English translation (by Google) at follows the original French):

Lundi 22 septembre 2025 – Réouverture officielle de l’école Magiestrale

Pour célébrer la réouverture de l’école de Yannick Lacroix, nous organisons le premier événement conjoint organisé par Magiestrale, le Club de magie de Montréal et le Montreal Magic Jam! 

Au programme :

• Découverture du nouveau local et du tout nouveau coin boutique.
• Rabais de 10 % sur le matériel régulier (étiquettes blanches)
• Rabais de 20 % sur le matériel usagé (étiquettes de couleur)
• Des démos des nouveautés disponibles
• Une mini-conférence surprise offerte par l’équipe du Montreal Magic Jam
• Des prix de présence
• Un mini encan
• Une ambiance magique et de belles rencontres
• Des boissons et quelques collations seront disponibles sur place. 

Read more and RSVP. 

 

 

From TicketTailor  (English translation (by Google) at follows the original French):

Monday, September 22, 2025 – Official Reopening of Magiestrale School

To celebrate the reopening of Yannick Lacroix's school, we are organizing the first joint event organized by Magiestrale, the Montreal Magic Club, and the Montreal Magic Jam!

On the program:

• Discovery of the new premises and the brand-new boutique area.
• 10% discount on regular equipment (white labels)
• 20% discount on used equipment (colored labels)
• Demos of new products available
• A surprise mini-conference offered by the Montreal Magic Jam team
• Door prizes
• A mini-auction
• A magical atmosphere and wonderful encounters
• Drinks and snacks will be available on site.

Read more and RSVP. 

 

See the Montreal Magic Jam's Facebook event Réouverture officielle de l’école Magiestrale 

 

 

 

ICYMI: The Montreal Trio's Canada's Got Talent audition

Read our interview, Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know the Montreal Trio.

 

From the March 25th upload "Montreal Trio’s Level Of Talent Is Far From An Illusion" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel:

Get ready to be WOW’d with Montreal Trio’s awe-inspiring performance! 

 

 

Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know the Montreal Trio

On March 4th we shared with you that this season of Canada's Got Talent has quite a few Canadian magic acts. 

We are delighted to have the opportunity to do short interviews with some of the acts again this year.  Kicking off the series is the Montreal Trio!
 

You may already know that:

• the Montreal Trio includes Yannick Lacroix, Marc Trudel, and Michel Huot
• Marc performed close-up, a stage show, and lectured at the 2024 Browser's Bash
• Michel performed a stage show, and lectured at the 2024 Browser's Bash
  
• Michel lectured for the Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club (IBM Ring 17) last fall 
• in 2024 the Montreal Trio performed at Blackpool and Magifest (please, no spoilers!)
• in 2023 they appeared on European television (again, please, no spoilers!)
  

We're very pleased that Yannick, Marc, and Michel made time to answer our questions ahead of their appearance on the March 25th episode of Canada's Got Talent!

 

Who inspires you that is not a magician?
 
Yannick:  My spouse whom I adore, who accompanies me and supports me in all my magical projects.

Marc: I love getting inspiration from other fields. I visit museums, listen to music and podcasts, read books from all genres, watch masterclasses, and more.

Michel: Charlie Chaplin, Brian Tracy, Gary Larson and my girlfriend who runs 2 businesses with 30 or so employees alone

 

What is your first memory of magic? 

Yannick:  I attended a superb stage magic show by the magician Reveen in Montreal. I was sitting in the front row and I was 8 years old. It was amazing!

Marc:  I remember watching David Copperfield on television and playing with a magic kit when I was a child. I was probably 7 or 8.

Michel:  Well the first time, I was 10 years old and it was Mehdi who pulled a gum of my ear but THE moment was when I was 23 and André Bouchard was performing close-up magic...it changed my life.

 
 

Who from the magic community inspires you?

Yannick:  First, my 2 magician friends: Michel Huot and Marc Trudel who are part of the Montreal Trio. But Gary Kurtz (Canadian magician) has always been a great inspiration and he has made me the magician I am today.

Marc:  Too many to name, but a lot of my inspiration comes from reading books. Books not only provide knowledge but also force you to imagine the routines in your own unique way.

 

Michel:  Lately, someone i am touring with at the moment inspires me...Raymond Crowe!  All the small details.  Others include David Acer, Mac King and David Williamson.

 

Was there anyone or anything instrumental to you becoming a magician?

Yannick:  The Magie-Marcis school with my teacher Maurice Choquette taught me magic in the mid-80s. I then started teaching with him. Following his death, he bequeathed me his school which became mine: MagieStrale.

Marc:  Probably Juan Tamariz, for the way he studies audience energy. I have also been working with Stéphane Bourgoin, who has been a great mentor to me. Stéphane is probably one of the most creative minds in magic, yet he remains a well-kept secret among the magicians lucky enough to work with him.

 

Michel:  The booklet Leading with your head by G. Kurtz still has a great impact on me as well as the book by Eberhard Riese called Foundations.  I have always been amazed also by people who can really drive a crowd.  Do lots with less (Colombini, Doc Eason, Bob Sheets, Eric Leclerc).  At the beginning of my magic adventures, my pal Yannick also sparked a flame.

Yannick Lacroix, Michel Huot, and Marc Trudel
📸 : CGT

Did you ever get discouraged and think about quitting magic?  
 
Yannick:  No, I've always been passionate about magic since I was a kid and I've never stopped.

Marc:  Not really. I’ve always been fortunate to find new projects that keep me engaged.

Michel:  Only once; September 11th 2001.  I felt useless 'finding their cards'.  But the next day a spectator told me that I just made him forget about what was going on for 15 minutes.  That was it.  Oddly enough, our job is to make them forget!

Do you have any tour or pre-show rituals you’d be willing to share with our readers?
 

Yannick:  Michel, Marc and I have a little ritual before presenting our act. We walk as if nothing had happened around a magic accessory and suddenly we start dancing around it, each improvising our own choreography. We really look crazy, but that's us!

Marc:  We have lots of crazy patterns and rituals, but one of them is “fighting” a playing card using invisible karate. You get the idea…

 

Michel:  Oh yes.  I have on with the boys that they already explained.  On my own, I do a breathing technique in the dark in my dressing room (called Prana Yama).

 

How did the three of you meet?
 

Yannick:  I have owned a magic school (MagieStrale) in Montreal since 1992 and Michel and Marc were my students in the mid-90s.

 Michel:  Taking a pause now, go see Yannick's answer haha!

  

How did the three of you come to work together?
 

Marc:  Over the years, we became friends and started collaborating on shows, lectures for magicians, and more. Eventually, the Montreal Trio was born!

Yannick:  We created this issue in 2013 to present it at a prestigious FFFF magic congress in the USA. And since then, we have presented it for magicians and the general public in Quebec, Canada, the USA, England, and very soon in Europe.

Michel:  I first pitched an indea to Yannick many many moons ago.  We did an act called The Human Deck of Cards.  Then, many years later, another idea popped and we figured we had to be three.  Marc was an obvious choice.

Why is now the right time for you to be a part of Canada's Got Talent?
 

Yannick:  We were invited to participate in CGT and we thought what a chance to show our act on Canadian television on the biggest stage in Canada!

Marc:  Our individual schedules are always a little crazy, so whenever we get the chance to work together, we take the opportunity. For CGT, the stars aligned!
 

Michel:  See above!

 

 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
 

Yannick:  The Montreal Trio is not limited to this issue, we hope to be able to show you all our creativity, sometimes a little crazy, in the near future!

Marc:  Simply that there is a lot of great magic happening in Canada right now—not just with our trio. Magicians should be more curious about it!

Michel:  Just shut up and do it!

 

Thank you Yannick, Marc, and Michel for making the time to answer our questions!  Break a leg on CGT!

Learn more about Yannick Lacroix at his website MagieStrale.com, and follow him on Facebook.

Learn more about Marc Trudel at his website MarcTrudelMagicien.com and follow him on Facebook, and Instagram.

Learn more about Michel Huot at his website MichelHuotMagic.com and follow him on Facebook, and Instagram.

 

 

Watch Canada's Got Talent Tuesdays on CityTV.

 

 

 

Don't blink or you'll miss it!  Catch a sneak peek here in the March 22nd Instagram post by Canada's Got Talent:

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Canada's Got Talent - CGT (@cangottalent)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magicians on Canada's Got Talent [Mar 18 premiere]

Good luck to all facing this year's CGT judges:  Howie Mandel, Shania Twain, Katherine Ryan, and Kardinal Offishall!  

 

Who'd we miss?

(Our sources tell us that not all of the acts listed below will make it to air.)

 

 

From the March 4th media release:

BRITISH COLUMBIA

• BLAKE ALEONG – Burnaby

 

ONTARIO

• BEN KAHAN – Toronto
• CARSON AND TAYLOR – Toronto
• THE SECRET – Toronto

 

QUEBEC

• ALEX BOYER – Montréal
• LUC LANGEVIN – Montréal
• MONTREAL TRIO – Montréal
• NICOLAS TARDIF – Trois-Riviéres

 

ALBERTA

• LUCY DARLING – Calgary

 

ABROAD

• STEFANO BRONZATO – Magic, Italy

 

 

 

 

 

2024 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase summary

CanadasMagic.com is proud to present the 2024 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase.

This concludes the 2024 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase (ICMS)! 

We hope you enjoyed reading about many of the talented magicians across the country.  Thank you for joining us on the journey.

A huge shout out to everyone who submitted names and supporting text to us last month.  Thank you for generously making the time to celebrate your peers!

   

We couldn't have done this without the help of:

• Derrick Chung  
• Doug Hunt
• Garnet Garven
• Ian Stewart 
• Lee Asher 
• Leif David
• Paul Romhany
• Ryan Pilling
• Matt DiSero 
• and a mystery magician!
  

Thank you for the thought and time involved in sending us your submissions.

 

Congratulations again to everyone featured.  Keep up the great work!

Be sure to click on the links below to find out what makes each magician inspirational in their own right.  The story isn't just about who was selected.  Of equal, or perhaps greater importance, is why they were selected!

Review the submissions for the
2024 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase:
 
 Alex Boyer
Chanelle Munroe
Julie Eng
Ken McCreedy
Lon Mandrake
Marc Trudel
Matt Johnson
Ryan Michael
Scott McClelland
Sean Watson
Steve Valentine
Tabraze Sheikh

 

Marc Trudel: Inspirational Canadian Magician

CanadasMagic.com is proud to present the 2024 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase

Third up in this year's Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase, is Marc Trudel!

 

Marc Trudel: Inspirational Canadian Magician.
 

 

He's a full-time pro and on top of doing every type of magic there is (and winning two Canadian Championships in his spare time), he also runs the Club de Magie de Montréal.  He's also been one of my partners in the Montreal Magic Jam, running events from lectures and shows to full conventions for the past two decades. Oh and did I mention along with his wife Sophie-Anne Vachon, he publishes Conundrum Magazine. The man is insanely busy but somehow his love of magic never waivers, and he is a big reason why the magic community in Montreal continues to thrive.

Submitted by Derrick Chung

We were fortunate to see Marc both lecture and perform at this year's Browser's Bash and agree that the Canadian magic community is very lucky to benefit from Marc's talent and energies!

Congratulations Marc!  Keep up the great work!

To learn more about Marc Trudel, visit MarcTrudelMagicien.com and follow him on Facebook and Instagram. 

To learn more about the Montreal Magic Jam visit MontrealMagicJam.com and to learn more about Conundrum magazine visit ConundrumMagazine.com.

 

Thank you Derrick for your excellent submission!

To learn more about Derrick Chung, visit his website at DerrickChung.com and follow him on Facebook, and Instagram.  

2024 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase featuring (in order of publication):

Matt Johnson
Ken McCreedy
Marc Trudel
Ryan Michael
Tabraze Sheikh
Scott McClelland
Alex Boyer
Chanelle Munroe
Sean Watson
Steve Valentine
Lon Mandrake
Julie Eng
 

 

Quebec: Marc Trudel at the Quebec Summer Festival [Jul 6]

From the May 15th Facebook post by the Festival d'été de Québec:

La programmation gratuite de la Série Jeunesse présentée par La Famille du lait est maintenant dévoilée, pour le plus grand bonheur de toute la famille! 🤭
Lors des deux week-ends du FEQ, voyez sur la Scène Hydro-Québec à place de l’Assemblée-Nationale :
☀️ 6 juillet: Marc Trudel
☀️ 7 juillet: Bill Bestiole
☀️ 13 juillet: Kalimba
☀️ 14 juillet : Le Livre Magique
Animation sur place dès 10h.  
Pour tous les détails 👉  https://bit.ly/SerieJeunesse

Canadians at Magifest and contest for Magifest and The Session

At the bottom of this post is information about winning a ticket to Magifest or The Session!

Canadians on the 2024 Performers and Speakers listed at the Vanishing Inc website include:

• Juliana Chen
• Jay Sankey
  
• The Montreal Trio (Marc Trudel, Michel Huot, Yannick Lacroix)
   

 

From the December 9th Instagram post by Vanishing Inc:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vanishing Inc. Magic (@vanishingincmagic)

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joshua Jay (@joshuajaymagician)

 

 

From the December 13th Facebook post by Vanishing Inc:

 🚨 FREE TICKETS TO OUR CONVENTIONS 🚨
In the spirit of the season of giving, we’re once again giving away one free ticket to Magifest and one free ticket to The Session.

But, instead of entering yourself, you'll nominate a friend to win a ticket. Just tag them below and indicate whether you're entering them for "Magifest" or "The Session" to be entered!

One entry per person. The drawing closes on Dec. 24 at 4pm ET.

 

 

 

 

The Montreal Trio sur La France A Un Incroyable Talent

We couldn't find the YouTube video mentioned by Michel below, so at the bottom of this post we embedded their fantastic performance from a video on Facebook.

 

From the November 22nd Facebook post by Michel Hout (translation by Facebook):

In September and October, I visited France twice. One of these times was because we had been invited Marc Trudel , Yannick and I: The Montreal Trio) to come perform an original number at France's got incredible talent.

It was a bit crazy because on August 29th in the evening, I was performing in Prévost and had to go directly to the airport. Immediately heading to the recording studios upon arrival. So 2 shows in 18 hours on two different continents. Hehe. Watch 28 Nov on M6. For America, the whole thing will be on YouTube the next day.

From the November 26th Facebook post by Michel Huot (translation by Facebook): 

Several years ago I watched the show Whose Line is it Anyway and saw this principle there. I have always wanted to do something similar After the very good Chick N Swell had done some circus themed floor (excellent). We decided to get involved in magic. 🙂

 

Laval: HangOut! Monthly Magic Jam [Nov 26]

Featuring Jimmy Cao, Cedrick Burcena, Tiendinh Truong & Sami Tazi, with special guest Marc Trudel!

From the November 1st Instagram post by HangOut!:

We are proud to announce our very first Close-Up Magic Show:

UP CLOSE! An Intimate Magic Show For Grownups
featuring Jimmy Cao, Cedrick Burcena, Tiendinh Truong & Sami Tazi

Saturday November 26th

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HangOut! Monthly Magic Jam (@hangoutmagicjam)

 

 

From the November 6th Instagram post by HangOut!:

As promised, we are very grateful and excited to present to you our special guest for the Up Close show:

🏆2 times Canadian Champion of Magic, First recipient of the Michel Cailloux Grand Prix🏆

@marctrudelmagic

WHO IS MARC TRUDEL⁉️

Two-time Canadian champion of magic and first recipient of the "Grand Prix de Magie Michel Cailloux", Marc Trudel is established not only as an experienced professional magician, but also as a creator, consultant and teacher respected by his peers. He has been presenting magic shows for over 15 years and was the official magician of the Just for Laughs Museum where he presented over 900 performances of the magic show at the Abracadabra! Exhibition.

In addition to his shows for his regular customers, he has worked for the Joyà show by Cirque du Soleil in Mexico, the Just For Laughs Festival , the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Montreal Festival in Light. He has also been seen on television on Salut Bonjour !, LCN, Pseudo-Radio, Libre-Service, Trucs & Cie and, on a few occasions, in the Just for Laughs Gags . He has been the headliner of the dinner show at Hotel 54 where he plays the character of Steranko, an irreverent scientist who reads minds.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HangOut! Monthly Magic Jam (@hangoutmagicjam)

 

 

Magiciens au Québec

The Vancouver Magic Circle magicians aren't the only ones with video tricks up their sleeves!


From Loran's YouTube channel:

La magie existe au Québec. C’est pourquoi nous somme 20 magiciens québécois se sont réunis pour vous offrir un petit brin de folie et d’émerveillement. Merci à tous ces magiciens qui habitent partout en province ainsi qu'à Romain Kowalsky pour le montage. À partager sans retenu pour transporter la magie partout !

Magic exists in Quebec. This is why we are 20 Quebec magicians who have come together to offer you a touch of madness and wonder. Thank you to all these magicians who live throughout the province as well as to Romain Kowalsky for the editing. Share the magic everywhere!

Review: Magic Hour Plus

From August 12th article "Magic vs Science" by Sean McQuaid in The Buzz:

Featuring university professors turned magicians Grant McSorley and Derrick Chung in the latest version of the popular McSorley & Chung stage magic show they created in 2016, Magic Hour Plus also stars the duo’s original director (and two-time Canadian magic champion) Marc Trudel, here playing the onstage role of an eager-to-please intern.

McSorley & Chung are amusing in their stage personae as bookish, cheesily self-aggrandizing showmen, often puffing themselves up with lofty rhetoric and then deflating themselves with self-effacing humour; but comedy-wise, Trudel steals the show as a socially awkward magic savant. All three excel at misdirection, not only shifting our focus to where each magician wants it, but also subverting expectations; seemingly botched tricks will morph into even cooler tricks instead, like Chung’s baffling Rubik’s Cube stunts.


Read more.

Montreal and Toronto: Magic at The Lockhart

June 19th, catch Marc Trudel and James Alan at The Lockhart bars in Montreal and Toronto respectively.


From the Facebook page of The Lockhart (Montreal, QC):


 From the Facebook page of The Lockhart: