Montreal magic nostalgia

From Perfect Magic:

It got me thinking about (Magic) Tom and what he did for magic and for us. He donated a large Trophy to Magic Montreal, and a smaller one for the winner of the Magie Montreal Trophy which was awarded every year at our Magic Convention. Richard Sanders was the first one to win it. Every winner has a place  with his name engraved on it on the big Trophy which can be seen in our shop. We gave out other awards too. This should bring back a few memories if you were there.


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Researching Magic Tom Auburn

A writer is researching Magic Tom Auburn for a piece and is looking to connect with people who have memories or information to share.  More information can be found at Perfect Magic.  See below.

From Perfect Magic Then and Now:

The other day a gentleman, unknown to us, came into the shop. He, too, wanted to keep Tom Auburn’s name and memory alive. He’s a writer and he is passionate about history and about Magic Tom and he is writing an article (on real paper) which will appear in the Quebec Heritage News, which is an English language Quebec  Magazine.

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The top 100 most notable Montrealers

From the Montreal Gazette:

On Nov. 14, 1999, The Gazette published a list of more than 200 notable Montrealers who were felt to have had an impact on the city or who had made a major contribution to society while living and working here.

Readers were asked to make 10 choices and rank them. A first-place choice got 10 points, a second-place choice 9, and so on. From the more than 1,000 responses received, Gazette copy clerk Sherry Hattem and aide Marcia McInnis, with help from systems specialist Rob Ramsey, compiled the final tally of 100 notable Montrealers.

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Why are we mentioning this here?  Because representing magic, at number 87, is Tom Auburn!

When Magic Tom was king of English TV...

From The Suburban:

For kids my age (six in 1969) and for Montrealers in general, one of the kings - if not the king- of Montreal English TV was “Magic Tom” Auburn. Not only was he a skilled magician, but he had an appealing, gentle manner which put children and their parents at ease. Numerous local children appeared on his broadcast, performing a song or skit, and helping with his tricks.

(I have a vague memory of being on the show myself, but I seem to have blacked it out - apparently, I was a little clumsy.)

And Auburn was not only a TV institution (in French, as well, by the way). He made numerous live appearances throughout the community. I myself saw him in the late 1970s at the YM-YWHA in Chomedey, where he put on a wonderful show. And an issue of The Suburban on June 18, 1969 carried a Van Horne Shopping Centre ad promoting an appearance by him there “for the kiddies,” followed by a Hawaiian trio.

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