Rounding the Central rings in December 2017

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.

Montreal, QC	Ring 62 (20th Century Ring)	- Free form first Fridaze - Executive meeting - Second Saturday night special - Instagram Tuesday - Sunday brunch
Hamilton, ON	Ring 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club)	- Christmas dinner.
London, ON	Ring 265 (London Magician's Guild)	- TBA.
Kitchener, ON	Ring 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)	- TBA
Ottawa, ON	Ring 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians)	- TBA.
Ottawa, ON	Ottawa / Gatineau magicians	- TBA
Toronto, ON	Ring 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club)	- Browser's Den visit.

Please leave a comment or e-mail me about corrections or omissions.

Rounding the Eastern rings in December 2017

Does anybody have current information to share about the Magic Circle of St. John?

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.

Halifax, NS	Ring 316 (Conjourer's Court)	- Visit their Facebook page.
St. John, NB	Magic Circle of St. John	- TBA

Please leave a comment or e-mail me about corrections or omissions.

Darcy Oake in the Toronto Sun

From the article "Keeping the magic during holiday season" by Joanne Richard in the Toronto Sun:

Darcy, along with his parents, veteran Hockey Night in Canada sportscaster Scott and his wife, Anne, committed themselves to helping others struggling with the same demons that claimed Bruce – raising $1.6 million to open the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre in Winnipeg. The non-profit facility will provide treatment, resources and skills necessary for residents to successfully re-enter society.

Today, the electrifying illusionist (who is actually preparing a mind-blowing act for The Illusionists show running through the holiday season Dec. 12 to Jan. 7 at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto) says he found wonder and purpose not only in his career in magic, but in working with his parents to keep his brother’s memory alive through helping others.

Read more.

Luc Langevin in "le fil"

From the article "These teachers who change lives" by Matthieu Dessureault in le fil, the newspaper of Laval university, translated by Google:

On stage as on television, Luc Langevin knows how to amaze his audience with breathtaking magic numbers. Before being the talented illusionist we know, he completed a Bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics and a Master's degree in Optics, as well as a PhD in Biophotonics. If he left school to devote himself to his job, this passage to the University will not be vain, far from it.

Already at the time, he knew he was going towards magic. Thanks to Professor Michel Piché, he learned to master a technology that would prove very useful to invent his tricks: that of lasers. "I was very surprised that Mr. Piché agrees to frame me in my graduate studies. When I asked him, he already had about twenty students under his responsibility. I gave him my CV, where it was indicated that I wanted to become a magician. It seems that it piqued his curiosity! "Recalls laughing Luc Langevin.

A scientist who wants to become a magician, the professor admits that it is not commonplace. Nevertheless, he did not hesitate a second to take him under his wing. "I was looking for a good student for my work and Luc Langevin was clearly one. Magic requires technical skill and a good understanding of optics since the illusion comes from manipulating brain mechanisms with images. He was a good candidate to help me develop new approaches in my field of research, "says the one who has been teaching at the University since 1984.

Read more.

Happy seventh blogiversary to me!

Seven years ago today, this blog was born!

Thanks to you wonderful people who have supported this project!

For free, we've published over 3,225 posts, and served well over 113,018 page loads (over 613,955 by Blogger's count).  Two hundred and twenty-one of you have given us your thumbs-up on Facebook, more than 1186 of you are following along on Twitter (20,225 tweets and counting!), and approximately 60 of you have subscribed to this site's RSS feed.  The bulk of you are Canadian, and I'm delighted to see visitors from United States, the United Kingdom, India, France, and the list goes on.

There are so many of you doing such a fabulous job of making magic a priority in this great country!

A special thanks to:

• All of my early supporters.  Special shout outs to Ariel, Doug, James, and John for your continued encouragement.
• All of you readers, Likers, RTers, submitters, guest posters, contest prize providers and all other manner of promoters of this site.
• All of my sponsors, past and present.  That means you: Magic Information Canada, Ryan Pilling, Clive Court, Perfect Magic, The Browser's Den of Magic, The Amazing Corbin, and Michael Close!
• All of the blog's official friends, past and present.  That's you:  John Smithman, John Harrison, Richard Lyn, Joan Caesar, Ted & Marion Outerbridge, and Ian Crawford.
• My family for their support of this bloggy experiment.

My continued thanks to all of you!

Five minutes with Shawn Farquhar (at Magi-Fest)

Not to be confused with my series of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews.


From Magi-Fest:

Magi-Fest: You have performed at virtually every major convention around the world. We’re HONORED to have you at Magi-Fest. You have also organized dozens of conventions yourself. What, in your mind, is the secret ingredient to a great convention?

Shawn: I love magic conventions! I think it is the one place, other than the stage, where I truly feel at home.  No two conventions are ever the same, and what sets them apart is the vision of the organizers.  Some convention have become stale as they stick to “working formulas” while others try new things that sometimes fail.  I’d rathe be at one that tries new things and fails as they are far more exciting and fresh. The one thing all great conventions have in common is talent that is approachable.  I don’t go to a convention to see the act do their signature routine, since I can watch that on YouTube or their DVD. I go to the convention to experience them as performers.  On and off stage.  The chance to rub shoulders, ask questions and hang out is what makes a convention special for me.  I have seldom left a convention without feeling inspired and motivated.

Read more.

The OUTERBRIDGE - Touring Secrets lecture tour of Europe 2018

From the Outerbridge Magic Facebook page:

The OUTERBRIDGE - Touring Secrets lecture tour of Europe kicks off in Bonn, Germany on January 15th. The tour continues through Europe and concludes in Copenhagen, Denmark on Feburuary 2nd. More information on the way soon. 

 January 15 - Bonn, Germany
 January 19 - Hamburg, Germany
 January 21 - Chemnitz, Germany
 January 22 - Antwerp, Belgium
 January 25 - Zurich, Switzerland
 January 26 – Munich, Germany
 February 1 - Horsens, Denmark
 February 2 – Copenhagen, Denmark