The Magic Circle of Saint John in the CBC

From the January 26th article "Inside the spellbinding world of Saint John's Magic Circle" by Julia Wright in the CBC:

The former Carnegie library in Saint John is a pretty ideal place for a magicians meeting.

It certainly has the right ambience: a 115-year-old, brick, Beaux-Arts-style building with a stained-glass skylight and mosaic floors.

Every month the Saint John Arts Centre hosts the Magic Circle of Saint John — a haven for sleight-of-hand artists, ventriloquists, jugglers, mind-readers, and other practitioners of unusual feats and magical effects.

The Magic Circle of Saint John is a haven for sleight-of-hand artists, ventriloquists, jugglers, mind-readers, and other practitioners of unusual feats and magical effects. 1:04
The club encourages aspiring magicians to develop their skills and "think out of the box," said club president Tabraze Sheikh, a self-professed fan of "puzzles, hard-to-answer questions, and mystery."

Read more and watch video.

Rounding the Western rings in February 2019

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

City	Club	Event(s)
Calgary, AB	Ring 66 (Calgary Magic Circle, Les Brocklesby Ring)	- Gregory Wilson lecture. - Club meeting.
Edmonton, AB	Edmonton Magic Club	- Gregory Wilson lecture.
Winnipeg, MB	The Magic Club of Winnipeg	- Gregory Wilson lecture.
Fraser Valley, BC	IBM Ring 387 (Fraser Valley Magic Circle, Celeste Evans Ring)	- Gregory Wilson lecture.
Vancouver, BC	Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle)	- N/A
Vancouver, BC	SAM 95  (Carl Hemeon Assembly)	- 'Love, Magic & Dinner' starring Michael Finney
Victoria, BC	Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)	- Gregory Wilson lecture.

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

Rounding the Central rings in February 2019

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

Montreal, QC	Ring 62 (20th Century Ring)	- N/A.
Hamilton, ON	Ring 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club)	- Members' Choice.
London, ON	Ring 265 (London Magician's Guild)	- TBA
Kitchener, ON	Ring 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)	- Buck Macleod Lecture.
Ottawa, ON	Ring 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians)	- Literacy Magic - Charity Show:  Rehabilitation Hospital
Ottawa, ON	Ottawa / Gatineau magicians	- N/A
Toronto, ON	Ring 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club)	- Jay Sankey lecture.

Please leave a comment or email me about corrections or omissions.

Rounding the Eastern rings in February 2019

With thanks to Tabraze, the current President of the Magic Circle of Saint John, for reaching out and letting us know about their club's Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/magic.circle.sj

The Magic Circle of Saint John meets every last Sunday of the month from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the Saint John Art Centre located at 20 Peel Plaza, Saint John, NB.


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	- Anything goes!  (Jan. meeting tonight along with show debrief.)

Please leave a comment or email me about corrections or omissions.

Listen to Billy Kidd

Billy Kidd is featured on the first episode of Kray Mitchell's "Illusionary Podcast."  The Illusionary Podcast talks to different Canadian magicians about their careers and influences.

You can also listen to Billy with Jonah Babins and Tyler Williams on episode 81 of Discourse in Magic " Episode 81 – Busking for Magicians & Earning Your Chops with Billy Kidd" (October 19th, 2017).

Alternately have a listen to Richard Young on episode 62 of The Magician's Podcast (June 30th, 2016).

New Canadian Podcast I'm on so have a listen yo. https://t.co/DBODzOqPKu https://t.co/DBODzOqPKu

— Billy Kidd (@Billykiddshow) January 17, 2019

Broken wand: Dicky Dean

Our thoughts go out to Dicky's family and friends.


From Your Life Moments:

DEAN, Dick - “Dicky Dean the Magician” After a life adventurously lived and fulfilled, Dicky Dean passed away at the Village of Glendale Crossing L.T.C., on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Forever loved and remembered by his wife, Marg (Randall) of 51 years. Lovingly remembered by his son, Bruce (Andrea) and his dear grandchildren, Elliot and Miles. Fondly remembered by his brother, Tom (Ruth) and their family, Rob (Melissa), Jim (Michelle), Beth (Drew). Predeceased by his parents, George and Cathie Dean. Also remembered by his students whom he inspired while teaching for the London Board of Education and the many audiences throughout Canada that he enthralled with his professional and unique magic shows.

Read more.

With thanks to Peter Mennie for letting us know.

Bullock, Mayhew, and Eng in the CBC!

From the January 23rd article "Escape the headlines, find the magic: Why we need the oldest tricks in the book more than ever" by Conor Sweetman in the CBC:

In the 1900s, the silver screen provided some distraction from the news of the World Wars, but it also served as a conduit for propaganda. These days, we similarly struggle to find escapism that isn't tinged with politics. Only now, partisan tension seems to follow us everywhere, beyond the movie theatre and into comedy clubs, sports arenas and  every content-producing corner of the internet.

It's hard to hide from it — all of our open tabs beckon us to dip one more time into what will inevitably put a damper on the day. But what if there were a way to momentarily hush the noise and avoid getting swept away by the deluge of headlines? What if, just for an evening, instead of going into a tailspin of reading, arguing and frantically fact-checking...you allowed yourself to be fooled?

Read more.