Rod Chow: owner of the World's Narrowest Commercial Building

Updated at 9am to add:

•  Next year, Rod will be the first Canadian president of the Society of American Magicians!
  

 

From the May 25th article "Built on a bet. Owner of world-famous Chinatown building says, despite pandemic, he's here to stay"  by Ashley Moliere in the CBC News:

The Jack Chow Insurance building, also known as the Sam Kee building, was built on a bet, according to its owner Rod Chow.

In the early 1900s, businessman Chang Toy bought a standard 30-foot lot at the corner of Pender and Carrall streets.

But the City of Vancouver needed to widen one of the streets, so it expropriated 24 feet of the land leaving him with only six feet.

"No one thought he could do anything with it," said Chow.

...


The structure at 8 West Pender Street is also the world's narrowest commercial building, according to the Guinness Book of World Records


Read more and watch video.

 

[via Shawn Farquhar]

 

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Which puts the total of Canadian World Record holding magicians to fourteen! 

• Doug The Great:  Heaviest Stilts Mastered.  [Guinness World Record]
• Scott Hammell:  Highest Suspension Straight Jacket Escape. [Guinness World Record]
• Lucas Wilson:  Fastest Suspension Straight Jacket Escape. [Guinness World Record - 2011]
• Carisa Hendrix:  Longest duration fire torch teething. [Guinness World Record - 2012]
• Michael Francis:  Most one-handed coin rolls in a minute. [Guinness World Record - 2013]
• Mark Correia:  Longest Amount of Time Wearing a Straitjacket. [World Record - 2014] 
• The Sentimentalists:  (Chris Mysterion and Steffi Kay) Most items transferred from one mentalist to another.  [World Record - 2017] 
• Gordon Precious:  Oldest heli-skier [World Record - 2019]
• Big Trick Energy: (Led by Chris Ramsay, Eric Leclerc, Wes Barker, and Alex Boyer) The largest online video chain of people performing a magic trick.  [Guinness World Record - 2021]
  
• Rod Chow:  Owner of the World's Narrowest Commercial Building  [Guinness World Record]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alex Boyer interviewed by Jacqueline Swan

From the May 20th article "More Than Tricks: Canadian Used Magic To Change His Life (VIDEO)" by Jacqueline Swan at Narcity:

Canadian magician Alex Boyer sat down for an interview to talk magic, running a YouTube channel and how the art form has affected his life.

Alongside being a professional magician, Boyer recently added TV star to his resume as he recently released a show he created with his four best friends, Big Trick Energy.

Read more and watch video.

Matt Johnson on the Deceive Reality podcast

Updated at 8:40am to add:

• Look for Matt on AGT next week!
  

 

Listen to Steve Spade and David Peace interview Matt Johnson on episode 33 of The Deceive Reality Podcast uploaded to YouTube on May 20th:

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A post shared by Deceive Reality (@deceiverealityireland)

Tarbell Challenge: volume one

Watch the video on YouTube here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLyLDGPL6a4

 

From the May 18th Instagram post by the Toronto Magic Company:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Toronto Magic Company (@torontomagiccompany)

 

 

 

 

Guinness World Record for Big Trick Energy / truTV

Last month we posted that Chris Ramsay and the Big Trick Energy gang were looking to set a Guinness World Record.  We're excited to announce that they were successful!

Congratulations to Chris, Eric Leclerc, Wes Barker, and Alex Boyer for securing a Guinness World Record for "the largest online video chain of people performing a magic trick" on behalf of Big Trick Energy / truTV. 

 

From the May 20th Instagram post by truTV:

History has been made. truTV and Big Trick Energy now hold the Guinness World Record title for the largest online video chain of people doing a magic trick! Thanks to everyone who participated in the #BigTrickTokChallenge.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by truTV (@trutv)

Which puts the total of Canadian World Record holding magicians to thirteen! 

• Doug The Great:  Heaviest Stilts Mastered.  [Guinness World Record]
• Scott Hammell:  Highest Suspension Straitjacket Escape. [Guinness World Record]
• Lucas Wilson:  Fastest Suspension Straitjacket Escape. [Guinness World Record - 2011]
• Carisa Hendrix:  Longest duration fire torch teething. [Guinness World Record - 2012]
• Michael Francis:  Most one-handed coin rolls in a minute. [Guinness World Record - 2013]
• Mark Correia:  Longest Amount of Time Wearing a Straitjacket. [World Record - 2014] 
• The Sentimentalists:  (Chris Mysterion and Steffi Kay) Most items transferred from one mentalist to another.  [World Record - 2017] 
• Gordon Precious:  Oldest heli-skier [World Record - 2019]
• Big Trick Energy: (Led by Chris Ramsay, Eric Leclerc, Wes Barker, and Alex Boyer) The largest online video chain of people performing a magic trick.  [Guinness World Record - 2021]

An exceptional night in with Lucy Darling [May 29]

From the May 14th Facebook post by Carisa Hendrix:

Miss us?? We're back!!!! Saturday, May 29 6PM PST

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-special-evening-with-lucy-darling-tickets-154744485923

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest post] I challenge you!

 

   

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

 --

"I CHALLENGE YOU!"

AN OPEN LETTER
TO ALL MEMBERS OF CANADIAN IBM RINGS  
& TO MEMBERS OF CAM
& TO CANADIAN MEMBERS OF SAM:

from The Magic Demon
Exclusive to Canada's Magic

I've always considered you among the elite of magic enthusiasts, hobbyists, amateurs and professionals.

You love the art of magic enough to have joined an organization dedicated to preserving its history, encouraging its present and striving for an even more illustrious future.

I bet most of you have had a positive experience visiting a brick & mortar magic shop once upon a time when you were young. That awesome visit - the first of many, no doubt - cemented what has become a lifelong joy and passion.

And many of you are waiting for the end of our current pandemic before you take a short subway trip - or a long long car ride - or short airplane ride - to your nearest brick and mortar magic shop to once again bask in its unique joys and pleasures.

Doubtless some of you will want to take along your friends or family members and double or triple your fun by sharing the magical experience with them.

But what happens if there are no more brick & mortar magic shops left to visit after the pandemic?

Oh sure, you'll always be able to order from some really great online outlets. But it's never going to be the same experience as standing in person drooling over a display case full of the latest effects, or sharing tips and stories with fellow visiting magic enthusiasts, or enjoying the truly memorable fun created by the proprietors of a real dedicated brick & mortar magic shop.

As you have read on this site, we in Canada are now down to just two dedicated brick & mortar shops. Two to serve a country of almost 38 million! Toronto alone until recently used to have two - and had even more in its distant past.

Unless we act now to safeguard our remaining precious brick & mortar shops there is every chance they may not survive to serve us again when better and more normal days return.

That would make Canada truly less of a magical place.

And so, therefore, I CHALLENGE YOU, to show your love and support for the art of magic and its well-being in this country - as personified in its remaining brick & mortar shops, by making a purchase right now - and later again this year - from either the Browser's Den of Magic in Toronto and/or Clownin' Around on Granville Island in Vancouver BC, whichever is your closest brick & mortar shop.

I am not asking you to do anything I have not already done myself. I have recently purchased a couple books from Clownin' Around, AND a gift certificate from the Browser's Den.

There's still no guarantee that what we all can do will be enough - but at least if we try there's always a good chance. And a good chance is better than no chance at all.

So...

Are you magician-enough to magic-up and accept this challenge?

The future landscape of magic in Canada may well depend upon your actions today.

LATEST STATUS UPDATE: As of this date, the Browser's Den in Ontario is currently only open via phone, email and their website for in-person curbside pick up or snailmail service. Clownin' Around in BC is currently open for a limited number of local-health-authority-region-only in-person mask-wearing customers observing social distance, as well as via phone, email and their website for snailmail service. Check their websites for any further updates and developments.

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Full Disclosure: The Magic Demon does not work for, nor own any part of, any remaining brick & mortar magic shop - but has spent many happy hours in both and wishes that they may survive the pandemic along with the rest of us. 

 ~~~~

Thank you The Magic Demon for championing brick and mortar magic shops and for guest posting at Canada's Magic!