Aaron Matthews at Canada's Wonderland and in Magical Extravaganza with Sean Watson

From the July 4th Facebook post by The Magic of Aaron Matthews:

 

 

From the July 5th Facebook post by The Magic of Aaron Matthews:

 

 

 

 

Broken wand: Rick Poltaruk

Our condolences to Rick's family and friends at this difficult time.

 

From the July 3rd Facebook post by Paul Bagley:

Papa Rick's Obituary

Rick Poltaruk  April 20th 1951 – June 23rd, 2021

It is with mixed emotions we say farewell to Rick Poltaruk who succumbed to Lymphedema on June 23rd 2021, in Calgary Alberta.

Rick is survived by his mother Helga, daughter Shawna along with three grand children, brother Randy (Bonnie) niece Marinna (Kevin), and nephew Ryan (Mara).

Rick, a pastor, musician, magician, comedian and actor was well known as an entertainer living in Yellowknife, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg, showcased his talents everywhere he found himself, and left his mark, many of us can only imagine

Rick, a devote Christian, found solitude in faith, loved life and dedicated himself to others through his talents. As a Pastor, working with the Mustard Seed bestowing himself to help the homeless became the only accomplishment he truly valued.

Rick’s life was his joy, pride and pleasure - to miss him is an understatement. Our grateful heart will treasure memories we share, and his legacy will live on through the music we sing and the stories we tell. May he walk beside us every day.

Donations would be appreciated to the Mustard Seed of Calgary Alberta.

[With thanks to Derek Selinger for sharing the obituary with us.]

Big Trick Energy on Netflix

From the July 1st Tweet by Chris Ramsay:

#BigTrickEnergy coming to @netflix this Thursday! pic.twitter.com/A18awU6JdW

— Chris Ramsay (@chrisramsay52) July 1, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

It's Canada Day

"Canada Day, observed on July 1st, is a national holiday marking the anniversary of Confederation in 1867, when the British North America Act came into effect. It was originally known as Dominion Day until it was renamed in 1982."
-- from The Canadian Encyclopedia

 

From the June 1st article "Where to donate to support survivors of residential schools ~ Six organizations you can turn your attention to" at Macleans:

The horrifying discovery was met with grief and mourning over the weekend, reigniting an ongoing conversation about the intergenerational trauma caused by Canada’s residential school program. Here is how you can help organizations across the country that are working to support survivors and further reconciliation.

Read more and donate.

 

 

 

Top 5 posts in June 2021

 There were 25 posts at Canada's Magic this month.  Here are the 5 most viewed posts in the past 30 days: 

5. Shawn Farquhar's Hidden Wonders: live event [June 18] and virtual fundraiser [June 24] - Grateful for the opportunity to experience this show from afar! 

4. Top 5 posts in May 2021 - The meta post goes meta.

3. Ring 17 hosts: Unconventional.Lecture [June 3] - An awesome evening, we're sure!

2. Broken wand: David (Baldini) Grosfield - Our sincere condolences go out to David's family and friends.

and the most viewed post this month  ...

1. Calgary Magic Circle hosts: mini lecture by Mac King - Sorry to have missed this one.  Any reviews out there for us to link?

Matt Johnson on CTV News (and AGT appearance)

From the June 19th Tweet by Matt Johnson: 

 

If you missed my feature on @CTVNews here it is. Apparently it was broadcast across Canada 🇨🇦@AGT #agt #mattjohnsonhttps://t.co/24zeL499XM

— Matt Johnson - Escape Artist & Illusionist (@likemattjohnson) June 20, 2021

 

From the June 8th upload on the America's Got Talent YouTube channel:

TV magicians from the 1950s, '60s and '70s

From the June 9th article "8 magicians who dazzled us on TV as children" at MeTV:

1. Doug Henning
With his bedazzled overalls and beaming smile, Henning was the perfect man to introduce children to the world of magic, a lovable character akin to Gallagher or Slim Goodbody. The Canadian first broke in this country on Broadway, earning a Tony nom for his 1974 production, The Magic Show. A year after that opening, 50 million viewers tuned in for the TV special Doug Henning's World of Magic. The escape artist and lover of Houdini went on to create stage tricks for Earth, Wind and Fire and Michael Jackson tours.

4. The Amazing Randi
James Randi is as well known for his skepticism as his illusions. The performer famously offered $1,000 (then $10,000, then $1,000,000) to anyone who could prove the existence of the supernatural. He's still waiting to pay out. Randi, seen here on the cover of Dynamite magazine, had a mission to expose charlatans posing as naturally gifted psychics. He would especially work to debunk the following man, his nemesis… 

Read more.

[via The Doug Henning Project]