Attractions Ontario Events

Gods in My Home brings together Chinese ancestral paintings and traditional popular prints, and examines the unexplored connection between these two seemingly separate genres in the context of Chinese Lunar New Year. These images reflect a Chinese view of reverence and the belief that these portraits and prints were capable of blessing and protecting the prosperity of family lines.

Visitors are invited to explore beautiful objects including New Year prints and paintings, ancestral portraits, paper gods and ceramics, and discover the shared family values, ritual concepts, belief in visual powers and common traditions that bind them. Experience these compelling and never-before-seen images through an artistic lens in this ROM original exhibition.

In 1991, during his tenure as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable Henry N. R. Jackman donated his historic collection of toy soldiers to the Royal Ontario Museum.

While there are a few of these collectables currently on display in the J.F. Driscoll Family Stair of Wonders, this new installation will showcase almost all of the Hal Jackman Toy Soldier Collection, which traces the historic life span of Britains Ltd., one of the world’s pioneers in the manufacturing of toy soldiers. Visitors are invited to enjoy the artistry and detail of this outstanding collection, and learn about the legacy of Britains Ltd.’s years of lead toy production from 1893-1966.

Set on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, with a bounty of water and resources, Ancaster has attracted humans since the retreat of the last glacier over 10,000 years ago. Using 31 stories and artifacts, one for every year the museum has been open, this exhibition offers snapshots of Ancaster’s history from the earliest human occupants to the present day. Sponsored by the Shaver Family Foundation.
Date: May 4 – December 31, 2019
Time: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Tuesday to Saturday)
Ages: All
Cost: Adults: $3.50, Seniors/Youth: $3.00, Children: $2.50, Infants: Free, Family: $10.00
Contact: 905-648-8144, fieldcote@hamilton.ca

Charles T. Currelly, one of the founders of the ROM, obtained two Fayum mummy portraits from Sotheby’s in 1912. Romano-Egyptian Fayum mummy portraits, which originally covered the face of mummies, hold great significance as they represent some of the earliest known and finest painted portraits in the history of art. Mummy portraits identified the deceased, and were created with wax or tempera on wood panels or canvas shrouds, during the Roman era, from about AD 20 to AD 300.

Mummy portraits show us not only a wide diversity of the people who once lived in Roman-Egypt but also shed light on the popular hairstyles, clothing, and jewelry two thousand years ago. Some are wonderfully preserved, and they are an unmatched source of information on Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultural traditions.

After acquiring the two portraits, one of them remained at the ROM, while the other went to the National Gallery of Canada. Now after more than 100 years of separation, the two well-preserved mummy portraits will be together again. The paintings will both be on display in the Eaton Gallery of Rome, Level 3, through November 24, 2019.

Photo: Left (ROM 2018.52.1) and right (ROM 918.20.1). Photo: Brian Boyle © Royal Ontario Museum.

Please join us in welcoming our fall exhibitions at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery on Sunday, September 29 at 2:00 pm. This event is free, all are welcome.

Nurielle Stern, winner of the 2019 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics, will provide a brief Artist Talk following the opening remarks at 2:30pm. Artist Shawna Redskye and Curator Chloe Blair will also provide a talk at the opening reception.

“2019 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics”
September 21 to November 17, 2019
The 2019 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics Winner, Nurielle Stern of Toronto, Ontario, is celebrated in this exhibition alongside five award finalists.
Learn more: www.theclayandglass.ca/exhibitions/2019-shantz-award

“From the Collection: A Bestiary”
September 21, 2019 to January 5, 2020
The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is pleased to present works from its collection as part of “A Bestiary”.
Learn more: www.theclayandglass.ca/exhibitions/a-bestiary

“A Remembering: star stories and waterbodies”
September 21, 2019 to January 5, 2020
This exhibition represents a creative partnership between artist Shawna Redskye and curator Chloe Blair.
Learn more: www.theclayandglass.ca/exhibitions/a-remembering

Header image: “Creek & Crossing”, 2013. Glazed earthenware and internal digital video projection on sanded mirror, carved wooden chairs, milk paint. Nurielle Stern.

Until Dec 1, 2019
Early Birds save 22% on Nordic Season Passes purchased before December 1/19 for the 2019-20 season. May be used seven days a week for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing plus access to the Suspension Bridge. Glide on 27 km. of cross-country ski trails professionally groomed daily for classic/skate styles. Stomp along 10 km. of dedicated snowshoe trails, one of which crosses Southern Ontario’s longest Suspension Bridge. Trails are well marked and rated by level of difficulty. High altitude location provides an excellent elevation for snow conditions and consistent temperatures as well as spectacular lookouts and views. New! Purchase your season pass and fill in your waiver online. Season passholders receive numerous benefits, bonus offers and special discounts. Nordic Centre operates December – March when there is sufficient snow on the trails.
Details: https://sceniccaves.com/products/winter-trail-season-pass

Quench a thirst you didn’t even know you had in Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches, a ROM original exhibition where nature and culture truly collide.

From leeches to lampreys, blood feeders are abundant in nature. And while their thirst can annoy or horrify, their behaviour has fascinated humans throughout the ages. As nature’s vampires, they take blood, our very life source, for their own survival, yet they have given back by inspiring the story of Dracula, the legend of the Chupacabra and the practice of bloodletting.

Sink your teeth into Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches and explore the intricacies, evolution, and interconnected world of blood-feeding organisms, and the myths, legends and pop culture they have influenced around the world and across time.

Santa and his merry elves have returned to deliver the most joyous holiday celebration yet with a signature experience for all his little visitors to enjoy!

Available Wednesdays to Sundays, November 16 to December 22; Time-Ticketed event

Your ticket includes a return trip on The RBG Express, warm beverage and a cookie, storytelling and crafting with Santa’s helpers, admission to RBG for the day’s activities, and of course your visit with Santa.

This is a time-ticketed event; when purchasing tickets you will be required to select a time-slot, indicating when your party begins the Santa Experience.

Anyone who wishes to attend this event requires a paid ticket; all children must be accompanied by a ticket-holding adult.

WinterFest offers a new season of holiday fun at Canada’s Wonderland where guests will be treated to an all-new immersive holiday experience taking place on select dates beginning November 22. During WinterFest, the park will be transformed into an enchanted winter wonderland complete with uniquely themed areas, dozens of Christmas trees, millions of spectacular lights, ice-skating, live entertainment, savoury treats, crafts and hands-on family activities.

WinterFest admission tickets are available online as low as $21.99 HST.

Event is held on select dates from Nov. 22 to Dec. 31, 2019. Please check website for operating hours.

In 1914, a brief, unofficial, truce took place at Christmas along parts of the Western Front. Soldiers from opposing sides came together to mark the season as strains of Silent Night echoed in the dark. Experience a WWI Christmas Story as you embark by foot on a journey through time to experience a significant moment in history at our replica trench.

Presented in partnership with the History Matters Association.

This event will run rain or shine.

Friday and Saturday, November 22 and 23, 2019

Performances at 6:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 9:00 p.m. each evening.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door.

Tickets go on sale October 1, 2019.

RBC Dominion Securities presents, in conjunction with Summerhill Entertainment Inc: ‘Those Crazy Canucks’.

Double Bill, including special re-screening of ‘The Dream Never Dies’, Ken Read’s story from the 1979-80 World Cup Season.

Special Guests who will be in attendance include Crazy Canucks Ken Read, Dave Irwin, Todd Brooker and the film’s director, Bill Johnston.

The Crazy Canucks- Synopsis by director, Bill Johnston:

The television special Those Crazy Canucks went to air sometime in the winter of 1980, as a primetime special.

There had been a ton of sports stories the winter before around the four guys featured in the film, who were at that time the current active downhill racers on the team; Ken Read, Steve Podborski, Dave Irwin, and Dave Murray.

My partner and I passionately felt this was a terrific story that needed to be told, and celebrated to the broadest possible audience- via a primetime television special. Fortunately, we found a broadcaster, and generous sponsors who agreed! This film is that Special.

It should be noted that the full Crazy Canuck story had actually started a couple of years earlier with Jim Hunter and ending with Todd Brooker a couple of years after Podborski won the Downhill Title in 1982. What an era!! At its peak the Canucks won the Hahnenkamm (the ‘Masters’ of ski racing) four years in a row; Read 1980, Podborski 1981/1982,, and Brooker 1983.

This film only focused on the four guys who were tearing it up in 1979, and is partly responsible for the reason why only those four are often labeled as The Crazy Canucks, but in fact the Crazy Canucks were Jim Hunter, Dave Irwin, Ken Read, Steve Podborski Dave Murray, and Todd Brooker.

Dundurn National Historic Site, 610 York Blvd., Hamilton
Visit Dundurn for the first day of its Victorian Christmas for FREE! Join costumed interpreters
at Dundurn Castle for a free visit of the lavish home of Sir Allan MacNab and his family. The
Castle will be decorated by The Garden Club of Hamilton with cedar boughs, ribbons and
dried flowers. Bring your family and share a Hamilton holiday tradition. Please bring a non-
perishable food item to help stock the Good Shepherd’s pantry!
Date: November 23, 2019
Time: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Ages: All
Cost: FREE Event
Contact: 905-546-2872, dundurn@hamilton.ca, www.hamilton.ca/museums

Battlefield House Museum & Park, 77 King St. West, Stoney Creek
Gather your family together, take a break from holiday shopping and step back in time to
experience the warmth, welcome and simplicity of an early 19th century Christmas. The
Gage Family home comes alive at this special time of year with evergreen boughs on the
mantles and enticing aromas in the air.
Date: November 23, 2019 to December 31, 2019
Time: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Ages: All
Cost: Adults: $7.50, Seniors/Youth: $6.50, Children: $5.50, Infants: Free, Family: $22.00
Contact: 905-662-8458, battlefield@hamilton.ca, www.hamilton.ca/museums

The Tragically Hip, never duplicated yet always celebrated!

With every performance, Grace, 2 delivers a show that celebrates the music of the Tragically Hip and honours the legacy of the late Gord Downie. Like all Hip fans, Grace, 2 remembers these songs as the soundtrack to their lives. Combining their passion for the music and genuine on-stage energy, Grace, 2 brings the audience together to pay tribute to Canada’s favourite band.

Grace, 2 will be doing a special performance of the Tragically Hip’s final concert, “A National Celebration.” The two and a half hour concert will be a Tragically Hip immersive experience, featuring an on-stage screen with original visual artwork designed by artists to accompany the music.

Proceeds from the show will support The Gord Downie Fund at Sunnybrook.

Thursday November 28 and Friday November 29; 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Let the holidays begin! The celebration of Ontario`s independent craft breweries continues with the 5th annual Fest-of-Ales! Spanning 2 nights, guests are welcomed into the stunning surroundings of RBG Centre to peruse the best beer our region has to offer. Entrance to the event gets you your own mug, 6 drink tokens (5oz samples) and access to vendors and experts. A unique vibe crafted by our house DJ sets the tone, with trains and greenhouse tours to boot.

Food sold separately, along with a cash bar and specialty DD mocktails made to thank you for being you. Create winter tales at the 2019 Fest-of-Ales!

This is a 19 event

Please do not drink and drive. Bring a designated driver (“DD” tickets are available), utilize public transit, or call a cab. Click here for directions.

or the North American premiere of If I had the words to tell you we wouldn’t be here now, Sin performs alongside percussionist Nikki Joshi and wears a specially commissioned oceanic costume by Athens-based designer Dimitra Petsa. The work is site-responsive, changing in composition each time it’s performed. If I had the words to tell you we wouldn’t be here now was first performed at Chi Wen gallery in Taipei and later travelled to the 2019 Venice Biennale.

Victoria Sin is an artist whose work uses speculative fiction within performance, moving image, writing and print to interrupt normative processes of desire, identification and objectification. Drawing upon personal encounters of looking and wanting, their work presents heavily constructed fantasy narratives about the often unsettling experience of the physical within the social body.

Recent presentations include Age of You, MOCA, Toronto (2019); Kiss My Genders, Hayward Gallery, London (2019); Meetings on Art, Venice Biennale, Venice (2019); BCE, Whitechapel Gallery, London (2019); Art Basel, Hong Kong (2019); Park Nights, Serpentine Galleries, London (2018); and Indifferent Idols, Taipei Contemporary Art Center, Taipei (2018).

Nikki Joshi is a percussionist based in Toronto, where she recently completed the 2018/19 Rebanks Family Fellowship at the Glenn Gould School. She holds a Master’s Degree from McGill University, where she studied with Aiyun Huang. During her time at McGill, she received the 2017 Mobility Award, and travelled to Bern University of the Arts in Switzerland to conduct research at the school’s renowned Department of Music Theatre. Joshi holds a Bachelor’s Degree, Performer’s Certificate, Arts Leadership Certificate and 2015 John Beck Percussion Scholarship from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Michael Burritt.

Support from Beverly and Jack Creed.

Join the holly jolly fun as we transform into a winter wonderland with magical builds and activities!

Event highlights:
– Build your own LEGO ornament: help us decorate the attraction by building your very own LEGO ornament that we can add to our festive décor! From 12-4PM on select dates.
– Elves Extravaganza: Build your LEGO sleigh and make your way to the North Pole!
– Visit the Elves Workshop: check out our Master Builder Academy and take part in the holiday builds!
– Holiday Scavenger Hunt: Santa and his reindeer lost some presents on their delivery route in MINILAND. Can you help them find them?
– Write a Letter to our Master Model Builder: if LEGO is on your wish list who better to ask than the Master Model Builder?! Our Master Model Builder will send your letter to the North Pole and pick 5 lucky winners to win a LEGO set!
– MINILAND takeover: a festive winter wonderland!
– New Year Balloon Drop: is staying-up until midnight too late for your budding builders? Join us on the last day of Bricktacular for a balloon drop at noon to ring in the New Year!
… AND much more!

Back in the early 90’s, when Powerhouse decided to put together their Chicago Transit tribute act, they were the first in the world to do so.

Today, they remain as the longest running Chicago tribute band and the only one to carry four lead vocalists, just as the band Chicago does. The band’s 5 singers, 4 of which are lead singers, the 3-piece horn section and the intricate horn arrangements of the band’s past trombonist, Dan Elliot, made this show a natural for the band – even getting credit from the band Chicago themselves, back in the 90’s.

This band has been together for over 25 years, with its 3 piece horn section, four piece rhythm section and four lead vocalists is able to cover all the Chicago material from the early horn-dominant classics like ‘Make Me Smile’, ’25 or 6 to 4’ and ‘Saturday in the Park’ to the later, softer, keyboard-oriented ballads like ‘If You Leave Me Now’.

If you love Chicago, you’ll love Chicago Transit.

Marine biologist, Alan Emery, and journalist, Jonathon Gatehouse, discuss the immense changes occurring in the oceans and how these shifts are affecting Canada, a country with three ocean coasts. This conversation delves into what can be done with technology, resources, changes, and sacrifice to address the global climate crisis.

Jonathon Gatehouse is a Toronto-based journalist and author who has covered news and politics at home and abroad for more than two decades, reporting from dozens of countries. He has also written extensively about science and the arts.

Alan Emery is a marine biologist who has published on the subjects of ecology, evolution, and taxonomy as well as the origins and natural history of coral reefs. For 13 years he was president of the Canadian Museum of Nature. He has worked on numerous documentaries on the topic of marine biology; developed environmental policy documents for the Canadian government, the World Bank, and the United Nations.

This programme is organised in dialogue with Shezad Dawood’s exhibition Leviathan. Public programmes for Leviathan are supported by Brenda Simpson and Len Goodman.

The Blushing Brides

It becomes abundantly clear, early in the performance, that the BLUSHING BRIDES are something exceedingly special and excessively unique in an industry of rampant mediocrity, permeated with bands aspiring to harness the excitement only the Rolling Stones could previously deliver.

The phenomenon and mystique that are the Brides is solely attributable to their lead frontman Maurice’s perseverance and longevity. In a business where showmanship should be paramount, he has no rival and is in a class all his own! The potency of the Brides combined stage presence, persona, and musical interpretations transform each performance into a memorable concert spectacle.