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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Stacey Simon’s fun, foodie Rendezvous outside of the city

Stacey Simon doesn’t wait around for things to happen. So, in 2011, she founded her own production company, LiLoLa Films (named after her mantra, “Live, Love and Laugh”) where she could create her own projects. The fruits of her labours can be seen in her first television project, Stacey Simon Rendezvous.

Debuting Saturday night with back-to-back episodes on Gusto TV, Stacey Simon Rendezvous finds the Ottawa native jumping in the car and exploring the countryside outside of her adopted home of Toronto to shine the spotlight on the animals, people and produce populating the farms, vineyards and communities in Southern Ontario.

“This is my story,” Simon says. “This is what I do on my weekends. I literally get away from Toronto and discover other parts of Ontario. I love the city life, but I love to discover the little towns and places and go local. Whether it be fresh food or talking to the locals, I really enjoy it.” Simon had several projects in her head and on paper and was trying to figure out which one she wanted to do first, she went with the project closest to her heart. In Saturday’s first episode, “A Royal Rendezvous,” Simon travels to Beamsville, Ont., to see the most expensive bottle of Ice Wine in the world, hikes the Bruce Trail and picks apples, pears and pumpkins on a nearby farm. And whether she’s lugging an oversized orange squash around a field or sipping a high-end wine, Simon’s goal for each of the eight 30-minute episodes is the same: to celebrate and educate the small towns mere minutes outside of Toronto.

“Because there is so much to do in this city, you tend to forget that most of the food on your plate in the great restaurants are from an hour outside of the city,” she says. “I really believe in farm to table. I like going to a farm and seeing how your food is processed and grown.” Season 1 is a wish list of Simon’s favourite Ontario communities, including Beamsville, Newcastle and Lincoln; she hopes to add Prince Edward County to Season 2, which is in pre-production. Speaking of production, a quick look at Rendezvous’ end credits reveal a stripped-down crew helping make Simon’s dream of making compelling, entertaining TV come true.

“I may have a very small film crew and production team, but they are all professionals in their field and know their stuff,” she says. “Being the perfectionist that I am and a sponge at wanting to learn all I can, I am very thankful that I was able to follow through from start to finish, exactly how I saw it in my head.”

Stacey Simon Rendezvous debuts Saturday, Aug. 15, at 6 and 6:30 p.m. ET on Gusto TV.

Stacey Simon has just released a book, Where The Streets Have A Cool Name, that combines her love of photography and writing. It features a collection of unique street names accompanied by brief captions that reflect on amusing and uplifting messages inspired by each street she captured. Get more details here.

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Amazing Race Canada, Featured

Review: Amazing Race Canada teams find Jeopardy in Sudbury

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In the end, Alex Trebek only hung around long enough to welcome the first five teams to the mat during Wednesday’s adventures in his hometown of Sudbury, Ont. I’m guessing he had a plane to catch or the bugs got to be too bad. Either way, despite his early exit, several teams were in jeopardy, with Nic and Sabrina seeing their luck on The Amazing Race Canada run out.

The pair have been travelling with horseshoes in their back pockets since Week 2, and Nic’s frustration during the Analyze Detour and CPR Roadblock took them off their game.

“Who is Alex Trebek?” served notice to Brian and Cynthia—despite landing third-place—that just because you have prior experience at something doesn’t guarantee instant success. Like Nic did during blind soccer a few weeks back, the police pair assumed their experience in law enforcement would serve them well during the forensic challenge at Laurentian University. Instead, they saw wrestlers Matt and Nick complete the task first. Then Cynthia beamed as she entered the CPR Road Block, thinking her past as a paramedic would mean an early triumph. Not so. Still, they did land in third place for the week.

Amazing_Race_3

Meanwhile, Gino and Jesse replicated last week’s success with another first-place finish thanks to nabbing the Fast Forward clue 10 minutes ahead of their nearest competitors. They paused for just a moment while feeding their turtle bugs before agreeing to nosh down on the same crunchy critters; Jesse scarfed them down in one mouthful and they were off to the Bell Park Gazebo to check in with Jon Montgomery and Trebek.

Here’s how the teams finished this Leg:

  1. Gino and Jesse
  2. Nick and Matt
  3. Brian and Cynthia
  4. Brent and Sean
  5. Simi and Ope
  6. Neil and Kristin
  7. Dujean and Leilani
  8. Nic and Sabrina (eliminated)

Notes and quotes

  • It got a little dusty during Alex Trebek’s emotional speech about the relationship he shares with his daughter.
  • Sudbury is one of the happiest places in the country? Even during blackfly season?
  • Kudos to the Race editors who intercut Nic and Sabrina talking about how age doesn’t matter while showing them bickering.
  • “We were in a little bit of jeopardy in that one part.” Oh, Sean.

The Amazing Race Canada airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

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Auction, Featured, Rick Mercer Report

Bid now: Rick Mercer Report prize package

You can win four tickets to a taping of the Rick Mercer Report season 13 in Toronto between September and November 2015, plus a t-shirt (your choice of S/M/L), mug, cap and autographed book A Nation Worth Ranting About, courtesy the Rick Mercer Report.

All proceeds from the TV, eh? charity auction will go to Kids Help Phone — a free, anonymous and confidential phone and on-line professional counselling service for youth.

Bid here:

RMR

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Auction, Featured

Bid now: Pick a writer’s brain plus Canadian Screenwriter magazine

Bid on this rare opportunity to get one-on-one advice from a film and television writer/executive producer. You’ll get a half hour phone call for career or craft advice from inkcanada founder Karen Walton (Ginger Snaps, Queer As Folk USA, Flashpoint, The Listener). Plus, you get a one year subscription to the Writers Guild of Canada’s Canadian Screenwriter magazine.

All proceeds from the TV, eh? charity auction go to Kids Help Phone — a free, anonymous and confidential phone and on-line professional counselling service for youth.

Bid here:

KWalton

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