Tag Archives: APTN

Featured

Hockey Night in Canada on APTN expands: in Plains Cree for a third season and now also in Inuktitut!

Leave a comment

From a media release:

APTN and Sportsnet are proud to team up once again to bring NHL hockey back to APTN and now to APTN Languages, expanding the reach of this groundbreaking initiative that celebrates language revitalization and connects fans coast to coast to coast with the game they love. This season, viewers can once again experience Hockey Night in Canada in Cree, with play-by-play commentary from the iconic Clarence Iron, joined by analysts Earl Wood, John Chabot and Jason Chamakese, whose expert insights and lively banter make every game unforgettable. And, for the first time ever, APTN will also broadcast three games in Inuktitut. Hosted by Pujjuut Kusugak and David Ningeongan, Hockey Night in Canada in Inuktitut is extending the excitement to even more communities in a meaningful way. 

Here is this season’s game lineup!

  • Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Plains Cree: Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames, 7 p.m. ET for Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada
  • Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Plains Cree: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vancouver Canucks, 7 p.m. ET 
  • Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Plains Cree: Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues, 7 p.m. ET 
  • Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Inuktitut: Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars, 10 p.m. ET 
  • Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Inuktitut: Ottawa Senators vs. New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m. ET 
  • Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Inuktitut: Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET
     

“This season of Hockey Night in Canada in Cree and Inuktitut marks an exciting step forward in enhancing Indigenous language content in partnership with Sportsnet,” said Mike Omelus, APTN Executive Director of Content and Strategy. “Expanding the broadcast to include both Plains Cree and Inuktitut showcases our commitment to fostering language revitalization and connecting communities through the power of sport. With the launch of APTN Languages, we’re proud to continue breaking new ground by bringing meaningful content to audiences across the country.”

For more information, please visit the Hockey Night in Canada in Cree and Inuktitut show page.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Production begins on Season 2 of APTN’s Red River Gold

From a media release:

Saxon de Cocq, Hannah Hermanson and Ell McEachern of 3 Story Pictures are pleased to announce that filming has started on Season 2 of the 13x 30 min documentary series, Red River Gold. 
 
Production commenced on September 10, 2024, and will continue through to the end of October. The series will air on APTN (in English), APTN Languages (in Michif) and be available on APTN lumi in both English and Michif at a later date.
 
In 1870, a trove of gold coins worth $1,000,000 disappeared without a trace. The coins were on their way to fund a British military force marching across Canada to stop Louis Riel and the Métis during the Red River Resistance. The gold has never been recovered and the Royal Mint of England still considers it lost or stolen. And now, a group of Métis treasure seekers want to find it!
 
After returning from the bog, the team waits for the ice to thaw and mosquitos to reappear before heading to the very start of the Dawson Road, at the edge of the Northwest Angle. Here, they discover the evidence of an old Métis village, that was used as a trading and transportation hub. With rumors of the gold being hidden by an old building, this has the team excited to start digging, knowing full well there are other historical treasures to find.  
 
Red River Gold is directed by Saxon de Cocq (Treaty Road Season 1 & 2, Red River Gold Season 1, The Other Side), Berkley Brady (Dark Nature, The Secret History of: The Wild West), Sam Karney (Going Native, Nation Untamed) and Lisa Unrau (Staying Wild Seasons 1,2,3, Landing: Stories from the Cultural Divide), written by Saxon de Cocq, and is produced by Hannah Hermanson (Treaty Road Season 1 & 2, Red River Gold Season 1, Staying Wild Season 1,2 & 3, Zarqa Season 2), Ell McEachern (Treaty Road Season 1 & 2, Red River Gold Season 1, Staying Wild Season 1,2 & 3, Zarqa Season 2), Saxon de Cocq and Sam Karney. The series will be executive produced by Doug Cuthand (Guardians: Evolution, Van Life, Searchers, Big Bear).
  
Red River Gold will be filmed in rural Manitoba for the searching (Ste Anne, Richer, Falcon Lake, Northwest Angle, Lake of the Woods), as well as the Mint in Whales and at the Tower of London. Cinematography by Sam Karney and editing by Kolby Kostyniuk (Staying Wild, Treaty Road, Dirt Farmers). 
 
Red River Gold was commissioned by APTN and produced with additional financial support from Canada Media Fund and Creative Saskatchewan.  

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Friday Night Thunder revs up for final season on APTN

From a media release:

Big Soul Productions is pleased and saddened to announce the final season premiere of Indigenous racing docuseries Friday Night Thunder on Friday, September 6 at 8:30PM ET on APTN. Shot entirely at Ohsweken Speedway on the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, this is the only series to follow the stories of Indigenous drivers in the Sprint Car class, arguably one of the most dangerous forms of racing in motorsports.

Created and Produced by Anishinaabe Producer Laura Milliken (Moccasin Flats), the 13x30min series amplifies the challenging world of grassroots dirt track racing for 10 Indigenous drivers who demonstrate varying degrees of passion, seriousness and skill on and off the track. From budget shortfalls to motor issues and car wrecks to rookie mistakes, all of the drivers wrestle with the challenges of this costly and sometimes deadly sport.

“It’s been a wild and crazy ride filming Friday Night Thunder at Ohsweken Speedway. I have seen young drivers become family men, watched kids growing up, witnessed some of the best racing you’ll see anywhere and had the most fun I may ever have working on a television series,” said Laura Milliken. “I’ll truly miss this show. But I’m a forever racing fan so I’m sure I’ll be back with some more Indigenous racing content soon.”

Friday Night Thunder, the first-ever documentary series about the exhilarating and dangerous world of sprint car racing, ends its run in its fourth season for a total of 52 half-hour episodes. Seasons 1-3 can be watched on APTN’s streaming platform APTN LUMI. The Season 4 television premiere will be across all APTN channels on Friday, September 6 at 8:30PM.

“Audiences keep coming back to Friday Night Thunder because the drivers’ passion for what they do is infectious,” said Adam Garnet Jones, director of TV content and special events at APTN. “With fast cars, big characters and high stakes at Ohsweken Speedway, the show is all grit, grease and heart. We are sad to see it go but it will have a long life on our streaming platform.”

Friday Night Thunder was made possible by the generous support of Canadian Motorsport Hall of Famer and Ohsweken Speedway founder Glenn Styres and Tina Styres, GForceTV and Clinton Geoffrey.

ABOUT BIG SOUL PRODUCTIONS
Big Soul Productions Inc. is a pioneering Toronto-based production company founded in 1999 by Anishinaabe producer/entrepreneur Laura J. Milliken. With their Gemini nominated series “Moccasin Flats,” Big Soul became the first Aboriginal-owned production company to earn a Best Dramatic Series nomination. Other notable credits include the primetime animated comedy “By the Rapids,” and the critically acclaimed festival films “Fire Song” and “Run Woman Run,” a sleeper box office hit. Big Soul is dedicated to creating, developing, and producing films and television series representing the Indigenous voice and perspective while generating much needed capacity for Indigenous talent in the film and television industries. 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Production begins on Season 2 of APTN’s Treaty Road

From a media release:

Saxon de Cocq, Hannah Hermanson and Ell McEachern of 3 Story Pictures, Doug Cuthand of Blue Hill Productions, and Candy Renae Fox are pleased to announce that principal photography has started on Season 2 of Treaty Road. This ground-breaking 12-part docuseries (one hour each) follows Dakota/Anishinaabekwe educator and researcher, Erin Goodpipe (RezX, The Other Side, Bathsheba: Search for Evil) and Métis writer, director and producer Saxon de Cocq (The Other Side, The Invincible Sergeant Bill (CBC), Land Acknowledgement (CIFF) and the upcoming Red River Gold,) as they head back out on the road exploring the familiar and unfamiliar grounds of Treaties 7 – 11. 
 
Season 2 of Treaty Road challenges the crew as they travel from Saxon’s hometown of Calgary to remote, fly in communities on James Bay and end in the nation’s capital, Ottawa. Helicopters, boats, float planes, trains, and miles of winding and remote roads take them to the experts and activists who are navigating the ongoing negotiations and settlements that surround the numbered treaties. 
 
“It’s not only an eye-opening experience, meeting with and learning from all of the amazing people throughout the Treaty territories, it’s an absolute honour,” said Saxon de Cocq.
 
Treaty Road is directed by Candy Fox (The Other Side, Big Brother Canada, ZARQA S2), Saxon de Cocq and Erin Goodpipe and hosted by Saxon de Cocq and Erin Goodpipe and produced by Saxon de Cocq, Candy Fox, Ell McEachern (Staying Wild, The Other Side, ZARQA S2 and the upcoming Red River Gold,) and Hannah Hermanson (Staying Wild, The Other Side, ZARQA S2 and the upcoming Red River Gold). The series is written by Saxon de Cocq and story edited by Berkley Brady (Dark Nature, The Secret History of: The Wild West) with Doug Cuthand (Guardians: Evolution,Big Bear, Searchers, Van Life) serving as executive producer. 
  
Cinematography by Jeremy Ratzlaff (By Faith, Denis, Never Seen Again) and editing by Jennifer Prokop (Staying Wild, The Other Side, Treaty Road), Kolby Kostyniuk (Staying Wild, Dirt Farmers, Treaty Road, Red River Gold), Nina Staum (Ice Racer Showdown, The Other Side, Treaty Road, Red River Gold).
   
Treaty Road is produced with financial support from Canada Media Fund, Creative Saskatchewan, Alberta Media Fund, Bell Fund and APTN. The series will air on APTN in 2025. 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Chef Shawn Adler cooks up tasty and traditional treats on APTN’s Pow Wow Chow

I’m fascinated with the behind-the-scenes of creating food. Whether it was The Heat with Mark McEwan back in 2006 or Carnival Eats with Noah Cappe, it’s interesting to find out how food is prepared, quickly and on-location, for people.

That fascination continues with Pow Wow Chow. The documentary series, debuting Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on APTN, hits the road to follow two Indigenous chefs preparing food for crowds at Pow Wows across the country.

Featuring Indigenous chefs Shawn Adler of the Pow Wow Café and Flying Chestnut Kitchen, and Bob Chilblow of Chiblow Fish, their partners, family, and road crews, each instalment of Pow Wow Chow digs into the dishes being created, as well as spotlighting the Pow Wows themselves.

“Going behind the scenes is interesting,” Adler says during a recent phone call. “People don’t have that perspective without a TV show, and it definitely makes for some interesting watching.”

Adler and his partner are a sight, driving a small yellow school bus from location to location, unloading it, prepping, cooking, selling, cleaning up, packing up and doing it all over again. It can be a logistical nightmare, but one Adler has nailed down with experience.

Produced by InterINDigital and Sandbay, Pow Wow Chow is educational as well. Viewers learn about the Pow Wow Trail, which stretches from B.C. to Nova Scotia, celebrating Indigenous culture as multiple generations come together to enjoy food, honour traditions, forge a sense of community and practice spiritual healing.

“APTN is aired all across Canada,” Adlet says. “I don’t think a lot of non-Indigenous folks have ever been to a Pow Wow, maybe they have heard the term before, and don’t really understand what happens. Beyond the food vending, there is the drumming, the dancing, the singing, all of the craft vendors and it’s a family-oriented cultural practice.”

“I hope that people tune in and garner a little more of an understanding of life on the Pow Wow Trail.”

Pow Wow Chow airs Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on APTN.

Image courtesy of Sandbay Entertainment.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail