Ontario & Quebec

(02/08/12) It's been a big year for author and climate change activist Bill McKibben. His organization, 350.org, led a series of national protests against an oil pipeline from Canada known as Keystone XL.

Critics say the pipeline would accelerate carbon pollution. Last month, President Barack Obama rejected the project, sparking a fierce debate in Congress.

McKibben divides his time between North Creek in the Adirondacks and Ripton, Vermont. He sat down this week to talk in-depth with Brian Mann about the debate over global warming.

McKibben says this year's flooding and the unseasonably warm winter are symptoms of big changes that are already underway.

(02/06/12) Creation is running in the Studio at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa through February 20. Resident theatre critic Connie Meng was at the opening night and has our review. more

(02/03/12) A new plan for controlling water levels in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River will be the main agenda item at Save the River's annual conference at the Clayton Opera House this weekend.

The new plan allows water levels to stay high (or low) for longer periods than the current plan does. The more natural fluctuations are intended to restore diversity in the shoreline ecosystems. Martha Foley has more. more

(01/27/12) More than 30 free events are part of the 3rd annual celebration of ArtIgnite celebration in Kingston, Ontario. It starts today and continues through February 12th. Brian McCurdy, Cultural Director for the City of Kingston, says ArtIgnite is a winter showcase of arts and cultural events events, an eclectic mix of shows, exhibitions, concerts and art activities on the Queen's University campus and in downtown Kingston.

(01/26/12) Not all pipers start young - and they aren't all Scottish either.

John Sullivan came to Canada from England back in 1952. Today he lives in Ottawa and pipes in neighboring Kemptville. Sullivan took up bagpipes later in life, almost on a whim. This past Wednesday, he helped pipe in the haggis for a Robbie Burns luncheon held in Burritts Rapids, Ontario.

Prior to reciting the traditional "Address to a Haggis", Sullivan told Lucy Martin how he reached this point. Sullivan is today's Heard Up North. more

(01/23/12) Blood on the Moon is running at GCTC in Ottawa through February 5. Resident theatre critic Connie Meng has this commentary. more

(01/19/12) Part of Ottawa's Rideau Canal Skateway opened for skating this past Sunday, kicking off its 42nd season. Once weather permits, nearly five miles of frozen canal will see heavy use for another month or two. The free skateway is a star attraction for Winterlude, coming up February 3-20. Sunday, just a short section was open, and the ice conditions were listed as poor.

Long time canal enthusiast Hugh Graham keeps a kick sled on hand for bad ice days. The sled looks like a light kitchen chair on long, thin runners. Wearing home-made studded boots, he can ride the runner with one foot, and push along at a good clip with the other. There's even room for some gear or a light passenger on the chair. Graham showed off his kick sled to Lucy Martin for today's Heard Up North. more

(01/19/12) The Canadian play, 2 Pianos, 4 Hands, has played on five continents and in more than 150 cities since it first opened 15 years ago. Its success worldwide is due to its universal themes of dreams and discipline.

The set consists of two grand pianos, and the cast is just two actors. It's a simple show, ostensibly about piano lessons, that's moving, profound and lots of fun. It was written and first performed by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt, both brilliant actors and pianists. They're back on stage at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa this month for the farewell tour.

2 Pianos, 4 Hands continues through Saturday, January 28th at the National Arts Centre's English Theatre. NCPR's resident theater critic Connie Meng and Todd Moe share a review of the show.

(01/05/12) Governor Cuomo's agenda for the coming year includes more than $20 billion for capital projects aimed at boosting the state's infrastructure.

One of the big ticket items is a $2 billion plan to develop new high tech utility lines designed to feed electricity from producers in the North Country and Quebec to consumers downstate. Brian Mann reports. more

(12/28/11) Crane School of Music professor of piano Paul Wyse has mastered two art forms. He's a classically trained concert pianist and also paints portraits. Earlier this month, he unveiled a full-length portrait of "piano man" Billy Joel in New York City. The artist joined the bestselling musician to unveil the painting at Steinway Hall. Paul Wyse was commissioned by Steinway and Sons to paint Joel's portrait. Two of Wyse's portraits of award-winning pianist and conductor Leon Fleischer are part of the Smithsonian's permanent collection in Washington D.C.

Wyse has performed at the piano on the concert stage around the world and his oil portraits hang in public and private collections and appear in national publications.

So, how does a classically trained concert pianist become an award winning visual artist? "It's hard to explain," says Wyse. But he adds that it's not uncommon for musicians who study the structure of a symphony to use those same skills in the visual arts.

During a visit to his portrait studio in his home near Prescott, Ontario, he told Todd Moe that the mystery of transforming cloth and pigment into something that is looking back at you is powerful, alluring, and part of the compulsion to paint.