Wake Up Winnipeg - Wake Up Winnipeg Turns 1 Years Old - Poster

Be sure to tune in
on June 10, 2010
for the 1 year anniversary episode
of Wake Up Winnipeg
on 101.5 UMFM.
At 6:00 PM
CST

Wake Up Winnipeg - Episode 46

Hosted Live/Produced/Recorded
by: Aimless Andru
Air Date: 6/03/2010 on CJUM
101.5 FM / iTunes
Download Location iTunes.
Rebroadcast: 6/9/2010

Track Listings: http://aimlessandandy.blogspot.com


Here we are again for yet another episode of Wake Up Winnipeg.

This week was a great week for us as we received over 20 personal event invites from all of our friends fans and supporters, let alone the individual e-mails that we get on a daily basis.

It's been so fun growing with you all throughout the last 46 episodes and next week. . . we celebrate our 1 year mark as we launched this radio program back on June 11th of 2009!

It's been amazing to see how far this show has grown, and I can't wait to recap our year on next weeks episode. We are also taking your congratulatory voice-mails on our voice-mail box which is open 24 hours and is open to anyone.

Please check out our CONTACT PAGE if you are interested in sharing your love.

Please get these to us BEFORE THURSDAY so we can include your well wishing on our one year episode. Thank you!

This week, we talked about the various events happening locally both small and large.

We featured a track from Tom Petty who is being presented by Live Nation at the MTS Centre on June 19th. We hope to review that for you soon!

1) Tom Petty - The Last Dj.

We also had a chance to check out a couple of local favorites here in town over the weekend:



(Video: Produced/Edited by Andru Valpy)


On episode 46, I had the chance to head down to Canad Inns Fort Gary to check out Celebrations Dinner Theater presentation of "Night At The Museum of Rock & Roll".

This marks Wake Up's second visit to Celebrations, and once again I have to say. . . I was thoroughly entertained.

For any of you who liked to be wined, dined, and entertained, I would strongly suggested heading down to Celebrations be it with family, friends or loved ones. There is something to be enjoyed for people of all ages.

As a musician, artist and someone who likes to be entertained, I always enjoy visiting celebrations dinner theater, both professionally and personally.

Flat out: Night At The Museum of Rock & Roll was wicked!

As the title states, the play is in similar taste to the film "A Night at the Museum". However, instead of dinosaurs and army figures, the viewer is treated to the tastes of rock and roll legends.

Such celebrities include: Dianna Ross, Kelly Clarkson, Madonna Janis Joplin, Michael Jackon,
Little Richard, David Bowie, Bono, Elvis, Bob Segar, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Jerry Lee Lewis and even Pete Townsend!

The play list was great, as always. . . over 29 tracks of rock and roll classics both past and
present.

It was hard to resist the urge to run up on stage and sing with the cast. . .

. . . oh wait. I did.

During one part of the play, I was invited to be drummer Ringo Starr, which I found funny. . .
considering I am a drummer. Needless to say, it was a blast!

It should be noted, that the cast did a stupendous job of portraying their characters and singing songs from the legends of whom they were portraying. All of the songs portrayed and featured in this production were sang 100% live from the cast!

What is even more amazing is the amount of responsibility that each cast member was accountable for. Each cast member had at least 1 lead and 1 supportive roll throughout this production! And the audience certainly loved them for it.

"Night At The Museum of Rock & Roll" is on from May 28 - July 31, 2010 at Canad Inns Fort Garry hotel located at 1824 Pembina Highway inside Celebrations
Dinner Theater.

For more information, show times, or for ticket pricing and purchase, please visit http://www.celebrations.ca or call toll free 1-877-823-8282 Or better yet. . . GO SEE IT YOURSELF!

I personally assure you that a night at celebrations dinner is well worth it!

So, until next time Winnipeg, you keep on rocking and I'll keep on rolling.

Take care and Thanks again!

-Andru

Wake Up Winnipeg - Episode #45 (Wake Up Canada #1)

Wake up Winnipeg presents:

Episode 45 - Wake Up Canada (Episode #1)

Hosted Live/Produced/Recorded by: Aimless Andru
Air Date: 5/27/2010 on CJUM 101.5 FM / iTunes
Download Location iTunes.
Rebroadcast: 6/2/2010
Track Listings: http://aimlessandandy.blogspot.com

The big 45 - Over the hill, and out of the prairies!

Today, we took another step on behalf of you the fans, and for the Aimless & Andy Team and a first for Wake Up Winnipeg. . . We aired our first live national story.

On this episode, we broadcast live from Canada Place in Vancouver BC. We talked about our recent explorations out west.

We touched on our visit to Vancouver Island in which we celebrated Victoria day. We suggested to you the listener to find the busker who usually preforms outside of "The Empress" hotel just down by the boardwalk and underground gardens. If he's true to his word, and he is there every day. . . then you should have no problem finding him.

We also went on in great lengths about our visit to Chef Tojo's Japanese restaurant located on West Broadway in Vancouver BC. If you haven't read the review, please do!

We played a few tracks on this weeks show, tracks we picked as it happened so we didn't have the track listings readily available at time of air.

1) Said The Whale - Fish And Stars II
2) Classified - Oh...Canada.
3) Tegan & Sara - The Ocean.
4) Crash Test Dummies - Mmmm - Mmmm - Mmmm.

A big thanks go out to those friends and fans for their support out here in Vancouver, and to you all the listener for tuning into our little radio program.

Expect this weeks show in iTunes, FOR SURE!

Take care guys!

Wake Up Canada - Review - Tojos Sushi Restaurant

Wake Up Canada Review - Tojos Japanese Restaurant - Vancouver, British Columbia.

Photo's and Review By: Andru Valpy

Tojo's Restaurant

1133 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6H1J1

Tel: (604) 872-8050

Neighbourhood: Fairview
http://www.tojos.com

• Cuisine: Japanese, Pacific, Sushi
• Price: $$$$ ($45.00 or more)
  
• Aimless & Andy Rating: ***** (out of 5).
  
• Reservations: Suggested.
  
• Features: Fine Dining, Group Dining, Omakase.

According to Urbanspoon.com, the city of Vancouver has a total amount of 633 listed Japanese restaurants.

But out of those 633, there is only one that has consistently been number one on the list of Vancouver Magazines "Best Japanese Award" every year since 1988.

That award, goes to Tojo's.

Chef Tojo has been actively involved in Japanese cooking for a total of 42 years having started at the age of 18 in Osaka Japan.

After a fast 3 years of apprenticeship in Osaka, Tojo took his art over-seas to the City of Vancouver, where his journeys in Canadian Sushi began.

His work has taken him to places like The Martha Stewart Cooking Show in 2004, NBC's "The Today Show" with Katie Couric, The Fairmont Dubai grand opening (where he was the Guest Chef in "Tojo on One") and L.A where he has been a guest chef.

When I meet Tojo in person, I could instantly tell that the excitement he may have had at the age of 18, is still in his blood.

His art, is his passion.

For a lot of people, sushi is a quick healthy way to satisfy a craving, or take a date for that new sense of excitement.

But what many people may not realize, is that there is certainly an art that comes with sushi making. Those that have eaten at Tojo's will tell you, that his work is certainly art, and Tojo is the creative artist.

While there, I had a chance to trust Tojo to Omakase.
And I was not disappointed.

Omakase in Japanese culture means one entrusts the Chef to arrange a meal for his guests.

At Tojo's, Omakase features a combination of both hot and cold dishes which:

"embodies the essence of Tojo's culinary, and reflects the blessed environment of the region that bestows us with some of the finest ingredients in the world". - Tojo's Menu.

My meal started off with, Tojo's Tuna, which was probably the freshest of the popular appetizer I have ever had.

Most likely because it was served in Canada's seafood capital, British Columbia.

It was presented beautifully on ice.

Chilled, smooth, sprinkled with green onions and a matching green leaf to compliment the dish, my meal was off to a great start.



I was wondering how something so delicious could be beat.

I was then presented with a beautiful order of crab, presented in it's bright and colourful pink and orange shell. It was detailed with bright yellow flower petals, and made to perfection. The colour combination matched with the refreshing taste of the fresh sea crab was certainly pleasing to the taste buds.

Next, a sampling of what I believe was shiitake mushrooms.

To be honest, I was pleasantly distracted by Chef Tojo presenting the dish to me that I forgot what the exact name of it was. (ED Note: The name of the dish was not available at time of publishing).

Rest, assured. This tantalizing treat was fully appreciated. It was also new to me. I'm glad I tried it.

As this meal was the first in what we hope will be many for The Aimless & Andy Team, Chef Tojo felt it right to celebrate.

To do so, he presented us with the 2010 Celebration Roll, a roll exclusive to Tojo's.
This roll was created to capture the spirit of the 2010 Olympic Games which were held in Vancouver earlier this year.

It consisted of crab, pineapple and asparagus inside and blended with tuna, salmon, red snapper, spinach, and egg on top.

This was the first time I had ever heard of pineapple being used in a roll of sushi, and I can honestly say...It was amazing.

Complete with Olympic themed trimmings, beautifully crafted rolls and Chef Tojo's signature in blueberry sauce, this roll was thoroughly enjoyed and one that I will be coming back for again.

There are truly no real words that come to mind when describing this original piece. Other than flavorful, sweet, and for sure "tasty".

A personal suggestion would be to go and try it for yourself to find out what I am referring to.

I can certainly tell you that there will be celebration cravings that will most likely follow my visit. I hope to come back and do it again soon to satisfy them.

While enjoying our meal, I had to chance to see Chef Tojo present his Northern Light Roll
This roll was artistic in itself and upon review it is understood where the name came from.

This specialty roll, is filled nicely with wild prawn tempura, avacado, seasonal fruit and rolled in a cucumber crepe.

This dish was inspired by the Canadian Northern Lights, and yes. It shows.

The next item was a treat for me, as Chef Tojo surprised me with a form of BBQ dish that was presented and wrapped gift-like in a form of cooking paper.

I almost ate the paper...

When I unwrapped the serving and sampled the barbecued roll, I was once again impressed with Chef Tojos recommendation and his personal creativity. The roll was paired with asparagus and what appeared to be mushrooms.

The taste was superb!

My final sampling was personally presented and made for the occasion as well.

It was a Temakizushi roll which consisted of tempura prawn, avocado, and glazed with Chef Tojo's special sauce. I made a point to tell Chef Tojo that it was certainly delicious.



While finishing my meal, I had the opportunity to talk to a pair of regulars (turned friends!) who have been visiting Chef Tojo for 25 years religiously.

They told me the stories about those who have come through the doors of Tojo's throughout the the years of its operation.

It was also told to me that many artists, celebrities, and musicians grace Chef Tojo with their company on a somewhat frequent basis.

This list includes entertainment industry figures, musicians, celebrities, and even politicians from all over the world.

In fact, I learned that record label Sony Music found Chef Tojo's food to be so wonderful that they brought their international teams together under Tojo's roof during visits to Vancouver.

After having eaten there myself, I can see why. It only makes sense!

So the next time you are in Vancouver, and you are looking for just the right place to satisfy that sushi craving...why not head down to 1133 W. Broadway and visit Chef Tojo yourself.

Make sure you tell him Andru-San sent you!

Additional photographs will be made available in our Face-book Fan Page soon!

Until next time, take care!

-Av

(ED Note: A heartfelt thanks goes out to Chef Tojo and staff for arranging our visit, and for treating us to a wonderful evening and warm hospitality. ありがとう)

Review - Wake Up Winnipeg - One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest - Ellice Street Theater - 5/13/10

Review - ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST- The Ellice Street Theater

Photo's and Review By: Andru Valpy (andru(at)aimlessandandy(dot)com)





"Wire, Briar, limber-lock, Three geese in a flock, One flew east, one flew west, And one flew over the cuckoo's nest."

On Thursday May 13, 2010 I had the opportunity to head to The Ellice Street theater to review and photograph "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest" thanks to an invite from the cast of the production.

If there was ever a bunch of young adults that could portray "cuckoo", it was those actors and actress involved in Thursday's showing. And that's said nicely.

I've sat on this review since Thursday because truly, (as much as an excuse as this may sound), I have had a hard time putting to paper the best way to describe how great the cast portrayed "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest" as there was so much energy, passion, and action that occurred throughout the course of the evening.

Topped with the fact that the blocking, stage craft, and direction of the cast was certainly that of Broadway Caliber.

I'm proud to say that we have actors and actress who should belong on Broadway, right here in Winnipeg's core.

As the show started, you could certainly feel the dedication to character as Chief (portrayed by Josh Halbert) enters and sets the dark, mysterious role of his complex character. As the play continued, the audience was left to appreciate Josh's role in the presentation, as his role required him to be serious and silent for a majority of the play.

Next, the cast of loonies.

The entire group (composed of Billy Bibbit, Dale Harding, Chris Landowski, Drew Fillion and Paul Madziak) had the audience in stitches.

The group did a fantastic job of being "Cuckoo", and at times I was left wondering just how much fun they were having while on stage.



Enter Randle P. McMurphy (played by Jeff Wahl).

Wow, really.



Having seen Jack Nicholson portray McMurphy in the 1975 production of "One Flew Over the Cookoo's nest", I can respectfully say that Jeff did a very good job of making McMurphy his own character.

One could dare say that following in Jack Nicholson's shoes would be a challenge. Jeff made it look easy.

As McMurphy checked himself into his new home, he instantly burnt the bridges of Aide Williams, Aide Warren, Nurse Flinn, and of course, the infamous Nurse Ratched. (Played by Sarah-Anne Bartram, Sharilyn Palmer, Ali Tataryn, and Kami Desilets).

All four woman were beautiful in deliverance, blocking, and form. In fact, having seen Kami portray Nurse Ratched so well, I am almost afraid to wonder what she would be like in person! (ED Note: kidding, of course!) It was certainly displayed to McMurphy that she was not to be messed with.

Thankfully, there was someone on stage who had the courage to step up to Nurse Ratched, and that of course would be Dr. Spivey (Played by Sunny Sidhu).

It was interesting to watch Sunny as he played the part of the Dr.

He did a great job of being decisive, and yet cowardly when dealing with Nurse Ratched.


There are also worth-while actors and actress that made Thursday's presentation enjoyable and should be mentioned for sure.

Aide Turkle (played by Eugene Baffoe) was "spunky" in his role. It was fun to watch him take a task as night aide and turn it into his own little solo performance. It was apparent that he had fun in his deliverance.

There were also the "floozy's" played by the beautiful and talented Amy Simoes (who played Candy) and Ashley Hirt (Who Played Sandra).

These two girls went all out in their rolls, and most defiantly worked well with the cast.


The character relations between McMurphy and Candy were displayed wonderfully. The chemistry between the two was impressive.

Not to be forgotten, Miss Ashley Hirt also worked well with the cast and did an excellent job of having fun. It showed in her performance on stage.

Director Shawn Farrell did a good job in ensuring the run of "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest" was smooth, visually appealing, and well blocked out.

We would like to thank the cast for having us out (again), and suggest to those of you who are interested to check out the interview posted in iTunes on Thursday and for sure you'll have a better idea as to what I am referring to.




We have also posted additional pictures in our Facebook Fan Page.

Thank you all for having us out!

-Av

  

Wake Up Winnipeg - Episode 41

  

Wake Up Winnipeg - Episode 41

Hosted Live/Produced/Recorded by: Andru Valpy,

Air Date: 4/29/2010 on CJUM 101.5 FM
Download Location: iTunes.
Web: http://wakeupwinnipeg.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/wakeupwinnipeg 

Become a FaceBook Fan: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wake-Up-Winnipeg/180565651965105
Rebroadcast: 5/05/2011 on CJUM 101.5 UMFM - 6:30 AM

Hello and welcome to Episode #41 of Wake Up Winnipeg.

On today's show we covered some of the events happening your city, including the most recent "Plants and Animals" and "Said The Whale" show at The West End Cultural Centre!




Both bands put on a GREAT show and we had a blast getting to know Ben and Tyler from Said The Whale. Pictures will be found on our Aimless & Andy fan page located in Face Book!

Thank you Ben AND Tyler for having us out! It's always fun watching music live, and your show was certainly a perfect way to spend a Wednesday night.

Said The Whale played some favorite hits and new tracks from their recent album "Island Disappear" which was released back in October of 2009.

One lucky winner (Danielle) won herself a copy of Island Disappear just for calling in.

Plants and Animals played to their hearts content with tracks from their freshly released album "La La Land" which was released on April 20th of this year.

Something worth noting, a Winnipegger brought a pie just for the occasion! How friendly is that!?

We also talked about our visit to City Hall which we blogged about on Wednesday of this week.

We asked you for your opinions on the motion passed by Mayor Sam Katz and city council to invest additional costs of up to one hundred thousand dollars to research the benefits of LRT vs BRT.

Some of the responses we got on our Twitter (http://twitter.com/wakeupwinnipeg) were as follows:

"LRT is the way to go! But BRT is better than nothing and a step in the right direction."

"Something will have to be done eventually, and it's not getting any cheaper over time while City Council drags their feet.."

"They should just do it. Enough reports already!"

I am personally not opposed to additional research if it means that the overall project will help our city grow.

It is my opinion that any investment our tax money goes towards is spent wisely, as is the case with most of our population and the world!

If an additional report concludes that LRT is cost efficient, and long lasting then by all means, please build it!

But, as Winnipeg is a rapidly growing city (more so with the development of Waverly West, and the soon to be built Bomber Stadium at the University of Manitoba) it is my opinion that something needs to be done soon.

I understand that these things take time, and I'm okay with that. I get it, and it's cool.

BUT it would seem like we are so far behind when it comes to our transportation system!

I have been to many a city across North America and was at one point a Winnipeg Transit user for a period of three years.

Though many improvements have and are continuing to be made in our bus system, there are still some tie ups that occur during daily commutes for citizens across the city to no fault of the bus driver or routes.

Train tracks and rush hours. It happens.

But the property is already there, and the funding was already approved for most of the project.

Local citizen, Ken Klassen surprised city hall with his independent report which outlines LRT use in various major cities in Canada.

Some of the facts included in this study found that LRT use has significantly gone down in construction fees.

City hall will be looking into this report and considering it for sure.

This motion raised a couple of questions from city councilors, fans of Wake Up Winnipeg and local citizens and businesses.

1) Where is this additional funding coming from?

2) When will this project be finalized?

The Mayor has gone on our shows record as saying that a report will be generated within 90 days to determine the benefits.

I am inclined to believe the Mayor in this comment, and believe that our city will do the research make a wise decision soon. This was agreed upon by all members of council as they have been working on this project for a very long time.

The commitment is still there.

It is also understood, and appreciated that all of members of City Council and The Mayors office want this project to be finalized as soon as possible.

There is for sure no doubt in my mind that the end result of this project will truly go down in Winnipeg's history books, and will benefit citizens for years to come.

Hopefully, it's not the world book of records! :) (Said friendly, and jokingly of course!)

Please be sure to join us next week on Wake Up Winnipeg, and if you missed this weeks episode you may tune into UMFM at 6:30 AM on Wednesday Morning, or find us in iTunes.

Until next time, rock on to the music, learn about your city, and grow in all ways!

Take care and Merci to all of those who support us!

-Andru

Track Listings

1) Said The Whale - Camilo (The Magician)
2) Simon & Garfunkle - Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water (Live from NY)

(c) 2010, Andru Valpy - CJUM 101.5 FM.

Wake Up Winnipeg - Mayor to ask administration to explore light rail transit

We are reporting live from City Hall today to explore the option of Light Rail Transit to the University of Manitoba.

We're mid session now, but here is the media release from the Mayors Office regarding the topic. Expect a report soon!

Mayor to ask administration to explore light rail transit

Katz wants to see business case for long term transportation solution

Winnipeg, April 16th, 2010 – Committed to ensuring that Winnipeggers have the best option of rapid transit for the development of our City’s future, Mayor Sam Katz will present a motion to Executive Policy Committee (EPC) to direct the administration to explore the option of light rail transit.

As a first step in the development of a long term strategy for a rapid transit system in Winnipeg, all levels of government have committed to funding stage 1 of the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor from downtown to Jubilee Avenue.

“I remain committed to working towards building a rapid transit system in the City of Winnipeg,” said Mayor Sam Katz. “But we need to ensure that what we build makes sense for the long term development of our City and provides Winnipeggers the neccessary incentives to leave there car at home and embrace public transportation alternatives, and provides solutions for financing with all our funding partners.”

The expansion of rapid transit facilites in Winnipeg has the potential to increase transit ridership, reduce reliance on automobiles, and achieve significant greenhouse gas emission reductions. A potential stimulus for future development in terms of density and infill neighbourhoods could also increase along rapid transit corridors with the long term construction of light rail transit.

“Winnipeg is experiencing an unprecedented level of growth, confidence, and commitment. We’ve recently been cited as one of the best cities to do business and Winnipeggers should celebrate the accomplishments we’ve made, especially during a global recession,” said Katz. “With all of the major projects underway here in the heart of the continent, we need to be sure we are thinking big picture and making decisions that look 20 years into the future, not 20 years in the past.”

MOTION 1

MOVED BY: Mayor Sam Katz
Seconded By: Councilor Steeves

WHEREAS reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential for the protection of human health and our environment;

AND WHEREAS Manitoba has enacted legislation that requires the province to keep its Kyoto commitment for 2012 and sets long-term goals for further reductions by 2020 and 2025 across all sectors of the Manitoba Economy;

AND WHEREAS The Climate Change and Emissions Reduction Act enshrines in the 50/50 transit funding partnership to ensure the Province continues to pay one-half of Winnipeg transit's net operating costs, including rapid transit;

AND WHEREAS The Rapid Transit Task Force recommended one-third City/Provincial/Federal cost-sharing of a rapid transit system;

AND WHEREAS as first step in the development of a long term strategy for the development of a rapid transit system in Winnipeg, the City of Winnipeg, the Province of Manitoba and the Government of Canada have committed to funding for Stage 1 of the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor, which is being constructed;

AND WHEREAS the expansion of rapid transit facilities in Winnipeg may help to increase transit ridership, reduce reliance on automobiles and achieve the Province's long-term greenhouse gas emission reduction goals;

AND WHEREAS rapid transit offers a potential stimulus for future development potential in terms of density and value, and light rail rapid transit may present an opportunity to increase development potential along rapid transit corridors;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Winnipeg Public Service be directed to review the applicability of light rail rapid transit and report back to the Executive Policy Committee in 90 days with a business case that includes:

(i) an analysis of a comparative costs per kilometer for bus rapid transit and light rail rapid transit;

(ii) an analysis of the comparative advantages of bus rapid transit and light rail rapid transit;

(iii) prioritized options for light rail rapid transit routes;

(iv) recommended options for the type of types of light rail technology that might be appropriate for use in Winnipeg;

(v) comparison and quantification of anticipated benefits of light rail rapid transit vs. bus rapid transit including: incremental taxes generated from development, ridership increases, deduction of greenhouse gas emissions; and

(vi) funding options, including a strategy for pursuing intergovernmental funding.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that funding to a maximum of $100,000.00 be approved for costs associated with undertaking such analysis, to be allocated from Transit Capital Account No. 442-181000-420755-4220000309 (Transportation Authority Study).

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any contracts awarded in association with the preparation of such business case that are estimated to exceed $100,000.00 must be tendered through a competitive RFP process.


MOTION ITEM 2

Moved by (Councillor Gerbasi)
Seconded by (Councillor Vandal)

WHEREAS rapid transit is a high priority for infrastructure investment;

THEREFORE IT BE RESOLVED THAT Item 2 of the Report of the Executive Policy dated April 21, 2010 be amended to include the southwest Rapid Transit Corridor between Jubilee at Pembina and the University of Manitoba under the list of projects endorsed by council as City of Winnipeg infrastructure priorities for intergovernmental funding from the government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba through the Building Canada Fund.