Blues take Dashwood teen to Ottawa

MusicFest chooses Carly Schroeder as one of the best music students in Canada; three SHDHS bands competing nationally

Story and photo by Casey Lessard

Grade 12 student Carly Schroeder is representing South Huron District High School and her hometown of Dashwood when she heads to Ottawa next month (May 12-18) to perform in the MusicFest Canada national concert band. But her parents won’t be there to see it.
“We’re feeling really bad about that,” says mom Brenda Schroeder. Before they knew Carly was accepted into the band as an alto saxophonist, Brenda and Steve had booked a trip to visit Carly’s brother, an RCMP officer in B.C. “We leave on Thursday and she performs on Friday. The timing’s all bad, so we’re hoping there will be CDs or DVDs that record the event. When it comes to your kids, you like to see them in such situations.”
You can’t blame the Schroeders for making plans; her selection to be part of the band was certainly a surprise to Carly.
“I didn’t expect to get chosen,” she says. “It was a little overwhelming at first. I was like, Are you sure?”
An email mix-up didn’t help. After sending the first confirmation message, something confusing happened.
“They sent me a second one that was addressed to Ryan someone. I emailed them back and a couple of weeks later, they sent me another email to say yes, that I was in. It was kind of a long process.”
That process began when music teacher Isaac Moore helped her record a CD of work learned during lessons with Ryan Fraser of London.
“The pieces I played were not your typical alto saxophone songs,” Carly notes. “The first song I played had this growling part to it, and it was really fun. I wasn’t sure what they’d think about it. Then there was another second movement to it that was more typical.”
The judges must have been impressed, says MusicFest Canada executive director Jim Howard.
“It’s very difficult to get into the saxophone section because Dr. Jeremy Brown (the head of music at the University of Calgary) is a world-renowned saxophone player,” he told the Strip from Calgary. “She must be very, very good to get in there.”
“This is kind of the ultimate honour band,” he adds, noting the band consists of 55-60 students from across the country. “It’s an amazing experience. We run it like a camp as opposed to running it like a touring band. Yamaha provides clinics to sectionals with them during the week. They get access to the MusicFest Canada master classes, and they get to play music they’re normally not going to get to play. They’re playing such a high level of music, even university bands aren’t tackling the repertoire these kids are going to play.”
University scouts will be at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa to hear Carly and the rest of the band play, bringing with them $100,000 in scholarships to attract the best to their schools.
The band will practice for nine hours a day for four days, and then perform twice as a group. Howard estimates about 2500 students will jam the hall to see them perform. A big event for a small-town teen who became attracted to the saxophone as a student with Exeter’s Lori Erb.
“My parents put me in Music for Young Children when I was six,” Carly says. “That was piano, and I picked up the saxophone in high school. I loved jazz and blues, and I played my first blues song on the piano. That’s when I decided I wanted to play saxophone.”
“At about Grade 3 piano, she was wavering and wasn’t enjoying it,” Brenda adds, “and Lori had the insight to let her have a whole year of playing blues and jazz, staying away from the conservatory pieces. That was a real turning point for her.”
Besides jazz and blues, Carly loves classic rock, favouring the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Classical music can be heard when she’s studying. And there will be many more years of that. She’s planning on becoming a high school music teacher.
“Music has always been a huge part of my life,” she says. “I don’t see my life without it. Seeing this high school music department, it’s awesome how it brings people together.”
Bringing people together is what the music department does best, and three of its ensembles are heading to Ottawa with Carly. The senior concert band, wind ensemble and percussion ensemble excelled at the regional MusicFest in London last month, with the percussion ensemble earning the coveted gold status.
“It’s nice to be recognized for the hard work we do here,” says teacher Isaac Moore. “The national thing is pretty special because it means some of the best bands in the country come from right here in Exeter, Ontario.”
The music department’s annual Cabaret will showcase some of the work being performed at the nationals. The Cabaret happens Saturday, April 19 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 20 at 2 p.m. All of the department’s bands will be featured.

May 8-10: North Middlesex DHS students get Grease-y

Students at Parkhill’s North Middlesex District High School are preparing their annual dramatic performance, this year producing the musical Grease: You’re the One that I Want. The play runs May 8, 9 and 10 at 7 p.m. at the high school. “We thought it was something the students would be excited about performing,” says music director Rod Culham. “It has 50s and 60s rock, and that’s always fun to do and yet fairly simple. And the story line is where they are: teenagers in high school. It has love relationships that involve being bad and good.
“Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think kids have changed that much since the 50s. There are differences, of course, but there has always been the investigation of good and evil, the excitement of sexual tension, and the element of teasing each other, the questioning of adult authority. The same sorts of things that were relevant then are still relevant today.”
Sandra Smith directs the play, with technical direction by Rick Pardo, costumes by Lindsay Denning and choreography by Andrea Wegg. The production involves a cast of more than 20 students, six instrumentalists, and many adults assisting.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and students, and are available by calling the school at 519-294-1128.

April 26&27: GB Legion hosts national cribbage tournament

Cribbage teams from across the country will converge on the village as Grand Bend hosts the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion championships April 26 and 27. Grand Bend was awarded the tournament after bidding to host after a successful run at the championship in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in 2006. In all, 49 players will be visiting Grand Bend, including the team from Kapuskasing that won this year’s Ontario championship.
“It is not a spectator sport simply because everyone is kept to a confined area,” says Legion president Ron Crown.
The community can support the event by showing hospitality to the visitors, including socializing at some public events, including a dinner and entertainment Friday, opening ceremonies, horse races and music Saturday, and the Sunday evening awards presentation.
“It’s about meeting the people, talking to them and showing them a good time,” Crown says.
Visitors will be shown the area, including the beach, the Pinery, the Motorplex, and Huron Country Playhouse; some may choose to visit their old haunts in Centralia or Clinton.

Romantic Comedy about Selling the House

Real Estate
By Allana Harkin
Performed by Scott Robert Fink, Keira Loughran, Carly Street, Brendan Wall.
Directed by D. Michael Dobbin
Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
March 11 to March 29, 2008

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

Joel is a writer, who has churned out a couple of mystery novels, but now life’s crises are getting in the way, and he’s suffering writer’s block. His wife left him for another man, and his widowed elderly father has moved into a seniors’ residence, so Joel is back living in his parents’ lakeside home. But the bills have piled up and he’s forced to sell the house, which his Dad built for his Mom when they were newlyweds. His flaky real estate agent is determined that this will be her first sale. Then things get worse – his ex-wife shows up with her pretentious boyfriend, and his Dad dies.
And somehow, this is a romantic comedy on stage at London’s Grand Theatre. The plot has all the components for laughter and the writing is fairly clever. The tale has some suspense: we know Joel will end up with a woman – but which? He would love to reconcile with his estranged wife, yet he’s interested in his real estate agent.
The cast of Real Estate is impressive – all have interesting and extensive theatre backgrounds. Yet somehow, they have missed the mark. They haven’t pulled together to create the chemistry for good romantic comedy.
Scott Robert Fink is excellent as Joel. We get comfortable with him right away. In fact, as the audience was coming into the theatre, Joel was on stage, stretching and scratching, looking in the mirror and checking out the food stuck in his teeth. Joel is just on the verge of being labelled a loser, yet we recognize some redeeming features. Fink makes Joel a likeable guy and soon we’re on his side.
But then, along comes Emma, the real estate agent. She, too, is on the edge of loser-dom, and unfortunately, Keira Loughran, in playing the part, isn’t able to save the character. I think the playwright intended that we like Emma – she’s quirky but still we’d enjoy her company. Loughran failed to bring us on side. Loughran has an impressive background at the Stratford Festival; in fact, she was outstanding as Valeria in Coriolanus. But she lacks the facial features and comedic timing to make Emma likeable. The part calls for a Lucille Ball type – slightly too chatty, a little annoying, but we still love her.
Similarly, the casting of Carly Street as ex-wife Estelle is questionable. Again, Street has a remarkable theatre background, having played in the Toronto’s Lord of the Rings. But Street was unable to make us understand why Joel would want her back, after she cheated on him. Even when they kissed, the chemistry wasn’t there.
Brendan Wall plays the pretentious boyfriend Ted. Again, the character’s comedy hasn’t been fully developed. When the city-boy snob carrying his man-purse shows up in the country, there is potential for more laughs. His manner of speaking didn’t sound like a city lawyer-turned-business-tycoon – he dropped his “ing” endings (doin’, comin’), which belied his background.
The set is very good – the lakefront home among the trees is complete. It looks like any elderly couple’s home with the tacky old couch and chair and an array of family portraits on the wall. The front of the cottage lifts up and we are invited inside, not just peeking through the windows.
Director Michael Dobbin did much better in finding the comedy a few years ago with the Black Bonspiel of Wullie McCrimmon, a delightful play about curling which the Grand presented. Real Estate, written by Canadian Allana Harkin, has the potential to be a touching story with plenty of laughs, but it requires a cast with strong comedic timing the ability to create chemistry.
This show was sponsored by the London – St. Thomas Association of Realtors and on opening night the audience was made up real estate agents (I know this, having moved twice in the last seven years and buying & selling a couple of houses. I recognized several of them….). And the real estate agents appeared to be enjoying themselves. The best laugh of the evening was when Emma said that real estate agents also have to be psychologists. Their clients are going though change and stress, and the agent has to know how to deal with it. In the audience, many heads were nodding as the chuckles rippled across.
Real Estate continues at the Grand Theatre in London until 29. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

SHDHS bands heading to national MusicFest

Three South Huron District High School bands have been invited to play at the national MusicFest in Ottawa in May. The senior band, wind ensemble and percussion ensemble qualified for the nationals with strong performances at the London MusicFest March 4.
Music teacher Isaac Moore heads the new wind ensemble, which performed a challenging program and earned a silver award with an invitation to the nationals.
Matthew Weston’s intermediate band performed later that morning, receiving a silver award.
That afternoon, Moore’s senior band - one of the largest concert bands at the festival - performed well enough to earn a silver-plus rating, qualifying for the nationals as well.
The last SHDHS group to perform was the percussion ensemble led by Moore and David Robilliard. An enthusiastic and curious audience appreciated the challenging program, which overwhelmed adjudicators to earn a gold award.
The Black Jazz band is awaiting a snow date.

Belles of the ball

By Tyler Kula
Special to the Grand Bend Strip

Standing between pink-draped tables in the hotel ballroom, a woman chats with her daughter-in-law. She is wearing the same wedding dress as she wore almost 40 years ago, and she smiles and glances around the room while her daughter-in-law sips champagne. The younger woman is also wearing a wedding dress.
And they’re not the only ones.
This is, after all, the Bride’s Ball, and the women – Hessenland Country Inn owners Christa and Liz Ihrig - are among more than 100 people attending the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation fundraiser at London’s Lamplighter Inn.
Besides raising money for a good cause, the February 29th event was an opportunity for women to don their wedding dresses again.
“When I put it on, it made me think back when I got ready in our farmhouse with my mom and my sister,” Ihrig said, recalling her wedding in Germany.
“It was a very hot day,” she added. “It was in the summer.”
She remembers her father bringing her down the stairs of their house to the guests waiting below, and to the man she was about to marry.
“It’s different in Germany. You walk together to the church and down the aisle with your husband to be.”
The Ihrigs have hosted many weddings at Hessenland over the past 24 years; the inn opened a year after Christa and Ernst moved to Canada with their sons Eric and Frank. Frank’s wife Liz is the inn’s wedding coordinator.
One of the reasons the Ihrigs attended the ball was to see the different dresses and how styles have changed through the years. They also came to support the cause.
“[CBCF] is a charity that basically every single person can say that they’re touched by,” said Brides’ Ball co-producer Lori Eldridge of Timeless, Elegant and Professional Events. “We thought it would be a good one to showcase for the very first event.”
This was the first year for the Brides’ Ball, with another held in Kitchener the week before. Organizers plan to take the event to other places in Ontario.
“We’re probably going to expand it into other cities — for instance, into Toronto sometime in the fall,” said Eldridge. “But, it will definitely be annual in London.”
Fundraisers included the $85 ticket, 50/50 draws and raffles for various prizes. A selection of tiaras was also available, with proceeds going to the charity.
One unique fundraiser was the pink wall, a wall plastered with more than 80 pink envelopes. Participants paid $20 for the chance to open one envelope, and each one has a minimum prize value of $20 with the chance for more valuable prizes inside. Prizes included spa packages and jewelry donated by various sponsors.
Sarnia resident Wendy Blacklock late husband lost his mother to breast cancer.
“I always support fundraisers for that,” she said. But it’s more about “a fun getaway to have some girl time.
“Girls are a weird bunch,” she added. “Any excuse to get dressed up.”
Blacklock’s friend Dawn Potter also lost someone to breast cancer.
“My boyfriend’s mom just passed away in November,” she said. “So I’m doing this for Dorothy.”
She wore the same dress she did for her wedding 23 years ago, but there wasn’t any meaning to it, she said, because she’s long since divorced.
“It’s just a howl that I can still fit into this thing,” she said.

April bridal shows in Exeter

Getting married soon? There are many people in this area who can help you plan and prepare for your big day. Two bridal shows in April will show what wedding vendors in South Huron and Lambton Shores have to offer.
Here are the details:
The South Huron/Lambton Shores and Goderich branches of the Welcome Wagon are hosting their annual Bridal Showcase Tuesday, April 1 at the South Huron Recreation Centre in Exeter. The event features door prizes, a a show, vendor displays, and gift bags for each bride. The grand prize is a pair of matching diamond wedding bands supplied by Bakelaar Jewellers in Exeter. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required by calling Brenda at 519-229-8176 or Faye at 519-228-7053. For more information, visit http://www.bridalshowcase.ca.
Billed as an interactive and hands-on bridal event, Exeter gown shop Bridal Elegance is hosting the first “To Have and To Hold” at Ironwood Golf Club Friday, April 4 at 7 p.m. The event features demonstrations, giveaways, a fashion show, hors d’oeuvres, and take home gift boxes for brides inspired by Oprah.
“It’s going to be a little more active, a little more interactive, a little more fun, a little more laid back, but elegant at the same time,” says Wilma Truemner. “We’re one-on-one people; we like to get to know our clients on a one-to-one basis and we don’t mind sharing certain names because we feel very strongly about them.”
Bridal Elegance selectively invited vendors they recommend. Brides need to pre-register, and only a few tickets remain. The $5 admission will be donated to the Cancer Society. For more information or for tickets, call Bridal Elegance at 519-235-0858.

Grand Bend Winter Carnival Guide - Saddle up, Buckaroos!

‘Benguin Goes Wild West’ for 2008 Grand Bend Winter Carnival

By Casey Lessard

Grand Bend’s 22nd Winter Carnival launches February 1 and runs two weekends at venues around town.
“It’s about getting the community as a whole doing stuff together in the shoulder season,” says committee chair Lynda Hillman-Rapley. “This is my second year as chair, but I’ve been to all 21 carnivals. People respond very well. That’s how we got Ontario Lottery and Gaming; someone from their organization was here last year and they thought it was great so they wanted to sponsor it.”
Hillman-Rapley wants to point out that no matter the weather, the show will go on.
“No snow, no problem,” she says. “Whether there’s snow or not, this carnival happens, and the parade is huge. Jim Southcott does an amazing job.”
She also praises her team of organizers.
“Our committee is the best of the best. We all work together; no decisions are made without everybody doing it.”

Here is the full list of events for the weekend:

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For the kids:

Friday, February 1
6 to 9 p.m. - Grand Bend School gym
Sobey’s drive-in for the kids (free)

Saturday, February 2
12 to 5 p.m. - Grand Bend School gym
Mad Science plus crafts, sports and a movie. Free. Call 519-238-1155.

6 to 8 p.m. – Skateboard park beside Legion
First-ever Winter Carnival fireworks. Hot chocolate and hot dogs for sale.

Sunday February 3
10 a.m. - Grand Bend Legion
Youth Darts. Call 519-243-2452.

12 to 2 p.m. – Oakwood #8 hole and clubhouse
Free tobogganing, s’mores & hot chocolate. Parents or guardians must supervise their children.
Oakwood Inn
Registration closes for February 10 Children’s Talent Show (free). Register at Guest Services before February 3.

Saturday, February 9
1 p.m. - downtown
Rotary Club Parade. See adults section for details.

Sunday, February 10
12 to 2 p.m. – Oakwood clubhouse
Children’s Talent Show (free). Register at Guest Services before February 3. Sing, dance, play – bring your original ideas to win prizes! Prizes for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd.
“We just want to have the kids come out and do their dancing or singing,” says Diana Simpson of Oakwood Inn Resort. “When they register they’ll have to say what they’ll be doing. We have a lot of talent in the area, and it’s a great way for them to get out and show people what they can do.”

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Friday, February 1
4 to 10 p.m. – Bikini Bob’s
Western wine tasting

5 to 7 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Meat draw

9 p.m. – Oakwood clubhouse
Traci Kennedy

9:30 p.m. – Bikini Bob’s
Mike’s Country Band

10 p.m. to 2 a.m. – Gables
Rumblefish

Saturday February 2
9 a.m. to end of day each weekend - Lions Park (behind Legion)
Gables co-ed snow-pitch tournament (runs Feb. 2 & 3, 9 & 10). $150 per team. Top prize is $300. Contact Jane or John Musser: 238-6690.
Snow-pitch is slo-pitch with fluorescent orange balls (the balls are softer as well). The tournament happens regardless of the weather. Each weekend sees eight teams compete for semi-finals, and the final is the second weekend. Winners from both weekends must be available for second weekend championship game. Teams that win at least two games win money. “It’s a favourite,” says Jane Musser. “It’s pretty funny watching them hit a ball and run in their snow pants.”

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Oakwood
Snow-golf. Cost: $15 per person includes golf (club &ball), chili with bun and hot chocolate. Call 519-238-2324 to register your tee-time.
“We have a special nine-hole tire ring golf course,” says Diana Simpson of Oakwood Inn Resort. “You use a tennis ball and a regular iron, and go around the course.”

1 to 8 p.m. - Riverbend
12th Annual Olympics. Call 519-238-6919 to register.

2 to 6 p.m. - Gables
Karaoke with Fat Kat Karaoke Bobbie. Prizes.

6 to 8 p.m. – Skateboard park (beside Grand Bend Legion)
First-ever Winter Carnival fireworks. Hot chocolate and hot dogs for sale. Seating at the ball diamond; parking at the Colonial and Beer Store parking lots. Legion lot will be closed for safety reasons. Four teams of professional fireworks artists from across Ontario will each present 12 to 15 minutes of fireworks using consumer fireworks. A pyro-digital display set to music will be performed during judging.
“By having the competitors use consumer fireworks, we are able to bring the audience closer to the action and create a more intimate show” says organizer Kevin Poole. Storm date is Saturday February 9th at 6:30 p.m.

Grand Bend Legion
Brad Karel and the Thrillbillies with Grand Bend’s Stephanie McClennan. Dance to new country. Presented by Grand Bend Legion and the Winter Carnival. For tickets, call 238-2001. Sponsored in whole by Ontario Lottery and Gaming.

9 p.m. – Oakwood clubhouse
Traci Kennedy

9 p.m. to close – Riverbend
Karaoke with Jude

9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. – Bikini Bob’s
Mike’s Country Band

10 p.m. to 2 a.m. – Gables
Rumblefish

Sunday, February 3
1 to 5 p.m. - Gables
Wild West ride: try out the Mechanical Bull. Cheer the cowboys on. Sponsored by 104.9 The Beach.

Bikini Bobs
Super Bowl party. Crazy cow contest at 6 p.m. $3 food and beverages all day.

4 p.m. – Oakwood
Super Bowl party - door prizes and special drink prices!

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Saturday February 9
1 p.m. - downtown
Rotary Club Parade. “It’s going to be a humdinger, for sure,” says parade organizer Jim Southcott. “The parade starts at the Sobey’s parking lot and goes down to Government Road and disbands there. There is a $500 first prize award for the best entry. Local dignitaries will lead the parade, and we have about 60 registered floats with a chance for many more. There will be a lot of horses, plus the Seaforth and District all-girls marching band. Anyone who wants to showcase their business or put in an entry should call me (519-238-8800).”

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Pine Dale Motor Inn
Craft Sale. All vendors are welcome.

Gables
Search for Talent Contest with Fat Kat Karaoke Bobbie

11:30 a.m. - United Church
UCW Lunch. $6 for 13 and up; $3 for children. Hot dogs available for children.

2 to 4 p.m. - Bikini Bobs
Sleigh rides after the parade. $5/person; free for children five and under.

3 to 6 p.m. – Gables
Search for Talent contest with “Fat Kat Karaoke Bobbie.”

5 to 8 p.m. - Grand Bend Legion
Steak BBQ. Tickets available at Legion. 519-238-2120.

8 p.m. – Oakwood Huron Room
Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Show with Joanna Downey and Bobby Keele. Cost: $20 per person includes tax. Call 519-238-2324. Buffet dinner (seatings between 5 and 7 p.m.) & show together for only $50 including tax & gratuity.

9 p.m. – Oakwood clubhouse
Entertainment by Murray Andrews

9 p.m. to close – Riverbend
Kountry Karaoke Contest with Jude

10 p.m. – Oakwood Huron Room
Ms. and Mr. Winter Carnival Pageant Prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd. Call Diana Simpson at 519-238-2324 for details. “We were looking for something different this year,” Simpson says. “We’re challenging all businesses in the area to send someone to represent them in the contest. There are three different rounds: a fashion round with one summer and one winter outfit of their choice; a talent round where the contestants perform a talent of their choice; and a questionnaire round where the contestants answer questions related to the winter carnival.” All contestants will be in the pageant float in the parade Saturday morning.

Sunday February 10
8 to 11 a.m. – behind Bank of Montreal
Grand Bend Firemen’s Breakfast

11 a.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Veteran’s Memorial Mixed Dart Tournament. Register at 11 a.m.

2 to 5 p.m. – Colonial parking lot
Waiters’ Race

For more information, call the Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce: 519-238-2001

Imagining life without Grand Bend Motorplex

Proposed ban on leaded fuels could shut down attraction after 2008 season

By Casey Lessard

The end is near for racing at Grand Bend Motorplex if fans and community members don’t take a stand against a proposed federal ban on leaded fuels, the track’s manager warns.
“If this happens, professional drag racing in Canada is over,” Motorplex manager Ron Biekx wrote in a message on the track’s website. “The Canadian government are legislating Canada’s largest racing facilities out of business.”
The ban on lead in fuel was first proposed in 1990, but concerns over economic impacts have led to extensions that were set to end this month. Instead, the government is giving racers one more year to end their use of leaded fuels.
“It has allowed us to exist in the drag racing arena with American tracks and racers, and most importantly, American customers,” Biekx told the Strip, noting the MOPAR nationals accounts for more than half of the track’s income for the year. Most of the cars at that event are American cars that use leaded fuel. “When they take that away from us on January 1, 2009, they take away our ability to work in those markets. That lucrative market that has put us on the international map is gone overnight.”
Pat Powers of Aunt Gussie’s understands the environmental concerns, but thinks the economic impact is also important.
“They’re taking away one industry that generates revenue. I’m curious as to what the government is going to do to bolster the businesses that this decision is going to affect.”
Besides the loss of jobs at the track (the Motorplex employs 80-100 in an average year), the ban could trigger a domino effect in Grand Bend; Biekx says the MOPAR nationals alone bring about $7.5 million into the local economy.
“That money is certainly not spent in the facility. They enjoy the show and they’re done with me. Grocery stores run out of food on our national event weekend. They now plan for it. Every motel room from Sarnia to London is booked.”
“That’s huge,” said Mary Jo Schottroff Snopko of Pine Dale Motor Inn. “They bring a lot of money for occupancy from room reservations. And they’re a nice bunch of people. It’s a guaranteed weekend, and I think there’s enough factors happening in the tourism field that we don’t need a lot more between border issues, the dollar and gas prices.”
“You figure, their national weekend brings in 50,000 to 60,000 people over that three day time frame,” says Mike Rahn of Mike & Terri’s No Frills, “so those weekends it would be a larger impact. It definitely would take business away from all of the businesses in town.”
Biekx praised the Ontario tourism ministry for its work to support the track, recognizing its impact on the local economy. At the federal level, however, Environment Canada says leaded fuels are harmful to spectators and the local environment. Racing accounts for 1.5 per cent of all leaded fuels used in Canada; the rest is used for aviation, including pleasure craft, under a permanent exemption.
Noting the U.S., Britain and Australia allow leaded fuel for racing at levels 10 to 100 times the Canadian level, Biekx says the move by Environment Canada is similar to the tail that wags the dog.
“I’ve done a lot of work with a Canadian supplier who supplies excellent unleaded fuel to our races. But changes in Canada on an economic scale are meaningless. It doesn’t make sense economically for Canada to stand up and tell the U.S. how it’s going to be. We’re just going to be a ‘Remember when?’ for the American competitor.”
Biekx hopes people who are passionate about the sport and those who want the Motorplex to stay open will act immediately to stop the ban. He’s asking you to call, write and email your representative in Ottawa, at Queen’s Park, and on municipal council before the comment period ends February 13.
“Make yourself heard,” he pleads. “Those people who have seen and recognize the financial impact of having this should step forward and say, ‘We don’t want this piece of our economic pie taken away so someone can get some political mileage for it.’”

Sexy Laundry at Grand Theatre

Saving 25 Years of Marriage

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Sexy Laundry
By Michele Riml
Performed by Roger Dunn and Lynne Griffin
Directed by Rosemary Dunsmore
Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
January 15 to February 2, 2008

In the Grand’s current production, Sexy Laundry, a couple in their 50s spend a weekend at an upscale hotel trying to get romance back into their marriage. In the end, the audience might wonder if they succeeded – although the playwright intended they would. Instead, it seems like they just proved that they are comfortable together. While it may not be romantic, being comfortable is not a bad thing.
It’s the story of Alice (Lynne Griffin) and Henry (Roger Dunn), both fifty-plus, who have been married 25 years. Alice convinces Henry to spend a weekend together at an expensive hotel to rekindle the flame in their marriage. She brings along a copy of “Sex for Dummies” which she picked up at the library. This, of course, has to produce laughs. Alice has marked pages with sticky notes, and Henry is embarrassed about leafing through the book. They try massage, sharing fantasies, and exploring each other’s bodies while blindfolded, but nothing is really working for them.
The story moves along with some tender moments, and some arguments that get nasty. They even threaten divorce, but in the end they finally seem to be comfortable with each other.
Both Griffin and Dunn are good in the roles. Both have extensive acting experience, and have worked together in the past, once as a couple on the TV show ‘Til Death Do Us Part. They also both appeared in the Bob & Doug McKenzie cult classic, Strange Brew.
The pair handles the lines well, and the play offers some very funny moments. In those moments, both actors demonstrate very good comedic timing. And they have the facial expressions to create comedy. Carrying a two character play is a lot of work – copious lines to learn, with never a break from being on stage. But both actors call on their experience to pull it off. Director Rosemary Dunsmore has brought out interesting characters from both Griffin and Dunn.
So if there’s a weakness with Sexy Laundry, it’s in the script. Too much of it doesn’t ring true. If a couple really needs Sex for Dummies, then it is amazing that they’ve lasted 25 years together. Henry, who emphatically says he hates dancing, is then dancing around the stage. Alice’s black leather outfit is just too far over the top. The most difficult to accept are the gender stereotypes – she’s worried about her bulging midriff, he is concerned about climbing the career ladder. And their children, the one thing they truly have in common, are glossed over.
At times the script takes the pair on a roller-coaster ride – they have a affectionate moment, immediately followed by a fight. The emotional changes are too abrupt.
So while there is a good premise, with a first rate cast and periodic moments of laughter, a neater script could have sustained the comedy.
Sexy Laundry continues at the Grand Theatre in London until February 2. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

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