Former MJHLer starring in NCAA

Getting an education, while having the opportunity to play the game you love. It's a dream that many hockey players share. Jordan Cyr is living this dream. The former Selkirk Steelers star is currently playing in the NCAA, with the Holy Cross Crusaders. He's had an injury plagued season, but still leads the Crusaders with 16 points in 17 games.

Here's a Q and A with Jordan Cyr that was intended for the MJHL website, but didn't make the cut.

How did you end up in the MJHL?

I was recruited out of Prep School by Selkirk’s GM, Ken Petrash. He saw me play out east, and told me that he thought Selkirk was a perfect place for me to start my junior career. Coincidentally, my parents were planning on moving back to Winnipeg, from our home just north of Toronto. I agreed to visit with Ken in Selkirk, and was very impressed with what I saw. Being able to live at home and play in such a great organization was en easy decision.

What is your best memory of your year in the MJHL?

That’s an easy one. We went down 3 games to none in the Addison Division final. We clawed our way back to win 3 straight, and force a game seven in Selkirk. The stands were jam packed when we got to the rink an hour and a half before warm up. The atmosphere was unbelievable. We ended up winning the game, beating a very strong Winnipeg South Blues team.

How did the MJHL prepare you for college hockey?

I learned a lot about positional play, play away from the puck, and defensive responsibility. I also learned what it meant to really devote yourself to the game. I had never played such a long season, and spent so much time on the road. My time in the MJHL taught me just how hard it is, and how much you have to work, to succeed at the next level.

What's life like playing college hockey?

It’s amazing. It’s unbelievably busy, and a lot of work, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I get to spend just about every minute with my teammates, who are my best friends. Having the opportunity to represent your school and to play against some of the best teams in the country each weekend is pretty special.

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

I am coming back to the lineup from an injury in the new year, and want to do everything I can to help my team win. We have a great group of guys, and have our goals set pretty high. We are looking to win home ice advantage in the playoffs, win our league, and go to the NCAA tournament. We are hosting an NCAA regional this year, and that’s where we want to be playing.

What are your plans for after college? Is hockey part of them?

Hockey is a big part of my plans after college. I am excited at the opportunity to turn pro, and play either in North America, or in Europe. Just the way the MJHL prepared me for college, I think Holy Cross has prepared me for a professional career.

Preservation vs. Development

Preservation vs. development. This is the never ending debate in Winnipeg when it comes to urban development. What is better for Winnipeg, preserving the historic character buildings of the Core or modern development? Both sides can present a strong case. What about integrating the two? Red River College has been successful with it's Princess Street Campus and the new Union Bank Tower project.

But does historic preservation hinder the development of urban areas? Winnipeg has a test case that has been ongoing for several years. A few years back a developer purchased land at the corner of Assiniboine Avenue and Fort Street with the intention of building a 15-story apartment building. Apartment construction in Winnipeg's downtown has ceased in the the last twenty years, in which condos have been the construction of choice. Rental units in the Assiniboine neighbourhood are at a premium because of lack of new construction. This development would have increased the population of downtown, something that has been an issue for years.

The only problem: the site for the planned apartment building sat next to the Upper Fort Garry Gate historic site. This site had sat neglected for decades, a haven for graffiti, drug abuse, and wind-blown garbage. All of a sudden when an apartment complex was to be constructed behind the site, the creme de la creme of Winnipeg's elite sprang into action to protect the site. The apartment construction was not going to lead to the demolition of the gate. Why did it take decades for a campaign to reinvigorate the gate to arise?

So after lobbying civic and provincial government, the Friends of Upper Fort Garry put an end to the apartment plan and were able to secure the land for a park development. This has led to tearing down an office building and the downtown's only gas station. The question to be asked is: is this a positive urban development for downtown or has the desire to preserve historic sites hindered positive urban development?

This is an issue that not only affects Winnipeg, but cities throughout Canada. Calgary has a terrible record of preserving its history, but is now in the process of rejuvenating its historic East Village. Halifax and Saint John have done remarkable jobs of preserving their historic buildings. Is there a happy medium that can be reached?

I can't answer the question. If any of you in the blogosphere know anyone who is knowledgable about either side of the debate, let me know. I'm putting together a project of some sorts concerning the issue, so any help would be appreciated.

In The Chamber 2010

In The Chamber 2010 made me violently throw up.

Maybe that’s a little harsh for opening up this review, but it is truthful. Half way through the Gordon Tanner’s Last Man in Krakendorf a sudden urge came over me, whether it be from the oppressive heat of the crowded Rachel Browne Theatre or the Subway sandwich that I had just eaten, and I had to make a quick exit from the theatre. So In the Chamber 2010 didn’t actually make me throw up, but honestly missing out on the second half of Tanner’s monologue wasn’t that big of a deal to me at that point.

Enough talk of my digestive issues. Instead, I guess I should discuss what brought me to the Rachel Browne Theatre on a balmy Thursday in January. In the Chamber 2010, is a two part production featuring two monologues written by their performers. This year is the fifth installment of the Theatre Projects Manitoba production and it showcases two pieces, Last Man in Krakendorf by Gordon Tanner and Last Man in Puntarenas by Steven Ratzlaff.

Theatre Projects Manitoba describes the event as, “a series for the artistic daredevils we love! We ask our brave artists to get personal with their writing…let it all hang out on stage.”

There is definitely some truth to this. Both pieces are extremely personal and you can tell that both Tanner and Ratzlaff are both heavily emotional invested in them. Whether the two live up to the title of “artistic daredevil”, well, that depends on the expectations of each audience member. I went in with little expectations and came away thinking, “Wow, you have to be pretty ballsy to go out and perform an hour long monologue.”

That is the strong point of the whole production, two actors stepping out in front of an audience and brilliantly navigating their way through an hour of just talking to themselves. Tanner is outstanding in his piece. He’s got a lot of charisma and appears quite natural on the stage. Ratzlaff isn't quite as smooth as Tanner, but he is impressive none the less.

Beyond the excellent acting, the two pieces were never able to hold my interest for too long. Last Man in Krakendorf deals with a man who is in a crisis, both personally and professionally. He has begun to question the values of his employer and his own personal values. A fire at a hog barn has made the man reach his breaking point and he spends his time in a hotel room, filming a confessional for his employer, Warren Buffet.

Unfortunately, I can only give you a review of the first half of the piece because of my aforementioned stomach issues, but I can tell you from what I saw, it was hard to keep track of and all over the place. Tanner’s bombastic style cann’t hold the piece together, as scatterbrain writing tears it apart. I started to tune out when Tanner made a joke regarding 9/11. The joke was extremely out of place and the saying “too soon” definitely still applies.

The second piece of the evening, Last Man in Puntarenas, features Ratzlaff giving a wandering, bitter speech at a retirement dinner. He discusses the loss of his child to unskilled hands of a pediatric surgeon and the event’s fallout. Ratzlaff rails against the medical system for taking away a person’s right to sorrow. He quickly alienates and offends everyone at his table, who begin to drop like flies.

Ratzlaff gives a strong performance, but ultimately the piece is undone by a confusing and rambling script. Condos in Costa Rica, the Sinclair Inquiry, hookers, and cancer, Last Man in Puntarenas is all over the board and that is what undoes the piece.

The two pieces are connected by the theme of disillushionment and surrender. The two men are at odds with the world they live in. Prior to the two pieces is a brief introduction scene and reading from Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The scene is quite bizarre, so I won’t spoil it, but the reading ties the two plays together. Nietzsche’s “will to power” – overcoming one’s self plays heavily in the two pieces.

Overall, the two pieces of In The Chamber 2010 are overcome by boring, scatterbrain stories. Strong acting can’t overcome these shortcomings. But at least the actual play didn’t make me throw up.

iSlate - a great mystery

I'm not the most technologically advanced. I just got on the Blackberry train, but I barely know how to use mine after weeks of having it. My laptop is often a mystery to me. So it's not surprising that I had no clue what a tablet computer was, let alone that Apple was secretly working on its own version of a tablet, the iSlate.

The iSlate looks like it could permanently change how we consume media. It could spell the end of the print version of magazines. It could make e-readers, like the Kindle obsolete, only months after they were released.

I'm personally hoping that there is truth to rumours that its release is imminent. It's technology will benefit a project I'm about to kick off involving e-publishing.

Looks like I'm going to have to step up technology game.

Behind Apple's iron curtain

Section 1 Revisited

School is in session again. After a (too) short break, where I played a lot of hockey, drank a few cold ones, and caught up with friends and family I had been neglecting due to CreComm, it's business as usually again. Back to getting up at 6:30 every morning and walking from the bus stop across the frozen tundra that is the Exchange.

All frozen tundra issues aside, I'm extremely excited for what the term has in store. There's the all encompassing magazine project, promoting a "controversial" film, the Manitoba travel assignment, and numerous other things. Next week, I start an internship at The Beaver magazine, which I can't wait to get going at. My university background is in Canadian politics and history, so this should be right up my alley. Beyond that, I've got writing assignments for the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Projector stories to write, and my job (got to pay the rent somehow). This term is getting busy and it's only the first week.

But hey, why not. The busier the better.