Open Houses across Canada

As part of CBC/Radio-Canada's 75th anniversary festivities, more than 30 locations across the country will host open houses on Saturday, Oct. 1.
 
If you've wondered what it's like to work in the media or what state-of-the-art broadcast facilities look like - this is your chance to come and find out first-hand. Studios across the country are opening to Canadians to show them exactly how radio and television programming is broadcast into your home and how all our news and programming also makes its way online.

The events are being shared with the Culture Days weekend, which is a collaborative pan-Canadian volunteer movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. Culture Days runs from Sept. 30-Oct. 2 with events also happening across the country. Over 5,500 free activities are scheduled for the weekend, spanning a wide range of arts and cultural disciplines and practices including: visual arts, music, dance, theatre, architecture, heritage, film and video, literature, culinary arts and new media. So be sure to check out what's happening in your area and include CBC/Radio-Canada in your plans for your weekend of culture. We'd like you to share your stories and memories of CBC/Radio-Canada with us and join in the anniversary celebrations as CBC/Radio-Canada commemorates 75 years of broadcasting.

"As one of Canada's largest cultural organizations, and as the national broadcast partner, CBC/Radio-Canada is proud to support Culture Days,"said Hubert T. Lacroix, president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada. "The 75th anniversary celebrations are a great way to recognize the unique role that the public broadcaster plays in the life of Canadians. The events that CBC/Radio-Canada will be organizing on October 1st as part of Culture Days will be a great way to get together and celebrate the arts and culture in our lives."

At the CBC/Radio-Canada events you'll have a chance to participate in free activities and to meet on-air radio and TV personalities. You can also expect to have the opportunity to take part in interactive activities, see live stage shows and to take a behind-the-scenes tour - including some mobile units.

Test your on air skills as a news anchor, host, meteorologist or a sports commentator. Some locations will include an opportunity to try out recording a newscast for TV or radio and will have Kids' CBC activities, including crafts from Artzooka!, some Mr. Dressup surprises and face painting. Personalities and mascots that adults and kids alike will want to get a photo taken with will also be on hand. You'll even have a chance to design a new tie for Don Cherry.

Meet cast members from Heartland, InSecurity

If you're in Victoria, you'll have a chance to meet Quirks & Quarks host Bob McDonald.  In Calgary, you'll get to meet Amber Marhsall and Jessica Amlee from the CBC-TV show Heartland. And in Regina, you'll see cast members from InSecurity and have the chance to check out props and receive some special spy training. In Toronto, Kids' CBC host Sid Bobb and Capt. Claw will be on-hand for a live musical performance with Njacko Backo and his band.

Montreal will have an interactive Hockey Night in Canada display and in Halifax you can visit the set of This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Several retired hosts and personalities are also scheduled to be at many of the events - so be sure to keep an eye out for these special surprises.

The CBC Museum in Toronto will be open on Saturday and you can browse through it to see equipment and props from our broadcasting history and to also take a break in the Graham Spry Theatre to watch some specially-selected clips from past programming. At other locations, you'll be able to take a virtual tour back in time through the CBC Radio and TV vaults with a special CBC Digital Archives display.

You'll have a chance to participate in the making of TV documentary as Anne-Marie Mediwake and Dwight Drummond host a Toronto segment being filmed for a new CBC-TV documentary called Making Sense of One. Marketplace will also be filming in Toronto for a one-hour special set to air in January. It will be focused on which store has Canada's worst customer service and the crew wants to hear from you.

Several live-taping will also be taking place in the Toronto studios on Saturday, and the public is invited to be part of the live studio audience. You'll have the opportunity to see Metro Morning, Big City Small World, Canada Live record. There will also be a of a  special discussion on the challenges of foreign reporting with Anna-Maria Tremonti, Adrienne Arsenault and Peter Armstrong.

Courtroom sketch artist Alex Tavshunsky will also be on-hand in Toronto and running tutorials. Tavshunsky has been drawing courtroom illustrations for the news media from 1993. Many of his court illustrations have been created for CBC TV newscasts. Among the court cases illustrated by Alex include those of Col. Russell Williams, the Toronto group of 18, and many other high-profile trials.

Leave your mark

In Saskatchewan, CBC is also asking you to leave your mark. Was it watching Casey and Finnegan find out what was inside the Tickle Trunk or maybe it was watching a pivotal news story in your living room? Inscribe your favourite CBC memory on a canvas and be part of the 75th anniversary's legacy.

A similar project is happening in Toronto, where the public will also be invited to participate in the Open Canvas Project with artist Paul Aloisi. The Open Canvas Projectis a spontaneous collaborative painting experience. Members of the public are offered paints, brushes and a canvas and guided through a free flowing session aimed at engaging all types of creative energy. The theme is "CBC & me in the city".

Several locations will also have special banners for you to share your memories and birthday wishes on. Also watch for booths set up across the country, for your chance to record your birthday wishes to CBC/Radio-Canada and you may see yourself on TV or hear yourself on the radio as the countdown to CBC/Radio-Canada's 75th anniversary continues.

Most locations will also be providing refreshments or will have a barbecue supporting local charities. There will also be some great contests and prizes to be won - as well as free giveaways for the kids.

For more information on the Open House and community events happening in your area, check out our interactive map.

The locations scheduled to host an open house or a community event on Oct. 1 are:
Calgary, Alta.
Charlottetown
Edmonton
Fredericton
Halifax
Iqaluit
Matane, Que.
Moncton, N.B.
Montréal, Que.
Ottawa
Québec
Regina
Rimouski, Que.
Rouyn-Noranda, Que.
Saguenay, Que.
Saint John, N.B.
Saskatoon, Sask.
Sept-Îles, Que.
Sherbrooke, Que.
St. John's
Saint-Boniface, Man.
Sudbury, Ont.
Sydney, N.S.
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Toronto
Trois-Rivières, Que.
Vancouver, B.C.
Victoria
Whitehorse
Windsor
Winnipeg
Yellowknife
 
We hope to see you on Saturday!

Posted on Sep 26, 2011 10:50:42 AM