Dear Reader
Hard to believe that Oktoberfests have mostly come and gone,
except of course for the big one in Kitchener. This is much fun,
especially when you live in or around the area. I just read that
a 3 thousand dollar prize can be won in a treasure hunt, but for
that you have to read the local daily newspaper and follow the
clues. We stopped by a few traditional outlets to report for
you.
Besides the many different Oktoberfest celebrations the
mainstream offered all sorts of Street Festivals and we also
stopped by a couple of those for you.
 At Queens Park the popular “Word on the Street” turned out to be
another smash hit. Here authors and publishers can meet their
readership and mingle in a friendly atmosphere, keeping the
reading of printed material popular. When you go to this event
you surely think that a real book is not a thing of the past,
yet.
But what is really exciting is that the next season is offering
a few choice art events that you don’t want to miss. Opera York
is bringing us Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. I cannot count any
more how often I have seen or heard this dramatic yet romantic
opera. Every time when it comes to the Geisha singing the song
about the ship that will come and bring back her love I cry.
Perhaps it is because I know his ship will come but he will not
come for her. Actually I have seen several evolutions of the
plot. Each Director dramatizes the end in a different version,
but Butterfly always dies in the end, mostly by committing
Hara-kiri.
I am most interested to see Opera York’s version of this opera,
considered number 8 in the annals of most popular works. You can
book your tickets for either November 3 or 5 at 8pm at the
Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts by calling
905-787-8811.
The other season about to start, which I would like to recommend
is Via Salzburg’s first concert, now in a new venue. The
orchestra moved from the Glenn Gould Studio to the Rosedale
United Church on 159 Roxborough Dr. Go to
www.viasalzburg.com for
more info.
Of course there are a few important dates on the German Canadian
calendar, like Pioneers Day on the 11th of this
month, one day after Thanksgiving. For the first time we have a
full ceremony of that day at Queen’s Park in Toronto at noon and
later in the day at 5pm Kitchener is hosting again a full
festive ceremony at City Hall.
Those are only a few events I want to draw your attention to,
just to whet your appetite for a wonderful socially and
culturally diverse season.
By the time you read this we likely will have a different
Ontario government or we stay the course with the same team of
the last 8 years. What the outcome will be is really anyone’s
guess.
I hope to see you at many different events and wish you a
colorful autumn.
Sybille Forster-Rentmeister
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