Bridgerton Ballet for Beginners
^{(Edmonton, Canada)}

Piggybacking off the popular TV series Bridgerton, The CODE YEG dance studio in Edmonton is offering ballet classes set to Bridgerton music 🩰👗🦢. If you don't get carried away by low-brow Billie Eilish and Beyonce string quartet tunes, you'll learn basic ballet positions and movements. No experience is necessary; this adult drop-in class is designed for absolute beginners. Chin up, shoulders back! 

Curated Canada tip: Drop-in classes at The CODE YEG are $26.50 but the better deal is the $75 monthly pass that gives you unlimited access to all classes, including hip hop, heels, jazz and even a pilates/yoga stretch class.

Striped Away
^{(Vancouver, Canada)}

The Oscar nominations came out last week and Anora has got everyone interested in what happens behind the closed doors of strip clubs. In Vancouver, you can take a behind-the-scenes tour of the city's naughtiest watering hole Penthouse Nightclub. Opened in 1947 by the Fillippone brothers, this strip club was frequented in the 40s and 50s by famous Hollywood stars and musicians like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper, Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington. The three-hour Forbidden Vancouver tour includes dinner at the club’s restaurant where you'll be served a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Mamma Mia! Jan. 29, Feb 26 and Mar 5.

Curated Canada tip: Tour guide Aaron Champan wrote a book about this legendary spot. Read Liquor, Lust and the Law: the Story of Vancouver’s Legendary Penthouse Nightlub. 

Ghetto Fabulous
^{(Toronto, Canada)}

Doesn’t it feel like we’ve been celebrating hip hop’s 50th anniversary for the past two years 🎤🔥? I ain’t complaining. This shit never gets old. The latest hip hop tribute is The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The exhibition explores music, fashion, painting, photography, video and dance centred around several themes. The Culture shows how Black fashion has flipped the switch from tacky to Ghetto-fabulous, thanks in part to female rappers like Lil Kim whose famous Versace wig is on display at the AGO 👱🏾‍♀️. Also check out the oversized pair of Nikes by artist Aaron Fowler. Don’t call it a comeback.

Curated Canada tip: Oof, the AGO is expensive, real expensive. Adult admission will set you back $30. Get your money’s worth out of your Art Galley of Alberta membership and use it (or any membership at a reciprocal museum or gallery) to get free admission.

New Trails
^{(Edmonton, Canada)}

Popular in Europe for several years, electric snow bikes are finally making their way to Canada. Rural Rivers, located in St. Albert, is the first company in Alberta to offer folks a chance to ride a MoonBike. With more than 4km of trails spread over 23 acres, adrenaline junkies get a rush reaching top speeds of 38km/hr. Surprisingly, this is a full body workout, particularly for your arms and core as you master steering the MoonBike. Paths are rated easy to difficult, giving you enough time in one hour to do all of them at least once.

Where’s the Beef?
^{(Pincher Creek, Canada)}

Do you know where your beef comes from? One farm that recently appeared on my radar is Fishburn Ranch near Pincher Creek, Alberta. Not only are they committed to providing the best tasting grass-fed Angus, but they are also committed to restoring the environment. Their instagram feed is filled with informative posts about healthy soil, drought resilience and wildlife habitats. Friends, if you're looking for a way to fight food inflation and support local, order a quarter beef or various cuts from this farm.

Curious Canada Tip: Closer to Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan Beef 4H, Tofield Beef 4H and Chipman Beef 4H hold public sales every May.

THE THROUPLE

3 Canadian Wallpapers I’m Obsessed With

THE INTERVIEW

Let Your Heart Sing
^{(Toronto, Canada)}

Toronto bus driver Jon Pooley became a TikTok sensation when Canadian rapper Drake reposted a videos of Pooley singing on a TTC bus. I thought I was going to interview this bus driver about music and his favourite stops along his route, but the interview took a surprise turn — in the right direction.

How did you get started singing?
It’s in my blood. My whole family is involved in music. Both my grandfathers were musicians. My dad is a musician. My uncle is a musician. My sister is a musician. My cousin who lives in LA is the musical director of American Idol. I was always surrounded by music and it influenced me greatly.  

Have you ever sang professionally?
I did Canadian Idol in 2007. I made it to the top 60 before I dropped out. I couldn't handle the pressure. After that, I got recognized and I joined a group called Fame City. We travelled all over the world and had some cool experiences in Germany, Los Angeles and New Jersey. When my wife got pregnant, I left the music industry for a more secure job. I wanted to be the best partner and father I could be. I didn't want to pursue music anymore. It’s too risky.

Why did you start singing on the buses?
About 2 1/2 years ago I wasn't feeling like myself. I was feeling different which is weird for me because I've always been a happy, strong individual but I just didn't feel right. One day, I worked up the courage to tell my wife how I was feeling – thoughts of no longer being alive. It was a complete shock to her.

Over the next couple of days. I felt embarrassed that I had told her. I was concerned that she thought I was a weak person. But in fact, it was the complete opposite. She showed me that sharing and talking about my feelings was strong, not weak. More importantly, she showed me that it's OK to get help. She told me “I am not going to look at you as a weak individual. I'm not going to love you any differently.”


Did you seek professional help?
Yeah my wife convinced me to go to therapy. I took some time off work and about one week before I was scheduled to return to work my therapist asked me something very simple. “What are you going to do differently? What will you change in your life so you don't end up back here? Outside of being a husband, outside of being a father, when it's just you, what are you doing for you?” The answer was simple; find a way to incorporate something that makes you happy, something that brings you joy into your life.

That was singing?
Yes. The day before I was to go back to work, it was seven o’ clock and I was doing the dishes. Anyone who loves R&B music knows when the time is seven o’ clock, you start singing that song by Usher. But I changed the lyrics a bit. "It’s seven o clock on the dot. I'm at the bus stop. I’m ready to leave."  Later that week, I started filming videos after my shifts and posted them on Facebook for my friends and family. People really enjoyed them and so then I started posting videos on TikTok and Instagram.

When did things really take off?
I posted a Drake song last year and he reposted it. That took things to a whole different level. With each new video, my followers grow. You read about this fame. Not like everything is all about followers, but it is really nice that people appreciate what you are doing and want to follow you and comment on your videos.

How’s your mental health now?
We're still dealing with all the things that most people are dealing with. It's a hard time right now for a lot of folks. Everything is so expensive, raising kids, plus the job part but singing has helped because I've always struggled outside of being a father, outside of being a husband. What am I providing to the world? Now I have better coping mechanisms that I didn't have before. Now, I am open to talking to my friends and family and I don’t feel like I have to bottle everything inside. I'm in a better place now than I was two years ago.

Any advice for anyone struggling with mental health?
Talk to someone. If people truly care about you and want the best for you, they will listen. I didn't realize that so many people felt the same way but were afraid to talk about it. Sometimes you just need someone to help clear the fog.

Need to talk to someone? There’s help out there. Start a conversation with someone today. 
 

Any typos in this newsletter are the fault of my own. I am human not AI