Help: Canadian circuses

Subject: Help: Canadian circuses
From: CarolC
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 05:07 PM

I'm trying to gather information for something I'm working on. One of the things I want to find out about is Canadian circuses.

What kind of circuses do you have in Canada? Do you have a lot of your own circuses, both big and small (not including things like Cirque du Soliel)? Do circuses come up from the US, like Barnum and Bailey's?

What memories do you have of the circuses you went to as a child, particularly ones that originated in Canada?

And, to add a musical element to this thread, what can you tell me about the music at the ciruses in Canada?

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 05:22 PM

One circus is still touring in Canada. The Shriners sponsor it here in Calgary to make money for charity. The name escapes me. I think that is the only one that tours, although there may still be a local one in Quebec.

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 06:05 PM

Carol, circuses in North America know no boundaries. Picture any tacky little travellin' one that you've seen in Possum Crossing N.C. It'll be exactly the same in Frozebutt Ontario. ALL the circus folk live in Florida anyway.

Several times I've played towns when the circus was visiting, and there was always that temptation to ditch the guitar and run off with them. If a pretty girl (or anyone for that matter) had beckoned, I'd have been gone in a second.

Rick

P.S. Not exactly...come to think of it. I think our laws about 'freak shows' and use of animals may be more stringent than in some States. Not sure though.

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 06:24 PM

Any Circus I've ever seen in Canada has been from The U.S. lions and elephants would not like Winnepeg in February.

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: Justa Picker
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 07:14 PM

Garden Brothers are one of the best known in Canada.

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 04:57 AM

Don't forget the 'alternative' circus known as "Cirque du Soleil".

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: Raptor
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 09:09 AM

They have new laws here regarging exotic animals and I think That has stopped most Circuses around here.
Mabey someone who knows more can advise.
Raptor

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: Willie-O
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 10:31 AM

There's another small-type circus that comes to our small town every couple of years, it seems. I had to take my kids a few years ago. The thing was, they were not in a big top, they were in the local arena with a very low ceiling, so the high wire was a low wire, maybe six feet off the ground, and the trapeze stuff lacked a certain je ne sais quoi. I think the name started with Z.

Also took an offspring to the Shriner's circus awhile back. They do use a big top, which was set up in the asphalt parking lot behind a dilapidated shopping centre in east end Ottawa--the same parking lot where I learned to drive, way back when, in fact. It must have been 105 F in there...and the only reason we went was to make my mom happy by letting her do her grandma thing and take a grandchild to the circus (she wanted to take em both of course but one completely rebelled, the younger one oddly enough.)

My most enjoyable circus story though, did not come from a circus I went to. Our local high school's main redeeming feature is its great drama program, and the first play I ever went to there was one called "Circus Gothic" by Jan Kudelka. It's a kind of impressionist series-of-sketches from the 70's. The scene is: Twenty-seven young clowns have just been through a European-style clown college (???!!! in Ontario, of course--these were the days of while-your're-up-could-you-get-me-a-grant-please ) and do a sort of internship in a small traditional circus that's touring small towns in New Brunswick. It's a bit of a three-way cultural clash. True story, more or less.

The play had been on the shelf for awhile, and the high school production, which won the Sears Drama Festival finals for Eastern Ontario, actually inspired the playwright to revive it as a one-woman show , click on the link for more info.

W-O

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 11:43 AM

Geez Jeremiah, I've heard of short attention spans before, but five posts? Carol said "not including..Cirque du Soleil"!!

That's it for you. I sentence you to five years as the one man, bass-playing 'house band' for the Reg, Reg, and Reg. travelling Circus and trained Flea Exposition. First stop..White river in February!

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 11:47 AM

NO exotic animals? No herons in cowboy hats or flamingos in tutus?
I won't go then!
RTS (Ah, the roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd- or is that the elephants?)

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 12:32 PM

Garden Bros.

I remember them. I didn't know they were from Toronto. Cool.....

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: gnu
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 12:48 PM

Two or three small ones come through Moncton every year and stay about a week. I think they are from Ontario. The only big ones I ever saw here were from the states and used the largest local arena available. My only memory is how big the lions were and how awful the smelled. Of course, the Shriners Circus comes every year, and the debate about cruelty to animals arises. Lately, we've had the Russians and Chinese.

We have a TV channel, CPAC, that features the ultimate Canadian circus every day that Parliament is in session. Talk about clowns !!! Question Period (Parliamentary debate) is one scrap after another, with members often making prolonged statements before the speaker rises and booms, "DOES THE HONOURABLE MEMBER HAVE A QUESTION ???!!!" It also features many travelling circuses (circi ?) such as Royal Commissions, Parliamentry Study Groups, Pulic Advisory Hearings, and on and on.

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 03:02 PM

My favorite part about parliment is when all of those senators pile out of that little car!

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: CarolC
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 06:28 PM

Wow, guys! What a bonanza! Thanks for all of this great stuff. Some day I want to see those senators pile out of the little car.

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Help: Canadian circuses
From: gnu
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 06:40 PM

Senate... an ancient Greek/Roman institution. I believe we stiil have some ancient senators in the Canadian Senate. The worst was one fellow who had not attended for years but was still being paid until age 75.... he was living in Bermuda or the Bahamas and his excuse was that his health was too frail for the trip !!! Circus clown ? Oh yeah, but he was putting the bucks in the bank, so who are the clowns, eh ?