I grew up in New England until I was fourteen, when I moved to Toronto. I was exposed to a lot of folk music from a young age, but I didn't really become involved in a folk scene per se until we moved to Toronto. I now tour all over Canada, and also in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, etc.

In general, I think the folk scene in Ontario is far less connected to traditional music than most of the folk scene in the Northeast US or the Midwest. There's a huge tilt toward singer-songwriters at festivals and traditional music is pretty under-represented, with some exceptions.

But in the midst of that climate there is a still thriving, connected community that was influenced by Fiddler's Green Folk Club and Estelle Klein's Mariposa Festival, both of which had a HUGE impact across Canada and into the US. Montreal also had some seminal clubs and figures who have had a lasting impact on people still hanging around the folk scene up here. I think most of the musicians that Jed and Mick have met through Rick Fielding are people who came up through those influences.

One interesting thing I notice is that the connection to British, Irish, and Scottish traditions seem much more present amongst the traditional musicians around here. There's obviously a close connection to England, as well as Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and significant numbers of immigrants going back and forth all the time. I never remember meeting people with British or Irish accents until we moved to Canada.

On the other hand, my mom grew up in New York City in the 1940's and 50's in a left-wing family where folk music was a big part of political movements for social change -- the union songs, songs of the civil rights movement, etc. were all a part of the fabric of folk music that I grew up with. I've always felt like here in Canada that connection doesn't seem to be as strong or obvious in the folk scene. Not that there aren't folk musicians who sing political music, not that there aren't folk musicians singing out on picket lines and at demonstrations, but it doesn't feel like it's woven into the identity of the folk scene in Canada the way it is in the US (at least the Northeast US).

Anyway, I'm wandering all over the place here, but those are a few of the things I've noticed.