The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » 2020 CNE cancelled

cash · May 13, 2020 12:48 pm

it's gone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pyXhRwhXXE

Saul · May 13, 2020 3:26 pm

Maybe they'll show reruns on Netflix?

mace · May 13, 2020 3:45 pm

The only other time the CNE was shuttered was from 1942-46 when it was used as a military training and recruitment centre.

paterson1 · May 13, 2020 3:54 pm

Mind you, I for one will sort of miss the "Let's Go To The Ex" ads on TV and radio.

potentiometer · May 13, 2020 4:46 pm

Ah, The Ex!

Armed with some real Telly Fun Cheques and some reasonable facsimiles thereof, my kid sister and I would arrive early by streetcar, cash in the Fun Cheques and be ready for the midway to open.

We didn't have much money -- just enough for a Shopsy's corned beef sandwich later on. (What's smoked meat?) We'd head for the CHUM Satellite Station. Rats! No Al Boliska!! I know now why they didn't do the morning show from the Ex, but for a 10-something year-old it was a major disappointment. We'd go back once in a while to hear the Chumingbirds who were pretty funny with their vaudeville shtick. One year we became CHUM bugs. (I was too young to appreciate the CHUM Chicks.) By 10 John Sprague was on the air. He sat there looking miserable, never smiling, never interacting with the kids looking in on him.Another major disappointment. (It turns out he was much the same IRL. However, I have to say I think he was the last CFRB program director to "get it.")

Mike Darrow was also around and he seemed to be into it. Yay!. I can't remember the shift. Probably 2PM By that time we would be exhausted and heading home before Rush Hour, missing Bob McAdorey passing the CKEY remote trailer (meh) and the last Sno Cones booth fading as went to catch our street car home.

"Sno cones! Get your Sno Cones....!"

RadioActive · May 13, 2020 5:28 pm

potentiometer wrote:
passing the CKEY remote trailer (meh)

Speaking of which, a few months ago the great Doug Thompson sent me this terrific rare pic of that CKEY trailer. I also remember CHUM Checks from the Ex, but I think by the time I was of age to go to the CNE, CKEY had switched formats (not to mention frequencies.) Nice circus wagon, though!

Radiowiz · May 14, 2020 9:13 am

Charlie wrote:
If I want a tacky flea market, I'll go to Dr. Flea's. I can deep-fry any food I like at home. They've even sucked the life out of the air show.

Thank-you for visiting the CNE in 2014. That was nice of you. You should have dropped by some time after that.
Last year's CNE was meh because they cancelled the amazing acrobat/skate show.

The Dog show and Cat show were very good though.

Another great thing was food day. I enjoyed spinning the wheel. (it's a digital wheel these days, but still fun)
I keep winning free food coupons for the food building, but that's still a nice thing to have!
($25, good in food building only, same day only)

Last edited by Radiowiz (May 14, 2020 9:17 am)

Peter the K · May 14, 2020 10:43 am

I was actually pondering the idea of going just to get a Borner Vpower slicer at the flea market. We lost ours in our recent move and nothing I've found does the job quite as well. I'm quite serious. It sounds crazy but an item sold at a flea market demo table really does the job.

(Anyone seen these on sale anywhere?)

Last edited by Peter the K (May 14, 2020 10:45 am)

Tickle Trunk · May 14, 2020 10:47 am

I will miss The Ex's two lunatics:
- "Doggie, doggie!!"
- "Who wants to go fasterrrrrrrr??"

and:
- "pssst, hey little altar boy, Imma priest, can you point me to the special confessional"

RadioActive · May 14, 2020 10:48 am

Peter the K wrote:
I was actually pondering the idea of going just to get a Borner Vpower slicer at the flea market. We lost ours in our recent move and nothing I've found does the job quite as well. I'm quite serious. It sounds crazy but an item sold at a flea market demo table really does the job.

(Anyone seen these on sale anywhere?)

Don't know if they ship to Canada or how much it would cost, but you can always try here.

Amazon Canada sells the brand, but whether they have the one you want at a price you can live with is another matter.

RadioActive · May 14, 2020 10:50 am

Tickle Trunk wrote:
I will miss The Ex's two lunatics:
- "Doggie, doggie!!"
- "Who wants to go fasterrrrrrrr??"

Do they still have that Magic Carpet Ride with the statue of a giant woman screaming hysterically in laughter non-stop outside? Man, that thing used to freak me out when I was a kid.

Tickle Trunk · May 14, 2020 11:07 am

RadioActive wrote:
Do they still have that Magic Carpet Ride with the statue of a giant woman screaming hysterically in laughter non-stop outside? Man, that thing used to freak me out when I was a kid.

I believe I married that woman. She makes Estelle Constanza sound like a Peace Pidgeon's glorious fart.

potentiometer · May 19, 2020 11:05 am

The CKEY trailer is exactly how I remember it! Right down to the '58 Chevy. When I said "meh" about it in my original post, that was a bit harsh. Pepsi is just as good as Coke, but it's not Coke. Not fair, but reality. CHUM was better at the Show Biz, too. "CHUM Checks from the Ex!" Planted right at the Prince's Gates with pride of position.

PS -- the first song to catch my ear as a young kid was Flying Purple People Eater. On CKEY. I was hooked on Radio after that.

John D · May 19, 2020 11:08 am

CKEY Trailer. It's where I saw my Hero Davie Mickie; in his Gold Lame Jacket. I was thrilled. Who would have thunk it that we are now life long friends; under his real name David Marsden. Brilliant communicator.

RadioActive · May 19, 2020 11:10 am

From August 1967. Note the irony in the headline - CHUM City was what the corporate entity would be known as once CHUM bought City TV. Back then, the latter station didn't even exist. And there's another mistake in the copy. It's Princes' Gates, not Princess Gates, a very common misconception.

RadioActive · May 19, 2020 11:16 am

John D wrote:
CKEY Trailer. It's where I saw my Hero Davie Mickie; in his Gold Lame Jacket. I was thrilled. Who would have thunk it that we are now life long friends; under his real name David Marsden. Brilliant communicator.

Was this the jacket? Doesn't look gold in the pic, but it's black and white so it's hard to tell. These pics and artifacts were kindly donated to SOWNY by poster and producer extraordinaire Doug Thompson. Thanks Doug!

(Pictured: 1963 CKEY Good Guys. J. P. Finnegan, Duff Roman, Big G Walters, Lee Vogel (in drag), Bill Brady and Dave Mickie.)

Radiowiz · May 19, 2020 5:35 pm

Food normally found at the CNE is going ahead, but not at CNE...

https://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2020/05/toronto-social-distance-food-stand/

May 20, 2020 12:26 am

Charlie wrote:
If I want a tacky flea market, I'll go to Dr. Flea's. I can deep-fry any food I like at home. They've even sucked the life out of the air show.

There it is. This board never disappoints. I knew someone would express their hated of the CNE.
"I stopped going to the CNE in 1976 when they started selling ice cream in metric containers. I only eat pints of ice cream, not 473 millilitres. Besides It just makes me cold after I eat it. If I want to be cold I'll just sit in a tub of ice at home until I get hypothermia. You know who never had hypothermia? Allan Waters. But if an employee had it, he'd let them take two days off with pay, not like the bean counters today. Anyway, stupid CNE."

Tickle Trunk · May 20, 2020 7:25 am

Prod Guy wrote:
There it is. This board never disappoints. I knew someone would express their hated of the CNE.
"I stopped going to the CNE in 1976 when they started selling ice cream in metric containers. I only eat pints of ice cream, not 473 millilitres. Besides It just makes me cold after I eat it. If I want to be cold I'll just sit in a tub of ice at home until I get hypothermia. You know who never had hypothermia? Allan Waters. But if an employee had it, he'd let them take two days off with pay, not like the bean counters today. Anyway, stupid CNE."

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