Second Round of NHL 2024 Playoffs

The second round of the 2024 NHL Playoffs are now set.

In the first round, two series went the full seven games (Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins and the Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights.)

One one team swept their opponents in the first round: The New York Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals in four games.

Two Canadian teams remain in the playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. The teams will meet up in this round.

Two ‘Original Six’ teams remain in the playoffs: the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.

The following teams meet up in this round of the playoffs:

Sir Andrew Davis Passes Away at 80

Sir Andrew Davis, the internationally recognized conductor, has passed away at the age of 80 after a battle with leukemia.

Sir Andrew was born February 2nd, 1944 in Ashridge, Hertfordshire, England to Robert J. and Florence Joyce Davis.

He studied conducting in Rome with Franco Ferrara, after studying at at the Royal College of Music and King’s College, Cambridge – where he graduated in 1967.

First Round of the 2024 NHL Playoffs

The first round of the 2024 National Hockey League (NHL) playoff is now set.

Some highlights include:

• The New York Rangers enter the playoffs as the Presidents’ Trophy winner.
• The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs are both playing in their eighth consecutive year of post season action.
• Four Canadian teams made the playoffs this year: the Toronto Maple Leafs in the East, and the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets in the West.

The playoff brackets breakdown as follows:

Early Springtime Pictures

Spring is definitely in the air now.

Here are some pictures that I took today:

Newfoundland and Labrador & Nunavut Celebrate Milestones

The last two days have seen the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Territory of Nunavut celebrate milestones.

On March 31st, 2024 Newfoundland and Labrador celebrated 75 years of joining Confederation. They joined Confederation as the 10th Province of Canada on March 31st, 1949. Prior to this date Newfoundland, as it was known then, was a British Colony.

Toronto’s Subway Turns 70

Today, March 30th, 2024, marks that 70th Birthday of Toronto’s subway system with the opening on the Yonge Line between Union Station and Eglinton.

VIA Rail’s Flagship Train, The Canadian, Departs Toronto, March 20th 2024

I happened to be in downtown Toronto this morning when VIA Rail Canada’s flagship train, The Canadian, departed Toronto’s Union Station bound for Vancouver.

The train was led by two F40PH-2 units, #6412 and #6457. It had two deadhead cars, one skyline and Kokanee Park. There is one baggage car, one HEP-I coach, two in service skylines, five manors, one dining car (Frontenac), one Prestige sleeper (Chateau Dollard), and Laurentide Park bringing up the rear.

Here are some pictures from the departure:

Roy McMurtry Passes Away at 91

Former Ontario Attorney General of Ontario and Chief Justices of Ontario Roy McMurtry has passed away at the age of 91. He also served as High Commissioner of Canada to the United Kingdom.

Roy McMurtry (copyright: Joshuapaquin via Wikipedia)

He was born in Toronto on May 31st, 1932 to Roy McMurtry Sr. In 1954, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto (Trinity College) and in 1958 a Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Mr. McMurtry would practise law for a number of years before being elected to the Ontario Legislature in 1975 for the riding of Eglinton (he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in 1973.)

In 1971, Bill Davis defeated Allan Lawrence to become the Leader of the Progressive Conservatives of Ontario and Premier of Ontario in a hotly contested elected (Davis won by 44 votes.) It was Mr. McMurtry who helped to bring the two sides back together for the good of the party and launch the ‘Big Blue Machine‘ that helped to keep the party in power until 1987.

Happy 80th Birthday, Cito Gaston

Today – March 17th, 2024 – marks the 80th Birthday of former Toronto Blue Jays manager, Cito Gaston.

Cito Gaston became the Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays on May 15th, 1989. The team was 12-24 at the time. Undwe Cito, the team went 77-49 for a record of 89–73 and the team’s second AL East title. He would turn the team into the ‘Beasts from the East’ as they would go on to win the AL East Titles again in 1991, 1992, and 1993 and led them to the AL Pennants and World Series wins in 1992 and 1993.

Happy Commonwealth Day, 2024

Today (March 11th, 2024) is Commonwealth Day in the countries that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Commonwealth Day, celebrated on the second Monday of March throughout the Commonwealth, as its name suggests celebrates the Commonwealth.

This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the Commonwealth. This year also marks the 50th Anniversary of independence for Grenada, a member of the Commonwealth.