ART BITES: Number 22 has a $20 Coin for $100. Evangelistic Association wants to get on the air in Scarborough

Black History Month 

The # 22 Willie Coin Is Worth $20 And Sells For A C-Note

Art Bites: By Stephen Weir: Fresh on last week’s announcement that Canada Post has issued a new stamp to honour Black History Month, the Royal Canada Mint matched their Ottawa crosstown rivals by releasing a $20 pure silver coin in tribute to Willie O’Ree, the first Black hockey player to appear in the National Hockey League.  

 Willie O'Ree's determination to play at the highest level of professional hockey has inspired generations of Black players to carve their own paths as NHL legends.   “The Mint is delighted to immortalize his special place in history on a skillfully crafted silver coin," explained Marie Lemay, President of the Royal Canadian Mint.

O’Ree had a very short NHL career – just 43 games with the Boston Bruins –  but that was all it took to take down the NHL colour barrier and open the doors for Black players.  He was called up as a short-term replacement player in 1958 and again during the 1960-61 season.  

“He scored four goals and 10 assists while enduring racist taunts by opposing players and fans. Traded to the Montreal Canadiens, O'Ree played 14 seasons in the minors before calling it a career in 1979,” says the Mint in a recent press release about the coin.

O'Ree returned to the NHL in 1998 as an ambassador for diversity, a role he continues to serve today. He inspired the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award and received both the Order of Canada and Order of New Brunswick. 

The $20 pure silver coin is legal tender; however, it is meant for collectors.  Only 5,500 coins have been made, and each one sells for $99.95. The Mint expects them to go quickly.

One side of the coin shows O’Ree in his number 22 Boston Bruin sweater, along with his signature.  The flip side of the coin bears the image of the Queen created by 80-year-old portrait artist Susanna Blunt.

The Mint says the O’Ree image is based on a sport’s photograph but has not identified the artist who prepared the coin’s artwork.

Photos courtesy of the Canadian Mint

                                   

On a Wish and a Prayer:

Evangelistic Association Wants to Open a Scarborough Radio Station 

Art Bites By Stephen Weir: 

Just when it looked like  there was no more room left on the FM dial, comes news that the Canadian Radio and Television Commission CRTC has asked for the public’s comments on a proposed low powered station in Scarborough.  British Columbia based International Harvesters for Christ Evangelistic Association (IHCEA) has made the licence application and says it wants the new station to play Christian music.

Last year, Scarborough based Black radio station G-98.7 was ordered by the CRTC to find new owners because of mounting debts and a diminishing advertising and listenership base. The station was sold and continues to operate in Scarborough.

“The Commission finds that the Scarborough radio market cannot support an additional commercial radio station at present,” reads an announcement on the Canadian Radio and Television Commission’s website.  “However, given that Christian music stations generally do not raise concerns pertaining to commercial impact, the Commission will publish the application by International Harvesters of Christ Evangelistic Association Inc. for a broadcasting licence to operate a new Specialty (Christian music) FM radio station to serve the Scarborough market.

IHCEA already operates 3 radio stations in the Maritimes.  CITA-FM (Christ Is The Answer), is their low powered radio station in Moncton, New Brunswick and is the model that the broadcasters want to adapt for the Scarborough station if and when it gets permission from the Government commission to proceed.  In December 2019 IHCEA was granted a licence to launch a Christian station in Kelowna and Kamloops, British Columbia. It does not appear that station has gone on air yet .

The CRTC has already received three notices from other Toronto broadcasters opposing the proposed start-up of IHCEA. Corus Entertainment ( CFMJ, CFNY-FM and CILQ-) warned the government agency that the owners “may use a licence to serve Scarborough as a means of obtaining a backdoor entry into the Toronto market.”

Bell Media, Rogers Media Inc. and Stingray Radio Inc. agree with Corus and have submitted their concerns to the CRTC. They also worry that a new station “could be a risk for technical interference” with other radio stations’ transmission signals.

Trafalgar Broadcasting Limited operates CJYE, a Christian radio station in Oakville. Trafalgar has opposed the licence proposal new Christian music station in Scarborough and expressed concern that any new Christian service would challenge their presence in the Toronto.

CJRK-FM, a Multicultural FM radio station is based in Scarborough and has not, so far, protested the licence application. 

The CRTC is currently studying  the year-old application by International Harvesters for Christ Evangelistic Association and reviewing the concerns of the established Toronto stations. If the CRTC feels the proposal still has merit, there will be in all likelihood a hearing and the public will have an opportunity to express their concerns and their support for IHCEA.