Mulligan Stew Podcast

EP 340 | Sugarcane: Stunning documentary into Indian Residential Schools in B.C. A tale of Native Resilience.

hello

 

In 2021, evidence of unmarked graves was found near an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Kamloops. BC,  Canada, sparked a national outcry about the forced separation, assimilation, and abuse many children experienced at this network of segregated boarding schools designed to slowly destroy the culture and social fabric of Indigenous communities.
When Emily- a journalist and filmmaker- asked her old friend and colleague, Julian , to direct a film documenting the Williams Lake First Nation investigation of St Joseph’s Mission, she never imagined just how close this story was to his own family. As the investigation continued, Emily and Julian traveled back to the rivers, forests and mountains of his homelands to hear the myriad stories of survivors. During production, Julian’s own story became an integral part of this beautiful multi-stranded portrait of a community. By offering space, time, and profound empathy, the directors unearthed what was hidden. Emily and Julian encountered both the extraordinary pain these individuals had to suppress as a tool for survival and the unique beauty of a group of people finding the strength to persevere.
The film is nominated for an Academy Award. It has already won two Critics Choice Awards.
 

SUGARCANE Director Julian Brave NoiseCat. (Photo by Emily Kassie)

 
Julian Brave NoiseCat  – Director 
Julian is a writer, filmmaker and student of Salish art and history.
His first documentary, SUGARCANE, directed alongside Emily Kassie, follows an investigation into abuse and missing children at the Indian residential school NoiseCat’s family was sent to near Williams Lake, British Columbia. A proud member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq’escen and descendant of the Lil’wat Nation of Mount Currie, he is concurrently finishing his first book, We Survived the Night, which will be published by Alfred A. Knopf in North America.

SUGARCANE Director Emily Kassie. (Photo by James K. Lowe)

 
EMILY KASSIE
  • Director, Producer, Cinematographer
    Emily Kassie is an Emmy® and Peabody®-nominated investigative journalist and filmmaker. Kassie shoots, directs and reports stories on geopolitical conflict, humanitarian crises, corruption and the people caught in the crossfire. Her work for The New York Times, PBS Frontline, Netflix, and others ranges from drug and weapons trafficking in the Saharan desert, to immigrant detention in the United States. . Her first documentary, I Married My Family’s Killer, following couples in post-genocide Rwanda, won a Student Academy Award in 2015.
Indian residential school history and its impact are not in the past. For more information on the film’s impact campaign, please visit here.
If you need support, the following resources are available:
CANADA
The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line provides 24-hour crisis support
to former Indian Residential School students and their families toll-free at 1-866-925-4419.
First Nations, Inuit and Métis seeking immediate emotional support
can contact the Hope for Wellness Help Line toll-free at 1-855-242-3310,
UNITED STATES
Call or text 988

 

 

 

EP 339 | The Stew Welcomes back Colin James

hello

One of the true pleasures in a lifetime in music and broadcasting is connecting with artists at the very beginning of their careers.

If the connection is a strong friendship, emotionally you get to go along for the ride.

On the downside,  you must be prepared to lose those friends along the way through attrition, lifestyle and medical issues.

I’m pleased to say Colin James has given all of us a great ride.

8 Junos, 31 Maple Blues Awards, Induction into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, Order of BC and turning 60 years old with 21 studio albums under his belt.

Colin has played his way through an amazing collection of audiences.  Starting with Stevie Ray style  Texas blues, then blues rock, big band swing, roots, Americana and all the way back to blues.

What a Ride!!

Following a stellar concert at Massey Hall, Colin is on a Canadian tour now and he’s heading our way.  With the wonderful Terra Lightfoot!

Feb 26 -Grey Eagle   Calgary

Feb 27 – N Jubilee Edmonton

March 1 – Orpheum Vancouver

March 3 – Royal Theatre  Victoria

March 4 & 5 – Port Theatre Nanaimo

Colin is a master storyteller.

This time he has tales of recovering from a road accident on his scooter in the USA. Damage to his foot and fret hand slowed him down considerably. He has stories of becoming what he dreamed of as an 8-year-old and the biography he’s almost finished writing.

The complete interview can be heard on the Mulligan Stew Podcast and the terrydavidmulligan YouTube Channel.  

EP 338 | Becoming Led Zeppelin Documentary. The Filmmakers Guest on The Stew

hello

Special Guests are
Allison McGourtey- Producer
Bernard MacMahon. Director
 
Makers of Becoming Led Zeppelin

 
A documentary about the first 18 months of Led Zeppelin. Jimmy, Robert. John Paul and John Bonham.
Before it all exploded, and their lives got CRAZY.
And………it’s in IMAX.
The complete story can be heard on Mulligan Stew Podcast and tdm YouTube Channel.
Amazing filmmaking and storytelling.

EP 337 | Part 1-Victoria Whisky Festival 2025 Davin De Kergommeaux – Graeme Macaloney- Grant Stevely-Jason MacIsaac-Brennan Colebank

hello

It’s early January.

It’s Victoria.

It must be Whisky Season!!

 

THE SHOW 

 

Victoria Whisky Festival

It’s the first of two Whisky Specials from the 2025 Canadian Whisky Awards and the 2025 Victoria Whisky Festival.

There are always headlining whiskies and star whisky makers in attendance!

Whisky fans want to taste and explore the new releases from Crown Royal, Canadian Club, Forty Creek, Hiram Walker, JP Wiser’s Lot 40, Pike Creek, Gooderham and Worts, Nikka, Amrut, The Dalmore and Glencadam.

For the first time ever,  Gisbelle Distillery a distillery from China,  would be joining the lineup.

The West Coast and Vancouver Island were well represented.

Stillhead, Odd Society, DubhGlas, Sheringham, Sons of Vancouver & Shelter Point.

Over 200 whiskies were up for the awards. 14 judges from across the country tasted and scored.

The Grand Prize Winner, judged Canadian Whisky of the Year was,

The Peat Project Moscatel Barrique single malt from Macaloney’s Island Distillery (Saanich)

(Heather Leary – Graeme Macaloney – Davin de Kergommeaux)

Here are the guests on part one of the 2025 Whisky Awards and Victoria Whisky Festival

Davin De Kergommeaux  –  Davin is the flag bearer for Canadian Whisky. He singlehandedly brought Canadian Whisky to the attention of Canada and The World.

 

His latest book is the updated and expanded third edition of Canadian Whisky – The Essential Portable Expert.

I love the first line.

“Handles, mickeys, shots or drams, no matter what its measure, Canadian whisky is a story of Canada.”

 

Davin is my ultimate connection to the world of Canadian Whisky. He helped create these awards and leads the judging team.

Davin de Kergommeaux

Grant Stevely – Distiller at DubhGlas (Oliver)

 

In the fall of 2010, Grant purchased some property at Gallagher Lake near Oliver, B.C.

“I wanted to build a distillery from the ground up, which is distinctly different from a lot of other

distilleries,” he says. “So we built the distillery with expansion in mind.”

Grant Stevely

Grant Stevely

At the heart of the operation is a German-made Arnold Holstein still.

No sooner did Stevely open Dubh Glas Distillery in the spring of 2015, when he began winning awards

for his first product, Noteworthy Gin.

“Dubh Glas” is Scottish Gaelic for “from the dark water.” It’s pronounced “Douglas,” which happens to

be Stevely’s middle name.

 

Jason MacIsaac – Distiller. Sheringham (Langford, BC)

 

Sheringham Distillery  won Best Contemporary Gin at the 2019 World Gin Awards

Its Seaside Gin captured the award against World-class competition from 23 countries,  including the UK  and USA.

“We created Sheringham because we saw a hole in the market: the opportunity to create the world’s most drinkable spirits. This approach has served us well, and in the seven years since founding Sheringham, we have been on the ground building authentic connections with buyers, retailers, and consumers, sharing our story and highlighting our chef-driven approach to innovation and quality.”  (Distiller Mag)

Jason and wife  Alayne now have their growing portfolio available across Canada and in 15 markets in the USA.

 

Graeme Macaloney – Master Distiller  Macaloney Island Distillery (Saanich)

There once was a wee Scottish lad by the name of Graeme Macaloney who found a summer job bottling

whisky and fell in love with Uisge Beatha, the ‘water of life’. He dedicated his heart to finding a way to

make whisky for a living.

Graeme set up shop on Saanich, just outside Victoria. Some of his favourite Scottish and Irish whiskies were island-made.

Graeme has found his “island” in Canada.

Congratulations Champ!!

– Distillery opened in 2016

– The first whisky made onsite and  released in 2020

-Canadian Whisky of the Year – 2025

 

Brennan Colebank – Master Distiller Stillhead Distillery (Duncan)

Founded by the Colebank family, Stillhead Distillery Inc. opened its doors in October of 2017.

For those of you who haven’t met me, my name is Brennan and I’m one of the owners here at Stillhead. I’ve had a hand in creating the spirits you enjoy, and now I’ll be moonlighting as our social media content creator for the next bit! I’ll be sharing some behind the scenes content over the next few weeks. You can also find me creating cocktails at the new lounge Thursday-Saturdays, and have some exciting plans starting this weekend! I’m always up to talk cocktails, especially the ones involving a glass and whisky. If this sounds up your alley and you find yourself in Duncan then I’ll meet you at our lounge! If you have read this far, then I have a trivia question for you, and a correct answer will enter you in the running to win you a prize! What was the name of our very first rye whisky? 🤔

 

After working 15 years in the tech industry, Master Distiller Brennan Colebank left his job to pursue his dream career,

blending the two things he loved most: chemistry and spirits.  The chemist has created an amazing portfolio and a home for Whisky in the Cowichan Valley.

 

www.victoriawhiskyfestival.com

www.canadianwhiskyawards.com

 

 

EP 336 | Is Blackie Back?

hello

 

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are one of the most interesting bands working anywhere today.
Sometimes they’re in a recording studio time warp with more songs to choose from than Gabriel.
Followed by tours and festivals everywhere.
Then they disappear
The punch line to the tale is, the Blackie guys have their own lives, careers and fan bases.
What’s most remarkable is, after more than 25 years, they are still a band and friends.
For Example:
Stephen Fearing is releasing his next album on March 13 – The Empathist.  Wildly outstanding music. (We’ll be talking again.)
Stephen starts his Canadian tour at The Carleton Room in Halifax with two sold-out nights Feb 4-5.
Kicks off album release March 13 at Mary Winspear in Sidney, Vancouver Island.
Alberta dates March 21 Festival Place Sherwood Park, March 22 River Park Church Calgary.
Colin Linden
Colin continues to produce artists at his Pinhead Recorders in Nashville.
He’s also been touring with T Bone Burnett. He co-wrote and co-produced T Bone’s latest album The Other Side.  Next week Colin starts a new album, just in time to hit the road again.
Colin begins his own tour – The Ride on Tour – on April 23, hitting Calgary on June 1 and Canmore on June 3.

Tom and Terry

Tom Wilson
I’ll just give you the short version.
Re-recording songs,  with son Thompson, from his play Beautiful Scars.  Writing and recording soundtrack music for a number of projects including a film by Tanya Tagaq. Between his flourishing artwork, writing a new book, and starting a new album, Tom also enjoys the glow of an Order of Canada induction.  That’s the short version.
Blackie – The Band.
Plans are underway for dates in Canada. Winnipeg Folk Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival, Belmont Festival Edmonton (June 20)
They are planning shows in Hamilton, Toronto where cameras will be filming. More events to come.

EP 335 | Critics Round Table – Critics Choice Awards 2025

hello

The fires outside Los Angeles had brought tragedy and carnage.
Everything stopped for the firefighters, medical teams,  first responders, support teams, and those directly affected by the wildfires.
It’s awards season in LA.  The 2025 Critics Choice Film and TV Awards were to take place in January just as the fires were raging.  Those fires and the conditions that swept them through homes and communities have subsided enough that the Critics Choice Awards are now taking place on Friday, Feb 7th.  4-7 Pacific/7-10 East On E Channel
It’s also found on FuboTV DirectTV and SlingTV. 
Firefighters and first responders will be honoured at the beginning of the broadcast.

Our guests on this critic’s roundtable are
Hillary Atkin – The Atkin Report  Los Angeles
Shawn Edwards – Fox 4 Kansas City
Reginald Ponder – The Reel Critic  Chicago

EP 334 | The Changes in 2025 BC Wine Rhys Pender Master of Wine /Kathy Malone Winemaker (Hillside)

hello

Rhys Pender – Master of Wine/Little Farm Winery  (Similkameen)
Kathy Malone – Winemaker at Hillside Estate  (Naramata Bench)
There are so many elements in play during the 2025 BC wine-growing season. AND it’s just started.
Two cold snaps that damaged or killed many vines and vineyards over the past two Winters.
It caused many growers to consider planting more winter-proof varietals and adjusting vineyard locations.
Then came news that an agreement had been reached between Wine Growers of BC and the BC provincial government.
While the new plantings were taking hold, in order to help farming families survive, for one year BC wineries could source their grapes from out of the province. Many headed for Washington. Some to Oregon, California, Ontario, the Frazer Valley and Vancouver Island.  The last two BC wine regions were not hit by the cold.
Some wineries flatly refused to use non-BC fruit.

Rhys Pender

Soon, we’ll all start to see labels that say something like  “Washington grapes crafted in BC“!
Have fun tasting the blends and varietals that we’ve never seen or tasted here before.
You’re supporting BC farmers and wineries at the same time.

On Tasting Room Radio and this Podcast, we’ll be doing a series of specials on how various wineries and growers have committed to survive and thrive.  Who knows what their new direction may be.
There’s no denying it – BC Wines will be changing but there will be wines!!!
Enjoy the conversation between myself and Master of Wine Rhys Pender and Winemaker at Hillside Estate on the Naramata Bench Kathy Malone.  
 

EP 333 | Paul Sawler on BC Wines Now Direct to Alberta

hello

BC Wine/Alberta wine fans.  –  Finally, a hug and a handshake.

Our guest is Paul Sawler.  Board Chair  BC Wine Growers & leadership at Dirty Laundry (Summerland)

Starting this week, BC wineries that register can sell directly to consumers in Alberta.

Alberta is a huge market for BC wineries, so it is about time that the AGLC caught up, to allow this mutually beneficial relationship.

 This is great news for BC wineries and growers.  Hello Alberta wine fans!!!

Paul Sawler takes us through the process that achieved this partnership.
It took top-level government teams on both sides of the Alberta/BC border get this right.
We thank those involved and Paul and the board at Wine Growers for speaking on our behalf.

EP 332 | The Return of Oscar Lopez

hello

Welcome to 2025 all.
Our guest is Oscar Lopez. 2 time Juno winner. 10 albums were released. 
Nothing usual about the words above, except that for several years Oscar had disappeared!  From entertainment, media and life itself.
This interview is his way of explaining how he went from winning two Juno awards and walking onto stages with loving audiences to living in his car on the streets of Calgary.
Through tears,  Oscar talks about the dark years he’s been through.
Mental and alcohol battles. Second guessing himself.
With the help of his family members and an overflowing GoFundMe effort, he’s finally found the peace and strength to find a place to call home and return to the stage. Jan 17/18 at La Bodeguita Stereo in Calgary

EP 332 | Hallelujah. Leonard Cohen. A Journey – A song

hello

It’s not just the life of Leonard Cohen.  It’s the life of his song,  Hallelujah.

When he released it on the album  Various Positions, his label in the USA,  Columbia Records, refused to release it.  It never got played and was almost forgotten…until John Cale recorded it for the tribute album I’m Your Fan and it began a life of its own. The song passed from Bob Dylan to Cale, to Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, kdlang and the  Shrek Soundtrack. Now, it’s legendary.

With Fame comes The Lame. Various singers have crushed the life out of Hallelujah in TV Talent shows. Some crediting the song to Jeff Buckley without knowing that Cohen lived it and wrote it.

Leonard wrote 130-150 verses for the song. Took him many  years. At times made him lose his famous cool.

Hallelujah started as a spiritual journey. With various Leonard rewrites it became a secular,  sexy anthem. Before and after it was released to the World, the song took on a life of its own.

Post Shrek, Hallelujah took Leonard Cohen to audiences all over the World. It’s a heartfelt film that captures the brilliance of Leonard Cohen and the song.

The film was released in 2022.

This is smashing filmmaking and epic storytelling.

The directors are Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine.

Dan Geller said “the real focus is Leonard the man asking the deep questions about the purpose of life, the challenges of life, the holiness of life, and the brokenness of life”

https://www.sonyclassics.com/film/hallelujah/

As we sat down Dan said – It’s only about one song but we managed to fit in 22 Cohen songs.

Available for screening on Netflix, Hulu, Crave, and Apple. MUNI