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Harry Thomas Recordings
Harry Thomas is believed to be Canada's earliest jazz musician. In 1916 he released recordings of ragtime piano rolls. At it's earliest point in Canada, jazz was so obscure that it automatically would be considered counterculture. Even as it grew, because it was played by black musicians it still remained counterculture. It wasn't until white musicians adapted it for a white audience that it became mainstream. -
Prohibition in Quebec
Prohibition in Quebec was very short lived. Quebec became dry in 1919, and later that same year, voted to revert to allowing alcohol. This is important in understanding jazz's impact on Canada. More nightclubs opened up now able to sell alcohol, giving jazz musicians a place to play in Quebec. -
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Prohibition in America
Prohibition in America started in 1920 and lasted 13 years. This is an important factor in the popularity of Montreal's jazz music scene because prohibition in Quebec ended a year before it started in the US. This means that many American jazz musicians found a place to play in Montreal where there were many clubs serving alcohol. Americans would also make the trip to Montreal to see these musicians and drink. -
Founding of Rockhead's Paradise
Rockhead's Paradise was a popular club in Montreal for people to see jazz. Rockhead's Paradise was founded by Rufus Rockhead in 1928 with money he made from selling alcohol illegally in America during prohibition. Because alcohol was legal to serve in Montreal, and the already present jazz music scene, Rockhead's Paradise became very successful. Many famous American jazz musicians played there, such as Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone. -
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Height of Jazz's popularity
The 1930-50s was when jazz became mainstream. White musicians started playing a safer sounding version of the music that appealed to a white audience and grew the popularity making jazz music no longer really counterculture. -
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Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was what started the whole hippy movement. With peaceful protests and the phrase "make love not war", the hippy counterculture started in protest to the war. -
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Yorkville
During the 60s, Yorkville was where counterculture thrived in Canada. Filled with coffee houses that served as venues for some of Canada's greatest talent. There were poetry readings from up and coming authors Margaret Atwood, Gwendolyn MacEwen, and Dennis Lee. Many famous musicians performed in Yorkville during the beginnings of their careers such as The Sparrows (soon to be Steppenwolf), Joni Mitchell, and Gordon Lightfoot. -
Coach House Press
Coach House Press was started in 1965 by Stan Bevington. Originally set up in a coach house at Dundas and Bathurst, where he started printing books. At one point Coach House was briefly affiliated with Rochdale College. "Dennis Lee saved us from slum clearance at Dundas and Bathurst and invited us to Rochdale” – Stan Bevington. Now called Coach House Books, they publish more experimental poets and authors and play an important roll in Canada's counterculture. -
Rochdale College's creation
Rochdale College was a free experimental school that started from the hippy counterculture in Canada. It offered no degrees, curriculum, or exams, but instead a more forward-thinking education. -
Formation of Theatre Passe Muraille
Theatre Passe Muraille is an experimental theatre created in 1968 in Toronto by Jim Garrard. At the time it was created, Jim Garrard was attending Rochdale College. “There should be no walls of pre-conception about what theatre could be…producing plays that are new and different and thought-provoking is what’s important… to explore new models.” - Jim Garrard. Created to give more innovative artists space to perform, the theatre wasn't afraid to explore more taboo ideas. -
The Festival Express
The Festival Express was a touring music festival that made its way through Canada by train. The first stop was Toronto, then Winnipeg, and finally Calgary. The festival had many of the popular musicians of the time; Janis Joplin, The Band, and the Grateful Dead to name a few. The Festival Express was the last large scale festival in Canada of the hippy subculture. This shows how the hippy movement was starting to wind down in the 70s. -
Closure of Rochdale College
Rochdale College was short lived. In a way, it's closure signified the end of the hippy counterculture in Canada. Drug use got out of control and there were constant police raids. Not only that but the school was running out of money. Rochdale closed in 1975. -
Formation of Teenage Head
Teenage Head is one of the earliest punk bands from Canada. Started in 1975 in Hamilton, before punk became a widely used term. Soon afterwards many more Canadian punk bands would be formed, though they never reached the success of their American and UK counterparts. Teenage Head was the start of the punk counterculture in Canada which was originally passed off as a fad and looked at with disdain. Here is some early CBC footage: Link text -
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Funnel Film Collective theaters built
The Funnel Film Collective is a film collective that built it's own theatres and created experimental films. During 1977-88 they built 3 theatres, that ran with a communal hippy mentality. The whole theatre was volunteer-run. Though the Funnel Film Collective eventually fell apart and is mostly forgotten it is a good example of Canada's experimental film counterculture. -
The Last Pogo
The Last Pogo was one of the largest early punk shows in Canada. It took place at The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. Teenage Head, The Viletones, The Scenics, The Cardboard Brains, The Secrets, The Mods, and Ugly were all on the bill. By the end of the show, the police had come because the venue was far over the maximum capacity. The last band was Teenage Head whose set was cut down to one song as a result. The show ended with a riot. This was a significant show for Canada's punk counterculture. -
The Zine Scene
Zines, DIY magazines often focusing on a specific subculture, really started to appear in Canada during the 1980s. Some were fanzines, but others were written about political, questioning societies norms, and speaking out against inequalities. Zines helped connect people who were like-minded and spread ideas. -
Formation of Bunchofuckingoofs
Bunchofuckingoofs is an infamous hardcore punk band from Toronto's Kensington Market. Lead by Crazy Steve Goof, they were anti-establishment and anti-consumerism. They lived together in the building they called Fort Goof. Today they are much older and many of them have moved on, but Crazy Steve Goof and a few others still live in Kensington Market. The BFG are an iconic part of Toronto's punk counterculture. -
Rave Scene
Raves are EDM dance parties that became prevalent during the 90s. Toronto is considered to be the center of rave culture in Canada. These parties can be thrown legally, though many parties are thrown in abandoned warehouses, under bridges, or just without a permit. The counterculture has some similarities to the hippy movement. Like the hippy movement, there is a very friendly community vibe, and drug use is part of the experience. -
Cineforum
Cineforum is a theatre started in 1992 by Reg Hartt. At Rochdale College, Reg taught as the director of film studies. Now he shows old cult films and delivers lectures in his house on Bathurst Street. He is known to rub people the wrong way. In the past, slanderous posters have been put up around Toronto. The government has tried many times to shut Cineforum down, but it still runs today. Here's a link to a documentary I've made about Reg: Link text -
Peaches
Peaches is a Toronto based feminist musician. Her music opposes the current voice of popular music which often objectifies women. Instead, her music objectifies men and talks about sex without any innuendo. Peaches' music is a more modern version of the 90s riot grrrl counterculture that originated in the United States.
