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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Nish Media’s Hit the Ice returns for its sixth season on APTN

From a media release:

Hit The Ice returns for its sixth season. The 15-episode series features Midget and Junior Indigenous hockey hopefuls, from communities across the country, aged 16 to 18, as they are put through the paces of a real NHL style training camp by a team led by ex-NHL coach and player John Chabot. This year, for the first time ever, hopefuls had the chance to try out either via virtual video or in person in Winnipeg.

Premieres on March 10 on APTN e and APTN hd at 12:00 p.m. ET, APTN w at 10:00 a.m. MT and APTN n at 11:00 a.m CT. The Cree version of the show began on February 7.

The players are tested and put through various hockey drills and other physical challenges during the camp in Winnipeg. Unfortunately, like the pros, the players then go through cuts and watch some of their group released until the final roster is determined.

The 20 remaining prospects then experience the challenges of an NHL calibre training camp featuring physical training, on ice drills and different team building activities which make them grow not only as a team but also as men. Their ultimate payoff is to showcase their skills playing against a Team Made in Manitoba under the scrutinizing eyes of real-life Junior hockey scouts from the Canadian Hockey League as well as U.S. universities. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that few young players will ever get to experience.

The coaching & training team is led by ex-NHL coach and player John Chabot, a member of the Kitigan Zibi First Nation, who returns as head coach of the camp. Chabot played with the Canadiens, Red Wings and Penguins and had coached & assistant-coached for the Islanders as well as in the QMJHL. His team includes:

Assistant Coaches
Ron Choules, currently a coach with the Gatineau Olympiques; was the Assistant Coach for Team Canada U-18; played in the QMJHL, drafted by the Maple Leafs.

Pat Loyer, currently president of the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League; coached in the WHL and various Junior A teams; played in Major Junior for the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Alfie Michaud, Ojibwe, currently the goalie coach for the University of Maine’s hockey team; goaltended for the Canucks, the Danish Sonderjyske Ishockey and in the AHL.

Carrie Peters, a strength and conditioning coach and fitness instructor will take care of the off-ice training.

Guest Coaches
Mark Stone (Ottawa Senators player)

Calvin Pickard (currently Vegas Golden Knights player, formerly Colorado Avalanche)

Travis Hamonic, Métis (currently Calgary Flames player, formerly with NY Islanders)

Joe Cramorossa (currently Stockton Heat/AHL player, formerly with Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks)

Brandon Montour, Six Nations of the Grand River (Anaheim Ducks player).

Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, a University of Manitoba sports psychologist.

J.P. Vigier, a former NHL player (Atlanta Thrashers) and coach.

Brad McEwen, an NHL scout with the Calgary Flames. Brad will lead the player evaluation and selection process for Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence for the 2018 World Junior Championship.

R.T. Rice, the Hit the Ice alumnus who has been invited to attend the Vancouver Canucks’ development camp.

Dan Girardin MPT, BESS, is the physiotherapist for the team.

Over the years, Hit The Ice has demonstrated its positive impact on young Indigenous hockey players with many of them now playing in the WHL, QMJHL and the OHL. Everyone’s hope is to one day see one of the players reach their goal of playing in the NHL.

About Nish Media
The series is produced by Nish Media, a multi-award-winning production company based in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. Over the past ten years, producer Jason Brennan has produced over 200 hours of television for various networks such as APTN, CBC, Radio-Canada, Ici ArtV, Canal D, TV5 and CBC Docs, including Mouki, Wapikoni, La Fosse aux tigres and six seasons of Hit The Ice, nominated in prestigious television festivals including the Banff World Media Festival and Italy’s FICTS. Its first feature film, “Le Dep”, was selected to play in several film festivals including the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, the Vancouver Film Festival, the Raindance Film Festival, ImagineNative and the American Indian Film Festival. Nish Media is currently adapting Marc Séguin’s novel Nord Alice for film, as well as producing Sonia Bonspille Boileau’s next feature film Rustic Oracle.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

This March on Discovery: New original Canadian series Rocky Mountain Railroad and Season 4 of Jade Fever

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From a media release:

This March, Discovery’s primetime schedule embarks on a bountiful lineup featuring a slew of new and popular returning homegrown programs.

The exhilarating month of authentic, character-driven programming is led by the debut of Discovery’s new original Canadian series ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD, airing Mondays at 10 p.m. ET beginning March 5. The all-new series casts a spotlight on the elite crews assembled to keep the nation’s critical freight and passenger trains rolling during the winter months by battling deadly avalanches, monster icicles, steep rockslides, and dangerous wildlife. Featuring the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Ontario Northland Railway, ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD takes viewers on an exclusive journey to Canada’s most extreme railways, where the resilient crews do whatever it takes to keep the critical lifeline running smoothly.

Also in March, after a five-year hiatus, Discovery revives the iconic, fan-favourite, customized motorcycle series AMERICAN CHOPPER. Before the series makes its big return to Discovery’s spring schedule, viewers can catch a full-episode sneak peek of AMERICAN CHOPPER as it kicks off Discovery’s “Gear Head Week”, Monday, March 5 at 8 p.m. ET. Before that, “gargantuan” takes on a whole new meaning with the return of DAILY PLANET’s “Gigantic Week”, weeknights at 7 p.m. ET, beginning March 5. Later in March, Discovery heads to Northern B.C. for Season 4 of JADE FEVER, airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET beginning March 13.

Below is a closer look at Discovery’s new and returning programming highlights for March. All programming is subject to change (all times ET; visit discovery.ca to confirm local broadcast times; programming subject to change).

“Gear Head Week”
Driven by an array of automotive-focused programming, “Gear Head Week” (March 5-9) invites viewers to test drive the finely-tuned programming with adrenaline-charged content including:

NEW SERIES
ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD – New Original Canadian Series
Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT beginning March 5

Featuring the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Ontario Northland Railway, the new eight-part series follows the resilient crews battling ferocious weather and treacherous terrain to keep Canada’s critical freight and passenger trains rolling through the winter. Shutting down is not an option.

NEW SEASONS OF RETURNING SERIES
DAILY PLANET– Theme Week!
Monday, March 5 through Friday, March 9 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

If it can be sized up on a truly massive scale, DAILY PLANET is on the case with its annual “Gigantic Week”. Scouring the world for the biggest and most over-the-top science and engineering stories, co-hosts Ziya Tong and Dan Riskin invite viewers to witness the world’s whopping inventions, escalated experiments, and even exceptionally large creatures.

JADE FEVER – Original Canadian Series
Tuesdays at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET beginning March 13

Season 4 of JADE FEVER follows the intense adventures of the Bunce family as they gamble in search of million-dollar boulders of jade in Northern B.C.’s Cassiar Mountains. Claudia and Robin Bunce are taking the ultimate risk this season – mining without investor support and putting their family’s life savings on the line in search for “Grade A” jade. Over a six-week period, viewers can catch a double dose of the Bunces’ exciting, high-stakes search with weekly back-to-back episodes.

 

 

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

AMI launches new wellness focused documentary series Mind Set Go

From a media release:

Six million Canadians struggle with obesity yet less than 5% lose the weight and keep it off. The new documentary series Mind Set Go (8×30′) follows eight brave Canadians as they tackle their obesity over a three-month wellness journey of body, mind, and soul. Fitness experts Lowell and Julie Taylor (Amazing Race Canada) and several famous Canadian Paralympians and athletes, all of whom have used a positive mindset to overcome their own barriers, provide essential insights to participants along the way. An Anaïd Production, Mind Set Go airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT starting March 8 on AMI-tv. The series features Integrated Described Video and is accessible to audience members who are blind or partially sighted.

Each episode of Mind Set Go starts with the participant’s backstory – perhaps a health scare or a traumatic event was the catalyst for their weight gain. To bookmark their journey, the participant sets a physically demanding goal – like climbing a mountain – to reveal how their lives and attitudes have progressed after the three months. Lowell and Julie Taylor offer their expertise along the way and bring on one Paralympian or athlete per episode to share their inspiring stories and insights with the participants.

Paralympians and athlete featured in the documentary include Michelle Salt(Calgary, AB), Maya Jones (Vancouver, BC), Josh Cassidy (Toronto, ON), Summer Mortimer (Hamilton, ON), Ness Murby (Salt Island, BC), Greg Westlake (Toronto, ON), Victoria Nolan (Toronto, ON), and Curt Minard (Vancouver, BC).

Mind Set Go airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on AMI-tv, starting March 8. Full episodes will also be available to steam online at AMI.ca following the initial broadcast.

Mind Set Go is developed and produced by Anaïd Productions in association with Accessible Media Inc., with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, Rogers Telefund, and the Province of British Columbia, Film Incentive BC, and  with the assistance of the Government of Alberta, Alberta Media Fund and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

 

 

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

HGTV Canada schedules third season of Home to Win

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From a media release:

Canada’s top builders and designers are back under one roof in Season 3 of HGTV Canada’s #1 program,* Home To Win (8×60). Premiering Sunday, April 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada, with weekly airings on Global starting Saturday, May 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, the all-star competition series follows the room-by-room transformation of a shabby countryside property into a modern family home. New this season, the opportunity for Canadians to compete to win the spectacular home is open exclusively to first-time homebuyers. HomeToWin.ca is now taking submissions and viewers can learn more about how to apply here.

The Canadian-original series returns with HGTV Canada’s robust roster of talent led by Entertainment Tonight Canada’s Sangita Patel. The eight-week broadcast kicks off with Bryan Baeumler and Scott McGillivray spearheading the hunt for the perfect property, while Sarah Richardson and Tommy Smythe decide on the overall design. Then Sarah Baeumler, Sarah Keenleyside, Brian McCourt, Sebastian Clovis, Sabrina Smelko, Mike Holmes Jr., and more HGTV Canada favourites take on the day-to-day challenges of turning the blueprint into a reality. Mike Holmes, Jonathan and Drew Scott as well as Dave and Kortney Wilson also pitch in with surprise visits throughout the season. In each episode, the cast face off in head-to-head challenges, then team up to complete extensive renovations showcased in stunning room reveals. The season concludes with three first-time homebuyers competing to win the completed home in the dramatic finale.

Nominated for a 2018 Canadian Screen Award for Best Cross-Platform Project Non-Fiction, HomeToWin.ca offers a closer look at the property with weekly photo galleries of the interior and exterior spaces as they are revealed in the show. A digital home tour features hotspots that allow users to shop for products featured in the home, while behind-the-scenes photography and written recaps by HGTV Canada experts take viewers behind the camera. Exclusive video content including guided room tours, DIY projects, and bloopers connects fans further with their favourite network stars. First-time homebuyers can submit their application at HomeToWin.ca until Monday, May 28 at 8 a.m. ET.

 

 

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Buck Productions proud to support Little Bear Big Wolf Picture’s doc series Merchants of the Wild

From a media release:

Little Bear Big Wolf Pictures producer Daniel Fortin has announced the completion of principal photography of the unscripted series, Merchants of the Wild. Cameras rolled for the unique docu-series in the Constance Lake region of Northwestern Ontario.

Merchants of the Wild is a documentary series reconnecting six First Nations, Métis and Inuit adventurers with traditional skills and knowledge of the land. Mixing survival, culture, use of environment and adventure, Merchants of the Wild takes us back in time as the adventurers are pitted against the perils of the land, learning what it took to survive as they travel 16th-century fur trade routes used by Oji-Cree ancestors.

“I’m thrilled at the completion of the production. Everyone on the team feels a great honour and responsibility in sharing the beauty of the land and the cultural teachings taught by Oji-Cree Elders and Knowledge Keepers,” said director and producer Daniel Fortin. “This has truly been a unique and exciting journey that has deeply impacted all of those involved. On the production end, I couldn’t be happier to have a mentor in place like Sean Buckley. The experience Buck Productions brings has been irreplaceable.”

“Merchants of the Wild is about bravery, determination and understanding the beauty and importance of our environment,” said Sean Buckley, CEO, Buck Productions. “At Buck, we aim for involvement with engaging content that has a purpose, which is exactly what Daniel has brought with Merchants of the Wild. This was a special shoot for the team in Northern Canada, and we’re thrilled to help guide them forward and share it with the world.”

This announcement marks the inaugural series for Little Bear Big Wolf Pictures. For Buck Productions, this is the latest involvement in bringing to life over 30 originally created unscripted shows, including the five it created in-house in 2017.

Sean Buckley of Buck Productions is an executive producer and mentor for the docu-series. Merchants of the Wild was developed and produced by Little Bear Big Wolf Pictures for APTN, in partnership with the Canada Media Fund and Rogers Cable Network Fund. UK and Australian-based Beyond Distribution will handle international distribution.

Synopsis
Merchants of the Wild is a vivid reconnection to the land as six Indigenous women and men relive what survival was like on a fur trade expedition across the length and breadth of Northern Cree and Ojibway territories. Travelling in birch bark canoes, the brave group are taught by Elders and Knowledge Keepers, learning to make tools and use skills passed on orally through generations. These teachings are essential to their survival, as they take to the land with no modern technology on a 25-day voyage that will leave them forever changed. The series lets audiences experience what it took to endure perilous journeys, and gain not only cultural knowledge and appreciation, but discover ways in which they can better live harmoniously within their environment. The diverse group must use their collective knowledge and courage, alongside teachings from Oji-Cree Elders, to find food, make shelter, endure freezing nights, and overcome the entire emotional journey reconnecting them with the land.

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