Retrontario

Retrontario Retrontario seeks to preserve, celebrate and research recent Ontario history and pop-culture Where the past meets the present. All that's missing is you!

09/05/2026

Back to school stalking with Arthur Kobalewscuy and Yick Yu… broomhead central 🧹

09/04/2026

Retrontario is very saddened to hear of the passing of Jay Levine, one of a cadre of brilliant Canadian television artists who experimented with the medium at the legendary institution that was Citytv Channel 79/57. Jay is best known for creating the global sensation that was FashionTelevision, a series that ran for 27 years and spawned its own network, but he also cut his teeth on CityPulse as a director, and as a promo producer for the channel itself.
I had the great privilege of interviewing Jay a few years ago about his time at Citytv, and he shared this amazing anecdote about his first big “hit” at Citytv, a spot that is still revered and discussed today by many, including my friend Brick Mantooth who produces a podcast about the Not So Great Movies ✨
➡️ Swipe to see the original 1983 tv spot
All of our thoughts are with Jay’s family and friends, may his memory be a blessing. Thank you for your amazing work 💔🙏🙌🏻

R.I.P., Paul LeDuc, classic Montreal wrestler and tag team partner of Jos LeDuc (storyline brother) whose real name was ...
08/31/2026

R.I.P., Paul LeDuc, classic Montreal wrestler and tag team partner of Jos LeDuc (storyline brother) whose real name was Michel Pigeon (1944-1999). You might recall him from the classic Oh Henry BIG CHUNK OF FUDGE commercial from the 80s 🙏✨🙌🏻✌️

If you needed a mascot in Ontario in the 1970s, there was one Queen you needed to see - Tanya Petrova 👑🐻 ➡️Among some of...
08/27/2026

If you needed a mascot in Ontario in the 1970s, there was one Queen you needed to see - Tanya Petrova 👑

🐻 ➡️Among some of the most notable characters Petrova designed - the official mascots for Ontario Place Dear Deer, Bashful Beaver, and Rocky Racoon; Polkaroo for TVO; Winnie the Wintario Bear for OLG; Charlie Horse for Shari Lewis and The Glump for Eatons.
We’d love to learn more about Petrova for a project we are working on, if anyone has any additional information please get in touch ❤️

Retrontario is saddened to learn of the passing of another unsung Titan of 🇨🇦 📺 - Perry Rosemond. Born in Winnipeg, Mani...
08/24/2026

Retrontario is saddened to learn of the passing of another unsung Titan of 🇨🇦 📺 - Perry Rosemond.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Perry is best remembered for creating The King of Kensington, however he had a tremendous and far reaching career: He helped shape the direction of the CBC’s children’s department in the turbulant 1960s, working on The Friendly Giant, Mr. Dressup, Sesame Street Canada, and later in the 80s, Fraggle Rock.
In 1966, Perry created a revolutionary news series for the CBC entitled Through the Eyes of Tomorrow, using only young people as reporters, directors and editors. In 1976 he gave a young John Candy an early break in The David Steinberg Show, and was instrumental in the early days of TVOntario.
A true maverick of the small screen and a Canadian legend, we salute Perry Rosemond and our thoughts are with his family and friends 🙏

BUSINESS UP FRONT PARTY IN THE BACK 🤘
08/20/2026

BUSINESS UP FRONT PARTY IN THE BACK 🤘

Do you remember the Garden Bros Circus experience? Retrontario recently unearthed some footage from a 1984 show at Maple...
08/19/2026

Do you remember the Garden Bros Circus experience? Retrontario recently unearthed some footage from a 1984 show at Maple Leaf Gardens and the memories came flooding back! 🌊

Its been almost 10 years since Mac’s were rebranded as Circle K, and 27 years since MacTavish, the OG mascot for Mac’s, ...
08/17/2026

Its been almost 10 years since Mac’s were rebranded as Circle K, and 27 years since MacTavish, the OG mascot for Mac’s, was unceremoniously dumped for a winking owl called Hibou. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

🦋 Can you name all the shows? 📖 Missing the days when books were central to kids shows. And we wonder why reading has fa...
08/15/2026

🦋 Can you name all the shows? 📖 Missing the days when books were central to kids shows. And we wonder why reading has fallen off with young people so much so much? Take a look, it’s in a book 👀 Thanks to Jarid for the template! 👊

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31 Sloley Road
Toronto, ON
M1M 1C7

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