Rich Hrytzak is co-owner of Counterpoint Brewing Company in Kitchener, serving a selection of robust porters, hoppy pale ales, and tangy gose beers. In the first episode of Bonn Park’s two-part series on Counterpoint Brewing, Rich Hrytzak chats at length with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward about creating funky sour beers and creamy stouts, the magic of experimenting and perfecting new beer recipes, and Ontario’s innovative and supportive community of craft brewers. COUNTERPOINT BREWING BONN P...
Nov 18, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Every year on November 11, Canadians pause in a moment of silence to honour and remember those who served, and are serving, our country. On this week’s episode of Bonn Park, Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward sit down with writer Jody Frederick, who is writing a book about a Canadian private who died in combat at age 21 during the First World War. It’s a story of faith, hope, family, and remembrance in a rural Southwestern Ontario farming community. We hope the episode helps you reflect on the co...
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Marc Quaglia is a board game specialist at J&J Cards and Collectibles in Waterloo. In this hour with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward on Bonn Park, Quaglia lists his top five favourite board games and shares fascinating insight on thrilling strategy games like Betrayal at House on the Hill and Mysterium, along with best sellers like Catan and Sushi Go. Marc Quaglia also talks about immersive and evocative fantasy role-playing games, and why the most popular board game of all time is “unplay...
Nov 04, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Stratford-based artists Claire Scott and Kris Von Kleist co-manage the York Lane Art Collective, a media platform used to help artists connect, express, and evolve collectively. Kleist is an actor, filmmaker, and producer. Scott is a curator, visual artist, illustrator, graphic designer, photographer, and eco-fashion designer. Together, they create experiential gallery openings, live music, theatre performances, film screenings, drawing classes, and more. On this week’s episode of Bonn Park with...
Oct 28, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Master magician, sleight of hand wizard, and a true gentleman, Scott Boyd casts a spell over Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward in this week’s dazzling episode of Bonn Park, performing tricks that left them in amazement. His interactive and hilarious stage and parlour shows, full of imagination and flair are clean, fun, and friendly for all ages. Combining artistry, philosophy, and creativity, Scott Boyd pulls back the curtain on being a “family man” magician, practice and perseverance, and creat...
Oct 21, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 43
On this week’s episode of Bonn Park, Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward chat with Ryan Leacock, host of the Creative People Podcast. With a passion for creative expression and community building, Leacock candidly delves deep in this wide-ranging conversation about interconnectedness, imposter syndrome, his podcasting journey, mistakes, and the mystery of creativity. Creative People Podcast BONN PARK INSTAGRAM SUPPORT A LOCAL BUSINESS LIKE: YIOTA LEATHER INTERNATIONAL CHEESE J&J CARDS AND GAME...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 42
A Naturopathic doctor at Flow Health & Wellness and Waterloo Sports Medicine, Dr. Tina Rogers is a certified sports nutritionist and Ironman Triathlete, and the first Naturopathic doctor in Waterloo Region to specialize in sports medicine. In an intriguing conversation with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward on Bonn Park, Dr. Tina Rogers sheds light on everything from gut health, Lyme disease, and trigger point acupuncture to mindful eating, competing in Ironman Triathlons, and her path to be...
Oct 07, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 41
The Caribbean sun shines bright on Bonn Park this week with Island Son Canada hot sauce maker Jeff Davis, a member of the League of Fire Chilli Eating Champions. Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward chat with Davis about his euphorically flavourful Bajan Tyga concoctions, his Bajan roots, and his love of music. Jeff Davis’ story is an interesting one as his Bajan Tyga hot sauces are spreading by word of mouth. Word of fiery mouth, that is. ISLAND SON HOT SAUCE BONN PARK INSTAGRAM SUPPORT A LOCAL BU...
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Ladies and gentlemen, coming down the aisle from Las Vegas, Nevada... “Penthouse” Lenny Lilac is a flamboyant brawler in Southern Ontario’s indie wrestling scene, and head of the Union of Independent Professional Wrestlers. On this episode of Bonn Park with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward, Lenny Lilac (whose real name is Leon Hearth) talks about his colourful and outlandish character, entrepreneurship, and breaking into the business at the infamous Hart Brothers School of Wrestling in Cambridg...
Sep 23, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 39
On this musical episode of Bonn Park, Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward sit down with Waterloo Region-based singer-songwriter Michael Kelly Cavan, born in Ireland and raised by his immigrant parents in North Bay, Ontario. With his singing, playing and storytelling along with his melodic tenor and gentle wit, Cavan delights us for over an hour performing six heartwarming songs inspired by his immigrant family experience and life growing up in Northern Ontario. Michael Kelly Cavan, with his unique...
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Melissa Durrell is the president of Durrell Communications, leading one of the top PR and Communication teams in southwestern Ontario. Originally from Saskatoon, she served two terms as the elected official representing Uptown Waterloo on City Council, is the vice-chair of the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area, and is a supporter of the Zonta Film Festival. She is also one of Canada’s top pitch coaches. In this hour with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward on Bonn Park, Durrell talks about...
Sep 09, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Restauranteur Jessie Votary is the fearless leader, mastermind, and general manager of Ramshackle Industries and all five of their worker-owned restaurants the company manages in Stratford, including their flagship, The Red Rabbit. Votary takes us “down the rabbit hole” in this episode of Bonn Park with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward as she candidly pulls back the curtain on finding investors, pivoting to survive a pandemic, kitchens, customers, and the blood, sweat, and tears that come with ...
Sep 02, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Les Fleiszig is a former high school teacher and world powerlifting champion. He's also humble, and was surprised we invited him to be a guest on this week's episode of Bonn Park. His humility is part of his charm, which he has in great quantities, along with wit and spirit. We're confident you'll quickly see why we wanted him on the show. For 18 years he was department head of technology at Resurrection Catholic Secondary School in Kitchener. He nurtured young brains and brawn, coaching footbal...
Aug 26, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Made by Maggie is the brainchild of artist and illustrator Maggie Laurin. Made by Maggie creates everything from customizable certificates for teachers to give to their students (available in French and English), to whimsical illustrations of people’s childhood homes and cottages, high schools, and local landmark buildings like Harmony Lunch, Queen Street Commons Café, and the old HiWay Market. On Bonn Park with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward, Maggie talks about sentimentality, custom orders,...
Aug 19, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Waterloo Region-based historian and music writer David McPherson authored the book The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern: A Complete History. “A spirit lives there,” writes David McPherson. “The musicians feel it. So do the regulars. Even first-timers catch a whiff of these ghosts.” His writing has appeared in Words & Music, Hamilton Magazine, No Depression, Paste, American Songwriter, Bluegrass Unlimited, and most recently, GRAMMY. On Bonn Park with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward, McPherson rem...
Aug 12, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 33
A veteran of the local live music scene, Gary Stewart and his wife Sue owned and operated the legendary Super Skate 7 roller skating rink, The Vid and The Twist dance clubs, The Flying Dog restaurant, and Revolution nightclub in Waterloo. In an industry that is constantly evolving, the Stewarts have been innovators, staying ahead of changing trends and running premiere entertainment venues for a remarkable 30-plus years. On Bonn Park with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward, Gary Stewart discusses...
Aug 05, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Waterloo Region-based musician and author Brent Hagerman teaches the History of Rock at Wilfrid Laurier University. Along with teaching popular music and world religion courses, Hagerman is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, mandolinist, and saxophonist, and has recorded albums with his reggae-inspired bands the Baudelaires and the Jolly Llamas. In a very intriguing and wide-ranging conversation with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward on Bonn Park, Hagerman delves into his teaching, being the editor...
Jul 29, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Adam Schwartzentruber is the founder of Boko, a design-build studio and workshop in New Hamburg where he works with his wife, Stephanie Boutari, a muralist and fellow University of Waterloo School of Architecture graduate, frequently collaborating with each other on a variety of public artworks. From installing an original Volkswagen Beetle that appears to be exploding at Kitchener’s Settlement Co. to creating custom-built ice cream carts and a tasting room for Four All Ice Cream, Schwartzentrub...
Jul 22, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Sensei Fortunato Restagno is a 6th-degree black belt and chief instructor at Grand River Karate, a not-for-profit volunteer organization celebrating its 26th anniversary in Waterloo Region. On Bonn Park with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward, Restagno sheds light on the fluid and effective style of self-defence he teaches in the friendly and supportive environment of Grand River Karate’s dojo. Restagno, who teaches seminars across Canada and at other martial arts schools and organizations, said ...
Jul 15, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 29
With her beautiful melodies and catchy choruses, Canadian singer-songwriter Giselle Sanderson has shared stages worldwide with artists like Keith Urban, George Strait, and Brooks and Dunn. A past nominee for both Juno and Canadian Country Music Association Awards for her performances with the country trio Lace, Giselle has worked under the direction of some of the world's most highly acclaimed producers, including David Foster (Olivia Newton-John, Madonna, Christina Aguilera), Humberto Gatica (M...
Jul 08, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 28
The one constant is change. Whether in times of intensely personal disruption, or periods of global social change, as we are experiencing now, the ongoing story of humanity takes unexpected twists and turns. Dr. Angela Pollak is a social scientist who studies information behaviour -- the ways people seek, avoid, share and hide information in daily life. She is also a strong believer in the power of story. The interplay of data and narrative is, for Pollak, the way we can make sense of tumultuous...
Jul 01, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Jacqueline Watty is the vice-president of the board of directors of the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth and chair of their development and external engagement committee. With a passion for sharing humane education within the community and helping not only pets, but people, Watty said the ultimate goal of the Humane Society is to build a culture where no animal is neglected or abandoned. She also works at Waterloo’s Perimeter Institute in philanthropic partnerships, and...
Jun 24, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Brian Bourke is a versatile and seasoned broadcast communicator, and the well-known face behind the annual KOOL FM Poster Boy campaign that raised over two million dollars for the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre. With nearly 40 years of experience in the radio industry, Bourke has done it all as a popular radio show host, news director and assignment editor, media and communications specialist, newspaper columnist, public speaker, fundraiser, and a familiar name in civic politics as a Waterlo...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 25
This week on Bonn Park, Waterloo Region-based singer-songwriter Rob Witherspoon sits down with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward to chat about storytelling, performing, and spreading joy through his Tuesday Live streaming concert series during these trying times of a global pandemic. “We are all craving human connection right now, and Tuesday Live provides a place to congregate around the communal campfire, sing songs and share stories,” said Witherspoon. Along with discussing his musical influe...
Jun 10, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Natassja Debra is a pianist, chamber musician, and private piano instructor based in Waterloo Region. She plays a variety of genres including classical, cultural, contemporary, and pop, performing in international music hubs like Toronto and Jakarta, and local venues that include libraries, retirement homes, coffee shops, and patios. With a passion for community building and playing for local fundraisers, Natassja has been streaming live concerts online during the COVID-19 pandemic for isolated ...
Jun 03, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Mary Everett is a certified Thai massage practitioner and former life model in Waterloo Region. Known colloquially in the Western world as “yoga for lazy people,” Thai massage has been described as a beautiful, compassionate, rhythmic dance between practitioner and client. Its origins date back 3,500 years to the time of Buddha and has been practiced and developed over centuries in Buddhist temples. As a life model for eight years, Everett was instrumental in helping educators teach the human ar...
May 27, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Dr. Joanna Thiessen is a passionate Naturopathic doctor at her family practice, George Street Naturopathic Medicine in Waterloo. She speaks about her work in the Kashechewan First Nation, through the Jays Care Foundation, a program that connects young Indigenous women with leadership mentors. The program empowers young women to make a difference in their communities and lead programming for their peers. Dr. Joanna, as her patients know her, works with people of all ages and stages of life to hel...
May 20, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 21
An award-winning photojournalist, Mathew McCarthy has been covering Waterloo Region since 1997. The newspapers he has worked for include the Waterloo Region Record, Owen Sound Sun Times, Hamilton Spectator, London Free Press, and Canadian Press. McCarthy is also the owner of The Apocryphal Seed Company. “I've been an amateur gardener in southern Ontario for a good while now and I've decided to give seed selling a go,” he said. On this episode of Bonn Park with Sara Geidlinger and Marshall Ward, ...
May 13, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Jeff Chard is a history and social sciences teacher, and the head of the history department at Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School in Waterloo. A recipient of several teaching excellence awards, Chard is a Holocaust educator who has presented at numerous conferences, museums, and events throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe. He is also a 30-year veteran of the local music scene who formed such bands as Vienna Psychoanalytic Society, Anti Socials, Funkchannel, The Marlins, id vs. su...
May 06, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Owner of Iron Horse Tattoo, Tristan Everett has been creating gorgeous, intricate textures and hyper-realistic designs in his clean and welcoming tattoo parlour in uptown Waterloo for the past five years. With a focus on black and grey realism, Everett honed his craft as an apprentice at Power House Tattoos in Kitchener, working under renowned tattoo artist Grove Turtle. “Grove showed me what needs to be considered when it comes to longevity and what kind of work will stand the test of time,” he...
Apr 29, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 18
