Ian Lindsay & Associates: Ian Lindsay of Lindsay and Associates has played an active role in the local community since 1979. He has been with RE/MAX Vancouver Island's most advanced real estate business network since 1996. Marketing and selling residential, rural, strata, recreational, investment, and project development real estate, you'll find true real estate professionals at ianlindsay.ca.

Rockin' Rhonda & The Uptown Blues Band: Peter and Dave, they're on the mics. Alright, join the ride. It's gonna feel just right.

Peter McCully: Welcome back to the Pulse Community Podcast. I'm Peter McCully, and we're continuing our journey through the stories and events of Mid-Vancouver Island as we head deeper into the holiday season.

Dave Graham: And I'm Dave Graham. Yes, the train to Tinsel Town is picking up speed as the shopping season charges on. Ha. See what I did there? Charges. Okay. The kids are crafting their letters to Santa, decorations are going up.

Peter McCully: You mentioned last time, Dave, that you were looking for your Christmas lights. Any luck?

Dave Graham: Oh yeah, I found the Christmas lights. They were in a box marked "kitchen stuff," which means I think I know where the fondue set is. But anyway, here's a question for you, Peter. When you were a kid, did you ever stay up late on Christmas Eve to try to see Santa?

Peter McCully: Can't say that I did, Dave. I was always asleep well before midnight.

Dave Graham: Yes, of course. You were no doubt with your presents wrapped and under the tree by early December. Well, I tried. I was never able to stay up late enough to catch Santa in action. Oh, I did see the tooth fairy once. That's a story for another day. Back to the matter at hand, and we have two remarkable guests today, both bringing festive cheer to British Columbia.

Peter McCully: That's right. Steve Patterson, the award-winning host of CBC's Debaters, is celebrating the show's 20th anniversary with a special holiday tour hitting five BC cities in December, including Nanaimo and Victoria.

Steve Patterson: We've been doing these tours for a few years now, and what the debaters seem to appreciate most is that there is no stopping and starting. It doesn't matter if you get a word or a passage a little bit wrong. You don't have to go back and get it perfect because it's not being recorded for radio. They make fun of themselves a little bit more. There's a little bit more room to breathe. The most interesting part about these shows is we all do standup before the debates as part of the night, so we all get to call back to things that might have happened at the beginning of the night within the debates, which you never get to do on a radio taping.

Dave Graham: Twenty years is a long run for any program. The Debaters is, well, it's a favourite of mine. Laugh-out-loud kind of a show. Congratulations to them, and congrats to Andy Kim. He's the singer-songwriter who gave us a pile of hit songs—granted, a while ago. "Sugar, Sugar," "Rock Me Gently," among them, and he's raised millions for charity with his Christmas music shows. Well, this music legend is bringing his show to the River Rock Casino in Richmond for the very first time, and we chatted about his music career and the upcoming Christmas show.

Andy Kim: Tom Cochrane is with us. We have Men Without Hats. We have 54-40. There are some younger artists that are part of it. My good buddy Dan Hill's gonna be there. Washboard Union's gonna be there. I'm so excited about this. You know what? This is my 21st year here in Toronto, and then Montreal is my 12th year, and I've always felt the need to have everybody understand that we're donating our time for a bigger picture and how blessed we are to do this.

Dave Graham: Andy Kim on the program today. I gotta tell you, I'm pretty pumped about this. This guy is a legend. The way he got his music career going is just one of the greatest stories of its kind. Andy Kim won a Juno Award before they were even called the Junos. When nobody else would produce a song he'd written, he started his own record company, and that's how he released "Rock Me Gently." It went straight to number one. Oh, I could go on. I'm excited to hear your conversation with him, Peter.

Peter McCully: And we're excited about our new contest in which we're giving away an experience. We're talking about some quality time at the world-famous Grotto Spa at Tigh-Na-Mara. It's a prize for two. It's super easy to enter. Just go to our website, look for details, thepulsecommunity.ca, or check out our Facebook page, The Pulse Community. The draw is Wednesday, December 17th.

Dave Graham: I wonder if they have a treatment for someone who has eaten an entire tray of shortbread by themselves in one sitting. Just asking for a friend. One of the biggest events on the Tigh-Na-Mara calendar is their toy drive, and the results from this year's event show a record-setting response from the community. We'll hear more on that in a moment.

Peter McCully: Future guests to the Pulse Community Podcast include professional diver and diving trainer from up-island by the name of Kirk Krack, based in Campbell River. Kirk was involved with the first three Avatar movies, the latest of which comes out in December.

Dave Graham: And I have a chat with a very highly regarded member of Toastmasters. Kristin Nichol will be speaking about the power of public speaking and building confidence and the spinoff benefits that can be quite profound. We're also looking forward to a visit soon and new music from singer-songwriter Vince Warry of Nanaimo.

Peter McCully: It's Peter McCully calling from the Pulse Community Podcast. I'm looking for Lisa George. You got her? Lisa, we just pulled your name from our draw drum for tickets for A Holly Jolly Christmas with Zachary Stevenson.

Lisa George: Oh, wow.

Peter McCully: Awesome. I understand from your note that you sent us with your entry that you know Zachary.

Lisa George: I do. I actually went to high school in Parksville with him.

Peter McCully: And you're in Port Alberni now.

Lisa George: I am.

Peter McCully: So it'll be no problem to hop in the car and drive to Nanaimo for the show Monday, December 6th.

Lisa George: We'll figure it out. I'm pretty excited about that.

Peter McCully: Well, I'm glad you're excited. It's a great show. It'll be a good time.

Lisa George: Awesome.

Peter McCully: We'll get you fixed up with those tickets, Lisa.

Lisa George: Cool. Thanks so much.

Lissa Alexander SOS: Hi, Peter and Dave. It's Lissa Alexander, calling from SOS. We had such a fantastic time at the Tigh-Na-Mara Toy Drive. That event has been running for 17 years, supporting the SOS Caring for Community at Christmas program. What an incredible outpouring of kindness and generosity. The results were record-breaking, so I wanted to share some of the numbers with you. We received 3,072 toys and gifts, $8,870 in gift cards, $26,037 in cash and cheques, and a $1,500 RBC grant for a grand total of $36,307. That's compared with $30,320 last year. Plus, Tigh-Na-Mara staff donated 20 bikes and 30 scooters to the program through their Bikes for Tykes program. We are incredibly grateful to our community for coming together to support our residents in need. All of the toys, gifts, and gift cards will help stock the SOS toy shop, allowing low-income parents and grandparents to shop for free for their children. The financial donations will be used to purchase grocery store gift cards so that residents can choose food that is meaningful to them during the holidays. Thank you for your support, Peter and Dave, and thank you to everyone who supported this heartwarming event. For more information on how to access or support the SOS Caring for Community at Christmas program, visit sosd69.com. We are really feeling the spirit of Christmas over here now. Happy holidays, Peter and Dave.

Thrifty Foods Parksville: At Thrifty Foods, we love to help non-profits, charities, and schools. Our Thrifty Foods Smile Card bulk program allows organizations to immediately save up to 6% on the purchase of Smile Cards in bulk, allowing you to keep more money in your organization's pockets. Ask for details at Thrifty Foods in Parksville.

Fireside Books: There's exciting news for book lovers. Fireside Books in Parksville now has a second location in Port Alberni. The Bookwyrm used books are just $5 or less. The Bookwyrm on the corner of Redford and Anderson opens seven days a week from 10 to 5. Building your personal library for less. Fireside Books at 464 Island Highway East in Parksville is a book dragon's dream come true. Browse their extensive collections seven days a week. Both locations make growing your personal library easier than ever. New and used books and so much more. Order online at firesidebooks.ca and pick up at either location. Details available online. Ask about returning books for a book credit. Fireside Books and The Bookwyrm: two locations, one amazing adventure in browsing.

Peter McCully: This is The Pulse Community Podcast, available on Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube. We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

Dave Graham: If you would ever like to be a part of the Pulse podcast, we invite you to the contact page on our website, thepulsecommunity.ca. Voice your message or type it. We'd love to hear from you. We are eager to get your reactions to our content or your announcement of a special event or anything else you'd care to share. Hey, it's time to bring on Marilyn to bring on our first guest.

Marilyn: Steve Patterson is the award-winning host of CBC's hit comedy show The Debaters, now celebrating its 20th anniversary. A headliner since 1997, Steve has performed at Just For Laughs, toured internationally, and authored two books. His sharp wit and masterful hosting have made The Debaters a Canadian comedy institution.

Peter McCully: Thanks for working us into your schedule today, Steve. I know you just got back in from shuttling youngsters around. I heard it was your day for the carpool.

Steve Patterson: When you go away a lot, which I do, every time I'm home is my day, it seems, for the carpool. I can't complain. Lots of parents do it. I'm on perennial car duty when I'm home.

Peter McCully: We're here to chat about The Debaters, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a swing through British Columbia. Your wife Nancy told me, by the way, while you're out picking up mementos on the trip, that she'd like a house with a view of the water somewhere.

Steve Patterson: Alright, I'll see if I can put an offer in during the afternoon sound check. Bring your platinum card or, yeah, your black card. I'm not sure which it is, but yeah, I don't know anymore. It's one that I don't have, I know that.

Peter McCully: Now you've been host of The Debaters for 18 of the 20 years it's been running. What has surprised you the most about the show's staying power?

Steve Patterson: I had no expectations going in, so I'm definitely pleasantly surprised that it's still going because it really is a comedy show, and Canadian comedy shows, other than This Hour Has 22 Minutes, just don't seem to go that long. So we're fortunate to be in really rare company, and I think the fact that we have different comedians coming on all the time helps. When the same comedians are on—we do have favourites, certainly—they're talking about something different, but they've built up a trust with the audience, and it's like seeing a lovable returning character. I think they have their favourites and they know they're gonna be in for a good show, and they get to come out. The audience is a huge part of the show. They get to come to the tapings, which is very rare.

Peter McCully: That's what I enjoy most about the show, I think, is the live audience.

Steve Patterson: The audiences are a huge part of the show. They're reacting honestly. The exact opposite of canned laughter. It's real reactions.

Peter McCully: You've said that the debate format creates what you've called, and I quote, "a combustible mix of sharply crafted comedic rants and hilarious ad-libs." So my question is, how do you balance keeping the show on track while you're trying to leave a little room for those kind of magical, unplanned moments?

Steve Patterson: First of all, I don't remember saying that. It sounds smarter than I actually speak, so I feel like somebody said that I said that, but it's pretty accurate. I just try to stay out of the way. For the most part on the show, we have really good comics on it. Even the people that come on for the first time, they're familiar with the show. They've wanted to be on it for a while. For the most part, even though there's really nothing at stake—there's no prize money for winning and you don't get kicked off and lose a chance at a jackpot or something—people do wanna...they wanna win on national radio, even if it's not real money or a real prize. I think that there's a bit of a pride element to it in wanting to win the debate. Just making each other laugh on stage, it's a rarity in standup comedy. There's literally no other format like it in the world where three standup comedians are on stage at one time essentially trying to make each other laugh, and you do. We try, and there's no parting gifts. There's a cheque from ACTRA that counts. They get ACTRA credits that help towards benefits. There's one-eighteenth of a trip to the dentist each taping.

Peter McCully: For folks who haven't sat down and listened to the show or listened lately, there's four distinct rounds. You're the moderator. You take care of the opening statements, the bare-knuckle round, the firing line, and the closing summations. Which round consistently, or is there one that produces the most unexpected comedy gold?

Steve Patterson: I think it's probably the firing line questions. It's not to say that the bare-knuckle—we never know what's gonna happen, truly, and there's a lot of unscripted moments during the show, but that's where the majority of them would be because they're legitimately taking shots at each other. But for me, the firing line, just an unexpected answer to a question—the audience will politely applaud when someone gets the right answer, but they'd much rather a funny answer than the right answer. And when I was listening to a demo of the show before I started hosting it, that was the part that I laughed at the most, just those unexpectedly funny answers to questions where it's all within one or two words that so much funny can be delivered. That's what kind of hooked me on the show.

Peter McCully: Do you have some examples you could share with us?

Steve Patterson: There's so many great answers that there's been over the years. It's just the unexpectedness of it. And when we had a debate on "Is William Shatner the best actor of all time," Eric Peterson, who's obviously an amazing actor, went into Shakespearean soliloquies in every answer that were in no way related to the question, and it just got progressively funnier and funnier. It's hard to pick one.

Peter McCully: I've listened to that one at least twice. The show features debates on deeply Canadian content: Newfoundland's time zone, growing up on Prince Edward Island, Calgary versus Edmonton, one of my favourites. As somebody who's toured internationally, what is it about these hyper-regional Canadian debates that makes them work so well comedically?

Steve Patterson: I think that Canadians can take a joke about themselves, and that's really why, pound for pound, I put our standups up against any standups in the world, and it's actually frustrating for me when I see American comedians come through. And it's not that there aren't some great American comedians, but any Canadian that's been doing comedy for a while, and there's some great ones, can hold their own on a show and should be the featured act in Canadian shows. So where we lack is the infrastructure promoting the Canadian comedians because, again, pound for pound, I'll put Canadian comedians, especially in this format—obviously, which is what they're familiar with—Canadians have just a way of laughing at ourselves that most countries don't. When you can fit a real fact into an argument that's also funny, to me, that's the best thing in the world. So that's why I love it. And we're funny too. I sure hope so. At this point, I think we need our sense of humour to survive these times.

Peter McCully: Yes. The last year has been a little bit of a year, right?

Steve Patterson: Yeah, you know, we actually debated whether Canada should be the 51st state on our show, obviously tongue-in-cheek, and it didn't go well for the guy who was saying yes, but it's Arthur Simeon, who's one of our favourites, and he was very tongue-in-cheek about it. And again, Eric Peterson was arguing for it, so we have our go-to thespian for deep topics like that.

Peter McCully: So how much of hosting The Debaters is preparation versus reading the room and improvising in the moment, as you say?

Steve Patterson: Yeah, I didn't know whether you were gonna say "preparation versus perspiration." It's really not that taxing physically. They give me a chair. I get to sit. I decided early on, they gave me the option: do you wanna know what they're going to say? And I decided early on that I did not, because I wanna be reacting with the audience, and I think that has served the show well because essentially I am a front-row audience member that happens to have a microphone. I am reacting in real time, and I do enjoy it. I can't hide it. I love it that way. I think if I was going through debates with a fine-tooth comb, I wouldn't be as honest, certainly, with it. So to me, the honesty of the show is in the fact that yes, we do give the comedians a little bit of prep time—I think maybe four to six weeks to write an argument. There's really no place to just practise. They're all standups. They could fit it into their standup, but not really seamlessly at a club setting. So I really credit the comedians with—they're giving a performance for the first time in a theatre full of people. It's not an easy thing to do. I think I fell backwards into the secret sauce for my part of the show, which is no, I absolutely don't wanna know what they're going to say. I wanna be reacting along with the audience.

Peter McCully: Well, Steve, you're funny and you're punny.

Steve Patterson: Thank you, Peter.

Peter McCully: Is that natural?

Steve Patterson: That's another thing. The issue with the show now for me is that puns are such a big part of it, and I've grown to love them, but that was not my idea to do the puns as introductions into the bare-knuckle. And I really fought it at first, but then I realized that the lifecycle of a pun is that it goes through a point of being—and this is okay—this is not very good. It has to get to a point where it's so bad that it's good. That's what makes—I want the groans at that point. We definitely get them when people love that. I think that's what brings in our dad audience. Fire up the dads with the puns, and then we keep them coming because the kids, a lot of kids have grown up with the show and they just keep bringing other people out. So it's nice.

Peter McCully: So Steve, the 20th anniversary holiday tour is hitting British Columbia, five cities in December: Surrey, Kelowna, Mission, Nanaimo, and Victoria, with Deborah Kimmet and Matt Wright. Tell us about these two and what they'll be debating.

Steve Patterson: It's holiday-themed debates. They might have released exactly what they're debating, but I like to keep an element of surprise in there, again, mostly for myself. It's really the way I like to do it: be in the moment. But they're definitely holiday-related, and Matt and Deb actually predate my time on the show. She was part of the very first season, and I believe the pilot episode of The Debaters. So she's really coming at it from a seasoned debater point of view, and it's so nice on our 20th anniversary to have someone from the first year. And Matt is experienced as well. He's one of the absolute top comedians in Canada now, and he comes from Newfoundland, which is always interesting. It's always interesting to bring a Newfoundlander on the road, especially to the other coast, so they can see how the other side lives. So he'll be wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. I'll have to make sure he doesn't get hit by traffic when he's looking up at the mountains. And they've got a really nice chemistry together, which you never know until you actually go on stage together. But they're both very giving and they're both really funny, and they switch stuff up every time. So I never know what they're gonna say.

Peter McCully: Was he on one of your episodes where you debated the Newfoundland time zone?

Steve Patterson: He definitely would've been involved in the Newfoundland tapings. He said it's a blur to him the last time we were out there because he has a brand-new baby that was literally just born a couple months before we taped out there. So he was just coming to get out of the house, I think. And we had a lot of fun on those debates, and he's just grown into a really solid standup and a really solid debater. And they are slightly different things. Not every comedian does it as well as others, but the ones that figure out the format and don't mind flying by the seat of their pants on stage, they're the ones that really excel at the show. And that's what both of these debaters are.

Peter McCully: And these holiday shows are not being recorded for broadcast. They're just for live audiences, correct?

Steve Patterson: Yes, that's right. That's what makes it a little bit different. We record them for keepsakes for ourselves, but we're not really planning on releasing it anywhere. It's a little bit different than the CBC tapings, but not much. Still bring families out to it. Just the kids might have a couple questions after. That's all. But we encourage dialogue between families.

Peter McCully: Does that give you any freedom that you might not have if the show was being recorded?

Steve Patterson: Yes. What's nice about this, and the debaters—we've been doing these tours for a few years now, and what the debaters seem to appreciate most is that there is no stopping and starting. It doesn't matter if you get a word or a passage a little bit wrong. You don't have to go back and get it perfect because it's not being recorded for radio. They make fun of themselves a little bit more. There's a little bit more room to breathe. The most interesting part about these shows is we all do standup before the debates as part of the night. So we all get to call back to things that might have happened at the beginning of the night within the debates, which we never get to do on a radio taping. And all the debaters that we have on the radio are amazing standups, and people don't get to see that usually at the tapings. The standups get to do standup, which seems like it should be a thing that happens all the time, but it's not.

Peter McCully: It sounds like a hockey team up for a practice or a skate before the game.

Steve Patterson: That's right. That's right. And you just get to see their point of view a little bit too, so you know where they're coming from. The more fun in a night like this where they can call back to something that happened earlier in the night, the better. The crowd knows it's just for them.

Peter McCully: So you're also taping episodes in February in North Vancouver. How does Vancouver Island and coastal BC—the comedy scene—compare to other regions you've performed in across Canada?

Steve Patterson: This is why I'm pretty fortunate, is because this show, the format is so familiar to people that no matter where we're taping, the people that come know what they're in for. By and large, they love when we have regional references. So they're very supportive of that, and they know that it's going out to the rest of Canada. I think they feel like they're representing their home, and they wanna be a good crowd for tapings. I've always had a great time in Vancouver. From back before I did the show, Vancouver audiences are known to be a little bit tougher to get laughing than East Coast audiences. Maybe people are just colder in the East. They need to laugh more to warm themselves. But I will say, I can honestly say wherever we tape, people come out with a certain expectation and usually leave feeling satisfied with it. And they really cheer on their hometown heroes, and that's another proud thing for me, is we get to introduce people to the rest of Canada that they might not have seen live but they've heard on our show. That's a nice feeling too.

Peter McCully: Well, I've listened to many seasons of The Debaters on podcast. I have to say the crowd reactions, in my mind, and it's probably because I'm from the Maritimes originally, but to me the best reactions you get from some of those crowds are in Charlottetown and St. John's and Halifax.

Steve Patterson: They are, and again, people come out really wanting to laugh in the East Coast. I don't want to pit coast versus coast, especially in Cape Breton. I remember we did a debate and Shaun Collin, who's obviously great, ended his debate with a shanty about boats, and he made it up on the spot, but people were almost singing along with it. And it drove Graham Chittenden, who was debating him, crazy because he was pointing and being like, "He's making this up right now. You can't like it that much." But they do. They're familiar with the musicality to it. So again, I love all our audiences. I love all my children equally, but you get those East Coasters laughing and they'll laugh a long time.

Peter McCully: Who have been some of those standout debaters? You've mentioned a few as you go along.

Steve Patterson: We have a lot of West Coast debaters that have just really grown up with the show. Charlie Demers, who's not only an amazing debater but a great author and actually works with the government in BC, so he is just a great wordsmith. And Ivan Decker, Erickson—that's West Coast. I can move west to east. Dave Hemstad out of Toronto has been fantastic for us and has gotten to the point now where we can literally ask Dave to debate anything and you would think it's his favourite thing in the world because he gets it. And Derek Seguin, of course, from Quebec is another crowd favourite. And it's tough because I feel like I start naming some and then I don't wanna miss anyone. But we've got so many really dependable debaters now that are also selfless. We talked about Arthur Simeon a little bit earlier, and when they come on and we give them a topic and they know they're gonna lose, that's a big ask. But they've gotten into it. And Graham Clark, who's our producer and announcer on the show, is also an amazing standup out of BC. So there's so many, and we're always discovering new ones, and I love it when we have someone on that may not tour that much across Canada. Like Patrick Ledwell from PEI is an amazing standup by any measure, and he is just a guy that doesn't wanna be away from home too much. So we get him on whenever we're close enough to PEI to get him on. And Dawn Kelly out of Ottawa—I really could go on and on, and now I feel like I should just name everyone, but I'm really proud when people enjoy the show enough and recognize someone from the show, then go out and support their standup and their comedy.

Peter McCully: And the format works very well. But have you ever thought about tinkering with it just a little bit? For instance, inviting a guest debater who might not fit the bill, for instance, the premier of a province?

Steve Patterson: I love that idea. What I have pitched is recording something before a national leaders debate with comedians representing the different parties and making up fictitious party names. Premier Kinew in Winnipeg came out and did a little introduction thing for us, and he's got broadcast experience, obviously. We have had people come on the show and make little cameo appearances. I personally would love having guest debaters that aren't comedians. Having said that, comedians are what got us to where we are. So I think you dance with who brought you. I don't want to give away a comedian's gig. I think if we had a politician come on and do a debate, then we would have to allow comedians into the House of Commons for question period, and I'm certainly not above that either. So if we can do a contract, I would do that.

Peter McCully: You don't think there's comedians in the House of Commons?

Steve Patterson: Not intentionally, no.

Peter McCully: Where does the funny come from from Steve Patterson? Is it DNA?

Steve Patterson: I don't know. I'm the youngest of five brothers. My next brother up from me is six and a half years older. Seven years old. So it's quite a difference. My oldest brother is 20 years older than me, so I think it was a matter of survival. They're a lot bigger than me. They're a lot older than me. I figured if I could make them laugh, I might get some food. It was really that. They'll come and laugh at shows, but they'll very much be like, "He was not that funny growing up. I don't know where this came from."

Peter McCully: So you weren't the funny kid in class?

Steve Patterson: This is what I learned, you know. People talk about class clown, and a lot of comedians come from that background. I don't think I was the class clown, but I learned that if you make the other kids laugh, teachers don't always like that. But if you make the teacher laugh, then you've got the audience's ear. Then you're not gonna get in trouble. So in a way, I think I was always destined to do shows for an audience older than myself. So I got a show on CBC at age 30. So I did it. I did it, Peter. Now I'm just coming into my CBC years, you know.

Peter McCully: We're going to look forward to the 20th anniversary visit of The Debaters to British Columbia. Steve, thanks for your time today.

Steve Patterson: Thank you very much, Peter. I really appreciated chatting like this, and I love it out there, and I will enjoy being out there and doing a video call home and seeing the snow back home and acting like I miss it.

Peter McCully: I'll send you the real estate catalogue in the meantime.

Steve Patterson: Yes, please do.

Dave Graham: The 20th anniversary holiday tour of The Debaters is hitting five BC cities in December: Nanaimo, Victoria, Surrey, Kelowna, and Mission with Deborah Kimmet and Matt Wright. Check the show notes for more information.

SOS D69: The Pulse Community Podcast is sponsored in part by the SOS. For more than 55 years, the SOS Caring for Community at Christmas program has ensured that local children, youth, adults, and seniors experience the joy of the holidays, the thrill of finding a gift under the tree, the happiness that comes from sharing food that has special meaning. To donate to the SOS Caring for Community at Christmas program, visit sosd69.com or call 250-248-2093.

Ian Lindsay & Associates: For more than 40 years, Ian Lindsay of Lindsay and Associates has gained a reputation as a community leader. Since 1996, he has been marketing and selling residential, rural, strata, recreational, investment, and project development real estate. Ian Lindsay has aligned with the most advanced and powerful real estate business network and support team on Vancouver Island in order to better serve Parksville-Qualicum Beach and surrounding communities. You'll find true real estate professionals at ianlindsay.ca.

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Peter McCully: Before we bring in our next guest, let's talk about what else is happening in the Pulse community.

Dave Graham: Last week, our expanded podcast family included a football podcast with Aaron and Jonathan Fraser from the Courtenay-Comox region. They talked NFL and offered a bonus downloadable recipe from Chef Jonathan last week: street New York dirty water dogs. 

Peter McCully: Are you sure you read that right?

Dave Graham: I know New York dirty water dogs might not sound the most inviting, but it's actually a street food classic. The dirty water is the hotdog water that's been used all day long. Well, instead of dirty water, maybe calling it a seasoned, fragrant broth will be more palatable.

Peter McCully: In the latest episode of Non-Partisan Hacks, Parksville City Councillors Joel Grenz and Sean Wood speak with Teresa Cooper from the Parksville Downtown Business Association about the challenges and opportunities involved with downtown revitalization.

Dave Graham: In our radio archaeology series, be listening for an original episode of Dragnet. We're gonna go back to 1949 for this story. It's about a ruthless fiend roaming the streets of the city, masquerading as a police officer, and it's up to Detective Sergeant Joe Friday to get him. Be listening for the thrilling story of the Red Light Bandit in Dragnet. Our growing family of podcasts can be heard through thepulsecommunity.ca. Okay, it's time. I'm excited about this. Maybe you can't tell. I dunno. We're about to hear from a music legend. Here's Marilyn.

Marilyn: At 16, he left Montreal with $40 and a cracked guitar. He walked into New York's Brill Building and emerged with "Sugar, Sugar" and "Rock Me Gently," songs that sold 30 million records. Now an Officer of the Order of Canada, Andy Kim brings his legendary Christmas charity show to the River Rock Casino in Vancouver for the very first time.

Andy Kim: Welcome to the podcast today, Andy.

Peter McCully: Peter, it's nice to know you, to get to know you, and to know you forever.

Andy Kim: This is the first time that the Andy Kim Christmas has come to the West Coast. It's been in Calgary, I think, three times, but for the most part it's been a Toronto-Montreal event for more than 20 years. What made 2025 the right year for Andy Kim to bring his Christmas show to Vancouver?

Andy Kim: I've been wanting to do it for quite a while. Everybody told me there's a lot of Christmas shows going on right at the same time. It's not the right time, it's not this, it's not that. And it's when Men Without Hats came to celebrate my 20th anniversary at Massey Hall, then ended up going to Montreal with me and went to Calgary with me, and conversations started to happen about, "One day I'd love to go to Vancouver." Ivan and Corey and Shawn, they said, "Why don't you? Andrew Loog Oldham would be interested in this." And I met Andrew many years ago, and this is Andrew Loog Oldham—yes, discovered the Rolling Stones, managed them, and produced their records. That's an incredible feat. He and Brian Epstein were the first two managers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So when I got a call that he wanted to talk to me—he happened to be in Toronto and I happened to be in Toronto—I thought it was a big joke. There's no reason why he would even bring up my name, but I had the courage to call, and I met him the following day, and he just wanted to talk to me about the Brill Building and New York City and for someone like myself that became a writer in that iconic environment. So when I was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame, they asked me, "Who would you like to induct you?" And I said, "Andrew Loog Oldham." And they just stared at me, not in disbelief, but in wonder. "Who's Andrew Loog Oldham?" So I said, "He's the one that I would love, if possible." Wouldn't you know it? He flew in from the UK, came to Toronto, inducted me, had dinner, and we'd become pen pals. And every now and then we'd talk on the phone, and his involvement means everything to me. When we talked about it and I talked about Variety, he was all in. So I think the magic of him and the magic of our ability to help Variety is why I am coming.

Peter McCully: Variety is the Children's Charity of BC, and we should mention that you've raised nearly $3 million for charities through your various Christmas shows over the 20 years. And how did this all start? How did the very first Christmas show come together?

Andy Kim: So I'm born and raised in Montreal. Learned who I was in New York City. There was an exodus, and all the songwriters, or most of them, moved to LA, and I did as well. I come back to Toronto every now and then, and there was something that I felt here in the city of Toronto. I grew up in a tenement in Montreal, so every time I was on tour, I would go to orphanages and I would go to hospitals, bring my guitar, and obviously "Sugar, Sugar" was a great companion to not only myself but to the kids. Peter, you'll get to know me one time and you'll know that I really am a dreamer. There's no logic. There's no plan. It's just the dreams that I have. So I thought to myself, "Okay, so maybe I can do a Christmas show." And I asked some of the artists that I had just met, and they said, "Sure." I said, "The tickets are $25. I can't pay anybody, but I don't really wanna pay anybody. I'll just pay the musicians." And they all said yes. And that was a template for me. I thought it was a one-off. Someone else asked me to do it, and I kept on doing it, and before you know it, I got to understand exactly what this whole thing was about and became a total Canadian atmosphere for me, and so I'm lucky and blessed to be part of it.

Peter McCully: You've had some huge Canadian talent on stage with you for these Christmas shows. You've had Sarah McLachlan, the Barenaked Ladies, Men Without Hats, Nelly Furtado. Who are some of the performers that Andy called to join him in Vancouver at the River Rock?

Andy Kim: There's a guy that I know that is so talented that I think that if he were there alone without us, he'd have sold out the place. Tom Cochrane is with us. We have Men Without Hats. We have 54-40. There are some younger artists that are part of it. My good buddy Dan Hill's gonna be there. Washboard Union's gonna be there. I'm so excited about this. You know what? This is my 21st year here in Toronto, and then Montreal is my 12th year, and I've always felt the need to have everybody understand that we're donating our time for a bigger picture and how blessed we are to do this.

Peter McCully: It's gonna be great. Have you been to the main theatre at the River Rock Casino before?

Andy Kim: I have not. The closer I get, the more excited I get about that environment. I've been told so much.

Peter McCully: Have you?

Andy Kim: Yes. I think it's a great venue. My wife and I, a few years ago, probably more than a few years ago now, made the trip over from Vancouver Island to see Gino Vannelli. You've probably bumped into Gino Vannelli a couple of times here and there.

Andy Kim: Yeah, we grew up on the same block, by the way. We really didn't know each other until his records happened and things, but I got to know him and talked to him and his brother at the Songwriter Hall of Fame this year, which happened in October, and it's just great. It's great to be around songwriters, and you're not there for the bow. I never showed up for the bow. I showed up for the excitement of being able to do something in my life that I really enjoyed. And I think all of them feel the same way, whether it was Ian Thomas or Jane Siberry or Triumph. It was all of us that were inducted at the same time. It's really a wonder how people decide to live their success. Some people believe in their success, so you have to knock on the door seven times, and other people are just—this makes me smile—because they're kindred spirits knowing how lucky we are.

Peter McCully: There's a great story. I was reading about you at age 16 leaving Montreal with 40 bucks and a cracked guitar on a bit of a mission to find Jeff Barry in New York. Did you have any kind of a plan at all? Any relatives, anything in mind except just knocking on doors in New York?

Andy Kim: As I said, I'm the third of four brothers. I dreamt my life. Basically it started with my older brother's transistor radio. I borrowed it one night, and after maybe 45 minutes of static, I heard WABC, Cousin Brucie, changed my life. They were playing songs that I didn't hear in Montreal. I'm a pretty naive guy. After all this time, that naiveté has never left me. So I started to dream about the way they talked about the artists. "They're coming to town, they're gonna perform," and with all the bravado that WABC gives you, "and the girls are waiting in line to get their autographs." I had never in my life imagined what I was listening to, yet alone somehow deciding that's the life I want. And the reason why Jeff Barry stood out was because my brothers, besides having a turntable, they had magazines. In the magazines they talk about the artists. But this strange thing is that there was a page that talked about the publishers and the writers. So in order for me to connect, I connected with Jeff Barry from "Be My Baby" to "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Then He Kissed Me," and so on. It's just the way God's blessing showed up because ever since I was a kid and an altar boy, every other moment you'd hear the whisper in my heart saying, "Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you for this or thank you for that." It was just this mantra that I had, and I still do. So I'm just very blessed, to be honest with you.

Peter McCully: Andy, you lent your voice to the fictional cartoon band The Archies. I have the lunchbox. You could probably see it over my shoulder here. And 1969, Grade 6, I have my initials still carved in it. And "Sugar, Sugar" went on to be Billboard's Record of the Year in 1969. And why I think that's very important is because that was the year of Woodstock and the counterculture explosion. Did it surprise you that such a buoyant pop song connected with audiences during what turned out to be a pretty turbulent time?

Andy Kim: Not at the time because May 24th, 1969, my version of "Baby I Love You" hit the American charts—Billboard, Cash Box, Record World—for the first time. It went on to become my first million seller and my first Top 10 record. May 24th, 1969, "Sugar, Sugar" was released, and nobody wanted to play it until July. So you're right. There was the year of Woodstock. There was Kent State. There was a lot of things going on, completely different. It took one radio station in San Francisco on a dare to play the song one time. That song at that time exploded the telephones. It nearly short-circuited every phone at the radio station. To think that it would be iconic and stay there as an iconic song for all these years—I can't take a bow for it, to be honest with you. It took 10 minutes to write, so I can't take a bow for it, but I sure can thank God for it and have a kind of legacy that helps other people.

Peter McCully: Speaking about Christmas and Christmas music, tell us about the song "Whatever Happened to Christmas?"

Andy Kim: It's a song I started writing, and I got stuck. Started writing the song "Whatever Happened to Christmas?" If I were to study my songwriting, I always write the chorus first. I don't know why. It just sticks with me. So I didn't know where to go. So I called my buddy Ron Sexsmith. I said, "Ron, I've got a song here. Got the first verse, I got the chorus." He says, "Okay, let's get together and we'll finish it." That to me was just like really cool to be able to share something with a friend and also have a Christmas song. Although it's different. It's not celebrating Christmas, but it takes place at Christmas time.

Peter McCully: Andy, you've received a couple of Juno Awards, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, you're on Canada's Walk of Fame, you've got, I think, the key to Toronto. Doug Ford is wondering where it is, but you've said the Order of Canada appointment was the most meaningful of all. Tell us about getting that call and why that honour stands apart for you.

Andy Kim: My parents came to Montreal from the mountains of Lebanon. We didn't have much, but we had love in the room, and as I said, we lived in the tenements. So receiving such an award from my country of birth—all my brothers were born in Montreal—I wept because my parents never really understood my dream, never understood why I had to leave home, why so much of my life was spent away. And this moment in time was not a gold record. It wasn't up and down the charts. It was Canada, my place of birth. And no matter where I go, I'll always be that kid from Montreal. And I cried because my mom and dad were not there for me to celebrate with them. But I got a chance to celebrate with my brothers. The sad part is that you want your mom and dad around because I gave them so much sorrow when I left, and there was no way I could erase the hurt in them. So this allowed me to have a good moment with them—tears, but celebration as well.

Peter McCully: Andy, when young artists come up to you and young songwriters come up to you at the Christmas show or elsewhere and ask you for advice, what's the one thing you always pass along?

Andy Kim: I always tell them it's about the song. It's not about the record, it's not about the instrumentation. It's about the song. The song is the heart and soul. Of all the records you've heard, of all the records that have been recorded, it all starts with a song. You have to create something that's special about you. Now, you may not know what it is, but if you believe strong enough that this is your future, you will find the rhyme and reason why you exist. It's always been difficult for me to even have a conversation with other songwriters about songwriting. When they talk to me about "Sugar, Sugar," I took 10 minutes. I said, "Look, I can't take a bow for inspiration. I just can't." Something happens, you write it. Trust me, I've written some songs that I thought were really great, and they never went anywhere. When those things happen, it's the "thank you, God" moment, but I can't take a bow for it at all.

Peter McCully: Andy, I wanna thank you for your time today and really looking forward to seeing you at the River Rock Casino, which is coming up December 13th. For those who are interested, we have links in the show notes on where you can get your tickets, and this is all in support of Variety, the Children's Charity of BC.

Andy Kim: Variety reminded me of the Jerry Lewis telethon, and I remember in 1969 I did the Jerry Lewis telethon many times. That first moment when you get to meet Jerry Lewis—but the bigger picture is how they help the children. In Toronto, it's Gifts of Light, CAMH, which is mental health. Montreal, it's the Children's Hospital. But Variety reminded me of that moment in time where it was the Jerry Lewis telethon, and I'm honoured to meet everybody that's involved with Variety and being a part of it. My heart and soul is ready for the adventure of it all.

Dave Graham: If you would like details on tickets for the Andy Kim Christmas show at the River Rock Casino, you'll find a link for more information in our show notes.

Peter McCully: I'm holding it up to the microphone. Can you see it? Oh my God. That's my Archies lunchbox from Grade 6, 1969, and my initials are engraved in the top of it there. Oh my gosh, yes. That's one of the items I have in my hall of fame, as my wife likes to call it, one of my treasured items. Andy Kim's journey from Montreal to the Brill Building is the stuff of legend, and his commitment to charitable work through his Christmas shows is flat-out inspiring.

Dave Graham: Absolutely. And I've had "Sugar, Sugar" playing in my head since the start of this episode, and I imagine it'll stay there for the rest of the day. Speaking of imagination, we have another new release in our Skookum Kids Stories.

Peter McCully: This week's new story features Peter and Gracie, the Eskimo dog, who stay up late Christmas Eve to meet Santa Claus. Aha. Do they do it? Do they get to meet Santa?

Dave Graham: Well, you'll just have to listen to the story like everyone else. I heard that if you can stay up late and actually meet Santa, you get bonus presents. I don't know. It could be an urban myth.

Peter McCully: And don't forget to download the colouring pages to go along with each new episode at thepulsecommunity.ca.

Dave Graham: I wonder what you get when you meet the tooth fairy.

Peter McCully: I thought you said you met the tooth fairy.

Dave Graham: No, no, no, no. I was too nervous. I had stayed awake with my tooth under my pillow, and then she showed up, and I pretended to be sleeping, so I kept my eyes just barely open, and I didn't want to scare her away and lose the dime. That's all we got for teeth back then.

Peter McCully: Okay, folks. Time to wrap up another episode. Don't forget to enter the contest for a visit for two to Tigh-Na-Mara Grotto Spa.

Dave Graham: You know, I can't quite recall just how old I was when it happened. I could hardly feel when the tooth fairy put the coin under my pillow in place of the tooth. It was magical. And I remember she wore a long flowing white robe, and I told my mom about it the next morning. I couldn't understand why she was laughing so much.

Peter McCully: We'll be back soon with more about the people and stories from Mid-Vancouver Island.

Dave Graham: What about the Easter Bunny? Ever meet him, or is it her?

Rockin' Rhonda & The Uptown Blues Band: Here comes Peter, here comes Dave. Oh listen. Bringing stories, making waves. No missin'. Spinning tales in the podcast cave, so to speak. Laughs and insights everywhere. What a treat. Peter and Dave, they're on the mics. Alright. Join the ride. It's gonna feel just right.