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This ‘ultimate Leafs fan’ is following the team to every game this season

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For Toronto Maple Leafs superfan Mike Wilson, it’s all about sharing the story.

In San Jose, Calif., there was the father and son from New Brunswick who were on a multi-year quest to visit every arena in which the Leafs play while they’re on the road.

Mike Wilson has a 1,000-square-foot museum of Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia in the basement of his Toronto home.
Mike Wilson has a 1,000-square-foot museum of Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia in the basement of his Toronto home.  (Andrew Francis Wallace / Toronto Star)

Then there was the young Vancouver woman in Winnipeg who decided to go to every rink the Leafs play on but could only afford to go to one every year. Her tally so far: three.

Just two of the hundreds of stories from Leafs fans that Wilson has collected during his quest to watch, in person, all 82 regular season games the team plays this year across the continent.

“What I want to find out is, what is it about this team that hasn’t won the Stanley Cup for over 50 years that makes fans so passionate,” said Wilson, 64, seated in his breathtaking 1,000-square-foot museum of Maple Leafs memorabilia in the basement of his Toronto home.

Surrounded by cabinets displaying dozens of game-worn jerseys, sticks, autographs, programs and other Leafs ephemera — now a much smaller collection following a recent sale of more than 2,000 items to the Museum of Canadian History in Ottawa — that he collected over 55 years from across the continent, Wilson says his love of hockey started when he was a boy in the ’50s and ’60s on his local ice rinks.

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Growing up in Scarborough near Pharmacy and Lawrence Aves. meant no shortage of both hockey and pleasure-skating rinks.

“I became obsessed with the game of hockey. It was everything,” recalled Wilson, who has been dubbed the “ultimate Leafs fan” by ESPN.

Like many kids at the time, that obsession grew to include all things Maple Leafs — cards, pictures, posters, programs and newspaper articles — thanks in part to the Saturday night ritual of sitting down with his father to watch Hockey Night in Canada.

Dubbed the "ultimate Leafs fan" by ESPN, Mike Wilson is trying to get to every Leafs game this season.
Dubbed the « ultimate Leafs fan » by ESPN, Mike Wilson is trying to get to every Leafs game this season.  (Andrew Francis Wallace)

“There was hockey, watching the Leafs and school. That was it.”

But unlike most of his peers, Wilson never lost the collector gene. In the ensuing years, he scoured classified ads, auctions and magazines, took out ads in newspapers and attended countless collector shows to amass a collection that would make any serious Blue and White fan teary eyed — or green with envy. In 2006, he completed his basement shrine, complete with two turnstiles from Maple Leaf Gardens and the team’s dressing room door from the same venue, not to mention a bar, home theatre seating, four TVs and a screen for watching games. Wilson calls it “the Room.”

“All I wanted was just a place to enjoy my pieces, have a TV, a beer fridge and invite friends over and watch games, whether it was baseball, football or hockey,” Wilson said. “Quite frankly, when I did the room, I didn’t think anybody cared.”

But as word spread about what the Room contained, Wilson and his wife, Debra Thuet, began receiving calls from charitable groups hoping to use the space for events. (The couple has helped raise millions of dollars for charity over the past decade).

Wilson also heard from collectors — some hoping to sell an item, some inquiring about the value of a piece of merchandise. But Wilson noticed that most people who reached out had a personal story about the Leafs or hockey in general.

“They’d tell me a hockey story, they’d try to offer me something for sale, they’d tell me about something they’ve seen or something they’ve collected,” Wilson said. “It’s just fans engaging. We’re just all trading stories.”

The idea of following the team to every arena to watch every game, no matter the city, nor the team’s standings, came to Wilson several years ago, he says, but due to work commitments it was simply too difficult to plan. He retired almost three years ago from a career in investment banking and decided last March that this was the season.

“There was never going to be a perfect season,” he said.

Now, at every game, Wilson has his mobile phone camera at the ready to record interviews with Leafs fans he encounters. He’s calling it the Ultimate Road Trip.

He says he views the collecting of these stories as a third phase of his life. First, there was the accumulation of his Leafs memorabilia. Then there was the use of the collection to raise money for charity. Now he wants to find out what the love for this team is all about.

“There’s no better way than to go out and speak to people in Leafs Nation and find out their stories,” he said.

Wilson said he is currently deciding what to do with the interview footage he’s filmed and is planning a book of the stories he’s collecting.

On his journey, Mike Wilson is talking to Leafs fans about why thy love the team. He's not sure what he'll do with the interviews, but he's planning to make a book of their stories.
On his journey, Mike Wilson is talking to Leafs fans about why thy love the team. He’s not sure what he’ll do with the interviews, but he’s planning to make a book of their stories.  (Andrew Francis Wallace)

The most inspiring tale he’s come across so far? Wilson recounts being at Scotiabank Arena for opening night when he met a man in his 40s who was attending his first game ever.

The man, also named Mike, recounted that he and his father used to watch Leafs games together on TV. If one of them missed the game, he would call the other the next morning to ask the score. When Mike’s father died, his last words to his son were, “What was the score?”

“Here is this big guy telling this wonderful story, tears streaming down his face, and I’m holding the little phone on the other side and you’re trying not to cry yourself,” Wilson recalled. “(Deb and I) came home and I said, ‘how do we top that story?’ I mean, that’s as good as it gets.”

If you’ve got a Leafs story, Mike Wilson wants to hear from you. Visit www.ultimateleafsfan.com, or follow him on Instagram at theultimateleafsfan or Twitter @ULeafsFan.

Kenyon Wallace is a Toronto-based investigative reporter. Follow him on Twitter: @KenyonWallace or reach him via email: kwallace@thestar.ca

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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