Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/375259
30 w e s t w o r l d | F a l l 2 0 1 4 the toronto convention and visitors association/clifton li, courtesy ripley's aquarium of canada dressing room in the 1970s. I gazed at the Stan- ley Cup in the cathedral-like, 1885-built ESSO Great Hall, originally a Bank of Montreal branch with stained-glass windows. Overall, I spent two hours at the Hall of Fame – but could happily have made it two days. Just a 10-minute walk away is the huge new Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, adjacent to the CN Tower. As I see it, hockey culture pervades even these non-hockey sights. Gliding through the aquarium's Dangerous Lagoon on a slow-moving sidewalk, I speculated that the Goliath Grouper, which reportedly pro- duces monstrous sounds with its gall bladder, would make a great NHL goal horn. The omi- nous, bottom-dwelling nurse sharks reminded me of the San Jose Sharks' ghastly 1992-93 sea- son. At the gift shop, I browsed the hockey jer- seys ($29.99) and pucks ($6.99). It was getting dark when I took a dizzying glass elevator ride up the 553-metre-high CN Tower, the western hemisphere's tallest free- standing structure. Viewing the endless glitter- ing carpet of the city, I spotted the CBC building, home to Hockey Night in Canada. As I strolled the outside deck, I noticed it was lit red at night like a giant goal light. Getting chilly, I went back inside and stood on the infamous glass floor. Looking down isn't quite as scary as, say, taking on giant Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chára. In the gift shop, miniature CN Tower plas- tic hockey sticks ($7.99) caught my eye. After all that hard work, I spent the evening relaxing at the gargantuan Real Sports Bar & Grill with a longtime hockey buddy from Kitch- ener. Our nachos and beer fit right in with the slick 2,250-square-metre venue's manifesto: "We believe that watching the game on a two- storey-high HD TV is a sports fan's given right." Hockey, histor y and hedonism blended seamlessly for the rest of my visit. I met local historian Bruce Bell for a fascinat- ing morning walking tour that starts at the indoor St. Lawrence Market. Amid the local produce-seeking crowds, we spotted mousta- chioed former Leafs star Eddie Shack, 76, shop- ping for fresh-baked pies. After devouring a traditional peameal bacon sandwich at the market's Carousel Bakery, I was heartily amused when we walked north to Maple Leaf Gardens. e former Leafs' arena is now a Loblaws grocery store. Bell guided me to the red faceoff dot – in Aisle 25, flanked by shelves of beans and sauces Dave Bidini: True to Toronto As the Rheostatics' guitarist, one of Toronto native Dave Bidini's earliest claims to fame was The Ballad of Wendel Clark, Parts 1 and 2, a song hailing a 1980s-90s Maple Leafs hockey hero. This Renaissance man, now fronting Bidiniband, has written more than 10 books, many about hockey. Bidini's latest title is Keon and Me: The Search for the Lost Soul of the Leafs. Q: What's Keon and Me about? A: Half of it is me writing in the third person about being a boy of 11 and idolizing Leafs star Dave Keon from a distance. The other half is me as an adult trying to find him and tell him my story. In Grade 6, I was bullied by another bigger kid who was a Philadelphia Flyers fan. Keon never fought, so I didn't fight back. It wasn't until his last regular season game as a Leaf that he ended up fighting Gregg Sheppard of the Boston Bruins. That's when I ended up standing up to my bully. As an adult, I get to tell Keon that story. Q: What's a good hockey-related thing to do in Toronto? A: In the winter, there are more rinks here than anywhere in the world. We have more than 51 outdoor rinks. Go for a skate. Q: Do you know any celebrity Leaf fans? A: Mike Myers interviewed me once for an article in SPIN. I've known him for years. He was in Second City here, and they rehearsed at the Old Fire Hall, near where I used to live. Q: What's your favourite hockey song? A: Jane Siberry has a song called "Hockey" that I really like. –L.A. (above) Ripley's Aquarium of Canada's Dangerous Lagoon features a transparent underwater tunnel; (below) the Distillery District is a pedestrian-only village, home to hot boutiques and coolest eateries.