Author: ToqueTrad

It’s June and summer is here, in spirit and soon in fact. Tunes are on at the Tranzac Club at Brunswick and Bloor in sunny, scenic Toronto. The tunes must flow, and we will be there to join in the flood. Come join us Sunday for our monthly dose of Francophone fun. The Tranzac is still enacting a COVID policy to help protect each other, our families and communities from the spread of this modern blight. I forgot to tell my platypus joke last session, so remind me and I’ll surely tell it this month. The details: Date: Sunday, June Read More …

How do you know when things are starting to get back to normal? Reminders of the next ToQueTrad Quebecois Tunes session come as late as possible! Last month was our first return to the Tranzac, our ancestral session host since the start of the pandemic. Well, we’re back! Well, it’s time to take off your parka and mukluks, and get out and play some tunes. The Tranzac is still enacting a COVID policy to help protect each other and our family members from this pernicious beast. Join us to fight against calamity with music and laughter. I have a musical Read More …

Happy Easter! The world is going to heck in a basket, and how are you going to spend your end times? By ignoring reality and immersing yourself in the heart-wrenchingly joyous tunes that have come out of Quebec, of course! The Tranzac is open again, which means we can meet in person for music, though Tranzac still has COVID policies in place to protect their staff, performers and guests. Short answer: masks are still required in the Tranzac, though you can take them off briefly to take a sip of your beverage. Performers (that’s us) must wear masks unless your Read More …

It’s been a while since we’ve had a session here at the ToQueTrad as we’re only coming to terms with the Omicron lockdown that followed the freedom of the outdoors sessions we had last fall. Now that the funk has receded, we’re ready to have another Zoom session to keep us from forgetting our favourite tunes or our favourite people. We are doing a one-time-only Saturday Session (until next month) to accommodate a travel episode. Therefore, we would like to invite you to a: SATURDAY SESSION, February 19 @noon! As always for the Zoom sessions, it will start at noon Read More …

Well, it’s now November, and the lovely weather has abandoned us. The Tranzac is open, but it’s not OPEN-open. Just open. They have yet to open the front rooms for general use, so it looks like we’ll have one more Zoom session where we can reminisce about online sessions, and meet up with our more far-flung friends. Donna and I have recently returned from the Gatineau Hills Fiddle Festival in Chelsea Quebec, and it was a corker. Friends of the session, Stéphanie Lépine and Éric Beaudry were there and we learned a couple of new tunes there, particularly a really Read More …

It’s time for another session! Live (weather permitting). Again we benefit from the generosity of Nancy and David. The current forecast is for a 3-hour break in the rain. Let’s play all our favourite October/Halloween-based tunes and take advantage of the last fleeting fine weather of the season. The details: Date: Sunday, October 17th, 2021 Time: Noon to 3PM (Eastern Standard Time) Location: Nancy and David have offered to host us again in the Annex of Toronto. Please contact us at toquetrad@gmail.com for the directions and details. The TOQueTrad COVid Protocols from last month remain in place: For health and safety reasons, Nancy asks Read More …

Last month’s session at Nancy and David’s near the Tranzac worked so well, we’re going to do it again. Our beloved Tranzac is still not opened to the public, though Betty and the Bobs are booked in for Hallowe’en, so the end is in sight. Nancy and David have again volunteered their home in easy walking distance from the Tranzac for our next live Toquetrad session of the decade! We will not be posting their contact information here, but a quick email to us at toquetrad@gmail.com will get you the details of how to join us on Sunday. The details: Date: Sunday, Read More …

Toronto has just relaxed restrictions to allow inside gatherings and dining, but the way is not yet clear for a return to the Tranzac for live and in-person sessions, so we are having another Zoom session via the pandemic-inspired “usual means.” We certainly look forward to joining you in playing our favourite Quebecois tunes with our favourite people! The details: Date: Sunday, July 18th, 2021 Time: Noon to 3PM (Eastern Standard Time) Location: Our traditional zoom link. Please contact us at toquetrad@gmail.com for the link. As always, bring your itchy fingers for playing tunes, your listening ears for appreciating what your fellow sessioneers are Read More …