Ron James to bring Canadiana to Blyth's Memorial Hall
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
Long before Canada went “Elbows Up”, comedian Ron James has been fighting fearlessly on the frontlines of a forever war for our national identity for nearly 40 years. On Sat. Oct. 3, James’ endless cross-Canada comedy campaign will be bringing the battle to Blyth. Since this East Coast icon will soon be landing on the beaches of Ontario’s West Coast, The Citizen caught up with James to find out why he’s still fighting, after all these years.
For James, stand-up comedy is Canada’s best form of defense - against fear, division and daily chaos. “I like people to leave feeling a lot lighter than when they walked in,” he told The Citizen. “I think it’s the comedians’ job to lighten the load of their life’s journey, rather than add another brick to their back. Even despite the incredible weight that’s on all of us now.”
That homegrown philosophy is at the heart of his new stand-up show - The View From Here. Like much of his work over the years, James is using this new tour to take stock of the state of our nation as it really is, so he can turn it into something we can all laugh about. “It really is one Canadian’s perspective on that neighbour we once knew, now ruled by a totalitarian tangerine genie on a march of MAGAFest destiny that wants a hell of a lot more than our maple syrup,” he explained. “It’s about the psychic shift that’s occurred in the Canadian identity, in terms of our own patriotism and empowerment. But it’s also a nostalgic look at the America that was - the one that we all loved. It’s a reflection on what was, a look at what is, and a comedic perspective on what could be. I think that it plays in with a redefinition of what Canada can be.”
Audiences will also be treated to a journey through his personal memories of a lifetime as a self-identifying Canadian - from a childhood of hockey rinks, public schools and church services to the long and winding road of a touring stand-up comedian with a big country to cover.
For James, the concept of a distinctly Canadian perspective is something that can only be truly achieved by looking at the nation as a whole. For almost four decades, he had refused to stick to big city shows. “I love playing all corners of the country,” he confessed. “If you only play the urban centres, you’re only gonna be an urban act. Canada is an urban country with a rural heart - you get to hear the heartline hum and the soulnote singing, in the big wide open.”
That heart is part of what has kept James on the road, playing communities large and small, from one end of the country to the other. Each stop along the way is part of a covert reconnaissance mission - a way to gather intel on Canada in all its moods and seasons, and to understand the country he loves by actually travelling through it. “It’s a window on other worlds that allows me to understand the country I love better,” he asserted. It’s a strong campaign strategy - get out of the city, and go find out what the rest of the country is laughing about.
James’ appreciation of life as a Canadian comedian working in Canada was truly sparked after he spent a little time seeing how the other half was living. “I came back from Los Angeles in 1993. I was there for three years, chasing the sitcom dream. It was another lifetime ago,” he recollected. “And I came back with a mandate - I wanted to become a stand-up comedian. And I didn’t want an agent to book me, and I wanted to create my own television show, and here it is - at the age of 68, that manifestation of purpose has come to fruition - and it’s because I stayed in Canada.”
Over the years, James has made people laugh at venues of all shapes and sizes, all across the country. But he is particularly enthused about storming Blyth’s Memorial Hall in October, as he can’t imagine a more fitting setting for his current tour, “There’s something marvellous about the Blyth Theatre. When everybody else was putting up a bronze statue to honour the thousands who fell in the Great War, the women of Blyth said - ‘No, no, let’s build a theatre where we can celebrate life!’ They celebrated the triumphs and tragedies of life in a room with people sitting shoulder to shoulder. And lo and behold, here it is, more than 100 years later, and they’re still doing it,” he noted. “It says ‘Lest We Forget’ on the archway to the entrance - and that reminds everybody walking into the theatre that life is precious, and that we should embrace all the bumps and bruises, and the smiles and affections that come with it. And I think that is what stand-up comedy does. At least, that’s what I try to do with my shows. And I try to give a little bit to everybody.”
James looks at Canada as a country whose identity is less about the triumph of the lone hero than it is about collective strength. From his perspective, Terry Fox is the ultimate Canadian hero, not because he conquered the world, but because Fox was running for something larger than himself. “I think Terry was the best example of who we are and who we can be, which is thinking about the greater good, rather than yourself,” James told The Citizen.
And perhaps that is the real war James has been fighting all these years - not Canada against America. Not city against country. Not one political tribe against another. His is the eternal fight of all humans - to find a little light in a world replete with darkness.
And on Oct. 3, Blyth gets its turn on the frontlines. James has spent nearly 40 years learning how to play a room, how to read a crowd and, perhaps most importantly, how to fight the good fight. “Have some laughs, forget about the worries of the world, let me carry the load for a while,” he advised. “We’re all doing our best to get through this life and make the best of it, and we all have the ability to look at life a little lighter. Laughter is good for you.”