One day, when Peter was reading the newspaper, he saw a review of the Molson’s Amphitheatre that had recently been bought by RBC and was scheduled to close for major renovations in 2027, turning it into an indoor venue by 2030. When he suggested we visit the outdoor concert area before it was gone, I said yes of course. Another adventure to write about!

This venue sprang up in 1971 as part of the original Ontario Place. It was known as The Forum and consisted of 4 grassy hills for seating, partly covered by a vinyl canopy. As for the acoustics, one can only imagine the guitars and drums competing with the roaring waves of Lake ONTARIO. In 1995 the canopy was ripped off and the Molson Amphitheatre was built. It holds a stage surrounded by seating for 16,000 visitors on 3 sides and standing room at the back. Bryan Adams was the first to perform there, followed by such great entertainers as Van Halen, Rush, and the Spice Girls.

We checked the list of performers for 2026 and found a lot of band names like Toto, Squeeze, Pitbull and Baby Metal. We were starting to feel out of date. But then we ran across Jim Cuddy and Blue Rodeo. Now there was a familiar name. We had seen Jim Cuddy and his band perform in a huge field in King City in the early 2010’s.They would only be about 15 years older now. And so were we. We ordered tickets online and I put them in my Apple Wallet, feeling pleased that I could keep up with technology.

The doors were to open at 6:45 and the concert would begin around 7:00 pm. This was perfect timing for us. We could be home by our bed time. We had family for lunch that day and told them they had to leave by 3:00 so we’d have time for an afternoon nap. They quickly explained that some unknown bands would be performing at 7:00 and Jim Cuddy wouldn’t be playing until 9:00 or even later. Oh oh.

At 7:30 we took the GO train to Exhibition Place. I needed the attendant to help me load the tickets onto my Apple wallet – a step I had failed. Then we had to make our way through the crowds buying greasy fried foods and lining up for death-defying rides. And they even seemed to be enjoying themselves! Peter and I held hands, not to be romantic, but to be sure we stayed together. Finally we saw the pedestrian bridge going across Lakeshore Road and towards the Amphitheatre. Our seats were on the main floor but on the other side of the stage, still at least a kilometer away. We trudged along.

It was hard to see the numbers on our seats in the dark, but the security guard helped us and we finally sat down. Then I realized I needed to use the bathroom. So the security guard kindly escorted me to the line-up. As I looked around, I realized that we must be about the oldest people there. Everybody was smiling and calling me dear. Several of them even let me go ahead of them.

I got back to my seat just as Jim Cuddy and his band appeared. We recognized most of them, even with their wrinkled faces and grey beards. They began to play and the music was pretty loud. It was a good thing Peter had forgotten his hearing aids. But their skills on the keyboards, at the drums, strumming their electric guitars, and singing, were still strong. We sang and cheered to the music. At one point Peter even invited me to dance with him in the aisle. We got cheered too!

Soon ill winds began to blow in off Lake ONTARIO. It was getting a little chilly. The songs were all beginning to sound alike. As I looked around at the full house, I imagined how difficult it was going to be to navigate through 16,000 people as we made our way back to the GO station. I checked my phone and it was 10:00 pm. We both started to yawn. With a knowing nod at each other, we stood up and started back on the long journey to the train.

The train was jammed with kids of all ages leaving the Ex with their gigantic stuffed toys, soccer fans who had seen the TFC game, and stragglers from the Jays game. There were no seats available and everybody was too squished to get up and change places with us. So we stood near the door, holding on to the poles and so glad we only had to stay on until the next stop.

Then, in this morning’s news, we read that we had missed the best part of the show! At the 11th hour, the band played one of their big hits from 2021, Hasn’t Hit Me Yet, which includes the words “Lake Ontario.” Apparently the crowd went wild, screaming the name over and over again with the tremendous passion we all feel. Peter and I should have stayed after all. At our age, we would be more than willing to give an hour in support of our country.

Sue