Main Street Ontario
This 10-part short video series, created in partnership with TVO, visits big cities and small towns across Ontario revealing what makes each place unique. Step inside iconic community landmarks and meet the people who breathe life into local culture. From Corsini’s in Hamilton to the historic Regent Theatre in Picton, discover the stories that make our main streets and communities so special.
Episode 1: Picton, ON
Many childhood memories were made at the Regent Theatre, which opened as an opera house in 1918. Although the theatre has undergone many changes over the years, the community has rallied to keep its doors open in downtown Picton.
Episode 2: Markdale, ON
In 1973, David and Penny Chapman bought an old creamery and started a small business making ice cream. They built up their company bit by bit, while staying true to where it all began in Markdale, a village south of Georgian Bay.
Episode 3: Hamilton, ON
Corsini's was more than just a grocery store when it set up shop in 1928 on James Street North in Hamilton. It was a place where Italian immigrants found what they needed to make a new home. The once-bustling strip was later hit hard by the recession, but is now a creative hub for newcomers of another sort who have given it a new lease on life.
Episode 4: Ottawa, ON
Smoked meat sandwiches weren't the only attraction at Nate's Deli. The man behind the counter of this famous deli was none other than Dave Smith, whose kindness has reverberated across the city of Ottawa.
Episode 5: Kingston, ON
If you're looking for a specific record, you'll probably find it at Brian's Record Option in Kingston - but you'll need his help. Thousands of records are piled up in every corner of his downtown shop, but somehow he always knows where everything is.
