Features
Winnipeg’s Jerry Shore looks back on seven decades in show business – including a stint as Harry Belafonte’s tour manager
By MYRON LOVE
For my 21st birthday in 1970, a couple of friends treated me to a ticket to Winnipeg’s first ever major outdoor rock concert. One of the principal organizers of that concert, which was called the Man-Pop Festival, and which was held on Saturday, August 29, was Jerry Shore, who turns 90 on July 23.
The concert at the old Winnipeg Stadium featured headliners such as Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly, Chilliwack and The Youngbloods.
What I remember about it was that the day dawned bright and sunny. But, around noon, the clouds rolled in and it poured. After a delay of several hours, we were all moved into the old Winnipeg Arena, where the concert resumed and lasted until after 3:00 A.M.
Shore was working closely with the late Maitland Steinkopf in those years. He recalls that Steinkopf made arrangements to move the concert to the arena and borrow equipment on short notice from all over the city.
“It was an amazing concert,” he recalls.
Jerry Shore’s life story is one that most people in the world can only dream about. In a career in show business spanning nearly 70 years, the lifelong Winnipegger has worked with some of the biggest names in music in all of its various genres. He has albums full of signed photos by rock stars, opera greats, leading Country & Western singers, popular singers and prominent actors – as well as a politician or two.
The show business tour manager and talent booker’s clients have included: Harry Belafonte, Nana Mouskouri, the flamboyant pianist Liberace, Richard Tucker and many more. He was also by Steinkopf’s side when the Concert Hall was being built in the mid-1960s – and booked the first act. As well, Shore was in on the ground floor for the founding of Rainbow Stage.
As is the case with many successful people though, Jerry Shore just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Unusual for a Jewish kid in Winnipeg in the 1930s, Shore grew up in River Heights. His father, Sam, operated a candy factory – “Shore’s Candy Company”. The elder Shore retired in the late 1940s and passed away in 1950.
Jerry Shore’s first big break came about while he was at university. He became friendly with of his professors – one James Wilson, who had stood for office as a Liberal candidate.
“I was a young Liberal and worked on his campaign,” Shore says. “He was on the organizing committee that had been created to form Rainbow Stage. That was in the mid-1950s. I was a member of the Board and/or Director of Promotions off and on for 20 years.”
It was through Rainbow Stage that Shore became associated – in the mid-1960s – with Maitland Steinkopf. “Maitland Steinkopf was one of the most amazing people I have ever met,” Shore notes. “He almost single-handedly raised most of the money to build the Concert Hall.”
And it was Shore who arranged the new Concert Hall’s first concert – by Jewish opera star Richard Tucker. Tucker, Shore recalls, was very protective of his voice. The morning of the concert, the opera star called for Shore to pick him up in the early afternoon.
“Although it was a hot day in May, Tucker came out of the hotel wearing an overcoat, scarf and hat,” Shore recounted. “He wanted me to drop him off at a movie theatre where he spent the next three hours. He didn’t want to have to talk to anybody.”
Shore explains that he became involved in the world of opera after going to Minneapolis to attend a performance of the Metropolitan Opera on tour. “I met some of the people involved and we became friendly,” he recounts. “I arranged to hold auditions in Winnipeg for the Metropolitan Opera. I also arranged a Canadian tour.”
Other opera stars with whom he has worked have been Jan Peerce, Joan Sutherland, Robert Merrill and Pavarotti.
The second act that Shore booked at the Concert Hall was Harry Belafonte. “We became really good friends. He came back for a second show 18 months later. Harry was very meticulous. He had hired a new manager just before his second Winnipeg appearance. He moved on to Regina after the Winnipeg show. A couple of days later, I get a call from him. He had fired his new manager and wanted me to take over as his tour manager.”
Shore organized three tours for Belafonte (whom he recalls as quite shy, as well as outspoken on race relations). “I was in charge of booking fights and ground transportation, hotels, everything, even paying the staff.”
The highlight of his time with Belafonte was his tour of Cuba. “Harry was the first American artist to visit Castro’s Cuba,” Shore recalls. “CBC was doing a special on Harry Belafonte and his roots. There were 30 of us in the group. We get off the plane and there were men in uniform with sub-machine guns everywhere. It was a little scary.”
The Cubans, Shore remembers, treated Belafonte and family like royalty… the rest of the group not so much.
“The hotel we were staying at was the National – that had been built by (Jewish gangster) Meyer Lansky,” Shore reports.
The next morning, the group was informed that Fidel Castro himself was coming to visit. “Fidel pulled up outside the hotel with two armoured cars in front and in back. His English was very good and he was an imposing figure. He gave each one of us a bear hug.”
The three celebrities that he says most impressed him were Liberace, Sir Lawrence Olivier and Bill Clinton. He recalls an appearance by Bill Clinton in Winnipeg about 20 years ago.
“We had arranged a private function at Dubrovniks before he spoke,” Shore recounts. “The first thing Clinton did on entering Dubrovniks was to shake hands with all of the bartenders and serving staff. He did the same thing at the Concert Hall.
“He had an aura about him. He had the common touch.”
Surprisingly, so did the award-winning actor Olivier, says Shore. “Larry” was appearing at a news conference at the Fort Garry Hotel – a conference that Shore was chairing. Shore recalls that Olivier went up to each of the 30 journalists and introduced himself.
As for Liberace, Shore recalls an exchange he had with former Winnipeg radio talk show host Peter Warren. It was Liberace’s first visit to Winnipeg and Warren asked the last question at the press conference. The ever-skeptical Warren asked something along the lines of why anyone would be foolish enough to buy tickets to the pianist’s concerts. Liberace’s response was that anyone who wouldn’t want to buy a ticket to one of his concerts would be the fool.
Of Liberace, Shore recounts that the star used to carry around a Crown Royal bag with him wherever he went. “I never asked him what was in it,” Shore says. “But one time when I was with him, a clerk in a store asked what was in the bag. Liberace said that in the bag was his insurance policy. He opened it to show that it was filled with cut diamonds, rubies and emeralds.”
Remarkably, Shore has just been completely retired for the past three years.
Ironically, Shore observes, for all the traveling he has done throughout his career, he has actually seen very little of the world. “The routing was to get off the plane,” he says, “go to the hotel, spend four or five days preparing for the concert than boarding the plane again for the next city.”
These days, Jerry Shore spends his time reading (mystery novels and biographies), watching favourite TV shows, and enjoying his vast collection (over 800) of cookbooks. He keeps in touch with friends from show business who are still around. But, he says, he doesn’t miss being part of the scene.
“It’s not like it used to be,” he notes. “The personal touch is no more. All the little guys like myself have retired or been pushed out by corporate operators.
Features
Football: Which team from Israel could we see in the European Cup next year?
With Europe’s club competitions heading into another summer of drama, Israeli football is on the table. The domestic season is done, trophies picked up and now a new batch of clubs can now try their luck against continental competition.
What are the prospects of these teams in Europe next year and who are they? It all starts with Hapoel Be’er Sheva’s title, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s cup win and the competition of the best Israel football teams against each other, as fans look to Champions League on Wincomparator to see what teams are in contention.
How Israel’s clubs qualify for Europe: The 2026-2027 spots
Qualification to join the European elite hinges on the 2025-26 Israeli Premier League table and the Israel State Cup. Israel will have one Champions League spot, one Europa League spot, and two Europa Conference League spots in 2026-27.
That means the league winner gets into the Champions League, the State Cup winner goes on to Europa League qualifying. The next eligible league’s finishers take the Conference League slots. It’s a good model as it provides a tangible reward for consistency at home, while at the same time demonstrating the importance of each playoff game. A top three finish can help a club’s summer, bring in better players and provide fans with a European tour before the next season’s start.
The Champion’s quest: Israel’s hope for the Champions League
Meet the 2025-26 Premier League winner: Hapoel Be’er Sheva
Hapoel Be’er Sheva have qualified for Israel’s Champions League after their Israeli Premier League title win with 79 points scored in 36 games. Ran Kozuch’s side closed the gap on the three-point lead but also showed significant strength in the attacking phase to secure a win in a crucial championship round with Beitar Jerusalem.
Their challenge also comes as their reward. Hapoel Be’er Sheva are only expected to begin in the second round of the Champions League, not the league round. To get to the main competition they need to pass through the first round of the other national champions in two-legged ties, and their seeding, fitness and sharpness in early-season competition could be a game breaker.
While the club has experience in Europe and a rabid Turner Stadium following, the path is tough. It takes one bad outing to wipe out a year’s worth of work. However, as long as the bedrock remains the same and they are able to put some depth into the team, the champions have the balance to fight.
Battling in the Conference League: Israel’s other European contenders
The State Cup winner and league runners-up
Maccabi Tel Aviv go to Europe after the Israel State Cup final 2-1 win against Hapoel Be’er Sheva at Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem. That win denied Be’er Sheva a home double, and also meant that Maccabi got into the Europa League qualifying, where they were put in the second qualifying round thanks to access-list rebalancing.
The Conference League qualifiers are Beitar Jerusalem who finished second in the league with 76 points, and Hapoel Tel Aviv who finished fourth with 60 points. The importance of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s cup victory lies in the fact that it unlocked the rest of the way in the league. Beitar’s season was particularly impressive as they scored 78 goals and lost just four matches. On the other hand, Hapoel Tel Aviv managed to remain above Maccabi Haifa in the final table standing, earning them a well-deserved European berth.
The Europa Conference League is no consolation prize for these clubs. It’s a realistic platform. Although there are still a few hurdles to navigate, Israeli sides consider this competition to be the most realistic one for European football in the autumn.
A look at past successes and future hopes
This group has reason for belief, based on recent history. Israeli teams can make significant nights in Europe, and Maccabi Haifa did just that, when they made it into the Champions League group stage in 2022-23, and then impressively took out Juventus 2-0 in Haifa.
There is significant monetary and sporting worth in qualification. A UEFA cup can make a difference to a club, as can better attendance, TV coverage and recruitment opportunities. The early storylines will be the draw for Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the Champions League, as well as Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa league and the two Conference League routes — Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv. They all have tricky paths to follow, but all four provide Israeli football with a realistic European presence next summer.
Features
At one time one entire block of McAdam Ave. was almost totally Jewish
This story originally appeared in a November 2014 issue of The Jewish Post & News:
1994 McAdam Ave. reunion (names inside story)By GERRY POSNER (This story first appeared in November 2014.)
Once upon a time when life was simpler and gentler, there was a street in the north end of Winnipeg which was like all other streets in the city except in one significant way. Everyone, but for one family, living on McAdam east of Main Street was Jewish.
Features
Cheap Weed In Canada: A Smart Shopper’s Guide
Since legalisation, cannabis has settled into Canadian life as an ordinary, regulated purchase. And like groceries or gas, the price can vary a surprising amount from one shop to the next once you start comparing.
For a lot of buyers, that has turned the focus to value. Affordable options like cheap weed prove a lower price and a tested, quality product can go together. This guide explains how to shop smart in Canada without cutting corners.
Why Has Affordable Cannabis Become So Popular?
Because the novelty has worn off, and buyers now shop like they do for anything else. In the early days, people paid whatever the new legal stores asked. That has changed.
A few things drove that shift:
- A maturing market, with more retailers competing on price.
- Online sellers, whose lower overhead keeps costs down.
- Savvier buyers, who now compare rather than grab the first option.
- A wider range of formats and budget-friendly bulk sizes.
The result is a real focus on getting value for money. Crowdsourced figures put the early average near $6.85 a gram, and cannabis price data from Statistics Canada shows how legal and illegal prices have differed since 2018.
That gap is exactly why shopping around pays off. A careful buyer can pay noticeably less than a careless one for a comparable product. The sticker price is only where the comparison starts.
How Do Canadians Shop for Cheaper Weed?
With the same care they bring to any regular expense. A handful of habits make the biggest difference. These are the ones worth adopting:
- Compare the per-gram price. It is the only fair way to weigh two options.
- Buy larger formats. Bigger quantities almost always lower the unit cost.
- Skip premium markups. Plain flower beats pricey pre-rolls for value.
- Watch for sales. Online retailers run them often, especially on holidays.
- Match potency to the plan. A stronger product means you use less each time.
None of these involve settling for a worse product. They simply put your money to better use, the same way you would stretch your money on any other purchase. The cheapest sticker is rarely the best value, and the priciest is seldom worth it.
The same logic applies whether you shop in person or online in Canada. Read the label, weigh the cost per gram, and let the numbers guide you rather than the branding.
Is There a Catch With Low-Priced Cannabis?
Not in the legal market, which is the part newcomers miss. In Canada, every legal product is tested and labelled to the same standard, whatever it costs.
That means a budget option from a licensed seller has cleared the same checks as a premium one. It is screened for contaminants, and its potency is verified. Price reflects branding, packaging, and store margins far more than basic safety.
The genuine differences are in the finer points. Premium flower might offer a better aroma or a richer flavour, and some formats simply cost more to make. For everyday use, though, a well-priced choice usually performs just fine.
The real catch is buying outside the legal system. Health Canada’s overview of the Cannabis Act is a sensible read on what legal really means. Buying legal protects you, not buying expensive.
What Makes a Cheap Purchase a Smart One?
A couple of quick checks, mostly. A real bargain holds up to a second look, while a false one does not. The table below shows what to weigh.
| Check | Why It Matters |
| Is the seller licensed? | Only legal retailers guarantee tested product |
| What is the per-gram cost? | The headline price can hide a weak deal |
| Is potency on the label? | Higher strength can stretch your money |
| Are there bulk or sale deals? | These usually beat single-unit pricing |
| What does delivery cost? | Shipping can erase an online saving |
Any shaky answer there is a reason to pause. A licensed seller with clear pricing and labelling is the safe choice, while a suspiciously cheap unlicensed source is not. The legal age applies regardless, at 18 or 19 depending on the province.
Treat cannabis like any other considered purchase. Compare, check the details, and let value rather than habit lead the decision. That is how modest savings add up across a whole year.
Before You Buy
- Cannabis prices vary widely by retailer, format, and store overhead.
- Comparing the per-gram cost is the fairest way to judge value.
- All legal Canadian cannabis is tested, so cheaper is not unsafe.
- Bulk buys, sales, and plain formats keep spending down.
- Always buy from a licensed source, and factor in delivery fees.
Photo by Jakub Zerdzicki on Pexels
Alt text: A shopper comparing prices online at home
Smart Savings, No Compromise
Buying affordable cannabis in Canada is not about chasing the lowest number you can find. It is about understanding what shapes the price and shopping with a little intention. Stick to licensed, tested products, compare the real cost per gram, and lean on bulk deals and online pricing. Do that, and an affordable choice stays a smart one, purchase after purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cheap Weed Safe to Buy In Canada?
Yes, provided it comes from a licensed retailer. All legal cannabis in Canada is tested for contaminants and labelled for potency, regardless of price. A lower cost usually reflects branding and overhead rather than weaker safety, so a budget option from a legal seller is still a safe one.
How Do I Find the Best Cannabis Deals?
Compare the per-gram price, buy larger formats, and watch for sales from online retailers. Checking potency against price helps too, since a stronger product can mean you use less. The key is shopping deliberately instead of defaulting to the same brand or store each time.
Why Is Cannabis Cheaper Online?
Online sellers usually carry lower overhead than physical stores, and they run sales and bulk deals more often. That lets them price competitively while still selling tested, legal product. Just remember to factor in shipping, which can offset the saving on a small order.
Does Paying More Mean Better Cannabis?
Not necessarily. Price reflects branding, format, and store margins as much as quality, and all legal product meets the same testing standards. Premium options may offer a better aroma or appearance, but a well-priced choice often works just as well day to day.
