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For this task you are to write a script that could be recorded, distributed, or published as a digital text. The point of the script is to look for a particular site and provide a brief alternative tour. So, for example, you could look to any of Toronto’s museums and redesign the audio tour. Or you could research a neighbourhood in Toronto and provide an alternative map that outlines your research. For this assignment, you are welcome to do something sincere/political or humorous/tongue-in-cheek. Of course, serious research will still be necessary. The goal here is to provide an alternative version of some institutional tour – take back the public and/or private spaces – boroughs, buildings, and landmarks – of Toronto. Please reclaim at least five (5) sites.
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Podcast Script
1. CBC: The National Studio
Hello everyone, and welcome to the CBC. Bonjour tout le monde, et bienvenue a la CBC. Today I will be leading you on a tour of The National studio, which includes the newsroom, the control room, and the set. Please, follow me.
As we enter the building, you’ll notice the studio entrances on your left for two of our shows; Steven and Chris and George Strombolopolous Tonight. As we enter the main atrium, you’ll see to your left the large green tower, which is the elevator shaft spanning the height of the entire building. Around us are banners for many of our shows, including CBC Kids, The Q, and CBC News. Follow me to the right, and we’ll make our way up to The National. We’ll be taking the elevator up to the studio.
Welcome to The National floor, everyone. If we exit the elevator and go left, you’ll see the newsroom. This is where our talented team of writers and researchers gather the news, and prepare it for broadcast. You’ll notice that each desk has about 3-4 computer monitors. This is to allow our team to multitask without having to clutter their desktop. To the right, we have some mini-sets, that we use as backdrops for special segments, including when we have on-air guests. Now, follow me up this staircase and we’ll head into the control room.
Here we are. You will be sitting in on a live broadcast of The National in the control room. Please stay as silent as possible, and no pictures; everything in the control room is highly confidential. Thank you for visiting the CBC today. I will join you again after the broadcast. Please enjoy yourselves, and enjoy the show.
2. Canada's Wonderland
Good Morning Ride Warriors! Welcome to Canada’s Wonderland, one of the greatest theme parks in North America! I am going to take you on the most thrilling possible tour of this park, stopping at only the most exhilarating rides.
Upon entering the theme park you will be searched by diligent security guards to ensure yours and other’s safety in the park, however not to worry; the process is non-invasive and takes next to no time at all.
Directly after security you’ll find yourself on International Street, featuring food and souvenirs from different cultures. Taking our tour directly to the right we find ourselves in Medieval Faire. Here there are some classic rides such as The Rage, the rocking pirate ship, and The Spinovator.
Moving on we come to the another junction between Medieval Faire and International Festival. In this area the most gripping rides are The Wild Beast and The Bat. The Bat was revolutionary with its corkscrew curves and side-winding helix. Both of these rides do not shock your heart as much as the Drop Tower. Taking you up to 23 stories above Toronto’s skyline and then letting you freefall at 100 km/h to the ground is one of Wonderland’s most fearsome rides.
Passing Kidzville and the water park our next rollercoaster is The Great Canadian MineBuster. This is the oldest and longest wooden roller coaster in Canada. Exiting this ride leaves us in the relatively new Action Zone. Here reside Wonderland’s newest and most breathtaking rollercoasters: The Behemoth, The Sledgehammer and The Cyclone. The Behemoth is the tallest, biggest, and fastest rollercoaster in the country.
If any of you Ride Warriors can survive action zone we can finish out our day of near death experience on rides such as the standing up Skyrider, the Flight Deck (formerly known as Top Gun) and the rollercoaster that goes through Canada’s Wonderland's man-made mountain: Thunder Run.
Thank you for your bravery throughout my tour, keep in mind this was the briefest most stimulating tour possible. Canada’s Wonderland has a much more cultured gentler side for those of you who are still wary of the thrill rides. I hope to see you again Ride Warriors!
3. Kensington Market
Hello and welcome to Toronto's Kensington Market. I am going to be the guide to your culinary experience today. These few streets tucked behind the bustling Chinatown just west of Spadina Ave. And south of Dundas St. West, hold an individual experience for all types of food lovers. To begin, this tour will take you to a couple of key stops for all your fresh grocery shopping needs. As we enter the market, you will see European Meats on our left at 176 Baldwin St. Here we find a wide selection of meats for any of your barbequing needs. Make sure to grab a ticket as they operate with a number system and prepare for your (extremely cheap) shopping experience. As we exit the store on our right hand side, we can see a variety of fish on display for Coral Sea Fish at 198 Baldwin St. For any of you fish and sea food lovers, these fresh catches will trick you into thinking you’re right by the ocean. Now that we have our proteins covered, we are going to turn around and walk down Kensington Ave. On our right hand side, you will see Global Cheese at 76 Kensington Ave. Here we will find cheeses from all over the world. There is a large variety of smoked cheeses, cheeses from various types of milk and aged at different degrees. Lining the avenue you can see that there are countless fresh produce markets and booths, many of them organic.
We will now begin the second part of the tour: eating in Kensington Market. I will be giving a brief tour of a few of the neighbourhood’s restaurants. As we continue along, we can see Lola Café to our right at 40 Kensington Ave. Here you can enjoy classic pub fare with an Asian twist. The menu has classics such as burgers, poutine and chicken wings but also has an amazing dish with Korean barbeque ribs, rice and cucumber salad. In the appetizer menu, we see things such items as fried or steamed dumplings and pork filled spring rolls. Right across the street, we have Tibet Cafe at 51 Kensington Ave. Here we find exquisite fresh fruit smoothies and a variety of menu choices including vegetarian and Beef momos, a classic Tibetan dish. We will now take our tour to Augusta Ave. for vegetarian, Spanish and Mexican food. King’s Cafe at 192 Augusta Ave. This restaurant not only has great lattes, cappuccinos and teas but has an extensive menu for vegetarians and vegans. The most interesting part about this menu is their variety of tofu based “meats”. Vegetarians and vegans can delight in tofu chicken, beef, pork and fish. We will now continue a couple of blocks north to Big Fat Burrito at 285 Augusta Ave. This is the perfect place to enjoy a bean, cheese or beef burrito while sipping a Corona and listening to some Mexican tunes on the patio. We will wrap up our tour at Torito Tapas Bar at 276 Augusta Ave. across the street. This is a restaurant open only in the evening and it is wise to make a reservation. The wine list is extensive and your server is always more than happy to suggest the perfect pairing with your tapas.
This concludes our food lover’s tour to Kensington Market. There are many other restaurants, cafés and bars to discover along these streets. The market holds something for everyone; whether you need a greasy fast food fix, a good dose of caffeine, to boost your vitamins or nurse a hangover. I sincerely hope you enjoyed your tour. Go eat!
4. Medieval Times
Hello Lords and Ladies, and welcome to Medieval Times! His Royal Highness and the Princess invite you to join them to witness a spectacle not seen since The Middle Ages. Upon arriving to the castle you will be given the colour of knight that you will be cheering for. When you walk into the hall of arms you will be immersed with swords, shields, coats of arms, and suits of armor.
There are many things to see before you are called into the arena. You may visit our three peregrine falcons, our many Andalusian Stallions when they are in their resting stables, our Dungeon: Museum of Mayhem and Torture, our four merchant areas where you can purchase souvenirs, and even real swords and shields. The adults may also purchase a drink or arrange bottle service for the show (don’t worry parents, there are non-alcoholic drinks for the kids), and finally our scroll master booth. At our scroll master booth you may sign up to be knighted a knight or lady of the Realm by the King himself with a real Spanish sword. After the knighting ceremony, The Lord Chancellor will divide The Kings Guests by their colour, and allow them to enter the arena. Upon entering the arena, you will be greeted by the King’s Royal Trumpeters, escorted to your seats, and your wench or surf will greet themselves and tell you about the meal you are about to eat.
His Majesty’s royal feast includes: tomato bisque soup, garlic bread, oven roasted chicken, herb-roasted potato, spare rib, beverages, tea and coffee, and desert (vegetarian option available upon request). Don’t forget, in the Medieval Ages they didn’t utensils, and therefore; neither will you. As you eat your delicious meal, the show will entertain, amaze, and maybe even scare you a little!
The show will include amazing feats of chivalry and rivalry with courtesy of our six knights, The King, The Princess, and the Lord Chancellor. You will also see outstanding animal feats by our Andalusian Stallions, and you will even get a chance to see a peregrine falcon soar through the air and come within inches of your head. Watch our knights battle to win the right of champion of the tournament! After select shows you can meet the knights and receive pictures with them and autographs. On behalf of everyone at the castle, we hope you have a “medieval time” and we hope to see at the castle soon!
5. Yorkdale Mall
Hello everyone, and welcome!
Today I will be providing you with a tour of one of the busiest corners of the thriving Yorkdale Shopping Center, located on 3401 Dufferin Street.
If we enter through the north entrance doors you will be amazing at how busy traffic within the mall is. This shopping center provides great places to shop, eat and have a pleasant night out; therefore making this the place to be for people of all ages. Today we will discover the wonders of a small part of the Yorkdale Shopping Center, and that would be the shops and stores near the North Side Nntrance. Although this mall has many other entrances and popular stores on the opposite sides, the public is attracted to this area the most.
As we enter, the first store on our left is a Sport Chek. This store is popular for its great sports equipment and sports shoes. It features a two level store, which also captures the interest of many people. Directly beside Sport Chek is the Famous Players Silvercity Movie Theatres, which is probably the cause of most of the movement in this part of the mall, on any day. This theatre has an exclusive feel to it because it is on a higher floor than the other stores at Yorkdale. It is an appealing theatre to go to, because of it’s variety of films and showtimes. Another bonus for coming to this theatre is a mini food court outside the Big Screen Rooms, which incidentally has a Canadian’s favourite coffee place; Tim Hortons, as well as Burger King, New York Fries, in addition to the convenient popcorn stand. This theatre is loved by young and old due to the arcade that is placed outside the theatre area, which often allows families bonding time, and provides fun for all.
As we go down the escalator or elevator, depending on your preference we look at another famous and frequently visited store, Indigo: Chapters, directly to the right of the North Entrance. As many have come to see it, Indigo: Chapters has become more than a book store, it has become a place for one to sit back and delve themselves into a book of their liking. This store has a duel level shopping area where one could find any books on any subject in almost any form; from heavy novels, to maps, to childrens books, magazines and audio books. No one here is condemned for sitting on the floor in an aisle and reading into a novel, however, for those who are not very interested in sitting on hard carpeted floors, Indigo: Chapters also provides plenty of seating, and another great luxury, a Starbucks. This lightly lit cafe has a homey feel to it due to its deep colors on the walls and its comforting, chocolate brown, wall to wall sofa in the back; and of course, access to the internet.
If you feel your stomach growl, or you become dehydrated, and beleive that your only satisfaction is in the food court on the other side of the mall, think again! In this entrance alone, aside from the mini food court in the theatres, there is a Yogen Fruz – for good ice cream, Ten Ren’s Tea Time – for amazing bubble tea, Moxie’s Bar & Grill, a family favourite, Rainforest Cafe, and if you’re having a snack attack there is the Xpress convenience store there to help you out. If you are looking towards Moxie’s Bar and Grill, which basically screams out intimate and classy yet affordable. On the side of the hall, situated on the main floor, Rainforest Cafe, provides good food, a gift shop and a show every 15 minutes for all to enjoy. Rainforest Cafe is a great family restaurant because the kids love listening and seeing the animatronics forest animals come to life while they are eating, and for many, regardless of age, it never ceases to amaze. All in all, each one of these stores will provide you with good tasting food and drinks; on top of that, the benefit being that their product prices vary making it easier to please your stomach, and still keep some money inside your wallet. After your stomach is happy, you have the liberty of heading deeper into the Yorkdale Shopping Center; exploring and divulging your desire to shop in many more of Yorkdale’s 240 stores and services.
But for now, this is the end of this tour of the North Side Entrance of Yorkdale Shopping Center. I hope you enjoyed and that this tour gave you insight into a few of the works at Yorkdale!
Thanks for watching!
Wrap Up and Analysis
For this entry, our group has selected the geomapping/podcast assignment. We chose five locations in the Toronto area: Medieval Times, Kensington Market, Yorkdale Mall, Canada’s Wonderland, and CBC Broadcast Studios. Our purpose was to create a short script that could be used for a future podcast or tour for each of the guided areas. We selected areas that were well known and are also seen as some of Toronto’s popular tourist attractions.
Each group member contributed by selecting a location or area around Toronto and creating a short part of the podcast’s script. Each selection discussed attractions in the area and how to navigate through it. The information was then written out and scripted, and then edited into an organized format.
Through this assignment we learned how to identify which locations hold appeal for certain groups of people, as well as how to affectively write directions in a manner that they can be understood easily. We also learned many details about the important places that are within each location: what the hotspots were, what guests would want to see and visit. We were able to discover effective ways to describe an area to a group of people that wasn’t even there. This way, what we wrote could be used by anyone wanting to navigate the area. This is a useful skill because we are now able to describe and explain things based on limited access to the source.
When analyzing our podcast, we have to question whether or not it is actually a beneficial tool. Are podcasting and geomapping strong enough mediums? Are they popular enough. While they are most certainly affective, it is still remains rather unseen as to rather they are used in everyday life. However, since they are a hot medium, it is possible that they could be widely received by many people.