Back in September I managed to get some tickets to the Rick Mercer Report. Grandma Swan came out to stay with the girls so Susan and I could stay downtown for the evening. I picked the date because it was a holiday week for me and it meant I wouldn’t be traveling this week.

We booked a room at the Royal York Hotel. Our room was facing the lake and it was a corner room so we had a view of the Air Canada Centre and looking west along Front Street.

WE did some shopping and a lot of walking. We did some of the underground PATH system and then back up to street level.

We had some time to relax at the hotel before dinner and the show. Watching rush hour at Front and York.

We had dinner at Joe Badali’s on Front St. and then it was a short walk over to the CBC Building. We had to wait in line to pick up our tickets and then we waited in another line to go up to the studio. The studio is up on the 10th floor.

We were allowed to take pictures as long as the camera’s were not on. He would come out and introduce each of the video segments.

They tape all of the desk portions live.

After the show, Rick Mercer will meet anyone who wants to wait in line. We had no where to go so we stuck around to meet Rick and get our picture taken with him. Here he is signing our tickets.

I asked him if he got up to Alert, as that was one of the places he was suppose to visit this season. He said they didn’t make it and they eventually ran out of daylight, but the militay has said they will take him up.

Looking down at the atrium from the tenth floor. The banners hanging are the couples from the Battle of the Blades.

Down in the foyer you can see into the museum and there is Mr Dressup’s Tickle Trunk.

Out in the foyer is Casey and Finnegan’s Treehouse.

Susan in front of a giant Rick Mercer.

It was back to the hotel and some shots of the Toronto nightlife.