A Windsor filmmaker is shining a spotlight on small-town Ontario in a new original series produced at four spots across Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent. Landmarks & Lunch pairs Canadian celebrities with meaningful meals at historic or memorable sites across the province. The four-episode season debuts this Thursday, exclusively on Bell Fibe TV1, featuring stops in Amherstburg, Colchester, and Chatham. Created by Windsor’s Mike Stasko, along with Nick Shields and the teams at The Dot Film Company and Suede Productions, the series blends culture, cuisine and conversation. Stasko describes the format as part travelogue, part talk show — and an opportunity to showcase both Canadian personalities and the communities they visit. “I’ve had people who’ve seen it so far compare it to a Canadian version of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” Stasko said. “Let’s meet up with a notable Canadian celebrity, let’s go to a small town, let’s talk to them about their career, what they’ve been up to, and eventually tie in the idea of a nostalgic meal.” Big names, small towns This season’s lineup includes Kevin McDonald of Kids in the Hall at Fort Malden in Amherstburg, where he shares a classic grilled cheese and tomato soup. Robb Wells of Trailer Park Boys heads to The Grove Motel in Colchester for a Halifax-style donair. Actor and former MuchMusic VJ Sook-Yin Lee stops at the Retro Suites Hotel in Chatham to revisit a childhood dish she calls “Morning Mush.” And Richard Peddie, former president of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, appears at his River Bookshop in Amherstburg with a gourmet cheese sandwich and reflections on leadership. The show’s host, Roxana Rangel — best known for My Travelling Backpack — guides the conversations at each location. Organic conversations Stasko said he was surprised by the “organic” nature of the interviews. “These are people who have been interviewed over and over again, so you think it’d be kind of the same few things,” he said. “But if you tune in, you’re going to hear some fun stories that I don’t think they’ve said publicly before.” The series was filmed earlier this year with a tight-knit crew. Stasko’s Dot Film Company partnered with Suede Productions, bringing on Shields, Theodore Bezaire, Chris Pickle, and a small production team. What began as a pitch for a children’s series evolved into a hybrid idea after Bell expressed interest in shows about cooking and architecture. Originally called Cooking and Architecture, the concept eventually became Landmarks & Lunch. “I pitched this to them last August, about a year ago, got the green light pretty quick on it,” Stasko said. “From where it was in development to the final product that’s about to air; it has changed in a very positive way. Now, the format of the show and how we want to improve it is much more clear going forward.” Local pride For Stasko, the project is also about highlighting Windsor-Essex and other communities that don’t often get national exposure. “You tune in for the celebrity,” he said. “But we’re sneaking in some medicine where you get to find out about a small town in Ontario and a historical landmark there — and maybe see regions in Canada that outsiders haven’t visited before.” Landmarks & Lunch premieres Thursday on Bell Fibe TV1 and will also be available on demand for Bell Fibe subscribers.
