theborderline.ca

Matt Hicks has been around the Sault Ste. Marie music scene for quite awhile, as the drummer for Dirty Virgin and also fronting the group, Riverin. After a lengthy hiatus, Matt returned as a solo performer under the band name, The Realignment Project.

With a sound that fuses the raw energy of classic rock and metal with the edgy aesthetics of industrial and electronic music, The Realignment Project captures the spirit of its influences, drawing from a wide lens of inspiration over many different genres of music from the 1920s Big Band sound, World War II era jazz, ’80s New Wave, 2000s Nu Metal, and from Louis Armstrong to Motley Crue to Nine Inch Nails.

TRP has one member, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Matt Hicks. Created in 2024 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, the name “Realignment Project” is a symbol of musical rebirth and finding a new creative self, getting back to making music for the love of music.

The Realignment Project is not just a continuation of Hicks’s past endeavours but a bold new chapter in his music. TRP’s ‘Let You Fall’ (January 2, 2026) along with 2025 releases ‘War Songs’, ‘The Frustration Sessions’, and ‘Afterthought’ showcase a fusion of heavy beats, dark melodies, and introspective lyrics, capturing the essence of his experiences and the influences that have shaped him as an artist. TRP serves as a testament to Hicks’ artistic journey, reflecting not only his musical influences but also his growth as a musician and songwriter.

In November 2025, TRP signed with indie label East London Recordings out of the U.K. East London Recordings stands as a thriving hub for artists spanning continents—from its East London origins to far-flung studios worldwide. With its diverse roster of producers and storytellers who turn personal chaos into universal anthems, TRP has found a spot where artistic compromise doesn’t exist.

Running time: 51 minutes.

Date:21 January 2026 .

S3.E18 : ALIENS

In a universe as vast as the one we live in it is a fair question to ask if there are other life forms that exist beyond our home planet. Aliens are at the centre of that debate. Maria, with Fidgal, share their experiences on that realm, relating a close encounter of their own kind. It’s a dimension wrapped in a mystery of what has been seen and by whom. Are they really out there? And are they friend or foe?

THE NEW NORMAL PODCAST – Maria Iuliano with Fidgal

Maria guides a successful business called Fidgal, named after Maria’s guardian angel. They met when Maria was 5 years old.

Maria is a Peace Therapist, graduated with Honours in Peace and Conflict Studies from Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology. With this knowledge, along with her expertise in the afterlife and her ability to see auras, Maria helps others find and create peace in their lives.

Visit: fidgal.com

“I am open to other existence and I shine my light to them.”

Date:20 January 2026 .

A. J. Capper (Amanda June) was conceived in the Midlands of England but born in Hamilton, Ontario. She now lives in Northern Ontario with her musician husband and a dog that’s smarter than them both. A Bother of Bodies is Amanda’s first book in the Maybe Mystery series.

A Bother of Bodies… by A.J. Capper

Mabel Fuller, and her brother, Dean, are on the run because of Mabel’s attempt to kill their mother fifteen years ago. But they’re not worried about the law. Their main concern is the family that raised them, the McAllisters, headed by two brothers in control of all things illegal in Montreal’s west end. Mabel and Dean manage to avoid the large Irish network with frequent moves and aliases. Or, so they thought. When dead bodies turn up in Dean’s newly-purchased barn, the brother and sister fear the McAllisters have found them. Until they realize it’s something worse.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

Date:20 January 2026 .

The Great Lakes Odyssey Radio Hour is broadcast on NPR (National Public Radio)

s3.e10. GREAT LAKES ODYSSEY Radio Hour – Fighters For Clean Water

Environmentalists display an indomitable spirit in fighting to restore damaged natural landscapes in the face of monumental bureaucratic and corporate opposition adept at escaping accountability.

Susan Campbell, award-winning environmental journalist and communications specialist, on her book Paper Valley, co-written with scientist, P. David Allen II, on the historic cleanup of the Fox River.
Lee Murdock delivers sweetwater treasure in his songs about the Great Lakes, finding drama and inspiration in the lives of sailors and fishermen, lighthouse keepers, outlaws and everyday heroes.
Joanie McGuffin, Executive Director of the Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy, and paddler, explorer, and author, on her passion for protecting the living beings that are the Great Lakes.

Featured Music: The Hyperion Effect. Rusty McCarthy. Al Simmons. Ian Tamblyn. Lee Murdock.
Music beds: Zac Crook. The Hyperion Effect.
Theme music: Ray Bonneville. Rusty McCarthy.

Artwork by Konrad Wojcik : Toilet Paper Roll

s3.e10. GREAT LAKES ODYSSEY Radio Hour Music Credits

Title – Big Five Water
Artist / Composer – Ray Bonneville

Title – Binary Omicron
Album – The Hyperion Effect
Artist / Composer – The Hyperion Effect

Title – St. Mary’s River Fantasy
Album – Nocturnes
Artist / Composer – Rusty McCarthy

Title – Dirty River
Album – Dirty River
Artist / Composer – Rusty McCarthy

Title – (You Should Be) Asleep
Album – Stop Putting Words In The Good Lord’s Mouth
Artist / Composer – Zac Crook

Title – Per L’Amore D’Goblin
Album – Stop Putting Words In The Good Lord’s Mouth
Artist / Composer – Zac Crook

Title – Little Rascal
Album – Stop Putting Words In The Good Lord’s Mouth
Artist / Composer – Zac Crook

Title – Onion’s Scarf
Album – The Hyperion Effect
Artist – The Hyperion Effect

Title – Three Blind Cosmos
Album – The Hyperion Effect
Artist – The Hyperion Effect

Title – Red Iron Ore
Album – Cold Winds
Artist – Lee Murdock
Composer – Traditional

Title – Lowlands
Album – Irish American Folk Music
Artist – Gallagher Boys
Composer – Traditional

Title – Lament For The Lost Lake Sailors
Album – The Lost Lake Sailors
Artist / Composer – Lee Murdock

Title – Cold Winds
Album – Cold Winds
Artist / Composer – Lee Murdock

Title – Regatta
Album – Standing At The Wheel
Artist / Composer – Lee Murdock

Title – Yankee Brown
Album – Safe In The Harbor
Artist / Composer – Lee Murdock

Title – About The Water
Album – About The Water
Artist/ Composer – Lee Murdock

Title – Heart Of The Boreal
Album – The Whistling Egg Man And Other Tall Tales
Artist – Al Simmons
Composer – Al Simmons & Ken Whiteley

Title – Picnic Reprise
Album – A Longing For Innocence
Artist / Composer – Ian Tamblyn

Title – Picnic In White River
Album – A Longing For Innocence
Artist / Composer – Ian Tamblyn

Visit: raybonneville.com

Visit: rustyandmaja.com

Visit: papervalley.org

Visit: leemurdock.com

Visit: alsimmonsentertainer.bandcamp.com/the-whistling-egg-man-and-other-tall-tales

Visit: superiorconservancy.org

Visit: zaccrookmusic.bandcamp.com

Visit: iantamblyn.com

Visit: instagram.com/naturally_illustrated

This program produced by GLOW Radio Partners in venture with The Borderline Events Co.

Inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the Great Lakes Odyssey World is a multi-national effort to strengthen and explore our relationship with the natural wonders known as the Great Lakes.

In this part of the project, we have created a multi-part audio series looking at the way the Great Lakes shape our lives, our livelihoods, our health and our culture.

50 years ago, folks in the media and elsewhere were ready to declare the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie “dead.”

The thought so appalled citizens in Canada and the United States, they forced their national governments to act.

Because, of course, the Great Lakes shape the life of both Canada and the United States. And, of course, the Great Lakes are a single system stretching from Duluth to Ottawa and down the St. Lawrence seaway. What happens to any of the Lakes will soon happen to the others.

So, the politicians of 50 years ago negotiated the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, “for the purpose of restoring, protecting and enhancing the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes basin.”

50 years later, we can see the agreement worked. We see more fish, cleaner water, and less pollution. Unlike the early settlers and colonials, who mostly saw the Lakes as a resource to tap, we now recognize, like the First Nations, the Lakes are part of our identity. They shape our relationships, our songs and celebrations of place, the way we eat, how we play, and what we make, or sell, or harvest.

50 years since the wake-up call of a burning river, Great Lakes Odyssey wants to learn how we live and love, hurt and restore the incredible gift which is the Great Lakes.

We will explore Great Lakes art and artistic expression, and meet the artists, writers, musicians who make it. We will also dip into Great Lakes history and lore – and learn from the people who have been here the longest and know it the best: The People of the Three Fires, the Anishinaabek.

On our Odyssey around the Great Lakes, we will also hear from people working to prevent poisonous algal blooms or stop the spread of invasive species. We will meet visionaries undoing decades of development that hardened shorelines, emptied marshes and wetlands, and destroyed critical spawning grounds. We will talk to people working to ensure all beings have access to pure drinking water.

Because none of us can live without pure drinking water.

In this wondrous place we call the Great Lakes, we know we are blessed by these Sweet Water Seas. We claim them as our H.O.M.E.S. as the emotionally accurate mnemonic says. They are Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior, and they are our HOMES.

As long as humans have lived in, and of and through the Lakes, people have told stories about them, sung about them, and gloried in this great gift of the long departed Ice Age. Left by glaciers thousands of years ago, they are the World’s storehouse of fresh water. If they are drained… or ruined… or damaged, they can never be replaced.

So, as we travel around the Great Lakes basin, we want to see how we are doing – what we are doing – how we’re feeling and what we’re learning as we try to live as lovers and restorers – and children and family – of the being whom the Anishinaabek call Nayaano-nibiimaang Gichigamiin, the five freshwater seas.

We hope to galvanize, inspire, and motivate you to strengthen, support and steward the Great Lakes to a beautiful and healthy future.

So please join us on this magical, dare we say “magical mystery tour” of the Great Lakes basin and Great Lakes culture.

Date:18 January 2026 .

MUSICOLOGY is powered by Long & McQuade, 647 MacDonald Ave, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

MUSICOLOGY with dj Danny Mott

Musicology is a form of music analysis that emphasizes culture, sociology, and music history. When musicologists study music, they go beyond the notes on a page. Among other things, they track the history of music, the evolution of musical instruments, cultural contexts of various genres, and performance practices associated with certain types of musical ensembles.

About Your Host

DANNY MOTT was born in England and raised in Canada. Danny has been involved in myriad recordings and in various countries, most notably in Jamaica and Cuba.

Danny’s music is released under the moniker, “Mocombo” where he acts as composer, producer, engineer and musician. Mocombo is a versatile band project that shifts effortlessly between world music, traditional blues, Cuban jazz and blues rock.

Danny has a rich academic background in music that includes various diplomas, degrees and certificates. Danny’s studies include; Classical guitar from the Algoma Conservatory of Music; Composition, performance, music history, music business and retailing from Humber College of Applied Arts; North Indian Hindustani classical music at the Academy Of Eastern Fine Arts; Adult teaching techniques for music at Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology; Music education at the University of Victoria; Studio recording from the Institute of Recording and Arts; Music theory at the Royal Conservatory of Music; Music and anthropology at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Dean’s Honour List; Religious traditions of Islam at the University of Waterloo.

Danny’s music performance and work history are also impressive. As a tour promoter, acts like Gordon Lightfoot and Ravi Shankar; as a music teacher at Nelson Music in B.C.; Music Marketing Director and music technician at Saved By Technology in Toronto, with a client list including the Rolling Stones, Rush, Barenaked Ladies, Jane Siberry, and many more; Marketing and Sales Director for On Publications Inc., a national distribution of music print medium company; Marketing Director for Roy Creations International in Montreal, for the Canadian Recording Industry Association.

Danny has orchestrated several projects, including a film in the Cuban language, with the participation of Cuba’s National Dance Company.

Danny’s project, Mocombo, has issued seven outstanding CDs: Odyssey, Zubie Zubie, Dreamscape, Flophouse Daddy, Flophouse Daddy Returns (Boldly Going Nowhere), Global 360 and Mocombo in Habana Project (2 CD set).

Danny Mott

Date:17 January 2026 .

Canadian Whisky Sound are a two-man group with Greg Cull on acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocals, while drummer, on the West African djembe drum, John Clement, delivers the rhythmic vibe. (Greg Cull performs with North Channel Sound, also, and John Clement is one half of the americana-influenced Whisky Hippy.)

Canadian Whisky Sound covers songs by Canadian artists, in a style dubbed canadiana for its blending of musical genres like folk, country, bluegrass, blues, gospel, and rock. The Canadian Whisky Sound especially pays tribute to the nation’s treasure from Orillia, Ontario, the late Gordon Lightfoot.

Going into The Borderline podcast recording studio for a promotional interview, the band had decided to perform live – and that’s what they did. The guys are on form and give the listener every reason to get into the tavern for the real experience of a live show while sipping on the Canadian Whisky Sound.

Appreciative audiences around Sault Ste. Marie can catch the duo firing up a Gordon Lightfoot show on January 23 at Ignition Eatery in the city’s downtown core.

Date:16 January 2026 .

Whisky Hippy are a duo with good intentions. Blake Golder, acoustic guitar and voice, fronts the group and has a talent for telling stories, while bandmate John Clement, djembe drum, serves up the rhythm beats with impeccable timing, both musically and comedically.

The retired lads have turned their act into a popular fun-time experience playing in and around Sault Ste. Marie at the numerous area taverns, attracting audiences from all walks of life with a wide range of birth dates. Whisky Hippy delivers cover tunes from artists in the genre of americana and canadiana – a blending of music styles like folk, country, bluegrass, blues, gospel, and rock – all propelled with a gift for storytelling.

It’s part of their DNA that Whisky Hippy are always up for a good time. For this promotional appearance they decide to take their show into The Borderline podcast recording studio for a casual chat and an impromptu gig. The result is a live off the floor recording with no overdubs or post-production wizardry, just straight up Whisky Hippy.

Date:14 January 2026 .

S3.E17: FOUR ELEMENTS OF SPIRITUALITY

The four elements of nature are Earth, Air/Wind, Fire and Water. They are foundational to our existence and survival. Say Maria, with Fidgal, that the four are also spiritual elements and each of them are within us and are our essence. Earth. When we feel the most grounded. Air/Wind. When we are most clear of mind. Water. When we are most open hearted. Fire. When we are most creative. Could it be said that this will be an elementary class?

THE NEW NORMAL PODCAST – Maria Iuliano with Fidgal

Maria guides a successful business called Fidgal, named after Maria’s guardian angel. They met when Maria was 5 years old.

Maria is a Peace Therapist, graduated with Honours in Peace and Conflict Studies from Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology. With this knowledge, along with her expertise in the afterlife and her ability to see auras, Maria helps others find and create peace in their lives.

Visit: fidgal.com

“I am Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water.”

Date:13 January 2026 .

M.D. Dunn is a musician, singer/songwriter, poet and author, having written three books, Even The Weapons (2014), Fancy Clapping (2012), and Ghost Music (2010). You Get Bigger as You Go: Bruce Cockburn’s Influence and Evolution is his first non-fiction book, released in 2024.

You Get Bigger as You Go: Bruce Cockburn’s Influence and Evolution is the perfect beginner’s guide to the music and the artist, and a fun addition to any fan’s library. Photographs from archivist Daniel Keebler span decades and show Cockburn in his natural habitat, on stage and in the studio.

Bruce Cockburn has enthralled audiences with his insightful lyrics and innovative guitar playing for over half a century. Hit songs like “Wondering Where the Lions Are,” “If I Had a Rocket Launcher,” and “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” are just part of the story. In You Get Bigger as You Go: Bruce Cockburn’s Influence and Evolution, musician and writer M.D. Dunn takes the reader on a humorous and obsessive quest to track Cockburn’s significant cultural footprint. Interviews with producers, musicians, activists, fans, as well as Bruce’s career-long manager, the legendary Bernie Finkelstein, and with the enigmatic Mr. Cockburn himself form the core of this critical assessment and appreciation. In these conversations, Cockburn and friends celebrate a life of music and social engagement.

I can’t imagine my life any other way than it’s been.

Date:13 January 2026 .

The Great Lakes Odyssey Radio Hour is broadcast on NPR (National Public Radio)

s3.e9. GREAT LAKES ODYSSEY Radio Hour – Chemicals In Action

Water, a chemical, is facing major damage by man-made chemicals used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1940s, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Tyler Dettloff, Chippewa County Poet Laureate, songwriter/blues guitarist, is Director of the Center for Native American Studies at Northern Michigan University in Gichinamebini-ziibing, Marquette.
Cheryl Murphy, Director for the Center for PFAS Research at Michigan State University, and a Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, details the PFAS problem.
Tony Dekker of the band Great Lake Swimmers, on the album inspired by Lake Superior’s north shore, sorts out ‘Uncertain Country’ by learning the stories of the people that have long lived there.

Featured Music: Tyler Dettloff. Great Lake Swimmers. Timothy Monger.
Music beds: Timothy Monger, LOWFREQUENCYoscillator.
Theme: Rusty McCarthy, Ray Bonneville.

Artwork: ‘No Pipelines’ by Dylan Miner

s3.e9. GREAT LAKES ODYSSEY Radio Hour Music Credits

Title – Big Five Water
Artist / Composer – Ray Bonneville

Title – Sa-Wa-Quato
Album – Timothy Monger
Artist/ Composer – Timothy Monger

Title – Mining Accident
Album – Timothy Monger
Artist/ Composer – Timothy Monger

Title – St. Mary’s River Fantasy
Album – Nocturnes
Artist / Composer – Rusty McCarthy

Title – Alibi
Artist/ Composer – Tyler Dettloff

Title – Trash
Artist/ Composer – Tyler Dettloff

Title – Shadow Of The Weka
Album – Timothy Monger
Artist /Composer – Timothy Monger

Title – Stars
Artist/ Composer – Tyler Dettloff

Title – Here Lies
Artist/ Composer – Tyler Dettloff

Title – Kites
Artist/ Composer – Tyler Dettloff

Title – Everyday Epiphany (Superior)
Album – Great Lakes
Artist /Composer – LOWFREQUENCYoscillator

Title – Quiet Before The Storm
Album – Uncertain Country
Artist – Great Lake Swimmers

Title – Riverine
Album – Uncertain Country
Artist – Great Lake Swimmers

Title – Respect For All Living Things
Album – Uncertain Country
Artist – Great Lake Swimmers

Title – When The Storm Has Passed
Album – Uncertain Country
Artist – Great Lake Swimmers

Visit: raybonneville.com

Visit: rustyandmaja.com

Visit: timothymonger.com

Visit: tylerdettloff.com

Visit: canr.msu.edu/people/cheryl_murphy

Visit: lowfrequencyoscillator.bandcamp.com/album/great-lakes

Visit: greatlakeswimmers.com

This program produced by GLOW Radio Partners in venture with The Borderline Events Co.

Inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the Great Lakes Odyssey World is a multi-national effort to strengthen and explore our relationship with the natural wonders known as the Great Lakes.

In this part of the project, we have created a multi-part audio series looking at the way the Great Lakes shape our lives, our livelihoods, our health and our culture.

50 years ago, folks in the media and elsewhere were ready to declare the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie “dead.”

The thought so appalled citizens in Canada and the United States, they forced their national governments to act.

Because, of course, the Great Lakes shape the life of both Canada and the United States. And, of course, the Great Lakes are a single system stretching from Duluth to Ottawa and down the St. Lawrence seaway. What happens to any of the Lakes will soon happen to the others.

So, the politicians of 50 years ago negotiated the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, “for the purpose of restoring, protecting and enhancing the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes basin.”

50 years later, we can see the agreement worked. We see more fish, cleaner water, and less pollution. Unlike the early settlers and colonials, who mostly saw the Lakes as a resource to tap, we now recognize, like the First Nations, the Lakes are part of our identity. They shape our relationships, our songs and celebrations of place, the way we eat, how we play, and what we make, or sell, or harvest.

50 years since the wake-up call of a burning river, Great Lakes Odyssey wants to learn how we live and love, hurt and restore the incredible gift which is the Great Lakes.

We will explore Great Lakes art and artistic expression, and meet the artists, writers, musicians who make it. We will also dip into Great Lakes history and lore – and learn from the people who have been here the longest and know it the best: The People of the Three Fires, the Anishinaabek.

On our Odyssey around the Great Lakes, we will also hear from people working to prevent poisonous algal blooms or stop the spread of invasive species. We will meet visionaries undoing decades of development that hardened shorelines, emptied marshes and wetlands, and destroyed critical spawning grounds. We will talk to people working to ensure all beings have access to pure drinking water.

Because none of us can live without pure drinking water.

In this wondrous place we call the Great Lakes, we know we are blessed by these Sweet Water Seas. We claim them as our H.O.M.E.S. as the emotionally accurate mnemonic says. They are Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior, and they are our HOMES.

As long as humans have lived in, and of and through the Lakes, people have told stories about them, sung about them, and gloried in this great gift of the long departed Ice Age. Left by glaciers thousands of years ago, they are the World’s storehouse of fresh water. If they are drained… or ruined… or damaged, they can never be replaced.

So, as we travel around the Great Lakes basin, we want to see how we are doing – what we are doing – how we’re feeling and what we’re learning as we try to live as lovers and restorers – and children and family – of the being whom the Anishinaabek call Nayaano-nibiimaang Gichigamiin, the five freshwater seas.

We hope to galvanize, inspire, and motivate you to strengthen, support and steward the Great Lakes to a beautiful and healthy future.

So please join us on this magical, dare we say “magical mystery tour” of the Great Lakes basin and Great Lakes culture.

Date:11 January 2026 .