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(Editor’s Note: This conversation took place when Aldo was a youthful 97 years old in February of 2020.)

Aldo Diotallevi (4 August 1923 – 9 October 2025) will always be one of the Soo’s real treasures. Aldo had a remarkable history that included playing the tenor saxophone on the same stage as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, among others, at the Sault Memorial Gardens. In this interview, we hear Aldo’s memories of the big band era, recalling the names and players that made the music in Sault Ste. Marie, as he touches on the radio days of CJIC and the dance hall days of the Marconi Club and The Princess.

Also, check out this story from SooToday (January of 2016)…

According to Saultite Aldo Diotallevi’s Oral History (available for viewing on the public library catalogue), his father moved to the Sault from Sudbury and opened a taxi business, a cover for his bootlegging business.

According to Diotallevi, bootlegging was a common way to supplement income in those days.

When he asked his father if it was illegal, his father replied, “the government does it, why shouldn’t I?”

He saw himself as just another businessman.

At one point, Diotallevi’s father had run-ins with the Italian Mafia, La Mano Nera or Black Hand from Hamilton, Ontario.They threatened his life and the lives of his entire family if he didn’t stop selling alcohol.

The senior Diotallevi procured the help of local resident, Sante Carbone who had a “talk” with the gentlemen threatening Diotallevi’s family and the threats stopped.

Diotallevi tells a story during his Oral History interview about an incident when the Mounties were watching his father’s house, in the James Street/Hudson Street area, because they knew he had alcohol there.

They came in and searched their home but found nothing.

Senior Diotallevi had the forethought of having a carpenter friend build false floors in his house. At the time of the search, he was hiding 110 gallons of alcohol under the floors.

It was at this point that Aldo’s father decided to get out of the business, but he still had to get rid of the 110 gallons of alcohol that he was hiding in his house, with the Mounties watching his every move.

Enlisting the help of a local grocer, he had the grocer come to his home with a bag of groceries and leave with a gallon of alcohol.

He was eventually able to remove all 110 gallons of alcohol out of his home, right under the noses of the Mounties!

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”

Date:16 October 2025 .

Julian Taylor released the album, Pathways, in September of 2024, which candidly captures his approach to handling his own lingering burdens. Its eight concise tracks find Taylor looking further inward than ever before. “When you feel heavy, you’ve got to get things off your chest,” says Taylor. “Pathways reflects the way I was feeling while I was writing it and making it… I’m trying to work through a lot of the pain I’ve caused myself and others.”

There are so many stars in the music world that shine only for a moment. And there are stars that rise and fall, but the heat of some stars can’t be contained and must rise again. Toronto based singer-songwriter Julian Taylor is one of those phoenix-like stars.

His first moment in the sky started and ended with the hit-making band Staggered Crossing. After their breakup, Julian could have walked away, satisfied with that bright, brief moment. Instead, he went back to work, starting at the bottom, playing in cover bands, working bars, running an open stage as a solo artist. There were moments of impact when he formed the Julian Taylor Band and released two albums. But those were mere steps in the process. When he decided to strip his songs to the basics and go solo with his soul-folk 2020 album, The Ridge, his career rose over the horizon again and sparkled brighter than the first time. Mostly acoustic and sung in Julian’s distinctive warm baritone, The Ridge earned him two JUNO Award nominations, one Canadian Folk Music Award for Solo Artist, five Native American Music Award nominations, plus a nomination for the Polaris Music Prize.

In 2022, Taylor released his follow up album Beyond the Reservoir. It received a nomination from the Country Music Association of Ontario Awards in the Roots Artist of the Year category, a nomination for a JUNO Award in the Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year category, and two Ontario Folk Music Award nominations for Song of the Year and Performing Artist of the Year. “Julian Taylor’s music is a beacon of hope in troubled times. His lyrics are thoughtful and inspiring, and his voice is both powerful and tender. This is music that will lift your spirits.” (Canadian Beats) – Wayne Arthurson

Julian Taylor’s Jukebox is a radio show that plays on radio stations all over Canada and the USA. About the Jukebox, Julian says, “On my show, listeners can expect to hear what I would play them if we were hanging out at my place. It’s all-inclusive, and I always spin stuff that I love to listen to.”

Running time: 55 minutes.

Date:15 October 2025 .

Kaitlyn Watson is the acting Manager of Public Services at Sault Ste. Marie Public Library.

Our Mission

The Sault Ste. Marie Public Library provides opportunities to discover, learn, and grow. We serve as a community partner offering spaces, resources, and connections which contribute to quality of life.

Our Vision

A diverse and welcoming community hub, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library fuels innovation, demonstrates leadership, and promotes literacy aligned with our growing community. We strive to deliver library service for all, driven by knowledge sharing, partnerships, and new opportunities.

Our Values

Community Engagement
Diverse People and Perspectives
Innovation
User Experiences
Literacy

Our Priorities

Community Engagement

Marketing & Communications

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility

Heritage & Culture

Service Excellence

“The only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.”

Date:14 October 2025 .

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to create awareness, honour the millions of lives affected by breast cancer and reaffirm our global commitment to equitable access to care and improved survival for all. This year, we highlight the theme: Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters.

Date:10 October 2025 .

Alison McGauley was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and attended both Sir James Dunn C. & V.S. and the Sault Collegiate Institute. After earning a BAH in Psychology from the University of Guelph and a BEd from Western University, Alison began her teaching career in 2005. She earned her reading specialist certification and is currently a special education resource teacher.

“As an elementary teacher and children’s author, I work to inspire a love for books. My passion is creating stories with big heart for little readers. I aim to write entertaining and empowering books that resonate with children and caregivers.

As a person living with multiple chronic illnesses, (ulcerative colitis and ankylosing spondylitis) I hope to create many books that speak to children and families who are impacted by illness or disability.
When I’m not teaching, writing, reading, or networking about chronic illness, I enjoy family adventures and being surrounded by trees and wildlife in forests and trails nearby my home in the region of Waterloo, Ontario, where I live with my partner, two daughters, and Ragdoll cat.”

Alison’s debut picture book is Kenzie’s Little Tree (March, 2025), illustrated by Emilie Leduc, and published by Orca Book Publishers.

Kenzie’s Little Tree – It seems delicate, just like her mom, who doesn’t always feel well. As the seasons change, her mom’s health has ups and downs, and the tree sways in the wind and weather. Sometimes her mom is too tired to play, and they just cuddle. Other times, she has to go to the hospital. During the winter, she’s away for many days. When a snowstorm hits, Kenzie frantically tries to keep the tree warm. And she worries: Has she broken her promise? But no matter the challenges, come springtime, the tree is still there, blossoming and strong―just like her mom, and just like Kenzie.

Date:7 October 2025 .

Brandon Agnew is a roots musician from Niagara Falls who writes music in various shades of blue.

Aquarius Moon is the follow-up to the 2021 album, Mave’s Variety. It was recorded in June 2021 immediately following the release of Mave’s Variety utilizing the same studio (Banquet Sound – Owner: Nick Boyd; Hollerado, Anyway Gang), producer (Joseph Stracuzzi) and same musicians.

The songs were written during the winter of 2020/21 as the COVID-19 pandemic was unraveling. Several of the songs (Gasoline On A Flame, Desperate Blues, Tension) express disdain and disappointment for failed global leadership. The album opens with James Street Blues, a song about being in downtown Hamilton on a Saturday night with no one around and a car breaking down. Hot Water is about climate change. Barstool Women Blues and The Kind Of Blue That Shake You are meant to lighten the mood as fun-loving album additions in an otherwise bleak and reflective album.

The album was delayed in its release due to a number of factors. It was released digitally in February 2024 as the pandemic finally shifted into the rearview.

Musicians:

Brandon Agnew – Guitar, Vocals
Benny Gutman – Guitar, Bass
James Gizzie – Guitar
Bob Goodall – Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Andrew Barbisan – Bass
Jess Panetta – Vocals
Laurel Minnes – Vocals
Taylor Hulley – Percussion
Produced by Joseph Stracuzzi.

Running time: 48 minutes.

Date:6 October 2025 .

The Odeon Theatre. Sault Collegiate Institute. Mary’s Bakery. Cleto’s Pizza. Soo Drive-In. Verne’s Hardware. Jupiter. Barsanti’s Small Frye. CKCY. More….

A trip down The Soo’s memory lane through the eyes of citizens of its storied city. Throw a quarter in the jukebox and travel back in time.

Host: Brian Tremblay

THANK YOU to ‘Sault Ste. Marie Memories’ and ‘You Know You’re From The Soo When?’ groups on Facebook and all of their members.

Date:5 October 2025 .

The ladies love to read books. And talking about them. Kaitlyn joins the crew and seeing as she works at the SSM Public Library, she comes with impressive credentials. The ad hoc book club puts together quite an extensive list of titles. They cover a topical gamut that is sure to interest every reader. And we get details and summaries on authors, adaptations, and plot lines from the latest to the classics. It gets book-nerdy, here and there, because that’s what book clubs do. Listen now and read later.

Date:3 October 2025 .

Where childhood meets catastrophe – and somehow finds the joke. Cartoon characters meet theatrical roadside demise. Toy weapons become archaeological treasures. Digital art reveals that sliced tomatoes mirror the branching chambers within us, and our bodies contain secret galaxies. Intricate Zentangle drawings prove we instinctively speak the same visual language as the universe itself.

AGES IN CHAOS: WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE is part funeral, part celebration, part cosmic revelation – an exhibition that dares to find wonder in wreckage and explores the ancient visual languages we’re only now learning to decode.

Come for the crash. Stay for the revelation.

Featured Music: Massive Attack Theme Music: MAN FEELINGS

Running Time: 23 minutes

Date:1 October 2025 .

(This conversation took place shortly before the release of Peter’s 2021 album, Survive.)

Peter Harper sits in and cuts Across The Tracks, giving us his inspiration and insight on eleven of his compositions from his growing catalogue. That body of work includes his self-titled first album ‘Peter Harper’ (European Release) with songs from his 2013-16 period, 2017’s full-length ‘Break The Cycle’ record, the EP ‘Twilight Time’ from 2019, and a glimpse into the 2021 album release, ‘Survive.’

Peter is the youngest of the three Harper brothers. They all grew up in the famous Folk Music Center in Claremont California amongst the guitars, banjos, ukuleles and other musical instruments from around the world. With music and artistic expression in his DNA, Peter chose the art of sculpture to express his creativity. As a renowned sculptor his pieces don the collections of Laura Dern, Meg Ryan, Henry Rollins, Woody Harrelson, Danny Devito, Maya Angelou, Danny Trejo, DJ Numark, George Clinton and many more. Art continues its prominence in Peter’s life and work, but it is music now that is centre stage to his creative gifts.

“Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colours flowers, so does art colour life.”

Date:27 September 2025 .