Happy Retirement Gord, Manager, Shoppers Drug Mart, Carlton & Lake Plaza, St. Catharines, ON REL-MAR McConnell Media Company – Transcript The ‘X’ Zone Radio/TV Show – Thursday, August 28, 2025 Happy Retirement Gord - Segment 1- 00:00.00 – 06:23.385     “Here on The ‘X’ Zone Radio Show, while we broadcast internationally to listeners across Canada, the United States, and around the world, right here on your Home Town Radio, Classic 1220  AM – CFAJ from our broadcast studios in St. Catharines, Ontario, it’s important to take time to celebrate the people in our own community who make a lasting difference in our daily lives.   Today, we celebrate Gord, the manager of Shoppers Drug Mart at 125 Carlton Street here in St. Catharines, who is retiring after beginning his career with Shoppers Drug Mart back in 1978. Now, let’s take a moment to remember what Canada looked like when Gord first put on his Shopper’s Drug Mart badge.     In 1978, Pierre Elliott Trudeau was our Prime Minister.   The Toronto Blue Jays had just played their second Major League Baseball season.   Terry Fox was training quietly for what would become his heroic Marathon of Hope.   Anne Murray was topping the music charts, and Canadians were gathering around their TVs to watch Hockey Night in Canada, cheering on legends like Guy Lafleur and the Montreal Canadiens, who would go on to the Stanley Cup that year.   Through all those decades of Canadian history, Gord has been a constant with  kindness, professionalism, and a friendly smile at Shoppers Drug Mart. His leadership and dedication, along with the entire Shoppers team, have made that store a true pillar of the community.   On behalf of all the friendly and dedicated staff at Shoppers Drug Mart, the friends you have made, the customers that you have helped, everyone here at The ‘X’ Zone Radio/TV Show, my wife Laura and myself, Gord, we all want to thank you.   Thank you for always being there for our family, and for families in St. Catharines that have met you, and have been customers at your Shoppers Drug Mart in the Lake and Carlton Plaza.   Gord, as you step into retirement after nearly half a century of service, we all wish you nothing but health, happiness, and well-earned relaxation.   Gord, congratulations on an extraordinary career — and thank you for being part of our lives since 1978.”

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St. Catharines Stalemate by Rob McConnell ST CATHARINES STALEMATE by ROB McCONNELL   Yeah, listen up, it's a cry in the night, St. Catharines, man, we gotta fight. [Verse 1] Gale Crescent and Riordan, ground zero's lost, Echoes of despair, what a heavy cost, Homeless in the shadows, begging for a way, While the city's turning blind, letting good folks sway. Garbage on the streets, smell of rot and pain, Drug dealers flaunt their pride, it's a damn shame. Prostitutes in alleys, staring hollow and cold, While the council’s counting dollars, our city's sold. [Chorus] Hey, mayor, where’s the care? Discos and laughter while the streets lay bare, Ignoring the cries of the lost and the weak, St. Catharines, is this all you seek? [Verse 2] Seniors locking doors, they can’t feel secure, When the pushers roam free, it’s a life to endure. The system’s broken, it’s a vicious play, Taxes keep rising, but help’s far away. City council’s a joke, just a money machine, While the streets scream out for a clean-up routine. Potholes and trash, the landscape’s a mess, This beautiful town becoming a place of distress. [Chorus] Hey, mayor, where’s the care? Discos and laughter while the streets lay bare, Ignoring the cries of the lost and the weak, St. Catharines, is this all you seek? [Bridge] Wake up, St. Catharines, it’s time to rise, Underneath the grime, there’s truth in the lies. What is this place we now call our home? A shelter for drugs, no one’s safe to roam. Screams in the night, they drown out the songs, The city’s facade, it’s been going on too long. [Verse 3] Drugs, deals, and pain, it’s the name of the game, But the council just stands, ain’t that a real shame? Tired of the talk, we need action now, Honest people fighting while the leaders take a bow. The heart of the city’s on the line, can’t you feel? A hard truth to face, but we gotta come real. This battle ain't over, we’ll take back our streets, St. Catharines will rise, we won’t admit defeat. [Chorus] Hey, mayor, where’s the care? Discos and laughter while the streets lay bare, Ignoring the cries of the lost and the weak, St. Catharines, is this all you seek? [Outro] So, listen up, St. Catharines, it’s time to engage, We’re fueled by the anger, let’s break from the cage. With voices united, we’ll make our stand clear, In the heart of the chaos, it’s our city we steer.

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