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How Don Cherry spent the NHL lockout

What was Don Cherry doing while the NHL owners and players were feuding? Turns out he spent one memorable evening leading a tour of his hometown and the historical sites related to Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister. Macdonald and Cherry were both raised in Kingston, Ontario.
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PHILADELPHIA - JUNE 09: CBC sportscaster Don Cherry reports before Game Six of the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wachovia Center on June 9, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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PHILADELPHIA - JUNE 09: CBC sportscaster Don Cherry reports before Game Six of the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wachovia Center on June 9, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

KINGSTON, ONTARIO -- What was Don Cherry doing while the NHL owners and players were feuding?

Turns out he spent one memorable evening leading a tour of his hometown and the historical sites related to Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister. Macdonald and Cherry were both raised in Kingston, Ontario, which features a daily Sir John A. walking tour.

On Friday nights in the spring, summer and fall, actors join in, resurrecting Macdonald and other notable figures in history through entertaining vignettes. Celebrities often take part and in late summer, Cherry joined in.

Vacay.ca Managing Editor Adrian Brijbassi covered the event and spoke with the Coach's Corner host afterwards. Cherry correctly predicted the NHL lockout would last until January. He also chimed in on his thoughts on travel, which he regards about as highly as European defencemen and navy blue suits. Best of all, though, was Cherry's rendition of his public school song, which he sang on camera for Vacay.ca. You can see the video here.

Here's an excerpt of the article:

"Although he is a gruff commentator, Cherry showed genuine sweetness during the tour. He played along with the performers when they joked at his expense and was congenial with tour patrons, answering questions, signing autographs and posing for pictures. He had on a a dapper suit, as usual, but also wore running shoes so he could be comfortable on the 90-minute tour. Often cited as one of the most prominent Canadians past or present, Cherry was stunningly down to earth for a celebrity of his stature.

'Pretty much every one of those lines and stories he had today was totally off the cuff. He would come up to me and say, I got a story about that, and then he'd talk,' says Arthur Milnes, who runs the tours. 'It was all unscripted. Talk about a total professional.'"

Also, read more about the Sir John A. Macdonald Walking Tour, which Vacay.ca named the nation's No. 1 tour for 2012.

Click here to see Vacay.ca on Huffington Post Canada.

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