Stevie Wonder, that Harper boy, declared not too long ago ... probably during Stampede week, that he figured Calgary was the best city in Canada.
Why he said that, I do not know because usually our PM is overly cautious with what he speaks. There is no Don Cheery Cherry in Stevie. The PMO has pretty well muzzled all of Canada's ministries and agencies. The PMO has the spokespersons and when they speak, they do so with paranoia.
Then along comes this statement and by gosh and by golly, Stevie wasn't even out campaigning in Calgary and besides, he has that city and that province pretty well sewn up ... so why did he choose to aggravate those people in Hamilton, which is really Canada's best city? What about Regina, Saskatoon or Vancouver? Ottawa doesn't count because it has an unfair advantage of being Canada's spoiled child.
So after Stevie made his utterance, reporters in the legislative pool in Saskatchewan, feeling that it was a slow news day, asked Premier Wall what he considered to be this province's best city or town?
Unlike Stevie, Bradley stuck to the politically correct, which he really didn't have to do, since he too has the province sewn up. Heck, even if he hadn't said Estevan, we'd still probably vote his way anyway. It's pretty difficult to insult us here in the Energy City. We've had so much of it over the years, we're kinda used to it.
I mean what the heck, if Bradley had gone with Swift Current as best city, nobody would have even winced or flinched. Even though it's untrue, who would really care? He's a politician for crumb's sake, it's his home constituency, we expect the mis-speak and untruth. That's what they do for a living! As one pundit noted, only two types of people get to lie and still keep their jobs and those are politicians and weather forecasters.
So what is your opinion, dear diary?
OK, be honest. You can't vote for the town in which you were born or raised and you can't vote for the city or town you currently reside in. What then, would be your choice?
We've fielded a few letters to the editor lately wherein it's noted the authors certainly wouldn't be voting for Estevan, but we wonder who they'd vote for as an alternative?
I lived in Prince Albert for less than a year and found it to be rather interesting. Nicest? Probably not.
I've spent some good times in Yorkton in the past. Never lived there, but had a pailful of relatives there at one time or another. I liked the place but only because of the people I knew there ... but then, of course, that's why we like any place we visit. It's the people stupid!
Scenery, paved roads, art centres, arenas, restaurants, good water, police and fire protection, parks and ball diamonds and theatres are all good and vital features to have in a community of your choice.
But when you boil it down to the essence, it's the people within that community that make it a community that you might choose as the best in the province.
I've met some great people from towns I've never visited. Just listening to them I've decided I'd love to see their town because they're just so positive about it and the other people within it. But alas, time and geography limit us. I'm ashamed to admit I've never set foot in Cypress Hills, unless a night in Maple Creek counts. Assiniboia remains a mystery to me as does Lac La Ronge. Never seen it, but would love to visit ... but when? I paid a visit to Saltcoats two years ago, the town where my mother was born and where my aunt is now buried and marvelled at its beauty and yet with all those visits to Yorkton ... just down the road, I had never ventured there. Shame on me.
I am certain we all have these regrets, these feelings that we're missing out on something special about Saskatchewan and its towns and people, just because we've never visited them. So I've hit Vancouver, Jasper, Banff, Ottawa, Laurentians but never set foot in Assiniboia and there is something wrong about that. Not that Assiniboia is wonderful. It may well not be, but it's hard to talk about best ever of anything if you've never been there, whether it's sky-diving, bungee diving, SCUBA diving or simply paying a visit to a neighbour. By the way, I've been to Weyburn. It doesn't win. Just in case you're wondering.
