First on the agenda.
Estevan already has a song!
Last week I lamented, then suggested the Energy City required an anthem ... something we could sing and cling to with pride.
I was informed that in the early 1970s, Joan Gallaway penned and wrote the music to a song simply entitled Estevan. I'm getting some musician friends to play it and maybe sing it for me this week, but at this point I don't know if it's a swing, rhythm, blues, C & W or rock tune because I can't read music ... another one of my many non-talents.
The words (which I can deal with) speak of tiles and bricks though, so that would have to be updated, said Joan's mom Marguerite. Shirley Andrist said she recalled getting local school and other choirs prepared to sing it during special events in Estevan like the former military tattoos that used to be held in the Civic Auditorium featuring the ECS marching band, local cadets and invited military types.
So, if this is a decent tune, and I'm sure it is, and it has been properly arranged and won a local contest back then, maybe we should trot it out and revive/rework it for public consumption. Or build a new one.
Next. Did you know this is not only a special anniversary for our Queen Liz, it's also the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first hit song, Love Me Do. Yep, the Fab Four made their first big international splash 50 years ago.
This is also the 50th anniversary of the James Bond films. This string of hits began with Dr. No in 1962, and there are still no computer enhanced images in modern films that can yet surpass that iconic image of Ursula Andress emerging from the ocean and onto the beach armed only with a tiny bikini and one big holstered fishing weapon. One movie director attempted to reprise it a few years ago using Hallee Berry as the "vision." That was nice too, but Halle was no Ursula, and that's saying something. Watch the movie. I rest my case. OK, it's not as gripping as the Rosebud scene in Citizen Kane or the hill of beans and departure speech in Casablanca or the "Quite frankly my dear Scarlett, I don't give a damn," utterances ... but for action films ... I'll take Ursula circa 1962, and her fishing gear. I'm a simple man.
Let's get on to something important now.
If you're wondering how come Ontario Hydro is in such a dilemma these days and we're not ... even with a huge project underway at Boundary Dam ... this might be a clue.
Bruce Power announced recently they're ready to relaunch Unit 1 at their nuclear reactor facility near Tiverton after 15 years ... yep, that's not a misprint ... 15 years to redo this baby. They still have to redo Units 2-4. The original cost for "refurbishment" of these units, was to be a mere $4.8 billion. That's now $6 billion. Unit 2 should be ready later this year. Any bets? Its original restart date was three months ago.
So do we still wanna go nuclear? It seems costs for nuclear continually climb upwards, while the word is out that the cost for providing true clean coal will move downward in real terms as the industry gets better and better at building the components.
Oh, and by the way, Ontario also lost another $40 million because someone decided to move a gas-fired generating plant from Oakville to Napanee ... in mid-project.
Gee, do you think there was a little political interference at work there? Some analysts are suggesting the whole mess could cost $190 million before it's settled.
And here we thought Ontario was going through difficult financial times when it's obvious they have cash to burn ... quite literally.
