Our family spent Canada Day in Regina and as I watched an overcrowded Wascana Park enjoy things like free concerts, food vendors, and fireworks; I couldn't help but wonder if Yorkton could pull off something similar. Unfortunately, our city doesn't have a lake in the middle of it. But, we do have a nice green space south of Logan Crescent. I wonder if we couldn't utilize that for a Canada Day fireworks show and have Queen Street completely closed off.
Thinking out loud, but I wonder if we also couldn't utilize what is quickly becoming a melting pot of cultures to draw in some tourism during the summer months by showing off some items specific to the Ukrainian, Philippine, English, Jamaican, Native, Â鶹ÊÓƵ African, and East Indian (I'm sure there are other nationalities) heritages. Would a downtown market work if we had something set up every Saturday during the months of July and August?
Heavy applause to the Yorkton City RCMP for acting quickly and making an arrest of a suspect in the murder of Jimmy Wiebe. I knew Jimmy as the first person I would see every morning when I worked at Fox FM. It would not be unusual for me to get my coffee from the Shell at 4:45 a.m. each day.
Jimmy was an easy guy to see at that hour. Who wouldn't be grumpy being awake at 4:45? Despite my apparent pippy nature on the radio, I would much rather be in bed. Jimmy had a way of allowing you to forget what time of day it was and you always left the store feeling pretty good. Often the conversations were brief; but you didn't need to spend much time with him to know he was a good man. Further, the attendance at his funeral last week was proof that he impacted many lives in our city. May justice be served in this case.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders were roughed up by the Edmonton Eskimos on Sunday afternoon and they'll go from the frying pan into the fire this Saturday when they host the Montreal Alouettes. By no means am I sounding alarm bells; but an 0-and-2 start with both games at Mosaic Stadium would be a disastrous way to kick off the 2011 season. From my seat in Section 26, Row 9 on Sunday; I would say the team needs to work on a couple of things in particular: rushing the passer on defense, and protecting their own quarterback on offense. Sure, Darian Durant needs to keep better care of the ball; but I think he'll sort that out in short order. I also think the team could have been better prepared than what they showed on Sunday; but that's also a small correction. A more balanced attack on offense, fewer turnovers, and some resemblance of a pass rush should result in a win against the Als.
Dany Heatley has been traded again. Go figure. His not reporting to Edmonton a couple of years ago was such a blessing. Heatley has proven to be nothing more than a negative in the dressing room for the last three years, at least. He has 5 goals in his last 32 playoff games, which is unacceptable for someone who counts 7.5-million dollars against the salary cap. The baffling part of this equation to me is how do the Minnesota Wild figure things are going to be different with them? Or, maybe they don't and need to get themselves to the salary cap floor.
I was sad to learn of the passing of Dauphin native Steve Adamski over the weekend. Steve was heavily involved with the MJHL's Dauphin Kings for many, many years; although that had been scaled back in recent times. I lived in Dauphin for a year upon moving to the prairies back in the mid-1990s and I became friends with Steve almost immediately. Steve's connection with the Kings ended, roughly, about the same time I decided to leave broadcast media; so I hadn't had a lot of contact with him in the last two or three years. May you rest in peace, Steve.
Nice person mentions this week: Tony Playter, Joe Greba, Melissa Kowbel, and Bonnie Penner.
