I'm often asked if I have any more information about the Dairy Queen situation on Broadway Street, and after a brief discussion with Mark Butchko over the weekend, I can tell you that construction is slated to begin within two weeks of the tender being awarded, which is April 6th. Butchko expects the store to be open within six to seven months from when the first shovel goes into the ground.
Meanwhile, there are two other restaurants that are expected to make Yorkton home in the near future. One that has had contracts signed is for a Mr. Mike's Steakhouse and Bar franchise, which will be located in a highly visible area of the city. The exact location is one I cannot reveal at the moment, but you can expect signs to go up advertising the future spot very shortly. Mr. Mike's is a franchise very prevalent in British Columbia and certain parts of western Alberta. From talking to one of the six investors, I am forming my own opinion that Mr. Mike's will fall somewhere between a Montana's and a Keg. The investors are very excited about this venture and will start advertising in local media almost immediately, so be watching this newspaper in future weeks for a nice big ad. This restaurant should be a welcomed addition in Yorkton and the market is certainly big enough that there should be room for the existing eateries and maybe a couple more.
Upon telling a few friends about the Mr. Mike's venture, I was directed to the Smokin' Okies website on Friday night. There is a franchise page where it, plainly, states that they are expanding into Yorkton. Aside from that, I have no other information on this one.
The tsunami that occured in Japan last week is devastating. It's effect will be more than the 9-11 tragedy and more than Hurricane Katrina. As of Sunday night, the death toll is probably going to be so high that you can take the entire city of Yorkton and wipe it off the map. Think about that. In a split second, you and everyone you know in your city could have been dead as a result of a natural catastrophe. All of a sudden, the July 1, 2010 flood doesn't seem so bad and neither does the -40 temperatures we endure from time to time.
The National Hockey League is under fire from fans, sponsors, and media people for its blind eye on violence. It's interesting to note, however, that NHLPA official Mathieu Schneider says a recent survey of players indicates they don't think the game is any more violent today than it was half a dozen years ago. To that end, I say watch with viewer discretion and if these guys wish to kill themselves then so be it.
I had to laugh at the notion Air Canada and Via Rail have a social conscience when it comes to their sponsorship dollars as both have, openly, called out the NHL to take a more hard line stance on violence. Of course, both of these companies are based in Quebec and have specific ties to the Montreal Canadiens. Had Max Pacioretty been a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, I don't think we would have heard from those model corporate citizens.
I haven't heard from any SJHL fans lately, who claimed the Yorkton Terriers weren't built for the playoffs. Of course, the Terriers dusted off the Estevan Bruins in four straight games and will play the Kindersley Klippers for the right to move on to the Credit Union Cup finals. I thought Estevan would put up more of a fight, but they just didn't have the character. There's a lot of work to be done there before we see them in the upper echelon again. Meanwhile, it looks like Devin Peters is back and maybe there will be enough time for Blaine Tendler to get ready. If that's the case, I'm picking the Terriers to beat the Klippers, who maybe should be favored based on a superior record from the middle of December until now.
Nice person mentions this week to Jamie Fiesel (again), Darcy Gettel, John Axford, Jonathan Robert, and Sarah Auckland.
