Photo Courtesy of Roy Antal – Leader Post

The 2010 edition of the Craven Country Jamboree in underway. I just wanted to give you a bit of an inside as to how we get ready for our morning run LIVE from the Craven Country Jamboree.

Jamie and I start our morning at about 2:15. RIGHT…2:15.!!! I know it’s nuts, but that is the life in this business.  So the next time you complain about missing you coffee break, give us a call. Stop at Tims, get a coffee and to the studio. Now you might think,” what the heck would you do at the studio from that time until you go on the air”? Prepare! It’s called show prep. You go through everything from news, weather, sports, entertainment…just getting all the pieces you need to go to air. Then it’s off to the broadcast site, the Village RV Broadcast Center sponsored by our good friends at Prairie Mobile. This morning we expected to see more clear sky. However, the clouds opened up one more time with a torrential downpour, turning the track that runs behind the stage and all the Craven site property into a slippery mess. This has been a year of years when it comes to precipitation. I have seen nothing like it in my lifetime in Saskatchewan. The drive out was almost eerie. There was a close fog hugging the ground all the way into the valley. You felt like you could in London. Humidity was at 98%. I remember that as a common occurence in my home town of Selkirk, Manitoba, but that was because we lived right at the mouth of Lake Winnipeg. It’s always like that there. BUT Saskatchewan…not likely.

As we got set to hit the airwaves at 5:30 we had some technical glitches to clear up. That’s standard fare when broadcasting out of studio from areas not designed for this activity. I have to thank our tech Ian for his patience in making sure we were on line and on air. Finally at about 8:23 a.m. we lost full power in the entire area near our broadcast site. An electrician on the grounds pulled a major breaker, thinking it was to be the one they needed to work on. NOT!!! Thank goodness we were just about to hand the program off to Roger Currie and his Curries Corner. The electricians put everything back in order just in time for The Flea Market. All ended well.

I took my annual venture down Craven’s main street talking to many campers who had been there since Sunday. Jamie and I ran into Jimmy Baiton, that hardest working concessionair at the Jamboree. He has about six food venues on site. He’s the only guy I know who works in gusts from 100 to 200 miles per hour evryday. Where does he get that energy! What a guy. Then I ran into some old friends of mine from Ituna. Mike Spillchuck. The family has set up the longest mobile catering truck and trailer on the prairies, with the most state of the art cooking equipment you could find. His son Sheldon and his wife Shelley, both chefs by trade, decided to give Craven a cold run. This 53 foot monster kitchen on wheels can cater to major functions of 1500 or more anywhere you want. There is NOTHING like it around. But they have set up on the grounds to serve fast food, fast. Try ‘em. By the way, Sheldon is also a butcher and creates his own meat products.

I headed back to the studios near noon and saw the most familiar sight you see every year at Craven….the long, long, long line of campers and Jamboree goers, that snaked from the entry gate to Kenny’s Snack Shack at the turn off to Craven off Hwy. 11. RCMP were in full force, already writing tickets for some misguided individuals. What would Craven Country Jamboree be without that traffic line-up.

Well tomorrow morning is almost here. We’ll update you on day two. Happy Jamboree everyone.

Well its the Craven Country Jamboree. It’s also the site of the largest collection of RVs in one area in the country…at least Saskatchewan. It’s a site like you have never seen, unless you’ve been there. There will be every possible type of camping paraphernalia. From makeshift tents to the most luxurious Motorhomes. Then there are the stars buses. They are worth millions. It’s all what you want to be comfortable in.

Our family started tenting, then we went to a tent trailer, eventually graduating to a travel trailer and now a fifth wheel. I love camping…in an RV.  These are homes away from home. I especially like a camping environment where there is lots of scenery and peace and quiet. So, Craven isn’t really my camping cup of Tea. But now, that’s me. For those who go to Craven for the Jamboree, they want the luxury of staying right at the site with their friends and going back and forth to the entertainment. The RV is the safe haven for a little R and R. Its like going home.  You lack nothing in these units.  Television, microwave, TV, fireplaces, fridges, stoves, furnaces…you name it…they have it.  many carry generators for the extra source of power to run air conditioners.

Conditions in Craven this year are a bit challenging getting your units in and out in the wet conditions. I remember when we first started the Big Valley Jamboree, as it was called then, out first year was a quagmire of mud. We dug drainage ditches, slogged through water and mud, parked vehicles, took tickets, mc’d…you name it. It was a challenge. But it was a fun event. To see what the Jamboree has developed into since is truly amazing. So to all those camping in your RVs at Craven..have the time of your life. It’s an experience you will tell fellow campers around a campfire somewhere on how you survived the Craven Country Jamboree in your RV.

We’ll talk to you from Craven on 620 CKRM!

Took our first pilgramage out to Regina Beach and Butler’s Fish and Chips Friday. We usually do this once or twice a season. We always head to the marina with our treat and watch the classic show of launching and loading boats at the boat launch. That is a show in itself. You can clearly tell the experienced mariners. They can back up a boat on a trailer, unload it and park their unit in minutes. Then there are those who have no idea what is required to make that boat trailer do what it’s supposed to when they turn the wheel . When they finally get into some sort of launch position, what happens next can be an absolute adventure. I’ve seen people trying to launch a boat with the trailer tires barely touching the water. Impossible! Then there are those who back in too far and then the wet tire on whatever they’re driving can’t get enough traction to pull them up the ramp. Or the guy who launched the boat but forgot to tell his partner to hang on to the rope and let the boat just float away with nobody in it. YIKES!! Once launched, there are the ones with the beautiful boats, who after getting out on the lake realize,”I forgot to put the plug in”! That’s why the water was starting to fill in the space where your feet are supposed to be. The stories go on and on. Reloading the boats is yet another sight to behold. You see everything from the over experienced, impatient mariner to the rookie who is crossing his/her fingers hoping this is just going to happen. Then its the name calling, finger pointing, cursing….the list goes on and on. It is truly a show. NOT very pretty…but a show.

That night I watch six very young (and slightly intoxicated) people do some very dangerous things. A group of four decided to drive their car forward down the ramp and slam on trheir brakes,skidding towards the water. There were people loading and unloading boats at that time. They were loud, abusive and agressive; being real jerks. I was surprised there was no confrontation from others. I’m certain these guys were plying themselves with anti-freeze for quite some time that day and couldn’t care what anyone said or did.  It was all about them.

One of the most disturbing things we watched that evening were moms, dads, young and old, with children and grand children getting into those boats and none were wearing life jackets. They sat on them??? I was a Regina Beach a number of years ago at a Rider Fan fishing derby and helped pull two bodies out of the water near the marina. I’ll will NEVER forget that day for the rest of my life. Their story may be a little different, but the result could very quickly be the same. Wear your life jacket and save your life.  Have fun this summer!

We are just days away from the BIGGEST Country Music Festival in Canada, The Craven Country Jamboree. As Craven wraps up each year, fans have been given an opportunity to purchase a limited number of tickets for the next event. I think last year they had 2010 tickets up for grabs as an early, early bird by. They’re always snapped up in a second. Then through the year tickets sell at a reduced price until a certain date and increase as we get closer to the event. Good marketing! What happens is fans buy tickets not knowing if they’ll be able to attend, but buy them anyway. It’s very difficult to know what tomorrow brings, let alone a year. And every year, the good ole Flea Market gets inundated with calls from fans wanting to sell their tickets for various reasons. So bet it!

This event is in such demand, the phones are ringing ( or beeping) while people are on the air with us. The show is a sellout! Once again, I have to hand it to Troy Vollhoffer and his staff Brian, Kim, Ken and partners for redesigning this Country Jamboree into one of the hottest attractions in North America. They know about this event everywhere. The stars know about it and what a FIRST CLASS event this is to be invoved in. They want in!

I first met Troy in his early hockey years in Regina. He only played a couple of games for The Pats, was traded to Winnipeg, then New Westminster and final where he made it count in Saskatoon with the Blades. He signed with Pittsburgh Penguins then to Montreal, but spent most of his hockey years in the AHL, IHL and ECHL. But his family roots in the entertainment industry was where his heart was. I knew Troys father Harold from many events in Regina at the Center of The Arts. Wherever there were sound and light requirements, there was Harold. And more than likely, there was Troy (somewhere). This was a family passion for the world of entertainment. Troy’s last stop in Nashville while  in the ECHL obviously impressioned him. That’s now home base for Troy’s company Premier Global Productions. It has become the class of the industry and a multi million dollar enterprise. All of this from a little kid who dreamed like every kid and wanted to be a big league hockey player. We tip our hats to that forward thinking and for not forgetting his roots. The Jamboree is what it is today because of it….a major succes. Thanks Troy! You’re the man.

This, so far, has been a summer to remember in Saskatchewan. Not in my lifetime, or for that matter, many other’s lifetimes, have we seen this type of destruction or damage caused by weather. We live in a climate that brings us extremes of cold and snow in winter and hot and dry or wet in summer. But these explosions of destruction this last while are disturbing. To think that in an almost a desert area of Saskatchewan, the Trans Canada Highway can be washed away near Maple Creek. That’s major impact. Water levels from rain storms that baffle the mind. Then there was Saskatoon, then Yorkton, now that force three Tornado to touch down on farm land and the Kawacatoose Reserve near Raymore. Regina has had it’s share of destruction over many years as well.
Two funnel clouds touched down at Regina on June 30th, 1912 at 4:45 pm. The tornado started 11 miles (18 kilometers) south of Regina and created a path of destruction northward in the affluent residential area between Wascana Lake and Victoria Avenue and the business district downtown. Within the city, the tornado continued for an additional 7 ½ miles (12 kilometers) and it lasted three minutes.

The tornado was rated as a F4 on the Fujita Scale and the criteria for this rating is:

•Sustained wind speeds 207 – 260 mph (333 – 418 km/hr)
•Well constructed homes can be leveled
•Buildings with weak foundations can be blown some distance
•Cars may be thrown
•Large objects can become missiles
There were 28 deaths and 2500 people were left homeless. Approximately 500 buildings were destroyed or damaged. The property damage was over $1.2 million and that was based on costs in 1912. In the downtown area, the path of destruction was 12 city blocks long and 3 blocks wide.

(Houses Damaged by Regina Cyclone – Regina Cyclone City of Regina Archives)

The deadliest tornado in Canadian history, the Regina Cyclone of June 30, 1912, does not even rank in the top 25 when compared to American tornado fatalities. Urban centres are not immune from the threat of severe Tornadoes. Seven medium to large size Canadian cities were hit by significant strength tornadoes (F3 or higher) during the 20th century which caused large-scale damage and fatalities, in Regina (1912), Windsor twice (1946 and 1974), Sarnia (1953), Sudbury (1970), Woodstock (1979), Barrie (1985), and in Edmonton (1987).

On average, there are on average 80 confirmed and many more unconfirmed tornadoes that touch down in Canada each year, most are rated between F0 to F2 in damage intensity level and usually result cause minor structural damage to barns, wood fences, roof shingles, chimneys, down small power lines and uproot or snap tree limbs. Less than 5% of Tornadoes in Canada are rated F3 or higher in intensity, where windspeeds are in excess of 250 km/h. Of the provinces, Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan average the most tornadoes or close to 15 per season followed by Quebec with less than 10. All other province and territories have significantly less threat from Tornadoes. The peak season in Canada is in the summer months when clashing airmasses move north, as opposed to the spring season in the US southern-central plains, although tornadoes in Canada have occurred in spring, fall and in the most rarest of cases, winter. The Fujita scale was invented in 1971 by Ted Fujita of Chicago, Illinois. It was renamed the Enhanced Fujita Scale on February 1, 2007.

You never worry about events like this, thinking they will always happen somewhere else. Well, somewhere else just happens to be in our neighbourhood. Let’s hope Mother nature’s fury comes to an end soon.

WOW! What can you say about a Rider victory like the one on Canada Day. I will admit, when they were down three TDs, I wrote the afternoon off as a season learning experience. Me, of little faith!!!??? Then someone turned the light on and “voila” a huge turn around and victory. Even if there was an extra man penalty. What is with that? I’m sure coach Miller and his staff will get that corrected once and for all.

Now, once the game ended, the fans hung in to absord every ounce of that victory. Very few of the sell-out crowd was in any rush to get anywhere. Departure from Mosaic Stadium was complicated by a major accident at Albert Street and Saskatchewan Drive. That area was shut down entirely for quite some time prior to the end of the game. That’s where my BLOG story really begins.

I’ve been around Taylor Field (Mosaic Stadium) for a long time. For 28 seasons I have had the pleasure of broadcasting from the sidelines and in the locker room after the game. Our post-game show lasts from1/2 to 3/4 of an hour before we go to the Touchdown Club. So I don’t leave the stadium for almost an hour after the game ends. You always get to see all kinds of revelry and mayhem on your drive home. But this game got me a little fired up. Most people use common courtesy when leaving the stadium in their automobiles. They follow the common courtesy policy of allowing vehicles into THE LINE as they go. You let one in and move ahead….and so on and so on., To my amazement, I watched an automobile take the lane that runs north and south on the west side of the stadium and then go against the traffic flow south to try and get out of the congestion. That driver only realized he was going to get no further that way. By that time he travelled far enough south that he had to turn around and join the rest of THE LINE headed towards the intersection by the Lawon. I’ll call this persona BULLY because he decided he was above THE LINE and drove west, along THE LINE, against on coming traffic, hoping he could make his way to the Lawson intersection to be allowed a left turn. NOT!!! As would be expected, a person in THE LINE saw what a mess this person was going to make, an allowed him to crawl into THE LINE.  The BULLY actually forced the hand of the driver in THE LINE. As he got to the corner, he was determined to make a left turn at the Lawson intersection (by the Armoury). Well, for past few years, the City Police don’t let you make that left turn. All traffic must head north to Dewdney, then west to Lewvan or east to Albert and away you go. This person was so determined to make that turn (signal light on and all) that he rolled down his window to challenge the officer. Diplomatically, the officer motioned him to go north on Elphinstine. In that north bound LINE, this erratic thinking driver feels he can’t wait in this line, and decides to move to the right hand lane because there are fewer vehicles in it….only to realize down the way….resident park on the right hand lane on Elphinstone. So, now THE BULLY has to make everyone in THE LINE allow him back in.

Its just frustrating to watch someone with that attitude. In the end, we wound up at the same intersection one vehicle apart. These are the types of characters who should use public transit. They are more than likely the cause of many fender benders because of their aggression. But, more importantly, they probably treat everyone aroud them with that same BULLY attitude. Show a little common courtesy and relax. We will all get home just fine.

As for the Rider win……..WOW!!!!!

Well this is it….summer’s big blast weekend. Canada Day. It falls on Thursday this year. However, it’s interesting that many many employees will extend this into an extra long weekend, taking Thursday, Friday , Saturday and Sunday. There seems to be different rules for different employees in companies. Some staff have no problem in taking the extra time without any argument from the leader. While others are almost expected to cover everything…and don’t ask!!

Kinda like this business. It’s virtually all hands on deck for Canada Day. We have a football broadcast and on air shifts to cover. Friday, we still have shifts to cover. We run thin…real thin. I’m going to say this about the ON AIR staff at 620 CKRM. They are the most dependable group I have ever worked with. They have to come to work ill; they’ve worked many consecutive weeks straight through (no days off) because there are things we have to cover. 60 hour weeks are nothing new in this business (for some). If this were any other business, the employee would be screaming “B___y Murder”! I know this is a different business than most. But you try to smile everyday when everything around you is collapsing. The last thing an audience wants to hear are your problems. You are there to boost the moral. MORAL…now that’s another story. you have to love what you do!

I want to wish everyone a very happy Canada Day. Take the time and spend it with your family and friends.  Wascana Park will be a Bee Hive of activity as will many communities in the province. You owe it to yourself to let the air out.

We will be there too…on the air…enjoying a broadcasting Canada Day. Happy 143rd Birthday Canada!

Jessica Moskaluke

This past saturday night 620 CKRM hosted the annual Big Country Talent Review. This was our 33rd Annual competition.  Nearly a full house was on hand to watch some of the hottest young Saskatchewan Country Stars of the future featuring the 2010 Champion Jessica Moskaluke of Langenburg . What a show it was.

I want to thank Casino Regina for once again allowing us the opportunity to host a show like this. When a young entertainer has the opportunity to perform on a professional stage, with professional technicians and studio musicians, it’s an experience never to be forgotten. Each year I remind our young stars of what this means on their resume. The ONLY time you’ll usually ever get a chance to be center stage in a venue like this, you will have to have accomplished something very special in your musical career. This was a taste of what it could be like if you work hard enough to make it happen.

The entertainment business is a tough grind. So many things factor into your success or failure. All the stars have to line up. You have to have the right material that must of commercial value. You have to have the solid financial backing, marketing, promotion and be around those connected enough to take notice of your ability. There is also a political side to the entire process. It’s something I am NOT very impressed with. It seems you have to know someone who knows someone who knows somone to even get a chance. This is no different that the lottery. You should make it on your ability as a performer.  Lots of schoozing goes on behind the scenes.  It’s not pretty.

For 2010 edition of our Big Country Talent Review this was a small sampling of what it could be like should you make it. Believe me, we have some outstanding talent in Saskatchewan. For 33 years we’ve proven, beyond a doubt, that our province produces some of the very best in our country.

I want to thank all those who came out to support this event. Proceeds go to the 620 CKRM Good Neighbour Fund. This Charity goes about helping those that have exhausted every avenue for financial support to make their lives better. Each request is held in strict confidence due to the nature of the situation. That’s why you rarely hear about what the charity does. Believe me, it is well known in out community for what it has accomplished in support of those in need.

Next stop for our Talent Review is the Craven Country Jamboree on Sunday at 1 p.m. For those fortunate enough to have a ticket to the event come and have a look at the next generation of Country Star. This is where it all begins. Perhaps one day, you’ll be paying the price to see one of these young talents as a headliner on a major stage.

The 126 edition of the Moosejaw Hometown Fair is here. The Moose Jaw Agricultural Society was formed in the summer of 1884. Tonight is parade night. I will be there in our 620 CKRM COUNTRY CRUISER.

I look forward to this event. Moosejaw has been very kind to me during my career here at 620 CKRM. In fact, I had the good fortune of being the Honorary Parade Marshall during the Mayor Scoop Lewry rein. I’ve always loved Moosejaw. It’s a character community rich in history. The Tunnels alone take you back to a time and place when Moosejaw was a prominent location for some interesting activity.

Over the years I’ve had the good fortune to be on hand to launch “Mack The Moose”. Our King Kountry band played the gala dance celebration after the official unveiling. The excitement around that event was covered all over Canada. It put Moosejaw on the map with an icon of sorts. Now travelers come from all over to have their photos taken with this monsterous statue. Mack has had some issues over the years. The statue has been defaced and damaged by some small minded individuals. But it remains standing today as reminder of Moosejaw’s storied history.

I had the most exhilerating experience of my life when I flew with the Snowbirds. I had to go through the basic ejecter training session at the base. What was different about this flight is that we did not fly the full team formation but in pairs and then broke off into individual flight over Old Wives Lake, to Regina for some speed brake manouvers, to Assiniboia and back to Moosejaw. I had never felt G-Forces until that ride. Thank goodness my pilot realized my level of physical ability to withstand the lower end of the G-Force scale. Mind you, it was enough to turn on the 100% oxygen switch to stop me from losing lunch. It was also an opportunity to take hold of the controls of a Tutor Jet and keep it straight and level (I thought). Easier said than done. In  a Jet, you virtually just think the move, you don’t react like you would with a car. Speed multiplys the response to your action. When the horizon begns to spin, you’ve over compensated. “BURP”!!!!!!….breath deep Willy….breath!!!!!

I’ve spend many an on location in Moosejaw as well. Moosejaw is loaded with excellent businesses for shopping. The merchants are personable and those who come into the stores are treated like family. That’s the difference between small town Saskatchewan and major urban centers. It is family.

Moosejaw’s future looks very bright. The new Arena Recreation complex will give this community a huge boost in activity. They’re building for the future. The Spa draws attention from all over the world.

So, get your family together and head out to this year’s fair and enjoy summer. It’s a season that goes by far too quickly. Take advantage of it. See you at the fair!

Well, it happened today. A major power outage downtown Regina that affected a number of businesses, including ours. At approximately 9:30 a.m., as we were in Flea Market mode….boom…..the lights went out. Fortunately for our business we have back up generators and transmitters to make sure we don’t lose any time on air. You have to be set up like that for situations like today. We have an obligation to the listening public and to our advertisers that the message gets out.

Now with all of the computerization, not ALL areas of the operation survived the bump. Each work station is supposed to have back-up power sources for instances like this. For whatever reason, many failed. You are now at the mercy of the power company (Sask Power).
You never think about not having power until it’s not there. We live some fairly intricate lives when it comes to technology. It all depends on an energy source..power. When it goes down…now what? As a youngster, I can remember power being out in the country for long periods of time. We had our own back-up plan. We had wood/coal stoves for heat in winter and either battery or oil lamps…or even candles if they were needed. We could still go out and pump fresh water. Life could carry on. However, today everything depends on power. You could be locked out of your house with modern day electronic devices. All of your appliances won’t work. The list is endless. I remember when we were heading into the new millenium the concern was about major failures in all systems. Portable generator sales went through the roof. Fortunately none of that happened. Even campers in modern day RV’s have a full service environment that requires power. They have a battery option and many are buying generators. When it was the good old tent…you actually roughed it.

It was a huge sigh of relief when power was restored at the studio at approximately 11:30. The next days programming was on hold until all the servers and computers were functioning properly. Like Mr. Edison, it was nice to see the light!