I attended the Regina Pats Sportsmans banquet last night at the Delta. Very nice night….always is. It’s been a tough year for the Pats. Once again missing the playoffs in the WHL. That’s tough to take for everyone involved in the organization. Especially when you see that the two top scorers in the league (not just the team) are Regina Pats. Jordan Eberle and Jordan Weal lead the entire league…and the Pats miss the playoffs. It’s just one of those years where no matter what you do, you just keep missing the mark. Every game you lace up those skates, you go out there to win. Sometimes it gets to the point where you’re almost over-trying to either score or NOT make a mistake, when everything around you collapses. It’s not fun.

The evening moved away from that ending. Edmonton Oiler President of Hockey Operations , Kevin Lowe said it best when he said Hockey (The Regina Pats) are much more than wins, losses and championships. Its what you are to your community. The Pats have been a key component in this community longer than any other team in Junior Hockey in Canada. The history is incredible. The names of all those who have gone on to a professional careers or have become community leaders i slegendary. Last night was more about what each of these players were able to take away from the game and make them integral parts of their future lives. Yes, there were the awards. I find awards as much negative as they are positive. They salute individuals for sigificant achievement during the year. Don’t get me wrong, they deserve them. What’s often missed is the contribution by everyone else to the team. It is after all a team game.

I remember my last year in junior hockey (MJHL). We won the North Division and lead the MJHL Championship series only to lose to AndyVan Hellemond (ex-NHL Referee). That was tough to take. What I do remember best was that this was a farewell to the team and junior hockey by a number of players. That was a very emotional time in my life. It happened again last night. The final hurrah for Matt Streuby, Brett Leffler and Mitch McColm. The time spent playing hockey at this level and all the aquaintances they’ve made over their time will always be there with them. The sad part is it’s the last time they lace them up with their fellow teammates.

Thanks Regina Pats for another exciting winter. Training camp is only 4 1/2 months away.

WELL ……..sort of! It amazes me how just ONE day can get your mind feeling spring-like. Saturday was a gorgeous day. It started out as we have for what seems like months, foggy. Then the sun came out and that feeling of spring was in the air. It makes you want to get outside and start getting your deck furniture out and doing stuff. Finally a little light comes on and says….”whoa little buddy, it’s only the first week of March”. There could still be some massive snow storms roll through the area. March is a very unpredictable month.

As the sun shone, we decided we’d take a quick trip to Moosejaw. I love that community. The drive out was pleasant, trees coated in heavy frost. It’s the kind of tree you see on a Christmas card without the lights. Lots of traffic, but it’s four lane. Pulling into Moosejaw, you could tell they’ve been experiencing some milder conditions than Regina. It seems more snow has melted and more of that brown grass was showing. Moosejaw was humming. The Minard’s RV Show and Sale was on at the exhibition grounds. Downtown, it looked like people were out shopping,  wearing only polo shirts in some cases. The Spa looked full of life. The Casino was hopping. The Big Box Stores were busy. Everywhere you looked, people were out hustling about enjoying the season and warmth of the sun. It really is a rebirth of sorts. People breaking free of their homes and heavy clothes and getting some fresh air.

I love spring more than any season. As a kid, I looked for every puddle or ice covered ditch to test the ice.  Spent a lot of time having to go back to the house to get all the wet gear off because I broke through. How many times did you hear your mother tell you, “stay off the ice and away from those puddles, you’ll get soaked”? Never listened!!  I built makeshift boats on a stick and string to float down those rushing waters.  Show me water and a ditch and I’ll show you a kid going  to check it out. Oh, summer is the ultimate, but spring gets me fired up for whats ahead. All we need now is more sun and less fog. Hopefully Mother Nature has that in her menu. Bring it on Mother nature.

The Olympics have quickly come and gone. Vancouver is now saddled with the massive task of clean up and putting all of their systems back in order. It was an Olympics to remember! From glitches to successes to sadness. If you were fortunate enough to be there, you were able to experience a once in a lifetime event. I doubt we’ll see an Olympic event in our country for many many years.

Saskatchewan too was at the Olympics. They think they won a gold medal by their presence. In fact, they claim the Saskatchewan Pavilion was one of the most popular sites by visitors. The Pavilion welcomed over 120,000 people during that 17 days (about 7000 a day). Is that good?? The Pavilion consisted of 2 buildings, a 6-storey video dome “Experience Centre” and a 7,500 square foot “Entertainment Centre”. Was the cost worth it…really?

I now would like to know where this dome goes. Is it going to be used around the province? Was it recycled? Looking at the list of entertainers that performed during the event, there were really only a couple that would make the grade for such an international event. Were some of the choices political? Lots of questions to be asked. Believe me, you’ll never get those answered. Was the line-up a fair representation of what Saskatchewan has to offer in terms of entertainment?

I’m proud of this Province and this city. I would never have made it my home for most of my life, if I though otherwise. I just hope that the investment wasn’t somewhat of a FREE ride for a lot of people to get to an event, like the Olympics, under the cover of promoting our province. Time will tell.

O Canada

Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Now, what is wrong with these lyrics? These were taken from a 1908 poem.

In yesterday’s throne speech there was a hint that the Federal Government might “gender-neutralize O Canada, specifically the line “in all thy sons command”. The change would make that line read,”thou dost in us command”. It absolutely makes NO sense to me. There has to someone , male or female, needed some attention time in the commons to prove they, in fact, are there. Our country is in far greater need of attention to life changing policies, not gender balance in an anthem.

In elemntary school, we sang O Canada every morning and God Save The Queen at the end of the day. In High School, we began our day, at attention, while O Canada was played over the schools intercom system. It almost sounds military! Our school had about 1000 students in it, due to consolidation. A lot has changed since those days. It’s supposed to be cultural progress. It’s time we got back to that pride. The Olympics was an example of how proud Canadians can be in their expression while listening to or singing the National Anthem.

To our well paid representatives in Ottawa, lets get back to running the country and dealing with some of the far important concerns of the nation.

Click on this link for the History of our National Anthem:http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/symbl/anthem-eng.cfm#a2

 O-Canada-eng

It’s that time of the year, as the snow starts to melt, that we see tons of paper, bottles, cans…garbage on the streets and highways. As I drove along the Ring Road today, I noticed the center median covered with chunks of carpet, plastic garbage bags, beer boxes, food wrappers. You name it, it was out there. It boggles my mind when I see the carelessness by those who are taking junk to the dump and don’t tie down or cover their loads. It’s people like you who make visitors say, WHY Love Regina…what a dump.

I drive to work just after 3 a.m. Each morning.  I see fast food bags with all their garbage just chucked out the window from those who howled over night. In fact, as I waited at a light by the Southland Mall heading west, a young female in a blue SUV, rolled down her window and threw out plastic wrap that may have been from a cigarette package or some other item. WHY?? Keep it in your vehicle until you get to either your place or a location that has a garbage collection receptacle and throw it out there.

Over the many years I’ve cruised, I was always amazed at my stops on the Islands where the locals just blatantly discarded whatever they were carrying in the street or the alley. It bothered me so much, I dreaded the thought of going back to those Island centers. That’s exactly what visitors to our city will do. I am going to step out on a limb and say a lot of this discarded garbage comes from young people riding around in cars and firing it out the window. I’ve seen it! Their motto appears to be,”let someone else worry about it, who cares”! Oh, I’ve seen other age demographs do this as well. I have made it a policy in our family to keep it in the vehicle until we stop at a proper place to dump it. It takes very little effort.

How would you like it if someone took a basket of papers, wrappers, bottles and half eaten food and dumped it on your lawn or sidewalk. Well, that’s what you did to this community. Time to wake up and become responsible. The environment you are polluting is the one that you and goodness help them, your children, will have to live in.

I’ve been around Regina long enough to watch it’s growing pains. My first stop in Regina was back in 1972 when I had the opportunity to spin one of the first Country records on the station. Regina was considered a very small city with few amenities compared to the much larger centers. My memories were of a dusty center that needed lots of development to create interest from the rest of Canada. I have always loved Regina for it’s size. You’re 15 minutes from everywhere. Having lived in much larger cities, this is something you really do get to appreciate.

Regina isn’t the same place we’ve grown to love and live. Regina and the province are on the verge of an explosion (controlled mind you). We’ve seen some dramatic changes in the last couple of years. It’s only just begun! The potential for the province and the city is huge. Growth is inevitable. Regina and Saskatchewan are positioned perfectly for major expansion. The future looks bright indeed.

The topic today, is whether or not to build at NEW Stadium/Entertainment complex. Lots of questions are being asked by all sectors. It’s a massive undertaking at considerable cost. However, this is part of the future growth, of not only our City, but the Province. These are the goals we will have to consider in order to stay competitive with the rest of the nation. It’s progress. Yes, it comes at a cost. But what doesn’t? The toughest part of all of this is change. Our province, in general, has been recognized for being extremely cautious for fear we may lose a lifestyle we pride ourselves in. Unfortunately, life and times change. I’m excited about the new developements. I agree with construction of the new Stadium/Entertainment complex. We have to look past our comfort zone of today to achieve what we will require in the future. I’ve walked the sidelines of Taylor Field (Mosaic Stadium) for 27 seasons. I’m proud to say, that’s the longest for a sideline reporter in Rider History. It’s been a great place to be win or lose. I love that place. But, my friends, it’s time to move on. Bring on the future.

Phewwwww! Don’t do this to my heart! Syd The Kid looked like your average hockey player through most of the tournament. In fact, the panel said if there was anyone who had to get on his horse and get going, it was Sydney Crosby. He did win one for Canada in the shootout, which shouldn’t even have happened. But, that was it.

There is something about these “special” players that surfaces when you least expect it. We saw that spectacular goal (goals) by Paul Henderson in the 72 series. We watched the combination of Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky win it for Canada in a similar spectacular fashion. We watch Regina Pat’s Jordan Eberle pull off the impossible as well. What is it that they have? Every kid dreams about it, but very few follow through.

I remember when I played Junior Hockey (when the earth was flat), we too had a kid just like that. Norm Cherry. Talented by unassuming in terms of his on ice contribution most of the time. Yet, just when the chips were down, this kid would be at the right place at the right time.

I will admit that I am NOT a Crosby fan. I think a lot of smoke is blown his way by media and scouts. But he was THE MAN for Canada that produced the Gold Medal. Often, way too much is made of a player like Crosby. It seems it’s a media right to produce a superstar on paper. There are so many highly skilled players that never get the hype, thus never get the opportunity to take it to the house. But you have to take advantage of those opportunities. Crosby did it and he gets my vote as Canada’s Super Star! Now if he were a LEAF….then maybe I’d jump up on the Crosby band wagon. That will never happen, unless he buys the team.  Save your money Syd.

Crosby made my Olympics!

Everyone now knows that the Team Canada Women’s Gold Medal Hockey Team celebrated the championship on the ice, in their gear, with medals, well after Canada Hockey Place was cleared of fans. They were photographed sipping on champagne, beer and smoking or holding cigars in their teeth. The American press made an issue of this. Hockey Canada and the team members quickly extended their regrets to the Olympic Committee for their exuberance.

WHY?????

I’m Not a smoker and have never been. I’m a social drinker and can probably count on both hands the number of drinks I have in a year. I have NO problem with a celebration of accomplishment, especially one of this magnitude, a GOLD MEDAL at the Olympics! Did you notice the CTV Network serving champagne in studio to other champions during their interviews. One family member was underage. At that point the parent directed her not to drink the champagne. Everyone is concerned about the image this may portray to the younger members of the television audience. It’s assumed that for whatever reason, this is being condoned as part of success in sports and shouldn’t be. I say, “get a life”! This one simple expression of celebration is not unlike any other in family homes anywhere in the world. They hurt no one, including themselves. This wasn’t a kegger party; or an illegal drug smoke-in. This was a very special moment celebrating a once in a life time accomplishment by some very special athletes who gave their country one of the biggest highs we’ve had to celebrate for athletic accomplishment.

If the IOC has an issue with this one, they had better take a look at items of far greater importance in how they manage their affairs, like the outrageous fees and costs of hosting these events. Someone is getting VERY rich on these events.

All I can say is GO CANADA GO! I am so proud of your accomplishment! C E L E B R A T E!!!

It’s that time of year when everyone goes into panic mode trying to find some extra pennies to invest in an RRSP to save some of your hard earned taxed money.  68 per cent of Canadians have a Registered Retirement Saving Plan (RRSP), that leaves nearly one-third of Canadian without. Some non-RRSPers choose to plan for retirement in other ways (primarily through employer-sponsored pensions) and others are financially savvy types managing their investments using other vehicles. Whether you’re financially savvy or not – but especially if you’re not – RRSPs are a fantastic way to save for retirement. Think of an RRSP account as a lockbox for your savings, only better.

Here’s why.

• Contributions are tax deductable, bringing down your gross income for income tax purposes.

• Your RRSP is a tax shelter. You don’t pay tax on your investment income (until it’s withdrawn), meaning the overall value grows much faster.

• You won’t be taxed on your RRSP until you make withdrawals, presumably during retirement. It will be taxed as income – most likely at a lower rate since you’ll be earning less then as compared to now, your peak earning years.
 

The younger you are, the less likely you are to make any contribution. You will have every excuse in the book a to why you CAN’T make a contribution to save you money in the long run. The mistake most people make is that you think you need to put down a big chunk of cash. You don’t!  The sooner you start, the better it will be in the long run. Even a small amount grows and saves you taxed dollars. Do you have a child with a part-time job? Your child can start creating RRSP room for the future by filing a tax return even if he or she does not earn enough to pay taxes. The excuse I hear is I’m barely making ends meet and have no extra money to put into an RRSP. I’ll bet dollars to donuts, if you took a careful accounting of the money you spent on impulse purchases, you’d have more than enough to make even a small contribution. But plan on doing a little something every month. Most of us usually wait to the last minute and plunk down a block of cash. If you did it monthly, there wouldn’t be the same strain or shock, plus it willbe making interest for you at the same time. Make that money work for you.

I’m not a financial advisor or someone who has a grasp on the investment industry. Take a moment and get some direction or find an investment advisor. I would ask everyone to consider getting an RRSP as soon as you can. You may think tomorrow is a LONG way away. Well, before you know it, tomorrow will be here and you will little to sustain those later years when you will not be earning an income. A little pain is definitely worth the long term gain. Deadline for contributions is midnight February 28th.

Why do we have laws? I looked up the definition just to make sure I really understood what “laws” really meant. Here’s what I came up with “In general, a rule of being or of conduct, established by an authority able to enforce its will; a controlling regulation; the mode or order according to which an agent or a power acts.” Pretty straight forward I think.  They’re established, in most cases, for our own good.  If we had none, we would have a society that did whatever they wanted, whenever and wherever they wanted.  If would be mayhem! Shear chaos!

It was interesting to note during the past couple of days while I traveled to look after some personal business, how many rules are broken on the road every moment.  Rules that were established to keep us from harm.  I watched drivers on the highway change lanes without signaling (there are people I know who say they NEVER signal on a four lane highway because everyone knows where you’re going anyway????? Well, its common courtesy and THE LAW!) ; drivers who were in a high speed lane, driving  up on your bumper as you were passing someone, forcing you to go faster still (even though you were at 125 km per hour); cell phone use in an automobile as they drove, changing lanes and turning, without signaling; making a right hand turn at a red light without stopping first and driving right into flowing traffic withjust a couple of car lengths between; driving through a pedestrian crossing when the lights were flashing; making a “U” turn at an intersection, that was clearly marked “NO U TURN”. That list could go on an on.  What makes these people tick?  It appears they can’t stand any regulation or were brought up in families that respected very little regulation.  The comment I’ve heard is that,” it’s my life and I won’t have anyone regulate what I “think” is right.”  That IS the problem…..they don’t think! These are the people who, in most cases, do everything excessively, without concern of the consequences for their immature behavior.

These were only traffic violations mind you.  I would think this is probably very similar to what their entire lives are like as well.  In the end they will hurt themselves or others and you and I, my friend, will be paying for this reckless behavior.  If you are someone who doesn’t like regulation, then move somewhere where society accepts your foolish behavior and lifestyle.  Our military is battling that type of  lawlessness today.  The unfortunate part of  all of this, is that they’re paying for it with their lives, so we can live in a society that’s designed to keep us safe. Laws are meant to protect and control. Have some respect!