Wee Jackie weighs in

You gotta love provincial politics.

We’ve just had one of the most interesting nomination campaigns in Banff-Cochrane history. Five candidates and all sorts of interest and it was won by Canmore mayor Ron Casey.

I don’t quibble with the choice but not releasing the vote results is just arrogant.

What the Tories are saying is we need your participation to make a decision but we’re not going to share the results.

So much for transparency.

But if Richard Nixon couldn’t keep Watergate a secret I doubt provincial political parties can either so here’s what I hear.

I hear Casey led by 19 votes after the first ballot count but it didn’t meet the 50 per cent plus one needed for victory so it went to second and third counts which saw Casey increase the margin comfortably.

Our mayor Truper McBride was second with John Fitzsimmons third followed by Rob Seeley and Jon Bjorgum.

Perhaps another reason the Tories don’t want to make results public is the system used was so complicated it would give a political scientist a headache.

First choice then second and third and many ballots only had first choice and so on but we should be grateful there wasn’t a blizzard Saturday or they might still be counting.

There were voting stations in Canmore, Banff, Bragg Creek and Cochrane then all the votes were transported to Cochrane for counting.

Another clever decision.

But the deed is done and Ron Casey is the Tory candidate for this riding and now perhaps the real challenge because the Wild Rose are knocking at the door.

Maybe now our mayor will have time to rectify the Humane Society problem.

Simple economics

Now a lesson in economics.

Last weekend saw a ringette tournament in town and at 8:30 Friday morning I met a woman from Leduc who was here because her daughter was playing in it.

She was about to check into her motel for two days and I thought — there’s 24 teams in this tournament with 16 from out of town. If each team averages 14 players that’s 224 kids in our town for the weekend. There must be at least 100 adults accompanying those kids and each would spend at least $200 on rooms, meals, etc.

That’s $44,800 and a huge economic hit for our town and we thank ringette for it.

The play’s the thing

The AGM for Cochrane Community Vision Theatre is 7 p.m., Feb. 15 in the provincial building when a new executive will be elected.

It’s great amateur theatre so get involved and have some fun. Call 403-688-2973 for more info.

Photographically Speaking

In today’s world of digital gadgets and technological toys, a person without a camera is about as common as a politician without a handshake.

But just because cameras are ubiquitous and easy to use does not mean everyone is instantly a “photographer” when they press the shutter.

A truly great image requires thought, skill and artistic vision. The good news is that you can improve the quality of your photographs and the power of your story-telling by learning to avoid some of the most common mistakes we make with our camera gear. In this new column, we will discuss how to improve your images without emptying your wallet.

First, more good news. There is no need for you to wander the Serengeti or swim with polar bears; creative, expressive photos are right under your nose. The key is to open your eyes to the possibilities around you.

We have a dog, Brando, which we walk three times a day. Invariably, our little point-and-shoot camera is slipped into our coat pocket so that, if we see something that strikes our visual fancy, we’ll snap a photo. Getting out three times a day puts us in situations where the light is beautiful, the story compelling or the mood inspiring.

There are two lessons here: first, as a certain popular shoe company once told us, “Just Do It!” We see many photographers who want to improve their skills but fail to make the time to do so. The more you get out, the better your chances of making an image that makes you happy. So take your camera for a walk and see what opportunities await you.

The second lesson is “the camera you have with you is better than the camera you left at home.” Without a camera, you’re not going to be sharing photos of that incredible scene you witnessed this morning: a Sasquatch riding a donkey by the Men of Vision statue. (Too bad, we’d love to have seen those shots.)

Even if your more expensive digital camera and lenses are collecting dust at home, your smartphone or point-and-shoot camera is probably with you. We are constantly amazed at the image quality of the latest batch of cameras and camera phones. So, there really is no excuse.

If you want to improve your photography, the first step is to get out shooting and remember to always carry a camera. Happy shooting.

Mist rising off the Bow River at -30C

Nakoda News

The reality of the truth cannot be found in a academic’s paper or a former executive’s column with decades of experience of working on reserves.

It’s silly to think that the words of a person who has spent his life studying Indians knows and can describe an environment better than one who is from that environment.

However; it seems in-order to discuss Indian issues you have to not be an Indian, held a position of being in charge of a reserve or similar, perhaps be a professor or a formerly elected official. Or you may have worked for one.

Universities are full of professors who are willing to sound off on the nightly news or offer up facts that are made into a book when what is needed is a book that is made up of the facts.

It is true that the last 50 years the chiefs of Canada have had control, feeble as it was it could have and in some cases it has been, improved; and the people are benefitting from that.

However, during the century before, with the legislation after legislation, bills after bills, directing, leading, and changing our lives — Canada had complete control.

There is a lot that could be done now if the people had the courage to act. However, the controllers, the Indian and Northern Affairs officials throughout its history never fostered that way of thinking and a country didn’t either. The institution that was created and then passed around like an unwanted child, has failed. And that is not the Indians fault — minus the last 50 years which is mostly our fault.

And it’s in the people where the answers await. Their words, their thoughts, that is what is missing from the meetings in the hotel conference halls. To get the people there to speak would mean the chiefs and councils would have to lead them there and then act on their words. Can the chiefs lead?

I’m an advocate for the simple rule of, if you work on the reserve you live on the reserve. That said, if you live on the reserve you should be expected to work.

Elders — call them Big Shots — the ones who come from the city to work here — normally white and normally big — they’re hired by the chiefs and hardly anyone knows them. And for this the people get to pay them large salaries and indirectly will fill an office full of gifts. That’s what will be left after all that effort of trying to convince a string of chiefs to do the right thing. Nice career, though, and congrats.

It’s sad because from the outside it really looks like change might take hold.

An educated guess is at best is it is a long shot because of the failure to recognize the governing system has failed and the inability to play the heavy hand in today’s public eye has left it without teeth. Yet that is what the people are used to; they cannot act because they have continually been acted upon and are waiting for that process. For the father of the east to come down and fix this. But alas, those days are over and we’re just waking up.

No professor will tell you that principle responsibility is the history of federal governments nor say that the people of Canada do not have a good grasp of what the truth is of the colonization process, the laws passed, and rights taken away. They will not tell you that this truth ought to be taught in schools nor will they say the Indians have more uniqueness to this land than do the French. Truth hurts.

What they will tell you is that the responsibilities of creating change is the Indians and it’s up to them to fix it. Meanwhile the vehicle to create that change is not running, doesn’t have windows, has no tires and is rust-ridden.

But don’t worry it’s covered, has seat belts, and there’s a new battery. Drive safe.

Coffee with Warren

“Bravo!” and “Well said!” were the opening words in several responses to last week’s column on forwarding mean-spirited emails.

It seems, like me, many of our coffee companions are just plain fed up with the fear- and hate-mongering defamatory email forwards that pollute our inboxes.

Some of our readers even offered suggestions on what to do with them.

“In this modern age of communication, lies and gossip make their way around the world before Truth can even get its feet on the ground,” former Cochrane business owner Ken Harder wrote.

Cochrane reader Bonnie Grant compared them to the demeaning office water-cooler humour that is no longer tolerated.

“For some time, what you refer to as ‘mean-spirited’ emails have been upsetting me,” she wrote. “Like you, I never forward them, and in fact, after reading the first line, I delete them. Unfortunately, they are often hidden under the guise of jokes or humour.”

But like the effective social pressure that has been brought against base water-cooler chatter, social pressure can be mounted against this kind of email chatter, too, she said.

Jim Hillson, pastor of St. Andrew’s United Church in Cochrane, agrees. “E-communication can become mean-spirited gossip.”

He noted how so many folks who leave malicious comments on media blogs cloak themselves in anonymity. “I think people who wish to participate in public discourse need to be identified so that we know who is saying what.”

From Armstrong, B.C., Margaret Crozier wrote: “Your column this week is so true and so needed by all emailers. Even if we do not send those kinds of emails ourselves, we certainly receive them often enough that your words are an encouragement to keep on checking things or, as you suggest, hit Delete.

“There is so much hate and anger in the world and for me to send more on to my email friends is just as you say: I become ‘a liar, a libeller and a slanderer.’ Have I ever been guilty of forwarding unchecked emails? Sadly, yes. But I have learned to be much more careful in checking and often send the results of my search to the ones who send the emails with the hope that they, too, will begin to be more discerning and not send stuff that is offensive in any way.”

Indeed, the very least we can do is hit Delete, wrote Calgary coffee companion Debbie Faulkner. Hitting Delete and not even responding may allow the recipient to fly high above the poisonous reputation-damaging hateful words.

“Flying higher means remaining silent rather than refuting the slander,” she said. “Silence somehow weakens the poison.”

Cochrane coffee companion Smokey Seidel sees the solution quite differently.

“I fear just hitting the Delete key on intolerant emails is not enough,” he wrote. “One has to bite the bullet and hit the Reply All key with a rebuttal. It is insufficient just to stop the spread of bigoted misinformation; one has to fight back against ignorance and intolerance.”

Because so much of the forwarded stuff is just a resurfacing of garbage that’s been circulating on the Internet for years, the Internet itself may contain the information needed for a good rebuttal, Smokey said, and often the rebuttal addresses the very email in question.

“These rebuttals need to be sent to both the sender and those on the copy list. In addition, make a request that they put the record straight and forward the rebuttal to the people from whom they received the email, as well as those to whom they forwarded it.”

Mean-spirited forwardings require “positive, not passive, action,” he said. “Rebuttal, not Delete.”

In our busy schedules, however, we don’t always have time to form a detailed rebuttal of our own. At such times, as Cochrane reader Sue Parnell suggested in her note, we can Reply All and provide the URLs (Internet addresses) for the correct information.

“Thank goodness there are some of us not too hasty in pressing that Forward key,” she said.

And if we really don’t have the time to do even our own research on the truthfulness of a suspicious forward, we can at least do what Cochrane nurse Adele Dyall does.

“I used to check out the contents of some of these emails but they took too much of my time,” she wrote. “I now return them to the sender and ask them if they have checked out the validity of the email they are sending and advise them I do not forward anything that hasn’t been verified or is offensive.”

I’ll close for now with a bit of wisdom often attributed to the 18th century Irish philosopher Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

Fishing Tales

Some of the finest shops in town are along First Street and tucked in between is the Cochrane Cafe.

It is the closest thing to home cooking I can get and it is where I can find refuge from the bitter cold temperatures outside. Earlier, the DJ on my car radio told me that it is -29C with a high of -24C — not too promising.

The waitress asks me if I would like to see a menu knowing that I probably don’t need to because of my frequent visits. Soon she brings me a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup followed by golden fries and a crisp grilled cheese sandwich. When it gets cold like this I start to think of places I would rather be, preferably a couple secret fishing spots.

There will come a time in every fisherman’s life when they come across their own secret fishing hole. Maybe there are several of them in your back pocket.

It could be that high alpine lake filled with cherry-cheeked Yellowstone cutthroat trout, a beaver pond that you stumbled across while hiking along the Bow River, or it might be that little wooden shack you have hidden away on a frozen bay of Ghost Reservoir. Who knows? It is your favourite place to get away from it all and the worst thing that could happen is if someone else found out about it.

If someone does find out about it, usually it was a mistake on your part for telling someone you think is trustworthy and then they tell someone else.

I have been with a couple friends fishing and the first thing they will say is, “Hey Jake, do me a favour, don’t tell anyone about this place, it is really special.”

My first reaction is that this is going to be awesome fishing, and the next is that I better keep my lips sealed or I am going to lose a good fishing buddy. It is tempting to let a good friend know about a great spot to show how knowledgeable a fisherman you truly are, but there can be consequences.

One of the wildest tales I ever heard was from my oldest brother Jeff. Years ago my brother and his friend Tyler were guides on the lower Bow River, and they were taken on a fishing trip up the Forestry Trunk Road. The exception was that they both had to wear blind-folds so they would never recognize how to get there. The driver of the vehicle was sure to drive erratic enough to make things confusing.

To this day my brother cannot tell me where on earth the location is of that stream. Strange, but true.

There are people out there that would rather give you the pin number to their bank account than tell you where their honey hole is located.

If you really want to keep a spot “secret” it might be best not to tell your wife, your folks, or even your best friend. The only one you may rely on is your dog.

Cutthroat trout caught by Jake

Chicks who watch flicks

Hoping to be on the edge of our seats with an exciting flick this week, we took in Man on a Ledge at the Cochrane Movie House.

This movie stars Sam Worthington (Avatar) as Nick Cassidy, an escaped convict who is serving time for stealing an extremely valuable diamond from millionaire businessman David Englander, played by veteran actor Ed Harris (A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13).

Cassidy is also an ex-cop which adds to his tale of woe as he takes to the ledge of the Roosevelt Hotel in downtown New York to attempt to prove his innocence. What better way to get attention than to be teetering on the ledge outside a hotel in busy Manhattan?

Enter detective Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) a police psychologist who Cassidy specifically requests to negotiate with him while he is on the ledge threatening to end his life.

Mercer has her own issues to resolve and the two peas in a pod realize they have a lot in common as they continue to communicate on the ledge throughout the movie.

As you focus on Cassidy there are others assisting him from behind the frantic scene.

This movie had the potential to be good as the concept behind the story is solid.

However, with horrible casting and a veteran actor who fails to hit the mark, this movie was one hour and 42 minutes that we will never get back.

From events that were so unrealistic such as the annoying reporter Suzie Morales (Kyra Sedgwick) crossing through police lines formed by hundreds, to ‘get the story,’ to Cassidy’s brother’s girlfriend, Angie, played by Genesis Rodriguez who was not believable in her role and given the most cheesy lines in the film.

Banks did okay as the screwed up psychologist and we will give a pat on the back to actor Edward Burns who nailed his character, Jack Dougherty, and although his role was smaller it was stronger than the lead actors.

We were on the edge of our seats for the entire movie but it wasn’t due to the riveting story but rather because we wanted to leave our seats and exit the theatre.

We suggest picking another movie this week so that’s why we are giving this one a four out of 10.

History's Helpers

Rob Pfiefer, general manager and Randy Meikle, controller of Cochrane Dodge were good enough to sit down with me to review the history of the dealership.

In April Cochrane Dodge will celebrate 25 years of sales and service to our community. It has been a family operation from the beginning and part of Cochrane’s history today.

The late Bob Aylesworth and Larry McCook opened the dealership in 1987. Although the ownership has changed twice since then, Bob stayed to work in sales until his retirement. Larry is the owner of Airdrie Chrysler. Its original location was in the old curling rink on Main Street. They have been at their current site at 533 Railway Street for 23 years.

Alex Baum purchased the business from Aylesworth in the early 1990s; after many years of business success he sold it to the Ulmer Auto Group in September 2010.

The Ulmer Auto Group is owned by brothers Doug and Ross Ulmer, who own 14 dealerships in smaller towns in the province. Doug’s youngest son, Jeff works in the service department in Cochrane.

Family has always been part of the business at Cochrane Dodge. Meikle has work-ed there for 15 years and said “all three of my daughters have had summer jobs here”.

He added: “Most dealerships have gone super big, the mega-stores. We remain small, caring about the community and the people.”

The dealership is involved in sponsoring a wide range of clubs and organizations: Cochrane Lions Club Rodeo, The Boys and Girls Club, Cochrane ringette, Canadian Cowboy Challenge, Wild West Willie, Spray Lake Family Sports Centre, Devils Head Mountain Rodeo Team, Kimmett Memorial Hockey Tournament, Cochrane curling, the drama club, Youth Music Talent and the Labour Day parade.

“We’ve maintained a robust presence in the community. We just had the pleasure of donating a $2,000 cheque to the Cochrane Activettes in support of their food hamper program. It needed replenishing after Christmas,” said Pfiefer.

Pfeifer was hired as general manager Sept. 1, 2010. Previously he worked for Stampede Pontiac GMC in downtown Calgary for 23 years.

“That dealership was dissolved as part of the General Motors re-structure plan in 2009,” explained Pfiefer. “At that time 30-40 per cent of dealerships were dis-enfranchised.

“There is never a dull moment in the auto business” said Pfiefer. “There is always something new happening. Cochrane Dodge has purchased land on the south side of Cochrane on James Walker Trail, which was finalized last year. We should have a new dealership built by September 2013.”

Behind the Bench

The world of football remains in mourning after the recent loss of long-time Penn State coach Joe Paterno. He passed away at 85 after a brief battle with cancer, which was discovered after his brilliant career ended suddenly when he was fired in the middle of a scandal at the school.

When he left us he had won more games than any another other coach in the top division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the number being 408.

The five-time national coach of the year won a couple of national championships in his time, and his program produced more than 350 National Football League players – 32 of those were first-round picks.

A 14th-round pick in 1973 out of Penn State was Calgary Stampeder head coach and general manager John Hufnagel, who was taken by the Denver Broncos where he played for three seasons before joining the Stampeders to start what would be a 12-year playing career in Calgary, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg.

When I talked with “Huf” this week, I asked him to relate a story he’d told no one before, at least for public consumption.

He told me about getting somewhat embarrassed when, during the summer of his senior year, he got a letter from the school telling him what time he had to report for his annual physical before training camp began. Says “Huf”: “I opened the letter and noted the date and just assumed that, as in previous years, we would have the physical and then the team meeting the same night. So I spent a few days visiting my future wife, Penny, at her home and then headed for my physical at University Park, Pennsylvania. Arriving on a Saturday I couldn’t believe how many players were already on the street, but then one asked where I was the night before at the team meeting. I hadn’t read the second paragraph and figured I was in deep trouble with Coach Paterno. I talked with an assistant who suggested I call the head man. He said everything was OK and that they were worried because I hadn’t arrived on time. I was certainly relieved. That is until the next day and another team meeting. It turned out that a couple of college football magazines had featured me on the cover of recent issues. Coach Paterno started the meeting calmly but then, as his voice got louder and he produced the magazines, he said there are a lot of people in this room who are very responsible but there’s one who thinks he’s better than the rest, pointing directly at me. That was the last time I ever only read the first paragraph of a letter because he embarrassed me almost to tears but for one reason which was to make me more responsible.”

“Huf” says Paterno was “a great coach who challenged us all at all times with the hope that he would make us all mentally tough and make it easier on us during games.”

I can tell you that today John Hufnagel is the first to arrive at his McMahon Stadium office and expects each coach and player to pay attention to time. If you are not paying attention to time you are not paying attention to details and the Stampeder leader dwells on details. He learned from an expert in player management. That would be Joe Paterno or “JoePa” as he was known right to the end.

Incidentally, you probably noticed that the Stamps, and Hufnagel, released the club’s franchise rushing leader, Joffrey Reynolds, last week. It was a typical classy move by the club to allow Reynolds extra time to hook on with another Canadian Football League team for the upcoming season and, as I said before, he’ll probably be reuniting with former quarterback Henry Burris in Hamilton with the Tiger-Cats.

Today’s joke is about the teacher asking the class if anyone could spell straight. Little Johnny, and again he is the man in the spotlight, jumped up and said: “S T R A I G H T.” The teacher says that’s excellent, Johnny, but what does it mean? He says: “Without mix.” Later in the day she asks Johnny if he can count to 10. He says that’s easy and rattles it off in quick fashion. Then she says:”OK, Johnny, what’s after 10.” He calmly replies: “Jack, Queen, King.” You can’t fool little Johnny.

The natural law of golf today is that a “gimme putt” can best be defined as an agreement between two golfers . . . neither of whom can putt very well.

Marathon Man

It doesn’t seem like a year ago that I played in the third annual Kimmett Cup pond hockey tournament.

It was Jan. 22, 2011 and I had finished Marathon Quest 250 only three weeks prior. I had a great day with the Rotary Raucous Relics and promised myself that I would train and be better prepared for the 2012 event. Well, on Jan. 20, 12 months latter, I opened the hockey bag for the first time.

This was not good. It is important to wash all the gear, immediately after the game.

Last Saturday, as I drove down to Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre I thought about why I was participating in the fourth annual Kimmett Cup. Sadly, in February 2008 Lindsay Leigh Kimmett was killed in a car crash. Her parents, Kelly and Dianne have set up a foundation in her memory. One of Lindsay’s loves was hockey and so the first memorial tournament was held in 2009. In 2010 the foundation donated $5,000 to Right To Play in support of Marathon Quest 250.

At the arena, I picked up the Rotary Raucous Relics sweaters and headed to the dressing room. I noticed that all the shirts had the No. 25 on them and I asked one of my team mates what it signified. He told me that, in 2002, when Lindsay first switched from ringette to hockey, she discussed with her brother Reid which number she should have on her new jersey. He asked her what her favourite numbers were and she said 20 and 5, so Reid said her number should be 25.

Throughout her years with the Rangers, Prowlers, Sirens, Jets, and Macaques she always wore the No. 25. To honour Lindsay the Southern Alberta Women’s Hockey League have sewn “25” patches onto their jerseys.

The Relics had a slow start, losing to the Jets. However, when we played our next game, at Mitford Pond, we came on like gang busters and won against the Baby Incredibles.

The third game was critical to making it to the playoff. Unfortunately, we were pipped at the post by the Pro H2O. The weather was amazing, after a week of bone-crunching cold. The sun was out and CTV, Global and CBC caught all the action. Make sure you tune into CBC “Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada” at noon on Feb. 11.

The wrap-up party was held at AC’s restaurant, in Cochrane. This year, the proceeds will go to the “LINDSAY Virtual Human Project”, a 3-D, interactive computer model of anatomy and physiology, being developed by the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine and Department of Computer Science. It will be used to educate medical students.

Towards the end of the evening, the winning recreational and competitive division winners received their prizes. Players were invited to reunite in 2013 for the next Kimmett Cup. Finally, I joined Reid in announcing that, as part of next years event, a Guinness World Record will be attempted, for the most hockey players to play in an exhibition game of hockey.

Stay tuned.

Wee Jackie weighs in

Perhaps there’s hope.

Unless you’ve been dead or in Edmonton you’ll realize there’s been quite a taffy pull between town administration and the Cochrane and Area Humane Society (CAHS).

Which all could’ve been avoided I’m sure but the fat hit the fire and people are upset.

The town basically says it can look after animals cheaper than the Humane Society and is willing to do so.

There’s not much doubt about that but it’s gets a little tight when folks ask about the care proposed for these animals.

But now, like the weather, perhaps a chinook. Perhaps a thaw.

Earlier this week this was posted on the town’s website:

“Municipal enforcement continues to work with the CAHS on a proposal for the surrendering of animals which have not been claimed after the holding period.

“We are pleased that we may be able to continue our positive relationship with the CAHS and have enjoyed our past years association with this facility.”

So maybe there’s hope yet that this issue can be resolved — not to the satisfaction of the people but to the safety and well-being of the animals.

A thousand words

What’s an oopoomoo?

Read next week’s Cochrane Eagle and you will surely find out.

We have a new column starting next week. It was supposed to start this week but the first lesson columnists must learn is economics so this week too many ads and not enough room for this new column.

But it’s worth the wait.

It’s by Sam Chrysan-thou and Darwin Wiggett.

These two are incredible photographers and they are going to share their experiences, knowledge and enthusiasm starting next week.

Last Saturday they hosted an information seminar on how to shoot photos in winter and used the newly opened Glenbow Park off Highway 1A as the site.

They have some incredible photos of that park and if you haven’t visited yet you simply must, it’s breathtaking and right in our backyard.

A future seminar will be on lighting and how to create effective and impressive lighting.

And now to oopoomoo.

Well, that’s their website so check it out and make sure you read them next week.

You be the judge

I see Premier Alison Redford has appointed someone to study the pay packages given to our MLAs.

Like many government actions it looks good on the surface but don’t expect any changes.

With all due respect, why a retired judge?

No question Jack Maj-or is a brilliant and fair legal mind but why not a plumber or a service station operator or a retail business owner?

Why not someone who votes for these politicians rather than someone who benefits from them and the political system.

Get somebody who has owned a small business and sat up nights with their partner wondering how they’re going to meet payroll next week and yet almost always do.

Get someone who knows the pressure of dealing with limited funds rather than handouts that simply appear.

And I don’t buy the argument that salaries of politicians should be compared to the folks high in the office towers in downtown Calgary. Office tower folks earned the right to be there.

Many MLAs just won a nomination which is as challenging as winning a popularity contest for carnival queen.

That should convert into hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary and pension?

I don’t think so.