A few weeks back Normy and I were discussing what New Brunswickers were in the NHL. The topic came up because the Habs - Flyers series introduced us to Randy Jones from Quispamsis. At the time he was one of two New Brunswickers in the NHL. Now he's the only one remaining.
Luc Bourdon, from Shippigan, was a defenceman for the Canucks. He was a first round draft pick a few years ago and is the earliest New Brunswicker ever taken in the draft. He was also a member of two gold medal winning Canadian World Junior teams. He had the world by the nuts and died yesterday in a motorcycle crash.
He was in immense source of pride for the Acadian Peninsula and, for that matter, all of New Brunswick. By all accounts he was a good kid with an extremely bright future. Northern NB has lost enough of those this year.
"Everybody here knows Luc," said Natalie Robichaud, the town clerk. "He is everybody's friend."
It is Friday but I won't be posting a flashback as Big League is a little too morbid.
With the impending release tomorrow of the highly anticipated Sex and the City movie then internets are abuzz with exitement related to the return of Carrie and the girls. Some of this excitement also reveals the darker side of the net with sites such as this friendly little locale - Sarah Jessica Parker Looks Like A Horse.
Clearly these people were never taught that simple axiom - if you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all.
It's a cruel, cruel world. Unless you can cheer yourself up with cheap booze and expensive shoes.
My good friend Geoff North sent me an email yesterday letting me know that he got into STU and will be home in the fall. I responded with an email letting him know how I really felt - "Awesome news!". I sent it and then thought briefly about my choice of words and the segment on the Daily show I had watched the night before. It appears as though G-Dubya has a penchant for the word as well.
Now the definition of the word is basically awe inspiring. I guess a speach by the Pope could legitimately be called awesome, and probably more so then North moving home, but I would consider it overused if he thinks its equally awesome that a reporter asking him a question without a mic.
Either way I find the clip to be, in many ways, awesome. My jaw does drop to the floor when Junior (Yale grad) drops his jaw to speak. I sure would like to have a beer with him though.
...down by the sea.Erin and I snuck away to St. Andrews over the weekend for our 1st Anniversary (awwww). We booked a cute little suite at the Seaside Resort on the water. It was right on the waterfront with the waters of Passamaquoddy Bay lapping at our deck at high tide.
We has a nice dinner on Friday night and then checked out all the St. Andrews nightlife had to offer. We found a couple of bars and some live music to boot. On Saturday we went to the Aquarium in the morning and spent the rest of the day tooling around town. St. Andrews is a historic little resort town with Loyalist roots and artsy endings. That worked well for the two of us as we found a good balance for her to look at each shop to find stuff that was cute/cool/crazy and for me to look at every feature in town and how it relates to history and me being there. I'm a nerd.
We didn't get good weather until Sunday so after we had one last tour of town we took to long way home for a stop at Ozzie's and then New River Beach. We drove the old river road from Grand Bay to Gagetown and called it a weekend.It was very nice to get away for a weekend that didn't involve getting smashed around for a couple of hours. I think I'd like to do that again sometime ;)
Leonard Cohen played at the Playhouse a couple of weeks ago. I am a fan of Leonard Cohen but not to the extent that some diehards are. Tickets to his Fredericton show sold out in a matter of minutes. It is also important to remember that it he hadn't toured in 14 years and this was the opening show of the tour. Whatever the reasons, I missed the boat and didn't see the show.
One of my friends did see the show and I spoke to him last night for the first time since and this little anecdote make me very disappointed that I missed the show. He relayed to me that Mr. Cohen said that he was happy to be in a historical Canadian literary hotbed and the home of Desmond Pacey. The actual quote can be seen here.
Cohen is first and foremost a poet. I'm never entirely sure what it was my Grandfather did but I do know that he was a champion of Canadian literature. I also don't fully understand the literary world and the relationship between writers and critics. Needless to say, though, critics and the people who compile anthologies (antholigizers?) are integral parts of the process. I guess respect, sometimes begrudging, would be the best way to describe it. Either way, it makes me proud.
Kieran Crowley, the new National Senior Men's rugby coach was in town on Monday to introduce and ingratiate himself to the NB rugby community. He was the first sitting National team coach to visit New Brunswick in an official capacity. He also did it solo and apparently of his own free will. He's a kiwi and seems to be a typically straightforward chap. That may be because he grew up a farmer before playing 30+ games for the All Blacks. I know all this because I spent a lunch, two training sessions, dinner, and drinks with him.
He didn't teach us too much in the training sessions; they were back to basics, but the fact that he was here and approachable was the main thing. I think it's great that he would take the time to travel across this massive country to meet the folks that are doing the work to develop athletes into rugby players for his team. My only complaint is that he didn't feel it fit to abuse his expense account for my meals at this juncture, despite my repeated argument that my dues are paying for his salary. Stupid stand up Kiwis.
The Pacey clan has been driving Subies for a few years now and I can safely say that it has had little to do with their advertising. That may or may not change as a result of this new ad:
After some 20 years of playing rugby my no broken bone streak came to an end last year when I broke my nose. I though I made it two in two years when I looked down and saw my pinky finger pointing the wrong way on after a tackle. It turns out it was only dislocated and just needed to be popped back into place. All better!
I'm taking off in a couple of minutes to hit the rugby road for our first game of the season. We are off Upper Canada for a game versus the Niagara Thunder. This is an early start to the season for us but that means that we will be also have an early end to the season. It's looking like I might actually have some time off in July. And that should mean some road trips. And no song (well maybe a few songs) makes me think of road trips quite like this one:
In a bit of news that warms the heart, Canada's last surviving World War 1 veteran, Jack Babcock, regained his Canadian citizenship after having to renounce it nearly 80 years ago. Shortly after the war Mr. Babcock moved to the U.S. and, before the advent of dual citizenship, became a U.S. citizen. He has stated that he has always considered himself a Canadian and wanted to go out of this world the same way he came in; as a Canadian citizen.That sentiment prompted him to write a letter to Prime Minister Harper who quickly sent some lackeys down there to score some PR points. Cynisism aside, it was a nice gesture and a happy day for Jack and proud Canadians everywhere.
The skateboarding community, and larger slacker community (of which I include myself), mobilized today in a show of solidarity for Lee Breen. Lee is making a stand against Fredericton By-Lay S-9 which states that "No person shall coast or slide on a slide, toboggan, wagon, skateboard or other device on a street in the city." This is obviously close to my heart because it would seem to make my favourite winter sport, bumper sliding, illegal.
Lee was ticketed some weeks back and indicated that he would not be paying the fine. He decided that he would prove a point and do 5 days of hard time in Saint John. The punishment does not fit the crime and that's Lee's point. Skateboarders have been give places to do their thing if, that is, half pipes and rail slides are their thing.A certain segment of the slacker pop actually uses their boards to get around town. In a city that champions itself a green leader Team Breen is asking why their environmentally friendly means of transport is being demonized. Well played sirs, well played.
I, of course, agree with Team Breen because they are pretty much family. I do however remember that I can't even think about gliding smoothly on a long board without losing my balance so I won't be changing my habits if this protest leads to any change. I do, however, agree that using a skateboard to get around should not be a crime.
Well the election is over and despite his best efforts (and good press)Craiger came up short in his bid for City Council in Saint John. There were an incredible 10 candidates in Ward 3 so it was an uphill battle for a relative newcomer to the city and brand nubian to the campaign trail. Craig had good things to say about the winners and hopefully he will now have their ear thanks to this exercise. Again, I can't say enough about him having the nuts to go through with this. We could use him up here in Freddy.
Speaking of which, here in Freddy, the SS Bradside will sail into his 7th term as the city's mayor while my local neighbourhood has been turned over to Eric Megarity. Not totally sure what this means long term but, in the case of Megarity, it means I can say that my vote counted towards a victory. It was all about that phone call.
To cheer Craig up I relayed to him some good news for all of us proud Canadians. For the first time in 25 years a Canadian has won Playmate of the Year honours. Jayde Nicole is the pride of Port Perry Ontario and can look forward to a very exciting few years of being groped by a octogenarian.Respect indeed.
While we have been crossing our fingers for Craiger all day up here in Freddy there is still the matter of rocking the vote ourselves. I read the pamphlets that both the wannabe councilfolks left in my mailbox over the last couple of weeks and was still undecided as of this morning. On my way to work, however, I got a call from a campaigner for Eric McGarrity who outlined his vision for our neighbourhood and pointed out plans for issues that he knew mattered to me. That kind of personal touch goes along way and I have a pretty good idea of where I will mark my ex once I get in the ballot box (if I get in the ballot box - I don't think I'm registered).
These municipal elections may not appear to be all that important but in reality, with this city growing as it is, the decisions made in the next few years will affect generations to come. Best to be informed and have an opinion on how the growth of Freddy is shaping up.
Tomorrow is a big day for voters across New Brunswick as the head out to decide the next four years in the development of their cities and towns. I will be exercising my right here in Freddy but I will also be exercising my brain sending telepathic messages to the good citizens of Saint John's 3rd Ware where my good friend Craig Allen is trying to be a part of this very excting time in Saint John's history.
No matter what happens tomorrow I applaud Craig for having the balls to go through with such an exercise. I like to think that one summer spent getting persecuted by one 'crazy old neighbour' helped lead Craiger towards this bigger form of civic activism. Wherever it came from, we could all stand to care this much.
While election fever is gripping Saint John, the race here in Freddy has been a little more subdued. There are signs around and the Gleaner had the two mayoral candidates on the front page today, but there doesn't seem to be any hot button issues that are going to drive people to the polls. I'm undecided, and like most men in a democracy, would rather describe my bowel movements then divulge my voting tendencies, but I will make take some time to learn about the candidates over the weekend and make my way to the polls on Monday.
These elections tend to be more contentious when things aren't going so hot; the fact is things are pretty good in Freddy right about now. There is still lots of work to be done but we on a pretty good run.
Nevertheless, someone has to do this work and for that they should be commended. And for some reason this topic reminds me of this song:
Beer commercials tend to exagerate things to a ridiculous extent; but this one not so much. This one might as well have been created by the New Brunswick Government:
Fredericton has been in the national news in the last couple of weeks thanks to the big river overflowing its banks. This is some serious shit (even more shitty that is literal in some cases) for many residents of our little Burg and will cause them headaches cleaning up the mess well into the summer. Some of them might even be thinking that they made a mistake living here, although more likely that they made a mistake living so close to a river that floods, to some extent, every spring. The former feeling won't last though as summer blooms and the city gears up for tourist season.
Most of the residents are here because the love this place and many of the tourists marvel at its quaint, clean charm. I like it mostly because it's where the people that make me laugh are. Either way, it's nice to be able to shut the hell up and let someone else say how great of a place it is. And this article from the TJ shows just that. "Best of" lists are always a bit spurious, and I probably won't be trumpeting the ones that rank Fredericton near the bottom, but in my continued efforts to spread the gospel I will continue to throw it out there. Here is the full list. Interestingly, the cities that rank 1 and 2 are both cities that tend to make people like me say "Good town, reminds me of home".
This follows this good news and this good news so it's all good. I sometimes wonder if I should be happy here or if it's just a case of setting deeply into my comfort zone. These lists help reassure me that it is indeed a great place to be; so I can keep on laughing guilt free.
The picture below was taken on Friday and by yesterday afternoon that underpass was passable again.So just like that the worst of the flooding is over here in Freddy Beach. Now the cleanup begins and for many people it will be a very expensive cleanup indeed. The various levels of government have already begun their haggling to see who foots the bulk of the bill but hopefully they get it sorted out for the folks that need it most. I must reiterate that, from my perspective, the authorities did a wonderful job of keeping the public informed and allocating resources to minimize disruption and any sense of panic. Kudos again, whoever the hell you are (I would only know if they screwed up royally).
As I said on Friday, the annual thaw typically brings out the River City Gawkers and for this, the biggest flood of my lifetime, it brought out the biggest flood crowds of my lifetime. That also meant that there were thousands of photos and any number of videos. This one is probably the best one I saw but this one uses Iron Maiden so it gets the stamp of approval: Many people have asked how things are at my place and they are fine. There was some minor damage to my back door but that can be attributed to a wintertime flood of rum rather than the spring freshet. The Rugby Club, given its locale, should have been in trouble but it turns out it's an island; Loyalist Island. It always felt that way to me anyays.That water is now gone as well and just like that it's time to get on the field and play again.
We get fairly used to the annual swelling around here; the waters rise and rise but usually fall. This year they kept rising and it was nightmare fuel for a few folks before it fell again this year. As it falls now the weather will warm, it will resume its leisurely pace and go back to being our river of dreams.
Sacre Bleu! Mes Habitants son toutes finis...It was a good (little) run, and lots of fun while it lasted, but the Canadiens are out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They were the victims of a hot goaltender vs not-so-hot goaltender, a struggling power play, and the collective weight of unrealistic fans hopes and dreams. This team overachieved to get where it did and this expericnce will serve them well when they actually are contenders.
The real shame is that they did not last long enough for me to get to Montreal to Booooooo Sidney Crosby, who I will now be cheering for, albeit very meekly.
When I was grabbing a coffee on the way to work this morning I saw this picture of Barker's Point in Freddy on the front page of the Gleaner:Despite the fact that this is obviously a very serious situation the first thing that came to mind was what the bizarro newscast of this event might open with: "There was no banging in Hammertown last night as the water of the Saint John river spilled its banked into the Fredericton neighbourhood". I'm a dork, what can I say.
The flood levels are starting to recede but it is still a carnival like atmosphere as the River City Gawkers make their way to the scene. I am going to head down myself in a few minutes (or at least to a patio nearby).Beyond it's sheer size, what's made this particular flood interesting is that what caused it, save for one night of heavy rain, has been good weather. The warm weather came so quickly that the huge snowmelt up North is what is causing most of the runoff. So as this disaster strikes people are walking around in shorts sunning themselves. Weird.
The weather for the weekend looks warm and sunny but the experts are saying that should will not be enough to continue the rising. Unless we get more rain the waters should recede. The floodgates are still wide open at Mactaquac but the worst of it should be over by Sunday.And then the cleanup begins.
This is a big flood; the biggest of my lifetime. Texas sized you might say:
So the prophets were accurate and the flooding is indeed as bad as ever recorded. It's kind of neat to see the river so high but it's also a monumental pain in the ass and, for some, an incredibly expensive emergency. Besides the straightaways the ramps to the Westmorland St. Bridge are shut down which would have been a traffic nightmare if most of the people in the city didn't listen to the Emergency measures folks and stayed home. Thankfully they did...except to go take tons and tons of picture.The Princess Margaret is still open but it essentially a bridge to nowhere as Riverside Dr. in Hammertown is closed and the old TCH through Maugerville>McGowan's Corner>Jemseg is where the worst of the flooding is going on and is closed.Closer to home, Union st is closed past Gibson st. but my house (and basement) has been spared so far. Overall 50 streets have been closed including many in the University Ave. area (aka the nice part of town). The latest info I have seen says that it got up to 8.33 meters which is still about a foot below the '73 flood. Regardless its still as much water as I've ever seen in (and out) of my old friendly river.I have to say that in terms of preparedness the city has done a very good job of keeping the public informed and having resources at the ready to deal with any drama. Well done to whoever the hell takes care of that kind of stuff.
A few weeks back Normy and I were discussing what New Brunswickers were in the NHL. The topic came up because the Habs - Flyers series introduced us to Randy Jones from Quispamsis. At the time he was one of two New Brunswickers in the NHL. Now he's the only one remaining. 
