Lafleche Loses Another Building: Flying Goose Inn

Another accidental fire in Lafleche last night, this one attributed initially to careless smoking (is there any other kind?). The Flying Goose Inn, the only bar and hotel in town, burned to the ground. Months ago, M.O.M, the bus station, also burned.

The hotel, a few weeks ago, in April.

Adding a little heartache to this story, it’s Lafleche’s 100th anniversary as a town, and Canada Day weekend is the celebration. Now there are fewer places for visitors to stay and visit in town, and there’s just another burned out lot.

Main St.

On January 10, 1984, I was present when the Lafleche Bumper To Bumper caught fire and burned down; The story I recently read in my Grandma’s journal entry for that day.

Deer-Tour Around Saskatchewan

Saturday’s road trip through the mist and fog yielded me the best wildlife photos I’ve ever had the privilege of shooting. Some photos from the earlier part of the trip I posted on Sunday morning.

-Glentworth, SK

Less than a few kms north of Glentworth, just turning toward the highway headed for Lafleche, we saw two herds on different sides of the road. They waited patiently as the humans in the car took many, many photos.

Mini Solar Tour in the Fog of Wood Mountain and Glentworth

I went on a road trip Saturday with my friend Adam K., down to my parents’ place, and his grandparents’ farm. On the way around southern Saskatchewan, we saw close to 150 deer and antelope, a snowy owl, a dozen hawks, a handful of Canada Geese, smaller birds, two dead raccoons, and the final resting place of four children who passed away in 1919 (Spanish Flu maybe?).

The road into Regina was ice, and the road to Moose Jaw was quite a bit better, but still partly covered in a thick layer of ice. There was a semi on the eastbound highway that had done a 180, and blew open its trailer door, strewing boxes across the ditch at Belle Plaine.

We filled up in Moose Jaw, then ate at the Steakhouse in Assiniboia (we had waffles). The GPS kept trying to convince us to turn off the paved road instead of going to Limerick. We went to Limerick, I took a couple photos, and on through flooded Flintof and dry Wood Mountain we continued. Many deer were along the way, and the misting rain continued through the trip after Moose Jaw’s southern hills.

- A hawk about to land

After second lunch we strolled around the various energy and heating systems my parents had installed for their home.

Convincing SaskPower that a generator ring/link was a good idea for a Saskatchewan power meter, took some convincing. Fortunately Dad is persistent.

- 1925 built Ukrainian Catholic near Glentworth, SK

More photos next time of the animals who made this print:

Forward Together #UofR: Buffy St. Marie – Live Blog

Buffy St. Marie tackled the subject of Aboriginal peoples’ self image. What has been the basis for it? In many cases in popular culture, it’s from philosophers in Europe who never met the First Peoples in their life!

#Buffy event at #FNUniv is almost full 10 min to start. http://t.co/TNO8jZ4K0a—
John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 27, 2013

#Buffy lecture opened with an elder ceremony and #FNUniv president. http://t.co/JXQy3d3jYL—
John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 27, 2013

The reality is that First Nations civilizations were much more complex, scientific, and peaceful than depicted by European and settler academics and politicians.

Team sports were an invention of Native Americans. Helmets with animal logos. Basically the NHL. #Buffy #APTN—
John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 27, 2013

The bully who is running the politicians will keep at it unless you are setting a stronger example. #Buffy We are creative. Grow.—
John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 27, 2013

War is caused by greedy people. It is a choice. The wealthiest nations still go to war. #Buffy #APTN #UofR #IdleNoMore—
John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 27, 2013

Nixon Was Scum

Win at any cost. That seems to have been Nixon’s election campaign strategy, and it worked. Had LBJ notified the public of information the FBI illegally gathered from an ambassador using a phone tap, then the future may have been very different.

Declassified tapes of President Lyndon Johnson’s telephone calls provide a fresh insight into his world. Among the revelations – he planned a dramatic entry into the 1968 Democratic Convention to re-join the presidential race. And he caught Richard Nixon sabotaging the Vietnam peace talks… but said nothing.

==

This tree was at Rideau Hall last time I checked in 2002:

Stompin’ Tom Connors Stomps Out

Farewell to a Canadian music legend who made folk music cool. Stompin’ Tom is bound to provoke cultural references for years to come.

Listen to Corb Lund’s cover of Stompin’ Tom’s Hockey Song. It has a bonus verse too. “It’s culturally important to hear that song.”

Here’s one of my oldest blog posts:

June 16, 2002
I just got back from the Live from Rideau Hall concert. WOW! I had great fun despite the drizzling rain.
Look at Stompin’ Tom in action.

ADDED from 2002:

The Club: Music

I went to a show tonight with Jesse, after buying a monthly membership at CrashBang Labs (which is in the same building as The Club at The Exchange on 8th Ave.

Real excited to have my song Leaves are falling featured on tonight's episode of
@CBCArcticAir! Tune in at 9pm // @Gharv
@SaskMusic—
Zachary Lucky (@zacharylucky) February 28, 2013

You can listen to Zachary Lucky online or in Saskatoon very soon.

–

Dan Geortz was also good. His song about being sold to the circus he footnoted as fiction, especially since his dad was in the audience.

–

In CrashBang Labs, I watched an iPod get LASER etched. A 40W laser apparently, but it doesn’t work at quite its full capacity, especially at a high moving head speed.

ISS over Regina

I was checking to see the next time the International Space Station would fly over Regina’s skies, and saw it was in two minutes! (There are only a few times a week it is visible for a couple minutes, sometimes none.) I threw on my ski pants and coat, and grabbed my camera (and card out of the computer), then flew down the stairs and outside. I even remembered my little tripod to hold the camera properly for a night shot. It’s dark in Regina at 5:50pm still, and will be for another month or two.

A Canadian is on board the ISS. Hi, Commander Hadfield!

Winter in Saskatchewan

When it’s too cold to explain, photos will have to do.

I don’t go to church anymore, and didn’t want to long before I stopped going. This year I was invited to two different Christmas church services, and ended up going to neither. When I do go, it’s out of respect for my family’s traditions, and end up socializing with people I would otherwise not see day-to-day. Most of the time I cannot bring myself to support what I feel is such a waste of time, money, and effort to support religious institutions that do far less good than they promise and would have us believe they do.

The new Nigerian priest for the part of southern Sask. where my parents live, became lost when trying to drive to church in Glentworth on Sunday. He wound up in a town about 30 minutes away, then called for directions and arrived about an hour late. There was a fresh coat of snow everywhere, the road included, so it must have been a bit of an ordeal to go from +30 to -20 in the span of a month, and become lost where the closest farmyard can be 15km from any given point on the road. He was oriented for Christmas Eve evening service at least. The roads have not been kind to priests in the past year; Father Carrigan, a priest that served Wood Mountain and Lafleche, passed away from a highway collision.

#IdleNoMore: Regina Round Dance on Albert St. Bridge

Another exciting day of protest in Regina, and across the country, as Canadians rise up against the Harper regime and their undemocratic ominbus bills. This was at least the second march down Regina’s main street, Albert St. in the past weeks, and the second appearance of a crowd of hundreds in front of the Legislature too.

I estimated more than 300 people were packed onto one lane of Albert St. for the entire Green Mile (and then some). A few minutes were taken on the Albert St. Bridge (longest bridge over shortest span of water, in the world) to do a round dance.

Last night, Saskatoon’s downtown mall saw thousands of people show up in protest of the Harper ominbus bill C-45, and the removal of fresh and navigable waters protection (among other abuses).

Today, Warren McCall reminded people that it’s not just First Nations this undemocratic bill harms. Chief Spence in Ottawa, starving for justice, is leading the way. Harper has time for Bieber, but not for Chief Spence or other Chiefs?

-Goodale makes an announcement that draws a roar from the crowd.

ADDED – CTV’s report.

Last Updated Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 7:45PM CST

In First Nations culture, a round dance is common – it symbolizes peace and friendship. But Friday afternoon what wasn’t common was where an Idle No More round dance was held .

Hundreds of supporters stopped traffic on Regina’s busy Albert Street bridge. The rally was peaceful. It coincided with dozens of other such events across the nation. First nations elder Mike Pinay told CTV News “ we have to sit down and work together and save this land, this country and these waters”.

Idle No More supporters oppose federal bill c-45 which impacts many aspects of Canadian life – from the treaties of First Nations people to protection of lakes and rivers.

Regina Liberal MP Ralph Goodale argues the bill was “not advanced in a way that was proper and consistent with the democratic process of Canada.”

Organizers vow Friday’s event will not be the last.