17to85

You know what,I'll take a stand and say residential schools were a not terrible idea that was just handled really poorly. Should a just assimilated everyone from the start then there'd be a lot less problems with reserves

I thought franchises had learnt by now that building rinks that size was stupid. That raised my eyebrows too. The 40,000 seat Stadium also raised my eyebrows. How much do the Stamps draw? I guess Calgary likely draws bigger events also. 40,000 permanent seats might make it expandable to 50,000+ for grey Cup which would be cool. Calgary is a big city though so maybe their market can support a 21,000 seat arena without suffering from too much supply versus demand. If you think about it, with 8000 people on the Jets wait list, assuming each person bought two tickets, we could have sold 29,000 season tickets (I realise some would be mini packs etc but some would also buy more than two). Calgary fans are pretty bandwagon. If the Flames are doing well they'll sell out, if they're not tickets will be easy to get. Lot of corporate ticket holders too. Calgary is a lot like Toronto in more respects than people care to admit. As for the Stamps I am really not sure what the deal there is. I think it's sort of a big league vs. minor league crappy attitude.

That's because Ontario and Quebec have kept the rest of the country under their heels for the entirety of our countries history and now that the tables are turning god damned rights it's payback time.

If the entire thing is privately funded (and no government has the stomach to spend on sports facilities in the current climate) then Calgary would be pretty stupid IMO to not give them the land. I am a big believer that top notch entertainment facilities are beneficial to a community. Whether they're money makers for the city or not I think it's a good thing for a city to have and well worth skipping the sale of some land.

You have to live here to understand why a PST just won't fly. Every other province has one but us. #redbadgeofcourage I love the Mercer clip for exactly this reason. It really captures the feelings of Alberta. I think everyone in the province knows that a provincial sales tax and a progressive tax rate rather than a flat tax would be good... but it's Alberta damn it! It's different out here, we don't need to tax people.

This city needs a new stadium more than they need a new arena but if they can roll them all together that might be the way to go. Not sure a stadium would get built otherwise.

LOL - I think you need to look in the mirror Mr. Dee. You seem to be a pretty big apologist for the NDP. That being said, I don't want to make any enemies with political talk here, as I did enough of that on OB, and it's easy to let your emotions get the best of you on this topic. I don't see how you can compare Alberta and Manitoba, extremely different situations and totally different economic factors governing each province. BC has some similarities to Manitoba in that we're stuck with an entrenched party that has won 4 elections and no matter how many dumb things they do, they keep winning too, because our NDP here is so weak and stupid that they couldn't win an election by acclamation. Normally I am ok with the NDP having no chance of winning as I think the NDP are awful and their ideologies are brain-dead, but in BC that has left us with an arrogant dictatorship. I don't know what you do with that, but it's not healthy for democracy. Just like in Alberta, I was hoping the Wild Rose would really shake up the Conservatives, and I think it did a bit, but not enough. Actually, I consider myself to be apolitical, and it's just that I have heard the same renderings over and over from different people about the same things. One party are the villains, while the other party knows what to do. Fill in the correct party into what I said as it suits your needs, or your personal opinion. The NDP, in Manitoba, are no worse or better than the Cons were in Mb, who were no better than the Liberals were in Federal politics who were no worse than the Cons. are now. It all boils down to timing, and what's going on around the Canadian economy at the time. Hey, if things are going well, the party in power is the way to go…until they're not. Next up, and the cycle repeats itself. You, yourself, have it in big time for the NDP, I don't. I don't have any political affiliation, it's just I don't like to hear the same old thing about the same old party, when really, when it comes right down to it….they're all the same…they're politicians. This I disagree with very much. No one is going to do anything too extreme, you won't get elected with extreme policies, but there are differences between the right and the left that should not be over looked. In particular when it comes to taxation which can impact economies.

LOL - I think you need to look in the mirror Mr. Dee. You seem to be a pretty big apologist for the NDP. That being said, I don't want to make any enemies with political talk here, as I did enough of that on OB, and it's easy to let your emotions get the best of you on this topic. I don't see how you can compare Alberta and Manitoba, extremely different situations and totally different economic factors governing each province. BC has some similarities to Manitoba in that we're stuck with an entrenched party that has won 4 elections and no matter how many dumb things they do, they keep winning too, because our NDP here is so weak and stupid that they couldn't win an election by acclamation. Normally I am ok with the NDP having no chance of winning as I think the NDP are awful and their ideologies are brain-dead, but in BC that has left us with an arrogant dictatorship. I don't know what you do with that, but it's not healthy for democracy. Just like in Alberta, I was hoping the Wild Rose would really shake up the Conservatives, and I think it did a bit, but not enough. The biggest shame is that there is no competition anymore. whether or not they won the Wildrose did put a bit of fear into the PCs. One party systems are not good for anyone and that is something MB and AB share. The opposition is just so inept there's no threat of not holding power. I think our system really needs 3 strong parties in order to function at it's best. With only 2 legitimate options there becomes very little to keep a party on it's toes.

Can you imagine the wailing that will come from Saskatchewan if he goes to Calgary and plays well? Oh that would be sweet music to the ears.

I spent a year in Estevan called July and August in 1990. That town makes Honey Boo-Boo look like Stephen Hawking. I got a buddy who just moved there... Tattoo artist, of all careers.. I have to assume hes pretty much braindead by this point.. Then he's probably joined a cowboy church and is ready to vote for Brad Wall. "cowboy church" ? do tell. Since many Albertans are Texas wannabees, they tend to follow US fads. The "Cowboy Church" started in Texas and church goers are expected to dress as cowpersons and speak in supposed cowperson idioms, and the sermons are delivered in the same vernacular. The church now has branches in Sask and Alberta. Cowboy Church services are EXTREMELY serious stuff....they're in MB, too. Has nothing to do with "Texas Wannabees", and everything to do with the Western way of life, which is very much alive, especially out here in the foothills. Likewise, Cowboy Poetry is a very big deal... I have a very difficult time seeing a church where people have to dress up in costumes and pretend to speak like they are living in 1870 Dodge City as "serious". I would have the same reaction if a church sprang up where everyone was required to dress as pirates with eyepatches and parrots and speak with phrases like "aye matey", "arr" and "shiver me timbers". Do you take any church service that seriously? What with all the traditions and the priests playing dress up with the robes and what not.

It just kills me that the kids today don't curl. Even people my age, a lot of them have never tried it. It's a great social game. But I guess with the intertubes and constantly being connected with the phones and what nots you don't need to go to the curling rink to be social with people.

well that would also correspond to the free guard zone coming in and some truly all time skips rising to prominence. Martin and Stoughton had been fixtures at the top for a long time, The Howards too I suppose you can add. Wayne Middaugh was good for a lot of those years too. So you get the game improving to the point where there's big shots and lots of rocks in play, TSN and their coverage you can see why it grew to that point. Now that there really has been a changing of the guard in terms of the teams I think it's natural to see a drop in interest. Especially when it seems there's less interest in participation in the game in general. I don't think it's entirely on the boomers, though it likely plays a role.

There is a fine line to balance between taxes and a social safety net. The bottom line is that I don't trust self serving politicians in this country enough to want them to take that much in taxes from me.

Wasn't that Kenton Thief? That's going back a little ways.

"plight" is the wrong word. They play their cards right this could be a real good thing for Alberta in the long run. Hasn't worked in the past. Albertans keep re-electing them, and the best way to ensure bad behaviour continues is to reward it. again you say bad behaviour, but is it really? Us Albertans have a real low tax rate. Why should "good" behaviour from a government include taxing it's population up the ass? I'll say it again, there is a lot of spending required because of the massive population boom, they've been spending that money on the backs of the resource boom rather than taxing the population as heavily. Now that the boom has died down they are looking at increasing the tax load on the population. That seems like a sensible thing. I think too many Manitobans have the Stockholm Syndrome having had so many tax tax tax NDP governments.

They didn't get the big money Alberta was fortunate to dig up. that's a defeatist attitude. Manitoba could have worked to build up some type of industrial or commercial base, but instead the province has had a long tradition of socialism and anti business policies. High taxes and pro-union governments make Manitoba into what it is. There's resources in Manitoba too, but there isn't a lot of incentive for companies to base themselves in Manitoba. So anti-business that we have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. It's just a fact of living here that there are more expenses and fewer resources than Alberta. Manitoba certainly wasn't competitive with Alberta when the PCs were in change for a decade, so you can hardly blame pro-union or anti-business attitudes for anything. a low unemployment rate perhaps because when people can't find a job in Manitoba they head out west to Alberta right? Not like this is the first NDP government that Manitoba has had you know, the provinces history stretches back a lot farther than you or I have been around for.

and I heard that the biggest cashspiel of the circuit goes this weekend too.... or something to that effect anyway

"plight" is the wrong word. They play their cards right this could be a real good thing for Alberta in the long run.

insecurity is the hallmark of the bandwagon fan. They know they're a phony and have to over compensate so they don't get found out.

The best way to improve the running game is to improve the offensive line rather than paying an older injured runningback. Good news is that Kyle Walters seems to agree with that sentiment.

They didn't get the big money Alberta was fortunate to dig up. that's a defeatist attitude. Manitoba could have worked to build up some type of industrial or commercial base, but instead the province has had a long tradition of socialism and anti business policies. High taxes and pro-union governments make Manitoba into what it is. There's resources in Manitoba too, but there isn't a lot of incentive for companies to base themselves in Manitoba.

what a ridiculous statement to make. Alberta has seen it's population grow by something close to 1 million people in the last decade, you think it's cheap to build infrastructure to support that many new people? Especially without raising taxes? Give me the government who keeps taxes low rather than the one that raises taxes at the drop of a hat. Oil will bounce back and Alberta will be rolling in the money again within a few years, Manitoba is still going to be stuck with their ridiculously high tax rate in a few years though. My my, touchy on such an innocent statement. Manitoba has worse infrastructure problems than Alta. has, and way less money to have spent on it. Alta., with any kind of competent governing, should have quite the nest egg, even with a minimal Prov. tax, but they don't. Even though my statement was tongue in cheek…it still stands. So the question is, who's statement really is that ridiculous? Perhaps the reason Manitoba has worse infrastructure is because Alberta has been spending a crap ton on it? That's why they don't have the big next egg, they've actually been building things the province needs. The Heritage fund hasn't been prioritized by the province, but it still exists. The spending has been focussed on a lot of spending to meet the needs of the province. Ralph Klein was hell bent on getting out of debt and he deferred a lot of spending to accomplish that, the governments after him have had to spend more and they are. The finances in Alberta aren't as dire as they seem. There is a lot of sensationalism regarding the price of oil right now because the rest of the country is very jealous and are taking the time to mock Alberta, but they don't realize that things are still pretty good in Alberta. Every province has budget issues, the difference is that Alberta isn't already taxed to the hilt so there is a lot of flexibility in terms of how to fix them.

All Albertans have to do is ' look in the mirror' and voila..there's the problem according to Jim. Don't mention the fact that the conservative government there has been running the finances forever. Quite a laugher. Maybe not all Albertans - just the ones who kept voting in a Conservative government forever. AlLL Albertans except the corporations. They're exempt from blame. But myself & the rest of my fellow Albertans, we're to blame. Especially those 2 slackers, Noeller & 17to85. They're sucking this province dry. I'm incorporated so technically I'm a corporation and not to blame at all.

what a ridiculous statement to make. Alberta has seen it's population grow by something close to 1 million people in the last decade, you think it's cheap to build infrastructure to support that many new people? Especially without raising taxes? Give me the government who keeps taxes low rather than the one that raises taxes at the drop of a hat. Oil will bounce back and Alberta will be rolling in the money again within a few years, Manitoba is still going to be stuck with their ridiculously high tax rate in a few years though.

The Federal Conservatives don't spend money on pro sports arenas or stadiums. They just don't do it anywhere.