At The Gods of the Copybook Headings:
…Yes, I know Shania Twain is huge. But if Jesus had been born in Timmins I doubt the crowds would have been much larger. Say what you will, but at least Bethlehem is warm…
Much of the Canadian economy is littered with white elephants and grossly inefficient public services. The Shania Twain Centre is a small fiasco in the larger disaster that is the modern Canadian state.
What is this near fetish that Canadians have that we feel every one horse whistle stop needs its own “interpretive centre”, “town square” or “recreation pavillion” funded of course by government largesse?
Perhaps this time around we deserve a Depression.
What’s wrong with a “Shania Twain’s ” hometown sign for about 2 grand? Yeeesh………
Amen. Enough of these tax-payer funded monuments – it’s so wasteful.
I mean, I’m in the process of carving a simple monument to Dildo McDinky right now that isn’t going to cost the taxpayers a cent. We held a study group over here in Glengarry, and then a selection committee of working-folks picked my design.
It’s made entirely from white cedar, it’s gonna be about twenty-feet tall, and it’s shaped just like….well…..you know.
And, as for a place to stick it? Heck, Ontario voters are already on their hands and knees begging to get it.
“There might be many laudable reasons to live in Timmins.”
I’ve been to Timmins – many times and no, there aren’t.
Eskimo “What is this near fetish that Canadians have that we feel every one horse whistle stop needs its own “interpretive centre”, “town square” or “recreation pavillion” funded of course by government largesse?”
We’ve go roadside perogies etc etc accross the prairies. Everyone thinks they will become a tourist attraction by creating one horse crap thing after another.
And then you get councils like Fox Creek, Alberta that had a drilling rig donated that people could stop at – a real tourist attraction until the idiots found out they could get $200,000 for it from a Texan. But they set the money aside to promote tourism in one of the worst poo holes in Alberta. I imagine they will eventually whiz it away.
Reminds me of the Human rights white elephant being built in Winnipeg. Not even open yet and you can already hear the sucking sound from the east and west coast. At least Timmins was only losing a million a year and was bought by someone that could use it. They wont even be able to give that tribute to misery away in Winnipeg.
Amen!
Just the fact that it is in the ‘peg makes me want to give the city a wide berth (or a least blow by on the Transcanada on the way to happier venues).
It isn’t just Canadian governments. I was a Canadian staff member in an international organization (a LARGE one) and I managed to kill a project that had cost millions of $$$ over a 20+ year period and had delivered absolutely nothing. I was persona non grata after that small success as I had successfully killed a golden goose for a bunch of bureaucrats living high on tax-exempt salaries. I was happy when I got the opportunity to leave earlier than planned and the bureaucrats were happy to see me go! All bureaucracies seem to have the same failing.
Funny thing is, everyone thinks ‘their’ useless project is wonderful – but the one in the next municipality is a complete waste of tax-payer’s money.
Anybody know how much the UFO landing pad in St Paul cost? I have a commemorative coin from there that I found on the sidewalk in Vancouver, so I guess somebody actually visited the place at some point.
you mean I can get funding for my inukshuk(sp?)?
k d lang managed to get her commemorative sign pulled in Consort Alberta , something about not liking meat or sausage
In Calgary we’ve got this great pedestrian bridge boondoggle — millions of taxpayers’ dollars. Some moron defended it with the classic, “It will put Calgary on the map”, whatever the h@## that means. Calgary has been on the map for years as far as I could tell, and a multi-million dollar foot bridge has never been a deciding factor in wether or not someone would come to visit. Snow conditions in Banff/Lake Louise? Yes. Foot bridge in Calgary? No.
Next time some bone-headed bureaucrat comes up with another “tourist-attraction” idea, refer them to the website for Omaha, Nebraska. Apparently Omaha, Nebraska has a really great zoo. Now ask said bone-headed bureaucrat (am I being redundant) if they’re prepared to book a week’s vacation and fly to Omaha to visit, among other things, their zoo, their “great shopping”, their “night life”, their “art galleries” and their “festivals”. If not, why not? And if they’re not prepared to go out of their way to visit Omaha’s zoo, then why the h@## would anyone in Omaha (or anywhere else for that matter) go out of their way to visit their “World’s biggest Moose T#rd”?
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/340659/man-i-feel-government-subsidy-mark-steyn
Man! I Feel Like a Government Subsidy
Hah, even Mark Steyn is getting some country music action…!
Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I’m a lady
Men’s shirts-short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin’ it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction
Color my hair-do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a Government Subsidy!
Well I don’t know that I would be wearing short skirts in -34C…
Mr Anderson above makes a more general observation on the nature of government: Why would you let the same people who think a tourist attraction in Timmins makes sense run your health care and education system?
Good question, but I don’t think he’ll get a very good answer.
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
Dog River,Saskatchewan came up with the idea to attract tourists by erecting the world’s biggest hoe.
Now that is an idea that I could get behind.
Has anyone sought the provincial gov’t of Ontario’s opinion on this closure?
Don’t they care enough about the region to kick in some funding?
š
Timmins with the Twain museum sounds rather like Harrisburg, PA, with its Civil War museum (though that was never set up) -as we discussed in this forum a few days ago.
Both are good reasons for wanting minimal government.
everyone thinks ‘their’ useless project is wonderful – but the one in the next municipality is a complete waste of tax-payer’s money.Posted by: Jamie MacMaster
exactly.
everyone believes that someone else is the problem
Winnipeg – Human Rights Museum ….. Timmins Shania Twain Centre …. it’s only a matter of scale.
I thought they were just gonna name the Twin Station after her and be done with it.. guess some fool ,decided to make a museum..
Everr town booster wants to build a Casino to attract tourista. A casino in Regina with B & C List entertainers MAY get some folks from Stoughton but it will NOT get the traffic from Calgary, Denver and Saskatoon. LA & NYC? furgetaboutit!
Why not work at making the town a pleasent little town where people are friendly, you can have a nice meal, stay in a hotel/motel that is clean & comfortable for a reasonable price and relax at a family freindly park?
It’s cheap and although not a destination there is plenty of trade from folks on their way to and from the “distination”. It may develop into an interesting detour.
A little off topic but also government waste
I heard on the radio other day the conservative party talking in a round table about unemployment insurance. Those free loaders; and why do they think they are entitled to their entitlements.That comes from politicians that get multiple pensions, wages and perks unheard of in the real world. Most seasonal workers collect it, to tie them them selves over until the next season. You know, like the ones building the roads, putting your food on the table and paying into the program; those free loaders. So who do you propose to do those jobs now, as no one will take them anymore.
I’m not sure the conservative party even understands what waste is.
I wish we had more options when it cones to voting.
Peter
Circumstances vary and a whole whack of people on pogey are useless people wanting a paid vacation. How can anyone in Alberta be on the dole? To avoid working hare takes special skill as rude people keep offering $28 jobs to random strangers. The job comes with a whack of overtime at $42 per hr.
“useless people wanting a paid vacation”
I think there is really two worlds in Canada, Alberta with the jobs and the rest of the country in the worst economic depression seen since the great depression. Where I live they are crying about a casino, as most of the factories have closed up and moved to china,
I can name you 6 in this year alone.If you took out the natural resources you would find that Canada is nothing but a third world nation.Ontario used to be the engine that drove Canada but its so broken, and cant be fixed.Last year I earned 13000 I have trades and skills that I cant use, as Harper keeps bringing in migrant workers in my area.We all just cant pack up and move to Alberta, I’m not sure that would be a solution how to fix things in Canada anyway.
Peter
I feel for you on the migrant worker thing. Kids in Alberta find it a lot harder to find jobs than a few years ago. Everyone prefers Filipinos to kids in restaurants and gas stations. They actually fear for their jobs. The most ridiculous expression is job shortage. There is never any such thing. There is a pay shortage. All the foreigners are let in to keep wages down. It is an attack on the working poor.
Alberta (and Saskabush) are somewhat unique in that they are creating wealth while the rest of the country worries about dividing up a shrinking pie.
More from Mr Steyn:
“Rock ānā Dole is Here to Stay”
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/340715/rockndole-here-stay-mark-steyn
Mark
Ottawa
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