Crescent Point Energy, which was briefly Saskatchewan’s largest oil producer and a corporate darling, is continuing its shift to Alberta focus. Last week saw the sale of one of its last major remaining properties in Saskatchewan, and on Friday, it changed its name.
Oh, and it lost a pile of money in that sale, it seems. If they were going to lose so much money, why the rush to sell it?
And hockey had Gretzky, while columnists like myself had Rex Murphy. He wasn’t afraid to be an ardent supporter of oil and gas, in large part because it proved to be the salvation of Newfoundland when the cod fishery collapse.
I remember the first time I saw Rex Murphy doing a commentary on television (it must have been CBC). He was standing in Newfoundland talking about a failed government plan in Come-by-Chance, and inserted the phrase “almost Soviet in incompetence.” An excellent choice of words. I enjoyed reading and hearing his thoughts whenever I came across him since then.
He wasnt wrong.
Canada is a Poorer place without his intelligent wit.
I remember people dubbing him Rex Thesaurus in fun, because he was one of the few who could throw in rarely used polysyllabic words that still went down nice and smooth.
Plus I learned a lotta neat words. After I looked ’em up.
On the other hand, the so-called Dr Foth just struck me as pretentious and boring, the epitome of eastern media.
My mom, a library clerk for over 30 years, knew someone who in turn new Fotheringham when he grew up, here in Saskatchewan. And that person wasn’t afraid to take Dr. Foth down a notch. Because that’s what we flatlanders do, you know. Keep em humble.
I will admit, when I read Foth, I was a young columnist. Now, I’m not so young. But I tried very hard in my early years to channel a bit of Dr. Foth in my opinion writing.