Canadian Crossing

Saskatchewan Party wins a fourth straight majority government

Even with 40,000 mail-in ballots still to come, there was little doubt that the Saskatchewan Party would win a fourth straight government in Saskatchewan. Scott Moe finally had an election after more than 2½ years as Saskatchewan premier.

The Saskatchewan Party tentatively won 48 seats in the 61-seat legislature. The Sask Party won 51 seats in the 2016 election and had 46 seats when the election was called. Ryan Meili and the NDP tentatively have 13 seats, the same total when the election was called and up from 10 from the 2016 election. At press time, Meili's seat could still go either way.

Unlike British Columbia, those counting the mail-in ballots will start on Wednesday, 2 days after the election. British Columbia law does not allow for counting those ballots until 13 days after the election.

The best chance for the NDP to crack through would be gains in the "urban" areas of the province, notably Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and Moose Jaw. The Saskatchewan Party has been in power since 2007 and had gained seats every time. The party had not lost a seat in an election so far.

Meili's speech was about 4 minutes and there wasn't much in that speech. The NDP has not had consistent leadership in their 12 years out of power. A leadership switch is always a possibility in a loss; Meili would have to win his seat to have that discussion.

British Columbia Saturday, Saskatchewan on Monday: Election results likely to be delayed

2020 Saskatchewan election preview

Canadian politics notebook: Upcoming elections in a pandemic

Unfortunately in an election dominated by one party, issues don't always get a lot of attention. The Saskatchewan minimum wage actually went up during the campaign. On October 1, the Saskatchewan minimum wage went up a measly 13¢ from $11.32 per hour to $11.45 per hour. The $11.45 mark is the worst in any Canadian province or territory (except where tips are involved).

The CBC News coverage mentioned that the Saskatchewan Party still hasn't balanced a budget, even before the pandemic.

Saskatchewan has had a rather good record on dealing with COVID-19. Then again, the province is rather spread out outside the urban areas.

CanadianCrossing.com Saskatchewan coverage

2020 Canadian politics preview

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

These numbers will change but the Saskatchewan Party got about 64% of the popular vote, more than in 2016. The NDP at 28% was the worst in the modern era for the party.

photo credit: CBC News

British Columbia Saturday, Saskatchewan on Monday: Election results likely to be delayed

The results of the British Columbia provincial election Saturday and the Saskatchewan election on Monday are expected to run into delays in getting results.

There were more than 700,000 requests for mail-in ballots in British Columbia for this election compared to about 6,500 requests in 2017. The province has 3.4 million registered voters.

Elections BC CEO Anton Boegman said the agency would have been ready with electronic voter books and tabulation machines to count the mail-in ballots in October 2021, the original date of the next election. Under current legislation, counting can't start until 13 days after the election, which is Saturday.

For those voting Saturday in British Columbia, polls are open from 8 am to 8 pm, Pacific Daylight Time.

2020 British Columbia election preview

2020 Saskatchewan election preview

Saskatchewan will have a smaller percentage of vote-by mail applications as compared to British Columbia. As of October 15, the province received nearly 63,000 vote-by mail applications with 817,000 registered voters.

The vote-by-mail ballots will be counted in Regina starting 2 days (Wednesday) after the election. The final voting results won't be known until November 7.

For those voting on Monday in Saskatchewan, polls are open 9 am to 8 pm, Central Standard Time.

Annamie Paul is the new Green Party leader in Canada

Monday marks federal by-elections in Toronto Centre and York Centre in the Toronto metropolitan area. Liberals have held these seats; the openings were due to resignations. Newly elected Green Party leader Annamie Paul is running in Toronto Centre. Maxime Bernier, aka the People's Party of Canada, is running in York Centre. That party has 0 seats in Parliament.

Blaine Higgs wins a majority government for Progressive Conservatives in New Brunswick

2020 Canadian politics preview

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

The New Brunswick election didn't have these delays. The province only had about 13,000 requests for mail-in ballots with 547,000 registered voters. Paul Harpell, a spokesman for Elections New Brunswick, said about 100 people typically vote by mail. Harpell noted that machines were able to tabulate the votes by late in the evening on election night.

Let's be patient about getting the results. The neighbours to the south should take that same advice. We will report on all these elections as the results are complete.

photo credit: Elections BC

2020 Saskatchewan election preview

Manitoba, Saskatchewan's eastern neighbour, decided to have its provincial election a year early in 2019. Saskatchewan was the only scheduled province to have a provincial election in 2020.

New Brunswick and British Columbia will end up with provincial elections before the October 26 election in Saskatchewan.

The writ is expected to be dropped later today, officially starting the election season.

Scott Moe has been premier for more than 2½ years since February 2, 2018 yet didn't call an early election after taking over for Brad Wall, who was premier from 2007-2018.

The Saskatchewan Party is theoretically a mix of former Progressive Conservatives and Liberals. The party definitely is centre-right versus the opposition New Democratic Party.

Moe currently has 46 seats in the 61-seat legislature, down from 51 seats in the 2016 election.

Ryan Meili leads the NDP has 13 seats, up from 10. There are 2 vacant seats in the legislature in Regina.

Meili has been leader since March 2018 so this will be the first election as leaders for Moe and Meili.

The Green Party, Liberal Party, and the Progressive Conservative Party will run candidates but aren't likely to pick up seats in the legislature in Regina.

Saskatchewan Party picks new leader

Saskatchewan decides to keep its (Brad) Wall

Saskatchewan has done an excellent job handling the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. This might have been why Moe hinted at a possible spring election. Whatever we might think about having an election in a pandemic, fall 2020 is a lot better than spring 2020.

The Saskatchewan Party has promised smaller gatherings and door knocking at a two-metre distance. The NDP is promising more social media and digital communication.

New Brunswick showed that incumbency helped since getting to know new candidates is tougher in a pandemic.

We have a 5-Point Plan to Invest in #RuralHealthcare - unlike Scott Moe and the Sask Party, who closed 13 rural hospitals in the middle of a pandemic. It's time for a government that puts people first.

See our plan here: https://t.co/3B7j0kulEc#skpoli pic.twitter.com/TOQLzy3Q5o

— Saskatchewan New Democrats (@Sask_NDP) September 27, 2020

This is the point where we talk about potential issues in the campaign. The news coverage doesn't really list potential issues. The closing of rural hospitals was also a concern in New Brunswick. The NDP and the Saskatchewan Party released their full list of candidates. Both parties have 6 candidates who have impaired driving convictions in this election. That might be an issue for the other parties.

The fact that the premier has been in office for this long without calling an election is apparently not a major issue. Since the race may not be too close, we decided to run a picture of the bust of Tommy Douglas, the man who brought single-payer health care to Saskatchewan and later all of Canada.

Canadian politics notebook: Upcoming elections in a pandemic

Saskatchewan schools will be closed on election day. The schools will be used as polling stations. The province's teachers will have a paid professional development day.

The highly independent Elections Saskatchewan got the Ministry of Education to adjust the school calendar so schools could be available for voting.

Elections Saskatchewan is trying to increase the number of places to vote for those in Saskatchewan.

"We have purchased about 400,000 masks. We've purchased many litres of hand sanitizer. We are in the process of procuring [Plexiglas] shields," said Michael Boda, the chief electoral officer for Elections Saskatchewan.

About 4,000 voters cast a mail-in ballot in the 2016 election. through the mail. Boda said Elections Saskatchewan is "building capacity" and voters will be able to apply in September for a mail-in ballot.

We reported back in early August about some of the safety priorities Saskatchewan is incorporating to make voting easier.

2020 Canadian politics preview

CanadianCrossing.com Saskatchewan coverage

This election is about ensuring a strong recovery and building a stronger Saskatchewan.

Premier Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party team are committed to building a better future for all of Saskatchewan where our best days are still ahead of us.#skpoli #StrongSaskatchewan pic.twitter.com/v3GM7a91p3

— Saskatchewan Party (@SaskParty) September 26, 2020

By law, Saskatchewan's electoral period is 27-34 days.

The 2016 election produced a turnout of 53.5% of eligible voters. We will see how different the turnout will be in a pandemic.

photo credit: me
Twitter captures: @Sask_NDP; @SaskParty

Canadian politics notebook: What is impacted by the COVID-19 corornavirus pandemic

Stories often get pushed down during the trying times of the COVID-19 corornavirus pandemic. We wanted to get caught up on some Canadian politics stories buried by more impressive headlines.

Andrew Scheer is still in charge of the Conservative Party of Canada. The race to succeed Scheer as well as the original June 27 election date are on hold.

The party has 4 candidates who met the extensive thresholds to be on the ballot: former cabinet minister Peter MacKay, former cabinet minister and current MP Erin O'Toole, current MP Derek Sloan, and Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis.

Marilyn Gladu, Rudy Husny, and Rick Peterson complained that they missed the thresholds since trying to raise money during a pandemic was inappropriate. The party set in rules with difficult thresholds designed to have very few candidates.

The original speculation was the party needed a permanent party leader right away because of a minority government. That feels so long ago now.

And then there were none: the lack of female premiers in Canada

Normally the new leader of the third party in a province is not news, not even to us. Ontario and Liberal Party is the collective exception.

Former cabinet minister Steven Del Duca replaces former premier Kathleen Wynne as the leader of the Ontario Liberals. Del Duca has to win a seat in Queen's Park since he was one of many Liberals who lost in 2018.

The next Ontario election isn't coming until 2022. The NDP and Andrea Horwath are the opposition party in Ontario with a weakened Doug Ford government in control.

Except for the stints of October 20, 1919-May 10, 1923 (United Farmers) and September 6, 1990-April 28, 1995 (New Democratic Party), Liberals and Conservatives have run Ontario. As significant as Horwath and her party have been, the Liberal Party leader in Ontario matters.

Del Duca has a long road above and beyond getting a MPP seat. The feeling is the Conservatives aren't coming back at this point. The Liberals had a good long run but the "what have you done for me lately" feeling is well in effect. The NDP with Horwath has been a strong opposition party. 2022 feels like a long time from now.

U.S. may not pick a permanent replacement for Ambassador to Canada until well into 2021

Kirsten Hillman has been appointed as Canada’s Ambassador to the United States. Hillman had been the Acting Ambassador to the United States since August 2019 until her appointment on March 26. Hillman is the first woman in the post. She previously served as Deputy Ambassador.

The United States still doesn't have a permanent ambassador to Canada.

COVID-19 notebook: How Canada is faring in the coronavirus pandemic

2020 Canadian politics preview

CanadianCrossing.com Saskatchewan coverage

The United States has been scrambling to have primary elections in numerous states and the federal and state elections in November. Saskatchewan is the only province that has an election in 2020, set for October 26.

There were significant rumours of a spring election by the Saskatchewan Party, which would have been a mitigated disaster. Scott Moe has been in power for more than 2 years without calling an election. The election should be not that exciting, but the reaction to the COVID-19 corornavirus pandemic could change that dynamic.

Elections are better run in Canada than the United States (low bar). We will be curious what extra steps the province might take in an election during a pandemic.

photos credit: Conservative Party of Canada ad; Government of Canada

Valentines Day 2020: Things we love about Canada

Valentines Day is usually about love, love of people with each other. We have had a bit of fun over the years on that topic.

This year, we want to celebrate our love for Canada that doesn't involve celebrities. We still love Canadian celebrities. Anna Maria Tremonti's new More podcast celebrates an internal push from Canadian celebrities. Our focus is on things we appreciate about Canada that are distinctly Canadian.

Newfoundland in the snow

Newfoundland has its share of storms: last month's snowscape was intense even for Newfoundland. Getting ¾ of a metre (2 ½ feet) of snow is incredible enough. The howling 150+ km winds brought a force to the island.

Stumbled across an impromptu Georgetown block party with bonfire in the middle of what should be a street. Beer and comraderie freely shared with all #nlwx #NLStorm2020 #blizzard2020 pic.twitter.com/QxUlea6rti

— Peter Cowan (@PeterCBC) January 19, 2020

How the people of Newfoundland celebrated the snow from snowboarding down the steep roads that are a part of downtown St. John's to building bonfires in the street to hang out with neighbours. Most of what we saw was from St. John's due to the limitations of covering the rest of the province during a horrible storm. You showed Canada and the world that no matter how intense the blizzard was, you would still have fun.

CBC The National

CBC The National slightly skews its numerous hosts lineup

Canada PM Stephen Harper says he prefers watching U.S. news

CanadianCrossing.com journalism coverage

Then Prime Minister Stephen Harper once bragged that he watched American news instead of Canadian news. Most Canadian TV news isn't that meaningful. CTV and Global aren't bad; they just aren't good for a country of 36 million. The National is a nightly newscast that is meaningful to Canada and the world.

You can make fun of the 4 anchor setup. You can poke fun at the ratings compared to CTV and Global (which have American TV shows as their lead-in). Night after night, the best TV newscast in Canada and the United States is The National.

Americans should appreciate that while the newscast has disappeared from cable boxes outside those areas that get the CBC, you can watch the newscast on Facebook and YouTube.

Politeness

Canada isn't always polite. Canada is often more polite, everything else being equal.

When you travel and deal with Canadians, they have a politeness that is refreshing when visiting the country. Canadians are reasonably friendly and helpful. They are polite. Do them a favour and learn a few things about Canada to show how polite you are when you visit them.

Alberta and Saskatchewan

The rhetoric of division in Canada reveals a lack of understanding

They were pretty angry during the election and didn't stop being angry after the election. There will be a Wexit party on future ballots.

These provinces have felt angst from many generations of feeling underrepresented in Parliament.

The Canadian Senate is unelected. Ontario and Quebec get 24 senators each while Manitoba, British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan combined have 24 senators. As we saw in the 2019 election, improving the vote total in Alberta and Saskatchewan doesn't get you that many more seats in the House of Commons.

The area produces some great Canadian resources from beef to potash. Oh, there is oil as well. There are a lot of great people in these provinces. A lot of them are conservative but not in a mean way. Most might be frustrated but they aren't as angry as their elected leaders.

Harry and Meghan

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle living in Canada will be easier by staying fewer than 6 months

I know we said no celebrities. This isn't really about them. Vancouver Island is a gorgeous place in Canada. Having the (former) royals stay there will draw attention to people who otherwise might not have considered the island as a travel destination.

Americans can fly to Seattle and sail from downtown Seattle to Victoria. You can take a bus to Nanaimo and Tofino. Renting a car? Gas is more expensive because, well, Canada and being on an island.

If you are trying to "accidentally" spot the royals (with respect, of course), they are reportedly in North Saanich. That community is south of Swartz Bay, the destination from the ferry from Tsawwassen, an hour by bus to Victoria. North Saanich is also just south of the Victoria International Airport. They will likely be in Victoria and Vancouver, the latter of which is not on Vancouver Island.

If you spend your time exploring the region and/or those two cities, you will have a lovely time, even if you don't spot anyone too famous.

Parlé Francaise

You can and should go to Montréal or elsewhere in Quebec to get a French language perspective on being Canadian. You can elsewhere within Canada to get that Francaise experience: St. Boniface in Winnipeg to Acadia in New Brunswick to numerous Franco-Ontarian cities to Edmonton's French Quarter.

Donut scandals

Justin Trudeau had a scandal (gasp) because the prime minister bought donuts from Oh Doughnuts during a Liberal Party gathering in Winnipeg. On the surface, the scenario is a boss buying donuts for his team. Employees usually want the boss to buy the good donuts for the meeting. Canadians and Americans can relate to this action.

The "scandal" was that Trudeau didn't buy donuts from Tim Hortons, majority-owned by a Brazilian investment firm. Tim Hortons is Canadians in the eyes of Canada. I haven't had Oh Doughnuts but feel comfortable in saying that fresh, local donuts from a locally owned company taste better than donuts that are reheated on site (as Tim Hortons donuts reportedly are).

The "scandal" is a reminder that in a world of Brexit and a highly angry toddler, donut scandals are not a bad speed to be traveling.

National Film Board and TIFF

We were down on them for layoffs late last year. Both organisations celebrate Canadian film. They have online resources to learn more about Canadian film. The NFB allows you to watch certain films within Canada and even outside Canada. The TIFF site has more about Canadian films shown in the festival, the list of Rising Stars, and so much more.

Coolness of Canadian celebrities

This story is about Ryan Reynolds and his generosity.

During the whole Peloton ad saga, Reynolds decided to "save" the Peloton wife (actor Monica Ruiz) and gave her a safe space in an ad for his Aviation American Gin brand.

You could cynically argue that Reynolds was trying to take advantage and increase awareness of his gin brand. Ruiz was concerned about being typecast. Reynolds tapped into the concerns people had over the Peloton ad and gave a break to a fellow actor who needed one.

2019 Valentines Day: Our love for Sandra Oh

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

If your Valentines Day is not going the way you want it to go, planning a trip to Canada can be a way to distract you.

video credit: CBC News
Twitter capture: @PeterCBC
photo credit: me; Aviation American Gin

The rhetoric of division in Canada reveals a lack of understanding

"I've never seen the country so divided."

We heard this conservative talking point ad nauseam thanks in part to the parroting of the line by Canadian journalism. Those who repeat it know nothing about Canadian history.

The battle over the Constitution in 1982. The Meech Lake Accord in 1987. Quebec referenda (referendums?). Getting the single-payer health care system implemented. The FLQ in Quebec during the Quiet Revolution. Conscription during World War I and World War II.

The phrase means that Alberta and Saskatchewan are angry. No one asks the Atlantic provinces if they are angry. Manitoba is west but is usually ignored. British Columbia is west but too far west.

Alberta under Rachel Notley was upset and angry but Notley didn't use her power as premier to yell and make threats. British Columbia did hear a threat but a measured one.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who was hiding harder and longer than Doug Ford (Ontario) during the 2019 election, popped his head out of the gopher hole to rabble along with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. Yes, Alberta and Saskatchewan are angry. Their leaders are angrier. Other places in Canada are also angry. The people, not the leaders, have every right to be angry.

That anger deals with affordability, not feeling like they are being heard in the process, a lack of understanding for what they are going through in their lives. As much as the anger is legitimate in Canada, the idea that Justin Trudeau is completely to blame is shameful. The problems Canada has had were there long before 2015 and will remain for some time.

Justin Trudeau wins second term as Canada PM but in a minority government

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

Like the United States, Canada often pokes fun at different regions of the country. Assumptions are made about those from British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, and Alberta. Some are accurate, others are tired cliches.

Americans not from California will poke fun at those from California. They will also help them out when earthquakes and wildfires happen. The difference is Americans visit California and Florida, and Texas and New York. Canadians are often frustrated because they really don't know each other. Canadians find traveling within their own country rather difficult.

Canadian airport fees have been rather high. In 2015, Canada was ranked 130th out of 138 countries in this realm, according to the World Economic Forum's Travel And Tourism Competitiveness Report. If Canadians are driving across the border to fly out of U.S. airports, they aren't flying back to other Canadian cities.

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

While the Canadian dollar is weaker than the U.S. dollar and certain political concerns make traveling to the United States more problematic, Canadians still make those trips. Miami offers better weather and cheaper NHL ticket prices.

If you live in Ottawa, an airplane ticket to New York is cheaper than a trip to Calgary and a lot more tempting. If you can fly to London or Paris cheaper than to go to Halifax, guess where the luggage is going.

Canadians do drive longer distances and can see their country by car. The gas prices make that kind of a trip rather prohibitive unless relatives are involved.

Spending time in another part of Canada is helpful in terms of increased tourism and word of mouth. As an example, I've been to Calgary, Lake Louise, Banff, and Edmonton in an Alberta trip a few years back. I have lovely anecdotal stories and a few strange ones from that trip. Those memories shape my reflection of Alberta.

I've also been to the Atlantic provinces and have driven in each of them, which brings more enhanced memories of 110 km speed limits and watching out for potential moose crossings.

Canadians I talk to marvel at how much of Canada I have seen. While I haven't been able to travel as much lately, I have lots of great travel stories about Canada.

An American who travels from Des Moines to New York City might poke fun at the Big Apple but also has memories and a connection to a place where they have been.

Canada election 2019: Getting the vote out on Election Day

We praised Andrew Scheer's idea of meeting with premiers to eliminate provincial trade barriers. Scheer had noted that some Canadian businesses find trading with the U.S. and Europe easier than with their fellow provinces.

You might not like British Columbia but you might like the province if they get to drink wine from the province. Opening up trade and travel barriers will help the financial bottom line of the provinces and give a better impression of each other.

Justin Trudeau needs to meet with the premiers. The premiers need to be open and work with the prime minister without the rhetoric of anger and threats.

The regions of Canada will still squabble over equalization payments and how best to process a national pharmacare system. Ontario wine, Alberta beef, Nova Scotia lobster, and Quebec beer will help toast the differences and similarities.

map credit: Ezilon.com

2019 Heritage Classic wrapup

Bryan Little from Kyle Connor scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Winnipeg Jets a 2-1 "home" win over the Calgary Flames in the 2019 Heritage Classic in Regina, Saskatchewan. Winnipeg had a rare power play in overtime but the winning goal came 3-on-3 in the extra period.

The game was a low-scoring affair with a power-play goal from each team in regulation. The Elias Linholm power-play goal came on the series where Matthew Tkachuk appeared to go past the shoulder for a potential penalty. The Josh Morrissey power-play goal was the first the Jets had scored outdoors and the first goal the Flames gave up outdoors.

Winnipeg had the momentum late, outshooting Calgary 19-4 in the 3rd period and overtime.

The 2019 Heritage Classic drew a crowd of 33,518 to Regina.

The Calgary Flames wore the sweaters from the heydays of the late 1980s. The Winnipeg Jets went truly retro with the WHA era sweaters.

The stage is set!
Who's excited for tonights #HeritageClassic ?https://t.co/KUrFKmsczW

— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) October 26, 2019

The Trans-Canada Highway signs on the field were a nice touch. The west and east signs weren't complete accurate since the stadium runs north-south. However, the Calgary Flames bench matched the west part with the Winnipeg Jets matched the east part. I have been on that highway going from Winnipeg to Regina (overnight on a Greyhound bus). The highway is how you would get from Calgary and Winnipeg to Regina.

Regina is 750 kilometres from Calgary and 575 from Winnipeg.

The music sounded good from The Sheepdogs, Jess Moskaluke, and the Hunter Brothers.

Weather conditions were given as -4°C (25°F) with a -11°C (12°F) wind chill. Scott Oake made a joke about coming back later with the 5-day forecast. The criticism of the 2016 Heritage Classic was the conditions were too warm during the day in October in Winnipeg. The conditions at night in Regina might have been ideal for an outdoor game: some snow, but not too much with cold but not too cold.

Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson praised how great the ice was and they were close enough to see for themselves.

2019 Heritage Classic preview: NHL comes to Regina

Winnipeg the true winner of the 2016 Heritage Classic

The Heritage Classic shines NHL spotlight on Winnipeg

Chief Edmund Bellegard gifted blankets to the @NHL, @NHLJets and @NHLFlames.

It is considered a high honor and represents warmth, protection, and is a big ‘thank you.’ In this case, the tribe is very thankful for having this outdoor game. #HeritageClassic pic.twitter.com/PQLO9XOH24

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 25, 2019

The ceremonial puck drop was about the past and future of indigenous hockey in Canada. The puck drop included Fred Sasakamoose, one of the first indigenous players in the NHL along with Brigette Lacquette, the first indigenous woman on Canada's Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team and 2 local youth hockey players.

Coach's Corner featured National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Perry Bellegarde with Ron MacLean and Don Cherry, complete with his Saskatchewan Roughriders sportscoat.

Lanny McDonald (Calgary) and Thomas Steen (Winnipeg) were also involved in the pregame puck drop.

The pregame show and the intermissions aired from Mosaic Stadium. The NHL Network didn't carry the pregame to the U.S. audience. After Hours featured Scott Oake and Kelly Hrudey with Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice.

CFL in the Prairies is where the league shines

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Saskatchewan coverage

The 2019 Heritage Classic didn't have an alumni game, which was a disappointment. The Western Hockey League's Regina Pats had an outdoor game against the Calgary Hitmen yesterday. The Hitmen won 5-4 in overtime.

NHL the month in preview October 2019

We love how the NHL insists that Heritage Classics are well-promoted. Yet the NHL and NBCSN have a big game on Saturday night to downplay the Heritage Classic so the latter game is less in its eyes.

The easiest thing the NHL Network needed to do was a rebroadcast of the game the next day. There was a rebroadcast scheduled for Sunday but the network cancelled that rebroadcast. The channel runs all kind of programming for Winter Classics and their U.S. cousins. The NHL games don't become less special just because they are in Canada. The 2019 Heritage Classic was the fourth game in the nightly recap On the Fly show.

As for NBCSN, their intermission content with Kathryn Tappen, Keith Jones, and Ed Olczyk was decent but the pageantry is the main part of the show. We saw the crowd before the game started and before the 3rd period began. The crowd is why everyone is in the cold. They deserve way more attention. There might have been more crowd shots in Canada.

Canadian NHL teams in outdoor games

Year	Date	Stadium	Result
2003	November 22	Commonwealth Stadium	Montréal 4, Edmonton 3
2011	February 20	McMahon Stadium	Calgary 4, Montréal 0
2014	January 1	Michigan Stadium	Toronto 3, Detroit 2 (SO)
2014	March 2	BC Place	Ottawa 4, Vancouver 2
2016	January 1	Gillette Stadium	Montréal 5, Boston 1
2016	October 23	Investors Group Field	Edmonton 3, Winnipeg 0
2017	January 1	BMO Field	Toronto 5, Detroit 4 (SO)
2017	December 16	TD Place	Ottawa 3, Montréal 0
2018	March 3	Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium	Washington 5, Toronto 2
2019	October 26	Mosaic Stadium	Winnipeg 2, Calgary 1 (OT)

The season finale of the Battle of the Blades dominated the CBC promos that aired during the 2019 Heritage Classic. We have noticed tinier non-verbal mentions of the show on Rogers Sportsnet telecasts earlier in the month.

The 3 CBC promos in the 2nd period aired in the last 3 minutes of the period.

2019 Heritage Classic: Battle of the Blades (1st); Great Canadian Baking Show; Battle of the Blades; Still Standing (2nd); Battle of the Blades; Grand Slam of Curling (3rd)

Twitter captures: @hockeynight; @PR_NHL
photo credit: @ItsLeahRamsay; NHL

2019 Heritage Classic preview: NHL comes to Regina

NBCSN hasn't been to the province of Saskatchewan since the channel's CFL coverage and that was at Taylor Field. The NFL almost came to Saskatchewan and Mosaic Stadium this summer for the Oakland Raiders preseason game but scheduling made that difficult. ESPN hasn't even shown Saskatchewan at home or on the road in its 2019 CFL coverage.

The 2019 Heritage Classic brings Regina and Saskatchewan some well-deserved publicity as the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets will battle on neutral ice.

Saskatchewan NHL fans don't have a team but can watch the Flames, Jets, and Edmonton Oilers as local teams.

The 2019 Heritage Classic will be the second half of the doubleheader on Hockey Night in Canada at 8 pm local time/10 pm Eastern. CBC, Rogers Sportsnet One, Citytv (only in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver), and TVA Sports 2 will have the game in Canada. Ironically, Citytv doesn't have an over-the-air signal in Saskatchewan and the game isn't on in Winnipeg on Citytv.

NBCSN will carry the game in the United States. The channel looks to carry the CBC feed for the game coverage. Kathryn Tappen will host the intermissions along with Keith Jones and Anson Carter.

Winnipeg the true winner of the 2016 Heritage Classic

The Heritage Classic shines NHL spotlight on Winnipeg

CFL in the Prairies is where the league shines

The NHL has done a lousy job of promoting Heritage Classics and the Heritage Classic as a name. NHL 100 Classic. Centennial Classic. Almost anything but Heritage Classic.

The last Heritage Classic under that name was in 2016 in Winnipeg. Toronto played at BMO Field in early 2017 while Ottawa hosted Montréal in late 2017. The Montréal Canadiens have played in 4 outdoor games but haven't hosted an outdoor game. 

Calgary and Winnipeg have each played an outdoor game when they hosted the event in 2011 and 2016, respectively.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

Saskatchewan has hosted 6 previous NHL regular season games. All of those games were indoors in Saskatoon at what was Saskatchewan Place (now the SaskTel Centre).

This was during an experiment to have NHL games in non-traditional markets. Of course, Gary Bettman quashed that fun idea.

NHL regular season games in Saskatchewan

Year	Date	Result
1992	October 13	Calgary 4, Minnesota 3
1993	January 18	Winnipeg 8, Hartford 7
1993	February 23	Winnipeg 8, Ottawa 2
1993	March 11	Minnesota 4, Vancouver 3
1993	December 23	Vancouver 4, Calgary 3
1994	January 23	Vancouver 5, Edmonton 4 (OT)
2019	October 26	Calgary @ Winnipeg

Saskatoon's The Sheepdogs make Rolling Stone cover

CanadianCrossing.com Saskatchewan coverage

The Heritage Classic is also about music. The Sheepdogs will play the first intermission while Jess Moskaluke will perform in the second intermission. The Hunter Brothers will handle O Canada. Canadian supergroup Toque serves as the house band. The Sheepdogs also played before the 2013 Grey Cup.

Canadian NHL teams in outdoor games

Year	Date	Stadium	Result
2003	November 22	Commonwealth Stadium	Montréal 4, Edmonton 3
2011	February 20	McMahon Stadium	Calgary 4, Montréal 0
2014	January 1	Michigan Stadium	Toronto 3, Detroit 2 (SO)
2014	March 2	BC Place	Ottawa 4, Vancouver 2
2016	January 1	Gillette Stadium	Montréal 5, Boston 1
2016	October 23	Investors Group Field	Edmonton 3, Winnipeg 0
2017	January 1	BMO Field	Toronto 5, Detroit 4 (SO)
2017	December 16	TD Place	Ottawa 3, Montréal 0
2018	March 3	Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium	Washington 5, Toronto 2
2019	October 26	Mosaic Stadium	Calgary @ Winnipeg

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

If you can't wait for Calgary and Winnipeg to battle each other in a CFL stadium, the Stampeders travel to Winnipeg Friday night as the teams battle for playoff positioning. The Saskatchewan Roughriders are in Edmonton on Saturday that should end right around the face-off outdoors at Mosaic Stadium.

photo credit: NHL

Canola farmers in Canada latest pawn in China battle over Meng Wanzhou arrest

As you watch all of those Huawei sponsorship mentions on Hockey Night in Canada on Rogers Sportsnet, consider that China still has 2 Canadians held captive in conditions much worse than how Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou is living in Vancouver. Another Canadian may be put to death.

Canadian canola farmers have been feeling the sting of China's retaliation, at least all of this is "unofficial" retaliation.

Canada sends a lot of canola to China, about $2.7 billion worth in 2018. Suddenly, Chinese customs inspectors said they found "dangerous pests" in Canada canola shipments. Shipments from 3 Canadian companies have been blocked.

• There is no reason to think "dangerous pests" even exist as China hasn't shown any proof.
• Some might struggle with the idea of "China" and "food safety" in the same sentence.

While everything is unofficial, the correlation is clear. China is still upset about the arrest of Meng Wanzhou on Canadian soil at the request of the United States.

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The original retaliation: 2-for-1 and in horrible conditions vs. living better than most people in Vancouver. A death penalty sentence and canola oil sales to China are icing on an over-frosted cupcake.

Canada could ban Huawei from its 5G networks. Australia is doing that. Australian coal shipments are "suddenly" running into extra scrutiny at Chinese ports, including impurity complaints.

The United States — the country that wanted Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou to be arrested and extradited — hasn't had any retaliation, mostly due to its size and impact of what the country could do in retaliation.

This op-ed provides enough details that, if they are close to being accurate about the conditions where Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig have been suffering for over 4 months, requires swift action.

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This scenario will not magically disappear short of Meng Wanzhou being on Chinese soil and a full apology from Canada, neither of which is happening. Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig are going to be trapped in deplorable conditions for some time.

Robert Lloyd Schellenberg is in a whole different nightmare. Schellenberg was found guilty of drug smuggling and sentenced to 15 years in November. After the Meng Wanzhou arrest, Schellenberg was retried and sentenced to death over the same charges in a one-day trial in Dalian.

There may be a delay in the very slow process, thanks to Meng Wanzhou filing a civil lawsuit, claiming she was unlawfully detained and questioned for 3 hours without being advised of her constitutional rights. She is entitled to file the lawsuit but you can't help but wonder that Canadians Spavor and Kovrig don't have those rights in China for much harsher treatment.

The Canadian canola farmers are innocent financial pawns. They might find other homes for the canola seeds but they had contracts with China.

China is upset against the Western world but Canada is paying the price. The allegations of the connection between Huawei and the Chinese government have strong credibility. In an open world, the threat of Canada banning Huawei from its 5G networks would be a financial incentive for China to release their "hostages." Canada and other countries don't want to use Huawei in their 5G networks but are seeing the financial impact in a world where denying them may not be possible.

photos credit: me

Greyhound Canada to abandon western Canadian provinces

An Alberta sunset taken from a Greyhound Canada bus.

I've been to all 10 Canadian provinces, traveling on Greyhound Canada in 4 provinces. Greyhound Canada hasn't been a recent option in the Maritimes or Newfoundland and Labrador.

As of November 1, those travel opportunities of traveling Greyhound Canada in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta will be just memories. Greyhound Canada is also bailing out of British Columbia (the Vancouver-Seattle runs are controlled by Greyhound U.S.) as well as the Trans-Canada route between Winnipeg and Sudbury, Ontario will also disappear, so there will be no Greyhound Canada buses west of Sudbury.

I rode Greyhound from Calgary to Edmonton and back in my 2012 Alberta trip. The only other option was a car that I wouldn't have needed in either city. I got to watch an Alberta sunset where you could see the sun go all the way to the horizon.

I rode a Greyhound overnight bus from Winnipeg to Regina in 2016. The driving alternative would have been problematic for lots of reasons. A plane would have been expensive and I didn't need a car in Regina.

Via Rail is not an option for these and many other routes affected by the cuts. Driving and hitchhiking aren't great for a lot of people but may be the only options remaining.

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Greyhound Canada cancelled the Prince George-Prince Rupert route in British Columbia June 1. That cut reflected the issues with hitchhiking with the history of indigenous girls and women on the Highway of Tears that runs down Highway 16 between the cities.

The best viable solution would be a regional bus system such as Maritime Bus out in the Maritimes. I rode from Moncton to Fredericton to Saint John as well as going to and from Charlottetown. The buses were a lot smaller, not as fancy as Greyhound. There were quite a few packages being delivered as well as people.

The Maritime Bus coverage area is relatively compact compared to the long distances in the Prairie provinces.

The Saskatchewan Transportation Company folded in 2017, but we have seen alternative such as Rider Express take over significant routes.

Calgary-Edmonton and Winnipeg-Regina are likely to be covered by smaller companies with smaller buses. The smaller towns and smaller routes are a bigger concern. There is the tourist angle, but there are many people who simply can't drive 800-1000 km across the vastness of western Canada.

Greyhound Canada cited a 41% ridership decline since 2010. The company also noted bus runs of single-digit ridership at times, which was directly contradicted by numerous examples of buses from half full to almost full.

The company said 415 jobs would be lost with an impact to 2 million consumers.

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We like encouraging Canadians and other people to explore Canada. Cars do have their advantages but not everyone can afford to travel that way. The fact that I could access the bus allowed me to spend more time in Winnipeg before going to Regina. The bus allowed me to mock Rob Ford online for following me on my Alberta adventure.

"I would assume that Ford had more appropriate transportation between Edmonton and Calgary. I took the 8 a.m. Greyhound Express. Extra legroom, electrical outlets, and free wi-fi all included. The scenery is flat between the two cities and you do get to stop over in Red Deer as a bonus."

I wrote that in 2012. Being on the bus allowed me to see the amazing scenery, make notes, and reflect in the middle of an amazing journey. Driving isn't the same. Hitchhiking would have been worse.

Hopefully, smaller transportation companies will rise to the occasion to help out western Canadians in ways that Greyhound was too big and slow to make necessary changes.

photos credit: me; CTV