Capital Ex

Every once in awhile I wonder about stupidity, and just to be sure I was not contributing to stupidity I looked up the word. First, I was surprised not to see my picture or those of some of my old friends. The Webster’s online dictionary’s first definition was “A poor ability to understand or to profit from experience.” Man sounds like my life or maybe my lifestyle from time to time. For example my sons and many of those that care about me, think I am too old to break colts that buck. I despite the rods pins and various staples and surgeries continue to break colts that like to buck, so I guess I can fall into the stupidity category.

Every once in awhile and not often enough to be of note; the wheels and gears get stuck in my head. Usually they get stuck on things that I find fall into the stupidity category. One such thing that has been rattling around up there for years and kind of eating away at my cranium, is the destruction of Klondike days and it’s replacement event the big nothing, or should we say Capital X.

The other day I was sitting in my office on the corner of Jasper Avenue and 109 Street when all of a sudden three fighter jets flew over, very impressive. Then it hit me; Edmonton’s non event was beginning. The Capital Zero, no sorry the Capital X had started with the parade. Despite the millions spent by the Northlands folks to promote the event, when you ask anybody they say if they are being kind , that it is an absolute dud. Kids relate it to the midway, but beyond that ask anyone and you will get the same answer, “I don’t Know” sometimes added by it’s the fair. So what the heck happened?

In my opinion it was one of those classic control and greed stories. Growing up before the Klondike days was systematically dismantled, it was a well talked about and exciting event. I remember my Mom, Aunts and Grandmother working and planning for months as to their costumes and what events they would take in. As a kid there was always something to do, from the local malls, pancake breakfasts and all sorts of small events all over the city. The Sour Dough Raft Race was so exciting and was coupled with events like the Lumber Jack competition, and the Promenade all off the midway site. Now understand if a hotel has a daylong event in its parking lot, or a raft race is along a river and draws thousands of people picnicking and watching, or my goodness people are just milling about at a local cafe featuring honky-tonk music how are we ever going to get those people to our precious grounds so we can pick their pockets. It’s important for them to come to the grounds so we can sell them on our ten dollar beer, and eight dollar hot dogs, not to mention the gate charge.

I remember the Klondike days dismantling began by some key people saying the event isn’t a true to life event, we weren’t the gold rush. Maybe not but am I wrong the theme was fun and I thought all those people on route to the gold rush came through Edmonton, as gateway to north. Then the Klondike Association was scooped up and Northlands took over. I remember a fellow involved in one of the off midway events telling me that since the K-Days association was eliminated his hotel was discouraged from having an event. He said it was not seen as community spirited to promote what he had for years promoted which was a pancake breakfast and day long activities at his hotel.

Getting back to the stupid part; I believe the organizers of this nothing event have failed, and they have “A poor ability to understand or to profit from experience.” So, unless you really like midways and Carnies and noise and all that, you probably won’t like the Capital X. The Northlands group are very much about control, they want everyone to be at that ridiculous fair ground. In my humble opinion they really should be removed of the control on the event, and new vibrant organizers should be installed for perhaps the rebirth of Klondike days. Makes me cringe when Calgary makes us look silly by the city wide involvement they get for the Stampede. We should never have let a facilities organization destroy a fun city wide event and all I want to know is; What the Heck is Capital X. At least that’s what it looks like from where I sit

Douglas Stacey is a humorist and a writer. And can be reached at crossingrafterranch@yahoo.ca