The Wingman Chronicles

We toddled off on our usual trip to Killbear Provincial Park this year, with grand plans for four days of swimming, biking and beaching. We like to try to get in there before the end of the school year, when it is much less busy, and you can get a decent site without booking five months in advance.

The park has a gorgeous beach, and is right on Georgian Bay. Some of the highlights include a few easy hiking trails, a bike trail that extends the length of the park, and a brand new visitor centre. Wildlife is relatively common. The park is close to Parry Sound, for access to shopping and amenities.

Things got off to a good start – Sean saw a deer while we were registering, and our site was very nice. Right next to the beach, good shade, and lots of forest to explore. We managed to get everything set up, had some stew on the stove, and had pretty much everything in order. Sean and Ally had begun exploring the beach, collected some rocks, and were vigorously feeding the local mosquito population.

Unfortunately, Sean came out on the losing end of a ten foot fall while on a tree-climbing expedition – the tree (right) had a nice view of Georgian Bay – and we ended up spending a grand total of about two and a half hours in the park. Final tally – the tree – one broken branch – Sean – two broken bones, and displaced bone – memories of Joe Thiesman – ugh.

Sean spent the night in the Parry Sound Medical Centre, and we ended up ‘camping’ in the Parry Sound Comfort Inn.

Sean did manage to get his first ambulance ride, his first cast, and has subsequently been spoiled senseless. And he’s getting pretty handy with crutches. But it has put a cramp in his summer hockey, mountain biking, etc., what with this happening ten days before the end of school….

The weekend ended up being rainy and stormy, so it wasn’t a total loss. We were at least dry.

But what about the the title?

We left home at 2pm on Thursday, and were back at 2pm on Friday – 24 hours door to door (With apologies to Kiefer Sutherland and 24).

So can you imagine the lead news story across much of Canada this past week?

• The war in Afghanistan?
• The skyrocketing price of oil?
• The ecological impact of the Alberta Oil Sands expansion?

No.  It is none of these.  It isn’t even the hiring of Ron Wilson as the new head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs (although this is close).

Instead, the most important news story in Canada over the past seven days or so has been the fact that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – the venerable CBC – long-time host of Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC), has declined to renew their contract with the composer of the HNIC theme song.

This is almost beyond belief.  They didn’t learn their lesson when they almost didn’t renew the contacts of the hosts (Ron MacLean and Don Cherry).  No.  They decided to test the waters of public opinion yet again.

Most every kid in Canada remembers (stereotypically) rushing inside at 8pm on a Saturday — usually after playing road hockey — to watch HNIC.    The outcry has been significant.

Even better, a rival network – CTV – has purchased the rights to the music ‘in perpetuity’

What a country!  I love it