Welcome to Alberta....oh no wait a minute...that's England!

Considering that I am not allowed to write about MJ, because hubby told me I was not allowed to utter another word about it verbal or written, and that it is an incredibly slow news week, I, Fundywriter, have literally scoured the Internet looking for interesting little tidbits to bring to you.

Now I came upon this story which somehow slipped right under the radar here in Canada, for reasons which will be obvious, but certainly made the U.K. papers.

Being that I am from Alberta I almost P....d my pants when I read this.

Every couple of years Provinces like to re-vamp their Tourism campaigns, with brand new full blown media launches - and they work. We look at the yummy food eatin in fine restaurants, local culture and music to partake in and of course the sweeping vistas of the country or area.

Well the province of Alberta also relaunched its media package. In the past you typically saw the mighty majestic Rocky Mountains, crystal clear mountain lakes, and the vast sun kissed prairies, under the brilliant blue of an Alberta sky. (gosh - maybe I should be writing the stuff for them. All those scenes were included in this latest version - with one small addition. A five second clip of two beautiful children running along the - beautiful sand dunes and billowing sea grass growing along a white sandy beach, waves crashing along the shore.....WAIT A MINUTE?!? What waves???? where the hell are those? I lived there almost 4....well along time and I never saw any sandy dunes and breaking waves!

It seems that a Northumberland, U.K. beach was mistakenly used in the promotional advertisement for the landlocked province of Alberta.

The Alberta government issued an apology, saying it "screwed up", ah... yeah! A statement from the Alberta Public Affairs Bureau said: "At one point in the narrative we mentioned our regard for people in other places, and in that place we used the only image that did not come from Alberta. Come on! They couldn't find one single image anywhere? Also, I have written marketing and advertising for years and number one rule: when trying to promote the product or message - you should not show another product in its place assuming that will work better. That is called "False Advertising."

Despite the two places being 5,000 miles apart, and an 8 hour flight away, advertising executives charged with attracting visitors to Alberta decided to feature Bamburgh beach in Northumberland, and a boy and a girl happily running through sand dunes and tall grass on Britain's heritage coastline.

Alberta's government has denied any attempt to mislead the public and attempted to justify Bamburgh beach's inclusion. A spokesman for Ed Stelmach, the premier of Alberta, said: "The picture used just fitted the mood and tone of what we were trying to do. "Children are a symbol of the future. They symbolise that Albertans are a worldly people." Yeah...our OWN children!!

The beach concerned is a horse-shoe shaped stretch overlooked by Bamburgh Castle, built by the Normans after the original was destroyed by the Vikings, and restored by William Armstrong, Victorian industrialist. Sheelagh Caygill, marketing executive at Northumberland Tourism, said the issue had arisen at a time when the region is working to sustain a recent boom in tourism. She said: "We think it's quite funny, a landlocked province in Canada presenting an image of itself as an island.

The $24 million dollar re-branding was handled for the province by Edmonton PR firm Calder Bateman, who said they were unable to comment on work done for clients because of the terms of the government's contract. Olga Guthrie, manager of the brand initiative for Alberta's public affairs bureau, said: "This slide represents Albertans' concern for the future of the world. There's no attempt to make people think that the place pictured is Alberta." What would be the point of a Tourism campaign for Alberta that was not intended to make people think of Alberta? Also, it probably didn't help that the name "Alberta" is slapped across the image...?

Apparently the campaign has really worked though, hits on Northumberland's tourism web-site has increased 5 times to what it used to be.
And they didn't have to spend a dime.....ha! ha!

But you know....if it wasn't for the rest of Canada, Alberta would be surrounded by water....

Til later

First We Take Manhatten....Tim Hortons in Times Square!

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New York, the city that never sleeps, will now sleep even less. He! He!

Canada is now creeping in and taking over the American psyche ever so subtlely ... with none other than Tim Hortons coffee. Yes the dark brew, containing secret Columbian ingredients, blended and ground in a undisclosed bunker (apparently somewhere in the basement of Parliment Hill) which wakes up most of the Canadian population each and every morning, now will be controlling the minds (or rather cranial cavities) of New Yorkers rushing thru Times Square.

Ever so quietly, like the British sneaking up the Potomac, over the weekend, 12 Dunkin Donuts locations were converted to none other than Tim Hortons. Overnight the DD signs came down and warm fuzzy Timmy's signs went up. They never new what hit them.

This has all been a well orchestrated, carefully planned infiltration, literally years in the making. In 1998 the New York Post ran a photograph of a mouse (special CSIS agent known as "Little Grey") eating a doughnut at one of the DD locations, and then it was agreed upon that "several prime locations" would be shut down by the end of July this year and replaced with Timmys.

In an interview in the New York Magazine, the CEO of Riese Organization said he hoped to make more money (American greenbacks - not Canadian Tire money, I am assuming) with Tim Hortons because it has a broader product line that includes lunch and dinner items - in addition to coffee and doughnuts. (yeah! just wait until they taste the Chilli!!) The idea was to unveil three co-branded stores with Cold Stone Creamery, an ice cream outlet, in Times Square.

Actually the opening of Tim Hortons received extensive coverage in the city's papers this week. The New York Times explained who Tim Horton was and quoted a food industry analyst who called the organization "the number one coffee chain in Canada."

The Daily News explained what a "double double" is and The New York Post said some people hold Tim Hortons "partly responsible for the overburdening (Canada) socialized health care system. Yeesh!! always gotta be sooo dramatic these Americans!

Tim Hortons, which has more than 2,900 stores in Canada, already has about 500 outlets across the United States, this is probably why Obama was elected to the Whitehouse...

One retail analyst said in a note Friday that "time will tell" if Tim Hortons expansion into New York City will work. "A tourist mecca like New York offers the opportunity to build brand awareness but it also offers high rents and plenty of completion."

Ha! what does he know...we Canadians still don't know what they put in the coffee and why we can't stop drinking it....this is a done deal!

Canadian tourists and immigrants like Jaye Landon, who said “Wow” when she heard the news, may be the surest customers for the Tim Hortons. “It’s hard to be a Canadian and not love Tim’s,” said Ms. Landon, an Ottawa native who has lived in New York for 20 years but still has a Tim Hortons coffee mug in her kitchen. “When you’re crossing the prairie and going through bear-infested territory, Tim’s is your friend.”

o.k. see this is how we get a bad reputation...."Bear Infested??" Mosquito maybe...

Anyways next,....Americans will be wondering why they don't have multi-coloured money too! Ooohahahah!!!

Til later

Coffee, Tea or Kibble?

Air Canada travelers who fret over leaving Fifi at home when they fly can relax, the airline is once again allowing furry companions in its cabins.

I squealed in delight!!! Quickly grabbing cat no. 1 as it sauntered past the coffee table, got it in a two arm hug and clapped it’s little paws together - it was clapping with delight - o.k. I was helping it.

“Why is that good?” demanded hubby

“Well…now when we travel back to Alberta for a visit, we can bring the “boys” (that’s what I call them - my maternal hormones still going strong).

“Why the hell would we do that?” he asked . (cat no. 2 now has paw over mouth in shock!) “One spends all day in the tub, and the other one never leaves the closet - why would we take them anywhere?”

Good question.

The airline announced Wednesday that travelers can bring their cats or small dogs on the plane with them starting July 1 for a fee of $100 for domestic return flights and $200 for an overseas trip. A small price to pay I THINK….for my peace of mind. God only knows what shenanigans they would get up to while we were gone!!

I think what is really happening is that Air Canada has just found a new marketing and pricing technique. Don’t raise airfare but play on the heartstrings of crazy pet people by dangling the “Fido can Fly with me” carrot. Most people hate to travel on an airline with a pet - because giving them human qualities and sensibilities, most people are horrified at the thought of putting fluffy in a crate in the cargo hold.

Heck if I got a discount I’d put hubby there - he just sleeps through the flight anyways.

Air Canada has been struggling because of increasingly cut-throat competition from other airlines like WestJet, known as a pet-friendly airline, as well as the recession..It's part of their strategy to gain market share back that they lost to WestJet when they implemented all those policies, not necessarily only with the pets, but also other things, like call-centre fees and charging for pillows and blankets.

Does anyone remember the days when they actually served you on real china, and gave a choice of red or white wine?

The company has changed its policies on pets several times. In September 2006, the airline said it would no longer allow pets in the cabin due to allergy concerns. Nine months later, the company said it wouldn't accept pets in the cargo hold either due to the need for more space for luggage. "Like all businesses we constantly review and update our policies, and that's what's happened here," an Air Canada spokeperson said. "It's all part of a general strategy that we have here to improve our relationships with our customers." (I'll say - try feeding them)

While the concept of cats and dogs in such close proximity to travelers may raise concerns among allergy sufferers, the company says it rarely hears complaints from customers.

"We don't get a lot of feedback on that, surprisingly," they say. "If we do, what we try to do is we try to separate the two, the person with the animal and the person with the allergy. We put them as far apart as we possibly can." (I suppose non-pet owners could ride in cargo area?) "It's something that we get a lot of positive feedback on. People really appreciate the fact that they can bring their pets on board."

People with SEVERE allergies shouldn't be traveling anyways I say - they are too sick!

Well, out of earshot of hubby, I discussed this with the boys. (I think they talk back - but then maybe I just spend too much time alone on this blog) Anyways they love the idea! They are perusing over the travel mags as I am writing this. Both are big on the Caribbean - what with all the sand and everything.


Til later

Facebook, Blogging & Twitter - Social Networking the new Addiction

We are a one laptop family. When hubby is off on the weekends I rarely get a chance at the computer if at all. Usually this irritates me, however I noticed this evening that I felt very distressed from not having been attached to the thing by my invisible power cord. It seems that there are times I am almost obsessed with all my social networking.

I am either Facebookin, blogging or tweetin or something!!! Yeah.. . Hubby got me hooked on facebook. I remember telling him that it was a very adolescent thing to do…but you know I would try it just once o.k…I was going to be a recreational Facebook user…just on weekends maybe, you know to loosen up, have a little fun…well that quickly turned into about a 50 time a day habit!!! Soon Facebook was not enough…because when I wasn’t on Facebook, I was blogging, then I got hooked on Twitter, and started “tweeting” (curiously close to the word tweeking don’t you think).

I even have a whole routine I follow. I log on and check my email, then I go and check my Facebook, drop some random comment, see who is on, then I quickly switch over to Twitter, seems I just HAVE to know what people like Kevin Spacey or others I do not know personally are doing RIGHT THIS MINUTE! Then I quickly go back to Facebook, just incase someone wrote back another random comment, then back to email, then twitter, on and on. It’s insane! I mean people who I have not seen or talked to since grade school, I all of a sudden need to know what they are doing.

All weekend I kept complaining about the heat in the house, I was sweating and I felt faint. Now I think that what was happening was that I was actually detoxing from social networking.

I have been thinking about this for a while, and I think it is really important to touch upon this issue because someday this could open up into a whole new area for doctors to analyze and study patients. I’m sure it has already begun but the addiction level some have to social networking websites is becoming a serious problem. You all know who you are and we all have at least one in our circle of friends. Those that are out with a group of friends and cannot stop checking their Facebook or Myspace page through the iPhone or Blackberry.

Even airlines have gotten on board with it, and offering internet service to passengers - to Heck! with the navigational systems it seems. The air use to be one of the last bastions of seclusion, people couldn't reach you in the air. Now that is gone!

I see it occurring more and more every where I go but it seems the ability to stay connected with others whether you barley know them and haven’t seen them in ten years or you just saw them last weekend seems to be consuming peoples lives.

Imagine this scene: a group of people sitting around in a circle…”Ah...hi my name is Bob” - “Hi Bob!” - shouts the group enthusiastically. “Ah yeah…it started small. I’ve tried just about everything…ah…but I guess my social network of choice is ah…(bit choked up here)…Twitter.” “Yeah…I am a TWIT!” I can just see it…people sneaking cell phones into rehab, laptops shoved down the front of their pants!!

The tricky part is though is the treatment of this social networking addiction. Like..do you cut out any type of communication all together?, or only the kind you have to use a keyboard for? And then think about the poor addict. People everywhere they look with a laptop in a restaurant or cell phone on the bus? They can't get away from it, and is messing with an I-Pod considered a relapse?

Hubby now wants us to get new cell phones with more functions so we can start texting while he’s at work. I don’t know about this…I don’t have a lot of spare time left during the day as it is.


Til later

Ahoy Matey! Cruise Ship off the port bow

Photo courtesy of portcitypics-fundysnapper.blogspot.com

Ah…..summer. Weed whackers, backyard BBQ’s, beers out on the deck…and oh yeah...CRUISE SHIP SEASON!!!

Yes folks it’s that time of year again. The time when thousands of cruise ship passengers descend on Saint John like a swarm of pastel colored, photo snapping, chino wearing locusts.

But hey we know what side our back bacon is buttered on and because of this short lived span of American greenback influx we will put on our best Canadian grins, practice saying ‘EH’’ and generally get into character. Remember to tell them what the price is in ‘REAL MONEY” , ours apparently is just pretend stuff. I know it may stick in our craw a bit, but come on….the Americans love it! What does it cost us really? We know we read more books and speak better English.

For a couple of weeks now downtown has been a busy little hive of activity. Cleaning, scraping, painting and generally sprucing the joint up. We have venders that wait all year just for this flow of retail commerce and base their financial survival on it. If you shop at the City Market make sure you do not go between the hours of 9 to 5., otherwise you will never make it thru the throng of tourists ‘Oooin and Awwwin “ over $17.00 vials of maple syrup, moose figurines and T-Shirts with friendly beavers on them.

Being that hubby and I are from Alberta, you don’t get many cruise ships out there. None that I can think of anyways. Our first apartment we rented when we landed in Saint John was down on Prince William Street, right on the harbour in front of Pugsley wharf. I can still remember being awakened one morning to a low grade rumbling of a ship’s mighty turbines. On the way to the kitchen I glanced out at the wall of white steel blocking my view of the world thinking, “holy cow…someone parked a ship on my doorstep.” Note to self: pick up “No Cruise ship Parking” sign.

Well we were pretty impressed I must say. Hubby snapped away, getting photo’s from every possible angle. Then we printed off a schedule so we could prepare and set up chairs for each arriving and departing ship. We put up Canadian flags and waved at all the tourists. Stood on our front deck at the end of the day and waved goodbye, teary eyed as our nautical friends waved back. E-mailed hundreds pictures home to Edmonton.

First it was fun, helping tourists with directions and explaining Canadian currency - no that’s real money…for sure eh? Then….it became a little bit of a drag. Helping them find their ride at the end of the day. “The large WHITE thing parked at the end of the street, I think that’s your boat.“ Assuring them that it would not snow later in the afternoon and yes we have the internet in Canada….” and so on.

Saint John is the fourth-busiest port in Canada for cruise ship passengers, behind only Vancouver, Victoria and Halifax. In 2008, the Port City welcomed a record 183,462 passengers - a jump of more than 49,000 over the previous year. Port officials are confident that traffic will reach 200,000 passengers in 2010 and surge past the 300,000 mark by 2015. The 2008 Cruise Ship season brought approximately $19,000,000 in revenue into the port city and remember we got that big spanking new Cruise Ship Terminal to pay for.

So just remember, to dumb down a little, smile a lot, it‘s just for a short while….because at the end of the day, that is allot of maple syrup.

Til later

Fernhill Cemetary - A Walk in the Past

Photograph courtesy of: Jordan McWilliams

Some of you (all 3 of you at least) may have noticed that I did not post yesterday. This was because I was off doing “couplesy things“. Yes, hubby hauled me out from where I have taken root in a cold dank dark corner, mushrooms and moss forming on my north side and dragged me into the sunshine. (no! no! the light - it hurts my eyes!) .

Anyhow hubby being the rabid - no I did not say avid - I said RABID photographer that he is, wanted to tromp around Saint John taking advantage of it’s photographic opportunities and it seems my presence was required for this adventure. I was wary of this for the last time I accompanied him I slipped and fell amongst some rocks and found out what a tidal pool looked like from the bottom up. I laid there in the water for sometime before hubby noticed I was missing and returned for me. But ever the little trooper…..

His choice yesterday was the Fernhill cemetery. Now the last time I was at Fernhill was when I had just moved to Saint John and when on my way to the mall, turned too soon and ended up in the cemetery. Wandered for hours and could not find my way out. Not what I had been planning, but I must say I saved quite a bit of money that day.

Now anyone who has ever taken a trip through Fernhill knows that it is a huge place. I mean if you are going thru Fernhill without following an organized funeral cortège, I suggest you take along a compass, water, extra food and perhaps a flare gun to attract the search party.

I got in trouble from hubby who accused me of not being respectful enough and walking on graves. Yeesh!!! They have been interring people here since 1848 - it was hard not to walk on someone’s grave…

I must say however, I do recommend taking a tour through it. It is a wonderful spot in Saint John, covering acres of beautifully groomed hills and valleys, which wind through some very old gardens and trees. There is even a small brook running down one side of it and the sound of the bubbling water as you walk along the trees and foot paths in tranquility and quite, is relaxing and reflective.

“Resting here are heroes and heroines of two world wars, clergy, poets, politicians, princes, paupers, friends and family.” (taken from the Fernhill Cemetary web-site)

It is almost a museum of sorts. Monuments which themselves are absolute works of art and are never seen these days. Marble sculptures and carvings dotting small rises and valleys. Many of the graves are those of very famous city founders and of course their families and sadly many of their small children, infant mortality being what it was then.

JOHN FREDERICK YOUNG died at 19 years of age on Oct. 13, 1890 and is buried in this here. A public memorial is erected in King's Square to recognize his heroism in giving his life in the rescue of Frederick E. Mundee from drowning in Courtenay Bay. A story of selflessness and heroism which never fails to affect me.

Two Fathers of Confederation, Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, and William Henry Steeves are buried here. Also, George Frederick Phillips who is one of the very few Canadians to have been awarded the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor.

Then there is the poignant story of the murder of Maggie Vail and her little one at Black River, and if you want to see the villain's grave site - John Munroe hung for the crime, is buried here as well. For many years following his burial, a white scarf was tied to a nearby tree to mark the spot, but there is no scarf today, so you'll have to look carefully on Snowdrop Path.

William Pugsley whom Pugsley wharf is named after, member of parliament and once Premier of New Brunswick lies under an impressive monument. One of our cats is named Pugsley after the great man himself and now I know where he will be resting when the time comes. (the other cat’s name is Fundy - so its into the bay with him)

We stumbled upon the family plot of the company which hubby works for and I swear that the emotion of that moment would make any employer proud. I even found the grave of the original owner of our home - now I know where to go when I want to complain about our plumbing…

We basically strolled through and found interesting plots and monuments as we went along, however a very useful walking map can be downloaded from their web-site.

Just another wonderful day in Saint John. We have found that even after two years we still manage to discover new and interesting things about this great city.

Til later