Parker’s Pen

BY DAVID PARKER

Iapplaud the many pushes to ‘Buy Local’ when possible, particularly by restaurants that source out produce and meats from Alberta growers and farm collectives. A problem I have is determining just what is a local product.

A bag of nice looking red potatoes at the Co-op boasted being Canadian, but when I got home nowhere could I find on the ‘plant-based eco-friendly potato-based packaging’ if they were grown locally, around Lethbridge or perhaps on Prince Edward Island.

What a nice surprise to see Kim McConnell smiling out of the pages of last month’s magazine. As gala chair he was promoting this year’s 70 over 70 Awards, recognizing people who have started new ventures or initiatives after reaching the age of 70.

Highly commendable – but what about people like Kim who have never stopped being a business leader and mentor to youth?

I first met the affable gentleman when he was running a small advertising agency; then he upped and founded a new one called AdFarm which he grewinto a major firm helping to build public trust in food and farming.

And he is still very involved as a strategic partner at AdFarm and sits on boards such as Canadian 4H Council, Canadian Centre For Food Integrity and the Stampede Foundation.

Didn’t take long for e-scooters to be balancing around downtown again. Guess they are something we have to learn to live with and I expect that most riders, like most cyclists, will be responsible and respect pedestrians – and cars and trucks. Understand that they are not mixing too well in Eau Claire but I have seen many abandoned ways out in the suburbs. Perhaps some think it a good idea to scooter home after a few beers. But interesting to note that in Berlin few e-scooter riders ending up in hospital wore crash helmets, and onefifth were over the drink limit.

Sad to see following the closure of the Downtown YMCA that Bankers Hall Club was forced to shut down; but good news I hear is that there is a strong attempt to re-open the Bow Valley Club.

Other clubs seem to be doing fine with the Calgary Petroleum Club hiring a new executive chef Geoffrey Miller, formerly of the Hyatt Regency, and The Ranchmen’s Club welcoming new head chef Douglas King and new general manager Will Trow who both created a national gem in the small but rather exclusive Von Der Fels on Firsst Street S.W.

One of the best things for me in the re-opening of pubs is that I was able to ask for, and be presented with, a COVIDbanned beer mat. No more dripping onto the pant leg.

A word about reconciliation. My dictionary says it’s all about restoring friendly relations; something needing work by both sides to achieve.

Final Words

“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” - Ghandi