EX men (and women): extroverted extensioneers exuberantly expound edmonton exhibition Another typical Thursday at Extension found 28 volunteers marching around the streets of Edmonton, accompanied by Smurfs, Shriners, eminent Alberta politicians, beauty queens, and men in dresses blowing into inflatable plaid bags that produce a sound not unlike an army of dying sheep. The July 21 parade kicked off Edmonton’s summer fair, Capital Ex, and Extension representatives wound around downtown avenues from 10:00 a.m. to noon for the third year running. Some dressed as students from various programs, some toted balloons, and others, like the Faculty’s Dean, Katy Campbell, spent an uncharacteristically hot Edmonton morning in stifling, elaborate period costumes. This nod to the city’s history was especially appropriate this year, as Extension was joined by volunteers representing Marshall McLuhan’s Centennial celebration. Among their ranks were several volunteers from Extension’s Masters program in Communications and Technology, who successfully lobbied the Mayor to declare the day
“Marshall McLuhan Day” in honour of the late media luminary’s 100th “birthday.” Over 200,000 people attended the parade, after which the weather once again relented to a far more familiar pattern of grey skies and rain. As of the publication date of this article, Extension’s parade coordinator, Brianne Thomas, refused to comment on accusations she had arranged with the forces of infernal darkness a deal for certain meteorological favours.
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