Atkins

It is election day in Canada. I am sitting on a British Airways Boeing 777 slurping a little Glen Fiddich, precariously balanced on my neighbour’s pull-out table, waiting to fall.

I wonder who wrote that first newspaper ad for the federal Liberals, that appeared in the Globe and Mail before the election. The headline read ‘It’s not which Canadian you choose. It’s which Canada.

Generally, I try not to rant more than once a quarter. It is bad for business and bad for my health. I break the rule this month! We are living in extraordinary political times.

People don’t like it when they find out someone they know, or thought they knew, is not whom they thought they were. They feel betrayed or stupid. Additionally, people don’t like it when other people steal their money.

Bravo. The City of Greater Sudbury has done itself proud. From one end of the city to the other, we have vigorous contests for council positions and the contest to be mayor has been extraordinary.

The following is an excerpt from Michael Atkins’s speech to the Rotary Club of Sudbury, June 14, when he was presented with the Paul Harris Award.

After a year of SARS, Mad Cow disease, hurricanes, blackouts, wars, spam, political realignments, and all the rest I feel under qualified to make any predictions that would be half as interesting or dramatic as the real thing.

If 2004 is any guide, miracles do happen. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series, the Tampa Bay somethings won the Stanley Cup, the Toronto Argonauts won the Grey Cup and Col. Moammar Gadhafi threw in the towel without being invaded.

It is impossible to do justice to the number of andquot;thank you’sandquot; one owes after 30 years of publishing a news-paper.

“He wore his love and pride for this city on his sleeve every day of his public life.” “Hello.” “Guess what?” “What?” “Jim Gordon is not going to run again?” “Not run again for what?” “For mayor you idiot.