ROYAL PRINCE GEORGE — Not that long ago, former Abbotsford councillor Simon Gibson called Prince George “musty, old-fashioned and lifeless” in a letter that suggested the city rename and rebrand.
But then, the royals had a baby. And they named it George. Prince George.
And suddenly, Gibson, now the MLA for Abbotsford-Mission, sees the error of his ways.
“Today I’m thrilled, as someone who teaches marketing, to see the amazing opportunity they have to market a fantastic community,” Gibson told the Vancouver Sun’s Jonathan Fowlie, when asked about his old Prince George letter this week.
“Prince George. Wow, what an opportunity. So, I’m thrilled for everybody.”
So was cabinet minister Don McRae (Comox Valley), who saw it as a chance to unload some cast-offs.
He asked the Speaker to pass on the fact “we have an extra stroller that we no longer need.”
DA BEARS — B.C. has successfully cloned Smokey the Bear. The province spent $2,056.25 on a second full-sized Smokey mascot costume for public events, according to credit card receipts released with public accounts.
The second Smokey will “accommodate more events and prevention education opportunities” and “avoid spending money on shipping the costumes from zone to zone,” the Forests Ministry said.
Smokey 2.0 should last five to 10 years, provided the summer intern who gets suckered into putting on the suffocating fur on a sweltering day doesn’t barf inside the cartoon head and ruin the whole thing.
Remember, kids, only you can prevent fiscal waste.
SMACK DOWN — Speaking of bears, Deputy Premier Rich Coleman (Fort Langley-Aldergrove) castigated NDP critic Nicholas Simons during estimates debates.
Simons, the MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast, criticized the planned $20-million Pacific Autism Family Centre as an unnecessary “vanity project” by some prominent B.C. families who donated money to the Liberal party and “are likely going to have their plaques in the entrance lobby.”
“How dare you, Member,” thundered back Coleman.
“How dare you attack people who have children with autism that want to do something good for British Columbians because you decide that they might want a plaque somewhere? How dare you?
“You can’t come in here and actually name a person’s family, who have lived with autism and know how important it is for children with autism to try and find services for them from the province of B.C., and demean them in your comments,” he added.
“I won’t sit here and let you do that — OK? I’m not going to let you do that.”
“Thank you for that lecture,” shot back Simons, who accused Coleman of a “holier-than-thou” attitude and “making it up as he goes along.”
TWEET LINE — Simons lost that battle, but got off a good one-liner on Twitter when former Westside-Kelowna MLA Ben Stewart sat on the floor of the house as a guest.
“Former MLA Ben Stewart has returned to the legislature before the premier,” Simons tweeted.
Christy Clark won Stewart’s seat in a byelection, after he resigned to let her run.
She could have sat as an MLA on the last day of the session, Thursday, but was at a Council of the Federation meeting at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
SO SORRY. NOT — Members from each side of the house apologized this week — sort of.
NDP House Leader John Horgan (Juan de Fuca) rapped the premier’s office staff for their credit card use, only to discover later that he was using data from the wrong year.
He was referring to 1,310 transactions worth $475,000 from a year ago, when the current figure is 1,158 transactions worth $402,000.
“I apologize if anyone moved incorrectly on that $75,000 indiscretion.”
In other words: “It was still too high, even though it was a year ago.”
And cabinet minister Andrew Wilkinson (Vancouver-Quilchena) was prompted to apologize for using the word “fraud” in connection with the NDP, after they objected. He said it was intemperate.
“To the extent which the members opposite found any of those remarks offensive, I withdraw.”
Or: “I’m only saying this because I have to.”
FETA COMPLI — The NDP’s Scott Fraser (Alberni-Pacific Rim) appeared not the least sheepish as he urged people to take in the 100th annual Coombs Fair on Aug. 10-11. “If you pass the goats on the roof, you know that you've gone too far,” he said. “You don’t want to miss the fun. That would be very baaad.”
— With files from Les Leyne, Rob Shaw and Lindsay Kines
