Well, it is certainly looking a whole lot like fall outside and the leaves are indeed falling at an alarming rate.
I love the way fireweed and some other plants turn red. It complements the yellow-orange of the birches, the yellow-green of the poplars and the apricot glory of the tamaracks. It is difficult to describe the colours or to paint them, because they each have a different shine and glow to them, depending on the light and wind.
One fall day, I was out hiking, doing a prospecting traverse. I was walking through a section of forest that was mostly birches and poplars when a breeze came up and the leaves started falling. It was like being in a big, golden, gently-falling leaf avalanche. They were landing everywhere. If I had stood perfectly still, I would have been mostly covered in them. It was one of those magical bush experiences that you had to experience for yourself. It was amazing as I stood there taking it all in. And then it got even more magical because a snowshoe hare, turning into its winter white, hopped into view.
We stood there looking at each other. Then it flicked its ears to dislodge some leaves on its head and hopped away. It seemed like a scene from Alice in Wonderland.
Last week, I mentioned I would be willing to buy the 50/50 lot for up to $100. Well, a few people have contacted me that they are willing to throw in a few bucks, so our joint offer now stands at $300, an increase over the $1 offer by 30,000 per cent, I think. Wow! Downtown land prices are certainly sky rocketing.
Then, by chance, I saw an ad on social media where a person could buy a square foot of Scotland and call themselves a lord. Well, we could divide the lot into square inches and sell them. A square inch of downtown Yellowknife sitting on top of a gold mine and the people could call themselves what ever they like. It’s all about advertising and promotion.
Apparently, we have 16 people running for city council. Here is an idea: have them do a race around Frame Lake and the first eight to make it, win. Think of the money the city would save by not having to actually hold a vote. It would certainly be exciting, and the media could do a play-by-play broadcast of their progress.
For municipal elections, voter turnout is often rather low so it might be a way of making things more exciting. With 16 candidates, the candidates’ forums are going to be long affairs. I suspect they will divide the debates into groups of eight. But listening to eight people in an evening is still a little much. I can’t recall the city having such a turnover of candidates all at once. Only three of the councilors are running again and no one is running against the mayor.
So, one question I have is why are so many people leaving council this time around? Also, do we have too many or not enough campaign issues? Is there too much or not enough public engagement, or are people just worn out after the pandemic? It certainly seems that people are tired and worried about dreaded inflation.
Here is an issue that could be addressed: what the heck is going on with the steps at city hall? They were closed as they were being rebuilt. Then they were fenced off for months, finally opened to the public and then fenced off again. So, it seems we haven’t had front steps to city hall for years. Also, what has all this cost and why do we keep spending more money on steps that we can never use?
It’s a little like the mysterious well-hidden elevator in the building that got put in after the city, years ago, realized they had built a building that wasn’t wheelchair accessible.
It’s a good thing it’s there because the front steps are certainly a mystery. Yes, we have steps, but no you can’t use them. Now there is an interesting campaign question to go with the great choke cherry debate.