| In 2005, Alberta is turning 100 years old. It’s a milestone to be certain, but it makes me wonder just how much time, energy and capital different organizations across the province are going to devote to something that ultimately is just going to become a historic footnote.
The government has commissioned a song (creatively entitled "Alberta") that can be heard in all its questionable glory (in both pop and country versions) at www.albertacentennial.ca/celebrations/alberta_song. The Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos have added centennial crests to both their home and away uniforms. There is even going to be a centennial re-enactment on September 1, 2005 with fireworks displays and gala presentations at the newly renovated Jubilee auditoriums in Calgary and Edmonton. While all of this must have cost more money than I will see in the next 100 years, it’s a mere drop in the bucket when you consider what the Alberta government has allocated to spend on the anniversary.
There are $10-million worth of grants available to help all incorporated municipalities in the province celebrate 100 years of Alberta. Added to that is the $81 million set aside for a two-stage legacies program for municipalities and non-profit organizations to commemorate the centennial. There is no indication on the province’s centennial website as to how this money is going to be spent, but judging from how funding has already been allocated we can expect some head-slapping results.
Thus far, the most ridiculous bit of spending has to be the estimated $1.5 million set aside for the centennial medallion program. Measuring 30 mm in diameter and made from bronze-plated steel, 600,000 of these medallions will be distributed to schoolchildren from kindergarten to Grade 12. Deluxe 14-karat gold versions will be given to any Albertan born before 1905.
Now, I can understand singling out these folks for tribute. There aren’t that many of them and they deserve something for living that long. However, will they have any interest in a medallion that "illustrates Alberta's natural beauty, its people, its heritage and its many gifts?" What if these citizens have spent only the last 10 of their 100 years in Alberta? Are they still eligible?
More importantly, though, what is the Alberta government thinking by giving schoolchildren these things? They are likely to care less than the 100-year-olds. At 30 mm in diameter, the medallions are slightly larger than a toonie, making them useless in any vending machine. They won’t have a monetary value and, with 600,000 of them on the market, they probably don’t have much chance of appreciation. Besides, appreciation is contingent upon the kids actually holding onto these things. What are the odds of that happening?
I remember when I was in elementary school in the 1980s and the Pope had planned a special visit to Alberta. Because I was enrolled in the separate school system, my classmates and I were given commemorative Pope coins. I was one of the few students who held on to his and, to be truthful, I only kept it because the fear of God was forced into me during weekly parent-mandated visits to church. Once I began to question the Roman Catholic church, that Pope coin was the first thing to go. I may be a cynic, but I think kids these days would find it easier to believe in God than in a province that continues to elect leaders who close hospitals and plan to privatize health care. If these medallions even make it home from school, it will be a freaking miracle.
Do you know what the worst part of the whole thing is (aside from the unfathomable waste of cash)? The Alberta government distributed similar medallions to celebrate the province’s 50th and 70th anniversaries. Didn’t we learn from our mistakes?
I’m not saying that spending money on a centennial is not worthwhile. Even Saskatchewan, a province without a wealth of oil money to depend upon, has allocated $120 million for its centennial, which is also in 2005 – but a look at www.saskatchewancentennial.com shows that our neighbours to the east have much less flashy destinations for the money. Spearheading an affordable housing initiative, cleaning up highways, assessing the impact of several environment hotspots and upgrading the Trans-Canada trail seem a hell of a lot more useful than handing out bronze-plated coins.
I know that there is no way that the Alberta government is going to let the upcoming centennial pass by without a certain amount of hoopla. I don’t even mind the fact that the government has earmarked a whole crapload of cash to celebrate 100 years of Alberta culture. I just think there must be a better way to do it.
For more on Alberta’s centennial song, see page 24. |
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