Rhino's Ramblings - This And That

By Robert Thomas Opinion/Commentary

Well another month has come to an end and once again it is time for a bit of a wrap up.

For those who did not notice over the past couple of months MJ Independent has put out a lot of stories.

In May we put out 65 stories which is a pretty good amount.

But in June we put out 73 stories and they were highly popular with year over year June 2022 had almost 50 percent more readers than in the same time as last year - June 2021.

All in all it was a great accomplishment and thank you to those who contributed to make it happen.

With summer or rather July already here we are unfortunately unlikely to turn out the same amount of stories because we are going to play catch up on all of those stories we just could not get done so far in 2022 but promised to get something done on.

With that said the stories will not be dated but relevant by the time they get out.

But rest assured while we are away on a holiday, or is it a sabbatical, work will continue. If you got ahold of us in June with a story there is every intention of getting them done right away .

A couple of weeks off will also allow me personally to do some organizing as I have a lot of things to get done out in the yard. There are things I have put off for a couple of months and whether I like it or not they need to get done.

But this a column about This And That so here goes.

Taxi Licensing

]It may have come as fanfare for some on Council and others in the local taxi industry but after all that is said and done the Taxi Bylaw for the most part seems like a major bust.

Designed to bring some sort of order to the world of taxis in Moose Jaw the entire bylaw has been in just two words oh sorry three words - A Mammoth Failure .

For some on the industry the introduction of a Taxi Bylaw was seen as a way to clean up the industry which had seen a major rise of moonlighters, gypsy cabs, unlicensed cabs or in the word of cabbies scab cabs crowding into the Moose Jaw market.

Sadly due to an absence of any sort of enforcement what the Taxi Bylaw has really done has driven a t least one honest firm that signed up to it out of the business as it was unaffordable.

The licensing they thought they were paying to remove the unlicensed in the wild west of rides just did not happen and worse yet just ended up costing them more.

A couple of firms I spoke with actually told me it all is just a cash grad by City Hall that has cost the honest ones dearly.

On the other side I have spoken to a couple of people who are unlicensed and they see the advent of ride sharing in a different light. That the Moose Jaw Police Service and the Province are 100 percent behind them as the unlicensed ensure those who drive drunk aren’t on the road.

On another side of the picture the much heralded ride share opportunities the new bylaw was suppose to bring are not there. As URide - the fastest growing ride sharing company in Canada - has silently left Moose Jaw and are not returning any email enquiries.

Bridges

It seems the City has grown really silent when it comes to the question on the condition of some of the City’s many bridges.

With the fight to save the Coteau Streegt East Bridge now likely a few years off what about the other bridges?

Well the 4th Avenue Bridge is still going for a re-design and major repairs/ It is on the drawing board and fast approaching the stage where it is going to be given the construction green light,

Exactly who is going to be paying for it is yet to be seen as the last I heard the City was trying to convince the CPR to once again cost share for something I believe - but I could be wrong - they did the last time with the agreement it was the last time.

With that said has anybody taken a good look at the Sioux Bridge in the Wakamow Valley?

The last time I looked the major cracks on it seem to be getting a lot bigger or should I say biggggerrrr???

Sign, Sign Everywhere An Unreadable Sign

For those of you who get out and about can someone please tell me how many unreadable street signs do you see out there?

For myself I have noticed a few.

But the worst ones I see are not the City’s fault per say but just the work of a bunch of - in my opinion - degenerate bums who have nothing better to do.

Take a drive down Thatcher Drive East and you can notice more than a few signs turned, unbolted and pushed over at least partially by a lot more than the wind. I highly doubt that a 9/16s bolt is somehow undone by the winds - even if they are over 100 km/hr.

I personally doubt the courts and police will do anything to those with as Styx would sing “Too Much Time On My Hands” but in the words of another song by ‘Lil Wayne and “I say (beep) (beep) ” go and “Get A Life”.

Alcohol Free Fair

For those who did not notice the recent Moose Jaw 2022 Hometown Fair was missing something that many other fairs and exhibitions in Saskatchewan are missing and that i9s alcohol and drugs.

It really cuts down on some of the more undesirable bahaviour at the Moose Jaw Exhibition fair grounds and as a couple of people told me the lack of alcohol actually makes for a better family fair.

It is something that is a more family - especially smaller children - friendly event.

I never thought of it that way but when I think about it the lack of a beer gardens is not something I missed and I am sure the local watering holes are happy that the Exhibition is staying out of their business.

Fair Entertainment

I had a few comments about the entertainment at the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair.

The most comments came about the RCMP Musical Ride which was a hit for most people but there were a couple of dissenters about the appearance of what are serving police officers riding around in dress uniforms.

I had a couple of people who were not happy to see their tax dollars “wasted” on such an exhibition and they felt I should have taken the Mounties to task on the subject.

As I told them the article I wrote about them was about the Musical Ride and what people could see and I had no problem asking questions about the economics of the Musical Ride but I needed them to come forward and use their names to explain why it is bad.

Do I think the dissenters have a valid point?

Certainly, but sadly not one of them wanted to have their name out there.

So alas there was no story with their name out there.

With that said when I did speak to the Mounties they were very happy to address the concerns being raised. With more than a sufficient argument that went beyond helping charity but that the Musical Ride helped the Mounties reach the people that they serve.

They even would have no problem sitting down and person to person respectfully speaking with their critics.

With that said though overall the 2022 Moose Jaw Hometown Fair may not have been the biggest fair this city has seen in terms of the length of parade, the musical entertainment, home crafts, trade shows of the past.

But what the Fair did for many people this year was an opportunity to get out, have some fun outdoors in as close as to normal once was and after two years unwind.

It hit the point right on when in the end the four day Fair made a lot of kids smile with memories that will last a lot of years if not for a lifetime.

And for that the Fair was spot on.

Ukraine

I had a few people ask me in the end how did things really work out in Ukraine?

Well I suppose I should start with the bad news and that is two people I know sadly have been killed in the stupid war.

You get conscripted, you grew up as an orphan after your parents die in 2014 and 2015 in the same war and the government uses you as barely trained cannon fodder.

Dead before the age of 22. What a waste.

It keeps me up at night and haunts me in my sleep.

They were killed senselessly in the first few weeks of the war (best friends killed one day apart) and I really wish at times I could have taken their place.

On a positive note the great adventure on a train to Severodonetsk, in mid February 2022, did pay off as one of my friends was able to get there from further east and then go to the bank and withdraw funds I left for them to get to safety.

I told them if they ever got out of that hell hole to just drop me a line when they made it to the relative safety of Odessa.

Well a couple of days ago I received a picture letting me know they had made it.

I recognize the Black Sea beach and I think that is my beach umbrella I believe she borrowed from my storage locker.

Press accreditation can work wonders.
Amidst the crazed madness that Ukraine and the war has become I have to weigh up the successes against the failures.

No measure of a bank account or rather a lack of one because of the things you do to help friends can ever be determined I suppose.

And yes, those of you who followed this column from when it first appeared in the now defunct Moose Jaw Times-Herald will understand.

Moose Jaw Miller Express

And finally, although we do not cover the Moose Jaw Miller Express, what is up with the team?

After a two year hiatus the Miller Express is back at it and leading the East Division of the Western Canadian Baseball League.

In their last ten games the Miller Express are 8 wins and two losses.

Their overall record is 20 wins and 8 losses.

I personally have never been to a Miller Express ball game as the last time I was in the stands was when the now defunct Moose Jaw Diamond Dogs had the city on fire with over 76,000 fans total in the seats of Ross Wells Park.

There has been some major renovations at Ross Wells Park the past couple of years that make the ball diamond a much inviting place and the lack of mosquitoes in this so far dry year I am hearing is making for a relaxing evening.

With that have a great start to summer with the kids are home and a trip to cheer on the Miller Express one or two evenings might be just what the doctor ordered