Records broken

You actually may have missed the news. Not that it was your fault. It just didn't kick out a lot of headlines.

I'm talking about the Statscan job numbers. They were just released. It was the biggest one month upward jump of new jobs hitting the economy in recent history.

And here is another headline from internationally respected magazine ‘The Economist’…Canada – An Economic Miracle!

Don't you find it a little curious that media outside of Canada are putting us up in lights while our own national media seem to dim the economy down?

The non-stop daily 'end of the world' headlines revolving around the Greek debt problem or Iceland's volcano seem to get all the attention. The fact that Canada's economic performance is blowing away most other countries hardly gets a notice.

Let me underline that the global economic recovery is still fragile and there are still Canadians who have not regained their lost jobs. We will continue to take appropriate measures to do all we can to assist those who are in difficulty.

My concern is that our citizens need to be hearing the full story. That story should give equal billing to the fact that our economy is doing better than most others.

When people get a broader look at the full picture in a balanced way it helps to reduce the fear factor. It helps people make rational financial decisions. It sends the message that it may actually be okay to expand a business, invest in a product, hire a few more people or upgrade your home.

It is not the position of government to tell people to invest or not to invest. However, if government policies are bringing in positive economic results it would only be fair to see that reported. After all, when results are negative or jobs are being lost, that quite rightly gets intense and top billing.

Sure would be nice to see positive results getting close to the same fanfare.

Talking about positive stuff, a remarkable event took place this weekend in Okanagan Falls. It was the unveiling of the Kenny McLean Memorial Statue.

Okay, for all of the city folk who don't follow rodeo, who was Kenny McLean?

He was Canada's most winning cowboy - 14 times Canadian National Champion. He was Rookie of the year when he was only 17 and then, when he competed the following year in the USA, he won US Rookie of the Year also.

Kenny was also the first rodeo rider to be admitted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame and the first rodeo cowboy to be honoured with the Order of Canada.

As one of Canada's aboriginal cowboys his life has had a huge impact on native and non-native athletes.

Kenny died of a heart attack a few years ago. There he was at the age of 63, sitting on his horse ready to come flying out of the chute in a rodeo event. With one hand on the reins, and holding his lariat in the other hand his heart stopped beating and Kenny went to rodeo heaven doing what he loved best.

It really is worth a drive to Okanagan Falls to see the marvelous statue of Kenny on a bucking bronc. You can't miss it. It's on the main strip as you go south through town, just before Tickleberry's Ice Cream.

And a 'Hats Off' to the famous Lions Club in Logan Lake.

They put together another spectacular "Steak and Lobster Dinner" in the arena in town. And yes, again this year there were people who made the drive from Alberta and the Lower Mainland to enjoy one of the best kept 'secrets' of the Highland Valley.

Catch this great event next year if you haven't been. It will be the 29th year in a row the Lions have put this on. A $25 dollar fresh lobster feast with all the trimmings!

(An extra $10 gets you a sumptuous steak with it.)

Talk about economy!

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.