My Mulroney Memory March 23rd 2024

   Never let it be said that I lean to the conservative ideology.   However I have always believed that regardless of the party,  most people who serve in political office make sacrifices most of us refuse to entertain.  Recently we lost a former Prime Minister who lead a party for whom I have never voted.  And although I had my reasons,  I don't think rehashing the opposite ideologies of our former Prime Minister and I would be of any value.  Nor do I think it would be respectful for an individual who served his country in some difficult times.  

    Prime Minister Brian Mulroney recently passed away.  He has been remembered for many political successes and failures since his death and I hope  he will be remembered for his human attributes as well.   Cause  that is the way it should be.  

      I never met Brian Mulroney.  I never shook his hand.  I was in his presence but once.  And that moment has provided me with one of my most memorable stories.    It is one I think people of all political stripes can enjoy:

       In the summer of 1984 I was a cop in a beautiful little prairie town called Humboldt, Saskatchewan.  I honestly can't remember the reason for, or which government provided it,  but grant money was available for community beautification projects.   Across the alley from my house was a community park beside Town hall.  The park was always in use with people picnicking,  playing soccer or touch football.  It wasn't a huge park.  About five lots,  I'd say.  But it was central, and tidy, and always in use.  When grant money was available our municipal fathers just couldn't leave money on the table.   So in the spring of 1984 the town of Humboldt obtained a $5000.00 grant to build a fountain in the middle of that little park.  

     Now the whole fountain idea wasn't exactly well received by the public.   I don't remember if the actual population for or against was measured,  but the most vocal were those against.  It didn't help that the fountain went over budget by a healthy amount, cause over budget although never anticipated is almost always the norm.    The fountain was finally up and running by June of that year.  Just in time for our Mayor's crowning moment.  There was a Federal election that year,  and Brian Mulroney and his wife Mila were going to be campaigning in Humboldt on the FORTH of JULY!  

     Our mayor at the time was a staunch Conservative as were a goodly number of the council.  So in an even bolder move they voted that year to suspend Canada Celebrations to coincide with the Mulroney visit to the FORTH OF JULY.     It was not a well received move and I guess the mayor and council decided if you were in for a penny you might as well be in for a pound and they proclaimed the reception for Mr. Mulroney would be in front of the new town fountain.    

       Come July 4th,  on a beautiful sunny day I was one of the local uniformed detachment members assigned to watch traffic and keep things moving.   The CBC, and CTV were there with radio stations from Saskatoon and Regina.  There were news paper and news magazine reporters from across the country.   The town had erected a podium directly in front of the fountain.  It was a beautiful sight...It even contained my wife leaning on our back fence across the alley from the fountain.    The Mayor was beaming,  and the town administrator stood straight and proud.   

      Alas not all was perfect.   The media people did their sound checks and found the sound of the spraying water was causing too much interference with recording equipment.  The fountain would have to be shut off while Mr. Mulroney addressed the crowd.  The mayor's shoulders sagged a little, and the confident stance of the Town Administrator instantly turned into an insecure go between.   But in the end the fountain was shut down before the Mulroneys even got to see it.   

      When the bus and the big moment arrived, The Mayor introduced Mr. Mulroney as the future of our country.  He used his seat in local government to endorse Mr. Mulroney as his candidate and then proudly shook the future Prime Ministers hand with his best adoring firm business like hand shake.  Brian Mulroney was a good orator.  He made a good speech about our beautiful town and it's place in our wonderful country.  He pointed out all the horrors of the other guys and the outstanding business savvy of those who would form his government.   Although it is stuff you usually hear from any politician of any political stripe,  I have to say that Brian Mulroney knew how to catch the imagination of a crowd.  

    When he finished his speech,  he and his wife shook the hands of the dignitaries and then moved toward the crowd for a little elbow rubbing with the local voters.   AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY:

      As soon as the Mulroney's moved  toward the crowd,  The mayor looked at the town administrator, snapped his fingers and pointed to the fountain.  The town administrator in turn looked at the town foreman, snapped his fingers and pointed to the fountain.  The town employees immediately hit the valve and turned on the fountain.   Maybe with a little too much gusto, cause for what ever reason, the water shot out of the fountain like a cannon straight up into the air about three or four stories high.   It came raining down in huge drops covering a huge part of the park.    There were screams and shouts as people ran in all directions.  Media types tried to cover their cameras and recording equipment.  And the Mulroneys?   Well it looked like they were the coaching staff in front of a Gatorade cooler and had just won the Super Bowl.  But they did surprisingly well in keeping it together.  

       It may have been one of the funniest things I ever witnessed.   The media didn't use the clips on national or local broadcasts that night.   Nor should it have.   But it was folklore in Humboldt.  And it didn't go unnoticed by the locals that the fountain in the park was kitty-corner from the childhood home of Liberal Cabinet Minister Otto Lang.  And it furnished me with a personally witnessed story about one of our nations leaders.  

                                        RIP Mr. MULRONEY.  thanks for your service.