Yee Haw for the 'Barn Dance' Mentality: One Man's Opinion

Thursday, July 26, 2007 03:46 AM

If the people who are interested in promoting the idea of a performing arts center continue to suggest the folks in Prince George are a “Barn Dance crowd “ they will find they have gone about it in the wrong way.

The claim that people don’t come to Prince George because we lack the "Arts" is just a bunch of hogwash. People come to this city for a host of reasons and the fact that the "Arts" community has in the past had trouble filling their venues should speak loud and clear.

I for one don’t mind putting up thirty or fifty bucks a year towards such a facility , but to suggest that I must pony up the money or people will pass us by and we will be somehow much less Canadian than others gets me going.

I happen to buy into the notion that in fact we have some very clever people in this community who have been able to build up some very impressive statistics when it comes to achievement and strangely they are the same people that some of the Arts Community have been looking to raise money from.

So if the Arts Community wants to say I have a "Barn dance mentality", I would suggest that you don’t get into a serious debate with me, or one of the "achievers". We may surprise you.

I have always said we have long ago been labeled as bush bunnies by people in the southern section of the province who feel that we live in the ice and snow and have straw coming out from our collars.

Let's see, we live in a community where there are four distinct seasons, you can still afford to buy a home in this part of the province. We can be at a lake within 15 - 20 minutes. Our rush hour lasts about 20 minutes. So what's so bad about that?

We have a facility that was designed for multiple use ( the multi plex), we have the Prince George Playhouse, Theatre Northwest, Vanier Hall. There is an Art Gallery, a museum, and symphony.

Don’t use the fact we don’t have a facility that holds 1,000 people as the reason why we are considered bush bunnies, we were given that handle long ago and seem to have done pretty well in spite of it.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion

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Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2007 03:46 AM in Views by Ben Meisner

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Comments

Posted by: Gofaster on July 26 2007 5:39 AM

I agree with you to a point.
I don't feel I should pony up any of the money for this "performing center"
I am more than glad to pay whatever the ticket is should I decide to attend.
I have problems paying for others.
No one pays for my activites but me.

I am a firm believer in "If You Can't Afford it, You Don't Need It"

I do think a perfoming center would be nice.
Lets incorporate all the the theaters we have in town now under one room.
I head one fellow involved with performances stating they have low seating and don't want more?
What kind of inane statement was that?

Posted by: giterdun on July 26 2007 7:01 AM

WAY TO GO BEN.. RIGHT ON THE MARK!

US BUSH BUNNIES WAS DOIN REAL GOOD AFOR THOSE UPTOWN CITY SLICKS CAME CAME A KNOCKIN. SHOULD ALL PILE IN THEIR RIGS AND MOSIE BACK SOUTH. WE'RE PRETTY HAPPY IN OUR LITTLE NORTHERN DIGS. GOT TO GO NOW..GETTIN READY FOR THE WRIST TWISTIN MATCH DOWN THERE AT THE WATERIN HOLE.

SEE YA

Posted by: owl on July 26 2007 9:08 AM

"Our rush hour lasts about 20 minutes"

You've got to be kidding....... I want to go and see that so that I can take some pictures.

;-)

Posted by: Buzz on July 26 2007 9:41 AM

Well Geez Ben you're reaction has gone a bit too far in terms of what I've read on the postings on this site. I didn't see anyone call PG a "barn dance crowd". (Although as you said there are those down South that have that opionion of us anyway)I made a comment in response to a posters comment that we shouldn't have a new theatre because "there is an old barn on the way to Vanderhoof...", and I suggested that we need to move beyond just barn dances, which I think we've done to an extent, but that's not to say that our city is 'done' in terms of continuing to mature and evolve. In fact, I am extremely proud of the arts & culture (and sports and business etc.) that I've seen developed in the past 27 years that I've been here. I agree with you that there are all sorts of 'achievers' here, both well known people and not so well known people, most of who probably don't wear a suit and tie and don't necessarily have seasons tickets to the theatre. Where would we be without those people....all of them, from the artsy fartsy types to the hard workers who built our city out of the forest. I don't disagree with anyone at all regarding the need for the new proposed theatre to have a rock solid business plan and a darn good case to sell to us taxpayers before we agree to this. For you to say that some of us posters believe: "...we don�t have a facility that holds 1,000 people as the reason why we are considered bush bunnies", is erroneous, in my opinioin. That would be a rather narrow and overly simplistic belief, to put it mildly. There is, however, a case to be made that in order for us to CONTINUE (not 'start'!) to become a more vibrant and attractive city, we need to CONTINUE to consider all areas of improvement....sewers, potholes, kin center upgrades, new Terry Fox Statue, trails, parks, downtown, arts & culture, etc. I'm in total favour of a balanced approach here, and as previously stated, a good business case for a new performing arts center; and I might add, any and all new development proposals.

Posted by: metalman on July 26 2007 10:13 AM

Y'all come back now, yuh hear?
A proud country hick.
aka. metalman.

Posted by: owl on July 27 2007 1:16 AM

"I didn't see anyone call PG a "barn dance crowd""

Neither did I. The barn dance was referred to by YDPC on another article about the PAC. He suggested those interested in establishing a PAC here should go and use the old barn apparently used for dances to rustle up some money that they can use for their project.

Posted by: owl on July 27 2007 1:22 AM

I happened to look today at a 1974 cultural study done for PG. There were several surveys taken at that time, something like the quality of life surveys done over the past decade or so by Dr. Alex Micholos. Rating things people were not to satisfied with in the community ...

Top two things at around 26% being dissatisfied was road paving and about 24% were dissatisfied with snow clearing.

33 year later, nothing has changed. No PAC, no proper paving, no proper snow clearing.

So, what is one to do? Learn to live with it I suppose. It's just a northern thing.

;-)