NHL, scapegoats and personal responsibility.

The term "Scapegoat " is a Hebrew word, found in Leviticus, that was introduced into English via the old testament. It literally means a Goat that has been randomly chosen by the tribe to be sent out into the desert and fed to a Demon (Azazel). This goat's completely innocent and random sacrifice provides forgiveness to the other members of the tribe, an act that will sound very familiar to Christians world wide.

I have never been comfortable with randomly choosing innocents to blame for the actions of larger groups. There are very well known historical incidents that show that scapegoating is not an effective way to resolve a problem, and, lets be frank, it is not very good for the scapegoat. 

But I have been watching Oiler fans do this for years. We pick someone that we feel is not working as hard as they should be or is having a down streak, or was silly enough to say what they really felt, or he is just a nice guy so he is an easy target or, or, or... 

And to make matters worse, we live in a society where no one is ever responsible for their own actions. Any incident no mater how small is always blamed on a third party. Responsibility is rarely accepted by those responsible. 

So, historically, Edmontonians pick our scapegoat and run them out of town. We have done this to so many players that we are renown around the NHL for it. 

But contrary to what we think might happen, when we pick a scapegoat and feed it to the Demons, the Hockey Gods don't forgive us our sins and send us great players in honour of the sacrifice. In fact, the actual Hockey gods, the ones paid millions of dollars to win games, spread the word about the local fans and, the next thing you know, Hockey gods simply will not play here.  

So we have to build the team through the draft and by trading third and forth line players for other third and forth line players or by picking up players at the ends of their careers and hoping for miracles. So talented men like Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish, who have been at times brilliant and at times fallible are forced to play with half a deck. Other teams build by the draft or by trades. We build by the draft. 

And building by the draft takes a long time. Thank God we are in last place. Building from the draft at the top would be a nightmare. 

What is happening right now isn't one hundred percent Kevin Lowe's fault - on ice or off. Part of it is our history, part of it is distractions, but much of the blame is ours, for the pressure placed on kids, their fear of retribution and our history of turning on players. And personal responsibility is difficult. 

And I don't have an answer, just a question. When you feed Kevin Lowe to Azazel, what environment are you leaving for the next guy....  

We are very, very lucky.

On Monday, Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz wrote a letter to Oilers fans, requesting patience.

He is requesting patience because his long term plans are slowly coming together. He has made a massive investment in this city. He bought the team that defines us and guaranteed it will stay put. He is building a massive hockey cathedral in the middle of our decrepit downtown. He is building something great and he is asking us to give him a little time. 

The previous Oilers ownership group saved the Oilers and kept them in the Edmonton. God bless them for taking a risk and keeping the team here and for rebuilding the franchise. Cam Nichols and his friends are owed a huge debt from the city. 

When their time was done Mr Katz stepped forward and took over. He invested a fortune and risked a lot of his own money to keep the team here. Now he has negotiated a deal that will guarantee the team stays here for the foreseeable future. Don’t get mad at him if you don’t like the deal. Your city negotiated it for you. Every business person on earth will negotiate the best deal they can and if you don’t like your deal, call city hall and complain about their negotiators, not about Mr Katz.

In any other city on earth, where a businessman invested everything he had in a team to keep it local, then negotiated, in good faith, to build, cooperatively, a structure that would simultaneously redefine a city’s crumbly, ugly core  and rejuvenate this team, the businessman would be celebrated. He would be given every opportunity to rebuild the franchise. People would be patient, elated, looking to that future. People would realize that a team as young and as talented as the Oilers have a huge future. That future is coming in a fantastic new edifice on a piece of land that currently looks like a scene from a zombie movie.

Maybe the team is too busy looking ahead. Maybe their illustrious past has them looking backwards. Maybe Kevin Lowe forgot how to win. Maybe Craig MacTavish suddenly lost his edge.

Maybe. Or, maybe there are ups and downs in sports and every team goes through them.

Here’s a thought. Maybe we are spoiled. Have you ever looked at the Oilers numbers since they entered the NHL in 1980?

We have been in the finals 7 times, more than any other team.

Times in Finals since the Oilers entered the NHL in 1980
EDMONTON OILERS	7	21.2%
DETROIT RED WINGS	6	18.2%
NEW YORK ISLANDERS	5	15.2%
NEW JERSEY DEVILS	5	15.2%
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS	4	12.1%
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS	4	12.1%
BOSTON BRUINS	4	12.1%
VANCOUVER CANUCKS	3	9.1%
MONTREAL CANADIENS	3	9.1%
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS	3	9.1%
CALGARY FLAMES	3	9.1%

We won the Stanley cup 5 times, more than any other team. 

Stanley Cups since the Oilers entered the NHL in 1980
EDMONTON OILERS	5	15.2%
DETROIT RED WINGS	4	12.1%
NEW YORK ISLANDERS	4	12.1%
NEW JERSEY DEVILS	3	9.1%
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS	3	9.1%
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS	2	6.1%
COLORADO AVALANCHE	2	6.1%
MONTREAL CANADIENS	2	6.1%
ANAHEIM DUCKS	1	3.0%
BOSTON BRUINS	1	3.0%
CALGARY FLAMES	1	3.0%
CAROLINA HURRICANES	1	3.0%
DALLAS STARS	1	3.0%
LOS ANGELES KINGS	1	3.0%
NEW YORK RANGERS	1	3.0%
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING	1	3.0%

And,  for the”what have you done for me lately” crowd? Look at these stats from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NHL_franchise_post-season_droughts)

Team	Last appearance in Stanley Cup Final	Stanley Cup Final drought
Toronto Maple Leafs	1966–67	45 seasons
St. Louis Blues	1969–70	42 seasons
Phoenix Coyotes	never 80	33 seasons1
New York Islanders	1983–84	28 seasons
San Jose Sharks	never 92	21 seasons
Montreal Canadiens	1992–93	19 seasons
New York Rangers	1993–94	18 seasons
Florida Panthers	1995–96	16 seasons
Nashville Predators	never 99	14 seasons
Washington Capitals	1997–98	14 seasons
Buffalo Sabres	1998–99	13 seasons
Winnipeg Jets	Never 99	13 seasons2
Columbus Blue Jackets	Never 2000	12 seasons
Dallas Stars	1999–2000	12 seasons
Minnesota Wild	Never 2000	12 seasons
Colorado Avalanche	2000–01	11 seasons
Calgary Flames	2003–04	8 seasons
Tampa Bay Lightning	2003–04	8 seasons
Carolina Hurricanes	2005–06	7 seasons
Edmonton Oilers	2005–06	7 seasons

Pause, breath. Let that sink in. Toronto has not been in the Finals since 67. How many of you reading this were alive in 67? Yet they walk like gods amongst mortal men in Toronto. .

Look, I know we all want the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup every year, but it isn't going to happen. Would you rather be Vancouver, St Louis or Buffalo? Not Likely. Toronto? Not if you paid me.

We all love Kevin Lowe. First draft pick, first goal, great defenseman, great President. Craig MacTavish has not lost his edge, frankly I think he has an amazing hockey mind for a guy that was the last player in the NHL to forgo a helmet. And Daryl Katz has taken on a burden that none of us could have, and he did it for us.

So let’s relax. Watch the new arena as it takes shape. Relish the games on the new ice. Watch the Oilers win their first cup in the new building in the third year (I am calling it).

Meanwhile, enjoy the odd win. Pick a player and follow his stats. But give credit where credit is due. If some other Joe Billionaire had purchased the Oilers, moved them to Portland and built a Billion dollar arena we would be green with envy and the people of Portland would be very lucky and very, very happy.

Our Joe Billionaire did that and we are very lucky indeed. 

Today I Honour...

My Grandfather, Matthew Campbell Gibbon.

His family hails from York in England. I have traced them back to Castle Eden in Durham County  and, on his Mother's side, to Borthwick Castle.

Matthew was born at Stockton-Upon-Tee and emigrated as a young man to Edmonton.

Matt signed up February 11 of 1915, as a 19 year old. He went overseas as a member of the 49th (Edmonton). On his attestation form, he listed "Carpenter, Horse Breaker" as his career. It is not surprising then, that he was in the cavalry in Europe.

Matthew was gassed and sent home.

On March 6, 1916, he signed up again.


His battalion was at Passchendale, Vimy and most of the great battles of Word War I.

Matt eventually died of Lung Cancer, likely from his exposure to Mustard Gas.

He died the week before I was born.

I honour him today.

My Supporters/Donations to date

Supporters/Donations to date. $15,150.00.

We have a three way split: 34% from Friends and family, 36.3 % from Construction /Developers and 29.7% from organized Labour.

We are expecting (hoping for) a couple more checks and we will likely add some donations in kind which will be less than $500.00. If we were to bill for volunteer hours it would be in the Millions!!!
Still, all in, far less than the $20-$25,000 I would like to see as the new donation cap.

Please be aware that much of the donations from Developers were for tickets to fund raisers.

Bike Lanes - If we are Going to be a Progressive City, Lets Plan for 20 Years from Now

I have been inundated with questions about Bike lanes. As you know I want them added as roads are being installed so that we don't have to come back later and add them. I also want them installed in the Callingwood and Lessard bridges over the Anthony Henday.

My opinion has raised some eyebrows.

Here is my response to a letter about cyclists.

"This might take a minute, so bear with me.

Bikes are an interesting story in Edmonton. They are such a dichotomy. When I am on my bike I am terrified of cars. When I am in my car I am terrified of Bikes. Unlike rock, paper, scissors, however, when I am walking I am terrified of both.

I really believe that if Edmontonians, are going to make this a cycling city and I think that bicycle lanes are the way to do it. IF THEY ARE USED PROPERLY, bike lanes keep bikes, cars and pedestrians separate, they take up much less space than a car lane or a sidewalk and IF USED PROPERLY make everyone’s life easier. You are frustrated, as are a lot of people because you see bikes acting outside the rules. I admit that I feel the same way when I see them scoot through traffic or shoot through stop signs etc but that is no different than cars that do exactly the same thing endangering us all or pedestrian that jaywalk. The vast majority of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians stay within the boundaries of the law.

If we are going to be a progressive city, we need to try to envision the world as we want it 20 years from now. I really believe that bike lanes are part of that future. Energy costs are going up, space is at a premium and people are more aware of the physical and mental advantages of cycling. I see it like the recycling center on the East Side of town: 25 years ago people thought it was ridiculous, now we brag about how we are the number one recycling city in the world.

I admit, I have several of the same experiences as you and I also want the traffic laws enforced (for cyclists own safety) but I wonder if people said the same thing about cars 100 years ago when they started roaming the streets of Edmonton.

The world is changing. Bikes are growing in popularity. My plan to add the lanes as roads are constructed minimizes costs and means the lanes can be properly placed outside of parking lanes. If ALL streets were (from Right to left) Sidewalk, Parking lane, Bike lane, Driving lane then we could all learn the proper etiquette and I really believe that your frustrations and mine would be minimized.

Finally, although you did not mention it, many people are saying that we should not have the expense of lanes for a sport that is only available during the summer. Then we would have no soccer fields, no Commonwealth stadium and the like. Our short summers make us all the more excited about our time in the sun.

In conclusion, I want you to know I understand how you feel and I empathize but it is my opinion that the lanes are part of our future and anything we can do to move our city forward is a good thing."

Photo credit: consortiumoffools.wordpress.com/tag/bike-lanes/

My Plans to Eliminate Poverty

As you may have heard on my interview on 630 CHED last week, my goal for the city of Edmonton over the next four years is ending child poverty so I would like to concentrate on child poverty issues.

In 1943 Abraham Maslow theorized that human needs are hierarchical. I have always believed the same thing. As a result, I believe that we must work to provide for all of our children’s base needs first.  These needs include food (and water) and shelter (and heat and power). Second level needs include Personal security, employment, health and property. It is an interesting study in politics to note that cities provide for human’s base needs and Provincial governments provide higher level needs, making it harder for cities to directly control such challenging issues. In answer to your question I would like to concentrate on some immediate solutions. These solutions can help break the chain of poverty, which I feel is one of the root causes.

These are items I intend to address immediately; items that the city of Edmonton has authority over and where I will be able to make the most immediate difference.


To address Physiological needs I will:

• continue my work with the Edmonton food bank. Almost 50% of food bank users are children.  Food is the number one priority. Make it available and more importantly de-stigmatize food bank use by attending and assisting.
• remove “base cost” of city of Edmonton utilities for Low Income households, so that they only pay for usage, not infrastructure. This one is enormously important and something we can do immediately (Also my fiscal responsibility/tax restructuring in other areas of the city will take the pressure off Utilities to produce such large profits).
• continue the city’s low income housing, first home and infill programs to assist low income Edmontonians that want to become home owners.
• Make Edmonton more Breastfeeding Friendly. The simplest act on earth to guarantee proper nutrition is to support nature’s perfect food.

To address Safety and access to schooling (replacing employment) needs I will:

• Adjust cost of Transit Passes for Low Income homes.
• Work with the Crisis network and/or add direct connect to 211 from the 311 system. Empower 211 to intercede in domestic violence (witnessing domestic violence is also experiencing abuse).
• Provide quick access from 311 to the provincial health line for health and safety issues.
• Work with police to create drug and gang free zones. Add drug and gang activity (and graffiti and vandalism) to the city’s crime tracking site to assist police.
• Have the city pay entry fees for low income moms who want to join the “New Mom’s Network”. 

To reiterate, these are areas that the city has the ability to act and to make a direct difference in people’s lives. It can do so quickly and easily (I hope). Though there are many more I could address, I have always felt that a small number of attainable goals allow for solutions.

Finally, these are areas of provincial government responsibilities where, I feel, the province is abrogating its responsibilities and we need to find ways to help.

• Edmonton’s school drop out rate and high school completion rate
• Especially First Nations, Metis and Inuit
• Adult literacy
• City libraries can increase the number of programs for adult literacy
• there are creative ways to assist with adult literacy i.e. Khan academy
• Continue to provide ESL training at a reasonable rate
• Mental Health
• Find some way to force the province to increase spending on Mental Health. Much of adult homelessness is mental health related. Extreme poverty is highly correlated to mental health problems.
• Residential school abuse continues to echo through our society and survivors AND THEIR DESCENDANTS need to be helped.
• Minimum wage
• Work to increase minimum wage to a living wage.
• Work to assure equal pay for women. 

Photo credit: www.kemptvillesalvationarmy.org/foodbank