Summertime Adventures: Part II

There are lots of fun things to do in Edmonton in the summer. One of these fun things is called Capital Ex.

Capital Ex used to be called the Edmonton Exhibition. In 1964, it was renamed Klondike Days, shifting the theme to reflect Edmonton's history as a stopping point on the route to the Klondike during the Gold Rush. I wasn't there in '64; it might not have seemed like such a silly idea at the time. If you have lived in Edmonton in recent years (unless you live under a rock in Edmonton) then you are probably aware of the recent name change. Wait, what? Changes?

The organisers of the fair, Northlands, changed the name to Capital EX (both the E and the X are capitals) with the spurious reasoning that "everyone calls it The Ex anyway". At least, that is what I recall hearing in the media. Everyone I knew called it K-Days for short.

Personally, I was fine with the name change. The Klondike Days theme was fine, and didn't really need to be changed as far as the average fair-goer was concerned, but at least Capital EX referred to Edmonton ... dear me, I will be getting into hot water with the Klondike Days enthusiasts now!

Now, after a mere six years, they decided that Capital EX wasn't a good enough name. It didn't really resonate with Edmontonians. Northlands opened up the new name selection to voting.

BIG BAD IDEA.  Edmontonians are stupid! Case in point?

My last blog entry.

I had always assumed that Edmonton's slogan, "City of Champions", referred to sports, as, while growing up, I'd heard it so often applied to sports. It seems, though, that when the term was coined, a completely different sort of champion was in mind: a survivor. Indeed, the champion reference is about how Edmontonians responded after the Black Friday tornado in 1987. Life and death/sports. That's how smart we are.

Naturally, the Edmontonians who cared enough to vote voted to name the fesitval K-Days. As in, short for Klondike Days, but not actually short for Klondike days; offically K-Days.

So, here are some photos of an exhibition with an ACTUAL name. You won't see anything like this next year!

Riding the Tilt-A-Whirl is a Red Panda and Hawk tradition.

Remember what I said about Hawk and barbecue?

A funny photo of me to end the set. I didn't know this is what I look like.

Know why I love going to Capital Ex (soon to be K-Days) every year? The evening after Hawk and I went the first time, he told me he was falling in love with me.