Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Good morning, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac city morning show. I am your host Elliot Pierre, and we're going to start the show off the same way we start every show off with a moment of gratitude. I know you can be doing a million other things with your time. So the fact that you spend with us truly does mean the world to me. So thank you on that note, 10, hidden with the intro.
Speaker 1 00:00:20 She caught me, loves near listened to the next city morning show.
Speaker 0 00:00:28 All right. And we're back. Okay. I'm excited about our guest today because he's a return guest. Uh, he was talking about one thing specifically last time, but we got off track a little bit and today we're definitely going off the rails. So on that note, as you know, I don't introduce them, I guess I let them do that themselves. So sir, can you please tell everybody at home who you are and what you're about
Speaker 3 00:00:46 You bet. Thanks for having me back again. I'm excited to be here. Uh, I want to say again, I really liked that you do the moment, a moment of gratitude and really make sure that your, uh, uh, your listeners really feel welcome and being a part that, you know, they're taking the time and you thank them for it. So that's fantastic. Uh, I'm out to Mackenzie, uh, for most people that remember Remi from last time I was a councilor candidate in the municipal election that we had, uh, just recently I didn't win, unfortunately. And, and I, I know why that was, but, uh, it was still a fun experience and you know, I'm really glad to be here and today we're just going to shoot the breeze a little bit. I think there we go.
Speaker 0 00:01:24 Yeah. Like the moment of gratitude, I, I truly do mean it. Like, it's kind of on autopilot in regards to like, I know what the words are, but it's like saying thank you. It's just a longer version of saying thank you. But yeah, the fact that people watch this show blows my mind, literally.
Speaker 3 00:01:38 That's amazing. And so, and you, you still say it with the same energy as if it were your first time I tried it and the soldiers like, cause I watched the show as much as I can. And it's still got the same real in-depth energy, like true sincerity. I would say it has more energy now than at the beginning. Yeah,
Speaker 0 00:01:54 Yeah. Yeah. Cause the numbers are bigger and it keeps blowing my mind that people watch it, but it's a genuine moment of gratitude. And so I kind of start my day off like that in general, in regards to like, Hey, we're lucky to be here. You're lucky to wake up every morning. Like you gotta be, that'd be grateful. A little bit of positivity. Never heard anybody. Absolutely. So, all right, my man, last time we were here, there was one topic of discussion that I wanted to delve into a little bit more. But you said you were born and raised in Edmonton. That's right. And then you moved here. Tell me a little bit about Edmonton. I lived in Edmonton for a few years when I went to college, but what part of Edmonton?
Speaker 3 00:02:29 Uh, I grew up primarily in the Millwoods area. Oh, that's Southeast. Um, we lived there, like I was born and raised there when I was younger. We moved around quite a bit, just
Speaker 0 00:02:41 Uh, in that area
Speaker 3 00:02:42 Though. Well, throughout Edmonton all the way through and I don't remember a lot of places we lived cause I was just a little tight. Right. Um, and then we lived out in the country for a couple of years and then back into Edmonton and then spent the south side for the most part. Um, Edmonton's always been home for me in one way or another. I still got a lot of family out there. Yeah. Uh, but I remember it as if it were yesterday, the day was like, I'm done too big of a city. And I like, I like cities about this size where you still can get what you need. Primarily. It's a little bit tougher here than other cities of our size, but um, you still get to everything you need in a big city. We don't get the hustle and the frustration and all the challenges.
Speaker 3 00:03:22 Right. But I remember specifically, uh, the day I was driving, it was Don white mud drive, just crossing the river, going south. And it was a, I don't know it was a winter day or so. Yeah. A little bit snowy. And for whatever reason, people drive people driving around and they were just, they were just idiots. Yeah. And after being cut off three or four times and just, it was a busy time and it's always 30, 40 minute drive to get to anything. And it was just that moment where like, I'm, I'm done with the big city. Don't want to do it no more. That's right.
Speaker 0 00:03:53 It's kind of nuts that you say that. Cause I, I remember as a child going to Edmonton and it was a bigger city than Fort McMurray obviously, but it was nothing in comparison to what you see in Edmonton. Now it was a city. It wasn't a metropolis. Like Edmonton is big now with lots of people, very busy,
Speaker 3 00:04:12 15 years ago when it was too big. And I see areas where, when I was a kid we'd party in the field, that's right. That's not south head comment. That's right. That's right. That's right. But we were there as kids, as teens. Yeah. Um, Bush partying and all the rest. It was a farmer's field. Um, just outside where I lived a long, 34th street was a cemetery and that was all Bush out there and we'd be out there and right. And racing cars around and stuff like that. Yeah. It was just all Bush. And now it's, there's still a mile, a mile and a half a city to go before you get to that that's restaurants. So yeah, I just, I was in Edmonton actually just the last weekend and noticing along the, after the handy freeway, it's all built up right up against that now it's unbelievable. Unbelievable. Just how much it's grown. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:04:59 I remember I went to a wedding out in, um, black mud Creek. Okay. Yep. This is years ago when I was like going to school and uh, the couple that got married got married in the rugby field out there and like we drove out to her. I was like, where are we going? Like, it was literally like, it was a road, but then it turned into like a dirt road at some point. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:05:17 Oh that was the rugby plug. Yeah. And that was, that was beyond outskirts. Yeah. There is. You had heritage mall area, which is just train station. And then you went over a little rickety bridge, which was one 11. And then there was the rugby field and that was the Edmonton rugby club or something like, yeah. Cause I played there playing rugby there and now it's, and now
Speaker 0 00:05:38 It was live there. They live like, I'm not going to get the address, but they live in that area and in Elderslie and it's, and this, it goes further than that. Now, as far as like the residential and you it's, it's unbelievable. The growth that Edmonton has had over the last, like 20, 25 years. Unbelievable. So when you go to Edmonton though, it's a topic of discussion, obviously lived there for a while. You just went back. Is there certain places you like to go eat while you're in Edmonton? Because I've got my go-to jams in Edmonton.
Speaker 3 00:06:08 Um, you know, I don't, I don't go to Edmonton enough to have place to go. Uh, my sister actually just introduced myself when I was there this weekend to a, a great little place on the north side. It's called hot Philly. Okay. They do like Philly, cheese, steak and stuff like that. And I went in there and I saw the menu and that's like their go-to her and, and her other half they'd been on there for a long time. And I'd never heard of it my whole life. Apparently it's been there forever, but it's on north side. I never, I never deal with the north side of town ever. I don't have any reason to be there. That's right. So we went for lunch there and I grabbed a burger because it seemed good. And I'd seen someone else at break. I'm like I could get behind a burger. And she had this Philly cheese, steak bonnet. And I looked at the burger. I'm like, I made a poor choice and it was just sauce and, and meat and the bond and all the rest, like I could, it was just waft in the smell. And I was looking at the burger and I'm like, and it looked, it was a good burger. Don't get me wrong. But I, I was really regretting choices at that point. I really should have had that. So what's the place called, called hot
Speaker 0 00:07:14 Really hot Philly. Okay. I need to remember that. Good thing. We're recording everything. Just
Speaker 3 00:07:18 Look back at the
Speaker 0 00:07:19 Video. Yeah, because I like Edmonton. That's my thing to do. When I go there. There's certain places, like one of my favorite places to eat is meat on white avenue. And the other one is next act. Right next door to meet. We're going to have to
Speaker 4 00:07:31 Get you at Vaughn's.
Speaker 0 00:07:32 Yeah. I've never been to Vaughn's I've driven by it. Many times they
Speaker 4 00:07:36 Have wag goo.
Speaker 0 00:07:37 Yeah. Have you ever had Wagyu steak?
Speaker 3 00:07:39 No, I don't think for that.
Speaker 0 00:07:42 My goodness. Me.
Speaker 3 00:07:44 So it ruined me for steak a hundred percent.
Speaker 0 00:07:48 Yes. I was just going to say that. Yeah. So myself and Tanner were just down in Calgary and we went to a restaurant. We had Wagyu steak towners had it numerous times and he's like, Elliot, you got to do this.
Speaker 4 00:07:59 I've had it twice before I am. Not that baller. No.
Speaker 0 00:08:04 So we went there and it was definitely not cheap. I'll say that it'll probably was not cheap, but I have to say it was an experience in itself. It doesn't, it won't ruin steak for you because you can't really even compare it to steak it's so you have a different
Speaker 3 00:08:24 Level, just a
Speaker 0 00:08:25 Different level. Okay. The best way I can describe it. And this is going to be a horrible way. And I know I'm going to get hate on the comments for this. But to me it tasted like you think Japan would like, it tasted like Japan to me in the best way possible.
Speaker 4 00:08:41 Since like, there's like, it's a lot of flavor that like separates itself. Like you, you taste one thing and then the next thing comes and you taste that. And then the third thing that you tasted in Japan is very renowned, like flavor separation, and like how they make their food. So like precisely and dedicated. And so like, yeah, I could see that.
Speaker 0 00:09:02 So if you ever have like $150 to 200 kick in your pocket and around just like,
Speaker 4 00:09:09 My suggestion. As somebody who does not have that money floating around is if you have that much money to spend and you are in front of that steak, you buy it because it is life changing. It
Speaker 0 00:09:23 Is very good.
Speaker 3 00:09:24 I was just worried because like, like I'm a steak guy and now in my household, we, we go to like local ranchers and we get our meat butchered, like the weed spot a quarter cow. Okay. So cool. We'll go down that road one quarter. Um, the delicious part.
Speaker 4 00:09:43 I don't know how you split up a cow.
Speaker 3 00:09:45 I don't know either. It's a, we split it with some friends of ours over half cows. So I don't know the way I imagine they take us on just right down the middle. There's your half there's yours. I don't know how it works. The price takes headquarter cows. So that's what I go by. Okay. But we do that. And now going and getting like store bought or what have you it's it's, it's almost like a downgrade. So if you're saying, well, why you was way up here and I'm already getting fairly, um, picky about what I like to eat for my meats. I'm thinking, well, if I'm up here, well I'd better start making more money because that's all I'm going to be eating. I'm going to go to the local rancher guy. And that's it. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:10:24 You a picture after the show and you know, you'll get it. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:10:27 If you like your meat you'll understand it. Uh, but yeah, anybody at home, if you have the opportunity to eat it,
Speaker 4 00:10:33 Also anybody listening, if we can get it here in Fort McMurray, I will pay for it. So like hook me up.
Speaker 0 00:10:40 Like when we were down in Calgary, I called a number. I obviously, I knew it was a high price item and so not every steak house would have it. So I was calling like the, I don't know, whatever, five star restaurants for steak in Calgary. And most of them were like, no, we don't, we don't have it. We don't do this. So it's not something that you can just,
Speaker 3 00:11:03 I would imagine it'd be hard to find anyway.
Speaker 0 00:11:05 So, but we found a place and it was awesome. So I want to talk to you about something and I know you want to talk about it as well. Like he ran for the election. That's right. You weren't successful.
Speaker 3 00:11:17 No, I, I got a good, um, outcome from what you did just on, uh, you know, just, it it's just true support as opposed to, um, however else people voted, right? Yeah. It was a good outcome and I was actually very happy with it. Yeah. Um, obviously not the result I wanted. No, because I was aiming to get that job, but I, you know, for one it's, I, I would say it's the hardest I've ever worked for part-time job. That's a hundred percent true max. Um, but really I think I could boil it down to probably one major fatal error, which would have been underestimating how long it takes the door knock. Okay. I did all my own door knocking. Like some folks had volunteers and stuff and that's mainly in the mayor, may oral roles and stuff like that. Right on the counselor side of it.
Speaker 3 00:12:07 There's 24 of us. So drumming up support was it got a little bit difficult because there's just so many of us. Right. So I did a lot of my own. I did all my own door knocking. So in my mind, I thought, well, you know what I could do. I could get around beacon hill. I could do that in two days. Right. That was grossly and misunder, uh, an underestimation. It's probably a solid week for six or seven hours because I might be able to do 15 houses in 15 minutes just going, because they're not home or not interested or whatever you get that one person that is truly interested in want to know what you stand for, what your opinions are. That's right. They'll draw you down for an hour. That's right. And I don't want to be, I didn't want to be that person to say, well, you know, I'm out of time.
Speaker 3 00:12:53 Thanks for talking. Buh-bye I want to say, want to have that conversation with the, with the folks at the door. I want to hear their stories. A lot of folks, uh, when I was, uh, especially in beacon hill, there's people that been there since it was built, that's right back in the seventies. So when I go in there and I says, well, you know, I'm a 15 year resident. And they said, well, I've been here for 45 years. I'm still, I'm still a baby in town. That's right. So what am I bringing to the table that they don't have double? And then some of the experience living here that's right. So it was great. Not that. And because I asked their opinion, well, you've been here so long. Right? What do you see? Or what's changed or what's better. What's worse. Get their perspective on it. I got some really great stories that offense,
Speaker 0 00:13:39 Well, it was a good experience for you too. And like, what I liked about the last time you came on was you were saying like, you were part of all these, um, boards already, and you were doing that in preparation because you knew eventually you wanted to get here. And so like you had all this body of experience that you felt would help. Cause it would translate because you put the time in and I feel like this was exactly that as well in regards to you've put the time in, you know, what it's like, and if you choose to run again or for something similar while you have this body of experience that you're like, okay, I know what I did this time. Yep.
Speaker 3 00:14:13 I know the tweaks to make. Oh exactly. And that's, you know, and I fully intend to run again. It was, as I said, it was a great experience. I learned a lot. I learned a lot about people as well. It's amazing. The kind of people that come out of the woodwork when they truly believe that you bring something to the table that they want. Um, so yeah, I fully intend to the next election. We got one for sure. And four years. Yeah. Uh, it's always that potential there's one sooner. So just keep my ears open for that. But uh, definitely looking forward to running again, a lot of lessons learned and um, you know, frankly, it's, it's it, I, I didn't win, but I didn't lose either. I just learned get ahead. Right. Great ad tool. The Tanner was waving. And as the cue to me that the maxi mini questions are ready on his behalf. So we're just going to throw it to Tanner Tanner and with the max any minute.
Speaker 4 00:15:04 Alrighty. Question number one. What was your favorite part of coming to Fort McMurray for the first time?
Speaker 3 00:15:11 Well, I would say none because, um, my first time visiting here was not positive. I think I mentioned that the last time I saw probably the worst that this town would have. So I guess I could spin it that way and say, well, I see all the bad stuff was done and out of the way, so it's only up. It's only good from there. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:15:30 That's how I live my life. Question number two. What is something that Fort McMurry has that you think the world should know about?
Speaker 3 00:15:39 Um, Hm. That's a good question. That's really insightful. Uh, we have a great community and great opportunity. Uh, I hear it all the time. A lot of people say it where it's probably one of the only places you could go as a young person, has anybody and progress your career or progress your skills or what have you in a, in a fast track pace and do well at it and, you know, make some decent money at it, right? Yeah. Um, you know, not to get that cliche, that's just the money town, but at the end of the day, uh, you can escalate yourself quite quickly and be very successful in a very short period of time. And I don't think there's anywhere else that I've ever been, that you can do that. Yep. So that's definitely, probably one of the main, the main factors that differentiate this. Yeah,
Speaker 4 00:16:30 For sure. Question number three. What is the story behind the best meal that you've experienced?
Speaker 3 00:16:39 Um, one of the best meals I've had would have been in Oklahoma city. Okay. Actually, well, there's two of them. Okay. One was not the best meal, but I'll get behind it anyway. And then the other one was probably one of the best meals I had. So I was in Oklahoma city for work. So a number of years ago and the guy that was hosting us, they, they have like, it's, they've got the brick yard or I can't remember the name of the neighborhood, but it's a, it used to be old me Packers and stuff like that. Now it's all restaurants and stuff like that. Okay. And district, yeah. I wish I could remember the name of it. It's it's just outside of downtown Oklahoma city. Okay. Um, the fellow that I was being hosted by was fantastic. He took us to a few monuments, so we drove around and uh, he showed me a lot of what Oklahoma city was.
Speaker 3 00:17:33 And then he took us to this little steak place and he's like, okay, well, if you want, are you interested in learning? You know, some of the stuff we like to eat, I'm like, I'm not that adventurous in my palette, but I didn't want to be a jerk. So I'm like, okay, let's it. So he's like, Hey, well, um, he ordered a plate of lamb fries. I am fries. Yeah. And he didn't, he's like, do you want to know what it is? I'm like, probably not. Right. So let me take it in and we'll get a plate. And like we had steak and stuff. I was like an appetizer or whatever. And, uh, the steak, steak was amazing. It was really good time. I don't think it was wahoo beef. Like we'd mentioned. It was pretty damn good. Yeah. Um, so he's like, we're eating away and you're just chatting away and I could see kind of a smirk, but no big deal. And he's like, do you want to know what it is? I'm like, not really. So I'm going to tell you anyway, I'm like, okay. He's like, well, those are lamb testicles that we chop up and fry like, all right. Well, now that I know, I can't unlearn that that's right. But now that I know I've had balls in my mouth. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:18:39 Was it good? It was that it was actually the taste I enjoy. There you go. That's also, uh, that was kind of the adventure side and I knew something was up. It wasn't going to be something I wanted to know and he couldn't hold it anymore. Cause I was like, I don't want to know the other one was an Italian restaurant in Oklahoma city. I was a, it was just, just before my flight out and I was a little bit of hungry. Yeah. It was on the west side of town. And uh, this gigantic building, a lot of people, it was just a mom and pop Italian restaurant and probably the best Italian food outside of Italy that I'd ever eaten before. And for cheap, like, wait, I had two beers and a whole plate of past and stuff. It was like five bucks. That's awesome.
Speaker 3 00:19:20 Amazing. It was so good. And then the only other place that I've really was interesting was in Italy as well. Um, I was out there for working. We were staying in, um, well, it's, what's called the castle, but what it was originally built by the, the duke of Milan is a summer home. And so it was his, his summer house and a big, huge building and stuff like that. And it was built. I have no idea. Probably mid, like medieval times sorta right. And 13 hundreds. Oh, it had to been, uh, it was, it would have been, yeah, something like that. And it was in, um, a small town outside of a folk hero and just the architecture, just the whole ambiance of the area. Just being such an old building, like theirs, they had trees in the courtyard that were twice as old as Canada.
Speaker 3 00:20:13 Yeah. Yeah. So, and I've never experienced anything of that kind of maintenance to them. Like we were out there and they're demoing a barn for some development and it was a rustic looking one and we're like, well, why are you turning that on it's history? And Italian? I was with, he's like, well, it's only like 200 years old. It's not even old. Or he's just in the way. Right. Cause for them, they've got stuff that dates back. Like if you're in Milan, they've got a buildings and such that are from like 900 PC reports and stuff like that. And old monasteries and, and stuff like that. So that's, what's old to them. Yeah. So that was just, it's just a whole different experience being there than it is anything here. We don't have anything that has that kind of age to it, especially as you go Western Canada. So I tribe. Alrighty. Long story short. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:21:03 That's been your favorite meal. Uh, question number four. What is one local amenity that you think locals should pay more attention to?
Speaker 3 00:21:13 Oh, that's a good one. That's well, there's lots. Uh, we've got, you know, I really, I, I don't want to say I feel bad for the restaurants here, but I, I, my heart goes to them because they've been so empty. Um, and it didn't really clue into me till, uh, going to Edmonton and Calgary where they're the restaurants there are full and they're thriving and they're doing well and here the just they're always empty and it just doesn't have the energy. And I know they try. And so, you know, I really hope that, you know, folks here get out and start visiting. I know there's a lot of challenges of course, but that's only temporary. Yeah. We'll get past that. It's no big deal, but, uh, um, yeah, I would say our restaurants and it's, it's, it's, I think it's, it's a downward spiral as it is because nobody goes to there's nothing there, so then they close and then there's less and then it just goes down. And so, uh, I don't know what the answer to that is, but I sure hope that, uh, we find a way to go and frequent our restaurants because they're trying so hard. Yup.
Speaker 4 00:22:26 And your final question, what is one thing you learned about the community from your run from council?
Speaker 3 00:22:35 A lot of knowledge and history. There's a lot of people that have lived here a long time. And, uh, recently I've been really, really in tune with, um, the history of the town. Uh, there's the Facebook page there that, um, uh, I can't remember the guy's name. Um, Larry McCartel, I think Northeast and he just posted all the pictures and it's just all the history of watching as the town grows up. And as I've got around, like, like say going through beacon hill and such, uh, and waterways to where there's people there they've lived there almost their whole lives and just hearing the stories and of just how the town has grown and turned to what it is. And it's a very unique, I think we have a very unique history here because it's been very boom. It like it's an over overly boom and bust town.
Speaker 3 00:23:28 I think now we're in a more mature environment in our economy and with the industry and stuff like that, that we're not going to see those cyclical movements in our town, but just to hear the stories of, uh, and, and some of them recent stories, like we still lots trappers that live in town. And, um, lots of folks that just have seen how the has progressed and it's really helped me build a deeper, larger understanding of the history of the town. So that I'm just a more well-rounded resident. I'm never going to catch up to those that have been here, their whole lives, but at least I can carry a conversation. Sounds
Speaker 0 00:24:06 Exactly it. Yup. There you go.
Speaker 4 00:24:10 Those have been your five questions. Yeah,
Speaker 3 00:24:12 It was fun. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:24:13 Uh, the history is nuts. They tend to always kills with the question deep.
Speaker 4 00:24:17 I, uh, I don't try that hard, but I'm glad that some people get that reaction
Speaker 0 00:24:23 From it all prepared on the spot.
Speaker 4 00:24:25 Yeah. Under 10.
Speaker 0 00:24:29 Yeah. We had a comment a few days ago on one of the videos there, just like that was a great interview. Did that guest get questions or was it scripted? Because it just was such a natural conversation and we just wrote back, like I can assure you, there is no preparation work done for any of these shows. Nope. We just, it's just organic conversation. So, and like the guests don't know cause they weren't here, but you and I were just hanging out talking while the cameras were charging for about half an hour. And this is just like dovetailing into that, that conversation
Speaker 3 00:25:01 Is just an extension of what we're chatting about and it just keeps moving
Speaker 0 00:25:04 Along. That's it? Well, listen, I know last time you were on the show. Cause I like looked at the time marker. Last time we were at 27 minutes when we ended and I know we went over the 20 minutes this time, it'll be interesting to see what we're at, but we're at the end of the show, 20 minutes definitely flew by and we went right through it. But at the end of every episode, um, everybody gets a shameless shout out or plug. So the camera's on you, lights Mike's
Speaker 3 00:25:26 Oh, my, uh, my shameless shout out is actually going to be to the legislative staff or the legislature legislators as they're sometimes called, uh, that was coined by will Collins. And so I'm going to give him credit where it's due, but I use it all the time, but there are the legislative staff that manage and like the mayor and council and all the council committees and stuff like that. And the boards, they'll all vouch for this as well as the hard work that they do to keep things going. And, uh, they, they are definitely a lot of the behind the scenes crew, but I, I think they, for the most part are why things run as smoothly as they do. So, uh, I wanna to use this time to just go out and just personally thank them for all the hard work that they do and just keep on going.
Speaker 0 00:26:14 There we go. Awesome. Good shameless. Shout out or plug my man. Definitely come back again. I want to definitely come back to it's fun. It, it totally is. I love chatting with you. So
Speaker 3 00:26:23 We'll do, we'll do one with some booze next time. I think that's a great one.
Speaker 0 00:26:29 I'm never going to say no to that. Never. Alright. Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, the rest of the world. That's been another episode of the Mac city morning show. Thank you so much for tuning in. It really does mean the world to me. Hopefully you're having a great day and we'll see you tomorrow face.
Speaker 1 00:26:43 I just dies that desk. It's another Mac Sydney morning show Dawn.
Speaker 6 00:27:00 Yeah. Talk about quenching your ugly thirst.
