One of the themes of this week's John Cairns' News Watch is the lack of "anything to do" in the Battlefords. It's a common lament, heard not just among young people in this community. Those who paint the local entertainment landscape as "dull" seem to be suffering from tunnel vision.
Over the past few weeks the pages of this newspaper have been lit up by submissions from associate writer Jayne Foster and staff reporter Tara Scaglione that disprove the notion the entertainment scene here isn't worth checking out.
A youth choir recital, a Music Week event showcasing local musical talent, last weekend's concert at Third Avenue United Church and Friday night's launch of the first exhibit by new Director of Galleries Marcus Miller at Allan Sapp Gallery all expose the fallacy of painting a portrait of the Battlefords as a cultural backwater.
Of course those who sing the "nothing to do" lament are probably looking for a more commercialized form of entertainment, but those people don't have to look any further than the Gold Eagle Casino, Garage or even the Battlefords Jazz Society to find that type of entertainment.
And let's not forget live theatre. Tickets to the Cochin Community Players productions are as hard to get as seats in Mosaic Stadium for the Labour Day Classic, proving their brand of entertainment is nothing to be brushed off lightly. Battlefords Community Players have a staunch following of season ticket holders and itinerant theatre goers, and those who didn't make it to their most recent performance missed one of the most astounding portrayals by local actosr I have seen in the three years I've held season tickets.
So, for those young folks who come here seeking a share of the Northwest's blossoming economy, do not despair. Look a little below the surface and you'll find lots of ways to keep entertained.
