This month you get a hodge podge of stuff. Some months, I can’t carry an idea for 800 words. It must be an age thing.

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I have always been proud to be a Canadian – and now I am more conscious of it. I am proud how we are standing up to Donald Trump and American producers one can of soup at a time. Sales of U.S.-made products are down and sales of Canadian products are way up at grocery stores. At a liquor store I recently patronized, the sign was off in the section of American wines. I was told they are still being sold because they had been pre-purchased.

I admit that I have screwed up. The other day, I bought Corn Flakes and a jar of relish. Both are products of the US. I didn’t know when I bought the Corn Flakes, and stood for a couple of minutes before putting the relish in my bucket. The other choice didn’t look appealing, and we were having hot dogs that night. I also confess to having shopped at Walmart and Costco in recent weeks. My excuse is they employ 100s of people in Saskatoon. And they carry Canadian-made products. I can’t win this argument with my conscience. It is great that Canadian products are being highlighted in stores. It saves us from looking at the small print on items. That’s not easy for an old guy with one working eye. As an aside, I love the use of Elbows Up as the go-tophrase for standing up to the U.S. It is even cooler that the term refers to Gordie Howe, one of our own. Howe was known to use his elbows to immobilize opposition players. (In more accurate words, he knocked their teeth out.) Howe used his stick equally well. Despite his reputation as a fighter, Howe was “only” in 22 fights in his long career. The most famous was against Lou Fontinato of New York Rangers on Feb. 1, 1959. Fontinato was considered by many as the toughest guy in the NHL. “This was the fight that truly established Howe’s reputation as a tough guy. Both men exchanged punches in a long battle,” It was reported on GreatestHockeyLegends. com. “Leaping Louie took the worst of it though. Fontinato’s nose was mangled and pushed so far over to the right side of his face that, as one media source reported, “‘it looked like he ran the 100-yard dash in a 90- yard gym.’” Let’s keep our Elbows Up, people.

*****

 I didn’t watch as much of this past Brier as I normally would. I am sick of watching directional sweeping. This is where the big galoots on the front end of a team can manipulate a rock to curl more – lots more. Rocks were being buried behind a rock three feet in front of it. Perfectly guarded rocks – let’s say eight to 10 feet behind a guard — were being hit on the nose. It is more surprising when a runback is missed than when it is made. Curling Canada has to soften the cloth on brushes, so they aren’t scratching the ice on the inside edge to make rocks curl. Or Curling Canada has to turn back the clock to when brushers had to sweep across the full width of the rock. If I was starting a team, I would hunt for giants to play lead and second, and go from there. Then again, maybe I am just an angry old man.

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RANDOM THOUGHTS

• The City of Saskatoon did a fine job of clearing snow on my street this winter. We would rather complain than compliment the city in these situations. When my street was graded early in the winter, the driver left a spot to park a car in front of the house. When the ruts became deep in March, a grader was dispatched to shave them down.

• Cynthia Block has done a really good job as our mayor.

• I only met former mayor Charlie Clark once. We were both leaving a news conference, and it would have been awkward to ignore each other. As we were shaking hands, I identified myself. “I know who you are,” he said in not the friendliest of tones. He launched into a quick mini-tirade about Elaine Hnatyshyn columns. I am happy that Elaine is writing for this fine little paper.

•I really like the Evan Bray Show on CKOM. He has a good mix of guests, gives a platform for both sides of an issue, and his show isn’t driven by politics. It is on live during mornings and replayed 10 or 20 times thereafter.

• I like Ontario Premier Doug Ford for standing up to Trump. That said, antagonizing Trump is not the best political strategy. Trump will go to any length to win.

• While the Tories will sweep the province and likely form the next federal government, Mark Carney will be good for us for as long as he holds the reins. The man understands tariffs and interest rates and economics. He will take on Trump in a measured way.

• Did you know Environment Canada’s weather guru David Phillips is 80 years old? Talk about a guy who loves going to work everyday.

• The National Hockey League is contemplating going to an 84- game schedule in 2026-2027. Why? Eighty-two games are more than enough. The season would start earlier and end in June, as it does now. • After years of following the NHL religiously, the season now starts for me when the Toronto Maple Leafs are eliminated from the playoffs.

– Cam Hutchinson