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Henri C. Bienvenu

Pense Donc!!

Henri C. Bienvenu

LET’S MOVE ON . . .
Last week’s decision by the Louisiana Community and Technical College System Board of Supervisors to locate the new Evangeline campus along La. 31/Main Hwy. near the old Martin Mills complex should signal an end to a sometimes acrimonious battle for the new facility between Breaux Bridge and St. Martinville interests.
While Crawfish Capital promoters cite the city’s recent growth, access to I-10 and central location, Mayor Thomas Nelson and other St. Martinville officials were determined not to let their struggling community suffer another loss of a vital asset.
For years some school board leaders have been shifting that body’s operations from St. Martinville to Breaux Bridge, using the central location as justifying the move.
Extending that line of reasoning would make a case for moving our nation’s capitol from the East Coast’s Washington, D.C., to somewhere in Kansas or Nebraska, closer to our most populous state of California and Texas.
And shouldn’t our state capitol be moved to Alexandria in consideration of Shreveport and Monroe?
There’s no question St. Martinville is struggling to maintain it’s vitality. We would hope parish leaders would not abandon the city in favor of moving everything to Breaux Bridge for geographic/population reasons.

THIS & THAT . . .
Canadian Rockies – Continuing with our Canada adventure:
We wound up our wonderful stay in Canada with two days in Vancouver, that nation’s third largest metropolitan area with a population of 2.4 million. It’s one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada; 52 percent of its residents have a first language other than English.
The city’s Chinatown showcases the Sun Yat Sen Gardens and numerous open air produce markets. The community even has its own schools where classes are conducted in Chinese.
Despite its northern locale, there is an unusual lushness to the hilly terrain, with Pacific currents helping to keep temperatures above freezing for most of the winter. Much of the city is surrounded by the huge harbor and the Fraser River. The 1,000-acre Stanley Park offers bountiful plant life and vistas of the harbor and bustling downtown.
Although Vancouver was not incorporated until 1886, it serves as a major port to the Pacific and the terminus for railroads hauling lumber, grain and other products from Canada’s interior.
We spent a good portion of one day wandering around Granville Island’s markets, art shops and restaurants.
Our visit to Canada had begun in Calgary and I couldn’t help but compare that city with Vancouver. The two brought to mind Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Baton Rouge and Calgary are both bustling cities with much to offer, but New Orleans and Vancouver have much more charm and uniqueness. Indeed, Vancouver boasts a major film making industry, earning it the nickname of “Hollywood North.”
In closing our tale of Canada, a few interesting sidelights:
The population of Canada is around 35 million, slightly less than California’s 37 million. And about 80 percent of Canadians live within 200 miles of the U.S. border.
The price of gasoline during our visit was about $5.20 a gallon, surprisingly high considering the nation’s huge oil production. One likely factor is the lack of refineries.
The Canadian monetary system is the same as ours - dollars. But there is no penny in Canada, not such a bad idea.
All in all, it’s a great vacation destination. Our bucket list includes a visit to Canada’s eastern provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

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