I'll be "baq"

You'd be forgiven if you weren't able to shell out $275 to hear the man known as "the Governator" at the Fairmont Hotel earlier this week. I could live for several weeks on this kind of dough (no pun intended), though I must admit I was a bit star-struck when I heard Arnold Schwarzenegger was coming to Winnipeg on his first speaking tour.

I remember actually seeking out Arnold's films when I was an impressionable lad. He certainly wasn't the most appropriate role model, but who could fault a hero who always got the bad guy. The characters Arnold played in Conan the Barbarian, Commando, Predator, and The Running Man always saved the day and dished out swift, calculated justice.

I feel I am obliged at this time to separate Kindergarten Cop, Jingle All the Way, and Twins from that last paragraph. These films must have come at a time when Arnold was at a weak point in his career.

But I digress.

It has been reported that Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay was at "Ahnold's" Winnipeg speaking engagment and had a chance to speak with Mr. Schwarzenegger before he left for Toronto and Montreal. In hindsight, this can only be seen as a missed opportunity for Schwarzenegger as a refresher course in present Canadian military involvement.

As Schwarzenegger spoke a few days later in Montreal for his final engagement, a few details became lost in translation.

"The Canadians that went over there to Iraq," he said,

"Those are heroes!"

Of course it was a slip of the tongue, but as far as we know it only raised an eyebrow. No one immediately stepped up to correct "the Governator" that Canada is involved just in Afghanistan.

Apparently Peter MacKay was no better earlier in the week in Winnipeg as he provided a geography lesson that placed California's and British Columbia's borders side by side. I suppose he has somewhat of an excuse as he was born on the other side of Canada in Nova Scotia. Maybe he doesn't make it that far west too often.

Mr. Schwarzenegger politely corrected MacKay after the fact, and reminded him that Oregon and Washington lie between B.C. and California.

A transplanted American from Austria giving a Canadian a lesson in his own geography.

Who would have thunk?