Toews Lake

Cpl. Michael James Alexander Seggie.

There has been some controversy regarding the quick naming of a lake to honour Jonathan Toews for his Stanley Cup win.

While the province seemed quick to have politicians give out the honour, they are no where to be found now. Chief of protocol Dwight MacAulay is out there taking the heat from the family of Cpl. Michael James Alexander Seggie who are questioning why they have to wait so long to receive a similar honour.

McCawley on CBC Radio's morning program explained there was no double standard in giving Toews the award and said that the fallen soldiers will be honoured. However, he admitted the families had not been contacted about it. There was some confusion as to how long families have to wait for a geographical landmark to be named with the Free Press saying three years and McCawley saying five years on the radio. However, McCawley says the province is not bound by that timeframe.

McCawley went on to say on radio that he wished the families had come to him about what was going on before this controversy started. He backtracked though and said the province should have gone to the families instead and told them when honours were planned.

One interesting note was that McCawley said he doesn't know exactly how Toews came to be chosen quickly for a lake naming. He said he was "in the room." Think that was his way of saying the decision was made at the political level.

My thoughts on this: I have no problems with naming a lake after a sports hero. The problem I have is that the families of soldiers were not told when their sons and daughters would receive their honours. It looks bad and looks even worse when the politicians steer a civil servant out to explain that there is no fast track when it is obvious there is.

Greg Selinger is where the buck stops with this one and he should have called the families. Bad form.



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