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David Staples: The rise and fall of the Edmonton Coliseum
The building project had been a struggle for the workers and for everyone else in Edmonton. Politicians bickered for more than a decade over the building’s location and funding. Twice, in 1963 and 1970, Edmonton voters turned down plans to pay for downtown sporting complexes. Three labor strikes delayed the construction schedule. The final few months had been a mad scramble to meet deadlines. But now the workmen climbed up on the finished roof. Most of them were Italian immigrants, employees of Pat Bowlen and Peter Batoni’s construction company. They wanted to christen the building in the style of the old country. In Italy, it’s customary to place a tree on the roof of a new building. It signifies that the building grew, that it reached its full height.
“Here,” they said. “At last. We made it.”
“We could not believe what we achieved,” recalled Erminio Floreani, the project superintendent, in a 1994 interview. “We’d been working around the clock.”
So no Wayne Gretzky, no Mark Messier, no five Stanley Cups.
“We’d be where Hamilton is today,” LaForge said. “We’d be begging and negotiating with (NHL commissioner Gary) Bettman and others to try and land an NHL franchise.”
But just as the Coliseum brought Edmonton together, it divided us. By the 1990s, it was no longer signified growth and unity. Instead, the building became a sign of atrophy and disharmony, with Oilers owner Peter Pocklington and Northlands fighting for control of its concert business and other revenues, and the city and Oilers fans caught in the middle. That 1990s battle was settled with Pocklington winning out but giving a few crucial concessions, namely the right for Edmontonians to step up and buy the team for a set price, $70 million US, if he should ever try to move the team. It was as ugly a civic debate as the 1990s saw in Edmonton, but it ended up saving the Oilers in Edmonton. Yet the debate was also just a taste of the brawl that was yet to come, with Northland and new Oilers owners — first Cal Nichols and the Edmonton Investors Group and then Daryl Katz — squaring off over control of a new downtown arena from 2005 to 2013. In the end, with the opening of the new arena on downtown’s north edge this fall, the primacy of the old Coliseum on the north edge of the Northlands land will come to an end.
The same old fight after another, after another, after another
Five times now — always during an economic boom — Edmonton has risen up to build what locals believed to be the very best of western Canadian hockey arenas, rivals to anything seen in Winnipeg, Vancouver or Calgary. A vision of Edmonton as one of Canada’s main cities, a truly major league city, flourished at those times. As a result, it was seen as right and proper to create a showcase for the city. At other times, though, haunted by economic recession or depression, and informed by the rural roots and fiscal conservatism of the population, city leaders and voters have fought hard against any kind of money going toward a project such as an arena building.
Edmonton’s first and only major arena in the downtown, the Thistle Rink, was built by local businessman Dick Secord in 1902, just as the town of Edmonton transformed into a city, and the territory into a province. The much-loved Thistle seated 2,000, was larger than most other downtown buildings, and was the major venue for the city’s sporting and cultural life until it burned down in 1912.
Northlands step to the front of the arena business in 1913
At Christmas 1913, two thousand fans went to the first game, the Dominion Furriers against the hometown Edmonton Eskimos hockey team.
There was no heat in the building, but there was a focus on catering to the wealthy, a fixation that has not waned with time. The cheap bleacher seats cost 50 cents, while a chair in a box seat cost a dollar. A broad walkway separated the boxes from the bleachers, lest a society lady have to brush up against the unwashed. The woodwork on the boxes had to be redone when it was deemed to be too plain and coarse for the leaders of society.
In those days, the old Edmonton Eskimos challenged for the Stanley Cup three times. In 1926, however, when the NHL expanded into America, the lineup of the Eskimos, including such aces as Eddie Shore and Duke Keats, was scooped up by wealthy U.S. promoters, the beginning of an unfortunate trend. For the next 46 years, only senior, semi-pro and junior teams would play in the Arena, though many young stars had their day there, such as Glenn Hall, Pat Quinn, Normie Ullman and John Bucyk, before moving on to the NHL.
After the Second World War, and in the days following the exhilaration of the 1947 Leduc oil strike, the success of the Edmonton Flyers senior and semi-pro teams pushed Northlands to expand the Arena. The group built a major extension and new facade at a cost of $163,000 in 1948, adding 1,200 seats. The building’s name was changed to the Gardens and could seat 5,200.
In 196os came the first major stirrings that Edmonton wanted something more than junior and semipro hockey.
Northlands and city officials held a secret meeting with NHL boss Clarence Campbell about building a new 7,000-seat arena. City council approved a $10-million arena for downtown, but voters turned it down in a plebiscite.
For the next 10 years, new proposals came forward every few years, including one that called for a downtown indoor football and hockey stadium known as Omniplex. After much rancorous debate, none of the projects took off. Omniplex was voted down in a 1970 plebiscite. “As a city we need to replace that barn of an Edmonton Gardens,” a young city councillor, Ron Hayter, said in March 1972.
In 1966, the fire marshall had condemned the Gardens. Northlands had to spend heavily to fix it up.
In a 2009 interview, Hayter said that Omniplex was ahead of its time. “When Omniplex was proposed, that was kind of exciting, but a lot of people said, ‘Oh no, we’re not ready for that.’ ”
Rural, conservative views, shaped by the Great Depression, were still held by many locals. The attitude, said Hayter, was that you didn’t spend money unless you had to.
People didn’t see the city growing. They certainly didn’t see it as a big-league town, the kind of place that might have an NHL team. “It took a little time for people to change their attitudes,” Hayter said.
But as Edmonton started to boom in the 1970s, civic boosters and hockey promoters kept pushing. In the summer of 1972, “Wild” Bill Hunter started the Edmonton Oilers to play in the new World Hockey Association, a rival league to the National Hockey League. Hunter insisted a new rink was necessary for his pro team. Why, you couldn’t have Bobby Hull in the old Gardens, could you?
But who would build it? That’s when Northlands stepped up.
The power of Northlands
Founded in 1879, Northlands was by then older than the city and the province. It staged its first farm fair near Fort Edmonton in 1879. Over the years, it’s been run by men for whom the city has named neighbourhoods and roads: Hardisty, McCauley, McKernan, McDougall, Bellamy, Gallagher, Ross. It’s also been run, at times, as something akin to an oligarchy of Edmonton insiders.
Northlands had links to every level of government. It was tied into major Edmonton businesses. As a non-profit volunteer group, Northlands could receive grants from Ottawa and the province that would never go to a private individual or a municipality.
Northlands started up the provincial lottery and has shared in its profits ever since. Since the turn of the 20th century it also had a monopoly on horse-racing, a highly profitable venture.
“There are two perceptions of (Northlands) — from within and without, and totally contradictory,” Tony Cashman wrote in his 1979 book. “To those inside, it seems merely the biggest of service clubs, with volunteers working their hearts out pro bono publico. … From outside, however, the association is often perceived as a private club only slightly less exclusive than the Order of Canada. The Order is limited to 125 living Canadians, the association to 200 living shareholders, with loyalty to neither City nor Country but to a magic kingdom called Northlands, a kingdom with enough horses to supply every Richard III stage of history, a kingdom paying neither rent nor tax, nor heed to public complaints, nor attention to letters from city council requesting information.”
Politicians have always done well to stay in the organization’s good books, said past Northlands president Bob Westbury said in 2010. “You never wanted to tick Northlands off and you always wanted to be on the side of Northlands and, to be honest, Northlands was also able to provide to people of influence and affluence the kinds of perks they were able to provide their board members (namely free tickets): ‘Come to the game, come to this, come to that.’ ”
It was Edmonton’s most connected volunteer organization, Westbury said. “There has never been a time when the president of Northlands could not meet with the Premier, or anybody else they wanted to meet with, because it’s Northlands. I mean, that’s a very magic word.”
“If Edmonton was going to grow and be the kind of community you wanted to live in, we had to have a facility of that kind,” said Jack Bailey, who was then president of Northlands, in a 1994 interview.
“It was just a matter of, ‘We’re going to do it!’ I’m an optimist. I always have been. I didn’t have doubts at all from the time we made the decision to the time it was built.”
By then local developer Charles Allard had bought into the Oilers and was pushing for a new arena. He came to city politicians with his list of needs. Allard, along with his partners “Wild” Bill Hunter and Zane Feldman, asked for zero taxes, free land, and for the city to pay for all the hard services — roads, sewers, power, etc. But Northlands and some city councillors had their own plans. In a 1994 interview, former Northlands manager George Hughes recalled how Coun. Ed Leger said he knew of someone who could do the same thing, but not at the city’s expense: Northlands.
By that time, Northlands was used to running the major hockey arena in town and pulling in whatever profit and prestige came from that role, so it wasn’t only out of public interest that the group came forward, as was made clear when Northlands bigwigs and the Oilers owners got together to decide which project should go ahead. “They asked us to support them because they felt our building would greatly impact and damage them,” said Hunter.
On Nov. 3, 1972, the first workmen went on site. Northlands promised Oilers management the building would be ready for the 1973-74 WHA season. But delays kept popping up. The land turned out to be swampy. It had to be stabilized with crushed gravel.
Through 1973, the building’s estimated cost rose from $10 million to $12.5 million to $15 million.
To speed things up, contractor Peter Batoni put a giant crane on a circular railway track. It could chug around to wherever it was needed on the site.
In January ’74, North American steel workers went on strike. Northlands had prepared for the strike by stockpiling 1,100 tonnes of steel. Even so, Batoni found he was short 400 tonnes. Unwilling to wait out the strike, he resorted to the black market. “We purchased at whatever price we could get,” says construction manager Luigi Zorzetto.
But hassles continued. One large steel shipment from Europe was delayed when the ship’s crew mutinied in the Panama Canal.
In the summer of ’74, strikes by cement and elevator workers slowed things down. The biggest panic, however, was caused by a lack of seats. On Nov. 9, 1974, one day before the Oilers’ home opener against the Cleveland Crusaders, 5,000 seats still hadn’t arrived from the U.S.
The final shipment came in the middle of the night. Dozens of people hustled to install the seats. “Everybody worked,” Erminio Floreani said. “We even stopped teenagers from the street. They came in and we gave them a set of pliers and got those seats in.”
At game time, 100 seats were still not installed. They had to be handed out to customers walking in. With no chance to check if all the screws were properly tightened, the house announcer advised everyone to check their chair. “When that announcement came everybody in the stands was clapping their hands,” Zorzetto said. “They knew about the effort that we put into it, and they appreciated that. I personally was crying. It was an emotional thing.”
For arena manager Don Clarke, the tears came earlier in the day when he saw the score clock raised to the rafters.
“You felt like standing up and saluting it like you would the flag.”
The building was a huge boost to Edmonton, especially since Calgary had only the old Corral. “It was our building. It wasn’t Northlands’ building or Peter Puck’s building,” Don Clarke said.
The first game was Nov. 10, 1974 against the Cleveland Crusaders.
“So beautifully functional, the comfortable sight lines from all seats, the wide walkways for meeting friends between periods, even radiating roof supports which glittered high overhead like the Aurora Borealis.”
The Oilers, with Jacques Plante in net, beat Cleveland 4-1.
The best seats were $7, less than the $12.50 at Maple Leaf Garden. Cheap seats sold for $3.50.
The opening night was a sell-out: 15,326. “That was perhaps my most thrilling moment in sports,” said Oilers founder Bill Hunter.
“They introduced me and there was a huge standing ovation for several minutes.
“I looked up at the crowd and it was a dream come true, having major league hockey in your community. All I could see was this sea of people. My eyes were full of tears.”
For Northlands, the official opening on July 1, 1975 was the greatest day.
In a newspaper advertisement, the organization was full of brag.
“Big, Bold, Beautiful, Best,” read the headline, and it was hard to tell if it was referring to the building or Northlands.
“Credit for it coming about at all belongs to the Exhibition Association.”
The advertisement talked about the city’s earlier attempts to build an arena. “Every attempt floundered on the shoals of timidity. It was the Exhibition directorate that found a passage through the shoals.”
In those days, it was a different older crowd at Rexall. The solemn fanbase used to be known as The Jury, a relatively quiet and serious bunch, who intently watched the action. Many of them were hockey experts who would judge each player’s every move. On a personal note, I was often at those games in the 1980s, as my father had season tickets at the time. I was attending university in Ottawa, which also gave me a chance to compare the Coliseum to the Forum in Montreal and Maple Leafs Gardens. Edmonton’s rink was by far the better place to actually watch a game, with far better sight lines and lighting. And, of course, the team itself was also superior.
It’s now easy to say that we didn’t know how lucky we were being able to watch Gretzky, Kurri, Coffey and Messier every night, but I think we did know. I can certainly recall sitting there in my seat, being dazzled by their latest deke or pass or shot and telling myself: Remember this, because it’s not going to last.
Of course, little did we realize how quickly it would all crumble. Instead of the nine or ten Stanley Cup banners in the Coliseum’s rafters that we were all expecting, the Oilers ended up with five. Pocklington’s dismantling of the great Oilers team set the stage for much of the ugly feeling that was to come around the team and it’s future in the Coliseum in the 1990s.
Fans started to see Pocklington as an owner who cared nothing about winning, only about milking the team for cash to support his other failing businesses.
Fans also came to mistrust Northlands at this time. Northlands had always pushed the notion that it works only in the interest of the public. Its board pointed out that they are unpaid volunteers. Yet a number of perks have come with being on the board, such as a free parking place at the Northlands grounds and some free tickets to major events. Northlands has always had a box at Oilers games and through the Gretzky years of the 1980s it also had 50 free tickets in the stands.
A lease agreement signed in 1989, for the first time, entrenched the city’s right to tax licensed premises on the Northlands grounds, as well as the private homes the fair board owns around the site.
“If the city owns the building, why the hell are we still paying the mortgage?” asked Colin Forbes, then general manager of Northlands, in a 1994 interview.
“The sight lines are great, it’s a well kept building and the ice is excellent,” said TV hockey analyst Harry Neale. “It’s as good a place as there is, if you are a player or a fan.
“If you are an owner, maybe it has some drawbacks, I don’t know.”
“The building is fundamentally sound, but there’s no way it can take us well into the ’90s the way it now sits,” said Oiler spokesman Bill Tuele. Tuele wanted like to see 24 more sky suites, as well as luxury boxes on the main level.
The hunger for a new kind of arena with greater luxury
In America, the move was on to cater to the very rich. Luxury boxes had their own entrances, so high rollers didn’t have to mix with the masses. Northlands’ Harry Hole questioned the need for the suites. “That building was built for the people in this area, and they can’t carry lunch buckets all day and go and pay $100 for a hockey game at night.”
Bill Hunter said there was nothing wrong with the Edmonton market or the building. “It’s scandalous, the amount of ridicule the city of Edmonton is receiving over this,” Hunter said. “And it’s sickening to hear how the building is being castigated. It’s a great building.”
“It’s still an imposing building,” Zorzetto said. “I would say it should last another 50 or more years.”
To survive in such a building, Pocklington came up with a list of demands. He not only needed new luxury boxes but also all the revenue out of the arena, including from concessions, parking and non-hockey events.
Oilers fans were outraged.
Ray Lamer, a season ticket holder for nine years, said “the guy sold us down the river.
“There’s never been an owner in the history of sports that’s done what he’s done here.”
Wayne Inkster said, “I really feel you have to build a tradition and not line your own pockets… Gretzky is probably the classiest player ever, right next to Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe. If you can sell a guy like that, what does that say to the fans or to the rest of the team?”
Bob Westbury, who was then Northlands president, recalled in a 2009 interview that it was “extremely acrimonious” as he tried to convince his board of Northlands past presidents that it was time for change: “You had a group of very influential, very strong Edmontonians who could not face the fact that Peter Pocklington was going to take over their building. … Here is this used-car dealer from Ontario coming in and saying, ‘It’s my building!’ ”
At the same time, Oilers fans were fearful the team might leave town. “The fear of losing that team was palpable, just palpable,” Westbury said.
“I was in this huge dilemma. On one hand, I lose the building and Northlands goes bankrupt, and Northlands hates me and many of the people involved in Northlands will just shun me. Or I could lose the Oilers and then the whole city is going to feel the same way. … I would be absolutely hated. The reality is that I would have had to move from this city.”
Things got so heated that some unhinged fans issued death threats to Westbury and he was given police protection for a time.
As for Northlands’ claim that it acts in the public interest of all Edmontonians, Pocklington laughed off that notion in a 2010 interview. “Oh right! … Well, I mean, think about it, that’s what all governments say. They’re always working in the public interest.”
But Northlands did do one major thing for Edmonton. As part of the deal, and to ensure that the team stayed in Edmonton, Edmonton mayor Jan Reimer, Westbury, Northlands lawyer Franz Slater and general manager Al Skoreyko, came up with the “location agreement” clause, which stated that before Pocklington could ever move the team out of town, he first had to offer it to Northlands or some other city group for $70 million US.
“We felt that we had to have something in place in that document that was so ironclad right that even Peter couldn’t break it,” Westbury said.
“I was able to walk away from that holding my head up high and saying I think I did my best for my city and for my board.”
In the end, in 1997, when Houston businessman Les Alexander came to buy the team and pull it from Edmonton, the location agreement essentially thwarted him, one of the proudest moments of Westbury’s life. “If we had not had that clause, the Edmonton Investors Group would never have existed and that team would have been in Houston.”
Northlands and the EIG take over from Pocklington
Even with his new deal and renovated Coliseum, Pocklington saw his best bet in moving the Oilers and worked out a deal with Alexander, kicking off the location agreement clause.
At that time, Nichols came face-to-face with the clout of Northlands, hearing several city politicians, including then mayor Bill Smith, talk about the need in any deal to “keep Northlands whole.”
“That was the term that was used, ‘to keep Northlands whole,’ ” Nichols said. “We had no idea if Northlands needed keeping whole, or what it would take to keep it whole. It was a concept we knew nothing about.”
Nichols also heard the talk that Northlands was a group that would work in the public interest, but he didn’t know what to make of this. “I could never understand the difference between the two. Was it in Northlands’ interest or in the public interest?”
Both groups came away with a deal that worked out well for them, and it is the same deal that still exists between the Oilers, Northlands and the city, with only a few minor changes. The Oilers paid Northlands $1 in rent and roughly $1 million in operating costs per year, much less than the $2.8 million Pocklington had paid. At the same time, the Oilers got to keep the ticket tax for all hockey games, which gave the team roughly $2 million more per year. The team also got naming rights to the building, 1,000 revenue-generating parking stalls, all suite revenue and 25 per cent of gross food and beverage sales for hockey.
And Northlands? The group got back the revenue from all concerts and non-hockey events, as well as the ticket tax from those events. At the same time, to make up for the loss in rent money from Pocklington, the city agreed to pay Northlands an annual grant of $2.5 million per year.
“We got what we wanted, they got what they wanted,” Nichols says.
A new generation of NHL arenas
Before he bought the team, Nichols had always thought of the Oilers home arena as adequate, but when he became chairman and started to travel to league meetings and see other NHL arenas, his opinion changed.
First came the Pond in Anaheim and the Shark Tank in San Jose in 1993, then new rinks in St. Louis and Chicago (1994), Boston and Vancouver (1995), Buffalo, Ottawa, Tampa, Nashville, and Montreal (1996), Washington and Philadelphia (1997), Miami (1998), Denver, Raleigh, Toronto, Atlanta and Los Angeles (1999), St. Paul and Columbus (2000), Dallas (2001), Phoenix (2003) and New Jersey (2007).
“Every time we would meet at governors meetings there was also discussion about upgrading buildings and building revenues to deal with salaries. Everyone was always trying to get ahead of each other,” Nichols says.
Parking is a nightmare, Dater said, and the arena is in the lower half of NHL rinks when it comes to amenities. “The inside of the arena is a little dirty, I think it’s fair to say. A little musty and dark.”
Nichols and his team president, Patrick LaForge, visited many of the new arenas together on business trips. “We’d walk into the same place together and say, ‘Holy man, imagine having something like this to work with,’ ” Nichols said.
With a new rink, Nichols felt the team would be able to better recruit and retain players in Edmonton. “Certainly I could see it through the player’s eyes. We can’t do anything about the weather, but one thing you can do is build a building and make that a good experience. … The last thing we want to say (to a free agent) is, ‘It’s 30 below in Edmonton and we got the oldest and smallest rink in the league.’ ”
Nichols also worried that his customers, especially his high-end ones, would start to grow tired of cramped Rexall.
Many of the existing high-priced seats in Rexall were simply too uncomfortable for fans, especially down in the arena’s corners, said Nichols. “I’ve sat there and it’s really uncomfortable and I’m not a big or tall person. You just have to have more comfort.
“You’ve got to have a modern, first-class, up-to-date presentation and facility because if you don’t, you just can’t command those kinds of prices forever. Everything wears out.”
In the end, Nichols decided, Edmonton had to build a new rink. “I thought if we don’t do this at some point, we don’t have a future in the NHL.”
Nichols started to talk to some of his 30-odd EIG partners about his vision. Most often, the reaction wasn’t encouraging. “They thought it was impossible. ‘We got a pretty good building and the price is right (roughly $1 million a year for all rent and expenses).’ They’d come back and say, ‘It doesn’t make sense to go to all this trouble to build a new building and have all this debt. What do you gain by it?’ ”
Nichols could see their point, but inflation in building costs was making it more pricey every year to build such a new rink. And, each year, the income gap between the Oilers and the others was likely to grow. “Everyone else had made that quantum leap into the next generation.”
In October 2005, Nichols went public for the first time, saying that a new state-of-the-art arena was needed to replace Rexall Place. “You’ve got to have a modern, first-class, up-to-date presentation and facility because if you don’t, you just can’t command those kinds of (ticket) prices forever,” he said in a Journal article. “Everything wears out.”
One thing Nichols didn’t mention in public was his desire to build downtown. He didn’t want to start a round of speculative bidding on land where the arena might go one day.
One early supporter of the plan for a new arena was Edmonton’s new mayor, Stephen Mandel. “The mayor, he kind of bought into the whole notion,” Nichols says. “He was good. He just saw the wisdom of it.”
A first step was to see if Rexall Place could be upgraded and at what price. In 2006, Northlands commissioned a study by HOK, a major arena architectural firm. HOK reported Rexall Place could be renovated, essentially with a 14-metre doughnut placed around the building to widen the concourse level, but it would cost as much as $250 million.
“For a building of its age we found it to be surprisingly well-taken care of,” says HOK’s Robert White, “but it suffers all of the shortcomings of buildings of the ’60s, ’70s and’80s generation…lack of circulation space on the concourses, not enough concourses, inadequate numbers of restrooms and concession points of sale.”
At the time, Northlands leader Andy Huntley liked the idea of the doughnut renovation, saying: “It’s not a Band-Aid. It’s not a Botox injection. This is a re-creation of the building, a brand new asset good for 40 years going forward.”
But not all Northlands directors thought the HOK plan had merit, including Lyle Best, who was then on the board. “It was stupid,” Best said of the plan. “Absolutely stupid. Because you’re barely going to increase the number of seats, you’d marginally increase the number of suites, and sitting there, I’m going, ‘Who the hell is going to pay for this?’
“The only place it’s going to come from is the public.”
Mandel thought such a renovation would cost too much, and suggested the report bolstered the case for a new arena to be built downtown: “Two hundred and fifty million dollars is a fair chunk of change on a renovation, and you end up with a renovated building versus something you build from scratch with new technologies and all the new things that you have and need for a facility.”
In April 2007, Mandel struck a leadership committee on a new arena. It was made up of experts from various fields as well as Oilers and Northlands representatives, including then chairman Jerry Bouma and his right-hand man, Huntley. Best, who had also been on the board of the Oilers Community Foundation, was asked to chair the group, as he’d had a foot in both the Oilers and the Northlands camps. Soon the arena committee heard rave reviews about a new model of arena building, one that saw the arena as a focal point in a larger sports and entertainment district. Such districts had been built in cities like Columbus, San Diego and Los Angeles, with excellent results in revitalizing dead downtown neighbourhoods.
HOK took a close look at six downtown sites for a new arena to see which would work best. On the key issue of funding, HOK reported that an Edmonton arena – 750,000 square feet, seating 18,000, with 78 luxury suites of various sizes -would cost $450 million, not including land assembly costs.
Some type of public-private partnership would be needed in Edmonton, HOK reported: “Major civic facilities such as these do not generate sufficient returns on investment to attract 100 per cent private development capital.”
Mandel backed the key recommendations of the group, that the arena be built downtown and that it be partly funded through a levy.
Some on the Northlands board pushed back against the idea of a new downtown arena off of Northlands property, but Bouma and Huntley sided with the rest of the arena committee, backing the downtown plan. “At the end of the day there wasn’t a human being on that committee who didn’t believe the only way to finance it was to make it part of something bigger, which was rebuilding downtown,” Best says.
Nichols felt Bouma and Huntley were on-side with such an approach, but only so long as Northlands was a part of it. “They were in a position where they had to be,” Nichols said. “They didn’t want to be in a place where the Oilers and the city are off in one direction and they were kind of being left as the dinosaur that didn’t stay up to speed and be involved.”
Nichols was himself open to Northlands being involved, but only if the group helped pay for it. “It’s like any business deal,” Nichols said. “It all comes back to the same old issue, what are you bringing to the table and what do you want back for it?”
Daryl Katz steps up
As all this was unfolding, Nichols and his EIG partners were deciding to sell the team to Rexall billionaire Daryl Katz. One of the deciding factors for Nichols was Katz’s ability to push forward a plan for a new downtown arena, something that Nichols had come to doubt the EIG could ever do.
For one thing, Nichols had come to see it was nearly impossible to get 30-odd wealthy businessmen, even if they were partners, to agree on anything, let alone something so complex as an arena project.
He doubted even the Calgary billionaires who own the Flames could pull it off. “The thing that is consistent with rich people is that when they get to that level of equity and ownership, they’re pretty used to calling the shots … They’d never agree how to chip in $450 million to build a building … unless one guy could say, ‘It is mine.’ ”
In November 2007, after months of offers and counteroffers from Katz, Nichols met Katz. The drugstore magnate spelled out his vision, not just for a downtown arena, but for an entire downtown neighbourhood built around an arena. He wanted to raise the bar on development in Edmonton, he told Nichols.
Nichols’ group had some extremely wealthy people, but many of them wanted to sell out, if not to Katz, then to their remaining EIG partners. The remaining owners would need $100 million to buy them out, then they would have to raise many millions more for a new arena, no easy task in a business where profits were far from certain. There was some effort to bring in BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie to see if he would want to invest, but nothing came of it.
If there was going to be a new building with the EIG as owners, the public was going to have to pay for it, Nichols realized.
Katz was far more capable of taking the project forward on his own than anyone in the EIG, Nichols came to see. “I just said, ‘Man, me, personally, I just can’t do it.’ And there was no one else on their own willing to step up.”
When Katz finally bought the team in June 2008, he spoke about his vision for a new arena: “I really think there is an opportunity through the Oilers to do great things for the city of Edmonton. It is fairly apparent to me that the Edmonton Oilers should be in a state-of-the-art arena at the heart of the city. To me, it’s a no-brainer, not only for the team, but for the city.
“I don’t know if I would have had the same enthusiasm for the transaction but for the opportunity to build a new arena and to revitalize downtown. I think it’s the right time for the city and I think, in my opinion, somebody had to step up or I’m not sure it would have got done.
“I’d like to see the team get into a new arena as soon as possible. Life is short enough as it is. Life is over in a blink of an eye. I’m 47. I think it was yesterday I was 18. It’s over like that. So we don’t have any time to waste. That is a personal philosophy. We want to move forward quickly and try to accomplish as much as we can in as short a period of time as we can.”
After selling his share in the team, Nichols worked with Katz on the arena plan, first as chairman of the Oilers — a position he gave up when he decided to lead the fight against Mandel over the downtown airport — then as an informal adviser.
Katz acquired the 12-acre (five-hectare) Baccarat site and a five-acre (two-hectare) parking lot across the street. “It has a fair amount of merit,” Mandel said of the site. “I think it’s a reasonably good location.”
Nichols said the corner of 104th Avenue and 101st Street could become the new Portage and Main of Edmonton, referring to Winnipeg’s main downtown street corner.
It was no easy thing for the Katz Group to put together the land, Nichols said, especially as rumours surfaced about where the Katz Group was planning to build, even before all the land was assembled. It was also difficult to come up with any real plan for the district not knowing how much land would be part of the project.
The then new Sprint Center in Kansas City was one such arena, built with glass outer walls, like a crystal bowl, so people can see the teeming human activity in and around it. “If you’re on the downtown streets of Kansas City that is energizing to you,” White said. “It makes you feel better about being downtown. It makes you want to be downtown, as opposed to if you’re looking at a blank brick wall.”
The main entrance to modern arenas have what architects call an “arrival experience,” White said. “There’s going to be a large volume of open space. There’s going to be interesting views.”
The best new arenas, such as San Diego’s Petco Park, also tend to have only one parking lot in the general vicinity, as opposed to being ringed by parking lots. The idea was to get people to walk through the district, to sample the shops, parks and restaurants, before they head inside. ”
In Edmonton’s climate, parking was also needed near the building, but the new arena would not be ringed by lots, LaForge said, adding that downtown Edmonton had plenty of parking.
Downtown was already designed to get tens of thousands of people in and out quickly, as happens each day at rush hour, LaForge said. “People can come and go pretty darn quick.”
Of course, extra activity was, in fact, what the arena district is all about, LaForge added, “I think the city needs a vibrant downtown after 5 p. m.”
A new Edmonton arena would be bigger in almost every way, the concourses, the lobbies, the seats. People demand comfort, White said. “They don’t want their knees banging into the seat in front of them.”
While the new arena was to be bigger, it would not be the biggest of NHL arenas, which was then Montreal’s Bell Centre with 21,273 seats. If fans get too far from the action, they can’t see the puck and aren’t willing to pay much for the seats, making them uneconomical to build, LaForge said. “People won’t sit in it and they won’t pay for it,” LaForge said of distant seats, adding that the arena has to offer a lot if it’s going to pull people away from their homes, where they can watch games on HDTV from the comfort of their couches.
“Our largest competition is the couch in your family room, and the distance between the couch and your TV set, and the distance between the seat and the ice.”
Opposition to new arena
Of course, there was a large faction in Edmonton that was far from convinced anything is wrong with Rexall Place, nor were they sure that a new arena would be such a great benefit to hockey fans, let alone this city’s downtown core.
This group wondered if a new arena really would be so superior and argued that Rexall Place was both a working arena and a crucial piece of Edmonton’s identity. They saw Rexall Place, a building that has been home to more Stanley Cup winners than any other existing NHL arena, as worth preserving, even if the concourses were cramped.
One Rexall booster at the time was Paul Haagenson, president of Live Nation West, a major Canadian concert promoter which put on more than 25 shows at Rexall last year. A new, beautiful downtown structure might be great for the public, but there was nothing wrong with Rexall, Haagenson said. “Edmonton, from a technical standpoint, there’s never a reason you can’t do a show there.
“I wouldn’t be a guy going, ‘They need a new building in Edmonton. This is terrible! This can’t work!’ If the hockey economics don’t work, that’s somebody else’s cross to bear.”
The main obstacle to a new arena, of course, was public financing of the deal. A great many Edmontonians were loath to see any public money going into a project that would benefit a billionaire owner and millionaire players. Northlands also bitterly opposed any new scheme.
In the end, though, an arena deal was forged and the $480 million downtown arena is set to open this fall.
So now we are saying goodbye to the Coliseum, the rink we bought, built, rebuilt and kept going, the rink that shoehorned us into the North American big leagues, and, most of all, the rink that connected us, fan to team, citizen to city, father to son.
For some, the Coliseum goes by some other name, but for me it will never be the Skyreach Centre, Rexall Place or even Northlands Coliseum. Yes, Northlands got together the government money to build the Coliseum in 1972. It hired the contractor and ran the building for decades. We can thank Northlands for taking the lead on our behalf, but the private booster group also got what it wanted, a massive revenue source and a major part of the sports and entertainment business.
The Coliseum shuts its doors to NHL hockey tonight. It will soon stop hosting major sporting and entertainment events. It may live on as a remodelled amateur sporting complex, but its years as Edmonton’s top-dog venue are over.
It had an excellent run, but when I recently asked fans for their take on the arena, a good number complained about how bad the Oilers are, how cramped and unimpressive the arena is, and how little they like travelling to a somewhat desolate part of the city to attend a game.
Others focused on the good times at the arena.
“Growing up in Saskatoon, I cherished every trip to Edmonton to watch the Oilers play,” Eric Friesen said. “Going to Rexall was like Disneyland to me.”
And Shannon Baerwald: “It’s the house Gretzky built and I have so many great memories of time spent there with family and friends. It’s a treasure for me.”
And Jason Frew: “Magic that happened on the ice at Rexall in ’06 united the city like I’d never seen before. Generated amazing energy everywhere.”
But the most common response I got wasn’t about the Gretzky years, the 2006 Stanley Cup run, or some amazing concert. Instead, the response was personal, how going to the Coliseum all those years brought fans closer to their fathers, their sons, their daughters, their granddads.
One comment in particular resonated. “My dad was a seat holder from the WHA until 1989,” fan Bret Westergaard said. “It’s where we bonded and I fell in love with the game and a team. Over the years, even when me and Dad didn’t see eye to eye, we had the Oilers, and that was built at the Coliseum. Now that bond is being passed down to my two kids and it all started at that barn. I am going to miss it.”
My own father started taking me to games in the World Hockey Association days. My dad never wanted to pay for parking, so we’d always park five or six blocks from the Coliseum, then hustle through the cold night to get to and from the arena.
The games I recall most fondly were the many Oilers comebacks, when Gretzky and Jari Kurri were so brilliant and the fans so riled that the sturdy concrete of the building shook with appreciative applause. Then, afterwards, the cold sprint to our car and the long night drive home to Devon, with cheerful Rod Phillips on post-game, then Phillips signing off, so it was just me and my dad and the dark of the country road, us talking about the Oilers, digging into which players would combine best on which line.
This is the code of fans, intense talk about the strengths and weaknesses of players, discussions that we never tire of and that can bring together the most disparate of people, even a middle-aged father and his sulky teenage son. I had no inclination to open up to my father about my adolescent struggles or adventures, but we kept a connection by talking about whether Dave Lumley or Blair Macdonald was a better fit for Gretzky’s line.
For me, thoughts of the Coliseum are bound up with my father’s passion for Oilers hockey, and with his passing the bug on to me.
Frankly, the old rink itself hasn’t been the same since the mid-1990s when the luxury boxes went in, shutting off the concourse to the ice, making the place far more cramped and dingy. I won’t miss the Coliseum, but I do miss the hockey talk with my father, dark nights on a road made less lonely by our shared experience and love for a team and a game.

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By Jonathan Finer
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
ZAYTOUN, Gaza Strip -- Just before dawn on Jan. 4, a sledgehammer crashed through the living-room wall of the home of Almaz al-Samuni in this southern enclave of Gaza City, pounding a hole wide enough for someone to poke a rifle through while shouting in a language she didn't understand.
"Get out of the house now," an Israeli soldier ordered, this time in accented Arabic, she recalled. Almaz, small for her age of 13, and her family quickly did as they were told, heading for her uncle Wael's house nearby, where by daybreak 92 family members had packed in thigh-to-thigh. It was a week into Israel's 22-day war with Hamas.
At least 29 members of the Samuni family died over the next two weeks -- including Almaz's mother and two brothers. Sixteen or more were killed Jan. 5 when at least two Israeli shells smashed Wael al-Samuni's crowded house. At least six others wounded in that attack died more slowly, over more than three days when the Israeli army kept emergency vehicles from entering the neighborhood, according to another teenager who had been stranded and later rescued from the house.
The shelling of Zaytoun has become a flash point in the debate over whether Israel did enough to prevent the loss of civilian life while targeting fighters from Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip. Hamas fighters operated in residential areas throughout the conflict and targeted Israeli civilians with rockets, killing three during Israel's offensive.
The shelling cut a devastating swath through the Samuni family, which for many years has farmed the rocky fields along an unpaved cul-de-sac here.
This account of the Zaytoun attack and its aftermath was taken primarily from interviews with a dozen members of the Samuni family who survived the assault, as well as statements and patient logs from Gaza City's Shifa and al-Quds hospitals. The information largely parallels an earlier account given by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which concluded that by thwarting rescue efforts for four days Israel had "failed to meet its obligation under international humanitarian law."
Survivors said that Israeli soldiers were aware of the many dead and wounded who were stranded and that the Israelis ignored or rebuffed pleas from fleeing relatives to help the injured.
An Israeli government official declined to answer any specific questions about the incident, saying it was still under investigation. "What is clear is that Hamas militants in that area were engaging us with combat," said Maj. Avital Leibovich, a military spokeswoman. "Many of the civilian areas were turned into military compounds of Hamas."
On Sunday, Israel appointed a team of experts in international law, headed by the justice minister, to defend its troops against possible war crimes charges arising from the offensive.
"Officers and soldiers sent on the mission in Gaza must know that they are safe from various tribunals and that Israel will help and defend them, just as they protected us with their bodies during the military operation," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in remarks before the weekly cabinet meeting Sunday.
Israel largely barred foreign reporters from Gaza during the fighting, though some eventually entered through Egypt. Israel permitted entry late last week.A Place of Strategic Value
Israeli soldiers rumbled into Zaytoun before midnight Jan. 3 in armored vehicles and descended by rope onto rooftops from helicopters. Israeli military and Red Cross officials said there were heavy clashes in the area. Local residents denied that any Palestinian fighters were present but described hearing constant shooting and having to dodge "crossfire" as they moved from house to house seeking shelter.
At a slight elevation, the neighborhood offered a vantage point over the breadth of the Gaza Strip.
"It was a place with strategic value," said Arafat al-Samuni, who lives in Zaytoun. "There is no other reason to come here. None of us is Hamas."
On the morning of Jan. 4, after clearing out Almaz Samuni's house, Israeli troops moved to the next home and used their rifle butts to break down the door of her cousin, Moussa al-Samuni, 19, he recalled. They forced Moussa's family to leave, and the troops set up a command post inside the home, he said. Then they set about clearing remaining families from the neighborhood.
While his younger brother Waleed, 17, sneaked out the back door into tall grass, Moussa and 13 other members of his family quickly fled out the front door. As the family exited, Moussa said, soldiers lifted the men's shirts and pulled down their trousers, ostensibly to check for explosives.
The family ended up next door in Talal al-Samuni's home. After a few hours, with bullets occasionally smacking the stone walls, the group, now numbering more than 40, moved again, this time across the street to the larger home of Wael Samuni. Soon nearly the entire family had congregated there.
"We were so nervous because we knew something bad could happen at any minute, but we had nowhere else to go," said Moussa, who is slender, with short, wavy hair. "We wanted to be together."For the Wounded, No Aid
Down the street, Arafat Samuni, 36, was having coffee with his cousin Nadal, 30. When shooting erupted and grew closer, Nadal decided to return to his house, about 20 yards away, to make sure his family was safe. He never made it.
"Fifteen minutes after he left, I got a call saying Nadal was wounded. I ran out and found him near his front door," Arafat said. "He was bleeding from his abdomen and told me to go home. I pulled him inside his house. I called friends and begged them to get any car, any vehicle, any ambulance."
Nadal died six hours later, about 3 p.m., Arafat said.
Meanwhile, for more than 24 hours, the people gathered in Wael Samuni's house waited for a lull in the fighting that did not come. They called relatives and for ambulances to evacuate them. Salah al-Samuni, 30, received a text message around midnight saying, "Ambulances are on the way." They never came.
Finally, when things seemed a bit quieter, Moussa and two cousins crept outside to gather wood and trash to make a fire, for warmth and to bake some bread. It was before 6 a.m. on Jan. 5, he said.
"I heard an Israeli drone overhead, and about a second later something crashed into the doorway of the house," Moussa said. "I could see that my nephew Mohammad was dead -- his body was torn in pieces. My cousin Rashed was bleeding from his arm, so I ripped his shirt into a bandage and tried to tie it around." Then another shell hit the roof, he said.
Several Samuni family members who were inside said that they never heard the impact of the second shell but that suddenly the ceiling of the one-story building came crashing down on top of them.
"You couldn't see or hear anything. The air was filled with smoke and pressure and my ears felt like they were shaking," said Salah Samuni. Part of the roof collapsed on his head, leaving a bloody gash. His 2-year-old daughter, Azza, died instantly, as did his grandmother. His 6-month-old daughter, Shifa, was unscathed.
"Out of the tragedy, that is a miracle," he said.
Survivors began to panic.
"I screamed at everyone who could move to get out of there," said Salah, who has a slight build and a wispy, graying beard. "I could see across the room that my father was still breathing, but by the time I got to him, he was gone. We grabbed whoever we could carry and ran."
Just after 6 a.m., the sun was rising as dozens of Samunis poured out of the shattered house and made their way up Salahaddin Road, the nearest main route to the hospitals of Gaza City. All around them, the shooting continued.
"We had walked about a kilometer when I saw some Israeli soldiers and an ambulance driver," Salah said. The ambulance driver apologized profusely, he said, but told him: "It is too dangerous. I can't go in until the fighting stops."
Salah recalled telling the soldiers, "We need first aid, and there are many dead back in Zaytoun. You hit us, and we need help."
"Go back to your death," the soldier replied, according to Salah. "You can't go up this road."
Moussa also tried to make it up the street and was intercepted by Israeli soldiers. "I told them there were wounded people, but they told me to shut up," he said. They detained him in a nearby house for the rest of the day before releasing him, he said.
The Red Cross report also said that Israeli troops "must have been aware" that there were wounded civilians in need of medical care. Salah and others said some Israeli soldiers shot at the fleeing Samuni family members, to try to direct them back to Zaytoun.
"All the time they were shooting at the road or above our heads," said Sobhi Mahmoud Samuni, 55. "But we kept running toward the hospitals."
That day, Jan. 5, the logbook at Shifa Hospital recorded that at least 39 Samunis came to the emergency room with various injuries.
"It was shocking to see so many from one family," said Ramiz Ziyara, 33, a general-surgery resident who said he treated a young girl with shrapnel lodged in her brain. "She was okay. She was lucky."
Fifteen wounded people remained inside Wael's house, along with at least 16 bodies.
"I couldn't walk," said Ahmad al-Samuni, 16. "My feet and legs hurt too much, so I just tried to lie still to escape the pain." His two brothers, Ismail, 14, and Isaac, 13, lay bleeding beside him, in far worse condition.
For hours, he said, he held Ismail's hand while the boy faded in and out of consciousness from a large head wound. At the urging of his grandmother, who also remained in the house with a broken leg, they prayed, reciting over and over, "I bear witness that there is no god but God, and Muhammad is his prophet." By nightfall, Ismail had died.
The next morning, still unable to walk, Ahmad said, he gathered bits of a shattered door frame and with a lighter managed to make a small fire in one room. He found a pot and the only food left in the house, uncooked spaghetti and tomatoes, and heated it for his brothers.
"We were so thirsty, we were cutting open a hose and sucking as hard as we could to get water out," he said, frequently losing his concentration, and once, briefly, his temper, as he recounted the story. "It only wet our lips."
That evening, Isaac, who had shrapnel in his abdomen, died, too. "He was bleeding for two days, and no one came to help," said Ahmad. At least four others, his uncle Tawfik and aunt Rabab and two of their children, Rashad and Waleed, also died within 48 hours of the shell striking the roof, he said.
"I sat in there for four days, and all we could do was pray," said Ahmad, whose head was later shaved in the hospital so a wound could be cleaned. "I was sure I was going to die."
Frustration for Rescuers
Two days before the shell struck Wael Samuni's house, the Red Cross had begun negotiating with the Israeli army to get ambulances into Zaytoun to evacuate civilians. "For the first two days, people were calling and literally begging us to come get them,' " said Antoine Grand, head of the Red Cross in Gaza, who declined to allow the ambulance teams working those days to be interviewed.
"We said: 'We're doing our best. Hang on,' " Grand said. "Then their mobile phone batteries died."
"We normally have good coordination about these things," he added. "But for days we asked for a green light to get in there, and it wasn't granted. I don't know why. It is extremely frustrating."
Leibovich, the Israeli army spokeswoman, declined to comment on why the army had not allowed the Red Cross into Zaytoun. Grand corroborated Leibovich's assertion that there were clashes in the neighborhood but said that should not have prevented emergency workers from being given access.
"Look, on the one hand, we don't want to go in while the fighting is going on. But they weren't fighting 24 hours a day for all those days," Grand said, adding that there was an Israeli army post 100 yards from where the Samuni house was struck. "Permission could have been granted earlier."
On Jan. 7, the Red Cross was finally permitted to enter Zaytoun, during a three-hour pause in combat operations to allow for humanitarian relief. The wounded had to be evacuated by donkey cart, because the Israeli army would not move earthen barricades it had placed in the road, according to the Red Cross's report. There was not enough time to retrieve the dead until Jan. 18, when at least 21 bodies were removed from the site, Grand said. The Red Cross's investigation of the events will be completed in the next few months, he added, and will be "shared privately" with the Israeli government.
Residents said there were 22 bodies in and around the Samuni home, and Shifa Hospital logged the arrival that day of 22 dead. The explanation for the discrepancy with the Red Cross figure is unclear. The Red Cross said the bodies were found in at least two houses, while survivors said all of the dead had been killed in Wael's home. Again, the variation in accounts remains unexplained.
Six other people, including Nadal and some of those who escaped from Wael's house, died elsewhere, Samuni family members said.
Moussa Samuni found a final body Jan. 19, in a field just north of the neighborhood. It was his younger brother Waleed, who had run out the back when the soldiers appeared. He had been shot in the head, leg and stomach. He was unarmed and not a fighter, his brother said.'No Fighters Here'
For three days after the last of the bodies were recovered and buried, the Samunis mourned in a large tent erected amid the wreckage of their neighborhood by the Fatah movement, the political party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Large posters displayed color photographs and names of the dead, as well as a few snapshots of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004. Aid groups brought chicken and rice for lunch every day around noon. Dozens of dead birds were scattered about the property, filling the air with a sweet, acrid smell when the wind changed.
"There were no fighters here. That is why I do not understand why this happened," Arafat Samuni said, disputing the Israeli military's statement about combat in the area. "We are farmers. We are not political. We are not resistance."
All but three of the houses on the street were demolished. The remnants of the various families that make up the Samuni clan sat all day, each day, on the rubble of their destroyed homes and met with well-wishers, aid workers and journalists. Most answered questions politely but without emotion.
Some broke down when telling their story. On Friday, the tent was rolled up and trucked away, but the Samunis stayed behind.
"I am supposed to be back in school," said Moussa, an accounting student, staring at the ground. "But my father is gone. My mother is gone. My brother is gone. All I have left is my 2-year-old sister, and now I am the head of the family."
Staff researcher Robert E. Thomason in Washington contributed to this report.


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Avoid the 2nd Wave of Flu Virus
Staying Well During and After Covid-19 Epidemic
A shelter in place has been executed now for nearly 2 months. Soon it will be lifted and the question everyone is asking is, will there be another wave? The answer is not dependant on our government but on individuals. Due to the shelter in place, many have been staying in to protect their immune systems. Unfortunately, isolation weakens the immune system if you are not doing things proactively to keep it strong. Exercise, good sleep, sunlight, diet and supplements all contribute to a strong and balanced immune system. So whether you have isolated yourself from others or not, you can still modulate your immune system by doing the above activities.
Ways to Improve Your Immune System
- Healthy Foods. Did you know that 1 tsp of sugar suppresses the immune system for 12 hours? Following an anti-inflammatory diet significantly reduces your risk for contacting the flu virus. The side effects of this diet include weight loss, more stamina, less pain, improved digestion and better sleep.
- Movement. Moving your body enhances circulation which is valuable to overall health. Muscles in your legs contract to propel the lymph fluid upward towards the heart in order to be cleansed. Lymph is the carrier of cellular debris and microbes. If you’re not moving, your muscles aren’t contracting and the toxic lymph becomes stagnant in your tissues. Movement also increases overall oxygenation of the tissues which is unfavorable to the pathogenic growth of existing bacteria and viruses. Exercise increases body temperature which is also unfavorable to the growth of pathogenic microbes.
- A Healthy Microbiome is incredibly important as it makes up 50% of your immune system. Fiber enhances the growth of friendly bacteria and carries out waste. Taking at least two different high quality probiotics will keep things balanced.. but only if combined with a high fiber, low sugar diet. Taking probiotics does not compensate for a poor diet.
- A positive Attitude in less than optimal circumstances is difficult but needed in order to mentally survive. Our thoughts can either break us or heal us. It takes mental discipline but the results are worth it. Maybe don’t watch the news for a day. Exercise is one of the most powerful attitude changers there is and works fast.To schedule a telemedicine consult call 480-535-7868 or go to Request Appointment.

domain: health


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Our neon sculptures cannot be purchased online or shipped. They may be purchased in person at the Museum. Depending on your location, delivery options may be also be available. Please contact us if you have questions.
Perpetually make the goal — in style — with this field goal neon sculpture. The goal posts are white and the football is Eagles green. The sculpture is mounted on a black hard plastic transformer pedestal.
The Neon Museum of Philadelphia stocks several ready-made neon sculptures and custom designs are available. Additional colors are available; ask us!

domain: design


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top 10 diy party crafts - how to make a tassel garland
Adorable idea for s'mores wedding favors - so unique! Free design too! For our trail mix?
Princess Theme - A pink and gold themed party. I love the little lace crowns.
Home Office idea-- Trash to Treasure: Upcycled Metal Paper Organizer - Meadow Lake Road
If there is a cuter birthday, we'd be surprised . have a place for a booth
The TomKat Studio: Introducing The Cricut Explore™ Craft Cutting Machine + The TomKat Heart of Gold Cricut™ Party Collection!
If you're reading these, then you've likely decided to include children to the wedding guest list roster. While this decision can be extremely thoughtful, ador

domain: hobby


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David Weir will be allowed to stamp his mark on Sheffield United’s first team squad this summer, chief executive Julian Winter has confirmed.
Weir, who was appointed manager of the League One club four days ago, has vowed to make its youth academy the first port of call for fresh talent when the new season begins in seven weeks time.
But Winter acknowledged United are prepared to enter the transfer market despite the constraints on Weir’s recruitment budget.
“There will still be squad transition,” Winter said. “Not huge amounts but we recognise we’ve got to create money to recruit”
Defeat in last term’s play-off semi-finals has strengthened United’s resolve to become a sustainable business.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, recently relegated from the Championship, are expected to be the biggest spenders in England’s third tier with an estimated annual budget of around £10m.
Nevertheless, having built an enviable reputation for producing home-grown footballers, United believe they have an ace up their sleeve. George Long, poised to represent England at the FIFA under-20 World Cup, Italy under-18 striker Diego De Girolamo, Joe Ironside, Elliott Whitehouse, Harry Maguire and Callum McFadzean feature among Shirecliffe’s most recent graduates.
Kyle Walker and Phil Jagielka also started their careers at Bramall Lane before winning international honours.
“We’ve got to be creative and clever,” Winter said. “Will the club be shopping in a different market? Yes.”


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Pollan, M. The Botany of Desire: A plant’s-eye view of the world. 2002. Toronto (ON). Random House Trade Paperbacks. p.113-179.
Previously in my blog, I commented on Michael Pollan’s reflection on The Apple. Similarly, I would now like to share with you my experience with Cannabis, well more specifically and more appropriately, my experience reading about cannabis. “The Botany of Desire” is an excellent title for this book because it depicts exactly what is contained within the pages. Throughout the chapter on cannabis, Michael Pollan examines the relationship that has developed between animals and the cannabis plant as well as our desire to consume its components for our own benefit. I would like to say that this chapter is about the cannabis plant, but it is more complicated than that. It touches on every detail surrounding the plant. It is the calyx that encompasses every detail of the seed. To be more specific and less philosophical, it reaches back towards the history of the discovery and uses of cannabis all the way towards the current illegal and legal production today. Along the way, this chapter investigates the newly manipulated hybrids, cannabis’ intentions of our high, our desire for its use and many more intriguing concepts. Most importantly though, Michael Pollan’s chapter on cannabis focuses on the human desire for its intoxicating effects.
Although I do not use drugs other than the occasional aspirin, tylenol, gravol, or alcohol during a night out with friends, I decided to read this chapter in the relaxing and comforting environment of a steamy bath. I wouldn’t consider the bath a psychoactive agent, but the elevated temperature and steam created a more dizzying space than usual, which would have to do for this experiment. However enjoyable the warm water was, after 66 pages I came out of the bath looking like a old, wrinkled raisin.
This chapter touched on many concepts that I found myself intrigued with which all focused on one more or less general idea; why do humans desire the high of marijuana? Though Michael Pollan suggested a few suggestions, I agree most certainly with one. As animals, we naturally crave the altered state of consciousness. We are curious creatures. We, not only as humans but as animals, need to experience the absense of thought. Generally, we are seers, not believers. To cement this argument down, Michael Pollan argues that not only few individuals crave this feeling of euphoria but all of us. “… There isn’t a people on Earth who doesn’t use psychoactive plants to effect a change in consciousness, and there probably has never been” (page 139). The desire is universal and not limited by age. “… Even young children seek out altered states of awareness. They will spin until violently dizzy, deliberately hyperventilating, throttle one another to the point of fainting, inhale any fumes they can find, and, on a daily basis, seek the rush of energy supplied by processed sugar” (page 139).
Getting to the euphoric state of mind produce by cannabis is not necessarily considered evolutionarily beneficial. Being zen and spaced-out will not improve a human’s ability to produce offspring and thus will not increase their capacity to pass on their genes and increase their evolutionary fitness. To the contrary. Marijuana will most likely decrease that individuals capacity. So why then, do humans crave that altered consciousness?
That’s a good question. A question I couldn’t answer. A question that Michael Pollan suggests a few potential answers to.
First, I think Michael Pollan eludes to the fact that marijuana is a means of connection. He describes the experience of being high as a network to the inner self as well as a way to reach higher spiritual levels. Being high on cannabis provides heightened senses of an individual which also links to increased sensation during romantic intimacy. “One of the things certain drugs do to our perceptions is to distance or estrange the objects around us, aestheticizing the most commonplace things until they appear as real versions of themselves” (page 147). Not only does the altered state of consciousness while high affect an individual’s appreciation for the world surrounding them, but also alters their perception of the unknown. Michael Pollan suggests that perhaps the high of cannabis allows what would normally be inconceivable to become within our grasp. “But is it outlandish to ask whether such an experience might have helped inspire Plato’s supernatural metaphysics-the belief that everything in our world has its true or ideal form in a second world beyond the reach of our senses?” (page 147) Furthermore, it is on these journeys that we, as the human race, develop new cultural interpretations, otherwise known as memes. “The memes that prove themselves best adapted to their ‘environment’-that is, the ones that are most helpful for people to keep in their brains-are the ones most likely to survive and replicate and become widely regarded as good, true, or beautiful” (page 148). The first thought that came to my mind after reading this sentence was religion. Religion is a means of helping people get through the day as good people. It is a means of accepting disease, illness and death in the form of heaven or an after life. Religion gives some people a reason and guidelines to live their lives. I’m not saying religions were made up by a guy high out of his mind in a field on a sunny day. I’m just providing an example of something seemingly inconceivable and beautiful that is now widely accepted. Michael Pollan provides examples of philosophers, memes, and romantic imagination that were all accessed through a high. “Psychoactive plants are bridges between the worlds of matter and spirit or, to update the vocabulary, chemistry and consciousness”(page 144).
This chapter also mentions the important side effect of being high on cannabis; forgetfulness. Forgetting may come across as a negative effect, but as Michael Pollan explains, it is an absolutely necessary actions of human nature. If we did not forget the simple, insignificant details of everyday life, our brains would be so full of information that we would not be able to function as we do. Our minds are like sieves, selectively choosing what makes it into the memory bowl and what is discarded afterwards. Through this selection process however, we are left with memories from the past and thoughts of the future which cloud our current moment. “For it is only by forgetting that we ever really drop the thread of time and approach the experience of living in the present moment, so elusive in ordinary hours. And the wonder of that experience, perhaps more than any other, seems to be at the very heart of the human desire o change consciousness, whether by means of drugs or any other technique” (page 162). He further mentions that marijuana also has the ability of making the most conventional items become magical again. “By the grace of this forgetting, we temporarily shelve our inherited ways of looking and see things as if for the first time, so that even something as ordinary as ice cream become Ice cream!” (page 168)
There’s one thing I loved more than anything in this chapter; Frank. Michael Pollan used his pet cat, Frank, to make a comparison between catnip and cannabis. I have a sweetspot for cats and I couldn’t help but be intrigued and instantly connected to the (imaginably) adorable tomcat that would indulge in the euphoric ecstasy of catnip. “He would first sniff, then tug at the leaves with his teeth and proceed to roll around in paroxysms of what looked to me like sexual ecstasy” (page 117). While talking about Frank, Michael Pollan forshadows his future point in drug plant’s abilities to help us forget. “Maybe he ritualized the practice to keep it under control; or maybe it took him the better part of the day to remember just where it was that the magic plant grew” (page 118).
Although somewhat faded in the steam of my bath, Michael Pollan managed to keep me interested and alert to all the information he was providing throughout this chapter. I think a main contributing factor to my intrigue was the humour he included in his writing. As previously mentioned in my past blog about apples, Michael Pollan is capable of informing the reader of relevant facts while making them smile or even laugh out loud. “These ingredients would be combined in a hempseed-oil-based ‘flying ointment’ that the witches would then administer vaginally using a special dildo. This was the ‘broomstick’ by which these women were said to travel” (page 119). Although this statement is utterly ridiculous and made me giggle, it makes much more sense than I would have ever thought. Most modern fairytales are based on ancient stories altered to be acceptable for children. In this case, the “broomstick” and ointment allowed these women to travel to an atered state of consciousness to access their magical (and hallucinogenic) thoughts.
His personal stories and thoughts also kept me intrigued throughout the pages. I was thoroughly entertained by his pot-growing, police encounter story. Not knowing what would happen next left my eyes darting for the next then next sentence. Although the stakes were lower back then, the possibility of punishment still left me curious as to how he was going to escape his sticky situation. “As soon as the wood was unloaded, the chief of police drove off to go get the second half of my cord, and I, temporarily reprieved but still in full panic, ransacked the toolshed in search of an ax” (page 124).
There isn’t much I can say I didn’t like about this chapter. Michael Pollan’s writing is humourous and thus intriguing. His ability to intertwine characters into his information is flawless and Frankly impressive. I found the first fifty or so pages of this chapter the most compelling, although to be fair, I finished the last chunk of the chapter in bed before letting myself fall asleep. The only part of the marijuana section that I found to be somewhat boring was when Michael Pollan started to refer to philosophers and his writing became. interestingly, more philosophical. After speaking to a friend of mine who also had read this chapter, we agreed that it almost seemed as though Michael Pollan had endulged in a high of his own during this section. “Some of our greatest happinesses arrive in such moments, during which we feel as though we’ve sprung free from the tyranny of time – clock time, of course, but also historical and psychological time, and sometimes even mortality” (page 164). Although this statement is beautiful, I found he may have been sidetracked by the artistic component of writing and veered away from the main topic of marijuana.
Michael Pollan’s writing has an ability to sum up all his ideas into to one common point. After reading his somewhat lengthy chapter on cannabis, he manages to bring the story back to his own garden. Through his garden he emphasizes the importance of nature and the power plant’s hold over us. Plants may let us animals pretend we are in control, but in truth, it is nature that overpowers the human mind time and time again.

domain: psychology


text:
ABC Nursery Rhymes Children will learn the alphabet while they sing classic nursery rhymes! Track 1 is the story sung word-for-word. Tracks 2 to 12 are other alphabet songs and nursery rhyme songs! $4.99
Noyo Spanish Vocab Builder - Beginner: Build your Spanish vocabulary with words and phrases Peruse 8 targeted units on topics such as food, travel, the city, and sports Test your knowledge with built-in assessment questions at the end of each unit
Phonemic Awareness/Rhyming This is a wonderful book to help teach young children rhyming words. The illustrations are also very appealing to young ones. They especially like the fact that you can sing it as well as read it!
March "Math-ness": March Math Printables ~ Color By The Code Puzzles To Practice Basic Addition and Subtraction Math Facts as well as Counting Money ~This Color By Number Unit Is Aligned To The CCSS. Each Page Has The Specific CCSS Listed.

domain: library


text:
by Adam Riske
The Visit is a messy movie -- an uneven hodgepodge of horror, comedy and drama -- but I liked it. At times I liked it a lot. It’s the work of a filmmaker who seems to be having fun for the first time in a long time. It also is the movie where you can tell a Shyamalan is getting his groove back after a string of misfires dating back to 2004’s The Village. In its place in his career, The Visit is a fascinating movie. I find myself rooting for Shyamalan based on his great work on The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs so I might be grading The Visit on a bit of a curve, but I can’t deny that the movie overall feels like a success and that’s rewarding to me. Hopefully the days of the writer-director giving the audience reasons to laugh at him are over.
After Earth). The strategy works for the most part. Interestingly, The Visit was made with three different cuts in mind: one played for comedy, one played for horror and one played for both. Though not confirmed, I think the version we’re getting is the last one.
The reason why I think The Visit works is because it effectively stages its scares and moments of suspense. This is a very creepy movie and scary in a fun way similar to something like The Conjuring. I had a couple of moments where I audibly gasped at a creepy development or groaned at one of the more gross-out ones. In being a spooky experience, The Visit works. But the movie goes for laughs quite often (most specifically with the young boy character named Tyler who is a 13 year-old white rapper) and I didn’t think any of that worked. Shyamalan has never been very adept at (intentional) comedy and I think The Visit would have been more effective if he played it as a straight horror movie instead of lightening up the tone with the occasional comedic bit. Then again, maybe the sense of fun I had during The Visit is peripherally related to the fact that the movie doesn’t take itself super seriously. It’s a conundrum. The Visit also attempts to be touching and dramatic at certain points and I didn’t think any of that worked as it has in something like Signs, although the lesson stated near the end of the movie is interesting in that it could signify a mantra Shyamalan is telling himself at this stage of the career. In the narrative, it doesn’t work.
Wes Craven, The Visit might not be a Scream-level career resurgence, but it’s a worthy addition to the filmmaker’s filmography similar to something like Craven’s The People Under the Stairs. Give me one of those any day and I’m a happy moviegoer. I’m anxiously waiting to see if Shyamalan can turn the victory of The Visit into another winning streak even if his star never burns as bright as it did in the late '90s to early 2000s.

domain: entertainment


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text:
In this tutorial, we will learn How to create Light Glassy Text Effect in Photoshop in easy steps. The tutorial is very simple and easy to perform. So let’s start designing.
1.Open Photoshop and create a blank canvas of size 1200×800 and fill it with #fe0261.
2.Now type the text, I am writing Glassy with the font Junegull. Download the font from here and use white color or #ffffff
3. Now duplicate the text layer and change the color to #fcb1cd. It will look some thing like this:
4. Choose the eraser tool set the hardness to 0% and Eraser size to 33%
5. Now start deleting the copied text layer from the corner of the text. See the below screenshot:
Do this with all the alphabets
6. Now select the original text layer and open the Blending mode by double clicking the layer in the layers panel.
7. We have created Light Glassy Text Effect in Photoshop. Have a look:
Hope you enjoyed this, short and sweet tutorial. Thanks for reading, visit again 🙂


text:
The Proumeyssac chasm is a beautiful sight. Its forests reversed, done per these so many stalactites are made even more magical by the light & music staging.
You will have the opportunity to overhang splendid rooms and seeing unusual concretions, such as the famous jellyfish but the triangles of limestone, or the gours, these small ponds of water set as steps.
The visit of the abyss offers also an unusual experience, as a pod is able to carry up to 8 people. It will allow you to fly into the chasm and to have unforgettable memories.
The tour lasts 45 minutes. The chasm is open: - In February, November and December: from 14:00 to 17:00, - In March, April, September and October: from 9:30 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 17:30 - In May and June: from 9:30 to 18:30, - In July and August: from 9:00 to 19:00.
The last visit starts 15 minutes before closing. Disclaimer : The management team of the destination has the possibility to change the opening days and hours without prior communication.
A movie explained by a guide will allow you to discover how this chasm was formed.
Around the gulf are organized many facilities: - A geological space, which explains the geological formation of the 4 eras and the formation of caves, - A forest trail which shows you the different tree species in the Perigord, - A large hall with bar shop and bookstore, - A relaxation area, - A picnic area.
Tours are translated into English, Dutch, German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese. Pictures and movies are not allowed into the abyss. Pets are not allowed in the chasm. The temperature in the basement is 14°C. Remember to take warm clothing.
This place is labelled 'Tourism & Handicap'. The disable persons can achieve a part of the visit.
On Summer, it is strongly advisable to book to avoid waiting. Note: Reservations are held until 10 minutes before the scheduled time when booking.

domain: geography


text:
Patriotic Wildflower Napkins: 19" by 19" Square; Polyester
Whether it's an outdoor event, or an everyday meal these Patriotic Wildflower Napkins bring a colorful touch to your dining décor. Made with luxuriously soft microfiber fabric, they are printed on the top, and white on the under-side. The design features the photography of Pam Ponsart. This 4-piece set of Patriotic Wildflower Napkins is made in America and ships free within the continental USA.
At a glance:
- One-sided print
- Square floral image
- Material: 100% polyester
- One size: 19" by 19" (48cm by 48cm)
- 4-piece set
- Soft to the touch
- Photography by Pam Ponsart
Your custom order ships in 4-6 business days. Anticipate delivery 3-5 business days after notification of shipment.
Care instructions: Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F), gentle cycle; Do not bleach; Tumble dry: low heat; Do not iron; Do not dry-clean.
As a matter of information: The design utilizes a photograph of an array of wildflowers found while hiking in the Eldorado National Forest one summer day.

domain: artistic


text:
BioPlex Transplant Concentrate & Plant Enhancer
Excellent for SUMMER-DIGGING. BioPlex “ORIGINAL DIGGING” Transplant Concentrate & Plant Enhancer is well recognized for its success in summer-digging ornamentals. Depending on the time of year and degree of pressure from existing environmental stress, it is most often applied as either a root drench or foliar spray. In some circumstances, both application protocols would be necessary to achieve superior results (follow label guidelines). Conifers, well into candling can be successfully harvested in June. For 25 years, BioPlex has come to the rescue when plant harvest cannot be delayed. BioPlex products have long enjoyed a great reputation to provide the additional plant support necessary to successfully summer-dig, even in the most severe environments.

domain: agronomy


text:
Northdale is considered one of Tampa’s best places to raise a family. It gets its name from a combination of its location of North Hillsborough and Dale Mabry, the major road that runs straight from north Tampa to south Tampa. Northdale is one of Tampa’s northern most communities that doesn’t extend into Pasco county.
Northdale Real Estate
Located 20 miles northwest of downtown, Northdale has grown into a tranquil, safe place to raise a family. It is bordered by Lutz to its north, and Carrollwood to the south. The massive 1,300-acre community was originally purchased as a ranch and worked as a dairy farm and has become a great place to raise a family for so many reasons.
Knowing what to do in a new town can be the difference in making the right choice when picking where to live. Northdale was always designed to give its residents plenty to do.
The Bob Sierra YMCA, which is part of the original ranchland is the centerpiece of Northdale’s community involvement. Youth development, healthy living and social responsibility are the core principles of the YMCA and that has spilled into the whole community. The land for the YMCA was part of a donation by the Ragg Family to enhance the community feel of the neighborhood and give residents access to a place for wellness and community outreach.
With walking/biking paths and interconnected neighborhoods, Northdale has a small town feel with the resources of a big city. With the addition of Northdale Park and Recreation Center residents can enjoy even more opportunity to get outside.
Northdale Park and Recreation Center is a community park with activities for kids, teens, adults and seniors. The Rec Center has instructor led classes, and is a popular spot for basketball and pickleball players. They have a very unique program for seniors that brings people from all over the county.
SOAR or Seniors Outdoor Active Recreation is a program where staff take members off the beaten path with guided hikes and other outdoor activities. AAYA Cheerleading and AAYA Dance are just two programs offered for kids but the courts are always full of pick up basketball games so there’s constantly something going on.
Northdale Golf and Tennis Club is nestled in the back of the community and is an idyllic setting for raising a family. The award winning 18-hole championship course was designed by legendary golf architect Ron Garl, and is used by locals and visitors and features an unspoiled native Florida terrain. Along the holes you will get the view of natural spring fed lakes and Cypress trees intermingled with beautiful homes.
Some of Tampa’s best schools are located in Northdale and many residents move to the area specifically with education in mind. A beautiful place to raise a family, be a young professional or move into retirement.

domain: sociology


Table of Contents
As car owners, we’re all familiar with the importance of regular maintenance to keep our vehicles running smoothly. One of the most critical components of a car’s engine is the oil. It lubricates the engine’s moving parts, reducing friction and keeping everything running correctly.
But what happens if your car runs low on oil or, worse yet, runs out of oil entirely? How long can your car run without oil before serious damage occurs? In this article, we’ll answer those questions and more as we explore the topic of how long a car can run without oil.
First, let’s consider why oil is so essential to a car’s engine. Without oil, the engine’s metal parts would rub against each other, creating friction and heat. This friction would eventually cause the engine to seize up and fail. Additionally, oil helps to cool the engine by carrying heat away from the moving parts.
Now that we understand the importance of oil let’s dive into the main points of this article. We’ll discuss how long a car can run without oil, signs that your car is running low on oil, the consequences of running a car without oil, how to prevent running a car without oil, and more. So, let’s get started!
How Long Can a Car Run Without Oil?
Definition of Oil and Its Purpose in the Engine
Oil is a critical component of a car’s engine. It lubricates the moving parts, reducing friction and wear. Additionally, oil helps to cool the engine by carrying heat away from the moving parts. Without oil, the engine’s metal parts would rub against each other, creating friction and heat. This friction would eventually cause the engine to seize up and fail.
Explanation of the Negative Effects of Running a Car Without Oil
Running a car without oil can cause severe damage to the engine. As we mentioned earlier, oil reduces friction and wear in the engine. Without oil, the engine’s metal parts can grind against each other, generating intense heat. This heat can warp or crack the engine’s components, resulting in expensive repairs or even engine replacement.
Factors That Affect How Long a Car Can Run Without Oil
Several factors can affect how long a car can run without oil. The first factor is the type of engine and the amount of oil it holds. Some engines require more oil than others, and running an engine with low oil levels can cause damage more quickly.
The second factor is the type of driving you do. If you drive your car hard, such as towing heavy loads or racing, it puts more strain on the engine, and running it without oil can cause damage more quickly.
The third factor is the age and condition of the engine. Older engines may have more wear and tear, making them more susceptible to damage from running without oil. Additionally, engines that have not been well-maintained may be more prone to damage from low oil levels.
In summary, running a car without oil can cause severe damage to the engine. The amount of time a car can run without oil depends on several factors, including the type of engine, driving conditions, and the age and condition of the engine. It’s essential to check your oil levels regularly and top-off or change the oil as needed to prevent damage to your engine.
Signs that Your Car is Running Low on Oil
As we’ve established, oil is essential to your car’s engine. But how do you know when your car is running low on oil? Fortunately, there are several warning signs to look out for:
Explanation of the Warning Signs that Indicate a Car is Low on Oil
Dashboard Warning Light: Most modern cars have a warning light on the dashboard that illuminates when there’s an issue with the oil pressure. If you see this light, it’s essential to check your oil level as soon as possible.
Strange Engine Noises: If your engine starts to make grinding or knocking sounds, this could be a sign that there’s not enough oil lubricating the engine’s moving parts.
Exhaust Smoke: If you notice blue or gray smoke coming from your car’s exhaust, this could mean that oil is burning inside the engine.
Oil Smell Inside the Car: A strong oil smell inside the car could indicate that oil is leaking and burning on the engine.
Importance of Checking Oil Levels Regularly
It’s crucial to check your car’s oil level regularly. You can do this by using the dipstick located under the hood. Check your car’s owner’s manual for instructions on how to check the oil level correctly.
Steps to Take When Low Oil Levels are Detected
If you find that your car’s oil level is low, it’s essential to add oil as soon as possible. Driving with low oil levels can cause serious damage to the engine. If you’re not comfortable adding oil yourself, it’s best to take your car to a mechanic for an oil change and inspection.
By paying attention to these warning signs and checking your car’s oil level regularly, you can help ensure that your car’s engine stays lubricated and running smoothly.
Consequences of Running a Car Without Oil
Damage to the Engine
Running a car without oil can have severe consequences for the engine. As we mentioned earlier, oil lubricates the engine’s moving parts, reducing friction and heat. Without oil, these parts will rub together, causing significant wear and tear. Over time, the metal parts will become damaged, and the engine will eventually fail.
Some of the damage caused by running a car without oil includes:
- Scratches and gouges on the metal surfaces of the engine
- Warped or bent engine parts
- Broken or seized engine parts
- Cracked or damaged cylinders
Once the engine has sustained this type of damage, it may be irreparable. In this case, the entire engine would need replacing, which can be incredibly expensive.
The costs of repairing or replacing an engine damaged by lack of oil can be astronomical. Depending on the severity of the damage, the repairs can cost several thousand dollars or more. In some cases, it may be more cost-effective to replace the entire car rather than attempting to repair the engine.
It’s essential to note that regular oil changes are much less expensive than engine repairs or replacements. By keeping up with your car’s maintenance schedule, you can avoid these costly repairs and ensure that your vehicle runs smoothly for years to come.
In conclusion, running a car without oil can cause significant damage to the engine, leading to costly repairs or replacements. By keeping up with your car’s maintenance schedule and checking your oil levels regularly, you can avoid these consequences and keep your car running smoothly.
How to Prevent Running a Car Without Oil
As we’ve discussed, running a car without oil is a surefire way to cause serious damage to your engine. The good news is that there are several steps you can take to prevent this from happening. In this section, we’ll explore some of the best ways to keep your car’s engine lubricated and running smoothly.
Importance of Regular Oil Changes and Maintenance
One of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent running your car without oil is to schedule regular oil changes and maintenance. Your car’s owner’s manual will recommend the best interval for your particular make and model, but a general rule of thumb is to have your oil changed every 5,000 to 7,500 miles.
During an oil change, a mechanic will replace your old oil with fresh oil, replace the oil filter, and inspect your car’s engine for any potential issues. Regular oil changes and maintenance not only keep your engine running smoothly, but they also help identify any problems before they become more severe.
Tips for Monitoring Oil Levels and Identifying Potential Issues
In addition to regular oil changes, it’s essential to monitor your car’s oil levels and identify potential issues. You can check your oil levels using the dipstick located under the hood of your car. Make sure to check your oil levels regularly, at least once a month, and before long trips.
If you notice that your oil levels are consistently low, it could be a sign of a more significant problem, such as a leak or burning oil. Other signs that your car may be low on oil include strange noises or a burning smell coming from your engine.
Best Practices for Ensuring a Car’s Engine Stays Lubricated and Running Smoothly
In addition to regular oil changes and monitoring your oil levels, there are other best practices you can follow to ensure your car’s engine stays lubricated and running smoothly. These include:
- Using the right type of oil for your car’s make and model
- Keeping your engine clean and free of dirt and debris
- Avoiding harsh driving conditions, such as extreme heat or cold
- Following your car’s recommended maintenance schedule
By following these best practices and taking care of your car’s engine, you can help prevent the costly and potentially dangerous consequences of running your car without oil.
In conclusion, we’ve learned that oil is an essential component of a car’s engine. Without it, the engine would quickly overheat and fail. So, how long can a car run without oil? The answer is not straightforward, as it depends on several factors such as the type of engine, oil capacity, and driving conditions.
However, it’s essential to keep an eye on your car’s oil levels and get regular oil changes to prevent running low on oil or running out entirely. Signs that your car is running low on oil include engine noise, low oil pressure, and the oil warning light coming on.
Running a car without oil can have severe consequences, including engine damage, costly repairs, and even engine failure. To prevent this, make sure to check your oil levels regularly and get your car serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
At Auto Oil And Fluid, we’re committed to providing helpful tips and information to keep your car running smoothly. So, be sure to check out our website for more useful articles and promotions.
Remember, taking care of your car’s engine and oil is crucial for its longevity and reliability. With proper maintenance and care, your car can run smoothly for years to come.