Canadian Junior League Hockey: Meat Pies and vs. French Fries

Here at Our Civic Pride, we don't claim to be Canadian, nor do we claim to really follow hockey (though we do appreciate an all "Original Six" game on tv if/when we can find it. That's why we're uncertain of the gravity behind this wager. For background, we should tell you that the Penetag Kings are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Penetanguishene, Ontario. They play in the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. The Midland Flyers are based in Midland, Onario and are also members of the same league.

Saturday’s victory by the Penetang Kings over the Midland Flyers meant Penetanguishene Mayor Anita Dubeau won a bet with her Midland counterpart. We shouldn't be surprised that the ante's are quite particular based on the fact that this friendly political wager was made over a junior hockey game, right?

Under the terms of the wager, Jim Downer will attend a Penetanguishene council meeting wearing a Kings jersey – and bring along some of his famous meat pies for councillors to enjoy. If Downer had won the bet, Dubeau – wearing a Flyers jersey – would have brought some Dock Lunch poutine to an upcoming Midland council meeting.

Meat pies? Famous meat pies? I think that Mayor Downer **makes** his meat pies. In that regard, they're truly a "local" food product. The Dock Lunch, is a famous place in Midland that serves poutine: a Canadian fast food speciality. What's poutine, you ask? Well, it sounds delicious. From Wikipedia: Poutine is a dish consisting of French fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy and sometimes additional ingredients.

Bottomline: Our eyes have been opened to poutine! If only Mayor Downer would have come a bit stronger with his ante of homemade meat pies, this wager would be a great one. We love a good wager of a very low-profile local sporting event as much as the next guy, so we rate this wager pretty high based on having one really great ante. 41 Daleys.

NY Governor Spitzer Finally Pays up on Stanley Cup Wager

Nobody likes a welcher and that extends up north to Canada as evidenced by Dalton McGuinty, Ontario's Premier. Just this past week, he told the Canadian press that New York Governor Elliot Spitzer never paid up. Back in May, Spitzer and McGuinty wagered over the Buffalo Sabers and Ottawa Senators matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals in the NHL. New York's Spitzer offered up authentic Buffalo Chicken Wings with McGuinty ponying up a month's supply of Tim Horton's coffee. Spitzer welched.

As the story hit, someone noticed and Spitzer finally paid it off.

Premier Dalton McGuinty has declared a truce with New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer, ending what the premier jokingly called a "major international incident."

McGuinty's happy because he finally got his wings - even if they weren't the authentic Buffalo variety. The premier and his son Connor enjoyed some chicken wings Wednesday night courtesy of Spitzer, who was on the losing end of a Stanley Cup bet.

Better late than never, right? As it turns out, McGuinty isn't the best at fulfilling the Friendly Political Wager is he. Does he have room to complain? We're not sure. You can judge for yourself.

Of course, Dalton is hardly off the hook. When the Anaheim Ducks beat Ottawa in the Stanley Cup finals a couple of weeks later, the premier was supposed to send California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger a box of Niagara wine and tins of Tim Horton's coffee. The Liberal leader says he did it, but it turns out he cut some corners in the process - like, taking the grinds from his own kitchen cupboard.

"I just gave him half a can," he admitted.

When he wins, he wants the loser to pay up. When he looses, he screws the winner. Premier McGuinty. You've heard of the "glass houses" phrase?