Call it centennial crazy, but the entire province is going mad over the celebration of Saskatchewan’s 100th anniversary as a province this year.

There are centennial walks by seniors from the Northwest Territories border to the southeastern corner of the province. There are centennial bike rides 1,500 kilometres across the breadth of the province. There are commemorative treks on horseback in the southeast. And an Anglican bishop is driving a 1949 John Deere tractor across the province as part of his “spiritual and pastoral responsibilities.’’

Centennial murals are being painted, centennial medals are being churned out by the thousands and 20 million centennial quarters are being minted. Centennial songs have been commissioned and are being sung in schools all over the province by Saskatchewan’s official centennial youth ambassador — last year’s Canadian Idol finalist, Theresa Sokyrka of Saskatoon.

Anyone 100 years or older will receive a special commemorative medal, and so will babies born on Jan. 1 and Sept. 4, Saskatchewan’s official birthday.

The province expects to spend $170 million on the celebrations, including $128 million on projects over the next nine years.

About 1,700 events have been planned, including 250 reunions and homecomings.
One hundred communities have sent invitations to about 120,000 former residents urging them to return for the centennial.

There are centennial licence plates, centennial phone cards and a line of centennial clothing and gear.

The Centennial Hockey Challenge in April featured two junior all-star teams from Saskatchewan and Alberta playing in the border city of Lloydminster. Unfortunately for us, Team Alberta won 7-5.

There is, of course, the traditional royal visit, with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip arriving in Regina May 17. They are expected to open the $7.4-million Queen Elizabeth II wing of Government House, the residence of the lieutenant-governor until 1945.

One of the highlights of the celebrations will be the Canada Summer Games, which will be held in Regina in August.

But despite all there is to celebrate, the centennial has become a political football.
Even a non-partisan motion to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly turned into a three-day donnybrook.

The Saskatchewan Party wanted to amend the motion to include its 100 ideas for Saskatchewan’s future, including building a children’s hospital. NDP MLAs voted against the amendment, resulting in Saskatchewan Party Leader Brad Wall claiming the NDP didn’t care about sick kids.

Then Saskatchewan icon Tommy Douglas got dragged through the muck of partisan politics. The CBC is making a miniseries on the former Saskatchewan premier and founding father of the NDP. The NDP government gave about $615,000 in the form of a centennial grant to the producers, Mouseland Productions, a subsidiary of Minds Eye Pictures of Regina. The grant is seen as a conflict of interest, because the NDP government has invested $7 million in Minds Eye, most of which was written off when the company sought creditor protection in 2003.

There’s also been a firestorm over the $2.5-million lieutenant-governor’s Centennial Gala at Saskatoon’s Credit Union Centre in September. Tickets are upward of $125 to see Saskatchewan-born stars such as Buffy Sainte-Marie and Pamela Wallin — not what the average Saskatchewanian can afford.

It seems we just can’t put our political differences aside, not even once in 100 years. IE