Don’t judge Alberta by a funny Facebook page

Social media isn’t doing Alberta’s reputation any favours these days.

A quick Facebook search reveals a plethora of pages dedicated to displaying all things redneck, roughneck and rowdy in our fine province, which is becoming more widely known online as ‘Berta.

Many of you are likely familiar with a Facebook page titled Meanwhile in Alberta, which at my last check had more than 123,000 likes. For those of you unfamiliar, the MIA page paints a less-than-flattering picture of what life in Albertan is all about – though I must admit that the posts can be amusing and uncomfortably accurate at times.

I grew up in a tiny Alberta town of 400 people, so I can attest that while the rural Alberta way of life may seem a little… ‘uncivilized’ at times, we are nowhere near as crude and obnoxious as the Internet would have folks believe.

Clearly, some of our fellow Canadians – and even our American neighbours – are getting the wrong idea of what Alberta is all about, so let’s attempt to set the record straight.

- Being Alberta does not require you to act belligerent or actively participate in sexism or racism.

- There are no rules stating that you must display a crude slogan or fake testicles on your pickup truck. Also, there is no minimum height requirement for trucks.

- Not all Albertans work on oil rigs or pipelines. In fact, some Albertans don’t even work in petroleum at all!

- There is no obligation to consume excessive amounts of alcohol or participate in regrettable sexual activity at summer events like Big Valley Jamboree or Calgary Stampede.

- Nobody is impressed by the ability to ‘keep it between the lines’ when driving home from the party.

- Boating and off-roading are not the only recreational activities we enjoy in Alberta.

- Not all Alberta cowgirls walk around in denim cutoffs, bikini tops and straw cowboy hats.

While portraying Alberta as a ‘redneck paradise’ is sure to earn some laughs and draw some fans to your Facebook page, those of us who grew up here understand that it doesn’t give a truly fair or accurate impression.

If I were to introduce Alberta to someone with no pre-conceived notions or prejudices, I’d tell them to visit the coffee shop in Rimbey, the summer parade in Delburne, a hockey rink in Red Deer, or a camp site in Kananaskis.  I’d tell them to go watch a chuckwagon race in Ponoka, to ride on a combine during harvest, go hiking in the Rockies or take a horseback ride through a pasture.

Maybe the problem with our mixed up reputation is that when people are out doing ‘truly Albertan’ activities, they’re enjoying themselves too much to bother posting  photos to a Facebook page.

Leo Paré is a former Advocate editor. Email him at newsdeadline@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/LeoPare