I remember the 2002 Olympics well...on the edge of my seat, watching controversy engulf the games. Fans outraged over the snubbing of a clear winner, in favour of another propelled to gold due to illegal interference. WHY, oh why did Travis Mayer get snubbed of the Men's Freestyle Moguls gold? Everyone knows that sneaky Finn Janne Lahtela juices. Oh, and there was some figure skating scandal, which featured a native of the subject of our nineteenth installment of the CCC's 28-part series, Better Know A- Lberta!

Today's feature is the riding of Red Deer: the fightin' Rebels!

The riding (and city) got its unique name from English fur traders in the area, who mistook the Cree name for the region, "Wapiti," to mean red deer...when it really means elk! You see, they thought the deer they saw was a reddish European Alces alces, when in fact it was just a red Cervus canadensis all along! They mistook a freaking moose for a deer! How dumb can they be? I mean, come on...only Dick Cheney could make a bigger misjudgment in the bush!

The riding is also home to the Stephan G. Stephansson House in Markerville, home to the elusive Icelandic poet. Now I am no fan of poetry: unless it has to do with Irish binge drinking or men from Nantucket, I do not care for the "art." Especially for one who writes his poems only in Icelandic: A ferð og flugi my foot, Stephansson! And what's with the overuse of your name? Only one person should say Stephen that many times over and over...and that's my wife!

And finally, Red Deer is famous for capturing its "ghost town" status, by placing "Ghost And Mural" bronze sculptures throughout downtown Red Deer. The sculptures depict local legends like Rev. Leonard Gaetz, Hazel Braithwaite, and the perennial favorite...Francis the Pig. Legend has it that Francis escaped from a local slaughterhouse, and avoided capture for nearly six months, before living out his days on a farm. Mmm...anybody else feel like a BLT about now?

And which MP never mistakes his Alces from his Cervus from his Cobb Salad? Why, it's none other than Conservative MP Earl Dreeshen, who has served the riding since 2008. Contact MP Dreeshen here to bring Stephen to Red Deer: he always brings home the gold, silver, bronze...even Miss Congeniality.