Get ready to have your vanity flattered, Rossland: Rick Mercer really and truly digs the Mountain Kingdom
By Andrew Bennett
The Traveler, the official newsletter of the Canadian Tourism Commission, recently reported that Rick Mercer chose Rossland as one of his five favourite small towns in Canada.
Travel writer Michele Sponagle quotes Mercer: “It is stunningly beautiful,” and the people are “so friendly.”
Mercer came to Rossland in February 2010 to participate in the 113th annual Winter Carnival, jumping into the Eager Beaver bobsled to careen down Spokane St. (wearing a tomato, no less) and learning to luge with Slocan Mike up at Red Mountain, all part of CBC’s Feb. 2 edition of the weekly “Mercer Report”.
During his visit, Mercer was interviewed by Andrew Zwicker for the Telegraph.
“I travel all over the country, but it’s not that often that I’m completely overwhelmed with how beautiful a town is,” Mercer told Zwicker.
“Just being anywhere in BC is fairly overwhelming, because the trees are big and the mountains are so spectacular, but it all comes together in Rossland. It’s fantastic.”
“Really, it’s stunning,” he continued. “The downtown is beautiful. I loved the street I bobsledded on—it reminded me a lot of St. John’s, actually, the hills and the fact you’re living on a hill. I loved it.”
“I think it’s now at the top of my list of favourite towns,” he said.
Mercer’s other favourite towns were Bay Bulls, Newfoundland, for the wildlife, Churchill, Manitoba, for the polar bears and “colour of the sky,” Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, because “it’s like Venice,” and Tofino, British Columbia, for the beautiful beaches and the eclectic locals.
