So Tuesday, the Edmonton Journal published this story about the Edmonton Winter City Advisory Council, asking Edmonton Meteorologists Josh Classen ( of CTV) and Stephanie Barsby (of CBC) to liven up their winter weather forecasts, and be a little more positive. We were shocked! You mean there has been a Winter Council, having regular meetings, presumabely with delicious snacks, and we HAVEN'T been informed? We love Snacks!
Anyway, we wanted to respond to this, because we don't think its right to pick on ol Josh and Stephanie. Talk aboot shooting the messenger! As if they don't get enough of that in their line of work!
(Also, we're responding because it's still gorgeous outside, so we really don't have that much to do, and there are only so many seasons of 'Star Trek the Next Generation' one can watch, but thats neither hither nor yon....)
We think Josh Classen and Stephanie Barsby are both Fantastic Weather Proffesionals. They are well educated, intelligent and hard working weather nerds, whose job is to tell us like it is. We're all Cold Weathered Canadians! We can handle the truth! They both have an enthusiasm and passion for their work that oozes through our TV, Radio, and Smartphones. Their engagement with the public via social media is so delightfully well done, that they could justifably be giving many local politicans lessons on how to work the Twitters. They'd make good money at it too!
In our humble opinion, Edmontonians should feel lucky to have such engaged, enthusiastic Meteorologists working in their city. If anything, Josh Classen and Stephanie Barsby should be given 'Mitten High Fives' by the Winter City Advisory Council. And Snacks.
If the council is looking for some sort of 'Fun Wacky Way to Deliver Winter Weather', that can liven up the most dreary -30 degree day, and who has the same disdane for Wind Chill as they do, we are certain that if they look really hard, they juuuuuuust might find one....
Operating in their back yard ( well, in a top secret Government Bunker)...
....Since 2010.
Sincerely,
The Staff and Lowly Interns,
Long John Index Service of Canada