There鈥檚 one potential outcome to today鈥檚 Nanaimo byelection that should be welcomed by people of all faiths, races and political beliefs.
It鈥檚 the resurrection of the phrase 鈥渢he full Nanaimo,鈥� with a new definition.
As an Island boy, that phrase brings back deep-seated fashion memories that my therapist says are better left buried. But they were triggered anew recently when my friend Chris Gainor 鈥� 麻豆传媒映画Island鈥檚 leading Winston Churchill impersonator 鈥� used it. He referred to the full-court press that everyone has mounted in Nanaimo to win the right to succeed former NDP MLA and now Mayor Leonard Krog.
鈥淣ow that鈥檚 what I call the full Nanaimo!鈥� he chirped. He was referring to tales of the Nanaimo bypass and the miles of malls being clogged with canvassers. Campaigners are hunting down voters today the way cops there used to probe city hall.
It puts a welcome new twist on the old meaning of the hallowed phrase. The original 鈥渇ull Nanaimo鈥� had a specific meaning in the world of men鈥檚 fashion. But it had political overtones, as well.
The working definition of the full Nanaimo is a swinging gentleman wearing white patent-leather loafers, a white belt and a polyster ensemble of some sort, circa early 1970s. (My Facebook profile picture is a modest attempt to pay homage to the look 鈥� for a Halloween party. I鈥檝e been meaning to change it for years, but it feels like a betrayal of my Island roots.)
The requirements are rigid. White shoes or a white belt alone are only the 鈥渉alf Nanaimo.鈥� You need to wear both, and the polyester, as well 鈥� preferably in the form of a leisure suit 鈥� to qualify.
There are two separate political overtones to the look. The first relates to former mayor Frank Ney. He鈥檚 much better known for wearing a pirate outfit every chance he got. But the only online definition of the full Nanaimo 鈥� 鈥渁聽man flamboyantly dressed in garish but questionable taste鈥� 鈥� links it to him.
鈥淗is regular clothes used to feature white patent leather shoes and a belt. After his tenure, people started to refer to a man dressed to kill with ugly clothes as wearing the full Nanaimo.鈥�
That鈥檚 debatable. A biography 鈥� Frank Ney, A Canadian Legend by Paul Gogo 鈥� is full of pictures of him in a pirate suit. But there are lots of him in natty three-piece suits, as well. There鈥檚 one of him wearing white loafers and white socks, but he鈥檚 wearing shorts, so it doesn鈥檛 count.
His daughter, Michele Ney, now running for the B.C. Greens, says he was a flashy but classy dresser. She has no recollection of him going the full Nanaimo. She never even heard of the phrase until recently.
The other political association with the look is with the B.C. Social Credit Party. It was before my time, but in my mind, the full Nanaimo conjures up images of Socred car dealers running around in white loafers, either applauding Bill Bennett or condemning Dave Barrett.
The look is mercifully dead and buried. But it鈥檚 a shame the phrase died out. The byelection is a chance to revive it.
Let鈥檚 hope every instance in which parties throw everything they have and more into a contest where everything is at stake will be known as going the full Nanaimo.
It would be a tribute to a uniquely exciting contest. And if the winner shows up at the legislature in patent leather white loafers, I鈥檇 be the first to applaud.
Just So You Know: Mayor Leonard Krog is a bit touchy about that use of his city鈥檚 name. In fact, he called me a name for even raising the issue.
鈥淚t was ghastly. It involved a colourful shirt, too. I can assure everyone the current mayor will never be caught dead wearing it.鈥�
He denies ever wearing it back in the day, as well.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 afford those kind of clothes, and my wife would never have married me if I鈥檇 worn them.鈥�
