Canadian comedian and satirist Rick Mercer took a break from roasting the likes of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mayor Rob Ford for a deep fried dill pickle moment with co-host Jann Arden at the PowderHorn Saloon in Bragg Creek Feb. 13.
The visit will be a featured segment on the Rick Mercer Report, airing Feb. 25 on CBC Television.
“I’m a well-travelled man and not a shy eater,” explained Mercer, adding that it was his first time indulging in the deep fried delight. “I enjoyed them very much, but not as much as Jann — she was salivating over them.”
Mercer has been bringing the award-winning songstress along with him as his semi-annual co-host for a number of years on his show.
A proud Calgarian, Arden opted for their ‘date day’ to take place in Bragg Creek, putting the flood-affected hamlet in the national limelight.
“A lot of those businesses were hit pretty hard from the flooding…it’s been a big investment for those folks emotionally and financially,” said Mercer on the challenges faced by the affected small business owners in the hamlet.
Mercer said Arden has complained to him about their past dates — usually centered around attempts at extreme sport or heart-palpitating adventures including the CN Tower Edgewalk in Toronto or zip-lining at Canadian Olympic Park.
“She made me promise it wouldn’t include ropes or harnesses or helmets,” said the television host.
“Both of them together were hilarious,” said Rose Dallyn of the PowderHorn. “They loved the deep-fried pickles.”
The duo then visited the Banded Peak Veterinary Hospital; the clinic, operated by Judith Samson-French, is also the birthplace of Dogs With No Names and home to six rescued miniature donkeys.
Dogs With No Names is an innovative project seeking to reduce the population of feral and semi-feral dogs in First Nations communities through the non-surgical administration of a contraceptive implant in female dogs.
“It was a laugh a minute,” said Dr. Judith Samson-French from the clinic, adding that Arden and Mercer were so busy riding, feeding and going crazy over the donkeys that they didn’t have time to discuss Dogs With No Names or the potential for using a similar technology in a pilot project to aid the population in the wild horse cull near Sundre.
Mercer said he enjoyed feeding the miniature donkeys.
“They were different than any other donkeys I’ve ever dealt with,” said Mercer, noting the small stature of the small animals with large appetites. “I think donkeys are always hungry and that’s the problem with them.”
Apparently Arden didn’t completely escape the day without being clad in some form of restraints, as Mercer got to pick their afternoon activity — wall rock climbing in Calgary.
