Energeticcity.ca Weekly Review: Why We Hate April Fools’ Day

Welcome to our next installment of Weekly Review, the series where we mention what’s going on behind the scenes and showcase the previous week’s top stories.

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Behind the Scenes

As a news organization, April Fools’ Day is tough. While we want to participate in the fun, it can be tricky as people trust us to provide accurate and important information. Our very own Shailynn Foster is especially against the pseudo-holiday. Here are her thoughts:

But if you’re at a funeral or even a wedding, for example, that is NOT the time for a prank, in most cases. You’re going to ruin everyone’s day.

Another point is the severity. A good rule of thumb I’ve picked up is if it’s a joke, both parties will be laughing, the prankster and the prankee. If the target of the prank isn’t laughing, that’s just bullying, simple as that. “Confuse, don’t abuse” is another saying I found somewhere that rings true to me. Don’t dump water all over someone, hide rubber ducks all over their apartment.

Finally, I want to address the content of some pranks. 

Anyone who makes a fake pregnancy announcement or even pulls one on their partner is just rude, and that’s putting it nicely. According to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, 15 to 20 percent of pregnancies end in a miscarriage. Poking fun at someone’s inability to conceive when they want to is NOT alright; chances are, someone you know has suffered a miscarriage.

The Great Blue Hill eruption prank is an example of a news prank gone wrong. On April 1st, 1980, at the end of the 6 o’clock news segment, WNAC-TV aired a fake news bulletin that stated that Great Blue Hill was erupting, including remarks from president Jimmy Carter and Governor Edward J. King.

The reporter, Jan Harrison, held up a card that read “April Fools!” at the end of the segment, but residents of Milton still panicked. They fled their homes, called the police and even called the news station, which issued an apology in its later newscast. The executive director of the 6 o’clock news was fired from the station for “his failure to exercise good news judgement” and for violating the FCC’s rules about showing stock footage without identifying it.

And this is a mild example of a prank gone wrong; pranks have caused injury or death over the years as well. 

So that’s it. That’s why I don’t like April Fools’ Day and tend not to participate. The next holiday for me? Midsommar on May 1st.

Top Stories of the Week

It’s always interesting to see what the readers of Energeticcity.ca are most interested in the region. Sometimes it’s a big decision that will impact property taxes, and sometimes it’s a new restaurant coming to town. Here are the top stories for the week of March 26 to April 1, 2023

1. A Fundraiser Auction: was organized by friends and co-workers of a local man who recently passed away. Funds raised will be going to help Jason Hynes’ family. The event was on April 1 so we will be providing an update on how it went at a later date.
2. Wanted Woman Arrested: The Fort St. John RCMP asked for the public’s assistance in locating Erin Nicole McKinnon. She was located later that day and arrested without incident.
3. 2022 Homicide Investigation Continues: The North District Major Crime Unit is looking to speak to the owner of a utility terrain vehicle concerning an incident in October 2022.

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