Hacker Cinema
Corner Gas
2004 · TV series · 30 min episodes · 6 seasons
Created by Brent Butt
Following the adventures of a bunch of nobodies who get up to a whole lot of nothing in the fictional prairie town of Dog River, Saskatchewan, Corner Gas focuses on the life (or lack thereof) of Brent LeRoy, proprietor of a gas station that is the only stop for miles around and a hub of action on the Prairies.
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3 comments on Hacker News
I couldn't see myself living in Northern Ontario either, but for some people, small town life is idyllic. There was even a popular Canadian sitcom portraying such a life ("Corner Gas", set in rural Saskatchewan). As a "city-slicker" I really enjoyed watching Corner Gas. It's like the Canadian version of Parks and Recreation except more rural.
Funny, just yesterday I watched a Corner Gas episode about bringing a call center to Dog River.
I disagree. The warrior culture of policing sets the baseline for all behaviour. Officers justify lawbreaking to one another out of solidarity. The belief that “it’s a war out there and enemies can jump out at any moment” underlies the concept that the law is secondary to officer survival.
When you create a proper guardian police force, officers become friendly and respected community members; they become good neighbours. What then stops them from committing crimes against members of the public is the same thing that stops most family members from committing crimes against one another: a sense of belonging, investment, and care for a community. The best example of this style of policing that I can think of is the classic small town police in small town dramas or sitcoms like Corner Gas [1]. Notice how the police officers eat at the local diner which serves as a third place [2] for the community.
Of course, the disappearance of third places from American social life is another big factor in this complicated puzzle.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPrBAEqGwKE
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place