Category Archives: Canada

Allan J. MacEachen, as I knew him

20 Wednesday Sep 2017

Posted by in Canada, Liberal Party, Social Justice

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Allan J. MacEachen, a long-serving Liberal MP and senator from Cape Breton, has died at St. Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish, N.S., on Monday night. (Mike Dembeck/Canadian Press)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/allan-maceachen-former-federal-liberal-cabinet-minister-dies-1.4286949

(Also see the Conclusion.)

My dear friend and former neighbour for 22 years, the Honourable Allan J. MacEachen, died on 12 September 2017, the year Canada celebrated its 150th birthday and the year he turned 96. Mr MacEachen passed away at St Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He had studied at St Francis Xavier University and returned to StFX to teach Economics. He owned a house across the street from the campus, a few steps from my house. In fact, Allan J.’s backyard ran into mine. I didn’t fully own my backyard. We therefore shared the backyard and a barn.

In other words, this post isn’t about Allan J. MacEachen, a foremost Canadian politician and also a statesman. It is about the extraordinary gentleman who lived next door to me and about a very dear friend. Let us begin with the barn.

The Barn

That barn was quite the building. It could have been used as a garage, but it served as storage space. That is where we kept our gardening tools, a lawn mower, ladders, scaffolding, not to mention picks and shovels and tires. Paul mowed the lawn. To be precise, Paul mowed three adjoining lawns: Mr MacEachen’s, Dr Cecil MacLean’s and mine. Dr Cecil MacLean, a graduate of the Sorbonne, was Chair of the Department of Modern Languages. Initially, he was the Carnegie Chair of French.

The barn was somewhat special. For one thing, it had a hidden room. How else could it be so long a building on the outside, but not very deep inside? I was perplexed and I decided to investigate matters. I found a small door, hidden behind an apple tree and vegetation I had to cut my way through. The door had been left unlocked, so, I climbed in and explored. After it was found, I had a lock installed on the door. It was no longer hidden. The next time he came from Ottawa, Mr MacEachen was introduced to his collection of antiques. He was very interested and had some of these antiques refurbished.

I enjoyed looking after our backyard. In the summer, I filled a white urn with red flowers and put a tall green plant in the middle. I sat the urn close to his back door, which is where he parked the car. Finding the right place for this urn was not easy. I walked back and forth until I found what I believe was the best location. I also loved delineating the driveways, his and mine. I had gardeners put little white stones, crushed marble I believe, on one side of the two adjoining driveways. On the other side, we had a very long hedge which I trimmed so it wouldn’t scratch Mr MacEachen’s car.

The Drive from the Airport: poor Mr MacEachen

Before flying down from Ottawa to Antigonish, Mr MacEachen would phone me, or Pearl did. Pearl Hunter was Mr MacEachen’s secretary and, to a large extent, a colleague.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?pid=186196631

She died on 22 July 2017, which must have saddened Mr MacEachen enormously. We had a marvellous lunch together a few summers ago. There were four of us: Allan J., Pearl, Craig Smith, who was Mr MacEachen’s devoted and constant companion after Mr MacEachen suffered a stroke in 2004, and there was little me. How thoughtful of Mr MacEachen to invite Pearl!

Sometimes, when I knew he was coming to Antigonish, I called in our cleaning ladies: Adèle and her sister. Both lived in Pomquet, a nearby Acadian community. As well, on one occasion, I drove Mr MacEachen’s car to the airport to pick him up. I arrived at the airport safely and on time. However, on our way back to Antigonish, we stopped to eat a doughnut at a Tim Horton‘s and, as we left, Mr MacEachen said that he would drive the rest of the way. Based on this one event, one can tell Mr MacEachen was a born diplomat. He was much too polite to tell me I was a poor driver and I didn’t ask why he wanted to drive.

The Frozen Pipes

One day, when Mr MacEachen arrived home, his heating system had failed and the radiators had burst. I was in Sherbrooke, Quebec, visiting with my family. As for Mr MacEachen’s tenant, Joe, he was also absent. Poor Allan J. could not sleep in his house. He went to see Cecil who considered sending him to my house. But what about the stuffed rabbit lying on my bed: a Steiff rabbit. Mr MacEachen went elsewhere. When his tenant left, I started visiting the house every day. Yet, there was another incident, which is my main story. It is about the intrusion of a raccoon.

The Raccoon

That event is an event to recall. The fellow–I called him Stokely in memory of another raccoon, found his way down the chimney to the bottom of the fireplace. The fireplace was in a beautiful room which the raccoon damaged extensively. The door to that room was closed, so I did not open it during my daily visit. As a result, Allan J. was the first to see the damage. In fact, the raccoon was still in the chimney. We blocked it from the room, but Stokely lived there. I said to Mr MacEachen that I would look after everything with the help of good friends.

Claude said that we would have to smoke Stokely out. Smoke him out? Wouldn’t that hurt him? No, he said. We used Cuban cigars, perhaps a gift from Fidel Castro himself. I protested. Imagine, history going up in flames so a raccoon would leave his comfortable nest in a chimney! But Claude insisted. We only needed a few cigars. Claude had made a grid that would block the chimney. I believe Richard was with us, waiting to see the raccoon emerge and leave. When Stokely came out, he looked in every direction and ran to safety. Richard told Claude to drop the grid.

I had to throw several cushions away and called in professional cleaners. I also had to replace one of the curtains. It had to be custom-made and Mr MacEachen always ran the risk of paying what I called the senatorial fee–by then Mr MacEachen was a senator. The curtain was sown shabbily and I have always regretted not making it myself. 

There were other backyard adventures. For instance, the alarm system Mr MacEachen had installed was sensitive and would go off if a curtain moved. The Company would then phone me and I’d run to the house and inspect, sometimes fighting my way through heavy snow. But all was always well.

A Kind Gentleman

Mr MacEachen was very considerate. After Dr Cecil MacLean died–Cecil and I were always together, he told me he would protect me. I did not learn until much later that I needed protection. He knew that I lived alone and went to bed early so that fatigue would not prevent me from teaching the next day. At Christmas, he asked if I had a place to go and brought me a gift. He also made sure I was not left alone on my birthday.

One July, the week of our birthdays, I drove to Lake Ainslie, Cape Breton, where Mr MacEachen had a house. He had invited members of the Robichaud family and a relative of his, a priest. It turned out the Robichaud family knew one of my father’s best friends. As for the priest, he had been in Rome when my mother’s cousin taught theology at what was then called the Angelicum. 

Mr MacEachen also toured my house. I had told him that my bedroom was the smallest room in the house. Why was I depriving myself of larger quarters?  I led him from room to room. As he looked, he seemed reassured. The house was small but it was a jewel, the smallest room in particular. I had a beautiful blue house, covered with cedar shingles. Many of you know that this is the house I sold during the Summer of 2002. I had fallen ill because my workload had become too heavy.

Mr MacEachen tried to prevent me from selling the house, but I thought it was too late to cancel. Two years later, my disability benefits were terminated. So, once again, Mr MacEachen tried to help me resume my career, but the Vice-President did not listen to him. I wanted to return to my office and it was available. However, I was being sent elsewhere. No, I had never been remiss in my duties despite chronic fatigue syndrome. 

They didn’t know me, but Mr MacEachen did.

Conclusion

I knew a more private Mr MacEachen, but I agree with Justin Trudeau. Mr MacEachen (6 July 1921 – 12 September 2017), “made this country.”

Allan MacEachen remembered as ‘peerless’ parliamentarian by Justin Trudeau

(two videos: scroll down to hear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau)

He is Canada’s “father of medicare.” The Medicare Care Act was passed in 1966, fifty-one years ago.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1482569-meek-our-father-of-medicare-a-jewel-of-confederation#.WVeWA5bLrXo.facebook

The man who said to me: “I will protect you,” protected all of us Canadians. He knew about the social contract and lived it. Citizens pay their taxes and their government makes sure they are safe. Mr MacEachen made sure Canadians were safe.

The Government of Nova Scotia celebrated Mr MacEachen’s life on Sunday 17 September 2017, at the Keating Centre, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish. His funeral took place at Stella Maris Catholic Church in Inverness, Cape Breton and he was buried in the parish cemetery.

May you rest in peace, Mr MacEachen. You have built a country and will always be remembered.

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Dear Readers,

I have moved to my new apartment, but it was a difficult and lengthy move, longer than I anticipated. My challenge was downsizing. The apartment I have bought is spacious, ±1056 sq ft (±98.1 sq meters), but it has fewer rooms than my former apartment. I had to give furniture, books and clothes, but I still have everything I need.

Given my age, this building is a safer environment than the building I left. It has elevators and it is situated within walking distance of a small market place and a café.

The time has come to return to my weblog. I have missed you. I still have boxes containing books to unpack. Some of these books will be given, but I am having bookcases built to house the ones I am keeping.

Love to everyone ♥

Sissel Kyrkjebø sings Ave Maris Stella
The creation of this Marian hymn is attributed to Saint Venantius Fortunatus

Ave_maris_stella_(1380)

Ave Maris Stella in a 14th-century antiphonary

© Micheline Walker
20 September 2017
WordPress

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canada’s Honourable Allan J. MacEachen: Nationhood and Leadership

03 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by in Canada

≈ 6 Comments

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Allan J. MacEachen

First elected into office in 1953, under the Liberal government of Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, the Honourable Allan J. MacEachen was instrumental in designing Canada’s social programmes.

Although he was not reelected in 1958, his only political defeat, he did not leave Ottawa.  He worked instead as a special assistant and consultant on economic affairs for the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson, a Nobel Laureate.

Under Louis St. Laurent, Canada had begun putting into place social programs that would protect Canadians.  For Mr MacEachen, this endeavour would culminate in the Medical Care Act, passed by Parliament in 1966, when Mr MacEachen served as Minister of National Health and Welfare (1965-1968).  The implementation of Medicare was a major victory for Mr MacEachen and an enormous gift to Canadians.  It was, in fact, a major historical moment. A nation was born.

Very few persons could have been as dedicated as Mr MacEachen in his role as Canada’s Minister of National Health and Welfare. Mr MacEachen had worked as professor of Economics at St. Francis Xavier University, which is home to the world-renowned Coady International Institute, founded in 1959 and named after the Reverend Dr Moses Michael Coady, a coöperative entrepreneur who created the Antigonish Movement.  On 19 November 2009, during an interview with Steve Sutherland of the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation),  Mr MacEachen said he was a “disciple” of Father Coady who wanted to “enable people to get a vision of possibilities.  (StFX Digital Archives, Quotes by Rev. Dr. Moses Coady) ”

Moreover, Allan J. MacEachen was born in Inverness, Cape Breton, the son of a coal miner.  The coal miners of Cape Breton toiled painfully, and often died, reaping coal deep underground and bringing it to the surface. (Have you seen Margaret’s Museum, a 1995 British-Canadian film based on a story by Sheldon Currie, a former teacher at StFX?) When interviewed by Steve Sutherland of the CBC, Mr MacEachen said that the miners of Inverness were “poor” and, that, when they had to retire, they did not have a “pension.”  He had witnessed poverty.

The Honourable Allan J MacEachen studied at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT), and became a professor of Economics.  In his CBC interview, he said that people were not interested in what he knew.  They wanted to know what he could do for them. They had needs which he understood and he was in a position to help his nation.  He had the knowledge and the shrewdness to do so.

During the same interview, Mr MacEachen stated that, as a politician, he had learned that he had to “obey” his constituents.  He had learned to “listen” to the people, to “serve” them, and to “take Canada into account.”  That interview is a lesson in leadership and nationhood.  Mr MacEachen cared for the people, as should all elected officials.

Former US President Bill Clinton is a recent visitor to StFX University.  On 11 May 2011, President Clinton opened StFX University’s Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership.  That Centre has solid foundations.

The Honourable Allan J. MacEachen was Minister of Amateur Sport, Minister of National Health and Welfare, Minister of Manpower and Immigration, Minister of Finance, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Secretary of State for External Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, and a Senator.  In this capacity, he was the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

For two decades, the Honourable Allan J. MacEachen was also my next-door neighbour in Antigonish, N. S. and a dear friend.  I am honoured to say that he remains a dear friend.

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© Micheline Walker
12 August 2011
updated 3 July 2017
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Canada: Refugees and CETA

20 Monday Feb 2017

Posted by in Canada, European Union, Terrorism

≈ 2 Comments

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Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers assist a child from a family that claimed to be from Sudan as they walk across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Canada, from Champlain in New York. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi

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http://ca.reuters.com/news/pictures/articleslideshow?articleId=CAKBN15W2GN&channelName=topNews#a=1

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/02/18/hemmingford-quebec-rcmp-refugees-asylum-border-photo_n_14842790.html (video)

Crossing the Border

The picture above shows a topsy-turvy world. A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer is helping a family cross the U.S.-Canada border. An American border patrol, not shown, is trying to prevent them from entering Canada. They had to go through a gully where they had thrown their belongings. Without the help of the police they could not have entered Canada.

Both the American border patrol and the RCMP officer were doing what they had to do. One should keep in mind that the United States has welcomed people fleeing persecutions and oppression for most of its history. One of our WordPress colleagues remarked that the United States had been a lighthouse, a beacon, to the world. It is inhabited by immigrants and descendants of immigrants, many of whom are or have become prominent Americans.

Matters will be remedied, because Mr Trump’s policies are not “American.” They are a violation of the American Constitution. I watched a video showing a man carrying signatures, a petition, from people who are asking that Mr Trump be impeached.

For the time being, Canadians have been asked to shelter refugees who could be the victims of a particularly harsh winter day. I doubt that this reflects a formal policy, but one rescues people who endangered by a harsh winter and could be deported. However, one also dials 9-1-1 and informs the police.

Islamophobia

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/protest-us-consulate-islamophobia-white-supremacy-1.3967434

Many Canadians are protesting against President Trump’s Islamophobia. However, Canada has not escaped a degree of Islamophobia. One Canadian killed 6 Muslims and wounded 5. Investigators reported that Alexandre Bissonnette, the Quebec City shooter, could not be associated to a terrorist organization. He had been influenced by the media as his Facebook accounted reflected. He admired Donald J Trump, the President of the United States, and Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s Front National. The shooting was investigated immediately and the shooter could not be linked to an Islamic terrorist group. Certain individuals would have liked to link the brutal attack on Muslims in Quebec City to an Islamic terrorist group.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-city-mosque-gun-shots-1.3957686

Justin Trudeau travels to Europe

  • CETA
  • NATO

On Thursday, 16 February 2017, Justin Trudeau was in Strasbourg, France, where he addressed the European Parliament, which had ratified the Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement (CETA). CETA had been discussed since 2013, when it was proposed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Mr Trudeau’s predecessor. The agreement had to be modified in order to be ratified by the European Union, hence the delay. CETA must now be passed by the Canadian Parliament (the House of Commons) and approved by Canada’s Senate.

President Trump is promoting protectionism, which places limits on free trade. Canadians promote free trade between Canada and the European Union. However, CETA was not negotiated to oppose President Trump. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Chancellor Angela Merkel

Chancellor Merkel will commit a larger financial contribution to NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (l’Organisation du Traité de l’Atlantique Nord, OTAN). However, Canada will not. It will contribute otherwise. NATO is a military alliance.  He met with German Angela Merkel on Friday morning.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau participates in a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany Friday, February 17, 2017. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-angela-merkel-germany-1.3987562

Chancellor Merkel was close to former American president Barack Obama. Whether or not she will be close to Prime Minister Trudeau remains to be seen, but they had a congenial meeting and she gave him of photograph showing Trudeau père and 10-year-old Justin during a trip to Germany. When leaders talk, ordinary citizens live in a safer world.

Later on Friday, Canada’s prime minister was honoured at Hamburg’s St. Matthew’s Banquet, a black tie and tuxedo event. The Prime Minister did not speak about Mr Trump. However, when asked about Mr Trump, he was reassuring. He has been labelled the Anti-Trump. Not quite. Canada, however, has become home to 40,000 refugees from the Middle East: Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans. (See European migrant crisis, Wikipedia.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/02/17/trudeau-hamburg-black-tie-gala_n_14824820.html

germany-canada-2trudeau-europe-20170217

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, centre, Hamburg Mayor Olaf Scholz, right, and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, left, pose for photographers at city hall in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday. Trudeau later gave a speech talking about warding off populist anger by addressing middle-class anxiety. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)

Conclusion

During the past week, there were attempts to build bridges. The European Union was weakened by the European migrant crisis, which began in 2015. Brexit showed that people tend to fold up if they feel threatened. Nativism arises. The more salient example of this kind of behaviour is the 2016 American Election. Barring Muslims from entering the United States invites further radicalization and terrorism.

ISIL is a reality, but ISIL is an Islamic terrorist organization. Saying that all Muslims are terrorists is false and it is dangerous. So is building a wall to keep Mexicans out. It is divisive. The better path could be to boost the Mexican economy.

Love to everyone ♥

Homemade music video for Salve Regina by Arvo Pärt. Performed by The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Conducted by Paul Hillier.
(Images: Sátántangó, 1994)

charitable-samaritan-also-known-as-the-good-samaritan-1638-jpglarge

The Charitable Samaritan by Rembrandt, 1638 (WikiArt)

© Micheline Walker
20 February 2017
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Justin Trudeau goes to Washington, P.S.

17 Friday Feb 2017

Posted by in Canada, Refugees, United States

≈ 8 Comments

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Prime Minister Trudeau in Washington (MSN)

Concerns: the Environment

After posting my article about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to Washington, I started feeling uneasy. Had I intimated that I supported President Trump? No, I fear Mr Trump and Canadians feared the first meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Trump. Would Mr Trudeau sell the country? No, but Canada is a signatory of the Paris Agreement. Yet, Trudeau and members of his government agreed to re-open the Keystone XL Pipeline. That worried me. Would our prime minister agree to another arrangement that could cause an environmental accident? The pipeline is in need of repairs. Will this be done? With respect to climate change, experts have determined that we are about two minutes before midnight. (See Doomsday Clock, Wikipedia.)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/what-canada-agreed-to-in-paris/article27742735/

Washington: a Successful Meeting

Prime Minister Trudeau managed his first meeting with President Trump successfully. He achieved this victory by stating that he had not travelled to Washington to “lecture” President Trump on how to govern. He also stated that Canada and the United States had lived in harmony on their respective side of a border that stretches from sea to sea. Canada’s motto is A Mari usque ad Mare (see the Canadian Encyclopedia). Moreover, Americans and Canadians had fought together and died together on various battlefields. D-Day is the foremost example of a combined effort. In short, we have respected one another so Canadians have earned the right to welcome refugees while fighting terrorism.

“One swallow does not a summer make”

No, I have not turned into a supporter of Mr Trump. I fear Mr Trump and reject his belief that all Muslims are terrorists.

However, until President Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met, I believed that solidarity and résistance were the United States’ and the world’s only way of surviving the Trump era. One swallow does not a summer make, but last Monday I saw a relaxed and happy Mr Trump. He was not the man who had been issuing no end of executive orders, as though he did not have an administration and the United States had lost its government. But there had been a dialogue and an acceptance of differences. In other words, Canada could continue to welcome refugees.

Many refugees have now entered Canada illegally and to my knowledge, none have been returned. Two men were outside in the bitter cold when finally a trucker stopped and picked them up. The trucker called 9-1-1. The men were frost-bitten and no one can enter Canada illegally.

To my knowledge, however, refugees have not been returned, but Canada has to amend its immigration legislation to accommodate circumstances it did not expect. President Trump’s Islamophobia and xenophobia are driving people out of the United States.

At the moment, refugees to Canada are applying for refugee status after entering Canada. The Canadian government has yet to amend its immigration laws, so applying after entering is a temporary policy. Authorities are also making arrangements so frost-bitten refugees can be hospitalized at no cost.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/13/americas/refugees-flee-united-states-for-canada/index.html

Conclusion

No, I have not become a Trump supporter, but it would be my opinion that Justin Trudeau shaped events skillfully. There are times when humans are powerless and times when humans can configure reality. At the moment, Canadians are probably configuring reality.

However will President Trump stop building a wall to keep Mexicans out of the United States ? Will he stop thinking that all Muslims are terrorists and attempt to prevent them from entering the United States, in defiance of the American Constitution and the decision of courts. I don’t know and we don’t know.

On Wednesday, President Trump asked Prime Minister Netanyahu to “hold back” on settlements and told him that it was for the Israeli and the Palestinians to decide whether they would be one state or two states.

“I’m looking at two-state and one-state and I like the one that both parties like. I’m very happy with the one that both parties like,” he said.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israeli-settlements-trump-presidency-1.3983943

Love to everyone ♥

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Nocturne Opus N° 2 – Frédéric Chopin

aamq7r6©Micheline Walker
17 February 2017
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Justin Trudeau goes to Washington

14 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by in Canada, United States

≈ 6 Comments

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President Trump welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (AP Photo/Andrew Harnick)

Justin Trudeau goes to Washington: a Mouse and an Elephant

Years ago, when Pierre Elliott Trudeau or Trudeau père, was Prime Minister of Canada, he compared Canada to a mouse and the United States, to an elephant. One does not put a mouse and an elephant in the same bed. The mouse would be crushed.

Well, the mouse, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, travelled to Washington to meet the elephant, President Donald J. Trump. Canadians were afraid but all is as well as it can be, under the circumstances.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/anxiety-runs-high-as-trudeau-meets-trump/ar-AAmRYNO?li=AAadgLE&ocid=spartandhp

Difference, but Respect

However, when President Trump met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mr Trudeau won his heart, so to speak, and the heart of Canada’s neighbours to the south. Trudeau noted that Canada was very different from the United States but that both countries respected one another despite differences. Canada has welcomed 40,000 refugees from the Middle East: Syrians, Iraqis, Afghans, etc. mostly Muslims, but a few Christians. Canada is nevertheless committed to ending terrorism as are the United States and other countries. Canada did not welcome refugees without the RCMP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, first looking into their background.

Terrorism is a reality. Justin Trudeau spoke truthfully. He saw the World Trade Centre towers crumble and he knows ISIL has attacked Europe countries several times, France in particular. However, Canadians welcomes refugees and mourned when Muslims were attacked at Quebec City’s main mosque. The shooter was Laval University student Alexandre Bissonnette, a French Canadian who was not associated with an Islamic terrorist organisation. Mr Trump would prefer to prevent all Muslims from entering the  United States. This matter was not discussed on 13 February.

A Common Border from the Pacific to the Atlantic

There are differences between Canadians and Americans but Trudeau stated that Canadians and Americans respect one another and that past events have joined them. Americans an Canadians fought together and  Americans and Canadians on D-Day. Many died on Normandy’s beaches and steep cliffs.

Mr Trudeau quoted Winston Churchill who praised Canadians and Americans, and vice versa, for sharing peacefully a border that stretches from sea to sea, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Such words invite the continuation of a good relationship between Canada and the United States.

sir_winston_churchill_-_19086236948

Winston Churchill, December 30th, 1941 (Yousuf Karsh)

Common Values

The two leaders, the mouse and the elephant, spoke about another common values. Both want to create jobs that will ensure that citizens of both countries will have an income without which they cannot put bread on the family table. Creating jobs was a matter Mr Trump emphasized during his campaign and it is a common value. The maintenance and prosperity of the middle class is important for Mr Trudeau. Canadians and Americans have been good trading partners for a long time and they will continue to work together for the welfare of their nations. Both nations will strive to create jobs.

Moreover, the United States and Canada will promote the importance of women as leaders, women who share raising a family and working outside their home. Several women are the CEOs of large companies and organisations.

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Ivanka Trump (MSN)

 

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Prime Minister Trudeau and President Trump, 13 February 2017 (MSN)

Conclusion

One cannot tell what the future will bring. President Trump has started to deport illegal immigrants, separating  families. A daughter watched her mother being led away. Will President Trump continue to build his wall between the United States and Mexico?  During the weekend, 22 asylum seekers entered Manitoba at Emerson. They had to call 9-1-1 for help. At this time of the year, the cold weather could have killed them. It seems refugees will be able to enter Canada safely and officially. Canada will remain what it has become: multicultural.

President Trump has found a congenial neighbour in Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Canadian leader did not utter a word that could be interpreted as divisive during his visit to Mr Trump’s Washington. His meeting with President Trump was in no way confrontational. It was a friendly meeting as I hope further meetings will be.

Justin Trudeau may not be the polished intellectual his father was. But he has a sunny disposition, in two languages, and, during his visit to Washington, his disposition may have served Canadians well. The welfare of the middle class was mentioned, but I believe Wall Street was on many minds. At any rate, President Trump knows that all’s well in Canada and that ‘Justin’ is a mere phone call away. I believe both President Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were reassured. Ivanka sat at the presidential desk, an agreement having been reached to empower women. That is now on an official agenda, but I suspect Justin Trudeau proposed this agenda to please Ivanka.

Would that her father stopped issuing executive orders as though he were an absolute monarch. Would that he relented on deporting people, forcing them to risk their lives to enter Canada. Would that he no longer looked upon Muslims as terrorists. And would that he could see climate change as a major risk. 

A Happy Valentine’s Day. My page entitled “Love celebrated” contains the story of Valentine’s day. ♥

John Lennon and Yoko Ono meeting with Trudeau père

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Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau

 

© Micheline Walker
14 February 2017
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Quebec shooting: “Criminal Extremism”

06 Monday Feb 2017

Posted by in Canada, Terrorism, United States

≈ 4 Comments

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aamehzc

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/march-held-to-honour-mosque-attack-victims/ar-AAmCXHX?li=AAadgLE&ocid=spartandhp

 The Shooter in the Quebec City Attack

The notion persists, in President Trump’s mind, that all Muslims are terrorists. Moreover, it had been suggested that the shooter in the Quebec City attack was supported by a Muslin terrorist organization, but such is not the case..

The shooter in Quebec City is Alexandre Bissonnette, a student at Laval University. He loved guns and, according to his Facebook account, he was interested in nativist Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Front, a far-right French political party, and nativist Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States. After the attack, he phone 911, the emergency telephone number, to alert the police and tell where he could be picked up.

But we now have news.

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RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson waits to appear before the Senate Committee on National Security and Defense, Monday, February 6, 2017 in Ottawa (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Alexandre Bissonnette: “non-classic” terrorism

Alexandre Bissonnette is considered a “criminal extremist,” which is a crime that is somewhat new to criminologists. I will quote RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] Commissioner Bob Paulson.

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson is warning about “non-classic” terrorism that feeds on hate and controversy on social media, blaming growing political polarization for the deadly shooting at a mosque in Quebec City.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/quebec-city-mosque-shooter-was-a-criminal-extremist-rcmp-commissioner/article33920071/

An Early Report: a Witness not a “Second Man”

  • a man shoveling snow heard shots
  • Alexandre Bissonnette

It was first reported that two men were suspects, one of whom was a Muslim. This Muslim, the “second man,” was not the shooter. He was shoveling snow outside the mosque, heard shots, and entered the building. He saw bleeding bodies and dialed 911, to report that an attack had taken place.

After Mr Bissonnette was taken into custody the “second man” was released. There is no evidence that some Islamic terrorist organization supported Alexandre Bissonnette. Therefore, Alexandre Bissonnette is unlikely to face terror charges.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/terror-charges-unlikely-in-quebec-city-mosque-shooting-lawyer-1.3274551?autoPlay=true

President Donald Trump
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Quebec City
Alexandre Bissonnette

 

Setting the Planet Ablaze

  • President Trump’s Islamophobia is dangerous
  • President Trump searching the White House

President Trump’s Islamophobia and the influence he exerts on the media are extremely dangerous and could set the planet ablaze. The Quebec City attack is an example of the harm President Trump’s Islamophobia and xenophobia can cause. Mr Trump is now fuming because, despite the ban, he is hanging on to his conviction that all Muslims are terrorists. Rumour has it that President Trump is also searching the White House to eliminate traces left by President Obama whom he still sees as a Muslim and, therefore, a terrorist.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/us-politics/trump-immigration-ban-what-we-know/article33822491/

The Injured

  • three released
  • two in intensive care
  • Dr Julien Clément

Three of the injured have been discharged from the L’Enfant-Jésus Hospital, one of three teaching hospitals affiliated with Laval University. Two, however, remain in intensive care. It seems their life is not threatened, but there are complications. Dr Julien Clément was called in. He is a former military surgeon and a trauma specialist who served in the Middle East. Dr Clément originates from Windsor, Ontario, and studied medicine in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and British Columbia. He and his team had difficulty operating because the victims bled profusely. Dr Clément didn’t think he would ever see such carnage in Quebec City.

We must resist President Trump and other nativists and extremists. Allow me to repeat that the suspect in the Quebec City attack is Alexandre Bissonnette, a French-Canadian Laval University student.

I will close by saying that the brutal loss in Quebec City of innocent lives has saddened Canadians “from coast to coast.”

Love to everyone ♥

Gregorio ALLEGRI – Miserere Mei, Deus (+ Lyrics / OXFORD, Choir of New College)

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The Outcast by Sandro Botticelli, c. 1496 (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

© Micheline Walker
7 February 2017
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Quebec City: One Shooter

02 Thursday Feb 2017

Posted by in Canada, Terrorism

≈ Comments Off on Quebec City: One Shooter

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Rumours: Muslims are attacking Muslims

Rumour has it that the suspect in the Quebec City shootings, Alexandre Bissonnette, may have had a Muslim accomplice. There is no evidence supporting this rumour and I wish to quell it. In fact, we do not know Alexandre Bissonnette’s motives. All we know is that the suspect is 27-year-old Laval University student Alexandre Bissonnette, a Quebecer. At first, two suspects were named, but this theory was abandoned. Alexandre Bissonnette is the only suspect.

In short, New York Times journalists Craig S. Smith and Dan Levin gave an accurate and balanced description of events. Canada is growing into a multicultural society and Quebec political leaders advocate interculturalism. However, Canada has its share of extremists and Islamophobia exists in my country as it does in other areas of the world.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/31/quebec-city-mosque-shooting-canada-far-right-politics

Alexandre Bissonnette’s Facebook account revealed that he was following Marine Le Pen‘s National Front, a nativistic French political party. Moreover, it seems that Alexandre Bissonnette was a fan of American President Donald J. Trump, a nativist. The suspect may also have shared sovereigntist Parti Québécois‘ ideology, but I haven’t read from a reliable source that he did and the Parti Québécois does not advocate violence. (See Quebec Sovereignty Movement, Wikipedia.) The more pertinent fact is that the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec has not been identified as an Islamic terrorist cell.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-city-mosque-gun-shots-1.3957686

The Migrant Crisis

The Migrant Crisis has played a significant role in a shift to Far-Right ideologies in many countries. It started with the inconclusive Brexit vote and, on 8 November 2016, the United States elected Donald J. Trump to the presidency of their country. The United States is resisting and such figures as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the daughter of refugees from Czechoslovakia, bemoan the fact that the inhabitants of Syria and six other majority-Muslim countries are temporarily denied entry to the United States. American President Donald J. Trump is keeping his campaign “promises.” On 30 January 2017, the morning after the Quebec City shootings, he announced his anti-immigration and travel policy. Americans are protesting.

Conclusion

We cannot and will not assume that Alexandre Bissonnette was working for a group of Muslim extremists unless clear evidence supports that view. Such a theory is consistent with President Trump’s offensive notion that all Muslims are terrorists. The investigation into the Quebec City attack started as soon as the shootings occurred, but results will not be known until the matter has been fully investigated. It is Canada’s policy to welcome, help and protect its refugees and immigrants, and this will not change. The victims were fine Canadian citizens and Alexandre Bissonnette is the only suspect.

As noted above, events are as described by New York Times journalists Craig S. Smith and Dan Levin.

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Love to everyone ♥

hold-alexandre-bissonnette

© Micheline Walker
2 February 2017
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Mosque Attack in Quebec City

31 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Canada, Terrorism

≈ 15 Comments

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Quebec City Mosque attack suspect Alexandre Bissonnette (Facebook)

Quebec City mosque attack suspect Alexandre Bissonnette charged with 6 counts of 1st-degree murder – Montreal – CBC News.  According to Alexandre Bissonnette’s Facebook page, he followed several profiles with right-wing ideologies, including Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader of France’s National Front. (Facebook)

A 27-year-old Laval University student, Alexandre Bissonnette, has been charged with 6 counts of murder and 5 counts of attempted murder while using a restricted firearm (CBC). The attack is considered an act of terrorism. Alexandre Bissonnette was a fan of Mr Trump.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/lone-mosque-suspect-alexandre-bissonnette-230605744.html

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard

‘This horror was based on intolerance’: Quebec premier, Muslims denounce deadly mosque attack

There were vigils on the evening of 30 January 2017 and both the Ottawa and Quebec Parliament’s flag were flying at half-mast. The current outpouring of sympathy towards the Muslim community will not take the victims back to their family and Muslims are afraid, but I hope it will be of some comfort. Quebec Premier Couillard has made it very clear that Canadians had been killed and wounded. I have yet to hear how Canada plans to protect its Muslim citizens, but I presume police surveillance will be increased. The shootings are particularly egregious since they occurred while Muslims were worshiping. This tragedy has hurt Canadians profoundly, from coast to coast, and especially Quebec Canadians where interculturalism has been adopted.

It’s a Canadian tragedy reflecting the shift to the Right affecting various countries.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-city-mosque-shooting-victims-1.3958191

Quebec City mosque shooting victims include businessman, professor and fathers of young children – Montreal – CBC News

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The Victims:

  • Azzeddine Soufiane, 57, was the owner of a halal grocery store;
  • Khaled Belkacemi, 60, was a professor of Engineering at Laval University;
  • Aboubaker Thabti, 44, worked in a pharmacy;
    Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42, and Ibrahima Barry, 39, brothers
  • Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42, worked in information technology;
  • Ibrahima Barry, 39, worked for Quebec’s Revenue Ministry;
  • Abdelkrim Hassane, 41, was a programming analyst for the Quebec government.

 

All victims had children and all victims were Canadians, whatever their origin. A fund is being raised to cover funeral costs. We are awaiting details regarding the wounded.

President Trump’s Visit to Canada

United States President Donald J. Trump is scheduled to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week. Yesterday, 30 January 2017, President Trump “cracked down on immigration and travel.”

Despite the might of American President Trump, I believe that protection of Canada’s identity, values and environment will be foremost in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mind. Canadian Prime Ministers must respect and love their American counterparts, they need not please them. Our border both joins and separates us. (See Canada-United States Border, Wikipedia.)

Allow me to quote Trudeau père (see Pierre E. Trudeau, Wikipedia):

A man who tries to please all men by weakening his position or compromising his beliefs, in the end has neither position nor beliefs.

I feel very sorry for the family of victims and offer sincere condolences.

Love to everyone ♥

—ooo—

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard

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© Micheline Walker
30 January 2017
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Muslims Attacked in Quebec City

30 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by in Canada, Terrorism

≈ 2 Comments

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A member of a Quebec police SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team escorts a woman from houses not far from the scene where two gunmen opened fire inside the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec (Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec) during evening prayers on Jan. 29. (André Pichette/EPA)

 

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Six people were killed and 19 wounded in the shooting at the mosque. Here, municipal police patrol outside the Mosque on Monday morning. (André Pichette/EPA)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-city-mosque-gun-shots-1.3957686

Six men were killed and five are in serious condition after an attack on Quebec City’s main Mosque. According to Radio-Canada, the French-language CBC, there is one suspect, but we are at an early point in the investigation.

Women and children were not killed as they do not worship in the same room as men. The Mosque had been vandalized earlier when a pig’s head was deposited at the door of the building.

Motivation has yet to be determined with precision, but the target was a Mosque, the most important Mosque in Quebec city.

—ooo—

Quebec Premier, Dr Philippe Couillard, “doesn’t explicitly blame Trump but replies: ‘We are obviously in a world where people tend to divide themselves rather than unite themselves.’”

Premier Couillard “calls on Quebec to be a beacon, to be as inclusive as possible.”

http://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/live-blog/quebec-mosque-shooting

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is travelling to Quebec city with the interim leader of the opposition, Rona Ambrose. For information on Islamic facilities in Quebec City, please click on the following link.

https://www.salatomatic.com/sub/yPNsIlo5Ir

—ooo—

I would not blame President Trump, but I hope he will soon realize that Islamophobia is putting Muslims at considerable risk around the world. I hope he will also realize that Canadians were attacked. Canada is endangered because it welcomes Muslims and is located immediately north of the United States.

He must reverse his stand on immigration or poison the mind of possible terrorists. If he dares suggest that terrorist attacks are to be expected in countries that welcome Muslim immigrants, he will hear differently.

Meanwhile, we will have to intensify the protection of Canadian Muslims.

© Micheline Walker
30 January 2017
WordPress

 

A Quebec Incident

24 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Bilingualism, Canada

≈ 8 Comments

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to a question during a town hall in Sherbrooke, Que. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/trudeau-town-hall-sherbrooke-quebec-public-questions-1.3940058

Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, was in Sherbrooke last Tuesday, 17 January 2017. There was a town hall meeting and both French-speaking and English-speaking Quebecers were in attendance.

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https://slmc.uottawa.ca/?q=english_french_legal

The Incident

  • Quebec is officially unilingual
  • Interculturalism vs Multiculturalism
  • Bill 22 and Bill 101: language laws

There was an incident. An English-speaking woman asked a question in English, but Trudeau answered in French. French is Quebec’s official language but outside Montreal, inhabited by citizens of the world, Quebecers’ everyday language is French. Prime Minister Trudeau was criticized for answering in French.

Justin Trudeau speaks only French at Sherbrooke town hall, despite English questions – Montreal – CBC News

Canada is an officially bilingual, bicultural and multicultural country, but Quebec is an officially French-language province promoting interculturalism. Interculturalism is a form of multiculturalism, but not altogether. It encourages interaction and a “cross-cultural dialogue.”  Interculturalism’s theoretician is philosopher Martha Nussbaum. Interculturalism recognizes a common bond between all human beings despite different cultural customs. (See Interculturalism, Wikipedia.)

Quebec is officially unilingual because the survival of the French language is threatened in North America. French-Canadians are a minority and most live in Quebec and in the Maritime Provinces. To protect itself, not only is Quebec unilingual, but it has language laws.

Quebec declared itself an officially unilingual province by virtue of its Official Language Act (Bill 22), passed in 1974. Two years later, in 1976, the province elected the Parti Québécois, a separatist party. On 26 August 1977, the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101) was voted into law and granted Royal assent. Several English-speaking Canadians had started leaving Quebec after the October Crisis of 1970, quelled by Trudeau père. English-speaking Canadians left Quebec:

https://prezi.com/djlgz8m7innt/quebec-1980-and1995-quebec-sovereignty-referendum/

Education

Quebec unilingualism and attendant language laws are reflected in its education system.

  • Children whose parents are English-Canadians may attend an English-language school.
  • It may be possible for a child born to French-speaking parents outside Quebec to be educated in English, but the child may have to attend a French-language school.
  • It is also possible for a child born to mixed parents, such as an English-speaking father born outside Quebec and a French-Canadian mother, born in Quebec, to be educated in English, but problems may arise. The child may have to attend a French-language school.

Language laws also apply in other areas. For instance, a driver is unlikely to see the word “stop,” a French word, on a Quebec stop sign. Moreover, overhead monitors providing traffic information are unilingual. That’s dangerous.

In other words, while they may ensure the survival of a French-language Quebec, the language laws are a hindrance. Out of the 10 Canadian provinces, only New Brunswick is officially bilingual. The only officially bilingual province of Canada is New Brunswick and the only officially unilingual province of Canada is Quebec. Its official language is French.

In the remaining 9 provinces, children may attend an English-language school, a French-language school or a French “immersion” school. Many English-speaking children learn French at an immersion school. To my knowledge, there is no such thing as an English immersion school.

http://www.montrealites.ca/education/bilingualism-the-english-immersion-project.html#.WId8dRsrLIU

Other Facts

Quebec has not signed the patriated constitution, or Constitution Act of 1982, which was signed by other provinces and the federal government on 17 April 1982. Quebec asked to be able to veto Amendments to the Constitution of Canada, which may explain its refusal to sign. (See Quebec Veto Reference, Wikipedia.) However, although Quebec did not sign the Constitution Act of 1982, Quebecers are protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,  embedded in the Constitution Act of 1982.

Because Quebec has not signed the Constitution Act of 1982, its Health Insurance Card is not accepted outside Quebec, but hospitalization costs are covered. The Health Insurance Card of residents of other provinces are valid in Quebec. This problem will be solved when Quebec signs the Constitution Act of 1982, which Quebec Premier Dr Philippe Couillard intends to do.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/philippe-couillard-tells-stephen-harper-he-wants-quebec-to-sign-constitution-1.2758043

http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/417814/couillard-harper

Paying income tax to both the Quebec government and Canada may also be an irritant. But I should point out that Quebecers are eligible for services not covered in other provinces, such as daycare. The cost of daycare has now been increased, but minimally.

Trudeau père was a blessing to French-Canadians living outside Quebec. He fashioned an officially bilingual and bicultural Canada. Suddenly, one could watch Ici Radio-Canada, the French language counterpart of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (the CBC), from coast to coast. French immersion schools became fashionable. It was a brave new world. Trudeau père was also a blessing to immigrants. We are a multicultural country. No one is a foreigner.

Rights and Reality

Ironically, it is unlikely that in a province other than Quebec, a person could ask a question in French and expect the question to be answered in French. There are exceptions, but English is spoken in 9 of the 10 Canadian provinces, so French-speaking Canadians living outside Quebec may have the “right” to ask a question in French but, unless they are addressing Prime Minister Trudeau or a bilingual political leader, they may not be answered in French, particularly if most persons in at a gathering speak English. If the question is asked in French, both the question and the answer may have to be translated into English. Outside Quebec and Canada’s national capital, Ottawa, the majority of Canadian citizens speak English.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/news/quebec-language-laws/

Theory and Practice

I would not dare say that French-speaking citizens living outside Quebec are victimized, but there can be no doubt that certain theories cannot be put into practice other than exceptionally. Many Canadians are bilingual but most communicate in English rather than French.

But it is possible for English-speaking residents of Quebec to spend their entire life in Quebec without ever needing to learn English.

The 17 January 2017 town hall meeting was held in an officially French-language province. As a Canadian, the lady whose question, asked in English, was answered in French had the “right” to expect being answered in English and could have asked the Prime Minister to do so. It was an informal venue. But the problem is elsewhere. Canada is bilingual, but the province of Quebec is unilingual. So what does one do?

—ooo—

The truth is that Trudeau is very respectful of English-speaking Canadians. His mother is an English-speaking Canadian and Trudeau is very fond of Queen Elizabeth II. It should also be noted that he speaks French and English very fluently. I prefer not to throw stones at him for supposedly letting down English-speaking Canadians living in Quebec. He has not betrayed his father who made this country bilingual, bicultural and multicultural. I would say that he got caught between a rock and a hard place. Had he spoken in English, he could also have been criticized.

All I fear is that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be intimidated by President Trump.

Love to everyone ♥

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Justin Trudeau (AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI)

http://blogs.canoe.com/davidakin/politics/trudeaus-delightful-toast-to-our-queen-and-her-delightful-response/

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Pierre Elliott Trudeau (Yousuf Karsh)

© Micheline Walker
24 January 2017
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Tchaikovsky‘s Old French Song