Columns
2024 Columns
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Help Wanted: Party Leader, Québec Liberal Party Urgent! Please Apply As Soon As Possible!
I have been an interested observer of the fortunes of the Québec Liberal Party since being elected as a youth delegate to the Leadership Convention in Québec City that elected Robert Bourassa as party leader on January 17, 1970.
Now it has been over thirteen months since Dominique Anglade resigned as QLP Leader on December 1, 2022. She had been acclaimed as QLP Leader on May 11, 2020, when the only other candidate, Alexandre Cusson, the Mayor of Drummondville and former President of l’Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ), formally withdrew from the race.
The last fully contested QLP leadership convention was over a decade ago, when on March 17, 2013, Philippe Couillard defeated Raymond Bachand and Pierre Moreau on the first ballot.
Of the nineteen member QLP caucus in the National Assembly of Québec, only Frédéric Beauchemin, the rookie M. N. A. for Marguerite-Bourgeoys and the Official Opposition Critic for Finance, Economy and Innovation, has indicated interest in being a candidate for party leader.
Also expressing interest is Joel Lightbound, Liberal Member of Parliament for the federal riding of Louis-Hébert since October 19, 2015. He chairs the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology.
Recently, the Honourable Denis Codere has been approached to consider running. He was the Liberal Member of Parliament for Bourassa from 1997 until 2013, and the Mayor of Montréal from 2013 until 2017. He has served in the following portfolios of the federal cabinet: Secretary of State for Amateur Sport from 1999 until 2002, and Minister of Citizenship and Immigration from 2002 until 2003 under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, and President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada from 2003 until 2004 under Prime Minister Paul Martin.
As some relate the name of Denis Codere with the political past, a name for the future of the QLP may very well be Antoine Dionne Charest, the son of Michele Dionne and former Premier Jean Charest. Antoine is building a reputation of success as a public relations consultant and “philosophe québécois”.
At the federal level, public opinion polls during the last year have the Conservative Party of Canada with a significant lead over the Liberal Party of Canada, at times being in double digits. This had led to some speculation that several present Québec federal cabinet ministers could easily be persuaded to consider running in some of the safe Liberal seats for the QLP.
On the other hand, some are worried that recent provincial public opinion polls produce some worrisome results for the QLP. Will the QLP be able to hold onto twelve or more seats of the nineteen they now hold to remain an official political party in the National Assembly in the next Québec general election?
An important question remains: If the Liberal Party of Canada can win 35 of the 78 seats in the last federal general election, why did the Quebec Liberal Party win only 21 of the 125 seats in the last Québec general election? The Canadian Party of Quebec and the Bloc Montréal each received less than one per cent of the votes cast at 0.32 % and 0.19 % respectively. Who did the voters supporting the Liberal Party of Canada during the September 20, 2021 federal general election vote for during the Québec general election of October 3, 2022? To begin on the path to success: the Québec Liberal Party must elect a strong Party Leader and produce a party platform that will attract back the so-called “federalist” vote in Québec. Good luck with that!
2023 Columns
23 February 2023
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Mid-winter barber advice: plenty to enjoy
Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
The holidays have passed and we’re now in midst of winter! After the holiday rush we are returning to our regular pace at the barbershop. Patrons are returning for their first trims of the year, some with a few extra pounds (myself included) from having overindulged in Turkey dinners and shortbread cookies. You’re in luck however because getting a haircut is probably the easiest way to lose weight.
Many have resolved to go the extra mile and get back to gym, exercise and make healthier life choices. Let’s hope those resolutions stick! It’s always inspiring to see the positive changes people can make when they are determined to do so. A gentleman came into to see me with his oversized pants hanging on thanks to a tight belt after having lost 40 pounds recently! Let us recognize that it’s not always easy to get started on a wellness journey. Winter is particularly difficult for those who struggle with seasonal depression, and those experiencing other mental health issues. Indeed, the last few years have been a struggle for many of us, the uncertainties of a pandemic and the upsetting of our normal routines has exasperated anxiety and depression across the board. Thankfully our society is beginning to shine light on these issues and discussing them is a step in the right direction. I’ve been pleasantly shocked at times with the conversations that happen in the barbershop about the struggles we or those we care about encounter in our day to day lives. Who knew that exchanges between a barber and a client could have a therapeutic benefit? We might not have all the solutions, but we are good listeners and perhaps that is the secret. May the new year bring you all the best of health and wellness.
Pro tip: If you’re to grow your hair out, the best thing you can do is let it grow! See your barber when you notice split ends, or the thickness become unbearable.
Sit back relax and see you next time.
21 March 2023
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Nostalgia and story-sharing a part of visiting the local barber
Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
One of the first things you’ll notice when entering our shop is a sign that reads “the older I get the better I was”. It’s a playful reminder that we’re not getting any younger, and that nostalgia often gets the better of us, especially in a barbershop.
Our memories are often triggered by the senses, especially our noses. The familiar and timeless scents of shaving cream, aftershave and talc powder might remind us of our fathers and grandfathers and of times gone by. Even the smell of the newspaper you’re reading now might remind you of life before the digital age.
It’s hard to keep track of all the changes we’ve seen in our lifetime. I’m old enough to remember rotary phones, typewriters and not having a remote for our television. Places I used to love as a kid, arcades and video rental stores no longer exist. Even my beloved after school and Saturday morning cartoons have been replaced by YouTube and Netflix. Just when I thought there was no going back though news recently broke that Zellers is making a comeback. Time for some new underwear, it’s been awhile!
Pro tip: If you’re a gentleman in your golden years don’t be shy! We love to hear your stories, even if they involve walking to school barefoot in the snow uphill both ways!
Sit back, relax and see you next time.
Our Environment
Freezing rainstorms: Forests decimated
Climate-change specialists predict warmer winters and hotter summers in Quebec – and across Canada.
Some who dislike winter seem delighted about “warmer winters”.
The ice storm of Wednesday, April 5 possibly taught us a lesson.
The direct consequence of warmer winter temperatures means more frequent ice storms.
The direct consequence of hotter summers means drought and more wildfires.
Power restored
Pontiac residents suffered days of power loss, largely due to trees (or their limbs) having fallen upon hydro lines. Quebec Hydro workers, including teams from James Bay and Abitibi-Timiskaming, reconnected the electricity, which was completely restored in MRC Pontiac by the evening of April 12.
Those fallen trees and branches
This icestorm starkly reminds Pontiacers what damages to the forests will continue, caused by climate change’s warmer winters and hotter summers.
I have approximately 5 km of trails here at Spiritwood. I cannot possibly predict when Eric and I will be able to clear these trails from the trees or boughs tangling our woodland.
Gatineau Park features 183 km of summer trails. Currently the Park is closed until crews can safely reopen them.
In Thorne, a plantation owner is discouraged after investigating the damage to hundreds of pines. Because their harvesting was to be part of his retirement income, this represents serious loss to his personal wellbeing.
Forest hazard trees and wildfires
We erroneously might think of Canada’s western provinces of BC and Alberta being most prone to wildfires. Let’s reconsider. Our Pontiac forests are ripe for wildfires thanks to climate change. Why?
First, the forest floor is full of toppled trees and boughs in various states of decomposition, as a result not “just” from this past ice storm, but the tornadoes, microbursts’ high winds and droughts we have experienced in the past several years. The amount of biomass “detritus” in the forests represents fuel for fires.
Second, Quebec’s trees are stressed not “just directly” by increasingly catastrophic weather conditions. Because of warming weather, insects and fungi which are native to warmer latitudes are migrating north and infecting these plants. Think of BC and Alberta, their vast tracts of forests killed by the mountain pine beetle. Such swathes of dead, dried can literally explode in intense wildfires.
In Pontiac’s latitude, Quebec’s forests are a mixed deciduous-evergreen mix. Healthy forests include such biodiverse hardwood species as Ash, Butternut, Black Walnut, Birch, Beech, Black Cherry, Oak, Poplar, Ironwood and evergreens such as White and Red (and other) pines, Balsam Fir, Spruce and more.
Insects are decimating our forests’ health and biodiversity. Ash, Butternut, and Beech are being destroyed by insects and fungal damage just as the Dutch Elm disease eliminated many of that species. Meanwhile, spruce budworm has been an issue for decades.
Weakened trees create increased windfalls, along with hardship for animals – including human beings.
Managing forests
What to do? Some people say Quebec Hydro needs to eliminate risk for power infrastructures, referring to “eliminating tree damage”. How to do that, precisely? Felling trees in the Pontiac represents a humungous and expensive task.
Is this what we want?
Destruction and loss of biodiversity
I couldn’t agree more with this notice from the Quebec government found under “Climate Change Impacts” (bit.ly/41rfwIl)
“Numerous plant and animal species are disappearing because human activities are destroying their natural habitat. Climate change impacts are now threatening their survival even more. Humankind depends entirely on nature and the smooth functioning of its ecosystems. Nature provides air, water, and nutrients that are essential for human survival. Insect pollinators make agriculture possible, not to mention all the economic and recreational activities that hinge entirely on natural ecosystems.
Damage to natural ecosystems threatens the quality of life and human survival.”
Reminder: when to cut
Trees are homes for nesting migrant songbirds and other native animals. Please try to cut trees in autumn so as to preserve our Pontiac biodiversity.
Katharine Fletcher is a freelance writer and visual artist. Contact her at fletcher.katharine@gmail.com
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Views from the local barber: treat others as you’d like to be treated
Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
There’s nothing like a good ice storm to bring us all back down to earth! Due to widespread power outages our shop was closed for a couple of days, but once we reopened it was heartening to hear so many stories of people helping each other get through it.
Those with generators shared their electricity, fallen branches were picked up and food delivered to those who needed it.
Times like this are a good reminder of the importance of having good relations with your neighbours and your community. People are more likely to help you out if you’re polite and friendly. It doesn’t take much, just an occasional wave or smile will do the trick.
The same goes for businesses, local or not. Whether an employee or customer, how hard is it to say please or thank you? Good service costs nothing and makes life so much more enjoyable. I used to frequent a diner for breakfast, where the owners would always have a smile, remember my order and fill up my bottomless cup of coffee, and it was appreciated by their local clientele who didn’t mind a wait to get a table. Nowadays, with the cost of living going up, it seems that we’re all paying more for less. Those who go above and beyond deserve our patronage and hard-earned money.
Pro tip: Treat others like you would like to be treated yourself and be a good neighbour!
Sit back relax and see you next time!
Our Environment
Spring’s beauty – and challenges
With flooding creating serious problems, a paen to spring may not be met with total enthusiasm.
However, the glorious sunshine of the past several days, blossoms attracting pollinators, the greening of grasses, and explosion of leaves on deciduous trees deserves appreciation.
Songbird migrants
And the sound of the songbirds! Here at Spiritwood, my farm north of Quyon, the calls of the redwing blackbirds – first harbingers of spring’s arrival – have been joined by a chorus of others.
Among these songs, the gurgling call of the Sandhill Cranes is a favourite of mine. These tall birds – larger than Great Blue Herons – have chortling songs reminiscent of American Bitterns, which have returned to some wetlands.
The Whip-poor-wills are starting to call along the base of the Eardley Escarpment. We usually a dozen or more of these ground-nesting, increasingly rare birds every summer, and although it’s a repetitive song mimicking their name, it’s one of the signatures of late spring.
For weeks here at Spiritwood, Eastern Meadowlarks have been whistling in the front meadows, along with Savannah Sparrows. We’ve not yet seen or heard that other uncommon grassland species, the Bobolink, but I live in hope. Our neighbour cuts our hay late in the season specifically to give these increasingly rare grassland species a chance to fledge. We believe in creating sanctuary for species at risk: why not?
Ticks and Lyme disease
Unwanted ticks are abundant this year due to a mild winter where they successfully overwintered. Checking one’s body but also our pets’ has become habit for most people I know who live, work, or play in the countryside.
Lyme disease is carried by ticks which are infected with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. The disease gets its name after an outbreak of arthritis in children who lived in a town called Lyme, in Connecticut.
In Quebec there are 12 species of ticks.
“Since ticks can be transported by birds, they are found in almost all regions of Québec. However, not all ticks carry the bacteria. The only species that can transmit Lyme disease in Québec and northeastern North America is the Ixodes scapularis tick, also called the ‘deer tick’ or ‘blacklegged tick’.” (quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/lyme-disease)
Unfortunately, ticks which carry Lyme are here throughout the Outaouais, and cases of Lyme disease are on the rise. Why?
The Quebec website explains, “The fact that Québec winters are less cold than they used to be partly explains the increases before 2020. The warmer climate enables the ticks to survive and grow more easily.”
So, remain vigilant about ticks. Since 2003, it’s mandatory to report Lyme disease infections, where the Quebec website explains, “Any laboratory staff member or doctor who diagnoses the disease must notify the public health authorities.”
What else to do? Get yourself a tick removal kit and learn how to use it. Also? There’s an app called eTick, which you can download. Check out www.etick.ca/ and learn how to download a photograph of the tick you may find and stay current on information about these insects.
Get outside!
Don’t let ticks win! Do spend time outside, enjoying the sunshine, breathing deeply of this time of renewal’s earthy and fragrant scents.
Katharine Fletcher is a freelance writer and visual artist. Contact her at fletcher.katharine@gmail.com
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Mid-winter barber advice: plenty to enjoy
Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
Lately, customers have been struggling to get to their appointments on time because of chaotic traffic caused by bridge and road closures. People are getting incredibly frustrated when out and about. The stories we hear are borderline traumatic, especially if someone needed the toilet. Not to worry, I've come up with a solution. I might be offering a passenger ferry service from the marina across our shop to Ottawa. Unfortunately, we will be travelling by canoe and I will be the passenger, don’t expect me to paddle!
In other news, it looks like my prediction of snow in July won’t come to fruition. It’s warming up and summer is just around the corner. Did you know that hair usually grows quicker at this time of year? The heat opens the pores, we get vitamin D from the sun and we are generally more active, which improves our health and contributes to hair growth. The warm weather, weddings, graduations and patio date nights mean that we typically get much busier at the barbershop. So unless you are having a Star Wars-themed wedding and are going dressed as Chewbacca, make sure to book a spot early!
Protip: To avoid disappointment make an appointment.
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Father's Day
Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
Holy smokes! As I write this, it seems like the world is on fire. A thick blanket of smog hangs in the air, the sun has an eerie red glow and the smell of wildfires is overwhelming. If only I could dangle a car-sized marshmallow from a helicopter to make things a little more tolerable for all of us.
My thoughts are with all the brave souls in forests across Quebec fighting to save our communities. It could never happen here, could it? Unless you’re over a hundred years old, you probably don’t remember the great Hull fire of 1900, a blaze which destroyed two thirds of Hull, killed 7 and left 14,000 homeless in our area. The fire even spread to Ottawa across the river! My great-grandparents, who lived in Hull, lost their baptismal records but escaped with their lives.
Knowing your history is important! I often think of what life must have been like for previous generations. In comparison, I think we have it pretty good. Having lost my father last year, Father’s Day is a tough one for me, but I’m comforted knowing that I’m here for my young son. If you’re fortunate enough to be a dad, know that your bad jokes are always appreciated, even if no one is laughing! Speaking of appreciation, we thank you for your vote of confidence, giving us a top-three finish for the best barbershop in Aylmer! This Father’s Day, treat yourself, get a haircut and bring your kid along ─ we have candy!
Pro tip: Struggling to find a gift for Father’s Day? Our shop carries a variety of hair, beard and shaving products to help guys look their best for any occasion.
Sit back, relax and see you next time!
Alex Smith, barber, Local barbershop
Our Environment
Wildfires spark fire bans, climate-change conversations
With forest fires raging out of control across the country, 40,000 Canadians have been forced to evacuate their homes. Fortunately, Pontiac-area residents were spared.
On June 9, Pontiac Warden Jane Toller announced good news from SOPFEU, (Société de protection des forêts contre le feu, Quebec’s agency which monitors and manages wildfires). Out of control Pontiac fires were now under control after SOPEFU added firefighters as well as four planes to the effort.
Acknowledging that Quebec’s (and Canadian) forest fires are unprecedented in their numbers and damage, Toller added, “We are living in different times... The forestry workers and Ministry of Natural Resources have not seen anything like this in the last 35 years. So, it’s just very important to be very cautious and careful.”
Air Quality Health Index
Where there’s fire there’s smoke. Quebec’s fires (including Pontiac’s located west of Fort Coulonge and the Jim’s Lake area) helped raise the air health quality index to 10, the highest reading signifying extremely high health risk. (canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/air-quality-health-index.html)
The national news plus social-media platforms displayed photos where the sun was a dim red orb obscured by sepia coloured, smoky air. Breathing was difficult and the air smelled of smoke. Residents of Quebec, Ontario through to New York City were recommended to remain indoors. In the Pontiac, people suffered headaches, stinging eyes, sore throats and breathing problems despite reduced activities and were advised to wear N95 masks.
Bans lifted
As of June 9, bans to forested areas in the Pontiac were lifted. The Jim’s Lake Road north of Waltham reopened. The Rivière Noire Road never closed, although cottagers at the Lac Vert et Rivière Noire Community Group were watchful. On June 7, a member posted that although the fire between Lake Duval and Bryson were contained, police were still on the road, checking traffic.
Cautions remain
Just because a fire changes from “out-of-control” to “contained”, doesn’t mean we should abandon caution.
Campfires are banned across Canada; fires in enclosed firepits remain prohibited. People driving ATVs, jeeps and other off-road vehicles are asked not to endanger forested areas with hot engines which can ignite dried grasses, leaves and twigs.
ZEC Dumoine remains closed (as of June 9) because fires are still burning there. It’s still too dangerous to allow people to visit their camps.
Forest fires and Climate Change (CC)
We can longer feel safe and just look at Australia or Southern California, British Columbia, Alberta to see raging, scary wildfires. This spring teaches us that, our Pontiac is equally at risk of horrific, out-of-control fires.
The Climate Atlas of Canada confirms that climate change is creating perfect conditions for increased wildfires.
Mike Flannigan has been a forest fire specialist for more than 30 years. He notes, “in a word, the future is smoky. … “There is a lot more fire in the future, and we better get used to it… Was Fort McMurray a one-off? Heavens, no.” (climateatlas.ca/forest-fires-and-climate-change)
Flannigan cites three major conditions where CC is enabling wildfires to rage out of control once started: dry fuel, frequent lightening strikes, and dry windy weather.
His research finds that all three CC-inspired factors will continue to affect us, causing more of our precious biodiversity to be catastrophically destroyed,
“Another recent study by Flannigan and several other scientists predicts that western Canada will see a 50% increase in the number of dry, windy days that let fires start and spread, whereas eastern Canada will see an even more dramatic 200% to 300% increase in this kind of “fire weather.” Other studies predict that fires could burn twice as much average area per year in Canada by the end of the century as has burned in the recent past.”
But wait: a 200-300% projected increase
of fires in Quebec?
As of June 5, 2023, Quebec was the worst-affected region for wildfires in Canada. Let that sink in. What happens when there’s a 200-300% increase?
This is a serious topic: I will be writing more on fire and fire prevention
Katharine Fletcher is a freelance writer and visual artist. Contact her at fletcher.katharine@gmail.com
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Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
In the peak of summer, we’ll often have barbers and clients complain about the heat outside. In the winter, it’s complaints about the cold and ice. You might think that hockey is our national pastime, but I think it’s complaining about the weather.
The humidity reminds me of my tour of duty in Vietnam. Actually, the only army I’ve been to is the Salvation Army. I suppose I’ve watched too many movies. I have deep admiration though for those who have served in far-off places and carried on in the heat with little to no rest. I’m also impressed with our clients who work outside in construction, landscaping, roofing, asphalt, and concrete. They deserve a holiday! With my soft delicate hands and sensitivity to heat, I could never do what they do.
Does anyone else think that the often-reported tips on how to stay cool are a little silly? Do we really need all those reminders? Did someone put my mother in charge of public health and safety? Don’t worry Mom, I promise I won’t wear my snowsuit this summer. Here’s a useful tip everyone, get a haircut! It will make a difference. We’ll also take care of your beards or any hair above your collar ─ anything below is not our department! I confess I have a fear of hot wax ever since my wife thought it would be funny to tear a strip off my back. They say women have a higher tolerance for pain than men, and after that incident, I believe it.
Pro tip: Try something new this summer. Go shorter than usual!
Sit back, relax, and see you next time!
Our Environment
Green your summer
How to live an environmentally friendlier summer without stressing? Here are some tips.
Local vacations
Holiday locally and ditch the fossil-burning fuel recreational vehicles.
Visit local museums (such as Shawville’s Pontiac Museum, 210 Rue Lake, or Maniwaki’s Kitigan Zibi Cultural Centre, 54 Makwa Mikan). Bicycle Cycloparc PPJ PPJ (Pontiac Pacific Junction bicycle trail). Hike in Gatineau Park, Mont O’Brien. Camp at Leslie Lake. Canoe the Rivière Noire or explore the Dumoine Tote Road Trail…. Book a whitewater rafting trip and paddle Quebec’s Ottawa River rapids.
There’s tons to do here in the Pontiac, where Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing) is so doable.
Buy local food
Support local, organic growers by patronizing local farmers’ markets. From Wakefield to Bryson, Norway Bay to Shawville, find fresh veggies grown locally.
Why buy local? Food is fresher and hasn’t’ been shipped/transported over vast distances, at great emissions and “freshness” costs.
Local farmers’ markets can feature produce that’s grown without chemical inputs (always ask). Although many farmers haven’t gone the expensive Certified Organic route, ask each grower whether their produce is organic. Some who are not certified yet will invite you to visit their farm, so you can observe how and what they are growing.
Talking about food production with their consumers informs producers that we care about their production techniques, which is informative for them. Equally, we educate ourselves about how local food is grown.
Make your meals: ditch processed foods
Prepare your own meals from scratch. With allergies, cancers, diabetes and other debilitating conditions on the rise, our diets are more important than ever.
Going plant-based is one option that some are fully embracing. Others are deciding to eat less but far-better quality meats, whether they be local, grass-fed beef, locally raised trout, chicken or the less usual yak and bison meat.
Learn to cook
Unsure how to cook that yak roast or the fresh veggies you’ve purchased at the farmers’ market?
Ask the producer: often they have a collection of favourite recipes.
And does your family have a traditional recipe for something you particularly enjoy eating? Ask for the recipe. Invite them to show you how to cook it. Make it a family-friendly affair so that everyone learns, together. This way you have quality family and friends time concentrating on something everyone likes doing. And why not make a family/family of friends’ recipe book? Ask the kids to write and illustrate it with photos they’ve taken or artwork they draw.
Talking about family and friends’ recipes, try planning a pot-luck meal with a theme, then gather, swap recipes, and enjoy yourselves.
Banish disposables
Reduce waste by sidestepping Styrofoam and plastics whenever possible because neither are compostable: they will long outlive our lives on the planet. Choose not to buy a broccoli tightly bound by plastic wrap and inform shopkeepers why you won’t purchase it.
Some shops such as Bulk Barn permit us to bring in reusable containers instead of using single-use plastic bags – and offer a discount as a perk. And why not sew your own shopping bags?
Aim high: Zero waste
Did you know that plastic waste increases by 40% in summertime (euronews.com/2019/07/31/plastic-waste-goes-up-by-40-during-the-summer). Europeans eat a credit-card worth of plastic microparticles every week. That website explains: “Between 70,000 and 130,000 tonnes of microplastics and between 150,000 and 500,000 tonnes of macroplastics finish in the Mediterranean and other European seas each year — waste that ends up in fish eaten by humans. This implies that every week, Europeans eat the equivalent of a plastic bank card (five grams or 1,769 microparticles).”
Connect the dots: think about what you consume and produce, whether it be food you eat, emissions you release into the air and water with your recreational vehicles, and resolve to live more sustainably this summer.
Inspired, greener summer habits can morph into lifestyle choices.
It’s up to you to make green choices and teach your kids to cherish Nature.
Katharine Fletcher is a freelance writer and visual artist. Contact her at fletcher.katharine@gmail.com
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Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
With all the new housing developments going up in the area, and the traffic that goes along with it, some might be concerned that we’re running out of space. Not to worry though the sky is wide open, so look up!
Every now and again, a story will pop up in your friendly community newspaper or on local social media about our fine feathered friends, the birds of aylmer. The goose that nested in front of Aylmer mall, the ducks that crossed the road on Rue Principale and the occasional sighting of a rare species. While I’m no bird watcher or Ornithologist, but the fact that these stories captivate our interest says something about our town. Perhaps we’re all getting older and have nothing better to do, but I think it’s because locals here have a deep appreciation for nature and maybe a yearning for a slower pace of life.
While on lunch break from cutting hair at the barbershop, I took a stroll down to the marina and witnessed a one legged duck fighting a seagull for a scrap of food. Let me tell you that handicap did not disadvantage the duck. Hardened by life, the duck won the day and the seagull made a hasty retreat!
We all have those days where the pressures of life overwhelm us and our minds get clouded with anxieties or concerns. When this happens we need to step back a little and focus on the bigger picture and take time for ourselves. Spend some time outside with the birds, or inside in a comfortable barber chair! Even a seemingly negative experience in our lives might turn out to be a positive one. After all, having a bird poop on you is a good luck sign!
Protip: Slow down and smell the roses
Sit back relax and see you next time!
Our Environment
Incinerator in MRC Pontiac? Let’s seriously think about that
Is an EFW – energy from waste – incinerator located in MRC Pontiac part of our collective future?
We are told that 99.9 percent of the residual waste that would be trucked here – some 395,000 tonnes annually – must come from Ontario or other parts of Quebec because MRC Pontiac cannot produce enough residual waste to make an incinerator profitable.
Therefore, we’d import 395,000 tonnes to “top up” MRC Pontiac’s production of some 5,000 tonnes.
Is this sensible?
Questions
How many trucks will transport sometimes toxic residual waste along our increasingly congested, pothole filled Highway 148 plus across the ecologically sensitive Ottawa River?
Regarding trucks, in her letter, “Leader in Waste Management”, Warden Jane Toller explained, “The number of trucks required which pick up at transfer stations carry 25-30 tonnes each…”
At 30 tonnes per truck, that means 13,167 truckloads would be travelling our highways. That’s 66 trucks daily (over 200 working days annually).
Where will the transfer stations be? Will some require construction and if so, where? Any in the MRC des Collines de l’Outaouais, where the Municipality of Pontiac (including Breckenridge, Luskville and Quyon villages) are located?
This Energy From Waste facility’s name sounds promising. But what’s the proof? In her letter, Toller wrote, “Sweden, Denmark and Norway are leaders with waste management in the world today. Their high rate of recycling, composting and use of EFW facilities to process the residual waste is exemplary. They incinerate 50 per cent of their residual waste rather than using landfills.”
That means 50 per cent of residual waste cannot be incinerated. Should we assume it will be transported here in any case? If so, where will that possible 50 per cent (or any per cent) be dumped? A new, on-site landfill?
And before we even think of where that landfill may be constructed, is MRC Pontiac able to match that Scandinavian percentage?
Moreover, precisely how will the energy that this EFW plant produces be used? What infrastructure will be built such that power produced is locally used? Will the community housing the incinerator receive free energy to power their village?
Rural communities suffer
Homo sapiens possess addictive personalities regarding consuming products, where overconsumption creates overproduction of waste.
We can earnestly discuss circular economies, economies of scale, and encourage everyone to do their part to promote sustainable energy, reduce waste, be responsible citizens. We can argue we’ll be leaders in waste management if we welcome this incinerator.
Unfortunately, this EFW solution is at the very least following an unfair, i.e. undemocratic, process.
It’s unfair for sparsely populated, still reasonably biodiverse rural communities to be “encouraged” to accept urban waste without the consequences of doing so being adequately presented via town-hall meetings, frank discussions – and a referendum.
A true circular economy, which Toller and I both advocate, sees companies being responsible for the “cradle to grave” life of the products they create.
Is a Pontiac EWF a true example of a circular economy?
Seems to me that a Pontiac EWF is tediously another example of a linear economy, where unsightly, toxic junk that city residents, businesses and industries produce but cannot use would simply be shipped well away from major centres into the countryside. Transport trucks, which damage already fragile infrastructure, would drive west from Gatineau/Ottawa to an MRC-based incinerator where possibly 50% of the residual waste cannot be incinerated but will need to be landfilled.
What’s “circular” about that?
Town Halls, Referendum please
We need serious information about how this incinerator will work. All residents of MRC des Collines de l’Outaouais and MRC Pontiac need information followed by a referendum.
We all produce waste. How we deal with it is serious business and yes, all of us need to be part of the solution. But is it reasonable for producers of 5,000 tonnes to accept 79 times as much tonnage “from away”?
Katharine Fletcher is a freelance writer and visual artist. Contact her at fletcher.katharine@gmail.com
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Time moves fast, love what you do
Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
School starts tomorrow! At least that’s what I’ve been telling my young clients when their parents bring them in for haircuts. You should see their faces when they hear the news, and then the look of relief when they find out I was being less than honest. Not to worry kids, you still have a few weeks left of summer!
In the near future barbers will be busy with students getting ready to go back to the books. The compulsory class photos will soon follow so book your appointments early! It’s always a good laugh looking back at our own photos from years past. A couple stand out for me personally, one wearing a shirt and tie in kindergarten but with a spaghetti sauce moustache, another elementary school photo with a Michael Jackson Thriller t-shirt. That one didn’t age well!
Time goes by so fast. One day you’re climbing up the school bus stairs with a backpack bigger than your little body and before you know it you off to cegep or university with your laptop and coffee in hand. If academics aren’t your thing, a new pair of steel toe boots and hard hat for trade school, or maybe a new set of clippers and scissors if you’re training to be a barber. In fact we’ve started training at our shop recently! Barbering is a fantastic career choice if you’re looking for full or part time career. For many of us, this is a second or third career! Say goodbye to emails, meetings and sitting behind a desk and hello to engaging, personable and creative work. It’s never too late to learn. Learning should be a life long process, even during summer kids!
Protip: find something you love to do, and do it well
Sit back relax and see you next time!
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Appreciating George: enjoy the simple things
Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting George, our employee of the month, allow me to tell you a little bit about him. He’s always the first to happily greet you at the door, making you feel welcome and at home. He’ll even shake your hand if offered.
George is also a great listener. You could speak to him for hours, he’ll never interrupt or judge you, and your secrets are safe with him. Even our most reserved and shy clientele will open up and smile when he’s around. When he’s not, people are genuinely disappointed.
If anything falls on the floor, George will pick it up right away, without being asked. I’ve never once heard him complain. He’s a quiet fellow, but I can tell he loves his job because when he’s unable to come to work for some reason, he’ll tend to sulk. He doesn’t work for money because he doesn’t need it, he does it for the love of the game.
George is a hard worker but even he needs a break sometimes. He often goes for walks by the marina, rain or shine. Despite his good work ethic or maybe because of it, George will sometimes nod off at work and sleep on the job. He gets away with it for one simple reason. If you haven’t guessed already, George is a dog! We haven’t been able to teach him how to cut hair yet so for now George is only grooming himself.
Pro tip: Be like George, enjoy the simple things.
Sit back, relax and see you soon!
LocaL BANTER
Fall routines & venting out with a trusted ear
Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
Hello again, it’s been awhile! I hope you all had a wonderful summer at home or on vacation! It’s almost time to put your speedos and sandals away for the winter and bring out your long underwear and wool socks!
Many of us are settling into our fall routines, commuting back to class and work. If you’re working from home, it’s business as usual, just roll out of bed in your pyjamas and turn on your computer! One thing is for sure, our clients who are stay at home workers rarely complain about traffic. They leave that to the rest of us.
Even on our best days, we all complain about something. Traffic, the economy, taxes. Society, or a sore knee, the list is endless. Suffering is part of the human condition, it seems. You can’t run away from it, but you can alleviate it. Talking about the big and small issues in life definitely helps. Barbers are known to be great listeners and dogs too. Luckily, at our shop we have both!
On one particular day I complained out about something trivial and our resident dog George offered some sage advice. According to George, Ancient Greek philosophers of the stoic school taught that we ought not to complain about external things outside our control but instead focus internally and constructively on things we can control. He’s pretty smart for a two-year-old Labrador retriever.
With the right mindset and practices, you can control your emotional responses in a positive way. With the right product and the help of your local barber, you can control your hair! Now that is a recipe for success!
Pro tip: hairstyles that are cut evenly on top are easier to control in all conditions.
Sit back, relax and see you next time!
September 19, 2023
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Immediate Solutions to Consider to Confront the Shortage of Québec Qualified Teachers in Schools
Mr. Minister of Education of Québec
National Assembly of Québec
Québec, Québec
Please consider the following friendly advice from a happily retired school principal and former secondary teacher of English language arts and History of Québec:
My first suggestion would be the immediate creation of a Special Committee of Professors of Pedagogy chaired by a Deputy Minister of Education with a Professor of Pedagogy from every one of the Faculties of Education of Universities in Québec with the following mandate:
-by Monday, January 8th, 2024, have on-line weekly three credit courses in both French and English on in-class pedagogical methods. Attendance is compulsory for all non-Québec qualified teachers. One three-hour class would be available weeknights and weekends.
-by Monday, April 8th, 2024, have on-line weekly second three credit courses in both French and English.
-by Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024, have on-line twice-weekly third three credit courses in both French and English.
-by Monday, August 5th, 2024, have on-line twice-weekly fourth three credit courses in both French and English.
Secondly, the salary scales of Québec qualified teachers should be enhanced every six months so that our teachers become among the best paid teachers in Canada.
Thirdly, the creation of a Québec College of Teachers must be agreed upon by the Ministry of Education and the Teacher Unions to make available to teachers needed support. Surrounding educational jurisdictions provide excellent examples of well functioning colleges of teachers.
Fourthly, to attract teachers from other educational jurisdictions, the children of such teachers should be exempt from the requirements of the Charter of the French Language of Québec (Bill 101) regarding attendance in school.
Fifthly, to address the issue of the lack of meaningful consultation with the necessary partners in the promotion of education in Québec, begin plans for the organization of a three-day Estates-General on Education in Québec for February of 2024 in Montréal.
Mr. Minister, may I suggest the following quotation on the value of consulting?
“Why is it important to consult the opinions of others?While it is not always easy or comfortable to do, it is essential for building and maintaining constructive relationships. Teaching children how to take others’ perspectives is a needed aspect of schooling and socialization. Becoming skillful in taking the perspective of others will tend to significantly improve the quality of one’s life.”
-David W. Johnson, Ed. D., Psychology Today
Canadian Nature Museum Open House: Research & Collections
And… a goodbye
On October 14, the Gatineau Research Branch of the Canadian Nature Museum opens its doors to the public.
This is the one time of year when the public are invited inside this research museum.
Dr. Jean-Marc Gagnon, Chief Scientist and Curator of Invertebrates, says part of the appeal is that Gatineau’s Pink Road museum houses more than 14.6 million specimens and artifacts of plants, animals, fossils and minerals. It’s also Canada’s repository of frozen tissues of plants and animals in the recently opened Cryobank.
It’s intriguing to understand the level of protection required for the collection of everything from ancient dinosaur bones through to delicate plants. From humidity to heat, pests to fragrances, specimens are fragile, requiring special conservation and preservation technologies and strategies.
This annual one-day event let’s us peek into these scientists’ fascinating work.
Open Labs
At the popular Fossil Workshop, meet researchers who will demonstrate their fascinating work, including 3D scanning of new fossil discoveries, and how fossils are extracted from rock. At the X-Ray lab, learn how scientists identify new minerals. At the Conservation Lab, understand how specimens are preserved and conserved. At the Heavy Wet Lab see selections of fishes, reptiles and amphibians.
Open Collections
Collections of fossils, minerals, invertebrates, mammal skeletons in the Large Skeleton Room, Botany – Canada’s vast National Herbarium, the Library and Archives (oldest book dates from the 1580s), and the National Biodiversity Cryobank are areas to discover.
The Cryobank is the museum’s “deep freeze” which preserves DNA samples of plant and animal tissue for analysis. Opened in 2018, the Cryobank’s DNA samples are frozen at -170C, offering unique road maps of each tissue’s specific structure, crucial for biodiversity study and preservation.
October 6: Register promptly
On October 6 pre-register for free, timed tickets at: nature.ca/openhouse: https://nature.ca/en/visit-us/whats-on/listing/open-house/. Do this early on the 6th, because tickets go quickly. Although they’re available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the last reserved ticket slot is at 2:30 p.m.
Canadian Museum of Nature Research & Collections Open House, October 14, 1o:00 – 4:00, 1740 Pink Road, Gatineau
And… Au revoir -- for now
This is my last column, particularly appropriate because this open house reflects my raison d'être: the understanding, appreciation and conservation of nature plus the celebration of individuals who do such work.
In these 34 years of living at Spiritwood, I’ve discussed everything from bird migration to waste management. I’ve asked you to cherish our Pontiac as an indescribably precious, integral part of Earth’s dwindling biodiversity.
I’ve asked you to please be vigilant, reflective. We are witnessing climate change. Tornadoes. Hail. Drought. Forest fires. Reduced snow, increased ice storms, power outages. As a scientist mentioned to me yesterday, “It’s only the beginning.” Dire? Yes.
We must protect our collective future by considering our actions of today. Do we really choose to clearcut forests while speaking of species at risk? Should we install an incinerator in the Pontiac? Must we follow the capitalist mantra, “shop ’til you drop”?
How much is enough?
What do we actually do about First Nations unceded territories – particularly when considering nuclear waste landfills, mining, and our colonial-inspired concepts of property rights?
Choices.
As a visual artist and writer, I chose to join CPAWS-Ottawa Valley’s DRAW (Dumoine River Artists for Wilderness) to advocate for conservation: for hope. I choose activism: to create art, write columns, articles, books. All represent positive initiatives where, for example, CPAWS-OV has been successful in protecting areas of the Dumoine and Rivière Noire.
More personally, over 34 years, Eric and I have nurtured a wildlife sanctuary at Spiritwood. This September, we’re enabling bat research with NCC biologists at Spiritwood, because our land is adjacent to Gatineau Park. It’s exciting to further the understanding of Park biodiversity with NCC scientists.
How we choose to act makes a difference.
Thank-you very much for your support over these 34 years.
Katharine Fletcher is a freelance writer and visual artist. Contact her at fletcher.katharine@gmail.com
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Being thankful, autumn lessons
Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
I just checked my calendar and apparently, it’s now autumn and Thanksgiving leftovers may still be in the lunchbox. Just like the in-laws, summer has overstayed its welcome. Many folks are enjoying the unseasonal temperatures except those fellows who are out hunting moose at this time of year. I’ve been told by some of our patrons that the animals are easier to find when temperatures are on the cooler side.
Aylmer is the gateway to the Pontiac and beyond. A ten-minute drive and you’re out in the country. It should be no surprise that so many guys around here are hunters and fishers. I’d like to learn how to hunt if only to spend more time in nature. If there’s a more convenient excuse to leave your family behind for some alone time, I’d like to hear it! Many hunters never catch anything so you could go to Las Vegas for two weeks and they wouldn’t have a clue.
We are all still making room in our belly for some Thanksgiving turkey. Followed by turkey leftovers, turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, etc. I’m thankful for the food, my family, friends and clients who keep us busy at the shop. I’m also thankful that Thanksgiving music doesn’t exist. Christmas is enough! My heart goes out to those working in retail who must endure holiday music for months at a time before the big day! Be strong my friends, be strong.
Pro tip: The easiest way to lose weight if you’ve had too much turkey is to get a haircut.
Sit back, relax and see you next time!
2022 Columns
17 June 2022
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Are we really headed to another Tyranny of the Majority that will last for the next four years + ?
“The tyranny of the majority is an inherent weakness to majority rule in which the majority of an electorate pursues exclusively its own objectives at the expense of those of the minority factions. This results in oppression of minority groups comparable to that of a tyrant or despot.” argued John Stuart Mill in his 1859 book On Liberty.
Recent public opinion polls scare the hell out of me! We are seeing results with la Coalition Avenir Québec garnering around 46 % of the votes province wide with over 50 % of the francophone vote. In a National Assembly of Québec with five political parties all holding seats and intending to run candidates in all 125 ridings in the province, one-third of the votes cast in the provincial general election would probably result in a majority of 63 seats and more. What will 46 % of the votes garner? Political analysts are suggesting between 100 and 110 CAQ seats. Let us take a stroll down the avenue of political history. In the provincial general election of 1948, Maurice Duplessis’ Union nationale won 82 out of the 92 seats with 51.24 % of the votes, the Quebec Liberal Party won only eight seats, and two independent candidates were also elected. It took twelve years for the QLP under Jean Lesage to return to power in the 1960 election.
In the provincial general election of 1973, Robert Bourassa’s QLP captured 102 of the 110 seats with 54.65 % of the votes, le Parti Québécois winning six seats, and le Ralliement créditiste two. It took only three years for le Parti Québécois to capture power for the first time under René Lévesque in 1976.
Remembering that in the last general election, the following parties received a substantial number of votes:
la Coalition Avenir Québec, Québec Liberal Party, Québec solidaire, le Parti Québécois, Conservative Party of Québec, New Democratic Party of Québec, and Green Party of Québec; we are expecting candidates of le Bloc Montréal and the Canadian Party of Quebec, and perhaps as well of the Quebecers United for Equality Party. We will also have a number of independent candidates and those of political fringe parties as well. We will need a road map in some ridings where on a regular basis ten or more candidates are on the ballot paper. The October 2nd, 2022 general election promises to have overloaded ballots in many ridings.
What is increasingly troubling is the CAQ’s obsession with collective rights. Human rights and freedoms are protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which is enshrined in the Canadian Constitution, and the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. The CAQ government repeatedly uses le bâillon: closure to limit and terminate debate in the National Assembly. It has imposed the Notwithstanding Clause on too many occasions to override both the Canadian and Quebec Charters.
As Laws 21 and 40 proceed through the Quebec court system towards the Supreme Court of Canada, they have been joined to form a trio with Law 96 recently enacted by the National Assembly of Québec. It will be very interesting to witness the promised intervention of the Federal Government through the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General of Canada in these court challenges. It is extremely important for voters to follow the Quebec political landscape as closely as they can, as we count down to voting day on Monday, October 2nd, 2022!
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
A Smorgasbord of Political Parties on the Menu for Anglophone, Allophone, & Indigenous Voters Come October 3rd
Recent public opinion polls have continued to show a substantial lead for la Coalition Avenir Québec hovering at over forty (40) per cent of the votes which would produce somewhere around eighty (80) per cent of the seats in the 125 seat National Assembly of Québec.
The more interesting battle will be for second place and the prize of Official Opposition. It is surprising that the Québec Liberal Party, which is the incumbent Official Opposition having captured thirty-one (31) seats in the October 1st, 2018, general election, is being challenged by Québec solidaire who won only ten (10) seats, actually tied for third place with le Parti Québécois. Even though the Official Opposition caucus voted against Law 21 regarding Laicity of the State in 2019 and Law 40 regarding School Board Reform in 2020, the prolonged clause-by-clause consideration by the Committee on Culture and Education of the 201 sections of Bill 96 has challenged the members of the Official Opposition revealing serious weaknesses in the party’s legislative strategy surrounding the sections regarding reform of the CEGEP system among others.
Complicating matters is Éric Duhaime, leader of the Conservative Party of Québec, who may very well steal the Chauveau riding from the CAQ incumbent. The Conservative Party leader has been appealing to Anglophones and Allophones to consider his party in the face of the fumbling and bumbling of the QLP.
And more recently is the announcement by Balarama Holness, the leader of le Mouvement Montréal, who finished third in the last municipal elections, that he is creating le Mouvement Québec that will run candidates on the Island of Montréal come October 3rd.
Even more recently is the announcement by Colin Standish, the young lawyer from the Eastern Townships,
taking a leave of absence from his Task Force on Linguistic Policy, which he founded a year ago, heading the Exploratory Committee on Political Options completing the procedures to launch the Canadian Party of Quebec, planning to field candidates in all 125 ridings.
Rumours are also circulating around Irwin Rapoport, a former School Board Commissioner from Montréal, gathering signatures and resources to launch the Quebecers United for Equality Party within a month. To be recognized as an official political party in the National Assembly of Québec, you must hold a minimum of twelve (12) seats in that chamber. With la Coalition Avenir Québec threatening to capture around one hundred (100) of the 125 seats up for election, and if Éric Duhaime wins his seat, and Pascal Bérubé is re-elected in his PQ stronghold of Matane-Matapédia, that mathematically leaves around twenty-three (23) ridings for the QLP and Qs. Whoever wins twelve (12) seats or more will be the Official Opposition. The perks of Official Opposition status are very important as they include additional office space, employee salaries, research budgets, priority positions on committees, priority during question period, among others.
Polling specialists are predicting that close ridings may very well include that of Liberal leader Dominique Anglade in Saint-Henri Sainte-Anne, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon in Bourget, and PC leader Éric Duhaime in Chauveau. That leaves Premier François Legault in L’Assomption and Qs leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois in Gouin as the only party leaders more or less guaranteed to be sitting in the National Assembly when it returns in November following the election.
Voting isn’t an exact science. Political junkies and academics aside, few spend much time, if any, making a study of what or who they’re to vote on or for. Far, far, far too many don’t vote at all. Not just this or that election, but never. Nothing in their immediately perceived world will significantly change as a result, so what’s the point?
Our Environment
Beech Bark Disease contaminates our forests
While enjoying our forest walks here at Spiritwood, my husband Eric and I usually visit our several groves of American Beech trees. We love their stately form, smooth grey bark – and the telltale claw-marks left by Black Bears, who climb these trees to eat the nuts in autumn.
A few weeks ago, we noticed fuzzy white insects attached to the bark of almost all the Beech trees with a diameter of more than about 4 cm. With a sinking sensation, I realized our grove is likely infected with Beech Bark Disease (BDD).
I took photos of a few infected trees and sent them to Gatineau Park Director Catherine Verreault (whom I interviewed a few weeks ago in this column).
I contacted Ms Verreault because I know she’s an informed biologist by profession, and also because Spiritwood punches into Gatineau Park. Therefore, I wanted her to be aware this disease may be in the Park.
She confirmed that the photos prove the presence of BDD.
Gatineau Park Tree Specialist Bruno Chicoine
Mr. Chicoine called me on Monday May 9, explaining that the disease has been in the Park for ten years or so. He said the NCC has been monitoring BDD in public areas such as Lac Phillippe campground.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing that can be done to cure the trees: BDD is fatal.
What is BDD?
An alien (non-native) insect called Cryptococcus fagisuga – a type of scale – is host to a fungus (Neonectria faginata). The white fluffy insects we see on our Beech trees (see photo) are the females which coat themselves with the waxy substance to protect themselves. They drill holes in the bark of the Beeches.
The hole provides a way into the tree, and this is how the fungus gains access, infecting the tree, particularly its cambium layer.
Eventually the tree develops cankers and deformation of the trunk, and eventually dies. Disease stimulates seed production.
In the years before they die, the Beeches increase seed production. Chicoine explained, “When trees are attacked, they respond by producing far more seeds and, in the case of Beeches, Willows and Poplars, diseases also stimulate root suckers. It’s how the plants try to survive as a species.”
He noted that it’s not the insect that’s killing the trees, but the fungus. And, whereas Dutch Elm disease kills its host in a matter of weeks, BBD kills in several years.
Beech lumber compromised
I asked Chicoine whether the timber from the infected trees is still good for firewood or cabinetry. “No,” he said. “Unfortunately BDD lowers the quality of wood for sawing.”
Anecdotally, I’ve heard that the Beech wood is punky and useless even for wood stoves.
Spreadable?
Chicoine explained that BDD can be spread if we take contaminated wood off our own properties.
BDD Solutions?
There’s no known antidote. Anecdotally, a friend said she had used tea-tree oil on one of her several Beeches and noted that it was the only individual of her Beech grove which seemed to be surviving.
Chicoine was interested in this and suggested that I try it… However, when he realized our grove here at Spiritwood is about 50 members strong, with two other large groves being of approximately 200 + to 400+ trees, he said that there’s no hope of saving our Beech forest.
Fire concerns
Along with the decline of White Ash and Spruce respectively from Emerald Ash Borer and Spruce Budworm, and the Butternut (White Walnut) trees succumbing to canker, Chicoine, Eric and I share concerns about the health of the forests not only in Gatineau Park but everywhere.
The additional worry of course, as trees die and litter the forest, is that the understory becomes less protected because of lack of shade from mature canopy trees. Accompanied with parched, dry soils and plants due to drought, I am deeply concerned about forest fires.
Katharine Fletcher is a freelance writer and artist. Contact her at: fletcher.katharine@gmail.com and view her art at facebook.com/KatharineFletcherArtist
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Year-End Report Cards on Bill 96: 90Q.1. & 90Q.2.
As a retired Principal and Secondary School Teacher of the History of Québec, I consider the following report cards as my response to the academic call to duty:
Specific Subject Material Covered: May to December 2021 Term: Bill 96 - An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec
“CONSTITUTION ACT, 1867 159. The Constitution Act, 1867 (30 & 31 Victoria, c. 3 (U.K.); 1982, c. 11 (U.K.)) is amended by inserting the following after section 90: FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF QUEBEC 90Q.1. Quebecers form a nation. 90Q.2. French shall be the only official language of Quebec. It is also the common language of the Quebec nation.”
Report Card Marks and Teacher Comments:
QCNA: Quebec Community Newspapers Association = A
- Wonderful leadership skills demonstrated in full-page ads
- Special Mention awarded for undeniable tenacity on important issues
T F: Task Force on Linguistic Policy = A
- Impressive leadership qualities from the new kid on the block
- Special Mention awarded for impressive Brief on 96 by T F volunteers
QFHSA: Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations Inc. = A
- Leading the way in the education sector
- Special Mention awarded for the work of QFHSA Rights Committee
EPCA: English Parent Committees Association = B+
- Dependence on MEQ funding cripples the ability of this volunteer organization to carry through on all advocacy initiatives - Special Mention awarded to EPCA President Katherine Korakakis for her determined efforts despite interference from minister and ministry.
QESBA: Quebec English School Boards Association = C
- Asleep in the back row of class during most of June, July, and August
- Acquired more interest in subject lately, but much too late in the term
WQSB: Western Quebec School Board = C
- Classic case of suffering from lack of leadership from Big Brother (QESBA), but both get Brownie points for opposition to Laws 21 and 40
QCGN: Quebec Community Groups Network = C-
- Internal renewal process has hampered effectiveness of present governance structures and consultation of its member groups
- Special Mention awarded to QCGN President Marlene Jennings for her insightful wisdom and passion displayed while confronting government representatives.
RAWQ: Regional Association of West Quebecers = C-
- Another classic case of suffering from lack of leadership from Big Brother (QCGN), as well as being a regional association searching for its soul and in desperate need of getting out into the community to explore its role of advocacy and how the English-speaking population really feels about Bill 96, especially 90Q.1. and 90Q.2.
MPs: Local Members of Parliament (Liberal Party of Canada) = D
- Soul-searching is very necessary for the three local incumbents of the House of Commons who voted in favour of the motion introduced by M. Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc québécois Party Leader last session
- Unfortunately, you must prepare wisely for the same nature of BQ motions supporting Bill 96 in the new parliamentary session
MNAs: Local Members of the National Assembly of Québec (QLP) = D-
- As members of the Official Opposition caucus of the Québec Liberal Party, you unfortunately hold collective responsibility for the deliberate stalling of the release of the caucus strategy regarding clause-by-clause consideration of the sections of Bill 96 including 90Q.1. and 90Q.2.
MNAs: Local Members of the National Assembly of Québec (CAQ) = F
- Guilty as charged of the overuse of “le bâillon” (closure) and the Notwithstanding Clause regarding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms of Canada (1982), as well as your very own Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms of Québec (1975, chapter C-12)
Premier of Québec, Minister Responsible for Youth Issues, and Minister Responsible for Relations with English-Speaking Quebecers & Minister of Justice, Minister Responsible for the French Language, and Minister Responsible for Laicity and Parliamentary Reform & Minister of Families and the Minister Responsible for the Outaouais & Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier for Relations with English- Speaking Quebecers and to the Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism PLUS ALL THE OTHER CABINET MINISTERS = F-
- SHAME ON YOU ALL!
The Party Leader of le Bloc québécois = F-
- DOUBLE SHAME ON YOU!
The Right Honourable Prime Minister + ALL YOUR CABINET MINISTERS & The Honourable Leader of the Official Opposition & The Party Leader of the New Democratic Party = F-
- TRIPLE SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!
MY PARTING WISH: HOPING THAT THE NEW YEAR OF 2022 WILL SEE CANADA RETURN TO SYMMETRICAL FEDERALISM AND SUPPORT FOR THE TWO OFFICIAL LANGUAGES FROM COAST TO COAST TO COAST!
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Which Cabinet Ministers Have Been Entrusted with the Challenging Tasks of Improving Education in the New Year and Beyond? by Brian Rock
The appointment of new Ministers of Education, of Higher Education, of Families, and of Youth in Québec may very well delay delivering the improvements necessary to counter the persistent challenges that have existed over recent decades in education.
Bernard Drainville, elected as the Coalition avenir Québec Member of the National Assembly for Lévis is the new Minister of Education and the Minister Responsible for the Chaudière-Appalaches Region. Drainville served as the Parti Québécois MNA for Marie-Victorin from 2007 until 2016 and was the Minister Responsible for Democratic Institutions and Active Citizenship in the cabinet of Premier Pauline Marois. Drainville was the sponsor on November 7, 2013, of Government Bill 60, the Charter affirming the values of State secularism and religious neutrality and of equality between women and men, and providing a framework for accommodation requests.
Pascale Déry, the rookie MNA for Repentigny, has been appointed Minister of Higher Education. Déry has the responsibilities related to implementing the sections of Government Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec, that are applicable to CEGEPs and universities.
Suzanne Roy, the rookie MNA for Verchères, has been appointed Minister of Families and Minister Responsible for the Montérégie Region. Roy has inherited the difficulties of implementing the dossiers of four-year old kindergartens as well as the expansion of daycare services.
Mathieu Lacombe, MNA for Papineau, was re-elected and is happy with his promotion as Minister of Culture and Communications, but perhaps less so with being Minister Responsible for Youth after struggling at times with the portfolio of Minister of Families during the last four years. Lacombe is also Minister Responsible for the Outaouais Region and the Abitibi-Témiscamingue Region.
Isabelle Charest, MNA for Brome-Missisquoi, was re-elected and appointed Minister Responsible for Sports, Recreation, and the Outdoors, basically the same responsibilities she had during the last four years under the titles of Minister for Education as well as Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.
Christopher Skeete, MNA for Sainte-Rose, was re-elected and appointed Minister for the Economy, Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism, and Minister Responsible for the Laval Region. During his first term in office, Skeete had served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier for Relations with English-Speaking Quebecers, and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism.
Eric Girard, MNA for Groulx, was re-elected and re-appointed Minister of Finance and appointed Minister Responsible for Relations with English-Speaking Quebecers relieving Premier François Legault of the cabinet responsibility which has proven to be more and more time-consuming, and many would also say much more controversial when reviewing Government Bills 21, 40, and 96 receiving royal assent over the last three years.
Suzanne Tremblay, the rookie CAQ MNA for Hull, has been appointed a Member of the National Assembly Committee on Culture and Education.
It will be a daunting task for the three opposition parties to attempt during the daily Question Period to force the majority CAQ Government holding 90 of the 125 seats in the National Assembly of Québec to act in an expeditious fashion to address the most pressing of the issues in education.
André Fortin, Québec Liberal Party MNA for Pontiac, is the Official Opposition Critic for the Outaouais Region and the Abitibi-Témiscamingue Region among other dossiers, and has been elected as Chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Culture and Education.
Marwah Rizqy, QLP MNA for Saint-Laurent, is the Official Opposition Critic for Education and Higher Education as well as for Infrastructure among other dossiers and has been appointed as a Member of the Committee on Culture and Education.
Michelle Setlakwe, QLP MNA for Mont Royal-Outremont, is the Official Opposition Critic for Access to Information and the Protection of Personal Information, for Culture and Communications, for Cybersecurity and Digital Technology, for International Relations and La Francophonie, among other dossiers and has also been appointed as a Member of the Committee on Culture and Education.
Ruba Ghazal, Québec solidaire MNA for Mercier, is the Second Opposition Group Critic for Education, for the Status of Women, for Culture and Communications, and for the French Language and has also been appointed as a Member of the Committee on Culture and Education.
And le Parti Québécois with only three MNAs elected has not achieved party status in the National Assembly, so PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, MNA for Camille-Laurin and Leader of the Third Opposition Group, Pascal Bérubé, MNA for Matane-Matapédia, and Joël Arseneau, MNA for Îles-de-Madeleine, will be allowed to rotate when the PQ is scheduled to ask a question during daily Question Period.
Our Environment
My New Year’s Hopes
Therrrre gone! Christmas and New Year’s are a fait accompli and now we’re all wondering about those resolutions.
According to Time2Play researchers, data indicates “that as many as 14.1 per cent of Canadians welcome the new year without setting resolutions at all, and for those who do, almost 70 per cent fail to stick with their resolutions.” (bit.ly/3GG3Fia)
Which Canadians do best at keeping their resolutions? The average is 4.7 months, where Newfoundland and Labrador residents’ goals last an average of six months. We Quebeckers come in a respectable third, at 5.1 months.
Although I’m one of the 14.1% of Canadians who don’t make formal resolutions, I have goals.
What are my hopes for 2023? Gatineau Park Legislation.
Did you know that Gatineau Park is not a protected Park? Although organizations and individuals have been lobbying for its protection for years, there is no official Park legislation or protection.
I was a member of the 2020 Gatineau Park Master Plan Advisory Committee (Plan approved in January 2021) and, from September 2020 to June, 2022, I served on the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-Ottawa Valley’s (CPAWS-OV’s) Gatineau Park Committee. In these advocacy roles, I strongly lobbied for Park protection via Zoom meetings with NCC and Gatineau Park staff, where my oft-repeated, strong recommendation to the NCC and CPAWS-OV Committee was that the NCC must create legally surveyed Park boundaries.
We cannot properly protect a park whose boundaries are vague.
Will a survey be done? Will the Park be legally protected in 2023? I have no idea other than understanding from Pontiac MP Ms Chatel that she hopes protection will go through.
Why not become a lobbyist for the protection of Gatineau Park? Write to Pontiac MP Sophie Chatel: sophie.chatel@parl.gc.ca
After all, Ms Chatel strongly advocates for a Green and Prosperous Outaouais. What better way to demonstrate this than to see the federal, Liberal Government of Canada recognize Gatineau Park by legislative protection?
Protection of Pontiac’s forests, wetlands.
Another prominent wished-for change of status I’d like to see is the protection of our region’s wetlands and forests via more appropriate municipal by-laws.
Currently, land can be developed for agricultural and industrial purposes where forests can be clearcut for cropland and industrial enterprises such as sandpits.
Just as I wrote in 2022, supposedly, the preservation of biodiversity is of immense, worldwide significance, as indicated by our Regional as well as International COP15 for Biodiversity.
In Ontario, Doug Ford’s Conservative government just removed almost 3,00o hectares from the Greenbelt. It will be developed for housing and roads, box stores: the infrastructure of suburban life.
We mustn’t feel smug in Quebec. Here in the Pontiac, forests will be cut because the first of three mills will open. (The first opened in late 2022 at Rapides de Joachims.)
On the one hand, jobs. On the other hand, biodiversity obliterated by clearcutting.
How do we achieve balance? Who champions biodiversity protection? We mustn’t “just” look to saving something remote like the Amazon Rainforest.
What’s far more challenging than offshore lobbying is actually protecting what’s next door, because our friends and neighbours are employed or sympathetic to the status quo.
Who speaks for preservation of Pontiac’s spectacular biodiversity? The Nature Conservancy of Canada does a great job. Contact them to become a volunteer in biodiversity conservation: bit.ly/3WN0wT3
Protection of personal property
Here at my home, Spiritwood, my husband Eric and I hope to be able to preserve our land as a green space. It’s challenging to navigate the options.
Last year I wrote about Ken and Debbie Rubin successfully donating their land to ACRE so that it would be protected from housing and other development. (Read my Pontiac Journal column: bit.ly/3jNqNlD)
My husband Eric and I are committed to doing something similar, to ensure Spiritwood remains a haven for wildlife. We’re not alone: many friends are equally committed. Watch this space for more information as we learn more.
Katharine Fletcher is a strong advocate for the preservation of biodiversity.
She is a writer, author and visual artist. Contact her at: fletcher.katharine@gmail.com
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Why the Next Minister of Education Must Learn What the Definition of Meaningful Consultation Really Means!
con·sul·ta·tion
[ˌkänsəlˈtāSH(ə)n]
NOUN
- the action or process of formally consulting or discussing:
"They improved standards in consultation with educational representatives." ·
synonyms:
discussion · dialogue · discourse · debate · negotiation · conference · deliberation
The following is an appeal to whomever is the appointee for the important portfolio of Minister of Education of Québec in the next Provincial Cabinet following the general election of Monday, October 3rd, 2022:
Following your memorization of the definition of consultation above, your first formal action as Minister should be the convoking of an Estates General of Education in the province. I do understand that an Estates General necessitates an enormous task of organization. Therefore, let us suggest Montréal as the location, and the dates to be Wednesday, January 25th, Thursday, January 26th, and Friday, January 27th, 2023.
“The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply what other generations have done.” - Jean Piaget
The following is the wish list of the serious challenges in the field of education that should be discussed and solutions discovered at the 2023 Estates
General on Education:
# 1: On graduation from Secondary V, every student in this province should be bilingual and bicultural with a balanced view of history, the necessary skills in mathematics, science, and technologies, and the critical thinking skills necessary to be an involved member of the society of the twenty-first (21st) century.
How can we accomplish this linguistic-cultural dream? We already have the means within the present system to put in place what would be the envy of every other educational jurisdiction.
# 2: In every school across the province, starting in Elementary Cycle III, Year I, (Grade 5), half the classes receive instruction in French, the other half in English, in all subjects for five (5) straight months - Francophone teachers teaching in French, and Anglophone teachers teaching in English. Teachers swap classes for the last five (5) months of the school year. This also continues through Elementary Cycle III, Year 2, (Grade 6).
# 3: We also promote la culture Québécoise by making available grants for cultural outings in the language of instruction. It is the ideal opportunity to showcase our talented Québécois artists – both Francophone and Anglophone – in the fields of song, music, dance, theatre, comedy, crafts, and related disciplines.
# 4: It is time to raise the age for compulsory education to eighteen (18) years of age. It will allow our graduating students to be on an equal footing with those of surrounding educational jurisdictions.
It will be necessary to expand the quality and offerings of technical vocational programs at the senior secondary and collegial levels of instruction across the province.
# 5: How are we going to solve the shortage of qualified teachers in our classrooms?
a/ Improve the working conditions of teachers.
b/ Ensure teachers receive fair salaries that are not near the bottom of the provincial and territorial averages.
c/ Install a meaningful system of consultation that actually provides for meetings with teachers and discussing and debating the important issues underlying the principles of what is actually being taught to students.
d/ Allow for the creation of a teaching regulator similar to the successful Ontario College of Teachers.
e/ Finance more spaces in the Bachelor of Education degree programs in all universities in Québec.
f/ Allow for the return of a one-year pedagogical certificate for the holders of Bachelor degrees of teachable subjects to the faculties of education for pre-school, elementary, secondary, and C.E.G.E.P. teachers, as well as university professors.
# 6. Improve the delivery of special education services. Provide additional adequate financial resources to hire more professional employees to reduce the time of delivery from the initial diagnosis to the delivery of services to students with learning disabilities.
# 7: Tackle the issues of bullying, violence, racism, and discrimination in our educational institutions head on. Put in place the financial resources necessary to hire more professional personnel to address the issues and provide the necessary effective follow-up.
AND finally: # 8: Seek more input from student representatives at the senior secondary, C. E. G. E. P., and university levels. On the boards of directors of the educational institutions, school boards, and school service centers, ensure seats for elected student representatives with full voting rights and the privileges of proposing and seconding motions and engaging in meaningful participation in discussions and debates.
Dear Minister of Education of Québec:
Please take the above suggestions under advisement, and consider implementing them as soon as possible for an improved system of education for the students of Québec.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”– Nelson Mandela
6 December 2022
LocaL BANTER
Looking great for the holidays
Alex Smith, barbier, Local Barbier/Barbershop
With the holidays fast approaching, many of us are gearing up for gatherings with friends, colleagues and family. Typically, at the barbershop, the holiday season is our busiest time of the year. The ugly Christmas sweater has become a bit of a trend recently, but thankfully, terrible haircuts have yet to catch on.
Many men, myself included, are last-minute creatures when it comes to shopping for gifts. We like to kid ourselves that we work well under pressure but in the end, we’ll find ourselves at the pharmacy on Christmas Eve, reduced to buying a pair of oversized gloves and box of Turtle chocolates for that special someone in our lives.
Gifts aside, if you’d rather not receive awkward comments from your partner or family about your appearance, make an appointment with your barber in advance. Most shops will prioritize appointments over walk-ins, and with a little foresight, you can avoid adding stress to an already stressful time of year.
Casual conversations at the shop this year have revealed that most patrons will be spending the holidays close to home. Work parties are making a comeback as well. After a few difficult years, this will be welcome news to local shops and restaurants, many of whom rely on this holiday season to keep their doors open throughout the year. Let us not forget the value these places bring to our community. Let us also think of those with less and show our gratitude by giving what we can to those in need.
Pro tip: Look good and do good.
Sit back, relax, and see you next time!
Alex Smith, barber, Local Coiffure pour Hommes
2021 Columns
17 November 2021
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Is There Anything At All in Bill 96 Anglophones and Allophones Support?
The answer to that question is surprisingly yes, especially when you consider the formidable opposition to this proposed legislation led by two English rights groups in the province.
The long-established Quebec Community Groups Network is led by its President - the Honourable Marlene Jennings, retired lawyer and former senior public servant, and ex-Liberal Member of Parliament for Notre Dame de Grace- Lachine in Montreal. She is well known as the first Black woman to be elected to Parliament from the province of Quebec, and for her Jennings Report and Recommendations from the Election Systems Study Panel that she chaired some six years back.
The newcomer on the block is the Task Force on Linguistic Policy created earlier this year and ably led by Me. Colin Standish, an up-and-coming young lawyer from the Eastern Townships, who has surrounded himself with a Steering Committee of six able community activists and an Executive Committee of some thirty individuals prominent in the fields of municipal politics, law, education, community involvement, among others.
We have already heard over the past months what Anglophones and Allophones oppose in the sections of Bill 96.
However, the crafters of Bill 96 did include something Anglophones and Allophones like, even though we recognize the Coalition avenir Quebec legislators did borrow (steal) it from the private members bill of Mr. Gregory Kelley, Liberal Member of the National Assembly for Jacques-Cartier on the West Island of Montreal:
- “88.10. Any person domiciled in Québec who is unable to communicate in French is invited, as far as he is able, to learn French in order to use it as the common language to be able to interact, thrive within Québec society and participate in its development.
- “88.11. Francisation Québec shall provide French language learning services to persons domiciled in Québec who are not subject to compulsory school attendance under the Education Act (chapter I-13.3). Those services must enable such persons to acquire sufficient skills to use French as the common language.
Francisation Québec shall provide such services, among other things, to persons who are unable to communicate in French and who are employed by an enterprise referred to in section 149 or an enterprise employing fewer than five persons.
It must be pointed out that the Regional Association of West Quebecers led the way provincially in offering such courses to Anglophones and Allophones in the Outaouais over the last four years, at times having waiting lists of almost three hundred members patiently waiting for places. Former RAWQ Executive Director Mr. Linton Garner was lauded for arranging to secure grants from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing of Quebec to enable the offering of these free French language courses in Aylmer, Shawville, and Wakefield.
As we patiently await the statistics from the 2021 federal census, we can take solace in the numbers that continually increase from census to census showing that in 2016, StatsCan reported: 69% of Anglophones in Quebec could have a conversation in both English and French, and more surprisingly, that 40 % of Francophones in Quebec could also converse in both French and English.
“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.” -Frank Smith
Frank Smith (1928-2020) was a Canadian psycholinguist recognized for his contributions in linguistics and cognitive psychology
20 October 2021
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Western Quebec Voters Deliver Four Liberal Seats; Prime Minister Appoints Western Quebec Minister?
Mr. Prime Minister: Not only did your dream of a majority government being elected on Monday, September 20th not work out for you, but for the second general election in a row, your political party received less votes across the country than that of the party of the Leader of the Official Opposition. Not much of a popular mandate to pursue your many many campaign promises.
Complicating measures were not only your government’s introduction of Bill C-32 in the House of Commons promoting asymmetrical federalism, but also the actions of you personally, your cabinet ministers, and the vast majority of the MPs in your own government party caucus including those of Hull-Aylmer, Gatineau, and Argenteuil-La Petite-Nation voting in favour of the Bloc Québécois motion introduced by BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet in support of the constitutional amendments 90Q.1. and 90Q.2. in Bill 96 which was introduced in the National Assembly of Québec by the Coalition avenir Québec government:
“CONSTITUTION ACT, 1867 159. The Constitution Act, 1867 (30 & 31 Victoria, c. 3 (U.K.); 1982, c. 11 (U.K.)) is amended by inserting the following after section 90: FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF QUEBEC 90Q.1. Quebecers form a nation. 90Q.2. French shall be the only official language of Quebec. It is also the common language of the Quebec nation.”
So how did most Anglophones, Allophones, federalist Francophones, and libertarians – quite a coalition of electors –in the four Western Quebec federal ridings vote? This significant population of dissatisfied voters held their noses and voted Liberal, as they have in the two previous federal general elections.
It has become much clearer in my mind that reading is not one of your favourite personal pastimes, especially when it comes to the topic of Canadian federalism, and the important role played by your late revered father in its evolution.
It has been a full decade - yes ten whole years - since Western Quebec has had a minister representing the priorities of our region at the meetings of your Canadian Cabinet. Not since 2011, when the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, the Conservative M.P. for Pontiac, was in the Cabinet of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper.
So Mr. Prime Minister: what are you to do? You often put yourself in a difficult position by what you have said in the past.
You strongly believe in a gender equal cabinet. Sounds like a great idea in 2021. Remembering that the three cabinet ministers defeated in their own ridings on Monday, September 20th were all female, the construction of your next cabinet needs the skills of an expert carpenter. Unfortunately, the gene poll in your Liberal caucus is quite shallow, as once again barely one-third of your M. P.s are female. as is the case for the opposition parties as well.
So Greg Fergus, Steven MacKinnon, and Stéphane Lauzon have been re-elected to serve their third terms in office. Baring a sex change, all three are at a disadvantage in the face of your gender equal cabinet appointment process. But alas! Your appointed candidate in the Pontiac riding, Sophie Chatel, is thank God! a female and even though a rookie MP may very well end up at the Cabinet table. Politics, after all, does often work in mysterious ways!
8 September 2021
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
The Musings of a Québec Historic Anglophone
I am a Québec Historic Anglophone. Anyone who went to English school in this province or is a member of an Indigenous group may be entitled to receive government services in English FOR NOW.
I was born and raised on the Island of Montréal. My father did all his elementary and secondary schooling in English in the City of Lachine. My mother immigrated from Eastern Europe to Montréal when she was twelve years old.
I began my teaching career in Pierrefonds. I later was a teacher and principal for three decades in Baie-Comeau on la Côte-Nord (Anglophone population less than 5%), finishing my career as principal in New Richmond on la Gaspésie (Anglophone population less than 10%). Retiring to Hull-Aylmer, I served two years as the Executive Director of the Regional Association of West Quebecers (RAWQ).
Now a retired educational activist, reviewing the above: Living through Law 63: the Act to Promote the French Language passed under Premier Jean-Jacques Bertrand of l’Union nationale in 1969. Tearing up my Québec Liberal Party membership card in 1974 with the passage of Law 22: the Official Language Act under Premier Robert Bourassa. Deciding to stay in the province, with the passage of Law 101: the Charter of the French Language under Premier René Lévesque of le Parti québécois in 1976. AND NOW joining the fight against Bill 96: an Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec in 2021 under Premier François Legault of le Coalition avenir Québec.
I have never left this province. Am I a glutton for punishment or what? What I have done is rolled up my sleeves and got myself involved as a volunteer. Elected to the Board of Directors of Alliance Quebec, I became Chairman of its Mainland Committee while in Baie-Comeau. I have served as President as well as Chairman of the Education, Rights, and Resolutions Committee of the Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations Inc. (QFHSA). And last year, I was elected to the Board of Directors of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN). And even more recently elected as the Secretary of the Steering Committee of the Task Force on Linguistic Policy.
So we live in Western Québec. Even though the National Assembly of Québec and Québec City are hours away, the House of Commons and the Senate are within our own bailiwick.
What can the average citizen do? If you are a parent of children attending elementary or secondary school, join the local association of the Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations Inc. If the school does not yet have one, go to the General Assembly of Parents during September and get yourself involved with the Parent Participation Organization (P. P. O.) Better still, get yourself elected as a Parent Representative of the Governing Board.
If you are a parent of a CEGEP student, get involved with the CEGEP Board of Governors and/or Foundation.
And if your children are no longer attending an educational institution, Governing Boards are always looking for Community Representatives.
You might want to volunteer as a tutor or member of the Western Quebec Literacy Council (WQLC).
The Regional Association of West Quebecers is the regional member of the Quebec Community Groups Network. Join as a member.
The CONNEXIONS Resource Centre provides excellent workshops relating to health and social services. Sign up as a member.
The new group in town is the Western Quebec Chapter of the Task Force on Linguistic Policy opposing Bill 96 and asymmetrical federalism. Volunteer and sign up.
BUT PLEASE DO SOMETHING! GET INVOLVED SOMEWAY! IT IS IMPORTANT – FOR YOU, FOR YOUR CHILDREN, THEIR CHILDREN, AND FUTURE GENERATIONS . . . .
11 August 2021
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Liberal MPs: Beware of Orange Crush 2.0
George Santayana wrote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” in his The Life of Reason published in 1906 following his observations regarding the South African Boer War.
We need not turn back the clock of history that far. Just a decade to the 41st federal general election of Monday, May 2, 2011, when the Honourable Nycole Turmel in Hull-Aylmer, Mathieu Ravignat in Pontiac, Françoise Boivin in Gatineau, and Mylène Freeman in Argenteuil-La Petite-Nation surprised everyone as the Honourable Jack Layton’s New Democratic Party swept all four seats in this region as part of the Orange Crush phenomenon.
The 44th federal general election need not be held until Monday, October 16, 2023, as determined by the fixed-date provisions of the Canada Elections Act which requires federal general elections to be held on the third Monday in October in the fourth calendar year after the polling day of the previous election.
As we are finally exiting the third wave of the pandemic and hoping that any fourth wave will have minor effects, there is no reason to call an election until 2023. Mr Prime Minister, political expediency is not a valid reason to demand an election writ from the Governor General. Especially, when the various polls do not guarantee that you will achieve the “Holy Grail” of a parliamentary majority. Recent polls reveal that the most popular party leader is Jagmeet Singh, and that the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Official Opposition both seem to be spinning their wheels.
Complicating measures are not only the government introduction of Bill C-32 in the House of Commons promoting asymmetrical federalism, but also the actions of the Prime Minister, his cabinet, and MPs including those of Hull-Aylmer, Gatineau, and Argenteuil-La Petite-Nation voting in favour of the Bloc Québécois motion introduced by BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet in support of the constitutional amendments 90Q.1. and 90Q.2. in Bill 96 which was introduced in the National Assembly of Québec by the Coalition avenir Québec government:
“CONSTITUTION ACT, 1867 159. The Constitution Act, 1867 (30 & 31 Victoria, c. 3 (U.K.); 1982, c. 11 (U.K.)) is amended by inserting the following after section 90: FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF QUEBEC 90Q.1. Quebecers form a nation. 90Q.2. French shall be the only official language of Quebec. It is also the common language of the Quebec nation.”
So how are Anglophones, Allophones, federalist Francophones, and libertarians – quite a coalition of electors – supposed to vote in the next federal election? This significant population of dissatisfied citizens has a plethora of options before them: just decide to stay home; spoil their ballot; hold their noses and vote Liberal; or vote for one of the other “federalist” options: Conservative, NDP, Green, or one of the Independent candidates, especially if one openly campaigns again Bill C-32 and Bill 96.
What else can you do? You can volunteer and get involved with one of the groups opposing Bill 96 and Bill C-32: the Regional Association of West Quebecers (RAWQ) is a member organization of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), and a new group, the Task Force on Linguistic Policy, has been established to rally support to eventually legally challenge both Bill 96 and Bill C-32 if and when those pieces of legislation pass third reading and receive assent in the National Assembly of Québec (Law 96) and the House of Commons and the Senate (Law 32).
Furthermore, you can also call the offices, email, and/or write and send snail mail letters regarding Bill C-32 and the Bloc Québécois motion to: the Prime Minister, the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, and/or your Member of Parliament (MP) AND/OR regarding Bill 96: to the Premier of Québec, the Minister of the French Language, and/or your Member of the National Assembly (MNA) expressing your views politely but firmly.
But always be prepared to vote your conscience because: “They say if you don't vote, you get the government you deserve. . . And if you do, you never get the results you expected.” ― E. A. Bucchianeri, author
14 July 2021
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
HELP WANTED! Seeking a Prime Minister of Canada as well as Regional Members of Parliament Who Really Care about Canada!
I became interested in Canadian politics when Trudeau-mania was dominant, and I was sixteen years old and a grade eleven high school student on the Island of Montreal and had volunteered for Action Trudeau, the Federal Liberal Party youth group, that actively campaigned for the Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau to help him win a majority of seats in the federal general election held on June 25th, 1968.
Times have changed! Things have certainly gone downhill since then. Perhaps, it is the moment for the present Prime Minister to have a paternity test – no, not to verify the father of his own children – but to determine if Pierre Elliot was actually his. They are certainly not cut from the same cloth. If the result confirms the dynasty, I guess it just proves that the fifty-three years have diluted the knowledge, wisdom, and courage of the holder of the first office in the land.
Now let us look at the roster of the four Federal Liberal Members of Parliament that occupy seats in the House of Commons across the river on Parliament Hill supposedly representing the interests of their constituents in Western Quebec.
How many history and geography classes did these four gentlemen actually skip during their high school days? I think that I would need a calculator to produce those numbers.
On the order paper is an opposition motion moved by Yves-François Blanchet, the leader of the Bloc Québécois. Even I would naturally be wary of what is coming down the track from this gentleman, the former Parti Québécois Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife, and Parks in the short-lived Cabinet led by former Premier Pauline Marois from 2012 until 2014. M. Blanchet, of course, intends to support Bill 96, being discussed in the National Assembly of Québec, regarding among many other things, the amendments proposed to the Constitution of Canada:
“CONSTITUTION ACT, 1867 159. The Constitution Act, 1867 (30 & 31 Victoria, c. 3 (U.K.); 1982, c. 11 (U.K.)) is amended by inserting the following after section 90: FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF QUEBEC 90Q.1. Quebecers form a nation. 90Q.2. French shall be the only official language of Quebec. It is also the common language of the Quebec nation.”
So how do Greg Fergus, MP for Hull-Aylmer, Steven MacKinnon, MP for Gatineau, and Stéphane Lauzon, MP for Argenteuil - La Petite-Nation vote on this opposition motion? The three of them follow the lead of the Prime Minister and vote IN FAVOUR of the Bloc Québécois motion forgetting about their constituents, many of whom are Anglophones, Allophones, and Francophones who are federalists.
So where was William Amos, MP for Pontiac? Will had other issues preoccupying him at that time.
So what can you do about the situation? Whether you are eighteen years old, middle-aged, or a senior like me worried about the future for your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and . . .
You must express your concerns! Call the offices, email, and/or write snail mail letters (postage-free) to: the Prime Minister of Canada and your Member of Parliament. And, of course, the next federal general election is on the horizon, and you should remember the actions of your Prime Minister and your Member of Parliament, and then vote your conscience!
“They say if you don't vote, you get the government you deserve. . . And if you do, you never get the results you expected.” ― E. A. Bucchianeri, author
15 June 2021
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Bonjour, Hi! Is There Place for Anglophones in a Nation of Québec with French as the Official and Common Language?
Born and raised on the Island of Montreal, I have enjoyed working as a Secondary Teacher of English and History and later as a School Principal in Baie-Comeau on la Côte-Nord and New Richmond in la Gaspésie.
When my wife (also born in Montreal) and I retired, we chose the Gatineau because our three daughters were all working and living in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
I have been described in the past as an affable and gregarious gentleman – most probably by individuals who have not encountered the spirit of a man who does not suffer fools gladly when he witnesses violations of fundamental rights. (You are allowed to consult your Webster’s if you feel the need to!)
The last few years have been tough ones philosophically and politically as well – Law 21 and Law 40 – through the usage of closure (le bâillon) and the Notwithstanding Clause. Did you know that the Canadian Constitution is the only national constitution in the world that contains a Notwithstanding Clause?
Hoping for better times – 2021 brings the White Paper of the Official Languages Act of Canada and Bill 96: An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Quebec. Gimme a break!
So you ask: what does this know-it-all guy really believe in?
I strongly believe that Canada is a country constituted of ten provinces and three territories. I support an Official Languages Act of Canada that recognizes two official languages, English and French, in all provinces and territories of Canada. I support an Official Languages Act of Canada in which the federal government of Canada is the protector of the two official languages in all ten provinces and three territories. I continue to support the principle of symmetrical federalism from sea to sea to sea.
I also believe that Quebec as the only province of Canada with a majority of Francophones, may promote and protect the French language in Quebec and the rest of Canada. I also insist that the provincial government of Quebec must respect the constitutional rights of Anglophones in Quebec and the rest of Canada.
I have extreme difficulty in observing a provincial government with a substantial majority of seats in the National Assembly of Québec continuing to resort to the undemocratic tactic of le bâillon to silence debate from the official opposition party and the two other opposition parties.
Furthermore, I also find excessive the continuing use by the provincial government of Quebec of imposition of the Notwithstanding Clause to override the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as its own Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
I strongly believe that individual rights must not be stampeded by a government’s continuing use of the Notwithstanding Clause to promote collective rights.
I have become aware that many critics refer to this frequent usage of le bâillon and the Notwithstanding Clause as “tyranny of the majority”.
I never thought that I would miss as much as I do right at this moment: the federalist-in-your-face leadership of the late Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Perhaps it is time for his son Justin to read some of the scholarly articles that his father wrote on federalism and the constitutional responsibilities and duties of the Prime Minister of Canada.
Therefore, I call on the Prime Minister of Canada to fulfil his constitutional duties under the Canadian Constitution and the Official Languages Act of Canada to continue to be the protector and promoter of minority rights in Quebec and Canada.
Furthermore, I call on the Premier of Quebec to fulfil his constitutional duties under the Canadian Constitution and the Official Languages Act of Canada to continue to be the protector and promoter of minority rights in Quebec.
So readers, what can you do as individuals?
The first step: find out as much as you can about Bill 96.
The constitutional experts vary in their opinions about 90Q.1. and 90Q.2.: “CONSTITUTION ACT, 1867 159. The Constitution Act, 1867 (30 & 31 Victoria, c. 3 (U.K.); 1982, c. 11 (U.K.)) is amended by inserting the following after section 90: FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF QUEBEC 90Q.1. Quebecers form a nation. 90Q.2. French shall be the only official language of Quebec. It is also the common language of the Quebec nation.”
Follow the debate through your media of preference: newspapers, radio, television, social media. . .
The second step: express your concerns about Bill 96.
Call the offices, email, and/or write snail mail letters to: the Prime Minister of Canada, your Member of Parliament, the Premier of Quebec, the Minister Responsible for the French Language of Quebec, and/or your Member of the National Assembly of Quebec.
The passage of Bill 96 will be a marathon, not a 100-yard dash. Time is still of the essence in a marathon of this importance.
SO PLEASE DO FOLLOW THROUGH ON STEPS ONE AND TWO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
“Rights are rights are rights!” - Clifford Lincoln
18 May 2021
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
What is the Notwithstanding Clause? And Why Does It So Worry the Premier of Québec Regarding Laws 21, 40, and 101? A layman’s opinion
First things first. It is an extremely rare occurrence to have a Notwithstanding Clause within the constitution of a country. Canada and Québec came up lucky?/unlucky? in the legal lottery, and we are certainly stuck with one.
Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states:
(1) Parliament or the legislature of a province may expressly declare in an Act of Parliament or of the legislature, as the case may be, that the Act or a provision thereof shall operate notwithstanding a provision included in section 2 or sections 7 to 15. (2) An Act or a provision of an Act in respect of which a declaration made under this section is in effect shall have such operation as it would have but for the provision of this Charter referred to in the declaration.
(3) A declaration made under subsection (1) shall cease to have effect five years after it comes into force or on such earlier date as may be specified in the declaration.
(4) Parliament or the legislature of a province may re-enact a declaration made under subsection (1).
(5) Subsection (3) applies in respect of a re-enactment made under subsection (4).
In his recent ruling regarding Law 21: An Act respecting the laicity of the state, Justice Marc-André Blanchard found in favour of a coalition of groups appealing sections of Law 21. The Justice agreed with the appellants on section 23 regarding Minority Language Educational Rights and the jurisdiction of English School Boards in Québec in regards to their employees.
More disturbing to the Coalition avenir Québec government led by Premier François Legault are the Justice’s statements in relation to the use of the Notwithstanding Clause regarding section 2 of the Canadian Charter:
Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
(a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association.
Even more disturbing, you would think, especially to Quebecers of libertarian thought, is the CAQ’s repeated use of closure (le bâillon) by a majority government to override its own Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms of Québec (chapter c-12):3.
Every person is the possessor of the fundamental freedoms, including freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association.
Adding to the Premier’s headache is the upcoming ruling on the stay of Law 40: An Act to amend mainly the Education Act with regard to school organization and governance, expected within the month. A damn good thing that section 23 is exempt from the use of the Notwithstanding Clause!
Intensifying the Premier’s migraine are recent broadcasted musings of political commentator Bernard Drainville, ex-Parti québécois Member of the National Assembly for Marie-Victorin and former Minister Responsible for Democratic Institutions and Citizen Participation, in the short lived government of Pauline Marois from September 2012 until April 2014. He wondered aloud if Justice Blanchard’s rulings would have any effects on the long awaited amendments to the Charter of the French Language (Law 101: chapter C-11) just introduced in the National Assembly last Thursday,May13th by Simon Jolin-Barrette, MNA for Borduas, Minister of Justice, Minister Responsible for the French Language, Minister for Laicity and Parliamentary Reform, Minister Responsible for the Montérégie Region, as well as Government House Leader. (Simon, the Hugo Girard of the CAQ – Québec’s strongman, who does all of the Government’s heavy lifting, promises to mow the lawns free of charge of any seniors requesting such during the extended summer break of the National Assembly when he has some spare time – but that is just an unconfirmed rumour!)
“Rights are rights are rights!” – Clifford Lincoln
9 February 2021
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
The Official Languages Act Must Continue to Protect Both Official Minorities in Canada
The Official Languages Act is the Canadian law that came into force on September 9, 1969, under the majority government of the Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau. The OLA gives English and French equal status in the government of Canada. This makes them "official" languages, having preferred status in law over all other languages.
The minority government of the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau is presently in the process of reviewing the OLA with plans to amend the OLA after some 51 years of yeoman service delivered by the OLA.
Who are the major players involved in this linguistic Pandora’s box?
The Honourable Melanie Joly is the Minister of Official Languages as well as of Economic Development. She has previously served as the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages, and La Francophonie, as well as the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault is presently the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez is the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. He has previously served as the Minister of Canadian Heritage, as well as the Chief Government Whip.
The Honourable Bardash Chagger, MP for Waterloo, Ontario, is the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, since November 20, 2019, taking on some of the responsibilities formerly associated with the position of the Minister of Multiculturalism. She had previously served as the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, as well as the Minister of Small Business and Tourism.
Anthony Housefather, the MP for Mount Royal, is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour, and a Member of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. He had previously served as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, as well as Chairing its Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
Rumours abounded late in 2020 regarding the split in the Federal Liberal Party Caucus of MPs over whether to agree to the demands from Québec to allow the Charter of the French Language (Law 101) to be applied to federally regulated businesses in the province of Québec. There was reportedly an extended tug of war between nationalists (led by Guilbeault and Rodriguez) versus federalists (led by Housefather). How in hell did two front bench ministers get trumped by a back bench parliamentary secretary? Apparently, because of the support of the Liberal MPs from outside Québec backing the federalists.
So much for Caucus confidentiality. Eh!
And now returning to the Official Languages Act. I don’t always agree with the pronouncements on high emitted by the Montreal Gazette Editorial Board:
“Meanwhile, at the federal level, there are political pressures that threaten to erode the fundamental principle of official-language duality.
English-speaking Quebecers overwhelmingly are committed to this province and country and our place in it. Still, we are still fighting for respect as a linguistic minority, and for the future of our institutions. So here’s a new year’s wish: that our government leaders take a balanced approach on linguistic matters, one based on the understanding that both francophones in Canada and anglophones in Quebec are minorities with rights and legitimate concerns.”
However in this instance, I surprisingly find myself backing their New Year’s message: 100 %. After Law 21 and Law 40, both passed through closure (le bâillon) by a majority CAQ government, Simon Jolin-Barrette, the Québec Minister of Justice, Minister Responsible for the French Language, Minister Responsible for Laicity and Parliamentary Reform, Minister Responsible for the Montérégie Region, and finally Government House Leader (I wonder when he finds time to scratch his…) needs no support at all from the federal government to strengthen the provisions of Law 101.
Mr. Prime Minister, Canada has two official minorities. It is your responsibility as the Prime Minister of Canada to protect both official minorities from sea to sea to sea! The Official Languages Act certainly must continue to protect the French language minorities in the other nine provinces and three territories. But the OLA must also continue to safeguard the English language minority in the province of Québec. Tell your fellow Liberals that the English language minority in Québec is a true minority and not a displaced remnant of the majority in Canada and North America as many in your political party believe, especially those from Québec.
Vividly recalls to mind: the courage of Clifford Lincoln and his famous declaration in the National Assembly of Québec back in 1989 during the debate over the imposition of the notwithstanding clause allowing Law 178 to require French to be the dominant language on commercial signs: “Rights are rights are rights!” A man of high honour, Mr. Lincoln then proceeded to resign as MNA and Minister from the Cabinet of Premier Robert Bourassa.
