2008 QCNA Newspaper Awards • Friday May 22, 2009 - Page 7 BEST EDITORIAL PAGE Page 4 September 10, 2008 Opinion Opinion Even precious jewels get tarnished W hen Horace Pettes Wales bequeathed his ram- bling farmhouse, farm and a substantial amount of money to establish a seniors’ care home in 1920, he was addressing a concern that is as alive today as it was 88 years ago: the primal dread of leaving home when you can no longer care for yourself, to spend the final days of your life in an institution. It is to the credit of the hundreds of people who have worked, volunteered or contributed their time and money to the Wales Home over the years that the original vision of its founder – to provide the elderly with an extension of home and community – remains as real today as it was then. Residents and visitors attest to the homey atmosphere, the involvement of community and the special relation- ship that exists between staff and residents. But in spite of everyone’s best efforts, there have been problems. Serious problems. Chief among them is the Home’s failure to stay abreast of new standards in nursing procedures and care for the elderly that have changed dra- matically in 88 years. Eighty years ago, people went to the Wales Home be- cause they could no longer manage the farm, maintain the house and they needed help cooking, cleaning, starting the fire and taking the pills the doctor prescribed. A large number moved to the Home after losing a spouse and found comfort there in the extended community, as they do now. All they expected was a clean, friendly place that resembled home, and offered a bit of help to get by. But people are living longer, they’re afflicted with a wide range of illnesses, and the care and treatment of sen- iors has evolved as researchers learn more about aging. Alzheimer’s, C-difficle, and a myriad of other condi- tions call for specific measures. A nursing home with 120 elderly people, many of whom are very ill, requires around-the-clock nursing and immediate access to a physician. It requires the most stringent regulations in sanitation, constant vigilance in established nursing pro- cedures and sound management practices. That was not happening at the Wales Home, in large part because the Home did not have the human and financial resources to provide the necessary level of care, and because the gov- ernment does not subsidize private residences. Warm and fuzzy cannot compensate for quality care. After years of going from pillar to post finding short term solutions to long-term problems, and losing a mil- lion dollars a year, the Home appears to be poised to do what needs to be done to enter the modern age of quality care for the elderly. By February 2009, the board and ad- ministrators at the Wales Home believe they will be able to pass government certification tests that will attest to proper care and management of the Home within pre- scribed parameters. Once that is accomplished, the Home will be in a position to ask the government to help fund this important and unique home for the region’s English- speaking elderly. Hopefully, it will put the shine back on this jewel. SHARON McCULLY Sharon McCully Publisher & Editor Ralph McCully Circulation Manager Mike Hickey Sales Representative Susan Beattie Ad & Web Designer Anne Sharpe Box 201, Magog, Quebec, J1X 3W8 Tel.: 819 843 8426 Fax: 819 843 0736 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.outletjournal.com A member of QCNA Printing: Payette & Simms Canada Post Registration # 0536881 Editorial Letters to the editor Part l I t’s very gratifying to be invited to write a column for the new Townships Outlet but I must say that the editor has been too generous with her mandate. “Write on whatever moves you” she said; “absolutely no taboos and the closer you come to one the better I like it”. A nice vote of confi- dence to be sure, but these marching orders give no hint of where I’m supposed to begin. Or maybe they do. No sooner embarked on the search for a worthy taboo than one pops up on the masthead of this paper, which informs us that the Out- let’s business is “Linking the Townships’ 41,000 mem- ber English Speaking Community”. Interesting. Who are these people? Where did we get that 41,000 figure? Well, it’s a Statistics Canada cal- culation based on a definition commonly known as “mother tongue”. It’s all the folks in the Eastern Town- ships who told the census takers (in 2001) that they had an English mother. Now Just One Moment! The English community is bigger than that. Do you not know people - relatives, friends, enemies, co-workers, waiters, store clerks, anonymous voices on the telephone - with whom you converse every day in English, but who do not have an English mother? Of course you do. “Mother Tongue” provides us with statistics on the traditional English community, “les anglophones de souche”. But there’s a lot of English going on in the Townships outside that ethnic box in which we’ve enclosed ourselves. Another reasonable way to recognize English-speak- ing people is by their ability to speak English. And if you ask the census how many people in the Townships can actually do that - speak English - regardless of who their mom was, or their ethnic origin, the answer they give you is close to 180,000, about 35 per cent of the whole population. With a phone call to Statistics Cana- da we’ve more than quadrupled the anglo presence in the Eastern Townships. We “anglos” are understandably proud of our “deep roots”. But English is not just roots; this tree has branches too, and they spread out all over the place. True, the government in Quebec City sees our lovely English tree as a weed and has been applying Roundup for thirty years. But it hasn’t worked. English is every- where. The Quebec legislature remains officially bilin- gual. The provincial government still pro- vides many services in English – public schools, colleges, universities, health servic- es, tax bills, automobile licenses - and lot- tery tickets. Furthermore, Quebec is also a province of Canada and everything here under the re- sponsibility of the federal government is of- ficially and unambiguously bilingual. You find English on the CBC, at the Post Office, on the currency. Under every Canadian flag waving in Quebec there’s a federal govern- ment office offering us a bilingual brochure on some- thing or other. But to see English at its richest and most widespread take a look at our private sector, that part of your life where no government has established (yet!) a law to tell us what language we must use. At home, in the street, at work, we chat away in whichever language we prefer, constrained only by the practical need to be un- derstood. The media available to us in Quebec – TV, radio, papers, magazines and the ubiquitous Internet - all produce much more content in English than in French. I would guess that over 80 per cent of our daily language use is totally unregulated. Our anglophone institutions have spent a wee bit too much time nurturing our roots, organizing “anglo” events, reminding ourselves of our ancestors and our ethnic origins. It seems to me that identifying the Eng- lish in the Townships as just 41,000 people joined by a common “mother” is all about yesterday. There’s a more forward looking, positive and realistic approach - to see the English as all the folks in the Townships who are speaking English, whenever they are speaking Eng- lish, even if the first language they learned was French or Chinese or Italian, whether they have been here a long time or just a few months, and whether they in- tend to stay forever or are just passing through. In a word, what I’m proposing here is an English-speaking community defined, not by its roots, but by its wide- spread branches, with an attitude, programs and poli- cies which are organized for growth. If you are ready to consider this new approach there are some interesting things I have in mind which we might wish to do – and a few political implications - all for discussion in a future article. And by the time we’re through don’t be surprised if we’ve changed that num- ber on our masthead from 41,000, and declining, to 180,000, and growing. A fresh look at the Anglos REED SCOWEN Opt for temperance instead DEAR EDITOR Re: Townships Opinion, Social drinking 101, by Eleanor Brown (Vol. 1, no. 4, p. 5) Ms Brown’s comments in the most recent issue of this publication must be perceived, in a few words, as an embarrassing effort to justify alcohol abuse. I am myself a Bishop’s student, I am well-acquainted with all that goes on during Frosh Week, and further I am well aware of our drinking culture, of which Bishop’s is a clear microcosm. On the basis of this, I would have expected a person of Ms Brown’s literary inclination to consider the ill effects of overdrinking, and to put forth words of caution, instead of abiding by the ‘kids-will-be- kids’ standard. Indeed your writer seems to be ignorant of the prob- lems, individual and collective, that follow from the ex- cessive consumption of alcohol. Broken glass in the streets should be the least of our concerns, and lower so- cial inhibitions should in no way justify binge drinking or other such practices. Instead of letting teenagers dis- cover through their own actions the meaning of excess, at the risk of losing their reputation, their good judge- ment, their health, or even their lives, I would suggest that it is better to educate them as to the nature of these risks. Students whose parents have clearly and rationally exposed the dangers of alcohol abuse and dependency to them, and taught them alternative methods of social- isation, do not feel the need to rebel, at least not in these regards. Ms Brown may be satisfied with the status quo, and accept a certain measure of inappropriate behaviour, as she may also accept without questioning that students be swayed by the lure of alcohol. This much is certain: personal responsibility makes no sense without proper education, that is, the opportunity to learn from the mistakes and trials of one’s more experienced col- leagues. This publication should be providing the informa- tion which students and teenagers generally require in order to make enlightened decisions, rather than letting them be. In this situation, the enlightened decision con- sists of challenging the basis of ‘Social drinking 101’ and opting for temperance, regardless of what week it is. PATRICK N LACROIX, LENNOXVILLE Like the weekly To everyone at The Township Outlet: Keep up the good work! We are enjoying the weekly paper. ELDEN AND PHYLLIS LOWRY SAWYERVILLE THE OUTLET WELCOMES YOUR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PLEASE BE SURE TO SIGN YOUR NAME. ONLY SIGNED LETTERS ARE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLICATION. Best contradiction Congratulations on The Chronicle’s win for Best Overall Community Newspaper of 2007, and the Outstanding Photojournalism award and most important, I believe, Best Education Story award by the Quebec Community Newspapers Association. It’s too bad that the QCNA awards didn’t have a category for ‘best contradictory edu- cation quote’. You would have won that one too. Remember, the Dec. 11, 2007 article, Teachers don’t need guidelines: QESBA? Marcus Tabachnick, chairman of the Lester B. Pearson School Board, (then) pres- ident of Quebec English School Boards Association, and (then) president of the Canadian School Boards Association said (concerning books): “As always, when new programs are intro- duced, we want to be sure the teaching materials are in place on time, in English for the English system.” Funny, in the past two months the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers, the Quebec Home and Schools Federation Association, and just recently, the Central Parents Committee of the Pearson Board have written letters to Education Minister Michelle Courchesne complaining that the lack of English textbooks puts the English students at a disadvantage when following the curriculum reform. Finally, at the May 26 board meeting, the proposed secretive and punitive code of ethics for the commissioners of the Pearson board failed to be adopted, because it con- travened the basic principles of Bill 88. It calls for openness, transparency, answer- ability and, most importantly, democracy in elected school boards. Negligence, arro- gance, and extravagance do not belong in the management of school boards. Bravo to Education Minister Michelle Courchesne and her goals for the future running of school boards. Chris Eustace Pierrefonds Go green this spring Spring has arrived and the annual yard spring clean-up has started in earnest. Huge piles of plastic bags filled with leaves and scraped off dead grass wait to be picked up at the end of every driveway. Why we have to send this valuable natural fertilizer to already over-filled landfill sites is beyond me. Leaf lit- ter and all dead vegetation decompose very quickly when spread around hedges, veg- etable and perennial gardens. Also, the decomposing material supports all sorts of beneficial life forms and becomes an impor- tant part of the food chain. Unfortunately, we replace this natural resource with artificial fertilizers that are made out of petrochemical byproducts. This supplement cannot support any kind of life and does not interact with nature’s food chain giving us only a short term solution. Using artificial fertilizer puts vegetation on a temporary life support. Being green does not require a huge effort; just let nature do its work. To do this, though, old habits have to change and have to be more nature friendly in our landscap- ing practices. Istvan Tihanyi Pointe Claire Cash grab The other day, I was given a speeding ticket for travelling 76 km/hour on the Highway 40 West service road, less than 500 metres from where I exited the highway. I was speeding. I deserved the ticket. But what angers me is the location of this speed trap. It is very difficult (and dangerous) to drop from 100 km/h to 50 km/h within such a short distance. The peculiar intersection at the corner of Jean- Yves Street and the service road is dangerous enough without having cars forced to stop in the bus zone. Unfortunately, I suppose, the police were certainly raking in the customers. I certainly hope the income from this cash grab will be directed towards re-planning the whole interchange in that area. I must agree, however, with a column from an earlier date suggesting that the “reckless speeding” on service roads may not be the best focus for making our streets safer. As I watch the many cars cruising through the stop signs on residential streets where people are walking, cycling, or chasing soccer balls (Brunswick and Berne, Lantier and Silver- pine, Argyle and Granada, Windermere and Arlington), the phrase “why aren’t the cops monitoring this” often comes to mind. Focusing efforts to improve drivers’ habits around pedestrian and park areas may not be as profitable for the city, but would likely be applauded by the public at large. Let’s ticket the law-breakers, but can we also try to make the residential streets safer? Thomas Powell Kirkland S ome people pray on a regular basis for a myriad of reasons; from their health to world peace. Others only pray when faced with adversity. Some West Island municipal politicians, namely those in Dorval and Pierrefonds/Roxboro, have a prayer recited before the official start of their monthly public council meetings. On top of that, both of these council chambers also have a crucifix prominently displayed, as does Quebec’s National Assembly. Premier Jean Charest went on record last week stating the Christian cross in the provincial legisla- ture will stay, citing historical significance, thus in direct defiance of the Bouchard- Taylor commission’s much-anticipated report on “reasonable accommodation” for ethnic and religious minorities. The report, made public last Thursday, also calls for ban- ning prayers at city council meetings, an issue that has come up many times in the province, including cases before Quebec’s Human Rights Commission, which has argued these prayers go against a city’s obli- gation as a public entity to remain neutral when it comes to religion. The West Island is dotted with religious institutions. There are many Christian ones, such as Catholic, Protestant and Coptic Orthodox, but there are also Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Sikh places of worship. There is no shortage of places for West Islanders to gather and pray in a communal setting. Do munici- pal politicians really need to show their faith and devotion before each public council meeting? Ironically, the Pierrefonds adminis- tration decided about a decade ago to no longer allow any new zoning for more places of worship. Didn’t the Québécois go through the Quiet Revolution and advocate the sepa- ration of church and state? Yes, the Catholic Church played an important role in the devel- opment of the province and that can be reflected in our society but the government should do more to be inclusive. While keeping the cross is considered symbolic, symbols do matter, especially following Charest’s insis- tence on holding the Bouchard-Taylor hear- ings that cost $3.7 million. However, there are more important recommendations in the report than the cross relocation in Quebec City and prayer issue. Hopefully, Charest will address some of the recommendations, which call for better funding of groups that assist immigrants in adapting, deal with the high unemployment rate among newcomers from Africa and set up a task force to review the problem of under representation of ethnic minorities in public administration. If Charest comes through on these more practi- cal matters, he could be forgiven for his lapse in judgment on the cross issue. EDITORIAL LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Answering your prayers A reasonably accommodating menu Translation below... Hummus = chickpea dip Sushi = raw fish nuggets Tandoori chicken = Red BBQ chicken Shish-Taouk pita = Garlic chicken flatbread sandwich 3677 Sources Blvd. Dollard des Ormeaux, Quebec, H9B 2K4 Tel: (514) 685-4690 • Newsroom fax: (514) 685-3923 • Advertising fax: (514) 685-3452 THE CHRONICLE 50,000 PRINTED COPIES ADMINISTRATION PUBLISHER Denis Therrien ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Joy Ann Dempsey RECEPTIONIST Michelle David EDITORIAL EDITOR Albert Kramberger [email protected] SALES REPORTERS Elyse Amend Raffy Boudjikanian DISTRIBUTION Distribution Transcontinental inc. 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Qualimax Division REGIONAL MANAGER Louis Mercier Please recyle this newspaper Send your letters by e-mail to: [email protected] 6 - THE CHRONICLE - www.westislandchronicle.com - Wednesday, May 28, 2008 2 THE EASTERN DOOR • Vol. 17 No. 29 •August 8, 2008 Speed kills STEVE BONSPIEL THE EASTERN DOOR Editorial Page Should you have any feedback about this editorial, please send your comments to [email protected] THE Production Assistant Connie McArdle Administrative Assistant Andrea Horn Office Manager Coreen Delormier Graphic Design Cheryl Delaronde Copy Editor Richard Tardif Advertising Consultants Ni:ne McComber Bush Tara Wall Ad Design Dana Marquis Cartoonists Ross Montour Walter K. Scott Rick Enright Marion Delaronde-Deer SERVING THE KAHNAWAKE MOHAWK TERRITORY SINCE 1992 Box 1170, Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, QC J0L 1B0 Tel.: 450-635-3050 • Fax: 450-635-8479 www.easterndoor.com [email protected] • [email protected] [email protected] • [email protected] ISSN: 1193-8374 • Canada Post Publication • Mail Registration No. 40009002 EASTERN DOOR Publisher / Editor Steve Bonspiel Publisher Tracey Deer The Eastern Door is a community-based newspaper serving the Mohawk of Kahnawake regardless of birth, sex, age, language, politics or religion. The paper strives to be a factual, balanced, authoritative source of information with access to all segments of the community. Contributing Writers Jessica Deer [email protected] Lou Ann Stacey [email protected] Utshikueu Andre [email protected] Steve Bonspiel [email protected] Jordan Standup [email protected] Richard Tardif [email protected] Fifteen year-old Tylor Glasgow was killed in a tragic ac- cident last week. That’s sad enough. But an even bleaker part of the unfortunate incident is how the heat the driver should be get- ting for speeding recklessly has been turned to the outside police force that was chasing him. The 25 year-old man who is being charged with dangerous driving causing death is to blame first and foremost, but the media and other people in the community are focusing on the high-speed chase and the out of town cops. Whether the police should have been chasing him on a resi- dential street or not is definitely questionable, but it should not be the main focus. One of the other main parts of the story is: did the female police officer leave the scene of the acci- dent? Eyewitnesses say yes. The Rousillon Police says she was there, but did not see the accident. There are two wrongs here that have created a situation of a lot of angry community members and a grieving family. It is not a question of Mohawk rights and sovereignty when someone who is obviously not thinking of the consequences comes barreling into the commu- nity to elude police. It’s a question of safety. High-speed chases in residen- tial areas have to be re-evaluated. Just ask Peacekeeper Ryan Cross and innocent victim Kayla Deer who were involved in a somewhat similar accident when Cross chased after a non-local who was fleeing from him after he was pulled over. They both paid for it that time, luckily not with their lives. Professional Peacekeeper pro- tocol dictates that an officer should use ‘his or her judgment when chasing a fleeing suspect at high speeds.’ The focus on whether or not the police are to blame only allows the driver to get off relatively scot- free and that is disrespectful to the family and to the memory of the young boy. Dangerous driving, whether it is alcohol-related or not, has to stop in Kahnawake. When a police officer beckons a motorist to pull over, they should do just that. What would you rather have, a ticket for speeding and maybe losing your license for a year, or a dead teenager on your conscience? If you are going to have a few beers, plan ahead and take a taxi or appoint a sober designated driver. If you have a lead foot, maybe you should slow down and think about the consequences of your actions. Emergencies aside, there are very few times when you need to speed down a residential street like a maniac. The boy’s family is going through a tough time right now and their hope is that people learn from this tragedy so it’s not repeat- ed in the future. Although that might be too much to ask with the amount of chances people take every day driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or being plain careless, it has to start somewhere. K a h n a w a k e Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services launched the latest part of its drinking and driving campaign by placing a smashed up car on Blind Lady’s Hill with a warning sign not to drink and drive. KSCS hoped it would shock people, but with two dangerous motor vehicle-related incidents in the past month, the message has become blurred. No matter what the motorist in this case was running from, it was definitely not worth it. The end result was a loss of a vibrant teen’s life and the community is in mourning as a result. We have to think of the future generations and that includes the ones who are here with us now. Respect can be a four-letter word on the road and it’s time we start looking at speed for what it is – deadly. Next time you get behind the wheel think before you speed and always be aware of those around you. How would you feel if some- one with a blatant disregard for public safety got behind the wheel and killed your son or daughter? THE EASTERN DOOR Good editorial and op-ed pages showcase informed, clearly-expressed, well-argued opinions on subjects important to readers. The focus on local issues in almost all the nominated editorial pages reveals the QCNA member papers are delivering the goods for their readers. 1 2 3 Judge: Brian Kappler, Editorial Page Editor, The Gazette, Montreal, QC • Number of entries in the Best Editorial Page category: 11 The Outlet, while lacking an editorial cartoon, atoned for that with a sensitive lead editorial which grasped the nettle of a touchy local issue – low standards in a long- established and beloved local nursing home. The editorial was tough but optimistic and had the ring of honesty. The column was meaty and the one substantial letter was on a local topic. A good package. THE TOWNSHIPS OUTLET The Chronicle West Island’s entry combined a fine cartoon with a solid editorial on ‘reasonable accommodation.’ While this is not exclusively a local issue in The Chronicle’s circulation area, reasonable accommodation is as important there as elsewhere and the editorial neatly used local examples. The editorial explained and asserted clear views. The letters were resolutely local. THE CHRONICLE WEST ISLAND The Eastern Door responded to a tragic traffic death with the combination of a cartoon and editorial on the subject, a one-two punch which makes perfect sense when a local issue is of such intense interest. ‘Don’t drink and drive’ is a familiar-enough message, but re-asserting it after the death of a teenager seems not only appropriate but essential.
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2008 QC
NA
New
spaper Aw
ards • Friday May 22, 2009 - P
age 7
B E S T E D I T O R I A L PA G EPage 4 September 10, 2008
OpinionOpinion
Even precious jewelsget tarnished
When Horace Pettes Wales bequeathed his ram-bling farmhouse, farm and a substantial amountof money to establish a seniors’ care home in1920, he was addressing a concern that is as alive today asit was 88 years ago: the primal dread of leaving homewhen you can no longer care for yourself, to spend thefinal days of your life in an institution.It is to the credit of the hundreds of people who haveworked, volunteered or contributed their time and moneyto the Wales Home over the years that the original visionof its founder – to provide the elderly with an extension ofhome and community – remains as real today as it wasthen.Residents and visitors attest to the homey atmosphere,the involvement of community and the special relation-ship that exists between staff and residents.But in spite of everyone’s best efforts, there have beenproblems. Serious problems. Chief among them is theHome’s failure to stay abreast of new standards in nursingprocedures and care for the elderly that have changed dra-matically in 88 years.
Eighty years ago, people went to the Wales Home be-cause they could no longer manage the farm, maintain thehouse and they needed help cooking, cleaning, startingthe fire and taking the pills the doctor prescribed. A largenumber moved to the Home after losing a spouse andfound comfort there in the extended community, as theydo now. All they expected was a clean, friendly place thatresembled home, and offered a bit of help to get by.But people are living longer, they’re afflicted with awide range of illnesses, and the care and treatment of sen-iors has evolved as researchers learn more about aging.Alzheimer’s, C-difficle, and a myriad of other condi-tions call for specific measures. A nursing home with 120elderly people, many of whom are very ill, requiresaround-the-clock nursing and immediate access to aphysician. It requires the most stringent regulations insanitation, constant vigilance in established nursing pro-cedures and sound management practices. That was nothappening at the Wales Home, in large part because theHome did not have the human and financial resources toprovide the necessary level of care, and because the gov-ernment does not subsidize private residences. Warm and fuzzy cannot compensate for quality care.After years of going from pillar to post finding shortterm solutions to long-term problems, and losing a mil-lion dollars a year, the Home appears to be poised to dowhat needs to be done to enter the modern age of qualitycare for the elderly. By February 2009, the board and ad-ministrators at the Wales Home believe they will be ableto pass government certification tests that will attest toproper care and management of the Home within pre-scribed parameters. Once that is accomplished, the Homewill be in a position to ask the government to help fundthis important and unique home for the region’s English-speaking elderly.Hopefully, it will put the shine back on this jewel.
SHARON McCULLY
Sharon McCullyPublisher & Editor
Ralph McCullyCirculation Manager
Mike HickeySales RepresentativeSusan Beattie
Ad & Web DesignerAnne Sharpe
Box 201, Magog, Quebec, J1X 3W8Tel.: 819 843 8426 Fax: 819 843 0736Email: [email protected] site: www.outletjournal.comA member of QCNAPrinting: Payette & SimmsCanada Post Registration # 0536881
Editorial
Letters to the editor
Part lIt’s very gratifying to be invited to write acolumn for the new Townships Outletbut I must say that the editor has beentoo generous with her mandate. “Write onwhatever moves you” she said; “absolutelyno taboos and the closer you come to onethe better I like it”. A nice vote of confi-dence to be sure, but these marching ordersgive no hint of where I’m supposed tobegin.
Or maybe they do. No sooner embarked on thesearch for a worthy taboo than one pops up on themasthead of this paper, which informs us that the Out-let’s business is “Linking the Townships’ 41,000 mem-ber English Speaking Community”.Interesting. Who are these people? Where did weget that 41,000 figure? Well, it’s a Statistics Canada cal-culation based on a definition commonly known as“mother tongue”. It’s all the folks in the Eastern Town-ships who told the census takers (in 2001) that theyhad an English mother.
Now Just One Moment! The English community isbigger than that. Do you not know people - relatives,friends, enemies, co-workers, waiters, store clerks,anonymous voices on the telephone - with whom youconverse every day in English, but who do not have anEnglish mother? Of course you do. “Mother Tongue”provides us with statistics on the traditional Englishcommunity, “les anglophones de souche”. But there’s alot of English going on in the Townships outside thatethnic box in which we’ve enclosed ourselves. Another reasonable way to recognize English-speak-ing people is by their ability to speak English. And ifyou ask the census how many people in the Townshipscan actually do that - speak English - regardless of whotheir mom was, or their ethnic origin, the answer theygive you is close to 180,000, about 35 per cent of thewhole population. With a phone call to Statistics Cana-da we’ve more than quadrupled the anglo presence inthe Eastern Townships. We “anglos” are understandably proud of our “deeproots”. But English is not just roots; this tree hasbranches too, and they spread out all over the place.True, the government in Quebec City sees our lovelyEnglish tree as a weed and has been applying Roundupfor thirty years. But it hasn’t worked. English is every-where. The Quebec legislature remains officially bilin-
gual. The provincial government still pro-vides many services in English – publicschools, colleges, universities, health servic-es, tax bills, automobile licenses - and lot-tery tickets.Furthermore, Quebec is also a provinceof Canada and everything here under the re-sponsibility of the federal government is of-ficially and unambiguously bilingual. Youfind English on the CBC, at the Post Office,on the currency. Under every Canadian flagwaving in Quebec there’s a federal govern-ment office offering us a bilingual brochure on some-thing or other.
But to see English at its richest and most widespreadtake a look at our private sector, that part of your lifewhere no government has established (yet!) a law totell us what language we must use. At home, in thestreet, at work, we chat away in whichever language weprefer, constrained only by the practical need to be un-derstood. The media available to us in Quebec – TV,radio, papers, magazines and the ubiquitous Internet -all produce much more content in English than inFrench. I would guess that over 80 per cent of our dailylanguage use is totally unregulated.Our anglophone institutions have spent a wee bittoo much time nurturing our roots, organizing “anglo”events, reminding ourselves of our ancestors and ourethnic origins. It seems to me that identifying the Eng-lish in the Townships as just 41,000 people joined by acommon “mother” is all about yesterday. There’s amore forward looking, positive and realistic approach -to see the English as all the folks in the Townships whoare speaking English, whenever they are speaking Eng-lish, even if the first language they learned was Frenchor Chinese or Italian, whether they have been here along time or just a few months, and whether they in-tend to stay forever or are just passing through. In aword, what I’m proposing here is an English-speakingcommunity defined, not by its roots, but by its wide-spread branches, with an attitude, programs and poli-cies which are organized for growth.
If you are ready to consider this new approach thereare some interesting things I have in mind which wemight wish to do – and a few political implications - allfor discussion in a future article. And by the time we’rethrough don’t be surprised if we’ve changed that num-ber on our masthead from 41,000, and declining, to180,000, and growing.
A fresh look at the Anglos
REED SCOWEN
Opt for temperance insteadDEAR EDITOR
Re: Townships Opinion, Social drinking 101, byEleanor Brown (Vol. 1, no. 4, p. 5)Ms Brown’s comments in the most recent issue ofthis publication must be perceived, in a few words, as anembarrassing effort to justify alcohol abuse.I am myself a Bishop’s student, I am well-acquaintedwith all that goes on during Frosh Week, and further Iam well aware of our drinking culture, of which Bishop’sis a clear microcosm. On the basis of this, I would haveexpected a person of Ms Brown’s literary inclination toconsider the ill effects of overdrinking, and to put forthwords of caution, instead of abiding by the ‘kids-will-be-kids’ standard.
Indeed your writer seems to be ignorant of the prob-lems, individual and collective, that follow from the ex-cessive consumption of alcohol. Broken glass in thestreets should be the least of our concerns, and lower so-cial inhibitions should in no way justify binge drinkingor other such practices. Instead of letting teenagers dis-cover through their own actions the meaning of excess,at the risk of losing their reputation, their good judge-ment, their health, or even their lives, I would suggestthat it is better to educate them as to the nature of theserisks.Students whose parents have clearly and rationallyexposed the dangers of alcohol abuse and dependencyto them, and taught them alternative methods of social-isation, do not feel the need to rebel, at least not in these
regards.Ms Brown may be satisfied with the status quo, andaccept a certain measure of inappropriate behaviour, asshe may also accept without questioning that studentsbe swayed by the lure of alcohol. This much is certain:personal responsibility makes no sense without propereducation, that is, the opportunity to learn from themistakes and trials of one’s more experienced col-leagues.
This publication should be providing the informa-tion which students and teenagers generally require inorder to make enlightened decisions, rather than lettingthem be. In this situation, the enlightened decision con-sists of challenging the basis of ‘Social drinking 101’ andopting for temperance, regardless of what week it is.PATRICK N LACROIX,
LENNOXVILLE
Like the weeklyTo everyone at The Township Outlet: Keep up thegood work! We are enjoying the weekly paper.
ELDEN AND PHYLLIS LOWRYSAWYERVILLE
THE OUTLET WELCOMES YOUR LETTERS TO THEEDITOR. PLEASE BE SURE TO SIGN YOUR NAME. ONLY SIGNED LETTERS ARE CONSIDERED FORPUBLICATION.
Best contradictionCongratulations on The Chronicle’s winfor Best Overall Community Newspaper of2007, and the Outstanding Photojournalismaward and most important, I believe, BestEducation Story award by the QuebecCommunity Newspapers Association.It’s too bad that the QCNA awards didn’thave a category for ‘best contradictory edu-cation quote’. You would have won that onetoo. Remember, the Dec. 11, 2007 article,Teachers don’t need guidelines: QESBA? Marcus Tabachnick, chairman of theLester B. Pearson School Board, (then) pres-ident of Quebec English School BoardsAssociation, and (then) president of theCanadian School Boards Association said(concerning books):“As always, when new programs are intro-duced, we want to be sure the teachingmaterials are in place on time, in English forthe English system.”Funny, in the past two months theQuebec Provincial Association of Teachers,the Quebec Home and Schools FederationAssociation, and just recently, the CentralParents Committee of the Pearson Boardhave written letters to Education MinisterMichelle Courchesne complaining that the
lack of English textbooks puts the Englishstudents at a disadvantage when followingthe curriculum reform.Finally, at the May 26 board meeting, theproposed secretive and punitive code ofethics for the commissioners of the Pearsonboard failed to be adopted, because it con-travened the basic principles of Bill 88. Itcalls for openness, transparency, answer-ability and, most importantly, democracy inelected school boards. Negligence, arro-gance, and extravagance do not belong inthe management of school boards.
Bravo to Education Minister MichelleCourchesne and her goals for the futurerunning of school boards.
Chris EustacePierrefonds
Go green this springSpring has arrived and the annual yardspring clean-up has started in earnest. Hugepiles of plastic bags filled with leaves andscraped off dead grass wait to be picked up atthe end of every driveway. Why we have tosend this valuable natural fertilizer to alreadyover-filled landfill sites is beyond me. Leaf lit-ter and all dead vegetation decompose veryquickly when spread around hedges, veg-
etable and perennial gardens. Also, thedecomposing material supports all sorts ofbeneficial life forms and becomes an impor-tant part of the food chain. Unfortunately, wereplace this natural resource with artificialfertilizers that are made out of petrochemicalbyproducts. This supplement cannot supportany kind of life and does not interact withnature’s food chain giving us only a shortterm solution. Using artificial fertilizer putsvegetation on a temporary life support.Being green does not require a hugeeffort; just let nature do its work. To do this,though, old habits have to change and haveto be more nature friendly in our landscap-ing practices.
Istvan TihanyiPointe Claire
Cash grabThe other day, I was given a speeding ticketfor travelling 76 km/hour on the Highway 40West service road, less than 500 metres fromwhere I exited the highway. I was speeding. Ideserved the ticket. But what angers me is thelocation of this speed trap. It is very difficult(and dangerous) to drop from 100 km/h to 50km/h within such a short distance. Thepeculiar intersection at the corner of Jean-
Yves Street and the service road is dangerousenough without having cars forced to stop inthe bus zone. Unfortunately, I suppose, thepolice were certainly raking in the customers.I certainly hope the income from this cashgrab will be directed towards re-planning thewhole interchange in that area.I must agree, however, with a column froman earlier date suggesting that the “recklessspeeding” on service roads may not be thebest focus for making our streets safer. As Iwatch the many cars cruising through thestop signs on residential streets where peopleare walking, cycling, or chasing soccer balls(Brunswick and Berne, Lantier and Silver-pine, Argyle and Granada, Windermere andArlington), the phrase “why aren’t the copsmonitoring this” often comes to mind.Focusing efforts to improve drivers’ habitsaround pedestrian and park areas may not beas profitable for the city, but would likely beapplauded by the public at large.
Let’s ticket the law-breakers, but can wealso try to make the residential streets safer?Thomas Powell
Kirkland
Some people pray on a regular basis fora myriad of reasons; from their healthto world peace. Others only pray when
faced with adversity. Some West Islandmunicipal politicians, namely those inDorval and Pierrefonds/Roxboro, have aprayer recited before the official start of theirmonthly public council meetings. On top ofthat, both of these council chambers alsohave a crucifix prominently displayed, asdoes Quebec’s National Assembly. PremierJean Charest went on record last week statingthe Christian cross in the provincial legisla-ture will stay, citing historical significance,thus in direct defiance of the Bouchard-Taylor commission’s much-anticipatedreport on “reasonable accommodation” forethnic and religious minorities. The report,made public last Thursday, also calls for ban-ning prayers at city council meetings, anissue that has come up many times in theprovince, including cases before Quebec’sHuman Rights Commission, which hasargued these prayers go against a city’s obli-gation as a public entity to remain neutralwhen it comes to religion.
The West Island is dotted with religiousinstitutions. There are many Christian ones,such as Catholic, Protestant and CopticOrthodox, but there are also Muslim, Jewish,
Hindu and Sikh places of worship. There is noshortage of places for West Islanders to gatherand pray in a communal setting. Do munici-pal politicians really need to show their faithand devotion before each public councilmeeting? Ironically, the Pierrefonds adminis-tration decided about a decade ago to nolonger allow any new zoning for more placesof worship. Didn’t the Québécois go throughthe Quiet Revolution and advocate the sepa-ration of church and state? Yes, the CatholicChurch played an important role in the devel-opment of the province and that can bereflected in our society but the governmentshould do more to be inclusive. While keepingthe cross is considered symbolic, symbols domatter, especially following Charest’s insis-tence on holding the Bouchard-Taylor hear-ings that cost $3.7 million. However, there aremore important recommendations in thereport than the cross relocation in QuebecCity and prayer issue. Hopefully, Charest willaddress some of the recommendations, whichcall for better funding of groups that assistimmigrants in adapting, deal with the highunemployment rate among newcomers fromAfrica and set up a task force to review theproblem of under representation of ethnicminorities in public administration. IfCharest comes through on these more practi-cal matters, he could be forgiven for his lapsein judgment on the cross issue.
EDITORIAL
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Answering your prayersA reasonably
accommodating menuTranslation below...
Hummus = chickpea dipSushi = raw fish nuggets
Tandoori chicken =Red BBQ chicken
Shish-Taouk pita =Garlic chicken
flatbread sandwich
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THE EASTERN DOOR • Vol. 17 No. 29 •August 8, 2008
Speed kills
STEVE BONSPIELTHE EASTERN DOOR
Editorial Page��
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SERVINGTHE KAHNAWAKE MOHAWK TERRITORY SINCE 1992
Box 1170, Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, QC J0L 1B0Tel.: 450-635-3050 • Fax: 450-635-8479
[email protected] • [email protected]@easterndoor.com • [email protected]: 1193-8374 • Canada Post Publication • Mail Registration No. 40009002
EASTERN DOOR
Publisher / EditorSteve Bonspiel
PublisherTracey Deer
The Eastern Door is a community-based newspaper serving theMohawk of Kahnawake regardless of birth, sex, age, language, politics or religion. The paper strives to be a factual, balanced, authoritative source of information with access to all segments of the community.
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Fifteen year-old TylorGlasgow was killed in a tragic ac-cident last week. That’s sadenough. But an even bleaker partof the unfortunate incident is howthe heat the driver should be get-ting for speeding recklessly hasbeen turned to the outside policeforce that was chasing him.
The 25 year-old man who isbeing charged with dangerousdriving causing death is to blamefirst and foremost, but the mediaand other people in the communityare focusing on the high-speedchase and the out of town cops.
Whether the police shouldhave been chasing him on a resi-dential street or not is definitelyquestionable, but it should not bethe main focus.
One of the other main parts ofthe story is: did the female policeofficer leave the scene of the acci-dent? Eyewitnesses say yes. TheRousillon Police says she wasthere, but did not see the accident.
There are two wrongs herethat have created a situation of alot of angry community membersand a grieving family.
It is not a question ofMohawk rights and sovereigntywhen someone who is obviouslynot thinking of the consequencescomes barreling into the commu-nity to elude police. It’s a questionof safety.
High-speed chases in residen-tial areas have to be re-evaluated.Just ask Peacekeeper Ryan Cross
and innocent victim Kayla Deerwho were involved in a somewhatsimilar accident when Crosschased after a non-local who wasfleeing from him after he waspulled over. They both paid for itthat time, luckily not with theirlives.
Professional Peacekeeper pro-tocol dictates that an off icershould use ‘his or her judgmentwhen chasing a fleeing suspect athigh speeds.’
The focus on whether or notthe police are to blame only allowsthe driver to get off relatively scot-free and that is disrespectful to thefamily and to the memory of theyoung boy.
Dangerous driving, whether itis alcohol-related or not, has tostop in Kahnawake. When a policeofficer beckons a motorist to pullover, they should do just that.
What would you rather have,a ticket for speeding and maybelosing your license for a year, or adead teenager on your conscience?
If you are going to have a fewbeers, plan ahead and take a taxi orappoint a sober designated driver.If you have a lead foot, maybe youshould slow down and think aboutthe consequences of your actions.
Emergencies aside, there arevery few times when you need tospeed down a residential street likea maniac.
The boy’s family is goingthrough a tough time right nowand their hope is that people learn
from this tragedy so it’s not repeat-ed in the future.
Although that might be toomuch to ask with the amount ofchances people take every daydriving under the influence ofdrugs or alcohol or being plaincareless, it has to start somewhere.
K a h n a w a k eShakotiia’takehnhas CommunityServices launched the latest part ofits drinking and driving campaignby placing a smashed up car onBlind Lady’s Hill with a warningsign not to drink and drive.
KSCS hoped it would shockpeople, but with two dangerousmotor vehicle-related incidents inthe past month, the message hasbecome blurred.
No matter what the motoristin this case was running from, itwas definitely not worth it. Theend result was a loss of a vibrantteen’s life and the community is inmourning as a result.
We have to think of the futuregenerations and that includes theones who are here with us now.Respect can be a four-letter wordon the road and it’s time we startlooking at speed for what it is –deadly.
Next time you get behind thewheel think before you speed andalways be aware of those aroundyou. How would you feel if some-one with a blatant disregard forpublic safety got behind the wheeland killed your son or daughter?
THE EASTERN DOOR
Good editorial and op-ed pages showcase informed, clearly-expressed, well-argued opinions on subjects
important to readers. The focus on local issues in almost all the nominated editorial pages reveals the QCNA
member papers are delivering the goods for their readers.
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2
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Judge: Brian Kappler, Editorial Page Editor, The Gazette, Montreal, QC • Number of entries in the Best Editorial Page category: 11
The Outlet, while lacking an editorial cartoon, atoned for that with a sensitive lead editorial which grasped the nettle of a touchy local issue – low standards in a long-
established and beloved local nursing home. The editorial was tough but optimistic and had the ring of honesty. The column was meaty and the one substantial letter was on a
local topic. A good package.
THE TOWNSHIPS OUTLET
The Chronicle West Island’s entry combined a fi ne cartoon with a solid editorial on ‘reasonable accommodation.’ While this is
not exclusively a local issue in The Chronicle’s circulation area, reasonable accommodation is as important there as elsewhere and
the editorial neatly used local examples. The editorial explained and asserted clear views. The letters were resolutely local.
THE CHRONICLE WEST ISLAND
The Eastern Door responded to a tragic traffi c death with the combination of a cartoon and editorial on the subject, a one-two punch which makes perfect sense when a local issue is of such intense interest. ‘Don’t drink and drive’ is a familiar-enough message, but re-asserting
it after the death of a teenager seems not only appropriate but essential.
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