HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-09-16, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16,1992.
The Other Side
Many compete in
Reunion's events
By Keith Roulston
A lost vision
of a better
Canada
There's a different kind of Cana
da that got lost along the way to the
new constitution, a Canada a lot of
us like better than the Canada that
has emerged.
That Canada was a Canada where
how the individual fit into his/her
country mattered more than which
region gained or lost strength. It
was a Canada where each of us was
a Canadian, not a Quebecois or an
Ontarion or Albertan.
The downfall for that vision of
Canada probably came in Quebec,
but it was helped along by other
provinces where leaders felt they
were representing aggrieved voters.
Perhaps that vision of Canada was
best expressed by former Prime
Minister Pierre Trudeau, which is
perhaps why so many people, par
ticularly in Quebec, were adamant
about abandoning it.
Trudeau's vision was a country
where French and English could
move anywhere and not have to
abandon the language of their birth.
He envisioned bilingualism as the
key to breaking down barriers that
kept French Canadian penned up in
one little area of the country. Que
becers should belong to all of
Canada, not just one little comer.
They should be outward looking,
not living defensively in one
province behind whatever barriers
of protection they could throw up.
It was a huge vision, a difficult
vision. It was much easier to live in
fear and distrust, to pain the other
guys as enemies of your way of
life. Possibly it was too big a vision
for Canadians to grasp. We had too
many petty people, nationalists in
Quebec and anti-French bigots in
Ontario and the West, who were
much more comfortable living with
hate.
The dream, looking back, proba
bly died with the Quebec sign law
that made it illegal to use any lan-
guage but French on store signs in
Quebec. For understanding people
elsewhere in Canada, all those par
ents who had enrolled their chil
dren in French immersion courses,
all those who had worked to leam
French themselves, the move
seemed like a betrayal of the kind
of understanding they were trying
to build.
The sign law gave a new accep
tance to the crazies in Ontario who
thought bilingualism was a Quebec
plot to take over the country. The
Sault Sainte Marie resolution
against bilingualism, the flag burn
ing in Eastern Ontario, might not
have happened if the strength of
public opinion in favour of bilin
gualism hadn't been weakened,
allowing the fanatics to show their
faces again.
Now it was (he turn of under
standing people in Quebec to be
bewildered and hurt. The national
ists took every opportunity to rein
force that distrust. Thus when
Mecch Lake was defeated, it was
promoted as a rejection of Quebec.
Meanwhile the long-time
grievances of the West, with their
strongest representation in Alberta,
made compromise just about
impossible. Albertans saw Ontario
and Quebec as the bullies of con
federation. So on one side we had
the argument of equality: that
Alberta and Newfoundland must be
treated as fairly as Ontario and
Quebec. On the other we had Que
bec, feeling it represented the
French fact in Canada, pointing out
Canada as a union of two founding
peoples. Alberta and Newfound
land claim all provinces must be
equally represented in the Senate
while Quebec can't allow that
because it feels it is the sole repre-
sentive of all the French Canadians
in Canada.
If anyone had accepted the
Trudeau vision, we might have
seen a different compromise. We
might have seen that not all French
Canadians live in Quebec, that
northern New Brunswick, northern
Ontario, even northern Alberta,
have significant French-speaking
populations. Representation from
those areas might have helped bal
ance the fragile French-English
proportion in Parliament.
Ironically, Pierre Trudeau him
self may have made compromise
impossible. In Quebec, Trudeau is
seen as an enemy and a traitor by
nationalists, including many in the
current Quebec Liberal government
and in the federal Progressive Con
servative government. They prefer
Quebec as a French bastion, ignor
ing all those people who left the
province in centuries past to settle
elsewhere. They want their own lit
tle country, whether its within
Canada or on its own.
Trudeau's National Energy Policy
equally hardened the demands of
Albertans that a federal government
could never act unilaterally again in
a way that would hurt their
province so badly. Hard lines were
drawn on both sides.
So now we have a vision of
Canada as small little regional fife-
doms, instead of each of us being
equal partners in one big glorious
country. If I moved from Ontario to
Alberta I'd become an Albertan,
rather than just a Canadian from
Alberta.
I think we gave up a magnificent
dream for a pretty small one. Still,
it's probably the best that can be
done now. Rejecting the deal, as
some advocate, would only harden
feelings further, making the next
compromise even harder, making
regionalism even pettier. We have
to accept this deal or really endan
ger the country. Still, we can dream
of what might have been.
Continued from page 1
With all the contests at the show,
there were also many winners.Win-
ncrs are:
-Fiddling: Age 70 and over class,
Fred Harboum of Seaforth; age 55-
69 class, Alf Leno of Singhampton;
age 20-54 class, Bill Mulholland of
Southampton; age 19 and under
class, Carly Huitema of Stratford,
beginner class (one to five years
fiddling) Shane Cook of Dorchester
and the open class winner was Brad
Irving of Mitchell. The oldest fid
dle at the event as Bert MacDonald
of Goderich.
-Step-dancing: Old Tyme Reel
eight years and under, Stacey Har
ris of the Stratford area; Old Tyme
Reel 10 years an under, Stacey
Verhoeuve of the Stratford area;
Old Tyme Reel, 12 years and
under, Lori Feeney; Clog, Jig and
Reel 10 years and under, Katy
McCormack; Clog, Jig and Reel 12
years and under, Matthew Johnson
of Stratford and the open Clog, Jig
and Reel class winner was Jennifer
Schaefer of Listowel.
-Tractors: Jack Arthur Trophy for
best gas tractor prior to 1930 was
won by Jack Kuik of RR 7, Luc
know; John Ellacott Trophy for
best gas tractor 1930-1950 was
won by Mr. Glanville of Walton;
the best feature tractor award this
year went to Jim Hayden of RR 3,
Goderich and the Wayne Houston
Trophy for best show engine was
won by Bill Andrews of Auburn
with his 1911 Case.
-Contests: John Hallahan Memo
rial Trophy for belt setting with
steam engine went to Jason and
Tim Searson of Watford.
-Models: J.W. Andrews Memori
al Award for best small model was
won by Chuck Harrison of Arva.
-Vehicles: the best antique vehi
cle award in the post-war class
went to Glen Wilson with his 1946
Ford Coupe; best antique car went
to Alvin Vines of Listowel with his
1935 Ford Coupe.
PIANOS
Schuett's of Mildmay sell new pianos
$2,695.°° & up
Good Selection
t
Also: Digital pianos
$l,699.00&up
and used pianos
Schuett's Furniture
Mildmay 367-2308
Trustees reject
contract increase
Huron County Board of Educa
tion trustees refused the request of
driver education schools to raise
the in-car instruction contract rates
for the 1992-93 school year at their
Sept. 8 meeting.
Trustees were presented with two
letters from the Blue Water Driving
Academy Ltd. and the Huron
County Driving School which
asked for an increase in the in-car
driver education rates to help cover
operating costs.
The Bluewater Driving Acade
my, serving F.E. Madill Secondary
students, sited increased costs up to
15.83 per cent. The academy in
tum proposed an 8.7 per cent con
tract increase.
The Huron County Driving
School, run by Fred Smith, asked
for an increase of $1 per hour to
help with costs.
Both companies own and main
tain their own vehicles.
Trustees were informed it has
been customary to adjust the hourly
rate for the in-car portion of the
secondary school driver education
programs at the beginning of each
school year. The rates have been
$23 per hour for the 1991-92
school year. Student fees for this
program were increased from $170
to $200, effective July 1, 1992.
In the director's action report to
the board, it was recommended the
hourly contract rates paid for the
in-car portion of the program be
increased by $1 per hour from $23
per hour to $24 per hour, effective
for the school year 1992-93.
Several trustees claimed that in
light of the current recession and
tough economic times, the rate
increase was unjustified. Trustee
Bob Heywood said the companies
should look for less of a profit mar
gin in such a time.
Superintendent of Business and
Operations Paul Carroll added that
the board wants the program to be
self-sustaining for the most part.
The proposed increase in the con
tract rates were turned down when
put to a vote by the trustees.
vin i miivIUC JUNIOR CITIZENS
Do you know a young person, aged 6 to 18
years, who is involved in worthwhile
community service or a special person
who is contributing,
while coping with a
physical or psychological
limitation? Do you know a
youth who has performed an
act of heroism?
The Ontario Community
Newspapers Association with
Bell Canada as the patron, are
looking to recognize these “good kids”,
the young people of our province who
show a commitment to making life
better for others.
To nominate an individual or a group of
young people, for the Ontario Junior
Citizen of the Year Award, please contact
this newspaper or the
O.C.N.A. at (416) 844-0184.
Nominations, for this
year’s awards, will be
accepted until October 31,1992.
Every nominee will receive a
certificate and up to 12
individuals and one group will be
the recipients of a plaque presented
by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario,
an Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year lapel
pin, $200.00 and a family portrait with the
Lieutenant Governor.
NOMINATION FORMS - are available by contacting this Community Newspaper
or O.C.N.A. (416) 844-0184.
ONTARIO
JUNIOR CITIZEN
OF THE YEAR
AWARDS
Ontario .. community newspapers association