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Apology helps us learn from historic wrongs
Justin Trudeau last week became
the third prime minister in recent
history to use the floor of the House
of Commons to offer a much over-
due formal apology to families of
Asian groups hurt by Canada's racist
policies that sought to exclude them
from settling here or singled them
out for harsh treatment.
Trudeau's apology was for the
Komagata Maru incident of 1914,
when Canada enforced its policy of
preventing immigration from the
Indian subcontinent by refusing to
let all but 20 people disembark
from the ship that arrived in Van-
couver carrying 376 people, most
of them Sikhs, and a few Muslims
and Hindus, plus a Japanese crew
of 20.
After languishing for two
months in the harbour, the ship
was escorted out of Canada to
return to India, where 19 of the
passengers were shot by British
authorities during a riot, while
many others were jailed.
"Canada does not bear alone the
responsibility for every tragic mis-
take that occurred with the Koma-
gata Maru and its passengers,"
Trudeau said, "but Canada's gov-
ernment was without question
responsible for the laws that pre-
vented these passengers from
immigrating peacefully and
securely. And for that, and for
every regrettable consequence that
followed, we are sorry."
His formal apology came nearly
eight years after Conservative
prime minister Stephen Harper
apologized to a gathering of 8,000
Sikhs in Surrey, B.C. Previously,
Harper had apologized in the
Commons in 2006 to Canada's
Chinese community for the "head
tax" of the late 19th and early 20th
century that sought to stem immi-
gration from China, while PM
Brian Mulroney issued a formal
apology in 1988 to Japanese Cana-
dians who had been placed in
West Coast internment camps dur-
ing the Second World War.
Interim Conservative leader
Rona Ambrose added, "No nation
can grow without re-examining
our past and seeking to move
beyond our ancient prejudices.
And we can show those communi-
ties who have been wronged that
their tragedies are understood and
their experiences are valued."
Trudeau's position is a welcome
departure from the "No apology,
no compensation" policy of the
former Liberal government that
Harper replaced.
But it also should be remem-
bered that Canadian policies with
racist overtones aren't relegated to
history, considering the treatment
of more recent Chinese and Tamil
arrivals in rickety ships run by
human smugglers, and the fear -
mongering against accepting Syr-
ian refugees.
Let's learn from such mistakes
so that another PM isn't standing
in the Commons in a few years to
issue yet another apology.
- Postmedia Network
`Ranch time' request reflects national need
In early 1981, just two months
after his election as U.S. presi-
dent, Ronald Reagan was exam-
ining a crowded weekly schedule
that had been developed by his
White House staff, and he
pointed to an omission.
"Where's my ranch time?" he
asked.
Reagan liked spending time on
the California ranch he and his
wife owned for years. There, he
could relax while cutting wood,
repairing fences and performing
various duties that required
physical exertion.
Reagan's "ranch time" allowed
him to recharge his batteries
while taking a brief break away
from the pressure of public life.
Some people scoffed at the
president-elect's desire to take a
break from his duties even before
he had been sworn into office,
but Reagan knew that as much as
he had an obligation to the
American people, he also had an
obligation to himself and his
family. He needed frequent
breaks, and he planned for them.
The same could almost be said
of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
who has been vilified for taking a
day off to celebrate his wedding
anniversary.
In Tokyo for bilateral talks and
the Group of Seven summit,
Trudeau said he would be clear-
ing his schedule Wednesday and
"taking a moment to celebrate"
his 11th anniversary with wife
Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau.
Trudeau's announcement was
calculated to elicit public
comment and discussion, and it
did. While some Canadians were
angry their prime minister would
"take a moment" during his offi-
cial duties in Japan, others recog-
nized the PM was trying to
achieve a balance in his life, an
issue he's raised before.
Yet while some will say he
should be trying to achieve that
balance on his own time, it can
also be said that Trudeau's time
is mostly public these days.
The incident raises an enor-
mous question about Canadians
and their work habits, and the
intense obligation they have to
their families, employers and
communities.
A 2012 work -balance study
examined the experiences of
25,000 Canadians and found
most employees spend 50.2
hours a week in work-related
activities. It also found that more
than half of the same respond-
ents took work home after finish-
ing their regular work day, and
that the extra work interfered
with family obligations.
In the intense rush to become
more productive and technologi-
cally adept, many Canadians are
finding their private time has evap-
orated. Not all of us can decide to
take a day off, as Trudeau did, but
the inclination is certainly there to
find our own "ranch time."
Trudeau's declaration might
provoke a national discussion on
the issue, one that leads to a
meaningful outcome.
-Peter Epp, Postmedia Network
FROM THE ARCHIVES
15 years ago...
• Addictions services were offered to gamblers in
Clinton. Of the 85 per cent of people in the prov-
ince who gambled, between five and seven per
cent of them were problem gamblers. The Huron
Addiction Services started offering support to peo-
ple with gambling problems in Huron County.
• A tourist information book opened in Millennium
Park in Clinton. R included information about what
Huron County had to offer, and it was open seven
days of the week, R was run by 35 volunteers who
were retired area residents.
• Grade 7/8 St. Joseph's teacher Mike Weiler
wrote a letter to the editor titled "Youth aren't all
bad". He wrote about how kind, sincere, generous
and compassionate his students were, and that
people should be more optimistic about youth.
"Too often we hear about The plight of today's
youth," he wrote. "Increased drug and alcohol use,
increases in teen pregnancy, a general lack of
authority figures and the list goes on."
25 years ago...
• Puppets are used to talk to children about child
abuse at Clinton Public School. The show was put
on by the Huron County Community Child Abuse
Coordinating Committee. A puppet show was put
on about the difference between caring for chil-
dren and abusing them, and the children could talk
to the puppets afterwards.
• The 50th anniversary of the formation of the Air
Force Base and the home of radar in Canada was
celebrated in Clinton. Members of the legion put on
the celebration. It included a parade and drumhead
service.
35 years ago...
• Clinton celebrated their very first Klompen Feest
or wooden shoe festival. It included at kinds of
activities to celebrate the Dutch heritage of the
area.
• Commercial development sparked "lively talk" at
a town planning meeting. One lively discussion of
the 30 people present was about how to protect
the downtown core. Some people thought the core
should be protected by zoning policies from the
development of a peripheral shopping centre.
However others thought this would let the down-
town monopolize on business.
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