2010 Dubious Distinction Awards -

Here's a humorous cartoon of Jonathan Duhamel being greeted by the Quebec Tax Man on his return to Quebec after winning nine million dollars at the WSOP Main Event Poker tournament in Las Vegas.
Funny as the cartoon is, the implication is no joke. Come home and see a huge chunk of your money disappear into the coffers of the Quebec treasury.

As he's shown in his poker play, Jonathan is an expert at odds and better yet, knows when to fold'em. It seems that he has told the casino not to issue the cheque until he has established residency in a much 'friendlier' tax jurisdiction.
Adieu!

Before I leave this piece, I must say the longer I looked at the Revenue Quebec guy the more I'm convinced that it's an eerie rendition of Shakespeare's evil money grubber Shylock, the Merchant of Venice. There aren't many francophones with the traditional hook-nose that is the literary symbol of Jewish avarice.
Accident or design? Is this another hidden dig by a cartoonist at the chosen  people?
Hmmmm... What say you?

Let's March!

Left!...Right!...Left!...Right!...Left!...Left!...Left! ...Left!

Here's a lovely picture of Jack Layton and 'Uncle Tom' Mulcair marching in the annual separatist's parade in Montreal alongside comrade Amir Khadir. Oh yes, that's Quebec's most visible anglo-basher, Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal prez, Mario Beaulieu, in the blue shirt.(hmm... it might be time to lay off the poutine.) All, of course marching under the glorious banner of the Mouvement Montréal français, whose stated goal is to get rid of English.
Perhaps this would make a great election poster in the ROC.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

2010 was a banner year for those in high places, tumbling in varying degrees from the zenith of power.

 There were more corruption scandals this year than in the past decade.  

While the final quarter of 2009  seemed to be the culmination of corruption revelations, starting with those infernal water meters, it was but a portend of what was to be in 2010. 

Tony Accurso

When Frank Zampino retired unexpectedly, last year, from the Number Two job in the City of Montreal, for apparently no good reason, it should of triggered alarm bells but alas, it did not. 

The water meter scandal  introduced us to a certain Tony Accurso, a 'construction' magnate  so secretive and camera shy , that there exists but one decent picture of him on the Internet. Ironically in 2010, he would become the most talked about man of the year.

The power that he seemed to possess astounded even the most veteran and cynical journalists, even those who could hark back to the times of André "Dédé" Desjardins.

See a photos of the interior HERE

Revelations that all manner of elected officials, senior bureaucrats and union bosses sojourned on his luxurious yacht in the Caribbean, evidenced an arrogance and sense of invulnerability which would make 'Boardwalk Empire's' "Nucky" Thompson blush!

Maddeningly, Mr. Accurso seemed to dance around the allegations of corruption with impunity until late in the year, where like the "Teflon Don" his luck finally ran out.  He was forced to strike a deal with authorities and pay some huge fines. His 8 million dollar yacht was declared an ineligible business expense and all the related deductions were disallowed because it didn't represent a 'true' business expense. This of course is actually untrue, as the boat did actually generate a lot of income, influencing various people to  extend certain benefits to Accurso companies! But I imagine that the point is moot.

Even more ominous is the story of the lead Revenue Canada investigator who was looking into corruption at two of Accurso's construction companies , being roughed up by goons. A related investigation is ongoing in the Tax department whereby employees are believed to have conspired to pass bogus expenses. 

The Accurso feeding frenzy is full on, with the full weight of both levels of government determined to bring him down.

Quebec Mayors under the Gun

It wasn't a particularly good year for Quebec mayors with scandal after scandal rocking municipalities across the province.

First up is the mayor of Mascouche, Richard Marcotte, who was literally chased from office by an angry mob that showed up to council meeting after the numerous stories of corruption were revealed including dubious real estate transactions, where the mayor and his friends are alleged to have profited. The town manager is accused of giving a 'brown' envelope' containing  $3,000 in cash to a failed Liberal party candidate. Furious citizens are not amused.

Over in neighbouring Terrebonne, mayor Jean-Marc Robitaille, stepped down after he was accused of failing to disclose that he was an officer in a company controlled by a contractor who has received millions of dollars in city contracts Link. 

Mayor Regis Lebaume of Quebec City and Mayor Peter Trent of Westmount threatened to pull out of the Union des municipalites du Quebec mayors, unless St. Jerome mayor, Marc Gascon, withdrew as president of the organization in light of accusations against him.

In December we learned that the Sûreté du Québec is investigating allegations of fraud and conflict of interest against the mayoress of Boisbriand, Marlène Cordato and her husband, Louis Kemp who is accused of inflating prices charged to the city by his company.

The biggest scandal of all concerns heavyweight Gilles Vaillancourt, mayor of Laval, Quebec's second largest city, who is accused by a Federal member of Parliament and former PQ justice minister, Serge Menard of offering an envelope stuffed with  $10,000 in cash while the latter was running for office. Of course the mayor denied the story vehemently, claiming the envelope was innocent, full of information for candidates on how to successfully campaign. Then a second politician came forward and also claimed that Vaillancourt attempted to give him a similar envelope. Link
Laval citizens are demanding his resignation, but the chance of that happening is about as likely as an African dictator giving up power voluntarily!

Mr. Menard,  the politician who accused the mayor of offering the money, is highly respected and credible, though one would consider that his manners need a bit of polishing, in light of this video of him acting inappropriately in the Parliament in Ottawa.

Hey, it's the dubious distinction awards!

Regis Lebaume

Even an eternal optimist like Regis Lebaume, Quebec's most dynamic mayor, must be somewhat disappointed by the events of this year.
After being teased by a group of federal Conservative MP's  who donned the Nordiques jersey for a photo-op, showing support for an arena project in Quebec city, the Prime Minister toyed with Lebaume for months, before finally admitting that there wouldn't be any federal subsidy for the project.

Then came news that Quebec city's pre-bid for the 2022 Olympic games was shot down rather cruelly by the International Ski Federation who deemed Quebec's mountain (Le Massif,) its only option,  unsuitable for the men's downhill event. Adding insult to injury, one official characterized the mountain more suited for cross-country.

Mr. Lebaume suffered an acute case of foot in mouth disease in referring pensioners as bad citizens because they used up so many services without paying much taxes. Then he called city workers lazy for which the civil servants demanded an apology which when not delivered was followed by a lawsuit. You'd think that the mayor would know better after being sued by blue collar workers after accusing them of 'screwing the system.'
Lebaume had to live down the embarrassment of having to fire an image consultant whom he had hired at a cost of $300,000 to re-brand the city of Quebec. Clotaire Rapaille concluded that Quebeckers, are“completely neurotic” and that their “sadomasochist” relationship with “the English” means they will never separate from Canada.

How has this affected his popularity? He remains the most highly supported mayor of any Canadian city, even topping Mississauga's Hazel McCallion!

Marc Bellemare

After making some headline allegations that the money men in the Quebec Liberal Party had influenced the selection of judges, Marc Bellemare became the darling of the Quebeckers who had turned on Premier Jean Charest. As the year wore on his credibility crumbled and his performance at the Bastarache commission was less then brilliant. Discredited, he faces the likelihood of being on the wrong end of a defamation suit launched by the Premier.

Jacques Duchesneau

The hitherto Mr. Clean, hired to clean up corruption in the construction sector, himself became the target of allegations of impropriety during his failed bid to become mayor of Montreal. Revelations show that the Party Duchesneau ran may have breached election laws.

Richard Bergeron

When the leader of the Projet Montreal municipal party lost the mayoralty race in Montreal, one could safely assume that his crackpot ideas would be safely consigned to the benches of opposition. But returning mayor Tremblay, keen to put a new slant on his decidedly tainted administration, invited Bergeron to join the powerful Executive Council over the protests of his own party faithful. Bergeron flew high for a while, before getting the mayor pissed off, who said that he wasn't a team player. Yu think?
He was unceremoniously dumped from the Executive Council and has re-established himself in the gentle obscurity of the opposition benches .

Tony Tomassi

The head of a bankrupt Montreal security firm says he was just trying to help “a friend” when he gave former Quebec family minister Tony Tomassi a company credit card for personal use. It was a good excuse for Jean Charest to dump the embattled cabinet minister from caucus amid other allegations that valuable permits for daycare centres were being funnelled to Mr. Tomassi's supporters LINK

Teachers acting badly!

Anytime a document carries a warning not to photocopy or distribute, you can bet dollars to doughnuts someone will photocopy and distribute it.

Click to see complete document in French

This teacher's union document is a list of disruptive techniques that can be employed by teachers during meetings with management. The pressure tactics are designed not to appear as 'job actions' which could engender penalties or fines.
What does the suggest?

Chew gum loudly.....Everyone to wear sunglasses....Have cellphones ring during meetings and pretending its an urgent family business call.....Crunch loudly on carrots or celery....Spill coffee....Blow you nose loudly, often..... etc.etc.

You can see the whole list (in French) by clicking the above image.

Sex Tests
If your thirteen-year-old came home from school and told you the teacher asked her whether she was into blowjobs or anal sex, would you call the principle or the police?

A questionnaire given to 13 year old students asked a pretty comprehensive set of questions concerning their sex lives which left little to the imagination.
Students were asked when and with whom they have sex and under what conditions;

Students were asked to check the appropriate boxes - "oral sex," "anal sex," "petting," "vaginal sex," "masturbation' etc.

If you think that it's an isolated incident, think again.
Another teacher was suspended for giving 13 year-old students another test, this time a
multiple choice affair;

"A teacher has been suspended after she gave her Grade 8 students a sexually-explicit multiple-choice test that included questions about anal sex, lesbian encounters and penis sizes." Link

Students were asked if they thought Blacks have bigger penises, whether sperm is dietetic and if lesbians can have sex considering that there's no penis involved.
Yup, thirteen year-olds.

Saddest deaths of the Year

All tragic deaths are painful for the families and Quebec had its fair share of those this year. An 18-year-old pyscho murdered his 14 year-old sister in Côte St. Luc (a Montreal suburb) and at the other end of the scale an 82 year old was senselessly murdered by an in and out of trouble 16 year old.

Three youths died in car-surfing accidents and a 23 year old Montreal was killed by her lover and dumped in a manhole.

A 71 year old Muslim man killed his thirteen-year-old daughter in a family dispute, in Longueuil. While people were quick to speculate that it was an honour crime, the Crown described the accused as a “person like you and me,” with no previous criminal record. Hmmm.....

When faced with officers approaching his house to retreive and return his children to their Montreal mother , a father living in Texas shot and killed his son and wounded his daughter before being taken into custody. The father's really big mistake? Killing in Texas. Do I hear death penalty?

But the strangest and perhaps most tragic death was the death of Montrealer Matthew Besner who froze to death rather mysteriously. His body was found alongside the Lachine canal and footprints indicate that he fell through the ice a couple of times as he crossed over the ice. Besner had spent the evening in a restaurant with friends and went outside to text his girlfriend that he was on his way home. Friends came out to find him and he was gone.
Investigations established that he staggered around old Montreal, badly impaired and witnesses say that he was actually in a falling down state. But his friends deny that he was particularly impaired and say that although he was drinking he wasn't in bad shape. His text to his girlfriend was error-free and we all know what texting while impaired looks like! Then the Montreal Gazette was chastised for showing a video of police hovering over his body. While police have labeled the death accidental, the family is continuing its own investigation into the murky affair.

Ironically, on the same day the Montreal Gazette ran a story entitled, "If you're walking, think twice about that last drink."

"For all the warnings not to drink and drive, little is heard about a risky motor activity of another stripe: impaired walking... " Read the article.

Dubious Odss and Ends

Worst Tenant of 2010  The owner of a Val-Morin house couldn't have picked a worse tenant,  a couple who he had to evict after they paid not one dime in rent.
After the long eviction procedure, the tenants finally quit the properrty, but not before stealing everything in the house.  Everything!
They ripped the counters from the wall, stole all the appliances and pulled out bathroom fixtures including tubs and toilets. The owner calculates damage between $40,000 and $60,000 and has decided to get out of the rental game. He's selling everything and buying a house in Costa Rica. Oh yea, the tenants seem to have gotten away Scott-free.

Worst Music of 2010  If you're into French music, here's the worst of 2010 list.

Criminal of the Year  Notorious Quebec street gang leader Ducarme Joseph had a bad year with the only bright spot being the fact that he survived an assassination attempt. The once high-flying gangster is now in jail and has been assessed  $284k penalty by the tax department, money which they intend on getting by virtue of the sale of his ritzy home.

Bank of the Year   

"The QMI Agency investigation also found that a HSBC Canada bank in St. Leonard – a home to many of Montreal’s organized crime figures – extended a massive amount of credit to Ducarme Joseph despite the gangster’s lengthy criminal history and record for drug trafficking, violent physical assaults, and gun violence.....HSBC, linked to facilitating overseas tax evasion by as many as 1,700 Canadians, has declined to explain its dealings with him." Link

Drownings  2010 was the worst year for drownings in Quebec since 2000 with 61 people drowned.

Mafia Clan devastated  The last sixteen months weren't particularly 'kind to the Rizutto clan who saw a bunch of it's members murdered or disappeared.  Federico Del Peschio, Nicolo Rizzuto Jr.,  Paolo Renda, Agostino Cuntrera, and patriarch Nicolo Rizzuto all are 'sleeping with the fishes.'

 Photo Radar  is a big success, bringing millions in revenue. But the province didn't make much money from the 699 officers driving police cars belonging to the Sûreté du Québec, who were caught speeding (without flashers or sirens) by the impartial machines, almost all got off with a friendly nod.

Ritalin has become the favourite drug of the school system with teachers being blamed for pushing parents to 'control' their unruly charges. In 2010 Quebec doctors issued 44% of all Canadian prescriptions for Ritalin, almost double the Canadian average.

French versus English Volume 19

Dear Friends,

I shall be off for a few days and will return next  Friday, New Years Eve with a year-end "Dubious Distinctions of 2010" post, something you can read in bed while nursing the traditional hangover.

Until then, feel free to comment on this piece or any other. I shall continue to read what you have to say.

To all my  friends and readers, please have a very  Merry Christmas.

To my Jewish friends, I know Christmas is particularly boring with just about everything closed. If you are young enough and are in a clubbing mood, you might want to Check out the Annual MatzoBall party being held tonight in Montreal (and other cities) at Club UN. For the older crowd, I guess you'll just have to order Chinese.....

Bilingual Quebec hospitals decline
In a blog piece last week I recounted how the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste and its president Mario Beaulieu were agitating to stop the Institut de readaptation Gingras-Lindsay de Montreal, a Montreal rehab center, from achieving bilingual status. LINK
The factually-challenged Beaulieu charged that;

"....there has been "an explosion" of bilingual institutions in Quebec, and the net result is an increase in English in the workplace -from announcements on public address systems to signage and hiring practices. LINK

Once again Mr. Beaulieu's command of realty leaves much to be desired as he seemingly invents statistics and facts on a whim.

Perhaps he should read this article in the Montreal Gazette written by PHILIP AUTHIER, 

"Marjorie Goodfellow, who heads the provincial committee for the delivery of health and social services in English that advises the government, said it's true the number of centers recognized as bilingual under the Charter of the French Language has slipped..... 

....In the 1980s, there were 82 bilingual centers scattered across Quebec. Today, the number is down to 38....."  LINK      

Team Quebec suffers a setback

Quebec nationalists have long dreamt of having a hockey team made up exclusively of Quebec players that would compete at the Olympics or the World Hockey Championship. That isn't likely to happen, but the Canadian Amateur hockey Association did give Hockey Québec permission to hold a tournament pitting 'Francophone' nations against each other. The Quebec team would play under the guise of Hockey Canada, but just the same it is a thrilling concept for many.
The only problem is the competition, there isn't any except perhaps for Switzerland, the other teams from France and Italy are strictly third rate.
Now word has come from the Swiss that they won't participate, sending organizers into a tailspin.
It remains to be seen which NHLers will play a tournament in the middle of summer against what amounts to sub-AHL talent.
This whole thing could possibly melt down.
LINK

Olympics not French enough

"Canada’s Official Languages Commissioner blamed the Vancouver Olympic committee for mismanaging bilingualism at the 2010 Winter Olympics. “Most of the difficulties encountered were due to VANOC officials having insufficient knowledge or a misunderstanding of the official languages requirements, to which they were bound by the multiparty agreement," said Graham Fraser"  LINK

Hotel becomes"francoresponsible" & patents term

A Quebec City hotel, the prestigious Château Laurier is going 'francoresponsable' a word the hotel made up (and patented) to reflect its commitment to the French language.
The hotel is committed to providing service in at least four other languages including English, but hopes to offer clients a francophone experience.
What does this mean?
From now on, elevator music will be 100% French.
LINK

Language police gets new 'tougher' boss

 French language militants applauded the sacking transfer of l'Office de la langue française (OQLF) boss, France Boucher, seen as soft on crime English. Pauline Marois had been openly calling for her to be axed due to her 'laxisme'. (the go-to derogatory term used to describe anyone who doesn't rigorously defend the French language. )
Insiders say the government had difficulty in finding a replacement as not many wanted the job. Louise Marchand, was finally appointed to the job and she comes with good credentials. She was the president of the Pay Equity Commission, another government boondoggle.
LINK fr

Government launches 'offensive' to francize small business

 In an effort to get Chinese depanneurs and Tamil greengrocers to speak more French, the government has launched a new website to carrefourfrancisation.com. 
In addition to this helpful website the government Will send a team of canvassers into the field to 'help' small merchants understand the importance in francizing their businesses. Can't wait......
LINK

Quebec's biggest complainer rewarded with a prize 

Quebec's biggest language complainer, Marie-Thérèse Rioux, is being feted by nationalists groups for making over 200 complaints to the OQLF in regards to 'illegal' use of other languages in public signage. She was awarded a set of books by the Mouvement Montréal français for her industrious defence of the French language.
How did she find so many infractions? In a word.....Pettiness.
Even the OQLF wrote her back on several occasions that her complaints were too minor to be dealt with. LINK fr 

French radio stations play too much English music

Accusing Quebec radio stations of fiddling the books in regard to the amount of English music being played on air, ADISQ (francophone artists association) has gone to the CRTC to get the stations to play more French music. The stations are accused of using all sorts of tricks to contravene rules dictating the minimum amount of French musical content allowed. Stations are accused of making English 'mixes,' nothing more than stringing a bunch of English songs  together and calling it one song for accounting purposes. The radio stations complain that English stations and satellite services have an unfair advantage, being allowed to play as much English music as they want, something that francophone consumers want.
A clear case of the heart wanting, what the heart wants.

French radio station fights back- plays English Christmas music

A Quebec city radio station has pushed back against  an assault by francophone musical artists from Montreal who are demanding that the Quebec Summer Festival use more Francophone artists instead of highlighting English headliners. Radio morning man Sylvain 'Butch' Bouchard, of FM 93, launched 'Opération Merry Christmas' and has played only English Christmas songs on his radio show, much to the chagrin of language purists.

Surprise! 'Plat-Oh' hates Mordechai Richler 

Mile-end city councillor Alex Norris, the infernal apologist and lap dog of Plateau Mont-Royal, potty-mouthed borough mayor Luc "de sexto" Fernandez, told reporters that not one person in the whole borough is interested in honouring author Mordechai Richler.
While I wouldn't go so far as to believe that not one solitary person is so inclined, I do agree with the Projet Montreal hack that the separatists, granolas and antisemites Israel-bashers that populate his constituency are thoroughly offended at a writer who, would he be alive today, skewer the entire lot of them as pompous asses. Oh, the fun Richler would have with the likes of them!
If Mr. Norris left bad-enough alone, his remarks would be acceptable as a fair representation of the local 'gogauche' mindset. However, he went on to say that naming streets after people was reminiscent of a “Soviet mindset…to be renaming streets after figures,” Huh?  Link
Perhaps we should name streets after pets? What say you Mr. Councillor?
Norris then went on to blame 'outside influences' (read: Jewish supporters of Richler?) for causing the kerfuffle.

Meanwhile, his partner in social engineering, the insufferable Fernandez sent a letter to Loto-
Quebec, demanding in no uncertain terms that any plans to increase the amount of VLTs in the Republique du Plateau be cancelled, based on the unhealthy effect the machines have on the poor.
An enraged spokesperson for the Loto-Quebec accused the 'dear leader' of tilting at windmills, since there are no plans to add machines and in fact the agency has reduced the number of machines in the Republique by 38% since 2009!
What's the next thing to be banned in the Plat-oh?
Hamburgers? Poutine? Journal du Montreal? Coca-Cola? Hudson's Bay blankets, Smoked meat, Fur coats? Leather Gloves? The Montreal Gazette?
Perhaps local bookstores will be enjoined from selling  Barney's Version or worse still, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz.
To the Barricades!

To read more;

French versus English Volume 18

When it Comes to Donations, Quebec Remains Canada's Scrooge

Of all the blog pieces that I've written, this is perhaps the one that I've actually been avoiding.

The story is significant and bears discussion, but I'm afraid I'm going to take a lot of heat for it, as it's sure to paint an unflattering view of the generosity of Quebeckers, and yes, more specifically, francophone Quebeckers.

It has to do with the stunning difference in the level of generosity between Quebeckers and Canadians as well as the exaggerated difference between Anglophone Quebeckers and Francophone Quebeckers in relation to charitable donations.

The decision to finally embark on this rather sensitive subject was triggered by some recently published statistics, an email from a reader who made some very salient points in regard to the subject, as well as a newspaper article about Cirque de Soleil's Guy Laliberté and his charitable foundation 'One Drop."

Let's start with the numbers. The Fraser Institute recently issued a report which clearly showed a magnitude difference in the level of charity between Quebec and other provinces;

You can download a copy of the report via PDF file here.

As you can see the numbers are pretty depressing, Quebec comes in dead last in terms how much is donated by taxpayers to charity at $609. Compare this to British Columbians who donate an average of $1802, one can sadly surmise that Quebeckers are only one third as generous. 

In fact the numbers are even more depressing, with Quebec standing 60th out of the 64 North Americans states and provinces surveyed.

Consider that the Quebec figures don't break down the numbers to Anglophones/Ethnics versus Francophones, otherwise the $609 dollar figure might suffer a precipitous drop.

While evidence that anglo Quebeckers give more than their francophone brethren is hard to come by, one only has to look to the level of generosity towards anglophone institutions to draw fair conclusions.

McGill University's endowment fund, while not quite up to the University of Toronto standards, dwarfs any other institution in Quebec. In fact, it surpasses all the francophones universities in the province COMBINED!
Only 1.3% of Quebec university revenues come from private donations, compared to 2.8% in the ROC. Take McGill out of the equation and I shudder to think what that number would be.

The Jewish General hospital is in a similar situation, benefiting from the Montreal's Jewish community's particular largess, it's foundation dwarfs all other Francophone hospital foundations.

Other Anglo institutions, including the Children's Hospital and the Lakeshore Hospital all benefit from a robust financing campaign that badly overshadows fund raising efforts on the francophone side of the ledger.
 A reader MURRAY, sent in a disturbing email;

"To illustrate exactly just how bad things are; This year the 7^th annual radiothons of the Montreal Children’s and Ste Justine’s hospitals were held. The MCH radiothon was heard in the greater Montreal area and $1.6 million was raised. The radiothon of the Ste Justine’s was heard throughout Quebec and only $753,000 was raised.

With a community over six times the size of the Montreal Children’s, the Ste-Justine’s Foundation raised only 10% more in total than the Montreal Children’s."

.....Two years ago I spent four weeks in Laval’s rehab hospital, the largest rehab hospital in the Greater Montreal area. As I looked at the names of the major donors on the wall I noticed that only 2% of the names upon the plaques, were Quebecois."

The culture of non-giving can be best highlighted by Quebec's francophone ultra rich who have displayed an alarming inability to get their wallets out of their purse or pants.
Those who have made it big in the world seem to have forgotten their roots and any obligation to make the community where they grew up, a better place.

Let's start with self-promoter Luc Plamondon who left Quebec to take up residence in the tax-havens of Ireland and Switzerland, where he conveniently and uncharitably shielded his millions from Revenue Quebec.
He recently objected that Montreal's big charity soirées are decidedly bilingual affairs, an affront to Quebec francophones.  Perhaps the blowhard should take heed to what bank robber Willie Sutton said in response to a reporters question as to why he robbed banks;

"because that's where the money is."

Yes Mr. Plamondon, these charities depend on the generosity of anglophones because of cheapskates like you!

Next there's billionaire Guy Laliberté whose charity "One Drop" is a decidedly modest affair considering his billionaire status.
Over the last three years it has raised a paltry $40 million of which Mr. Laliberté donated about $17 million himself. Reviewing the 2009 financials, One Drop isn't a very impressive organization, raising just over 3 million from outside sources, while spending over a million to raise the money.
Mr. Laliberté has committed $100 million to the project, but over twenty-five years, a pitiful average of $4 million a year for his signature project, a yearly donation that represents no more than one-third of one percent of his net worth.

As to returning money to his native Quebec?....not so fast...

Compare that to the Alvin Segal family of Montreal who are wealthy, but by no means, in Guy Laliberté territory. Their $24 million donation helped build the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital and has helped reduce waiting times for cancer patients of all stripes, be they Anglo, Ethnic or Francophone. (80% of patients at the JGH are not Jewish.) This donation is in addition to many other projects that the family supports.

What about Celene Dion?  Has she completely forgotten her roots?.

Before I get a deluge of letters, let me say that there are many francophones who do  give, with the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation taking the lead.

The problem of course, is that it isn't enough.

Why are Quebec francophones less generous?

There can be no definitive answer to this question, but certainly it goes to a diminished culture of giving.

It's important to note that 32% of Canadian donations are directed towards religious institutions. Quebec francophone's wholesale rejection of the Catholic Church may explain, in part, why donation numbers are so much lower.
A generation ago, francophones were literally forced by the Catholic Church to donate money, with parish priests visiting homes and extorting money from willing and unwilling congregants. There are few of this generation who don't resent the arm-twisting.

Aside from that, Quebecker's capacity to give is diminished by the elevated tax burden and the inferior family income. This argument however, is weakened when one considers that even Newfoundlanders, poorer than Quebeckers, give more.

Perhaps the real reason for the diminished culture of philanthropy is the effects of the nanny state.

The government has taken over just about all the financial responsibility in regards to raising a family.
Daycare, Medicare, parental leave, pensions,  workman's comp, low tuition fees, welfare, unemployment insurance programs all have combined to convince Quebeckers that the government will do it all.

Why not charity?

This attitude is underscored by the reduced personal savings and contributions to RSP and RHESP savings plans demonstrated by francophone Quebeckers as opposed to those in the ROC.

This sense of letting someone else take responsibility goes past charitable contributions. People who depend on others are always less productive and it's no surprise that Quebec also stands just about at the bottom of the North American productivity list.

A Bilingual Supreme Court & Other Asymmetric Nonsense

News that the Conservative government is using every device it can find to kill Bill C-232 in the Senate isn't sitting well among francophone intellectuals, who decry the Harper government's decision to thwart efforts to require Supreme Court judges to be bilingual as a condition of employment.

“The government is fundamentally opposed to the bill because we believe that we must be guided by the principles of merit and legal excellence,” Ms. LeBreton said. She said the bill discriminates against unilingual Canadians and would reduce the pool of qualified candidates for the Supreme Court.

read: Tory senators accused of stalling Supreme Court language bill 

The proposition was sent to the Senate by a majority vote in the House of Commons that succeeded because all the opposition parties voted in favour of the Bill, a political ploy by which the Liberals and NDPers plan to embarrass the government, knowing full well, that the Harperites would never tolerate such an idea.

As the Bill faces a lingering death in the Senate, voices are being raised across the editorial pages in Quebec voicing concern that the use of the unelected Senate to block the 'will of the elected' is unethical as well as unfair.
The Bill's sponsor, Yves Godin, a NDP member from Acadie-Bathurst, in New-Brunswick (a francophone riding) is furious that after eight months the Bill is going nowhere. Every time it comes up for debate, the Conservative senators use a variety of devices to keep the Bill from reaching the committee in an effort to stall until the Conservatives achieve an absolute majority in the Senate. That happened this week when the Prime Minister named two more Conservatives to the senate and the balance of power shifted to the Conservative side.

The debate over a bilingual Supreme Court is interesting because it isn't really a fight for bilingualism, rather it is a brawl between francophones and anglophones over political control of the Canada's highest court.

The argument is made that it is important that judges be able to hear cases without the aid of simultaneous translation, as a courtesy and necessity to Francophones petitioners, who should be accorded the right to be heard directly.

This argument is patently foolish and doesn't hold up to scrutiny at all.

In lower court cases (below the appellate division), be it civil or criminal, it is important for judges to assess the veracity, truthfulness and credibility of the witnesses. This requires a judge to be able to understand the language spoken, either English or French.

But the Supreme Court is different, the legal arguments presented by lawyers are based on sterile legalities and the oratorical skill of the presenter is irrelevant. The arguments always refer to points of law, and lawyers argue dispassionately without the device of showmanship, hyperbole or theatrics, which would actually be detrimental to one's chances to prevail.

There is zero chance that anything is lost by the use of simultaneous translation, and to say so, is utter tripe.

The questions put to lawyers by the Supremos after the presentation, are mostly technical and again translation has no deleterious affect. In fact, the oral question and answer phase is the least important part of the process, with the submitted brief what the Supreme Court actually uses to decide. Supreme Court cases are debated and decided behind closed doors.

The idea that Supreme Court judges should be bilingual may sound like a noble design, but it does in fact place a terrible burden and disadvantage to provinces like British Columbia, where French trials are practically unheard of and where French jury trials are restricted to just one jurisdiction, in New Westminster.

Do you think this fact is lost on those arguing for a bilingual Supreme Court?

Perhaps the learned jurists who argue for bilingual judges should be reminded of the principle of the 'balance of inconvenience'

Shutting out highly qualified Anglophone jurists is too high a price to pay for bilingualism. Only about 10 % of anglophones are bilingual as opposed to around 40 % of francophones and the majority come from Quebec. 

The argument being offered by francophones is that the inconvenience should fall on the court, not the appellants, but the vast majority of Canadians are not bilingual and the court should reflect a cross-section of Canada. To be anything else is an 'inconvenience' to Canadians.

By the same logic, one could argue that all members of Parliament should also be bilingual, so that they may understand other member's speeches without any mechanical aid, another patently stupid and antidemocratic idea that would favour the minority over the majority.

The demand for bilingualism is nothing more than another power grab by Quebec to bolster the over-influence that the province already bears on the Supreme Court, a back door attempt that is rightfully and heroically being fended off by the government of the day.

Quebec already enjoys an asymmetrical representation on the Supreme Court with an enshrined right to three out of the nine judges, an over representation of almost 30%.

The debate over Mr. Harper's plan to add 30 more 'anglophone' seats to the federal Parliament is also being assailed in Quebec as inherently unfair.

Bloc Quebecois members are quick to argue in favour of an asymmetrical division of power in Ottawa that would increase Quebec and francophone power beyond that which the demographic numbers would justify, on the basis that it is the only way for francophones to have some level of say in the direction and policies of this country.

Canadians are not an unkind or ungenerous people. The idea of asymmetry could actually fly,  save for the one fly in the ointment.
Quebec too, would have to act in good faith.

For the separatists, it's a case of having one's cake and eating it too. While militating for sovereignty, under any and all circumstances,  they exhort Canadians to be more generous with the division of powers.

Ugh, Ugh.. that doesn't work for the ROC.

As long as Quebec sends separatists to Ottawa, the idea of giving Quebec more than proportional power is  beyond ludicrous and no federal government should ever entertain the notion.

As long as Quebec voters sends separatists to Ottawa, every effort should be made by federalists to limit any courtesy or accommodation.

For Quebec, being an engaged and committed member part of this federation is a prerequisite to obtaining special treatment.

I wonder if these legal eagles who are arguing for an asymmetrical division of power to the benefit of Quebec and francophones would also extend the privilege to the anglophone minority in Quebec.

Anglophone and ethnic voters in the heavily populated urban ridings in the western and central part of the island of Montreal are already penalized in the provincial Parliament by having their vote worth about half of that of francophone voters in ridings in the boonies.

The decidedly anglo riding of Nelligan in the west island of Montreal boasts a voter base of 54,000 compared to just 27,000 in the exclusively francophone Gaspé riding.

Subsequently Anglos and ethnics are badly under-represented in Quebec National Assembly.
Consider that there are less than a dozen bone fide anglos and ethnics in Parliament (Some francophone members claim ethnic roots, they don't count) while demographics dictate that there should be over twenty.

Addressing this injustice (adding four or five new anglophone/allophone seats) would redress the unfair situation and for good measure and in keeping with the policy of asymmetric representation, perhaps even more of these seats could be added, beyond what pure demographics indicate.

This would lead to anglophones and allophones having a much larger say in Quebec's Parliament and is the exact same argument made by francophones who demand asymmetric representation in Ottawa.

Ridiculous? ....You bet.

In Quebec the idea of granting anglophones more voting power is laughable.

In Ottawa, granting francophones more voting power is fair...

Shoe Store Boycott Roundly Defeated!

Hmm... I thought Communists were against child exploitation!

 After the publicity concerning Amir Khadir joining the boycott of a Montreal shoe store by a motley crew of communists and the anti-Israel PAJU organization, the blowback has thoroughly defeated any attempt to make an example of the small merchant by affecting his sales volume. 

Read my post Amir Khadir Helps Terrorize Merchant-You Can Fight Back!

Actually, I stand corrected. The demonstrators and the attached publicity has affected the small store's volume....in a positive way!

Last Saturday, demonstrators who once again tried to keep people out of the store were greeted by Montrealers determined to break the boycott.

Over 150 people showed up and bought shoes, increasing Mr. Archambault's sales volume by 500%..

This wasn't just a reaction by Montreal's Jewish community, Richard Martineau (columnist for Le Journal de Montreal) and his wife went to the store to buy shoes to show solidarity against intimidation..

A typical reaction of those buying shoes was this, by a Montreal Gazette reader;

"I'm off to buy some Israeli made sandals at a store I'd never heard of before." Montreal Gazette

The success or failure of the boycott is not lost on opposing forces.

A successful boycott would have resulted in more intimidation of merchants on St. Denis Street, where PAJU wanted to create an Israeli-free zone. By successfully intimidating a small merchant first, they hoped to trigger a domino effect.

After seeing the sales results, I'm sure other merchants would welcome such a boycott of their premises!!

There was some light scuffling between demonstrates and irate customers, with the latter no doubt looking to start something bigger.  Policeman stopped by sporadically to keep the peace and to limit demonstrators from blocking the entrance.

In a radio interview  the reporter who broke the story, Eric Duhaime, wondered how the protesters were allowed to camp out in front of the store each week, considering that if the merchant put a table of wares out on the street in front of his store, the police would immediately force him to withdraw, under penalty of fine. Hmm..... Listen in French

Curiously, no cameras or reporters were on hand to report the goings-on, not even the English media.

One would expect Radio-Canada the French CBC to avoid any story that showed Mr. Khadir in a bad light.
The vast majority of reporters working at the publicly financed network are bone fide members of the 'Clique du Plateau,' decidedly sovereignist and vehemently anti-Canadian, United States and of course, Public Enemy Number One-Israel.

On Nov. 8, Radio-Canada host Simon Durivage drew an equivalence between Israel, Iran and Sudan on the political talk show 'Le match des élus.' Radio-Canada has since acknowledged that Durivage drew an "inappropriate comparison" noting that "Iran and Sudan were in no way suitable examples." Link Eng...   ...See the subtitled comments on YouTub

Keep shopping!!!!

Amir Khadir Helps Terrorize Merchant-You Can Fight Back!

Amir Khadir & father Jafar (holding sign)

Last Saturday Amir Khadir was out picketing in front of a shoe store on St. Denis Street in the infamous Plateau Mont-Royal district of Montreal.

What was the stores transgression?

......Selling shoes made in Israel.

A coalition of communists and anti-Israeli activists has decided to intimidate the small, family run shoe store by picketing in front of the premises each Saturday afternoon, ever since October.
They accost customers and attempt to convince them not to enter the store, politely, yet determinedly.

At first the boycott organizers claimed that the shoes were made in the 'occupied territories' but when this proved false they fell back on a general plan to make the 'Plateau,' an Israeli product-free zone.

While many other stores sell the Israeli brand of 'Beautifeel' shoes, Yves Archambault's boutique 'Le Marcheur' was targeted because as a small merchant, he is presumed more likely to cave into pressure.

Targeting a small fry is a disturbing and cynical decision that is not going down well with the general public. The Israeli shoes are sold in department stores like The Bay, Mountain Coop Equipment and Chapters/Indigo and the protesters are well aware that efforts to picket theses heavyweights would likely be met by steely corporate resistance, coupled perhaps, with a vicious legal counter-strike.

And so it's more convenient to target the establishment owned by Mr. Archambault, who works the store with his family and typically puts in 60 hours a week. 

His store has sold the shoes for fifteen years and to his credit, he has refused to give in to the pressure to remove the shoes, even though sales generated from selling the shoes amounts to less than 2% of his sales volume.

He told the protesters and anyone who listens that he isn't going to give into blackmail.

  "If they’re so concerned about human rights, I would like to hear what they have to say about human rights in China. I wonder what kind of protest they would make if they knew how much people are being paid to work in Chinese and Korean shoe factories and what those wages mean for the Canadian shoe business.” 

Last Saturday, Amir Khadir joined his father, life-long communist agitator, Jafar Khadir as well as William Sloan, a member of the Communist Party's Central Committee in demonstrating in front of the store. Read the Montreal Gazette article

When asked on the radio what Khadir was doing there, the man in charge of the boycott, Bruce Katz, a self-loathing Jew and founder and spokesman for Montreal’s PAJU (Palestinian and Jewish Unity,) claimed that Khadir just happened to be walking by and stayed to show support for the boycott. This was a blatant lie as witnesses and pictures show Khadir all bundled up in winter wear, prepared for the hours he spent outside the shop hassling shoppers.

If you understand French, watch this excellent report.

Once he realized that the public wasn't thrilled with a small merchant becoming the target of a vicious boycott, Khadir changed his tune. He told reporters that he only told people not to buy the Israeli product, another blatant lie, as witnesses reported that Khadir tried to get them not to enter the store. He then said that he'd like to meet with the store owner, who upon being informed, told reporters he didn't see much point.

"Embarrassed by his active presence in a demonstration urging a boycott of a shopkeeper in his constituency, Mr. Amir Khadir tried to explain yesterday, citing a "terrible misunderstanding" between him and the shoe salesman Yves Archambault."....

"Changing his tone, Amir Khadir claimed to be ready to "encourage people to go into the shop (Le Marcheur) to buy something other than Israeli products. "

However, the owner of the store is adamant that the member of the National Assembly verbally encouraged customers not to enter his store. LINK Fr

Khadir may have over-played his hand this time, mainstream reporters, not just the likes of Eric Duhaime, who has been just about the only high profile columnist who has taken on Khadir, are now starting to take notice of Mr. Khadir's agenda.  Read Eric Duhaime's column in French

"Do you share with your communist comrades a deep hatred of democracy? Does your primary hatred of Zionism hide more sinister designs?...

....Why only boycott products from Israel? Why not protest outside the consulate of Iran, Russia, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Libya, Burma, Sudan?

Don't Iranian homosexuals condemned to death by hanging deserve your support, Mr. Khadir? Are Saudi women who need permission of a man in order to receive treatment in hospital not worthy of your compassion?

Why do you always demonstrate against Israel and the United States (democratic countries have had governments of both right and left) and never the Islamic countries (which, as everyone knows, are a paradises of human rights.) Your compassion seems to be double standard? " Richard Matineau Journal de Montreal

The publicity surrounding the boycott has triggered an anti-boycott reaction.

You don't have to be a supporter of Israel to know that targeting a small fry like Mr. Archambault is cruel.

I've heard many of our readers exclaim frustration at not being able to affect any real change, that one person's effort is meaningless.

Here's a real chance to prove that idea wrong.

If enough people rise to fight the boycott, it will turn into a fiasco. If demonstrators see clients visiting the store with the express reason of defeating their efforts, it is we that can prevail.

Believe me, rewarding Mr. Archambault for standing firm against extortion is a noble gesture that we can all perform. Each purchase is an act of resistance. Other merchants will take note, when they too are threatened.

Nobody is calling for confrontation with demonstrators, unlike the countries which these Islamo-communists militate for, Canada allows for freedom of assembly and expression.

The biggest punishment is to have the boycott trigger a wave of buying.

Even if you have never done a political thing in your life, here is your chance.

If you are local, you can visit the store and buy a pair of shoes. It doesn't have to be the Israeli shoe, any brand that you buy is an act of boycott-busting.

You or your loved one will forever enjoy wearing them and can imagine that each step that you take in those shoes is like stepping on the heads of these extremists bastards.

"While he (Archambault) doesn’t know what kind of effect the weekly demonstrations are having on his business, both he and his partner, Ginette Auger, said many of their customers make a point of telling them how they came to buy something in his store as a protest against the boycotters." Suburban

If you believe that this boycott is wrong and you if don't act, don't bitch in the comments section about how unfair everything is.

Visit the store's website here.

If you can't buy something, send a message of support. Here's the email address of the store.

If you are a reader that opposes Israeli policy, that is your right.

If you are a reader that believes that targeting and terrorizing a small merchant is fair, kindly piss off......

Further reading:
Amir Khadir Has a Lot to Hide