Caisse de Depot's Losses Staggerring

It is being reported that the Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec had a C$38 billion loss on its investments last year, which represents a 26% drop in value in our collective pension fund. The average decline last year for similar pension funds in Canada is 16 percent .
It's hard to get your head around a number like 38 billion, so consider this; the Caisse lost over $4,ooo dollars for every citizen of Quebec.

It's no wonder that the Caisse's chief executive abandoned ship abruptly last summer. Seeing the writing on the wall, Henri-Paul Rousseau took a job with Power corporation, but not before cashing in a $400,000 severance package. One has to question how he got a severance package, when he quit his job.

His successor, Richard Guay took one look at the books and promptly took sick leave. He's been at home ever since and finally resigned at the beginning Of January. His severance package, if any hasn't been made public.
Fernand Perreault has been chosen as interim CEO, but a hunt is on to find an outside replacement. Don't bother sending in your resume if you're an anglophone.

Premier Charest has promised to name a new board of directors soon.

Canadian Companies Cheat Less.

When I decided that I wanted to cancel my service for Sirius Canada satellite radio, I geared up for a battle, but was surprised at how easy it was to get done. I called the 1-800 number and waited of less than a minute to be answered. After talking to a very polite operator and explaining that I no longer wanted the service, he thanked me and promised that I'd get no more bills after this month. Was I surprised? You bet.

When I had an apartment in the USA, I tried to cancel something called WebTV, a service whereby you could get internet on your TV, without a computer. I called the 1-800 cancellation number every night for a week and was put on hold for anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes before hanging up. When I finally got through to an operator, my line got mysteriously cut off.
Finally in frustration, I dialed the number listed that activated the service. As you can guess, I got through to an operator within two rings. When I explained that I wanted to cancel the service, he told me that I had to call another number."Whoa," I said. "Cancel the account now or transfer me to a supervisor!" It worked and I didn't think about the incident until I visited my parents in Florida and tagged along with my father to run some errands. We went to mall where he went to SEARS to renew his car insurance. I asked him why he would buy insurance at Sears instead of a broker, who would likely be cheaper.
He looked me straight in the eyes and said. "Son, they don't cheat you at SEARS"

I came to realize that he was completely right. In the years that I kept a vacation apartment in the US, I can't count the number of times I was cheated, it is ingrained in American business model.
When I finally gave up my apartment and as a final insult, the landlord refused to return the security deposit claiming some vague rule. When I threatened to take his company to small claims court, he laughed. "You Canadians never sue, you'll have to come back and it isn't worth it." Apparently he was talking from experience.
In the USA is routine to get your long distance carrier switched without your permission, to be overcharged for your cable and to be swindled on car repairs. Don't bother with phone cards, they don't give you a fraction of the minutes promised and don't ever get an American credit card, unless it's issued from the biggest banks. Hospitals charge $80 for an aspirin and will put you through a battery of useless tests just to wring more money out of you. It's no wonder that there are so many lawyers and so many lawsuits, it is a case of cheat or be cheated, it's ingrained in the American psyche.

For your entertainment, here is a taped conversation of someone trying to cancel his AOL account. It's a couple of years old but if you haven't heard it, it's hilarious and a good example of American business practices. An AOL rep tries to bully a client into not cancelling his service.

'Ot She-ken' Sandwich

Often, convenient words and phrases jump the language barrier. Few Quebec anglophones would ever use the words 'convenience store' and usually refer to the corner shop as the 'depanner'
I don't know if French language defenders would appreciate the migration of this phrase found on a sign in a Joliette fast food restaurant. It's the first time I've seen it.

Villanueva Affair to Cost Millions

The public inquiry into the death of Freddy Villanueva is already turning into a fiasco as several witnesses demand that their their lawyers fees be paid for by the state. The government has already promised to pay the fees of the Villanueva family, but no one else. The witnesses (the other people shot by police) threaten not to testify.
The inquiry will likely be delayed, a circumstance that would suit the government just fine. These type of inquiries are held not to discover the truth, but to delay discussing the event until the public loses interest.

Certain facts are not in dispute.

Police officers Stéphanie Pilotte and Jean-Loup Lapointe, drove by a Montreal North park and spotted a group of about ten blacks shooting dice, which is illegal.

The police approached and recognized Freddy's brother, Dany Villanueva, a career criminal who has a history of armed robberies and associating with gang members. For a detailed history of his criminal past see the Montreal Gazette article of August 14, 2008. The police picked him out of the group for special scrutiny. He objected and reacted aggressively, enraged at the rough treatment. Police then arrested him and a scuffle broke out. The rest of the group, including Freddy, approached the police who ordered them to back up. Shots were fired.

Dany Villanueva describes the confrontation in his own words to a Journal de Montreal reporter in an December article in the paper.
“Le policier s’est avancé vers moi et m’a dit Je t’ai vu jouer aux dés. Normalement, il aurait dû juste me donner une amende parce que c’est interdit de jouer à l’argent“
("The policeman approached me and said 'I saw you playing dice.' Usually, they should have given me a ticket, because it's illegal to play for money")
“Mais il m’a pris la main, la policière m’a pris le bras et ils m’ont accoté sur le capot de leur auto. Je lui ai dit Qu’est-ce que tu me veux? “
(But he took my hand, the policewoman took my arm and they shoved me onto the hood of their car. I shouted 'What do you want from me?')
“Ça faisait mal, alors j’ai résisté. Il m’a pris par le cou et m’a jeté par terre.
(It hurt, so I resisted. He grabbed me by the neck and threw to the ground")

Two eye witnesses confirm that Dany was combative with the police.. Reference

“Elle m’a mis un genou sur ma poitrine. J’ai entendu mon frère crier Arrêtez! Arrêtez! “
(She put a knee on my breast. I heard my brother shouting 'Stop! Stop')

It was at this point the police turned and fired at the group.

The Police contend that they were being swarmed and were defending themselves.
Their take on events is neatly summed up by crown prosecutor François Brière, in an article by the CBC. who explains why the shooting was justified.
The defendants admit approaching the police but not attacking them.

There is a question as to whether the police over-reacted to the dice playing, a relatively minor offence. They could of shouted an instruction for group to break up.
What is also in contention is whether the approaching group was actually attacking the police. The Police say yes and the others say no..

At any rate the death of Freddy is going to cost millions.
The ensuing riot in Montreal North that followed the death has already cost a small fortune.

The Villanueva family has already sued are are looking for a big, big payoff. It remains to be seen whether the City on Montreal will back the Police or cave in to the demands for political expediency.

Sovereignists Apoplectic over Sarkozy Remarks

As I predicted the day before yesterday, sovereignists are going crazy and are literally foaming at the mouth over comments made by French President Sarkozy in a speech at Premiere Charest's investiture in the Legion D'Honneur.
The President absolutely trashed the idea of sovereignty and called it a form of 'sectarianism'
For those old enough to remember Charles De Gaulle's infamous "Vive La Quebec Libre" speech, the pronouncement is sweet revenge.