Separatist Parade a Sad Humilitation

There are those in the militant French language camp who maintain with perfectly straight faces that the Fete St. Jean celebrations are open to all and are inclusive, as long as participants agree in advance that 'tous passe en français.'

Unfortunately, such is not the case, the government in all its wisdom handed the organization of the festivities to radical sovereigntists. In Montreal, Mario Beaulieu (president of the Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste, of Montreal)  is president of the organizing committee, the Comité de la Fête nationale du Québec à Montréal and so, it should come as no surprise that the festivities have a separatist bent.

In this regard the government has only itself to blame.

The real problem is not that anglos and ethnics are not welcome per se, it is that federalists are not welcome and as a result of that reality, Anglos and Ethnics become excluded.

I took a bit of heat in the comments section last week for telling Anglo and Ethnic readers that we are not welcome and we are not wanted at these festivities. I stand by that assertion and offer a critique of the parade as rebuttal to those pretending that the parade and the celebration of the St. Jean Baptist Day, aka the 'Fete Nationale,'  is something other than a separatist manifestation.

Nothing reflects this separatist ideology better than the parade, which celebrates Quebec history to the point of distortion, eliminating the English from the narrative and whitewashing the fact that Anglophones were instrumental in building Quebec, particularly Montreal.

It's a bit of fantasy, akin to Photoshopping a divorced partner out of the family album.

The parade centers around twenty or so "giants,'  ten to fifteen foot high representations of famous Quebec historical figures. These garish floats look as if they were conceived in an amateur art class, ugly and fearsome. I never knew that Jacques Cartier suffered from acute acne and that he was bug-eyed!

If you think I'm being unfairly cruel, a sad anglo trying to 'rain on the parade' I defy anyone to justify this 'giant' on the right.
I've no clue as to what it represents, but it seems that some Quebec ancestors must have arrived from   ORK, which obviously must be a French-speaking planet!

Of all the 'giants' paraded, there was not even one representing an Anglo, Scot or Irishman, apparently we don't rate.

Considering that Montreal was largely built by these three English-speaking groups, it is an unpardonable re-writing of history.

Shame! It is an unconscionable travesty to pretend that Quebec's history is devoid of anglos contributors.

Read about the Scottish contribution to Quebec

Famous Anglos who might deserve a 'geant' 

So thank you very much, but we'll have no more platitudes about the inclusiveness of the parade from organizers.  

To paraphrase OJ Simpson's lawyer- "If you are not French, Sit on the bench!"

Last year, the patron saint of the Quebec, John the Baptist, was present, but curiously even he was absent this year (according to the TV version of the parade.)

The Rocket Richard float remains a curiosity, with the famous hockey player bedecked in a Canadians jersey, sans the famous "CH" crest. Did the hockey team refuse permission to use the logo or was the organizing committee offended by the fact that the symbol was representative of the word 'Canadiens'?
A curious public wants to know.....

The first clue that this was a separatist celebration was Chantale Trottier president of the  Mouvement national des Québécoises et Québécois waving merrily to the crowd from one of the convertibles filled with Quebecois 'notables'
Her organization is dedicated to four principles; 

1. Quebec sovereignty
2. Protection and promotion of French
3. Promotion of national pride
4. Coordination of the Fête nationale du Québec

The parade lasted barely an hour, a sad testament to revisionist history, ugly and amateur floats, enthusiastic but poorly choreographed students plucked from various amateur dance schools, who were paid $25  plus a meal, according to the SSJB website.
So much for patriotic zeal. Pitiful.

As is the tradition, notable politicians march together to signal the end of the parade. This year several personalities were notorious by their absence.
Last year I published a photo of Jack Layton and Uncle Tom Mulcair marching arm in arm with the likes of Amir Khadir and Mario Bealieu.
I've heard through the grapevine, that the publication of that photo, memorializing that association did not sit well with the powers that be in the NDP.
This year both leaders were nowhere to be seen. Mulcair made it a point to tell a Radio-Canada reporter that he was too busy in Ottawa to attend!

Last year(top) Layton, Mulcair and  Khadir front and center. This year, Khadir alone, banished to the sidelines.

Interestingly, Amir Khadir was relegated to the end of the line and was forced to march far, far, from Pauline Marois.
Gilles Duceppe was there, giving credence to a news report that he's interested in a political comeback.

As final proof of the separatist bent to the parade I offer these pictures. You be the judge.

Now compare this sad parade to that of the St. Patrick's Day parade, which interestingly uses the same optic as the St. Jean Baptiste parade, that is, the idea that everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's Day.

This camaraderie and honest inclusiveness makes the Irish parade the most successful parade in Canada, with sponsors and groups lining up to participate to the point that there is a waiting list. Marching bands, military groups, community groups, corporations, small business, bars and restaurants,  media and politicians of all stripes from Quebec, Ontario and the Northern American states are welcomed to participate, whether Irish or not.

When I see the colonial Yankee fife and drum corps, march down St. Catherine street,carrying the American flag, playing a historic chord,  it sends chills down my spine. Not because I'm a Yankee, but because these are our valued neighbours, who have proudly honoured us with their presence!
What a fine parade!
Everyone is welcome! Hurray!

It this open and non-political attitude that makes the difference!

The message of the Fete St. Jean parade is not a celebration of Quebec culture. It is not a celebration of the French fact or the French language.

It is a celebration of Francophone separatists and as such enjoys the exact success it deserves.

Shame on the provincial government in abdicating its responsibility by allowing a separatist lobby group to hijack the holiday.

It is indecent.

Ten Things for Anglos to do on June 24th

Since anglos and ethnics are not particularly welcome at the official 'national' celebrations, paid for incidentally, by all citizens, here's a list of suggestions on how to spend the day.

Now before I generate a mountain of comments suggesting that all are welcome to celebrate, there is a proviso to that invitation that is a deal-breaker for we infidels.

We are all invited to celebrate the 'national' holiday as long as we do not express ourselves in our native tongue.

Sorry... it's a deal-breaker.
Yup, No thanks....

We prefer to believe in freedom of speech and freedom of artistic expression. And so while Francophones enjoy second rate talent rammed down their throats by language police, world class talent like Arcade Fire, are forced to sit idly by.  I guess if you drink enough, which is de rigueur on this holiday, even Barney the Dinosaur can sound like Bono.


Here's my suggestions on how to spend a sunny day off that falls on June 24th.

5. Backyard BBQ with friends and family
4. Golf, baseball or tennis or cycling.
3. Road trip to Ontario or New York State.
2. Parc Safari for the kids or grand kids.
1. Picnic in a West Island park.

If it's raining;

5. Clean the garage
4. Indian casino
3. Go to a movie
2. Getting blitzed at an Irish pub
1. Read a good book

Readers, any suggestions?
Have a happy Fete St. Jean day off!

Suggested Reading for the Fête St. Jean

 Here are some past post regarding the Fete Saint- celebration that you may find interesting;

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 

St. Jean Baptiste Day, Time To Get Out Of Town

The fact that the two anglophone acts, Bloodshot Bill and the band Lake of Stew were re-invited to perform in a Fete St-Jean show after being dis-invited should not be taken as a sign that the celebration is becoming more open towards minorities, nothing could be further from the truth.

The only reason for the re-integration of the anglos was the intolerable level of negative publicity.
After a couple of days of futilely defending the indefensible, organizers decided that it would be wiser to beat a tactical retreat...this time.

Read the rest of the post

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

La Fête Nationale - 20% of Quebeckers Don't Count

The organizing committee of Montreal's  Fête St. Jean celebration held a news conference to announce it's plans for the big show in Maisonneuve Park and proudly and merrily let it be known that in no uncertain terms, English artists will be excluded.

There'll be no repeat of last year's fiasco where English artists were invited, dis-invited and then reinstated to perform at a local Fête Nationale celebration in a Montreal district.

To wild applause, the Comité de la Fête nationale de Montréal through it's spokesman Guy A. Lepage, proudly announced that the celebration in Maisonneuve park will be a French only affair.

"We have a panoply of artists this year, which I think, is very representative of the Quebec we know..."  Guy A. Lepage

Maybe Mr. Lepage doesn't know Quebec as well as he thinks. He ignores the fact that 20% of the population of Quebec is English or ethnic. Most of them live Montreal, pushing the percentage even higher in the city where this "French" only show will be held.

Read the rest of the post 

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

René Levesque In A Skirt?
I finally got around to watching a recorded TV version of the Fete Saint Jean parade which was held on June 24th.
For most anglos, attending the parade is not high on the things-to-do-before-you-die list. The parade is so far out in the east end of Montreal that those of us who would wish to attend would need to pack a suitcase.
The short parade (1 hour) clearly suffers from a lack of sponsorship, it's plainly evident that there aren't too many companies keen to be identified with what is clearly a nationalist/sovereignist manifestation. The only sponsors I could make out (aside from the state monopolies) were Amaro water and Labatt's beer. It made for an amateurish and decidedly lame affair.

Read the rest of the post

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Fête St. Jean versus Fête Nationale -Which is it?
The recent brouhaha concerning the ousting and subsequent reinstatement of Anglo artists at Quebec's annual celebrations brings up an interesting question.
What exactly are we celebrating on June 24?

When I was young, there wasn't any doubt. The holiday was called 'La Fete St. Jean' and was a celebration of French Canadian culture. That was it, period.

Read the rest of the post   

Earl Jones Prison Update- Life is Good..

For most of us, Earl Jones is just a dim memory, a Montreal fraud artist who had his fifteen minutes of fame last year, where through a cruel and maleficent fraud, he conned his friends and family, a genteel and proud group of seniors, out of approximately fifty million dollars.
For many of his victims, mostly Anglo retirees in Montreal's west island, Jones' escapade cost them their comfortable retirement, with many forced to sell their homes and some forced to survive on the largess and generosity of family. Some are even less fortunate with nothing and nobody to fall back on.

So annoyed was the public at the thought of Jones benefiting from early parole that would see him serve just 21 months of an eleven year sentence, that a successful lobbying campaign was undertaken on the Harper government that saw the scrapping of the law that allowed non-violent first time offenders to serve as little as one-sixth of their sentence.

At first there was a bit of confusion as to whether the new law would affect Jones as he was convicted under the old law, but it is confirmed that he will not be getting out this Christmas and will probably serve almost four years, at a minimum.

For victims who wanted to see Jones serve 'hard' time in a Federal penitentiary, it was never in the cards. These institutions are reserved for murderers, mafiosi, bikers and other violent criminals. For Jones, it was off to minimum security prison in the federal institution, SAINTE-ANNE-DES-PLAINES INSTITUTION  located about a forty minute drive north of Montreal.

The prison holds under 200 prisoners housed in two dormitories with a few lucky inmates (sixteen) housed in one of four on-site apartments, where four inmates share a unit in an exercise in rehabilitative communal living. There are no locks on the doors but head counts are done several times a day.

Guess where Earl is?

Yes, Earl is the beneficiary of a place in one of those fine apartments which includes separate bedrooms and a kitchen where inmates can cook up a storm by themselves. Each week, Earl and his co-locs, are allowed out of the prison to do a little grocery shopping at the local Provigo.

Earl had been ill, suffering from cancer (melanoma?) but seems to be doing okay now. He has secured a job in the administration offices (if you can believe it) of the prison and perhaps his training includes lessons in how not to fraud up documents. At any rate I hope they are not letting him fill out requisition forms!

As for family visits, my source couldn't enlighten me if Earl enjoys contact with his wife. It is known that during his trial Earl was seen entering and exiting the then home of his wife on Grosvenor Avenue in the tony Westmount district of Montreal.
 
Minimum security prisoners are afforded conjugal visits (PFV's or private family visits)  and un-escorted day and weekend passes (ETA's & UTA's) as well as work release programs.
Of course prisoners enjoy all sorts of distractions including television and computers, which supports the Canadian minimum security penal philosophy of incarceration, not punishment.

And so life is pretty laid back at the prison, not much worse than boarding school and the only real punishment is having your freedom taken away. Other then that it's a pretty soft gig.

As for having any money stashed, it remains a mystery. Jones had some pretty pricey legal council represent him at his trial, which wouldn't make sense for someone who is broke.
He remains in contact with the law firm via regularly scheduled phone calls. Hmmm......

For a more detailed review of what life is like in a Canadian minimum security facility, here's a CBC article.

When Government Runs Business

I happen to have an acquaintance who runs a very successful strip club in downtown Montreal and before you make assumptions about the type of company I keep, I'd remind readers that I know an awful lot of politicians and lawyers and I can assure you that he is more reputable and honest then most.

When I say 'successful' strip club, it's a bit of an inside joke, as there is almost no such thing as an unsuccessful strip club. My friend, the strip club owner, has joked that he could probably open a strip club on the Moon and it would make money, that's how good the optics are.

Probably the only way a strip club could lose money, is if the government ran it.
As you may have noticed the only businesses that the government gets into are those that are wildly profitable and ones where they can create a monopoly to compensate for their incompetence.  Without competition, prices can be raised to the point that despite management waste and union largess, profits still roll in.

No, if the government wanted to run a strip club successfully, they'd have to eliminate all the competition and double the price of lap dances before they could make money.

Now all this is inspired by a story that I read recently reporting that the Loto-Quebec's new online gambling site is losing money.  
LOSING MONEY!!!!!!  

How can Espacejeux.com lose money, while a site like Poker Stars made a $1.7 billion profit last year.

"Government gambling sites fail to attract enough paying customers. Their design is less attractive, their features not comparable with those of private sites and the "atmosphere", less glamorous." LINK{FR}

 The sad truth is that when the government has to compete in the real world, with bone fide competitors, they cannot make money.

Loto-Quebec successfully sells all manners of lottery tickets, because there's no one else selling tickets in Quebec, but Espacejex is forced to compete in the online world where the government can't enforce its monopoly and where gambling sites around the world offer gamblers a better experience.

Back in the day before Loto-Quebec, several mob outfits used to sell lottery tickets (a variation of the 'numbers game') and the competition was robust with the payout percentage actually better than what Loto-Quebec pays out now. I remember my dad buying me a very popular lottery ticket that paid out based on the time of a penalty or goal in the Canadiens Saturday night hockey game. If a goal or penalty occurred on the time on your ticket, or a second before or after, you won a pretty good cash prize, delivered Monday by your friendly mob runner. Of course the mob didn't have plush offices and  hundreds of employees to reduce profits, nor did it have expensive promotions and advertising. The actual tickets were tiny pieces of cardboard folded over and stapled shut with the number inside written by hand. The runner who sold you the ticket recorded the number for security reasons. How's that for keeping expenses down!
Very lucrative!
The only trouble was that the Mafia being what the Mafia is, they couldn't content themselves to the normal profits the lottery business brought in. The whole lotto scheme collapsed when it was revealed that the mob had fixed it with the Habs time keeper to stop the clock  on even numbers only, while all the tickets were sold with odd numbers!! Haha!
But I digress....

The government follows a simple business plan, one inspired by organized crime, which is based on eliminating competition.
While the liquor monopoly (SAQ) rakes in a billion dollars in profits, it is calculated that by getting out of the booze business and privatizing the lot, the government would double their profits  through various forms of increased taxation, while the industry would remain profitable through economies made on operations and the elimination of wasteful management practices.

The same goes for Hydro-Quebec. It's estimated that the government power generating monopoly has twice as many employees as necessary and pays them 30% more than private competitors. A typical generating dam costs double to build than in the private industry! Yet Hydro-Quebec is looked upon by Quebeckers as a great success and testament to Quebec business acumen because it generates over three billion dollars in profit a year.
Lost in all this is that 1.7 billion dollars of that profit comes from reselling cheap Newfoundland power which it 'buys' for pennies and sells for dollars!
Again, it is estimated that the Quebec government could double it's profit by privatizing Hydro.

All this of course is just idle day dreams, it can never happen. The Quebec 'model' is just too ingrained and the idea of privatization an anathema to the vast majority of Quebeckers who view public corporate ownership as a source of pride, a sacred trust.

Here's a suggestion which I made in semi-jest to the ex-director of the SAQ (the liquor monopoly) at a convivial dinner we shared, a couple of years back. He laughed mighty hard at my suggestion.

Instead of privatizing cash cows like the SAQ, Hydro-Quebec  and Loto-Quebec, the government could open rivals, also owned by the government!
These companies would operate as competitors with managers rewarded if they outperformed their state-owned competitors!

Two different casinos, two different liquor stores and two different power generating companies, forced to take heed of what the other is doing or face losing market share!
Managers would finally have inspiration to cut costs, their jobs would depend on it!

Would market forces of as free market would apply, even on a limited basis! You betcha!
We could finally justify those performance bonuses that are rife in these monopolies presently that actually make no sense without competition.

My acquaintance from the SAQ assured me that he could increase profits if he wanted to, by 50%, but had no incentive to do so!
This would include buying up and operating vineyards in Europe and South America to  eliminate middlemen and reducing retail locations to cut costs. Suppliers would be squeezed with threats of having their product pulled from SAQ shelves, something that never happens now. Stores would be sub-contracted to franchisees which would cut labour costs by 40%.
It was an interesting exercise in 'What if"
These type of economies would occur in all government agencies if a whiff of competition would be introduced.

Too bad it will never happen!