Quebec's Catastrophic Electricity Meltdown

'perfect storm'

noun

a detrimental or calamitous situation or event arising from the powerful combined effect of a unique set of circumstances.

 

The current economic disaster that is Quebec's electricity industry can be best attributed to decades of poor management by Hydro-Quebec(Quebec's state owned electricity monopoly,) unforeseen deteriorating market conditions and changing technology, but worst of all, crippling political interference.

Before going on, it would be useful to describe the ongoing fiasco in the simplest of terms, without a barrage of facts and figures to complicate the issue (that will come later.)

Hydro-Quebec is facing what can only be described as a 'Perfect Storm', a unique set of negative circumstances that is adversely affecting its ability to maintain its money-generating capacity.
The jewel of Quebec's home-grown industry, the unqualified symbol of the province's emancipation has hit the financial shoals and as the media awakens to the problem of the ongoing and developing disaster, the government is gearing up to face the problem as governments are apt to do, that is by hiding, and shifting the blame or responsibility elsewhere.

What went wrong in a nutshell;

Poor Management
The chickens, as they say, have finally come home to roost, as decades of inept, lackadaisical and wildly inefficient management practices, covered up by the massive amounts of profit, (mostly generated from Newfoundland electricity,) has finally exacted its toll. As circumstances change, the utility can no longer generate the profits it had in the past. Let us remember that Hydro-Quebec has almost twice the amount of employees (as dictated by the industry average) and that the cost of building new hydroelectric installations was and remains almost double what is spent elsewhere.

Here's an employee quote from one of the job-seeking sites that describes working conditions at the utility.

"The environment is very laid back, the hours are pretty flexible and the people were very nice. There are good benefits and since it is a large company it is possible to move to a different team via internal recruiting." Link

With salaries that tower over the North American industry average, and double the workforce, it isn't difficult to understand that Hydro-Quebec's problems are more than just related to external forces.
A Montreal newspaper ran a story detailing how one Hydro-Quebec lineman made over $200,000 with overtime in 2011! Link{fr}
A regular lineman makes over $90,000.
In other words, Hydro-Quebec has been run like crap, salaries out of control with bosses more concerned with issues other than maximizing return.

This can best be typified by the arrogance of ex-Hydro boss Thierry Vandal who made a $250,000 donation to his alma-mater, just because he was president of the board of directors of the school. Link

The mistaken idea that Hydro-Quebec is a corporation like any other (instead of a government monopoly) and like a good corporate citizen, should be making charitable donations and funding arts is outrageous.
Let us remember, that when Hydro-Quebec makes a charitable donation or underwrites a festival or public activity, it is taking the money that would otherwise flow to the government, who by rights has the ultimate and exclusive right to spend public money as it and not as Hydro sees fit.
How about the expensive art that hangs on the walls in the executive offices and corridors of the Hydro-Quebec head office...Is it really a necessity? 
It remained for many years a personal source of irritation to me, to see the two Zambonis at the Bell Centre in Montreal emblazoned with Hydro-Quebec's livery, for absolutely no good reason. It isn't that they needed to convince consumers to use their product, there isn't any alternative!
It isn't exactly a case of Coke versus Pepsi.
Does it make any economic sense to rent a box at the Bell Centre at a cost of over a million dollars, when the enterprise is a monopoly and where entertaining clients or employees makes absolutely no business sense whatsoever? Link{fr}

Worst of all, management was not brave enough to face down the disastrous political interference that imposed those financially ruinous policies and programs, that any responsible board of directors would have, or should have rejected out of hand as insane folly.

Deteriorating Demand
Since its inception, it has been a holy tenet of Hydro-Quebec that electricity demand would spiral up each year and that the utility's competitive advantage would assure burgeoning demand both at home and in the export market.
And so Hydro-Quebec has always had expansion on its agenda, moving from one great project to another and even today with the present and foreseeable demand and price for electricity collapsing, the utility has another mega project on the books, the Romaine power development project.

But the results of years of advertising has sensitized consumers to conserve electricity and the program's success has slowly but surely reduced the increased demand for electricity.
Coupled with the collapse of Quebec's pulp and paper industry, an industry that uses massive amounts of electricity in production, has resulted in an unforeseen slowdown in demand.

New Technology
Perhaps the greatest blow to demand for Hydro-Quebec's electricity, is the shrinking export market, where the new kid on the block, electricity generated by newly produced American shale gas, has not only reduced demand in the USA, but depressed prices as well.

With massive amounts of cheap American shale gas coming to market, it is hard to see Hydro-Quebec ever regaining its position and its status as an international energy powerhouse.
The fact that American utilities have invested massively in gas-fired electricity plants augers poorly for the utility as Hydro-Quebec's competitive price advantage collapses.
Demand has slowed down so much that the utility has actually mothballed plants, taking them out of production because there is no where to sell the electricity.

The confluence of these negative factors has resulted in Quebec swimming in surplus electricity;

"The massive, state-of-the-art Bécancour cogeneration electricity plant is capable of powering 550,000 homes. At the moment, however, the only action its gas turbines are getting comes from the dehumidifiers that prevent them from rusting out. 
Apart from providing steam for an industrial park neighbour, the plant, 150 kilometres northeast of Montreal, sits largely idle, victim of policies and planning in a province overrun with electricity. 
Such is the extraordinary electricity surplus in Quebec that several hundred million dollars are being spent and lost each year dealing with the problem, and consumers are footing the bill." 
Read: As Quebec bathes in electricity, money goes down the drain

Government Interference
The most egregious and saddest aspect to Quebec's electricity debacle is the fact that successive governments have used the cash-cow to further political goals.
Successive governments have saddled the utility with policies that no private company would dare embark upon due to their inherent stupidity and money-losing potential.
And so the government has used the utility to create jobs, investing in money-losing ventures, all in an effort to advance political considerations and curry favour with voters.

In a province blessed with unlimited hydroelectric generating capacity, foolish governments have forced Hydro to embark on a program of horrifically expensive wind farms and small generating stations operated in conjunction with local authorities, all in an effort  to create jobs while using the excuse of 'green energy'

The programs are nothing more than political pork, meant to shovel money and jobs to the economically depressed regions, particularly the money pit that is the Gaspe peninsula.
And so while Hydro-Quebec has mothballed a giant plant that produces electricity at about 5¢ per kilowatt, (paying the company that built the plant a $250 million penalty a year,) the PQ government is demanding that the utility add more wind power capacity that costs a minimum of 14¢ to produce, while the retail price for electricity remains at about 5¢ to 7¢.

Although I said I wasn't going to get into specific dollar details here, (I will do that in the next post) this alternate energy folly is calculated to cost Quebec rate payers almost one billion dollars a year, enough to pay for the entire free higher education program that students demanded last year and then some.

 The Parti Quebecois' energy platform presented before the last election was actually a  fantastical narrative of surreality and nonsense that played to its base of granolas and dreamers.
The PQ promised to;

"Roll out an energy strategy based on integrated resource planning, including setting production targets for renewable energy sectors (hydro, wind, biomass, geothermal, solar, hydrogen).

This in a province blessed with limitless reserves of relatively cheap and clean water power.
Utter insanity!

Cognizant of the electricity surplus and the falling prices, Martine Ouellet, the PQ's most dangerous and stupid Minister of Energy of Incompetence actually put forward a call for tenders to add more wind power!  

It seems that climbing down from a long standing policy that has been a hallmark of the PQ's political platform won't be easy. The shrieks from its environmental base as well as the howls from the entitled beneficiaries, may be too much pressure to stand up to and perhaps the PQ just may grin and bear the cost of an out of control, failed policy."

All this while the PQ is loudly setting up a committee to study the effects of the doubling up of services and costs by virtue of the federal and Quebec governments inefficiently doing the same providing the same services.

To the PQ money wasted by Ottawa is a target to be exposed, while money wasted by itself...well, something necessary for social peace and justice.

That is unfortunately, exactly what separatist governance is about. 

We'll get into more detail next post and I've a special treat, a translated piece from a francophone blogger that lays bare the PQ and in particular Pauline and her husband's role in another PQ mess, back when she was minister of finance.

And as Stan said to Ollie.
"This is another fine mess you've gotten us into!"

French versus English Volume 88

This week in Quebec corruption

With the summer recess of the Charbonneau Commission, it would be reasonable to assume that news on the corruption front would peter out over the next month or two, but alas this certainly isn't the case.
It seems that the Quebec Tax department has taken up the slack and charged two infamous and notorious titans of Quebec's construction industry with hundreds of charges of fraud.

Tony Accurso and the various companies that he once owned have been charged with over 900 criminal charges of cheating the department out of taxes and so it is looking to recoup over $8 million dollars. Link
And in an announcement just a couple of days later, the department charged Frank Catania and his companies with almost 1000 charges of fiscal fraud. Link

On Wednesday, the police executed 15 search warrants and questioned another 15 people in relation to another tax fraud investigation, so the process continues.....

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Mr. Dressup?

In a bizarre story, the interim mayor of Laval, Alexandre Duplessis, has resigned, but not over allegations that he was involved in some illegal campaign financing (that case remains under investigation) but rather the more traditional sex scandal.
It seems that the mayor got into a pay dispute with an escort and accused her of shaking him down. Link
The cheeky owner of the escort service hit back hard going on television claiming that the mayor stiffed the escort for payment for a private party that the mayor initiated wherein he and the escort engaged in a girls night of dress-up, where the order of the day was trying on female underwear and dresses and applying makeup. Yeechhh!!!!!!!!

Once that allegation hit the airwaves, it was all over but the crying.
As for the mayor's job....NEXT!!!

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By the way, UPAC, the corruption police have a new target on the radar scope, the city of Granby and the ruling party which is suspected of illegal campaign financing as well.

 ***************

In a weird turn of events, UPAC served a warrant on the Charbonneau Commission to seize the $700,000 that was turned over to it by a Laval political fixer. The money was seized via a warrant to preserve the chain of custody and will be used as evidence in future criminal prosecutions.

 ***************

"Trust me, I'm not under investigation!"

Questions are being raised about UPACs behavior in the investigation of Michael Applebaum.
Clearly he was under investigation while he was campaigning for the interim-mayoral position, yet the police said nothing even though they were pretty sure he'd be soon be arrested.

Now it would have been unethical to announce publicly that Applebaum was under serious investigation, but a leak to a friendly journalist would have saved the city a lot of embarrassment. Let us remember that Applebaum vehemently denied that he was the target of a police investigation in light of the raids conducted on his office by UPAC, clearly what he and UPAC knew to be a bold-faced lie.
The question remains as to whether UPAC had an obligation to somehow set the record straight about the raids in light of Applebaum's false statements.

 ***************

Swiss police claim they have wiretap evidence proving that SNC-Lavalin made millions of dollars in illegal payoffs  in relation to the awarding of the Montreal super hospital contract. Link{fr}.

Now French police are investigating another case of SNC-Lavalin illegal payoffs; 

"The paper said French police are looking into $13.5-million of suspected kickbacks to someone based in the United Arab Emirates. It said an external auditor first discovered the sum as an anomaly in SNC Europe’s books and that the money appeared to have nothing to do with the company’s European business." link

Quebec minister's demands are a 'bridge too far.'

Gaudrealt: "..Gimme dat ting!, Gimme dat ting!!"

If ever there was an award for political 'Chutzpah', Quebec Minister of Transportation Sylvain Gaudreault would win hands down for his rolls-Royce demands that Ottawa pay for a diamond-plated bridge to replace the crumbling Champlain span connecting Montreal to the south shore.

I'm not really sure why it falls to Ottawa to pay for a bridge that lies completely within Quebec's borders, but apparently it does.
At any rate Mr. Gaudreault sent a letter to his federal counterpart, Denis Lebel,  chock full of hilarious demands.

Now if you are one of those readers, furious at Quebec's sense of entitlement, I heartily suggest that you calm yourself before proceeding to the details, or alternately, skip ahead to the next story...

 First, Mr. Gaudreault explained that tolls were out of the question because they weren't equitable (and for the fact that Ottawa would get the money to pay for and maintain the bridge) because it penalized poor people and slowed traffic down. He wants Ottawa to pick up the $5 billion tab exclusively and without conditions.
The fact that Montreal's newest bridge connecting Laval to eastern Montreal is a private toll bridge, is of course of no never-mind.

Then Mr. Gaudreault demanded that the bridge include a light rail system of Quebec's choosing that Ottawa would, of course pay for as well.

And then, for the cherry on top, the Minister demands that the bridge be an expensive architectural gem, a symbol worthy of Montreal as an international city.
To whit, the minister demanded that an international competition between world renowned architects  be held in order to secure the most lavish and expensive vanity prize.
I wonder if the minister recalls the last great Montreal project built by a renowned 'international architect,' one Roger Taililbert.

The whole affair reminds of the family member who orders an expensive appetizer, and a pricey bottle of wine to accompany the five-pound lobster he ordered, just because it was an uncle picking up the tab at the family reunion at Gibby's.
For those unfamiliar with the Yiddish word Chutzpah, here's an English expression that aptly describes such behavior...'Unmitigated gall!'

"They don't build'em like they used to!

Now what really amazes me is the fact that the ministers involved seem perfectly comfortable with the ten-year plan to build the bridge.
TEN YEARS!!!!! ...you've got to be kidding!

It only took around thirteen years to build the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and that was 143 years ago!
That was without computers or even motor-driven vehicles or power tools!

The George Washington Bridge, the behemoth 14 lane masterpiece over the Hudson in New York, was built in four years, back in 1927, as was San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge, built also in four years starting in 1927.

And by the way, all these bridges remain highly functional today, the average age between them, about 100 years.
Our Champlain bridge in Montreal is but 52 years old and on life support.

Readers, I bet the Chinese could knock up a new Champlain Bridge in under  eighteen months, they built a 27 mile ocean bridge (seven times bigger than the proposed Champlain replacement) in about four years. Link

Think I'm kidding?
Watch the Chinese erect and complete a 30 story hotel in 15 days!

  

How long would it take to build here? One, two or three years?

PQ loses gun registry appeal in Quebec's highest court.

In a unanimous and brief judgment, the appeal court found Quebec has no say in what Ottawa does with data in the federal long-gun registry that is now defunct in every province and territory except Quebec.
“Quebec has no rights over the data,” Chief Justice Nicole Duval Hesler wrote on behalf of a five-judge appeal panel. “The data does not belong to the province, the provinces exercise no control over the data, it is the sole responsibility of the director of the registry – a federal civil servant – from the moment the data is collected until their destruction.”  Link

The PQ government reacted swiftly, promising to appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court of Canada in a cynical and devious political manoeuvre where the inevitable loss would serve the PQ's purpose.

Readers, when you lose an appeals court verdict, 5-0, there's not much chance of succeeding in a higher court and the PQ knows it.
But it prefers and in fact is drooling for a loss in the Supreme Court rather than in it's very own Quebec Court of Appeal. Such is the politics of sovereigntist governance,

The Supremos must do us all a favour and quickly decide not to hear their case, making the gun registry loss a Quebec court issue.

If the Supreme Court foolishly decides to hear the appeal,  they are doing a disservice to the country and so I hope they quash the appeal as soon as possible.

Quebec City fretting about NHL franchise

It seems that the NHL's agreement with the city of Glendale, assuring that the Coyotes will be there for the foreseeable future has delivered a painful reality check to fans in Quebec City who were holding out hope that the franchise would be moved to their fair city.

PQ minister Agnès Maltais shared her disappointment with the Press but insisted that the new 'Field of Dreams' arena (build it and they will come) remains necessary with or with out an NHL LNH franchise.
That being said she deftly handed off responsibility to Quebec city Mayor Regis Lebeaume, calling it his baby, just in case the worst happens.

The palpable disappointment has some local writers and sportcasters musing that Quebec doesn't have what it takes to be an NHL franchise, with fans that are too poor to pay NHL ticket prices and little in the way of corporate sponsorship. Listen to a radio show in French
By the way, listening to the show you might be inclined to believe that commentator read my piece published the week before entitled: PQ & Péladeau Holding Back NHL Franchise in Quebec. 

But the truth is that Quebec is the most viable market available to the NHL, hands down, as long as the Toronto Maple Leafs assert their territorial rights to block expansion to Hamilton.

At any rate, the news of the Coyotes agreement set off a wave of disappointment high lighted by this ad placed in Kijiji, offering the new arena for rent.....

Odds'n Ends

A reader sent in this email and asks if anybody else has had the same experience.

"In 2011 I moved the headquarters of my federal corporation from Montreal to out of province. Almost like clockwork, 1 month after the PQ took power, we received a letter from Revenue Quebec stating that they are considering us a "compagnie mondiale" and are asking for an addition 2% on all our source deductions back to 2008. We called and explained that we simply moved to another part of Canada, but they said that since we didn't answer within 10 days, their decision was final (it takes letters approximately 10 days to reach me from Montreal). We have since spoken to them and they are willing to accept summaries of our federal T4's which we need to produce by Friday. I am wondering if this is blatant harassment of companies that leave Quebec and I wonder if it is more widespread. Have you heard anything about this from your readers? Could be an interesting story."

Joke of the Week
 "For those who haven't heard, Washington State just passed two landmark laws: "Gay marriage" & the "Legalization of marijuana".
 The fact that gay marriage and marijuana were legalized on the same day makes perfect biblical sense because Leviticus 20:13 says: "If a man lies with another man they should be stoned."
(S/O to Judy)
 
The rehabilitation of Quebec’s Maurice Duplessis

"To listen to the apologists of the Quiet Revolution, Quebeckers under Duplessis lived a benighted existence under the thumb of the Catholic Church, denied the economic opportunity available to other Canadians, and particularly to their neighbours in prosperous Ontario. ".......
......The historical record, as set out in Mr. Geloso’s book and other recent works, says otherwise. Duplessis’s was an era of unprecedented expansion of the economy and public services, closing the gap with Ontario at a rapid clip." Read a fascinating article in the Globe and Mail

BTW (By the Way) Two new acronyms for this blog... S/O "Shout out"   P/W 'Paywall'

Here's an interesting ad;

'Moving Day' replaces 'Canada Day' in Quebec Best Buy ad

 Quebecers work almost three weeks less a year than Ontarians. Link{fr}

Poll: Quebec 'worst managed,' 'least friendly';

Read the complete survey results here

What's wrong with this picture?

I was watching an episode of 'Magic City,' a television series surrounding Miami Beach circa 1959, featuring the trials and tribulations of a Jewish hotel owner, backed by the mob.
In this episode, that is accurately dated by its storyline which includes Castro taking over Havana and closing the casinos, a view of the front of the hotel had me scratching my head.
Can you identify the gaffe?

Montreal Canadiens sign  francophone has-been.

I wrote this over a year and a half ago, the fact that Canadiens are having trouble attracting talent, especially francophone Quebecers.

"This coupled with the strange fact that francophone stars eschew Montreal as well, ensures that the team is on a downward spiral, sucked into a linguistic black hole, never to escape....
.....Agents of star players will cross off Montreal from the list of acceptable destinations and so the Canadiens will choose from has-beens, also-rans and aging veterans closing out their career. Its already happened, but no one will admit it."  Language Flap Damages Canadiens Brand 

And so the Canadiens signed Daniel Briere, the very same player who rejected Montreal out of hand when he was a hot property six years ago, enraging fans who have booed him on every visit to Montreal.

No doubt there will be joy in Mudville tonight, but lets us remember that after a disastrous season, Briere was bought out and tossed aside by Philadelphia Flyers like a bad burrito.
All I can say about the Canadiens signing him is summed up in the line that got by Sean Avery dumped from the New York Ranger...."Sloppy Seconds'

How did the signing go over ?
Well the language militants are thrilled to repatriate and a francophone to the team, but hockey fans are not so impressed.
Read the vicious comments below a story on the signing in La Presse, entitled Six Years Later. Ouch!!


Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks, especially for beating the Bruins!

CLICK HERE if you'd like to see more Ice Girls!

Have a great weekend

Bonne fin de semaine

Quebec's New Ayatollahs

The debate currently raging in Quebec over the the government's role in the regulation of religion, is actually the direct result of Quebec's grand failure to understand or manage its language and immigration policy.

The province and its native francophone population finds itself in the uncomfortable situation of needing  immigrants to fill the void caused by a falling birthrate, yet cannot abide by those immigrants who are welcomed, but who fail to fully adopt the language, mores, values and convention of the host state.
It isn't a problem indigenous to Quebec, all western societies face the very same problem to varying degrees, but in Quebec the problem of assimilation is exacerbated by the choice of two competing cultures,

The spectre of the disastrous European immigration experiment looms large over the debate and Quebecers look with trepidation at the rise of Islam in Europe and the perceived threat of a growing community seen as disloyal, distinct and dangerous.

It's a nasty conundrum, Quebec needs immigrants, but doesn't like the ones who are accepted, specifically Muslims, who are seen as a threat to social cohesion.
I won't get into the immigration question here, except to say that in choosing immigrants based on language, Quebec has boxed itself into a corner. By trying to fix its language problem through selective immigration, where French speakers are selected before more qualified immigrants, Quebec may do itself more harm then good.

It's a Catch-22 where it seems that Quebec cannot solve its language situation without affecting its social situation. As they say, Damned if you do, or damned if you don't.

Since the political decision to continue accepting these French speaking immigrants seems to over-ride social and economic issues, it falls to suppression of faith as the only manner to stem and reverse the perceived tide of the 'Islamization' of Quebec.
While any such effect, if it exists at all, is vastly overblown, the perceived notion or urban myth that Muslims are a threat, is something militants and the PQ are determined to face-off against.

And so Quebec is taking its lead from France, where the Muslim population has reach over 10% of the population and where their large urban pockets amplifies the community's influence in many key cities.
In France (as in many European countries), it isn't a case of turning off the spigot of immigration, the Muslims are already installed in large enough to 'pose a problem'
The problem is not that they are Muslim, but that a significant number of them are religiously observant and whose many core beliefs are at odds with the principles of French society. Where those principles clash, (like the equality of men and women), the orthodox Muslims are (or are perceived) to be unbending and therein lies the rub.

And so France is imposing a solution in which it is attempting to damper the zeal of observant Muslim by edict. By banning traditional garb in public, the government sends a clear and unambiguous message, that observant Muslims are not welcome in France and as these restrictive rules are promulgated, those who are observant are forced to abandon their orthodoxy or go underground. To ordinary Frenchman the first solution is preferable, but the second acceptable.

All these measures are justified by the notion of separation of Church and state, a concept that harks back to the American Bill of Rights of 1791, an act amending the United States Declaration of Independence, which was a keystone in advancing and codifying the concept of the government staying out of the religion business.

 It fell to Thomas Jefferson to expand on the concept in a letter he wrote to the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut, in1802, a part of which is reproduced below.

"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State."
-Thomas Jefferson

It is important to note that while modern politicians in France and Quebec reference the concept of the separation of Church and State, they fail to understand or deliberately misinterpret exactly what is or should be implicit in that policy, that is, that outside government people are free to choose what and how to believe.
While the state may act neutral in its position on religion, banning individuals from expressing their beliefs in public, is a direct violation of the covenant of the separation of Church and State.

Today the anti-religion Ayatollahs of Quebec seek to pervert the concept of separation of Church and State in order to banish religion from all walks of public life, using the state to bludgeon the faith out of the observant by means of restrictive regulations based on contrived and fitted rules that hold that any contact with the state must be sanitized from religion in the name of separation. 

In a society like Quebec where the State contols our education system from daycare to post-secondary education, our entire health system, our political system and where one-thid of workers are in the direct or indirect employ of  the government, enforcing such limitations is a direct attack of the right to practice one's faith free from state interference.

The new anti-religious Ayatollahs in the PQ and the Francophone Press make no bones about their visceral hatred of religion and openly admit that they want religion out of the lives of Quebecers, largely because they see it as a competing force for the alter-religion that they themselves promote, that of sovereignty.

It was with some amusement tinged with sadness that I watched a television advertisement paid for by the Quebec government promoting tolerance towards gays and lesbians.
It seems that in its wisdom the government believes the general population needs to be more accepting towards gays and lesbians,( a good idea) all the while asking the public to be intolerant towards other minorities, those who are religiously observant.

In one such commercial, two men openly kiss in the arrivals area of the airport while the announcer challenges viewers who feel uncomfortable with the scene.
I wonder if the government would dare run the same advertisement featuring a Hasid family or a man wearing a turban or Hijab clad women, again asking for the public to modify its perception.....Fat chance of that!

In Quebec, led by the PQ and the anti-religious Ayatollahs in the Press, a campaign of  'salisage' is underfoot, meant to discredit and humiliate the religiously observant, based on the idea that these people are social misfits, out of tune and step with society in general and thus a threat to good order (read: the march towards Independence) .

How else could this drivel ever find its way into the main press.

"For an immigrant, a good way to integrate is to respect the customs of the host society. This obviously implies greater discretion in expressing his beliefs in public spaces that come as contrasted with it. This is nothing but a sign of respect to the host society. -Mathieu Bock-Coté Link{fr}{PW}

"Ostentatious religious symbols are not primarily a sign faith. If that were the case, the signs could be discreet. Rather they meant to have a political impact.  They are a provocative and formalized declaration of a refusal to integrate. It is a showdown by those who wish to break the host society and force it to capitulate. -Mathieu Bock-Coté   link-{fr}{PW}

I'd expect a statement like this from the religious police in Saudi Arabia or Iran, certainly not in any North American context.

In an article by journalist Richard Martineau he calls the turban affair a victory for 'Extremists' a term that is shocking by its connotation. The idea that these Sikhs are a somehow  dangerous and violent fifth column, based solely on religious garb, can only be described as racist.
Pardon my ignorance, but my interpretation of an extremist in the religious context, is someone who resorts to violence or terrorism to further their ends.
I'd hardly characterize our local turban-wearing Sikhs as extremists, nor would I characterize a Quebecer wearing a kippah, or a women wearing a Hijab as such.
It seems that hate and intolerance is alive and well in the PQ and their trusted media dogs.

So I'm not uncomfortable calling these haters, Ayatollahs.

They emulate the very worst traits of the religious bosses in Iran and Saudi Arabia where not conforming to state-mandated standards is a punishable act under the law.
We're not far from that in Quebec, if ever the PQ pass their Quebec values legislation, banning religious regalia in public.
Let's go back to something else the illustrious Thomas Jefferson said in regards to the religious affinity of others;

"But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

This goes to the essential debate, in other words what is the big deal about a turban on the soccer field, a kippah worn by a doctor, or a scarf worn by a cashier at the license bureau?

There are many things we don't like or agree with in life, be it rock music, punkism, religious orthodoxy, country music, rock music, left or right wing politicians etc. etc.
Is it reasonable to suppress a concept, a lifestyle, a political opinion or a religious persuasion based only on the fact that the majority is against it?

That is exactly what the Ayatollahs of Quebec, Iran and Saudi Arabia are telling us.

Conform or get the Hell out....

Howard Galganov's Misguided Rally of Rage

I didn't really plan on writing this piece, because many good people have made a great effort in attempting to organize a rally that they believe will shock anglophones into action in defense of their language, their freedom, their religion and their way of life.
But inviting Howard Galganov, the infamous firebrand who will lob his personal version of fire and brimstone, taking no prisoners and pulling no punches, is just plain and simple, a strategic mistake.

I like Howard Galganov for his passion and his patriotism, but politics is the art of getting things done and he's has chosen a dead end path that has no chance of success and every chance of exacerbating our situation.

I actually believe in most of the things he does, yet I'm mature enough to realize that baiting those who opposes us with vitriolic and hateful speech, meant to enrage, hasn't the proverbial snowball's chance in Hell of resulting in any tangible improvement in our current language situation.

I'm reminded of a scene in the "Untouchables' movie, when some dubious methods are employed by good cops to elicit a bad guy to talk.

For those who missed it, Sean Connery's character, in an attempt to get a closed mouth villain to talk, shoots an already dead villain  (unbeknownst to those on the other side of the window) demonstrating that he will go to all ends to get his way, even murder.
The crook soils himself in fear and sings like a canary, but the Canadian Mountie, cooperating with the FBI, is not amused and delivers one of my favorite movie lines of all time.

"MR. NESS I not approve of your methods!"

So too, gentle readers, I don't approve of Howard's methods, even though I believe in the principle he advances.
I've written before about his methods which in this humble blogger's opinion are too clever by half .
Read:
Revenge of the Galganov!
Howard Galganov- The Empire Strikes Back!

And so Howard will have his moment, he will call Quebecers and the Quebec government an evil naziesque entity, get his news blurb which will only convince Quebecers in the middle of the road and perhaps reachable, that the anglo rights movement is populated by unreasonable, angry and dangerous fanatics.

I'll pass.

Here's a letter I received on the subject from a reader, whose effort deserves to be published.

"As we gird for Mr. Howard Galganov’s next planned spectacle June 30th in Montreal, it is clear from the vitriol on social media and elsewhere that the suggestion that many in Montreal’s growing bilingual community who are less than enthusiastic about his return, are being miscast as somehow anti-Canadian or anti-anglo.

Far from it.

In the face of regressive language restrictions embodied in the upcoming Bill 14, and while we understand the importance of visibility on this issue, these ends should not come at any price. And most reasonable Quebecers - French, English or Allophone alike would consider a Galganov event a price too dear to pay.

In fact, it’s fair to say it would be difficult to imagine a more divisive figure and one more potentially damaging to the movement than Howard Galganov. His public statements, the vitriol with which he dismisses Quebec as a legitimate member and co-founder of the Canadian confederation and his decided location outside of the province, puts him in the unique position of possibly being the very worst representatives of Montreal anglophones or unity in general.

As we now see the promotional materials for Mr. Galganov’s rally being distributed, we are at once turned off by the imagery and frightened at what they suggest to be attitudes of anglo Montrealers or anyone who self-identifies as Canadian here in Quebec. We have come a very long way in the nearly two decades since the last referendum, but unfortunately it seems that Mr. Galganov hasn’t. While we would have hoped that his tack would have evolved to reflect the better wisdom of maturity, and even a cognizance and respect of the changing identities of all the people of this province, here he is once again, being “that angry guy”, at a time when Montreal and the province of Quebec least needs or deserves it.

In the very first line of the press release, Mr. Galganov states on our behalf “We are Canadians. We are not Quebecois” with the accompanying image of a Fleur de Lys being tattered and torn in the storming gale of his megaphone.

Clearly this isn’t just about a language rights fight anymore, but quite overtly an anti-Quebec rally. If there was one sure fire way to be certain that not a single legitimizing francophone would show up, this was it. How terribly, terribly sad that what might have been a clearly messaged stand against an unfair law (which a great many francophone Quebecers feel Bill 14 is), is dumbed down and turned negative at the hands of the guy with some money and clearly too much time on his hands.

At certain points along the path to a goal, be it protecting basic constitutional rights or nurturing a spirit of mutual celebration in place of enforcement, the players will naturally change as the movement becomes more inclusive and nuanced. While when it comes to language rights and the positive progression of Montreal to the promising bilingual city by the hill that it can be, unity is critical. However unity it comes not of a mere desire to have it, but as a bi-product of a truly inclusive, respectful and indeed visionary platform and cast of characters around which to unite.

Clearly, our complex collective of shared and overlapping identities as at once Canadians, Quebecers and Montrealers, however fragile, has come a very long way since 1995. One could go so far as to say that the last decade has represented our best example of a pax linguistica, coming to a head in the firm rejection of the Bloq Quebecois and overwhelming support of a true federalist voice of opposition in Ottawa. Further strong evidence is found in the Anglophone community, where bilingualism is the standard, and where the idea of being a Quebecer is no longer anathema to being proudly Canadian. This is the unique identity of the vast majority of not just anglo Montrealers, but Francophones and Allophones alike.

The sad irony in all of this is that if Quebec were finally cede (whatever the legalities), the blood of that amputation will be as much on the hands of likes of Howard Galganov as those of Mario Beaulieu, Pauline Marois and the unilingualist drones in the Parti Quebecois.

We hope with our growing collective hearts and spirit that true leaders will emerge to help us all move in a new direction that welcomes a more resonantly common vision for Quebec and Montreal.

In united bilingualism,
MB-BM"

I know my position may be a disappointment to some, but in a free and democratic society, even those on the same side have differing opinions as to how to advance the same principles.

17 year-Old Girl Shows up Entire Anglo Community as Cowards

“It's becoming too restrictive.”

If there is anything that extremists and extremist movements cannot tolerate, it is the cruel spotlight of publicity and up to now, the English and Ethnic community has been cowered and afraid to expose the cruel and excessive force displayed by French language militants and the OQLF.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and yet with all the thousands of inspections by OQLF thugs who employ intimidation and threats to subdue their targets, nobody has had the guts to film or record the encounter and publicly expose the truth about language intimidation.

Shame on us all.

It fell to a young part-time grocery employee, Meaghan Moran, to record a conversation with her boss, who demanded that she cease speaking English on her breaks with other English employees, or anywhere else while on the premises.
The bilingual young lady had no problem speaking with customers and other francophone employees in French, but drew the line at being forced to speak French to English customers and co-workers .

She then turned over the recording to the media who ran with the ball.
If you speak French, listen to the rough ride  the bosses give the young lady over French. The later denial by the store owner tht the girl was never ordered not to speak English is nonsenses. By the way, the two bosses outright lie about the law;

"All she wanted was a part-time job, but what a South Shore teenager got was a hard lesson about language in Quebec.
Meaghan Moran, 17, got a job working at an IGA on Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier Blvd. in Saint-Lambert. She was told that she didn't have the right to speak English at the store.
A fluently bilingual Anglophone, she told CTV Montreal she picked up on some language tension one day.

 “One of the guys I was working with is English and I knew him and he said, ‘No, talk to me in French because we're not allowed speaking English on the floor,” she said, adding that she quickly heard what her friend and ex-employee Alex Caldwell knew: employees don't feel comfortable speaking English anywhere in the store.

“I was warned by a friend in the lunchroom to watch what I say and keep my English down, because the management didn't like it and she got a warning,” said Caldwell.
That didn’t sit well with Moran.
“It's just about the principle. You should be able to speak whatever you like. I understand if they want to impose (some rules) -- I'm not going to talk to clients in English, I would talk to them in French -- but if I want to talk to my friend on my break in English, I should be allowed,” she said. “It's becoming too restrictive.” Watch a video report and read the story at CTV

The OQLF, sensing another public relations disaster,  immediately responded that the assertion that English could be banned was false.

And so like David facing off against Goliath, it took a 17 year old girl to show us all up as the gutless and spineless toads that we are.
Yes I said it.

The fact that we are collectively too afraid to record incidents between the OQLF and ourselves, in fear of retribution, speaks to the lack of resolve that our community displays in defense of our rights.

I hear it often enough from businesses and bosses.
"Ooh, we're afraid of the legal costs, afraid of a boycott by francophone customers and  afraid of the fines."

So we suck it up and take it up the rear end.....Again, sorry to be graphic, but Meaghan dished out  a monumental lesson in civics.

Without sacrifice and commitment, evil cannot be overcome.
Our English community has for too long rolled over and played dead because it was just too damn inconvenient to fight.

If we are to protect English  language rights in Quebec we are going to have to do so ourselves.
Truth be told, the OQLF and language militants are paper tigers, we've seen them cave whenever real pressure has been applied.

I am hopeful that a young, brave girl can inspire us to resist, otherwise, let's turn out the lights on English as a respected and essential part of Quebec life.

********************  UPDATE ********************

After initially denying that Meghan was ordered not to speak English and that the matter was closed, the owner of the IGA has been forced to rethink her position.

Meghan has contacted  the Quebec Human Rights Commission with a view to laying a complaint.

The bad publicity and the damning recording has got Soebys, the owner of the franchise involved, ordering the franchisee to get into full damage control mode and end this thing before further damage is done.

"Our relationships with our franchisees are on a one-to-one basis, and we will deal with Madame Ménard in the appropriate fashion, within the context of our contractual relationship with her." Marc Poulin, CEO  Link

Sounds Madame Menard is in for a first class ass-kicking!

And so the manager on the tape has been suspended and it won't be long before a humbling public apology is offered. Link

Another ex-employee has come out and confirmed that she was fired for speaking English and so it is time to offer a settlement in order to put this thing to bed, as the bad publicity in having this case heard at the Human Rights Tribunal will be traumatic for the company, sure to lose anyways.

At any rate the decision is out of the hands of the franchisee, as the reputation of the entire IGA is at stake.

I predict this thing will be settled quietly by the weekend, with a cash payment and a non-disclosure agreement.

I think $20,000 is appropriate.

But you never know, Meaghan might hold out for a better offer or milk the publicity for all it's worth! 

********************  UPDATE #2  *******************

The story has finally crossed over to the French press, which can no longer ignore the growing firestorm.

'About 50 Anglophones demonstrated outside an IGA in Saint-Lambert on the South Shore, to demand respect for their language on Friday night. This effort follows a linguistic conflict that shook the business community on  Sir Wilfrid Laurier Boulevard these last few days." Link

 

Listen to this: