Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 27, 1995, Winnipeg, Manitoba Brian Cole 6977044 focus Winnipeg free press a h o october h to our nation will go out with a whimper say goodbye to the Canada of old thucydides wrote that Themistocles greatness Lay in the fact that he realized Athens was not i think we have to realize that Canada is not immortal but if it is going to let it go with a bang rather than a Trudeau speaking before a Senate March for the vast majority of Canad mondays referendum on que Bec sovereignty is about whether that province should remain in Canada or strike out on its own As an Independent but for those who found in Pierre Trudeau vision of Canada a even Noble the vote is quickly turning into a funeral for the country they still hold according to the the Only Likely outcome of the referendum on Quebec sovereignty is a narrow Victory for the yes or no in either or at least the Canada that Trudeau envisioned and Many a including bought into during the will finally be with a Reform Leader Preston mannings Oft repeated slogan that the old Canada is dying is not just a populist catchphrase it is the and Only time will Tell if tomorrows Canada will be better than like a patient who fights a hard Battle for what seems like an eternity Only to suddenly succumb in a matter of hours or Canada has been Strug gling for a decade to resist the forces East and West pulling it and like the patient whose condition seems to improve just before the so it is with the old it was Only weeks ago that the no Side looked like it was going to hand the Sov Ereign lists a stunning such a Deci Sion would have put on the shelf the question of massive decentralization through constitutional change and Given some encouragement to those who still believe in the old Canada that All is not but the surge in support for the yes Side has forced the no Side to abandon its position of constitutional status this week prime minister Chretien said he would be open to substantial constitutional a development that can Only Lead to a further erosion of the Canada Trudeau left when he of course the old the multicultural country with a Strong fed eral government and a determination to build a caring nation on a foundation of Mutual respect and has been on life support for some the beginning of the end started with the departure of Trudeau from Public life and the election of Brian Mulroney and the conservatives in it is to mul moneys and the old Canadas Ever lasting that he was Able to forge a coalition Between the eight its of Quebec and the provincial rights advocates of it was who at a time when separatism was a dead Issue in saw the Opportunity for political gain by promising to bring the province Back into the constitutional family with Pride and the key to this plan was the Meech Lake a document which sought to decentralize decision making in Canada in order to keep Quebec at the Meech Lake was seen As a significant change in the nature of the although it pales in compari son to what is actually happening in Canada now and what is being contemplated for the with the demise of Meech Lake and its the Charlottetown the old disciples of Trudeau held out the Hope that somehow the grand idea of Canada As a nation of people who cared about each other More than a nation where the provincial boundaries took second place to loyalty and Faith in the Maple could be but it was not to throughout the 1980s and into the a number of people have stepped Forward to defend the Trudeau vision of including the former prime min ister but the real problem is there have been no the last decade has produced a crop of politicians when painting a picture of the use crayons to draw in the Borders of provinces and then paint the rest by reformers like Preston Manning and Stephen Harper Are supposed to be National but in fact they Are albertan in former Trudeau Era Cabinet ministers like Lloyd Axworthy Are having enough trouble just trying to hold the practical ideas of federalism let alone the one of the most effective and articulate of the captured the essence of what he believes the new Canada should become during a debate with Sovereign list Daniel Turp the other it was he that the yes Side in Quebec would seek cultural sovereignty within a new political and eco nomic relationship with Canada when the Best Chance of achieving that goal was to vote it is becoming Clear that the old Cana Dian Ideal of minimizing differences Between whether they be Access to health social economic Opportunity or sense of coun is the politicians of today seek to accentuate these which often occur simply because of a provincial Boundary line on a at the expense of the National talk about going out with a Brian Cole is editorial Page editor of the free show Quebec that we care letters to the editor the possibility of Quebec separating from the rest of Canada is the most significant and challenging event for our entire country in recent the culture and language of que Bec Are of major importance to the character of Canada would not be the same without in this regard Quebec is and it is Canadas diversity of uniqueness which creates its Richness and in the Geo graphic and economic resources which Quebec contributes to Canada Are strategic and valuable ele ments of Canadas Unity and it is my bet that the majority of canadians who Are not quebecois recognize these and want Quebec to remain a part of Many in Quebec May feel isolated by past political attempts to resolve some of the differences diversity i feel it is important to remind quebecois that Day today political wrangling has a Way of hiding the True senti ments of the common let All canadians outside Quebec supporting Canadian Unity Orga Nize and gather together before the Quebec referendum on one Day a gathering to show the people of Quebec that we want Quebec to remain in Canada Greffo Isufi flourishing under the Rose my late Louis Joseph Pap and the last of the have been respected in because of the historic Lustre of the it is acknowledged our ancestor put his life and the lives of his followers on the line for a bet Ter a democratic Canada that would guarantee the Security of the frenc Canadian nor was the idealism and sacrifice of patriots in for Over a Century and a half we have lived in peace and in Ever increasing Canadian soil scarred by the rebellion has Long since been covered by reconciling would the great Papineau recognize Canada today with its French governor prime chief Justice and chief of army staff As Eugene tache stated in his famous be me so Viens speech it was possible in this land to be born under the Lily and to flourish under the surely today we Are All above narrow racism i Pray for the Triumph of love Over of Trust Over for a stronger Hap pier Quebec within a United and prosperous Louis Joseph Kenneth Papineau get rid of Bouchard i am absolutely livid about the sacrilege we Are witnessing through the traitorous activities of the honorable Leader of her majesty Loyal the Man holding this position shows utter disregard for the people of Quebec and for the people of the How to reach us the free press welcomes letters from letters must be signed and should include a clearly printed address and Telephone names will be published but not All letters May be edited for style and Short letters Are less Likely to be please address to letters to the Winnipeg free 1355 Mountain Winnipeg r2x letters can be sent to our fax number letters May be submitted through the internet at . Letters sent via the internet obviously cannot be but must include Home address and Telephone other provinces and territories of Canada by his full participation in and support of the separatist move ment in in my any person who blaspheme All those things which we As a country and As democratic people have made into the envy of the should be dealt with in the most severe manner by which our Laws Billbo Kwick Winnipeg Hollo gets it wrong Peter Holle quotes the University of Manitoba As estimating that 30 per cent of High school graduates cant read or write As weve heard variations of the 30 per cent statistic from a variety of Well meaning but misinformed just As Clayton manness baffled the education Community by claiming that a third of All High school graduates were Holles statement that Many Chil Dren enter Public schools knowing How to and leave them illiterate is equally the statistics simply do not sup port these a 1989 statistics Canada study on literacy put the number of Cana Dian born Young people Ages 16 to 24 with literacy problems in the Range of three per Canada a a 1995 statistics Canada overview of where we stand As a reports that Canada has As High a level of adult literacy As anywhere in the As Holle would also in 1992 and the in ranked Canadas Quality of life As the Best in the the three criteria were Standard of life and like Ontario new education who pledged he would invent a crisis in the Public school Peter Holle has no desire to let the facts get in the Way of a politically useful Linda York Winnipeg action plan differs from ours 1 am amazed at Fred Cleverley fascination with american rhetoric and his refusal to pay any attention about torontonian waving Canadian and Quebec flags held a Unity rally outside their downtown City to the very substantial differences Between our employment equity legislation and their affirmative action Cleverley takes up a substantial part of a recent article on this subject free 16 to recount the situation of a Small California College and a Seaside program for non White none of this has the slightest relevance for Canad an employment equity and never has Accord ing to that is the kind of practice Lloyd Axworthy wants to bring to when Are the Media going to Wake up to the fact that our made i Canada Laws Are different from american practice and different from american thinking on affirmative action and when Are we going to Start judging our own pro Grams by Canadian standards and Canadian respect for genuine Equality and human rights Maxwell Yalden Ottawa Hunters dont poach since it is the fashion today with in the Media to portray guns As evil entities with the ability to impose their will on the weak minded fools that possess i am not sur prised that you Call poachers Hunters Hunter Aims gun at offi free a person Hunting game out of season or on private land without permission is a a poacher is a not a there is a difference Between criminals and la abiding gun owners that the Media today cannot seem to Mel Holland Steinbach bring Back hamburger tests i am a girl in Grade age in the Stanley Knowles even though i am 10 years old i can still complain to the govern my name is Andrea Cecchini and one Day i read the newspaper and i read that they Are not testing the hamburger any you people Are going to probably kill 70 per cent of the whole entire i think you should Start testing the meat and if you dont want to listen to a letter from a 10yearold girl then i Hope someone from this City will be smart enough to help the test ing i am also writing this let Ter with my Friend Amanda Pacaud and Michelle they Are the same the same and they go to the same school As from now on you will not see any Cec Chinis or friends of mine like Amanda Pacaud and Michelle in any hamburger stores or restau rants in the City until you Start test ing the hamburger Andrea Cecchini Winnipeg were moving to two tier health As a registered nurse at the Misericordia general i watch with horror As the government Reform of health care rapes and villages our As bedside nurses Are systematically removed from the the Quality of health care to Mani to bans is being i say not upgraded or even it is being removed How can four nurses care for 50 patients is it the wish of the Manitoban to care for their own sick parents or children to provide skin frequent Posi Tion changes and meet numerous other it goes without saying that years of education enables nurses to pro vide much More than Basic we provide life support that enables people to does anyone out there know what ser vice nurses provide nurses and we Are sick at heart to see our ability to provide health care being those of you who enjoy Good health and those of you who Are financially secure May not be impacted by the erosion of health care but you everyday Joe Manitoban will feel the bite when there Are no nurses to care for you or your loved ones in times of we Are moving to a two tier health care one for the poor and sick one for the wealthy and is this what we want write or visit your politicians and Tell them in no Uncertain terms that you want nurses at the bed Joy in Winnipeg doonesbury by Garry Trudeau Cometo Thig to happen we my by each other 727 Why Pityou run away from that ipon7un 5he Way never much of a listener int Man what zeke7 or a Jour you ;