Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 23, 2001, Winnipeg, Manitoba Focus a11 Iii maim ii 2001 Ontario culture based in Cash on the Richter scale of righteous Quebec culture minister Diane Lemieux comment that when compared to Ontario had no real culture at registered a Mere the Harris government is probably the most regressive in Ontario history when it comes to the arts in the flippant response of Premier Mike Harriss ministers reflected this backwardness and matched Lemieux evident silliness Tim who was recently named Ontario tourism and culture wrote a letter to Lemieux inviting her to tour Ontario Festi Stratford and Niagara on where she would presumably to be introduced to those famous Ontario William shake Speare and George Bernard later they would taste some wine in the Niagara Peninsula and drop in at the Toronto film who maybe Celine Dion will be Rudaks ministry combines culture with tourism and he sees his main function As promoting not Cul my main he says is to be the chief Salesman for the protecting this thing we Call culture the arts is seen As part of his mandate Only to the degree they can be sold As tourist galloping along beside the Hudak announced he was convinced he turn her Diane Lemieux Opin Ion around in make her a salesperson for the province an even stranger comment came from Ontario finance minister Jim Flaherty ill take the Leafs Over the habs anytime he the Media in Toronto has made much of the prob lems of Montreal which now faces not being in the playoffs for three seasons in a but in Ontario Montreal real problem is that in recent years it has lost Money especially since it built its new Arena Down the team and Arena were recently sold at a bargain Price in Canadian dollars to an Toronto is slightly higher in the standings As this is will squeeze into a playoff Montreal Over the dominated Toronto and every other team in the Montreal has won 24 Champi the Leafs Haven won a Stan Ley cup since and for most seasons since have been the league but one thing the Leafs have never lost is Toronto makes Money lots of it has about the highest Price ticket Range in the nil and the expensive luxury boxes form an important economic base for the Here the High rollers she ooh their clients and write it off their this makes the Maple Leafs a culturally Superior product now that is something to melt the cheese in the article of Faith the notion that including this amorphous thing called is determined by the Market or Box office is an article of Faith of the government and it even cheer enforces this according to Christopher Hume in the Toronto Star Toronto cultural institutions have been devastated by declining funding the Art gallery of Ontario is million in the Toronto sympathy the National Ballet the Royal Ontario museum a Mere these shortfalls developed while the cites Economy has grown by Over 40 per municipal funding for the arts declined about Provin Cial support was Cut by million during the this decline will be accelerated As both the City and province prepare their new Hume goes on to contrast Toronto with cities such As new York and Berlin that Are pouring millions of dollars into galleries and the museum of modern Art in Man Hattan alone has launched a lion us expansion placing the Issue from a different one that would reflect the Harris governments viewpoint but much More deftly and John Ibbitson of the Globe and mail writes that Ontario culture is its that May not be a culture is Lemieux but it is the soul of the Ontario can be it cannot comprehend those More interested in preserving or recapturing the past than grasping the that Ontario message to these time warped towns like new York and int it also the Mes Sage of the Buddha smashing Taliban rulers of Afghanistan d Alliance easily Breaks bad judgment monopoly there were two widely reported cases of Foo Tinmouth Dis ease in Canada this this malady is not be confused with the Footman Mouth disease now ravaging Europe and against which extraordinary measures Are now being taken in Canada and foot and Mouth disease affects livestock but is we Are harmful to whereas Foo Tinmouth Dis ease affects humans it radio announcers and celebrities and can be harmful to a if the victim has As first Bernard Landry the new Premier of que Landry was dropping clangers on a regular basis even before he reached the top of the Greasy one of the first involving a reference to the Canadian Flag As a red faced with a considerable negative within and without Landry tried to explain that the rag he had in mind was the one matadors normally use when confronting the this explanation suggested the possibility of both Foo Tinmouth and to say nothing of a lot of a few Days Landry found himself coming to defence of a colleague who allowed As How there was no such thing As an Ontario Cul Ture though she May simply have none to speak in instead of extricating them he dug himself in ruminated this he ruminated publicly about some of his one of which apparently centres on where he will live when he becomes president of an Independent having looked somewhat covetous by it turns at Federal real estate in the province he allowed As How the Citadel would make very comfy digs befitting the head of state of an inde pendent one supposes that if there were a Landry might move in forthwith but the Citadel currently serves As the summer Resi Dence of the governor general in representing the functions constitutionally As Canadas head of How very Landry fantasy and the present Sites vice regal associations Are Rife with so if one hears Landry speculating in the future about the possibility of a Coro bed Chartrand Canadian press Alliance my Rahim Jaffer reads a statement in the House of nation in a Cathedral conducted by a or that his fancy has settled on the title be not alarmed and remember that you read it Here an astute thinking that Landry various comments might be upsetting to some asked him what sort of Start he though he was off to with to which he it could hardly be he added something about trying harder or doing but whichever it he really bother when people suspect Hes a but should he exert himself and remove All doubt the other victim of his own Mouth this week was the Young Alliance my from Rahim As half the world must know by Jaffers assistant pretended to be Jaffer on a radio phone in pro Gram when the impersonation was Jaffer initially lied to cover for his staff member and the impulse to cover for a Friend is not altogether yet to get caught so Public a lie is hardly worthy of that what seems to be at Issue Here is great foolishness and Lack of judgment rather than a venal Public More remarkable than the lie is How much of the Media and political class have reacted to Given the Over wrought one wonders is it supposed that this is the last and Only lie Ever to be told by Jaffer and is comparable rectitude to be found among All those who Are wringing their hands Over Jaffers lapse is that the faint scent of hypocrisy in the air what is More remarkable Multi More interesting is the Jaffer episodes secondary in the House of Jaffers apol delivered from the Back Row Purgatory to which he is now came across As yet another of the alliances stage photo few of his colleagues were visible and those who were grim As they would on hearing their Leader confess to serial Jaf fers most Public punishment offered a Stark contrast with that of Jaffers Stockwell Jaffer said repeatedly he was sorry and apologetic for what he had whereas in defaming another would Only under duress apologize for the consequences of his con but not for the conduct was Day retired to the Back benches for even five lessons the interesting question in All is whether the Day and Jaffer episodes provide any lessons for the Days conduct has undoubtedly undercut the alliances credibility and some Are now arguing that Jaffers conduct has the same that is but one of the Rea sons the Alliance had limited credibility to begin with is its holier in every sense than thou attitudes displayed towards oppo and injected into Public Dis the presumed moral superiority of its social conservative views and its uncompromising notions about the truth its version of it have been major impediments to collaboration or cooperation with others who May share some of its views in other Day still has a Long Way to but Jaffer Ironi help demonstrate to the Alliance faithful that in matters of bad their political opponents enjoy no Flay the free press letters from they must include the authors address and Telephone letters May be letters to the 1355 Mountain r2x fax email Forks development plan like a strip mall it has never ceased to amaze me what passes for innovative think ing in this i read the description of the Lon term plans for the Forks and Portage Avenue minion vision for the heart of the March 17 and i How boutique commercial development wow that another word for the All too common Winnipeg solution to empty lots or groups of Trees strip How they get a Chance to put an actual interesting and unique commercial Moun Tain equipment Coop which Sells outdoors products there and they turn them what better location for such a store Portage Avenue and the what a Nati ral Combina Pun intended of coi the american counterpart of Mountain equipment built a new flagship store in Seattle and its turned out to be a tourist let Mountain equipment Coop build at the Forks and put in a Rock climb ing enhance the Bike add other outdoor related facilities and watch the people there not going to get Many More visitors for something As Dull As boutique put in a permanent skate Board Park and lease space to skate Board and Bike do something innovative and different things that will actually get More peo ple out to the not More shop Oliver Winnipeg landlords subsidize rental allowance Tom in rent control removal not answer March seems to believe that since the social Assis Tance rental allowance has not been increased since 1993 and is currently significantly lower than the allowance in this is somehow a rent control the two issues could not be More whether rental allowances Are at or below a reasonable Standard has nothing to do with the logic seems to handcuff landlords who have made significant investments by Purchas ing their properties and continue to make significant investments main Taining their properties in order to keep the rent at a level that fits the rental you in asking the landlords in the private sector to subsidize the rental Ron Penner Winnipeg researcher seeks pilots family on the night of a Hali fax bomber lk685 of 431 Craf took off from its base at Tholthorpe for a raid on on its Way in to its it was attacked and then hit by and crashed some distance from Between fallin Bostel and All but one of the Crew sur Only the Robert William Ritchie re 19578 was killed when he attempted to crash land after the rest of his Crew had bailed fifty seven years it is still unclear whether he died in the crash or by some violent act of his among those who did despite a broken leg and other was to Stan Fulham of with whom i am now in con i understand that the parents of Bob Ritchie have Long since died but it is known that he had a sister in win if anyone knows of her whereabouts or of any other Neighbours and friends of to please Contact me at 338 or by email . In a through footless Halls of air stories of a few of the Many who failed to return with particular interest in retelling the stories of canadians who flew died while serving with the in the second world Floyd Williston Winnipeg readers deserve balanced viewpoint the free press appears to have done a Complete about face on the question of whether or not Crown corporations should contribute funds to provincial in its Nofree Kiefor 27 the free press takes great exception to finance minister Greg slingers suggestion that Cen tra a Crown not be required to hand Over to the Selinger wants to allow Centra to keep the Money to help reduce the Cost of heating to natural Gas con the editorial states that the potential savings to natural Gas con Sumers of about every month for years to come does Centra customers Little this is a Complete flip Flop from the position taken a few months ago when the government and Manitoba Public insurance wanted to use million to upgrade educational facilities in the in that the free press said that Crown corporations should not be putting Money into provincial coffers and the Money should be returned to Mph returning the million would mean that each aut Opac customer would receive a onetime rebate of about far less than the projected future savings of about every year for natural Gas it appears the Only consistency in the editorial position taken by the free press on these and other issues is to always criticize the As the provinces major the free press owes Manitoban a More less biased David Kidd Winnipeg doonesbury by Garry Trudeau Why is 7hisj5 sex Worth ;