There is also, in. Toronto, A2 - Wednesday, December 8, 1982 - North Shore News TODAY, I told myself firmly, you ‘re going to write something | about Canadian culture, eh? It’s funny. My mind went blank for the longest time. Canadian culture.. now what would that be? =~ If you're.in Toronto, it’s an odd sort of thing: Toronto is often déscribed.as a cultural satellite of New York City, andIcanseethat. — Falking with people in New York definitely reminds you of talking with people in Toronto. They seem to talk around an issue an awful lot. a sense of being:a satellite, period. You might as well be whirling around in space, so remote is the Toronto perception, in many ways, from the state of mind -to be found out in the boonies. — Yet even to talk about a “Toronto “perception” is risky. Toronto itself breaks down into a: fantastic pat- chwork of cultural, racial and linguistic enclaves. Ghettoes, actually. Travelling on the Toronto subway, you can’t help but notice that the city is far more ethnically mixed than any other city in Canada, even Montreal. In the jet age, Toronto is the main portal through which im- migrants pass into the Great White North. This inevitably ‘makes Toronto much more cosmopolitan than even Vancouver. At the same time, it renders the term “Canadian - culture” almost totally meaningless in the Toronto context. What tradition does Canada have except the tradition of accepting all other traditions? It cannot even be said to be an in- digenous culture since the lifestyle of native people has been destroyed, not adopted. : Outside of Toronto, Canadian perceptions break quickly. down into regional. ways of looking at the world. I've. visited every corner of this -country, and it's like visiting a dozen different lands. to believe you're in the same country‘as West Van. In St. Anthony, Newfoundland, ‘you know you're not in the same country. On Prince Edward Island, people are so inwardly-turned that they evén know “whose dogs-are related to each other. Alberta is a_ different world than Manitoba, despite the. fact that they exist on the opposite shores of the same dead sea bot- tom. Manitoba, thing, was part of the long drawn-out struggle between the French and the English, whereas Alberta merely inherited the spoils. Saskatchewan — does it really exist? Maritimers strike me as being: somewhat stuck in their, past. A cab driver in Halifax once bragged to me about -how the British fleet had: ‘defeated the French: in such-and-such battle, as if it still mattered. And then, of course, there’s the atavistic Newfie obsession with the annual . Bring your group and we'll provide you all with the largest por- tions of hearty fare this side of 1983. And to top that off, our gift to you for organizing a group of 10-20 people will be a gratis meal inthe New Year . . a group of 25 or more people you will receive a voucher for two free meals in the New Year. Choose from our extensive menu or devise one of your own, but book NOW. We'll make every effort to ensure you'll have fond memories of your party and the JAGERHOF. We look forward to welcoming you and your party at our house. Call Alex for information. P.S. For amerry time, bring your tapes, cameras, etc. _ Open fortunch — Monday to Friday — 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Open for Dinner — Tuesday through Sunday from 5:30 p.m. 69 Lonsdale — 980-4316 In Tuktoyaktuk, it is hard “Labrador “must remain as minister-- for one. ‘unless there is. a massive OurR HOUSE YourR HOUSE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON North Vancouver Burnaby, released last --week -- the contents of a letter received from féderal Transport Minister Jean Luc Pepin, verifying that the National rs Harbours Board in Van- bloodbath...which is seal couver will abide by the defended, by the way, as federal government's 6-5 part of the “province’s ‘eStraint program for “culture,” and therefore Waterlot lease rental. presumably a part of the 7 Te Canadian cultural mosaic. In reply to Cook’s letter of The regions [ve men- August 4th, Pepin stated: tioned so far — except for “The National Harbour the Nosthwest Territories, Board has been instructed to which is-about.to split into - comply with the: ‘government two distinct cultures’ of its restraint program guidelines own — are -all mainly respecting rental increases. I English-speaking. _ assure. “you. .that ‘the - full Finally,., there is the restraint program will apply gigantic chunk of the to NHB and grain Canadian cultural whole elevator facilities and will be which is Quebec. implemented retroactive to the date that the policy took Anybody who ‘does. not speak French, yet claims to understand Quebec culture, is surely a joker. And since most of us outside of Quebec don't Speak French, the goings-on in the region between Ontario and The government restraint program was announced in the June 28 budget. Since that time Cook has been Commons correspondence to mysterious as Tibet to most Canadians. os guidelines for commercial Canadian culture. I guess and recreational leases in the I'm glad the federal port. government blew $3 million to produce the Applebaum- Hebert report, which said that Canadian culture was in serious danger of dying been notified that their leases would increase this . year at rates of over 100 percent. infusion of funds into the arts. As a writer, I think that’s a great idea. Point me to the pork barrel. But, really, the only Canadian culture I know of is a tradition that says there iS no tradition. and the only. national identity I know is that I'm not an American, and not quite anything else. IS . or better yet, for demanding in the House of : and in © Vancouver implement the — Some lease holders have: | held ats six per cent CHUCK COOK, MP for. Cook said: he is satisfied with the ‘ministers’ directive but is annoyed that Pepin has taken so long to make his decision. customers. "OUR peta . *B.C.A.A. APPROVED All work guaranteed and done by some of the industries best auto technicians. We.also:have ‘an * alignment and mechanical divis ~ for your safety. 23 years Serving . the tens of thousands of satisfied. ‘Safeway "Correction For flyer effective Des. 6-1 1, . 1982:.The advertised. item “Fresh | ‘butt ‘Shoulder, ‘pork: roast" ° was - incorrectly: itustated. Canada Safeway apologizes” their customers. ss TAYLORMOTIVE 985-7455