Hero's fight is a_ sign of the times HAVE YOU ever heard of a man called Gordon McIntyre? I thought not. Neither had I until I read Joe Armstrong’s revealing bock, Farewell The Peaceful Kingdom, reviewed here recently. McIntyre is a Canadian hero but don’t look for him among those who have been given the Good Conduct Award known as the Order of Canada. He was the man who forced Quebec to permit business signs in English. That happened in 1993. Quietly. Sure, the change did make some news. Unless my eyes failed me, however, the crusader himself was hardly mentioned. Nor did I know that he did it through tne United Nations, or that that body had condemned Canada for denying the rights of English speakers in Quebec. - You would think a UN con- demnation of this country would make a few big headlines. We are after all very keen on the organi- " gation, But it didn't. In the chapter Canada on Trial Before the United Nations, - Armstrong states: “The press, print and electronic media including thé CBC, smoth- ered the case in Canada's biggest cover-up.” _ The story started in 1988, when McIntyre owned the Kelly Funeral Home, located in an . English-speaking area in Quebec ‘ “near the American border. He got a letter.from the provincial “tongue troopers” who informed him his sign was illegal. It had to be in French, as laid down by Bill 78. He offered to put it in French and English. No, that wouldn't do. French only, please. Whereupon ~ he said they could pass a law turning him into a girl but he ‘,woutd never start dating guys. Get lost, in other words. Knowing that he would get nowhere with Quebec’s language ’ fascists he took his complaint to “the UN, together with a 10,000 - signature petition of support. Bill 178, he claimed, contravened the Deu Collins on the Z other hand International Covenant on Civil and Political Richts. He informed the Canadian ambassador to the UN, Yves Fortier, of what he was doing but got no reply; he also informed every senator in Ottawa, not one of whom responded; plus every MP, none of whom asked a ques- tion in the House. The party leaders didn’t want to know, either. Equally indiffer- ent was that great national gabfest and fighter for minorities, Stephen Lewis. Ed Broadbent must also have thought that discretion was the better part of valor. Mulroney had given the former NDP leader a highly paid job in Montreal as head of the Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development and he started roam- ing the world looking for rights violations. But what was going on in Quebec didn’t seem to interest him, Perhaps more important things were going on in Mexico? McIntyre fought on, spending a fortune in the process and meeting a brick wall. Even when the UN report was brought down it got only inciden- tal mentton in the media. And that was five years after this David began fighting his Goliath.The issue never became the national scandal it deserved to be. The federal government? In its representations to the UN it took Quebec's side against McIntyre. The Tories, under Mulroney, thought tiat Quebec was perfectly entitled to do what it was doing. drinking drivers _ THE FOLLOWING people recently ‘appeared in North Shore courts in connection with drinking and driving related offences: Eleanor Morrill, 69, of West Vancouver, was fined $600 and received a 12-month driver's licence suspension after pleading guilty to impaired. Hans Christian Nielson, 33, of North Vancouver, was fined $300 and received a three-month licence sus- pension after pleading guilty to hav- ing a blood alcoho! reading greater than .08. Richard John Thompson, 33, of West Vancouver, was fined $750 and - received a 12-month licence suspen- sion after a guilty plea to impaired. David Strapps, 38. of Bowen Island, was fined $600 and received a 12-month driver's licence suspension after pleading guilty to having a blood alcohol reading greater than .08. LONSDALE QUAY NORTH VANCOUVER 3 988-6321 Bilingualism? That, obviously, was only for English Canada. Armstrong writes: “The national newspapers totally ignored the fact that the Government of Canada stood firmly against the fundamental rights of a Canadian citizen.“ Were they just stupid? Lazy? Cowardly? Isn‘t this the kind of story the greenest cub reporter would seize upon? In the end, and no thanks to the media, Premier Robert Bourassa had to admit that Quebec's sign laws violated free- dom of speech. And they were changed, thanks only to McIntyre. Virtual silence reigned in Canada on this affair. But newspa- pers in London, Washington, Miami, San Francisco and Australia covered the story in depth. Armstrong's book is a lesson in how much Quebec can get away with. It also shows that most of our politicians cannot be trust- ed where the interests of that province are concerned. For his efforts, records Arrastrong, McIntyre had endured five years of abuse and a tremen- dous loss of business. He is now living in Ontario. oo @ Auto oo a Homeowners ° Trav el rant Comnlt ties ICBC PAYMENT PLAN NOW AVAILABLE Defieux-Saxelby Insurance Services Inc. 105-200 West Esplanade, N. Van (Located beneath Famous Hayers Theatre) , 7 MasterCard CUSTOM DRAPERIES, TRACKS AND BEDSPREADS Labv ur $9.50 Ber $10.50 lined. CUSTOM VALANCES & BLINDS At low, low prices. For FREE Estimates call seasee 2966 (Ask abo about Seniors’ Discounts ) RRSP Tip #4 North Shore for 24 poara Inflation will erode your savings Janet Ketchen Branch Manager every single day for the rest of your life. Inflation-proof yourself with a mixed portfolio Kd CHILDREN’ S GLOTHING CO. favouring equities. KIDZ BIZ. 7 RM BIZ RID