strictly

~ WHENEVER [ hear Lucien
Bouchard dismissing the
dreams and hopes of people

- living in the Rest of Canada

_ as though we were ail one
species, I am reminded how

_ the Quebec nationalist
movement is inherently.
racist,

So what? you ask, Probably

’ most of the governments of the
world are, to one degree or anoth-
er, But there is one country that
works harder than most at bending
over backwards to avoid any hint
of racism in any form, and that's
Canada,
' It is one thing to be said for
Canada,

A friend of mine who has visit-
ed every country in the world at
least Once swears that he sees less

‘racism at work in Canada than
‘anywhere else.
Even the aggressively egalitari-
“an Norse countries erect clever
defences around their.racial puri-
‘ty. Lest anyone be shocked, the
practice is the same, only more

so, in the African countries, where |

tribes in many cases have obvi-
ously not adapted to colonially
imposed artificial national identi-
ties.. .
’ So they slaughter each other.

A thing like this could never
happen ‘in Canada, I like to think.

et we aren't as far removed from
the jungle as we'd like to think.
.'The long, sometimes genocidal
war against the natives didn’t end
until quite recently, by historical
standards, and some will argue it
isn’t over yet by a long shot.

“It must amuse natives in .
‘Canada to watch the two so-called
“founding races” still duking it
out after all these centuries.

For over 50 years, we've been creating individual solutions throug ah a range
of products, including Gis, RSPs and our family of Hdhical Mateal Mands.

personal

As it happens, my mather was
Freneh-Canadian, and by all the
tules of the game, | am therefore
half francophone.

Twas born in St. Boniface,
Manitoba, and my Freneh-
Canadian grandparents are buried
on the grounds of the Basilio, a
few yards from Louis Riel,

During the war years, while my
Scottish-Canadian father was
away, | was raised mainly ina
French-Canadian environment,
went to a Catholie church, and
spoke French.

As Tretmember it, the word for
“French-Canadian” was simply
“Canadien.” After all, the French
were here before the Brits.

After the war, when Dad came
home, we moved to an English-
speaking neighborhood, and Twas
quickly assimilated,

Wearing short pants and speak-
ing French were two things you
just didn’t do. By the lime they
Started forcing us to learn French
in school, [ had already forgotten
virtually the whole language,
except fora smattering of swear
words and religious expressions.

So [ understand perfectly the
Quebecois fear of being absorbed
and reprogrammed, Their leaders
know it only takes one generation
for an entire culture to be lost.

Civilization is a learned thing,
not an instinct, { have turned
almost 100% into an “English-
Canadian.” But wait a minute.
How do you measure these

pie oe
IVE:

f PERSONAL —_— 1

Free Initial Consultation

Douglas W. Lahay,
CLARK, WILSON

BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS

800-885 West Georgia Street, Van.
687-5700

f 24 HOUR MESSAGE 643-3161

B ICBC’s policies are not law. I will get
& you a fair settlement or trial award.

retr

things? Is it striclly on the basis of

linguistic proficiency?

After a week in Montreal or
Paris, after enough vin rouge, |
ean get them rolling in the aisles
with ny atrocious, audacious,
comical primitive French which
comes from the heart.

Mor not afraid to get inte the
role, you see. And that is surely

-part of “race

(in irreversibly part froggie, is
what Cor saying. And Pimust sity,
as such, a8 a (rue-as-they-come
Canuck — part Scottish, part
French, and thanks to the French
side, a tiny part Huron -- Ud be
bitter, sad. even angry, to see
Quebec yo.

Rut Pam « grown-up min, after

all. [have been through a divorce,
I know that there is life after
divorce, and that you can only
oppose the breakup of a relation-
ship so long.

It takes two to keep it going.
My reaction to the breakup of
Canada — which looks to be a
distinct possibility — will be
quintessentially Canadian, PIE say:
“Oh well, c’est la vie.”

In a surprising variety of ways,
we might find the release from the
straitjacket of traditional Canadian
federalism to be liberating, In
some ways, Confederation has
been a kind of Frankenstein, with
parts from different bodies sewn
crookedly together. Weird, but
mostly peaceful.

As modern nation-states go,

Plus, for a limited time. there's WLEX term 96, But tic is running out,
so call today. 986-4321.

at

Canada is a gentle giant, Most of
the recent native uprisings have
ended without a whole lot of
bloodshed, surely a sign of civi-
lized behavior.

Of course, if Quebee goes,

which fam fearing at the moment,

life will go on.

In same ways, it will be beter,
that is ia the sense of the rest of
us having more contro! over our
own itffairs, with less massive
interference at the federal level
from one central, over-representedd
provinces,

The loss of a marriage with
inuch in it that is wonderful is
never an occasion for joy. dust the
fact that we have come to this
juncture, with half of the people

Sunday, October 29, 1995 — North Shore News - 7

of Quebec wanting to leave, is
proof of some terrible failure,

A chasm has already opened
between Quebec and the rest of
the country which might never be
truly fled in again.

For the rest of us.to learn that
we are really not loved is (rautiat-
ic in itself. UC would wish Qtebec
well iff thought for a minute its
people were rising up to over:
throw a tyranny, or fighting for
freedom, but all they come up
with fora reason for going is the
protection and preservation of the
white French race in North
America: a march back wards to
tribatism,

13th Annual

WEST VANCOUVER SECONDARY SCHOOL ,
1750 Mathers Ave.

Friday, November 3, 1995 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Saturday, November 4, 1995 10:00am to 4:00pm

* Unique Gifts Handcrafted
* Bottle Adventure

© Giant Book Sale (new & used)”
. * Kids' Alley

Admission $1.00
Parking und entrance at rear of school aff Kings and 15th

CUSTOM |

DRAPERIES,

TRACKS AND
VALANCES
Labour $8.50 per.

- panel unlined,
$9.50 lined.

CUSTOM BEDSPREADS & BLINDS
At low, low prices.
For FREE Estimates

/ call 987-2966

(Ask about Seniors’ Discounts)
Serving the North Shore for 24 years

[Ss NORTH $ SHORE
~] CREDIT UNION

Fetes in goon Community

9 Full Service Locations
West Vancouver « North Vancouver Whistler

Vancouver + Burnaby

Metepate tee o Mate