A4 - Sunday, October 2, 1983 - North Shore News strictly personal by Bob Hunter BARELY MORE than a century ago, ‘politics in Canada was a mirror image of what it is today. And yet, stay the same. The story of the burial of Joseph Guibord never quite became a national legend like the hanging of Louis Riel, but it tells us much about the dynamics of the eternal strug- gle between English and French in this country — and how politics follows the moods of the masses, rather than truly shaping them. It also gives us a glimpse of the temperament of the 1880s, which resulted in Riel’s death, an event which haunts us almost as much to- day as it did then. Before Riel’s adventures, ‘“Paffaire ‘Guibord,’’ as it was called, shook Quebec to its roots. In those days, French na- tionajist sentiment found its political expression in the the more things change, the more they Parti National, a Catholic party that was a fusion of race, language and religion. God, what an awful witch’s brew! Liberals — ‘‘Rouges’’? — at that time were perceived as having sold out to English Canada. In _ aationaliste quarters, it was deemed sin- ful for a Catholic to be a Liberal. When Guibord, an un- distinguished but loyal Ray Perrault-like Liberal member of the influential Institut Canadien, died in 1869, his widow demanded that he be buried in a Roman Catholic cemetery. The trouble was, because of his political beliefs, he had been excommunicated by the church. The local priest the world outside... VANCOUVER — The possibility of a strike by the International Wood. workers of America (IWA) or a lock-out by the forest. companies ts growing Stake notice has been served by the giant forest union in the wake of a Forest industry could be closed walk-out by 500 loggers in the Woss Lake area of Vancouver Island. Monday, the Forest In- dustnial Relations (FIR) which represents employers, meets to discuss the possibility of reacting to the threat by locking out employces iel still haunts us refused to allow the burial to take place, and when an at- tempt was made to bring Guibord’s body to. the cemetery, a riot exploded. Guibord was interred in a Protestant cemetery while the federal government proceed- ed with a civil suit against the priest. Radical French Catholic nationalistes used this grisly event to bolster their fortunes in an effort to fend off the emergence of a secular federal state. Priests and bishops wanted to be exempt from Canadian law, even though they had a ‘“‘duty’’ to interfere in politics. Obviously, they couldn’t have it both ways. The test of strength bet- ween church and state ended dramatically in 1874 — five years after Guibord’s death — when a judicial committee ruled that burial in a Chris- tian cemetery was a civil right that couldn’t be denied on grounds of excommunica- tion. Escorted by no less than 1,200 soldiers, Joe Guibord’s body was taken to a Catholic cemetery in Montreal, encas- ed in a coffin fashioned of scrap iron and cement that weighed several tons so it couldn’t be dug up, and buried. It was this sort of political game and mood — screaming mobs of Catholic bigots and heavy-handed military power trips — that led inexorably to the command by Sir John A. Macdonald, a decade later, that Louis Riel ‘‘shall hang though every dog in Quebec bark in his favor.’’ Thus enraged Quebec turn- ed away from the Tories to the Liberals, giving them basically an unbroken century-long stranglehold on a province where they were once loathed for being Cana- dians first, Quebeckers second. a And here we are in 1983 — the so-called ‘‘Space Age’’ — facing the same sort of battle all over again, with Manitoba as the cockpit once more, and Tory ambitions of sweeping a decadent and corrupt Liberal government out of power in Ottawa threatened by the twin spectres of Sr. John A. and the mad ‘‘founder of Manitoba.’’ It would be a tragedy if the ancient conflict between ‘*‘DO IT YOURSELF”’ or HAVE IT DONE Uni-stone AND EXPOSED AGGREGATE CONCRETE PAVERS Aliso stepping stones, planters, curbs, bicycle stands. SANDERSON CONCRETE PRODUCTS LTD. 310 Harbour Ave. North Vancouver Call us: 985-6108 English and French in Manitoba was allowed to pre- vent the Tories from driving a political wedge into Quebec, like a stake into the heart of the Liberals. ‘‘Tragedy’’ is hardly the word. It would be disgusting. ESTATE ADMINISTRATION WILL PLANNING Royal Trust since 1899 555 Burrard Street Both are available at Vancouver Clock Ltd. For repairs on watches and clocks, call Kurt, third generation watch and clock maker from Switzerland Bee ¢ He phone 6 668-5000 VANCOUVER CLOCK LTD. 1437 Marine Drwe West Vancouver 922-7593 draperies by S. Laursen Custom Draperies, Bedspread 1” Venetian, Vertical and Wooden ‘“‘In-home Service’”’ 2728A S.E Marine Dr Vancouver 438-2636 linds FREE ESTIMATES GLADLY GIVEN All blinds 20% off list Labour per panel $5.50 (unlined). $6.50 (lined). FOR THE FINAL TOUCH. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday thru Saturday call 987-2966 MLAs back to all-night sittings VICTORIA This week ended the same as last for M1 As — they headed out in search of sleep after all might sittings of the day, the government Souial Credit telturned to Beirut’s airport open fo flights all night) sittings an at- through more of its Controversial Iegislation tempts (0 push Along the way closure tossed out of | the house for his behaviour wis legislature and more PRE N acrimony was used on at least two After adjourning MOF’ Occasions and onc CLEARANCE debate before mdmght on veteran MEA —— Frank both Monday and Tues Howard of the NDP - BEIRUT -— Lebanon s airport is see: as a mark shaky cease fire Continues of the progress being to hold despite sporadn made oun peace incidents of sniping negouanons “COME AND SEE us Dor the fiest time in Druse leader Walid FORA WARM RECEPTION more than a month Jumblatt} had threatened Beirut ss ateport the to shell Pe facthty, which scene oof heavy shelling he feltf the Lebanese a - . = from ruse troops hhaas Boverningnt was planning GREAT OUTDOORS been reopened to turn into a omiistary 201 LONSDALE 980-3313 Agreement to open the base ‘% OFF ALL 1982-83 MODELS Crakk cross country OCT 1-14