Would Wildrose have shut down Alberta’s Human Rights Commission

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Stephen Pate

Election win by Conservatives puts issue to rest but for how long?

Alison Redford, Alberta Premier on the phone jubilant at election win(photo credit - Todd Korol / Reuters)

Against the odds and Canada’s top pollsters and media predictions, Conservative Alison Redford has won a decided victory in Alberta’s provincial election.

Canadian human rights advocates can breathe a sigh of relief that Wildrose didn’t take the government. Wildrose leader Danielle Smith announced plans to close down Alberta’s Human Rights Commission, replacing it with a branch of the court system to weed out “frivolous” human rights complaints. Continue reading →

Why doesn’t our Prime Minister support our Constitution and Charter?

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Stephen Pate

Isn’t the leader of a democracy supposed to uphold the foundations of that democracy?

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Santiago Chile, not happy with our Charter (Photograph by: SAUL LOEB , Getty Images Canada.com)

I was shocked yesterday to read that Prime Minister Stephen Harper wouldn’t support the 30th Anniversary celebration of Canada’s repatriation of our Constitution from England and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“In terms of this as an anniversary, I think it’s an interesting and important step, but I would point out that the Charter remains inextricably linked to the patriation of the Constitution and the divisions around that matter, which as you know are still very real in some parts of the country,” Harper said. (Toronto Star) Continue reading →

Ground breaking for Rustico French school

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Stephen Pate

New French school in historic Rustico ends years of debate

Robert Ghiz, Premier of Prince Edward Island, broke ground in Rustico Monday on the new French school, L’Ecole St Augustin, ending more than a decade of effort by local parents to educate their children in a French language school of their own.

The 23,000 square foot school is being built on land adjacent to the Farmers Bank, Doucet House and St. Augustine Church in one of PEI’s oldest Acadian communities. Continue reading →

Gram and her Sid

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Pottie's at Mary's wedding - Jimmy, Sid, Pops, Eddie, Cam, Clary (dad), Mary, Gram, Charlie, Margaret, Pat and Johnny

Growing up hidden Acadian in Halifax

(updated)

This is a follow up to a reader’s comment on My uncle Sid. One family story leads to another.

My grand-mère was as strict an Acadian Catholic as God made. Half Scottish and half Acadian from Arichat, Isle Madame, Cape Breton, she would use Gaelic when angry.

I remember rabbit pie on the stove at home in Halifax, which amazingly which gets honorary mention in an Ecole Buote lesson plan.

Continue reading →

Hot time at Franco Folies in Charlottetown Friday night more to come

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Three day Francophone festival has food, fun and lively music for all

Last night we were whiling our time on Victoria Row when friends went by and said a Cajun band was playing at the passenger terminal later on. A Cajun band! Off we went to this poorly promoted but fun event.

They show continues tonight at 7:30 pm at the renovated Charlottetown wharf – at the bottom of Weymouth Street.

We didn’t sample the Cajun and Acadian food since we were stuffed from eating at the Globe but it looked good and the price was fair. Continue reading →

Lack of French-speaking librarians concerns Acadian group

Posted on April 28, 2009 by NJN Network

CBC, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, April 28, 2009

A French cultural group on P.E.I. is disappointed the Confederation Centre Library is falling short when it comes to offering assistance to francophones, but the province doesn’t see the problem.

‘We certainly have received no complaints or concerns at the Confederation public library.’
— Harry Holman, Department of Culture

The provincial library recently added Chinese materials and hired a temporary staff member who speaks both Mandarin and Japanese in reaction to an influx of immigrants from China, but no one on staff is considered fluent in French.

Continue reading →

Friday the 13th redux

Posted on March 14, 2009 by NJN Network

Bad luck is often what we make

While Friday the 13th started with only slight apprehension and a determination to be careful, events can overtake you when lady luck goes for a drive.

The day went along swimmingly. Stories flowed slowly from my two fingers. Projects like mailing back two TC Helicon floor pedals remained unpacked in boxes on the hall floor where they had been all week. My new song 56 Percent Man remained unrecorded. I was being cautious, not pushing my chances. The recording session the night before was a disaster with the computer deciding my music was not recordable. Research on Friday proved the fault to be mine: I neglected to turn on the Firewire drivers to encourage the song to flow from the mixer. Other than that I was in a fine mood. Continue reading →

Lions Club is missing too much

Posted on February 12, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Cymbria Lions Club, Rustico PEI, too much is missing for a French school and community centre

By The Fiery Independent, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 12, 2009

Part 2 – yesterday Lions stop thinking about our money

Dear Lions,

You are great neighbours and many of you friends; however you don’t seem to understand that your pecuniary interests are going against the good of the children of this community.

The kids don’t have the privilege of enjoying the gymnasium five days a week in the Lions centre because “it costs too much to heat up in the winter”. The kids cannot eat in the cafeteria on days that there is a funeral lunch so they have to eat in the classroom. The kids cannot enjoy a freshly cooked meal a few times a week, nor can they have cooking oriented learning activities. It is not permitted to make use of the Lions Centre’s kitchen because “it would cost too much in insurance”.
Continue reading →

Lions stop thinking about our money

Posted on February 11, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Cymbria Lions Club, Rustico PEI, think about children not money

By The Fiery Independent, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 11, 2009

Editor: the series of local articles on Lions and the French school community centre are not only popular in PEI. We received a thank you note from the Lions International noting their interest.

Dear Lions.

You are great neighbours and many of you friends; however you don’t seem to understand that your pecuniary interests are going against the good of the children of this community. Having a French school with a community component is not going to harm whatever activities you do. The activities and groups that would come to the French school would not be the same as the ones you entertain in your building. We need our kids to live and learn to feel accepted and welcomed in their own community. They should be proud of who they are, that is Acadians. This means being of French descent and culture.
Continue reading →

Does PEI have a P3 School After All? (P3 = public-private partnership)

Posted on February 7, 2009 by Stephen Pate

North Rustico, waiting 27 years for new French school

By Plumette de Rustico, special to NJN Network, Rustico, PEI, Canada, February 7. 2009

École Saint Augustin has been located at the Cymbria Lions Club for eight long years. It was established as a pilot project of the Commission scolaire de langue française that received a moral boost and a step in its gait following the Supreme Court decision in favour of Noëlla Arsenault and Madeleine Costa’s long-fought cause against the province for Section 23 rights in Summerside. The current rental arrangement was only ever meant to be a temporary situation. This was known by all parties at the time. Still the students and parents have been waiting patiently for this to be rectified as has been the cultural council that is also housed in the same structure.
Continue reading →

Noël Doiron and the sinking of the Duke William on CBC Radio

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Byline

By Georges Arseanult, Charlottetown – CBC Radio – Maritime Magazine (Sunday 8:30 a.m.) will be airing this Sunday (Jan 25) a 30-minute documentary on Noël Doiron and the sinking of the Duke William during the Deportation of the Prince Edward Island Acadians in 1758. Noël Doiron from Pointe-Prime (today’s Eldon) and some 120 members of his family drowned during that tragedy. The community of Noel in Hants County was named for Noël Doiron. In fact that is where he was living before he moved to the Island with his family in 1750. Tod and Shawn Scott from the Heroes of Hants County Association who did a very impressive research on the life of Noël Doiron were interviewed for the documentary as well as genealogist Stephen White and myself. May I remind you that you can listen to CBC Radio Maritime on line .