Jonathan Brun

Canadian History is actually fascinating

Canadian history is not boring. In fact, it is far more interesting and dynamic than one might expect. In contrast to many countries, we are a country formed not so much by war and violence, but by flexibility, negotiation and a tireless work ethic. We might lack dramatic civil wars, bombings or martyrs, but we should stand proud that we live in a country that prefers the pen and the word to the sword and the bomb.

Cicero once said, “Not to know what happened before you were born is to be forever a child.” It is with that spirit that I set out to brush up on my canadian and quebec history. Below are four books that I recently read and highly recommend. After reading these books I have a deeper, though still superficial, understanding of what it took to build our country and the trials all the men and women had to overcome. Canada remains a country unfinished – we lack a finalised constitution and still have strong unity issues – but we need to know where we came from to know where to go.

Champlain’s Dream by David Hackett Fisher

This fascinating book tells the story of Samuel de Champlain, undoubtedly the father of Quebec and by extension, Canada. He was a man who devoted his life to the establishment of a permanent colony in Canada, he regarded First Nation people as his equal, and managed to succeed in the both the politicized French courts and the harsh Canadian winter. What really sticks out is just how precarious Québec was, the French were by no means enthusiastic colonisers and Québec was largely financed by venture capitalists. His efforts to maintain peace with the first nations were instrumental to the survival of Europeans in Canada, his form of peace-building would later be emulated by other Canadian leaders and has become a defining part of what it is to be Canadian. Champlain was also a talented cartographer, manager and seaman, a true renaissance man. If not for Champlain, there would be no Québec and no french speaking people in North America. The book should be mandatory reading for all Canadians.

Extraordinary Canadians – Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin by John Raulston Saul

This excellent, though short, book delivers an insight into the partnership and friendship the two men formed. L-H Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin were the key creators of a bilingual and responsible government in the 1840s. Their efforts to appease sectarian urges in Upper and Lower Canada in the 1830-1850 period paved the way for a peaceful confederation in 1867 and the birth of a nation that included English and French. Their work also set the tone for future generations of Canadians who would continuously face the challenge of national unity. Though not a detailed historical work, it does give you a greater appreciation for the precariousness of the Canadas in the mid 19th century and how we nearly became an American state or an English speaking nation. These two men doggedly negotiated their way through mobs and racism to help birth the nation.

A Short History of Canada by Desmond Morton

This is a whirlwind tour of Canadian history from the first European settlement to 2005. It focuses on the national leaders and prime ministers that shaped this country and is a great overview of the formative parts of our history. It sadly skips over certain important treaties and dates, but nevertheless delivers a well balanced overview of our country.

Une Histoire du Quebec par Jacques Lacoursière

Ce bref livre offre une histoire fascinante du Québec, de Jacques Cartier à Charest. C’est un excellent survol de notre histoire nationale, des hommes et des femmes qui ont bravé la neige et les conflits religieux pour créer une ile francophone et progressive dans une Amérique du Nord anglophone. L’histoire reste parfaitement factuelle, M. Lacoursière vous offre un excellent survol de notre histoire pour ceux qui ont possiblement oublié leurs cours de secondaire.Canadian history is not boring. In fact, it is far more interesting and dynamic than one might expect. In contrast to many countries, we are a country formed not so much by war and violence, but by flexibility, negotiation and a tireless work ethic. We might lack dramatic civil wars, bombings or martyrs, but we should stand proud that we live in a country that prefers the pen and the word to the sword and the bomb.

Cicero once said, “Not to know what happened before you were born is to be forever a child.” It is with that spirit that I set out to brush up on my canadian and quebec history. Below are four books that I recently read and highly recommend. After reading these books I have a deeper, though still superficial, understanding of what it took to build our country and the trials all the men and women had to overcome. Canada remaine a country unfinished – we lack a finalised constitution and still have strong unity issues – but we need to know where we came from to know where to go.

Champlain’s Dream by David Hackett Fisher

This fascinating book tells the story of Samuel de Champlain, undoubtedly the father of Quebec and by extension, Canada. He was a man who devoted his life to the establishment of a permanent colony in Canada, he regarded First Nation people as his equal, and managed to succeed in the both the politicized French courts and the harsh Canadian winter. What really sticks out is just how precarious Québec was, the French were by no means enthusiastic colonisers and Québec was largely financed by venture capitalists. His efforts to maintain peace with the first nations was instrumental to the survival or europeans in Canada, his form of peace-building would later be emulated by other Canadian leaders and has become a defining part of what it is to be Canadian. Champlain was also an talented cartographer, manager and seaman, a true renaissance man. If not for Champlain, there would be no Québec and no french speaking people in North America. The book should be mandatory reading for all Canadians.

Extraordinary Canadians – Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin by John Raulston Saul

This excellent, but short book delivers an insight into the partnership and friendship that the two men formed. L-H Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin were the key creators of a bilingual and responsible government in the 1840s. Their efforts to appease sectarian urges in Upper and Lower Canada in the 1830-1850 period paved the way for a peaceful confederation in 1867 and the birth of a nation that included English and French. Their work also set the tone for future generations of Canadians who would continuously face the challenge of national unity. Though not a detailed historical work, it does give you an greater appreciation for the precariousness of the Canadas in the mid 19th century and how we nearly became an American state or an English speaking nation. These two men doggedly negotiated their way through mobs and racism to help birth the nation.

A Short History of Canada by Desmond Morton

This is a whirlwind tour of Canadian history from the first European settlement to 2005. It focuses on the national leaders and prime ministers that shaped this country and is a great overview of the formative parts of our history. It sadly skips over certain important treaties and dates, but nevertheless delivers a well balanced overview of our country.

Une Histoire du Quebec par Jacques Lacoursière

Ce bref livre offre une histoire fascinante du Quebec, de Jacques Cartier à Charest. C’est un excellent survol de notre histoire nationale, des hommes et des femmes qui ont bravé la neige et les conflits religieux pour créer une ile francophone et progressiste dans un Amérique du Nord anglophone. L’histoire reste parfaitement factuel, M. Lacoursière vous offre un excellent survol de notre histoire pour ceux qui ont possiblement oublié leurs cours de secondaire.

2017: 150 years of national discussion

The time has come to re-open the constitutional debate. We have one party who advocates for a small and unimportant central government (The Walrus) while the progressive votes are split amongst four parties, one of which wants to break up the country. This cannot continue.

Canada is a large, diverse and sparsely populated country with unique challenges. Our lack of national unity paralyses us in the face of challenges ranging from the tar sands to asbestos (The Star and Globe and Mail) to healthcare costs. We have failed to formulate and execute a coherent foreign policy and we cannot step away from the shadow of our southern neighbours.

When Trudeau held the constitutional discussions in 1982, he would have expected the country to have grown up by now. Amongst other factors, the influx of oil and mineral wealth has slowed our transition from a resource based economy to one based on innovation, high value products and services. The new money has also slowed the evolution of our social values and development of our national narrative. Like a rich kid who inherits money, Canada avoides facing the music.

Since oil prices started rising eight years ago, we have stalled on social progress. Income equality is good (Gini), but slipping. Gender equality is not great – only 20% of MPs are women. Decriminalization of soft drugs has come to a standstill and few MPs have the courage to discuss the right to end your own life (except the voters). We are dodging the hard stuff.

Canada is a highly de-centralized country where most decisions that affect citizens’ lives, such as education, health, and infrastructure are controlled by the provincial governments. This is both our weakness and strength. The federal government has a role to play in enforcing education standards, healthcare access, and formulating foreign policy, but it is ultimately the provincial and municipal governments who execute. The Federal government is there to set a vision for the country and since Trudeau they have failed to do that.

Unsurprisingly, Canada still faces the same hazardous situation we did in 1867: national unity. As Twain mused, “History doesn’t repeat itself, it rhymes”. 1949 brought the Newfies in, 1984 allowed Quebec to table demands and 1995 nearly broke the country in two. This time around, cultural and social values are driving a wedge between oil rich Alberta and the rest of the country.

No matter what happens on May 2nd, the risks are high. A weakened conservative minority government will likely lead to a Liberal, NDP, Bloc party alliance to take power – Alberta will kick up a shit storm. Alberta is already demographically under represented in Parliament and if they see a power grab by central Canada, west coast hippies, and urban hipsters, they might just say ‘enough’. On the other hand, if the Conservatives were to win a majority, we could very well see Quebec sovereignty rise to the surface again as Quebecers proclaim their values too different from Canadians. There are no easy options.

Canada is a country of compromise that was built on French, English, and Native American heritage. Clearly, there are growing economic and social rivalries between the oil rich Alberta (and now Newfoundland), urban socially progressive people, a shrinking working class and more traditional rural communities. We are a country in constant discussion, our constitution is unfinished, numerous treaties are unsigned, and power is not equally distributed throughout. Yet we have never fought an internal war and have always solved our differences through dialogue. Now, more than ever, Canada must breed closer ties between its people.

Let’s start talking. A national exchange program for high school students to send them all over our large country would help. In fact, it should be mandatory for every single Canadian high school student to spend at least 1 year at another school in another province. This will lay a strong and durable foundation for the exchange of ideas and customs between our different cultures.

To cement this exchange, we should institute continuous travelling town halls and discussion groups to better understand the different challenges facing the country. The groups would be held in person and online, with ideas, comments and feedback being used to generate a popular basis for a reformed constitution that can be signed by all provinces.

2017 will mark the 150th anniversary of confederation and this would be the ideal time to take what have learned about each other and formalize a stronger and united Canada.

Freedom ain’t free

Yesterday, I went to vote in the advance polls for the May 2nd Canadian Federal Election. While at the polling station, one of the clerks recounted how she rejoices in seeing people come to vote at every election; exercising their right to have a say in the formation of their government. In many parts of the world, this is not an option.

The elderly clerk went on to describe a middle age man from a North African country who came to vote during the last election. As a newly minted Canadian citizen, it was the first time he had ever voted. With tears of joy in his eyes, he asked the election clerk to take a photo of him at the ballot box so that he might send it back to his brother in their home country.

While these stories are inspiring, far too many Canadians are apathetic about the election. At the last federal election, only 56% of people voted. It is hard to understand.

http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index〈=e

My friend recently took a taxi ride and asked the driver if he intended to vote. The driver, a man from Ethiopia, said “no”, saying he was mostly just concerned with having a job. My friend then asked if he had not come to Canada to escape an oppressive regime where voting was not an option. After a moment of thought, he proclaimed, “I never looked at it that way, you’re right, I think I will vote this time”. It’s as simple as that, just ask people to vote.

Freedom ain’t free. Vote.

Get Mad like Howard Biel

I’ve made a point of not endorsing any political party, but to simply ask you to not vote for a Conservative government. That is why I built WhyHarperSucks and shared many articles via Twitter and Facebook. Let’s be honest, none of the party leaders have been very inspiring.

That being said, there are real issues at stake in this election and we must make a real and tangible choice with regards to our government. This brief clip from a Liberal rally is perhaps a glimps of what the leaders should be doing more of: putting their foot down and exclaiming, “Enough!”. The progression under Harper towards a socially conservative government, erosion of democracy, and partisan hackery has to stop. Take a look at this clip and then the next one from the famous movie Network, and then, get mad.

Michael Ignatieff

Howard Biel

Feeling your way to a breast cancer cure

Over 23 000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Canada every year. While the survival rate is fairly high (87%), much pain could be avoided with early detection. In my continuing quest to help woman (see makeyourgirlfriendhappy.com), I have devised a simple fundraising and educational device: a breast cancer sensing and awareness booth. Particpants attempt to detect tumors in artificial breasts.

The booth, shaped with female curves, will attract onlookers from far. Arriving at the booth, they step up to it and insert a dollar – like a vending machine. The slots protecting access to the sleeves open. The participant inserts their arms and feels two artificial breasts with a series of fake tumours in each breast. After usage, the participant must indicate the number of tumours in each breast. A paper receipt with the results, useful information on breast cancer, and ways to donate or help is then printed.

1. The participant would insert 1$ into the booth. (A)
2. This would open the slots (B)
3. The participant would insert hands and arms into the sleeves. (C)
4. The participant would feel the two fake breasts, each one with a different number of imitation cancerous tissues. (D)
5. Participant withdraws hands from sleeves.
6. Participant indicates how many cancerous tissues are in each breast. (E)
7. Answers are revealed and receipt with web address and reminders is printed. (F)
8. Shorter participants can use step (G) to place arms in sleeves.

Resources required:

• CAD drawing of device (which should be open-sourced)
• Artificial breasts with tumours
• Electronic Payment and receipt system

Me, presenting the idea!