Alberta - Community Digest

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ISSN: 1923-1024
Vol. 31, No. 3
February 2013
COMMUNITY NOUVELLES
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3 Edmonton employers charged
with cheating immigrant workers
Band performs at opening party for Calgary Folk Festival’s new Inglewood
home on Jan. 26.
Calgary Folk Festival opens new home
by Steve Bowell
CALGARY -- The
Cal gary Folk Music
Festival now has a
place to hold concerts
year-round, in a 225seat
auditorium under
a sturdy roof.
Festival Hall, a threestorey
arts, performance
and music
space at 12th Avenue
and 12st Street S.E.,
had its official opening
party Jan. 26, although
it’s actually
been in use for several
months.
The Festival will still
take over Prince’s Island
Park every summer.
But festival artistic
director Kerry
Clarke says the new
space can be put to a lot
of uses over the year.
“We don’t want to do
just music,” she says.
“There’s other cool
programming that we
can do, like a workshop
and a talk and a
performance or film in
. . . and then use it the
next day. Like have an
artist play on a Satur-
day night and then on
Sunday they can do a
Continued on page 3....
Marble Slab Creamery: not so sweet for immigrant workers
40010154
by Michael Lamey
EDMONTON -- Three Edmonton employers
have been charged under the Immigration and
Refugee Act after they hired two Filipino workers
from Israel, then gave them lower-wage jobs
than promised before firing them.
The investigation involved two Filipino men in
their 30s who came to Canada from Israel to
work at a local coffee shop in Edmonton under
the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
The plan was for the men to send money back
home to their families in the Philippines, said
Const. Neal Jespersen, one of the case investigators
with the RCMP immigration and passport
section in Calgary.
Continued on page 3 ...

2 COMMUNITY DIGEST
Feb. 1-8, 2013
EDITORIAL by John Carpay
Free society should be able to tolerate Christian-based law school
The dean of the faculty of law at Queen’s University,
William Flanagan, argues that Trinity Western University
(TWU) should not be allowed to set up its own law school
because the Christian university is guilty of “discrimination
on the basis of sexual orientation.”
Flanagan should know that a free society tolerates a wide
range of opinion on all topics, including sexual morality.
No law compels anyone to agree with Flanagan’s opinions
about sex and sexuality, nor is he compelled to agree with
Christian teaching about sex and sexuality.
For Flanagan to suggest that all Canadian law schools must
comply with one, single government-enforced ideology
about sexual behaviour is the opposite of a free society.
The imposition of one world view on all institutions is the
hallmark of totalitarianism.
Further, Flanagan is wrong in accusing TWU of “discriminating”
against gays. Consistent with over 2,000 years of
Christian teaching, TWU’s “community covenant” imposes
a range of penalties (including expulsion) on heterosexual
students who engage in sex outside of marriage.
This community covenant applies to all staff and all students,
regardless of sexual orientation, prohibiting adultery,
pornography, promiscuity, etc.
Any student, whether gay or straight, who does not wish to
abide by TWU’s code of conduct is free to attend another
university. Nobody is required to abide by these rules, unless
a person voluntarily submits to them. For Flanagan to
characterize these rules as “anti-gay” is misleading.
Canada has indisputably the most monolithic body of law
schools in the western world. They are all of the same
model, promoting a politically-correct world view which
rarely if ever questions the progressive orthodoxies of radical
feminism, socialist economics, aboriginal entitlements,
and libertine sexual politics.
Those who shout the loudest for “tolerance” and “diversity”
are in fact the most intolerant of any real diversity in
opinion, as can be seen by the Canadian Council of Law
Deans opposing the creation of a law school which might
be different from all the others.
Whatever Flanagan’s views about sex may be, he is free
to persuade other people of their correctness. Apparently
not content with this freedom, Flanagan seems to believe
that every law school in Canada must comply with and
teach his ideology. This hostility to authentic diversity
runs counter to the fundamental freedoms of expression
and association, both protected by the Canadian Charter
of Rights and Freedoms.
A free society protects atheists and agnostics from government
coercion as much as it protects theists. To insist that
all law schools (or other institutions) must subscribe to a
particular set of beliefs about sexual behaviour threatens
the freedom of everyone – including Flanagan’s freedom.
Calgary lawyer John Carpay is President of the Justice
Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (www.jccf.ca).
(Troy Media Corporation)
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Feb. 1-8, 2013
COVER STORIES
Kerry Clarke, artistic director of the Calgary Folk Music
Festival, in its new home at 12th Ave. & 12th St. S.E.
Continued from page 1 (“Calgary Folk Festival opens new...”)
workshop. Or we could have an artist play that sells more
than 150-200 tickets over several nights.”
Clarke doesn’t intend the building to be reserved for Folk
Festival-sponsored activities alone, but to be an available
venue for Calgary’s entire artistic community.
“We want it to be a centre for music and art, so even if we’re
not curating it, we want to be able to work with people,
encourage people that are doing really interesting art that
helps define this space,” she said.
Already, some of this past year’s Fringe Festival performances
were held there, and the idea is to see the building
host everything from theatre groups and film screenings to
spoken-word events, corporate parties and lectures.
For its part, the folk fest plans on putting on an average
of one show or event a week, programming as concerts
are made available to them, such as an upcoming string of
shows by Justin Rutledge (Feb. 23), Hayden (March 27)
and the inspired, stage-sharing pairing of Mary Chapin
Carpenter and Shawn Colvin (April 22).
To facilitate the enjoyment of such offerings, the envirofriendly
hall was designed by “award-winning Vancouverbased
Peter Cardew Architects” with auditory perfection
foremost in mind.
The building has been almost eight years in the making, and
comes with a price tag, including the purchase of the land,
of $7.1 million, with $4.7 million coming from three levels
of government and the rest from the festival’s fundraising
and own contributions.
COMMUNITY DIGEST 3
Continued from page 1 (“3 Edmonton employers charged...”)
When the two workers arrived in Edmonton to start work
in January 2010, their new employers told them the prearranged
jobs at the coffee shop were no longer available
and they would work instead at a Marble Slab Creamery
location for less money. Jespersen said the pay at both
places was around minimum wage, which sat at $9.40 an
hour prior to an increase in September 2012.
The two men were threatened with deportation if they
complained to government officials that their terms of
employment were different from the original arrangement,
RCMP say.
Jespersen said the employer took advantage of the language
barrier to abuse the situation. The two workers speak Tagalog,
the official language of the Philippines.
The workers took their concerns to Edmonton police four
months later, around the same time they were fired. The
police alerted RCMP.
Immigration then stepped in to help the two workers find
other work in Alberta.
Yassin Hamdom, 45, and Wendy Sawa, both directors of the
Marble Slab Creamery, and Ahmed Baalbaki, 36, owner/
operator of the undisclosed coffee shop, were charged with
unauthorized employment of a foreign national, counselling
misrepresentation and a counselling offence. All are
scheduled to appear in provincial court Feb. 19.
The alleged offences took place in the first six months of
2010, court records show.
“The RCMP is committed to dealing with this type of
situation, whether they are international or domestic,” said
Jespersen, who wouldn’t release the specific addresses of
the businesses involved in this case because the locations
may face threats. He said both the Marble Slab and the
coffee shop are open for business.
“This is another example of exploited innocent people who
want to make a life for themselves and come to work to
Canada from abroad,” said RCMP Staff Sgt. Jim Gamlin
of the immigration and passport section in Calgary.

4 COMMUNITY DIGEST
Feb. 1-8, 2013
EAT WELL. LIVE LONGER.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
YOU PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT.
learn more at heartandstroke.ca
CALGARY
by A. Thobhani
Council puts shark fins on back burner
CALGARY -- Calgary’s controversial shark-fin bylaw
continues to linger in legal limbo, as City Council opted
to undertake further consultation before making a final
decision.
People on both sides of the issue – environmental concerns
vs. Chinese culture – came to City Hall during the Jan. 28
council meeting.
Citing a lack of meaningful dialogue between opposing
sides, Ald. Druh Farrell suggested creating a “Shark Fin
Task Force” to further study the issue.
A majority of council agreed, including Mayor Naheed
Nenshi.
“People who feel passionately on this with different points
of view have not had an opportunity to sit down together,”
Nenshi said.
The task force will be chaired by Farrell and Ald. Brian
Pincott, who initially brought forward the bylaw, which
received approval in principle last October but has yet to be
enacted by receiving second and third readings at council.
Richard Poon, the spokesperson for a group of Chinese
merchants and other Calgarians opposed to the bylaw, was
pleased with council’s decision.
Poon said shark fins can be collected in humane ways and
noted his group is opposed to the practice of shark finning,
which removes only the animal’s fin and leaves it to die.
“Shark fin and finning are totally two different things,”
he said.
Ingrid Kuenzel of Shark Fin Free Calgary was disappointed
with the decision but said her group would participate in
the dialogue council wants to foster.
Sometimes fins are cut from live sharks.

Feb. 1-8, 2013
ALBERTA by N. Janmohamed
Angry Romas protest harassment from Hungarians
Red Deer woman charges
Hungary not “safe” for Roma
RED DEER -- In spite of Canada’s classifying Hungary
as a “safe country,” it is not safe for Roma (Gypsies), a
Romani woman from Red Deer claims.
“They’re throwing Molotov cocktails into Roma houses
in the neighbourhoods,” says Zoe Duval, a 22-year-old
Romani who was adopted by Canadian parents.
Hungary is now on a list of countries the Canadian government’s
new refugee law classifies as “safe countries,”
making it difficult for Roma people to make refugee claims
despite numerous reports of ethnic attacks.
The rules give Roma people less time to apply for asylum
and they can be sent back to Hungary before an appeal is
heard, she said.
“We need to fight this,” said Duval who is looking to Roma
Albertans to help set up a non-profit group.
Alberta to allow Sikhs
to wear kirpans in court
EDMONTON -- Alberta has come up with a policy to
allow Sikhs to wear a ceremonial religious dagger called
a kirpan in courthouses.
Under the Justice Department policy, a person must tell
security officers he has a kirpan and wear it in a sheath,
under clothing. The blade can be no longer than 10 cm.
The World Sikh Organization says Alberta is the first
province to bring in such a policy, which is partly based
on rules developed for courts in Toronto.
The Alberta rules stem from a human rights complaint filed
in 2008 where a man wasn’t allowed inside a Calgary court
because he was wearing a kirpan.
COMMUNITY DIGEST 5

6 COMMUNITY DIGEST
Feb. 1-8, 2013
CANADA
Iranian refugees in Turkey
by S. Jiwa
Canada to resettle up to 5,000
Iranian and Iraqi refugees by 2018
OTTAWA -- Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
has announced plans to resettle up to 5,000 Iranian and
Iraqi refugees, presently in Turkey, by 2018.
Citing “escalating violence in the region,” Immigration
Minister Jason Kenney outlined his government’s intention
to “help Turkey deal with this growing pressure.”
He also commended the government of Turkey “for keeping
her borders open to those fleeing the ongoing conflict
in the region.”
It is expected that this undertaking will help ease the existing
burden on Turkey, freeing up the Turkish government’s
resources to deal with the current influx of Syrians seeking
protection in the country.
Kenney reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to its 2009 and
2010 pledges of resettling 20,000 Iraqi refugees. To date,
it has resettled 12,000, most of them from Syria.
Most of the refugees will be referred by the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for
resettlement.
Canada is one of a few countries operating a resettlement
program out of Turkey, and is second only to the United
States as a destination for refugees from the region.
WORLD
by S. Merali
Australian prof proposes
a ‘de-Britified’ new flag
CANBERRA -- A new flag has been designed in Australia
in a bid to “move on” from the country’s colonial past.
Military historian Dr John Blaxland, of the Australian National
University, came up with the idea because he says the
current one does not embrace all aspects of Australian culture.
His flag contains 250 dots to the left to represent the many
Aboriginal dialects as well as the immigrant languages
spoken on the streets of Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and
other towns and cities across the nation.
There is also a red section in the shape of a boomerang,
and a traditional representation in green and yellow of the
Southern Cross constellation, made up of five stars – one
small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars.
But he says he did not want to completely disregard modern
Australia’s British roots and added a white stripe to ‘echo’
that on the British Union Flag, which occupies the top left
quarter of the present Australian flag.
‘We can move on, we can reflect on our history but also
acknowledge in the design... that we can’t completely trash
the British heritage,’ he added
Rather than just a straightforward nod to the country’s British
heritage, he says he wanted a flag that acknowledges
Australia’s Aboriginal communities as well as its growing
multiculturalism.
“People can identify with various parts of it and see that
Australia is actually a multicultural place with a rich history
that reaches back for generations,” he said.
Australian author and former rugby union player Peter FitzSimons
also backed calls for a new flag, saying the current one
“is no longer a symbol that unites us (but) it divides us.”
Proposed new Australian flag

Feb. 1-8, 2013
PEOPLE
by Bev Betkowski
U. of A. graduate writes
e-books for Cree kids
EDMONTON -- During her Cree language classes at the
University of Alberta, Caylie Gnyra had to translate sentences
posted by her instructor, Dorothy Thunder.
Struck by the whimsy of one of the lines, Gnyra, who
graduated in 2010 from the U of A Faculty of Native Studies,
adopted it for a class project that has since turned into
an online tool for Cree language teachers across Alberta.
What Colour Are Your Little Ducks?/Tân’sesinâkosiwak
kisîsîpimisiwâwak became the title of an electronic book
that Gnyra created for a class project, and that has inspired
more e-books that have just gone online free of charge at
www.littlecreebooks.com
With some funding through the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council of Canada via the Faculty of
Native Studies, Gnyra designed the cheery, colourful book
to introduce young learners to a string of characters and
their rainbow-hued pet ducks.
The book has Plains Cree text written in Standard Roman
Orthography—the letters used when writing in English—
and Cree syllabics, as well as their English translations.
Gnyra wanted to develop material that could be used for
little cost in Cree classrooms throughout the province,
viewed on SMART boards for group reading, printed off
for individual use, or even viewed on tablets and smartphones
at home.
She has since created two more such books: one about
the seasons, written for a Grade 1 reading level, and one
about the daily activities of a young bear, for kindergarten
children. Both are designed to mesh with the province’s
established Cree language education curriculum.
Gnyra hopes that instructors of other Algonquian languages
will adapt the books to reflect the grammar and vocabulary
of those languages, which are closely related to Cree.
Though she is not Aboriginal and is still learning to speak
and write Cree herself, Gnyra is enchanted by the cultural
nuances of the language and feels deeply committed to
helping preserve it.
“Cree is a very pretty language to the ear and it has a lot
of humorous or thought-provoking aspects,” she says.
“Learning it helps me recognize how culture really is embedded
in all languages, including English.”
A self-described introvert, Gnyra also appreciates the many
COMMUNITY DIGEST 7
Caylie Gnyra and her latest e-book in Cree
ways that Cree culture values and facilitates introspection.
“North American culture tends to promote and validate extroversion,
so I think one of the reasons I am so interested
in spending time learning about Cree culture and language
is that I feel like that very integral part of me is valued.”
Her dedication to exploring Cree language and culture was
kindled by an interest in social justice.
“While many Canadians are concerned about inequality,
injustice and related social issues in other countries, a lot
of us just don’t know the details of the difficult history we
share with our indigenous neighbours, or we don’t quite
know where to start in terms of improving Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal relations,” she said.
Gnyra enrolled in the U. of A.’s two-year after-degree
program in Native Studies, then postponed her graduation
for a year to participate in a student internship at the
Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in
Washington, D.C., and take a third year of Cree language
classes at the U of A.
After graduating, Gnyra went on to take a master’s degree
in museum studies in Toronto, where she did some work
for the newly established Canadian Language Museum.
In keeping with her advocacy for the Cree language, she
asked for and received permission to prepare a related
exhibit, which she hopes will be ready for 2015, after she
consults with Cree elders, speakers and learners.
Meanwhile, Gnyra hopes to add at least five more e-books
to the lineup of her Cree readers, one each for grades 2
through 6. She envisions the Little Cree Books site as a
resource dedicated to the unique grammatical rules that
make sense when learning Cree.

8 COMMUNITY DIGEST
Feb. 1-8, 2013
AT THE MOVIES
Stand Up Guys
with Nick Ebrahim
For the past few years it seems that movies were something
made only by young people, to be seen only by young
people, and starring only young people.
But lately we’ve seen a return of the old veterans, in films
like Trouble with the Curve (Clint Eastwood), The Last
Stand (Arnold Schwarzenegger), and, last week, Quartet,
with a whole rest home full of veteran British actors.
The latest entry is Stand Up Guys (E1 Films Canada),
directed by Fisher Stevens and starring Al Pacino, Alan
Arkin and Christopher Walken.
It’s a comedy-drama about two aging cons who try to get
their old gang together for one last hurrah before one of
them accepts his last assignment: to kill his partner.
The story takes place over a 24-hour period starting with
Doc (Walken) greeting Val (Pacino) on his release from
prison, where he had gone after accidentally killing the
son of the local crime lord.
Apparently, a prison sentence isn’t punishment enough in
the boss’s opinion: he wants Val killed, and has given Doc
until 10 a.m. the next morning to do it.
They proceed to round up old gang members, including
Hirsch (Arkin), whom they help escape from his retirement
home, and have a night of drinking, sex and bad jokes. The
evening degenerates into something resembling the Three
Stooges on a rampage.
Arkin’s part, as an old-time getaway car driver, is rather
small. Mark Margolis and Vanessa Ferlito have supporting
parts. But this film really belongs to Pacino and Walken,
whose acting is so good that it can overcome Noah Haidle’s
terrible screenplay, with its over-the-top corny jokes
Overall, Stand Up Guys is a lighthearted romp, once you
have suspended your disbelief.
Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin and Al Pacino in Stand Up
Guys
Isabelle Guérard in Rouge Sang
Rouge Sang
Rouge sang (Red Blood) (Ciné Télé Action) is the first
feature film directed by Martin Doepner, an Ottawa-born
filmmaker of German descent. Remeber that name: you’ll
be hearing more from him.
The film is a historical thriller set in the Quebec of 1799,
long a conquered part of British North America, but with
relations still tense between the francophone settlers and
the British soldiery.
On a stormy New Year’s Eve, on an isolated farm in a forgotten
corner of the St. Lawrence Valley, a young mother
(Isabelle Guérard) and her children, with her husband far
away, is forced to provide lodging for five British soldiers.
What follows is a long night of mounting tension that starts
with music and dance and ends in horror. But who is the
aggressor and who the victim? With the coming of dawn,
nothing is as it seemed in the night.
The cinematography, by Nathalie Moliavko-Visotsky, is
superb, with deep amber lighting. The music, by Michel
Cusson, matches the period and the place, as do the costumes
by Madeleine Tremblay. Artistic director Raymond
Dupuis also contributes to the overall look of the film.
Guérard, as the heroine Espérance, combines a serene
beauty with the toughness of a warrior, so that both her
calm at the beginning of the night, and her violence at the
end, are equally believable.
Other excellent performances are given by Lothaire Bluteau,
Anthony Lemke, Vincent Leclerc, Arthur Holden
and Peter Miller.
Rouge sang is a horror thriller masterfully done.

Feb. 1-8, 2013
COMMUNITY DIGEST 9
COMMUNITY NOUVELLES
DIGEST COMMUNAUTAIRES
SECTION DE NOUVELLES FRANÇAISES
L’exposition Des murs entre les hommes (Photo : Lindsey Sharman)
L’exposition Des murs entre les hommes de passage en ville
par Irénée Rutema
CALGARY -- Depuis le 14 janvier dernier, les
amateurs d’art de la métropole albertaine peuvent
visiter cette exposition photographique à la Gallérie
des Fondateurs située aux Musées militaires.
Il s’agit d’une présentation de 8 murs qui constituent
des barrières entre les humains photographiés
par deux politologues français, Alexandra Novosseloff
et Frank Neisse.
Les murs en vedettes représentent la zone démilitarisée
entre les deux Corées; la ligne verte à Chypre;
les « Peacelines » de Belfast; le « Berm » du Sahara
occidental; le mur-frontière entre les États-Unis et
le Mexique; les barbelés de Melilla à Ceuta, la barrière
électrifiée au Cashemire et le mur en Palestine.
Lindsey Sharman
(Photo: James Michael)
« J’ai choisi cette exposition car je crois que les
conflits représentés sont importants et que les
Calgaréens devraient être au courant de ce qui se
passe ailleurs », a indiqué la curatrice à la Gallérie
des Fondateurs Lindsey Sharman.
En outre, elle considère que l’art est un moyen
efficace pour sensibiliser le public sur les problèmes
complexes.
Elle a ainsi constaté que les visiteurs sortent de
l’exposition avec un intérêt palpable de la situation
triste des êtres humains qui doivent vivre
quotidiennement avec ces murs.
« Les gens sont intéressés. Il y a beaucoup
d’intérêts dans cette ville pour ce genre d’art »,
a-t-elle remarqué.

10 COMMUNITY DIGEST
Feb. 1-8, 2013
ÉDITORIAL
par Eva Caldieri
L’omniprésence d’un bilinguisme canadien, perçu différemment de province en province
Selon un récent sondage commandé par Patrimoine canadien
et réalisé par l’agence de sondage TNS, qui a interrogé
près de 1 500 personnes, il semblerait que les Canadiens ne
perçoivent pas de la même façon, les efforts du gouvernement
en matière de bilinguisme.
Qui des anglophones ou des francophones est le plus attaché
aux deux langues officielles du Canada ? Qui de ces
deux « camps » souhaite davantage d’actions entreprises
par le gouvernement ?
L’étude révèle que les francophones sont environ 85% à
considérer que la dualité linguistique au Canada est une
source d’enrichissement culturel, contre 57% chez les
anglophones, qui sont pour leur part, deux fois moins nombreux
que les francophones à s’inquiéter quant à l’avenir
du français au Canada.
L’étude démontre effectivement que le travail du gouvernement
fédéral pour protéger efficacement les deux langues
officielles, satisfait davantage les anglophones (67%), que
les francophones, qui ne sont que 47% à approuver le travail
du gouvernement.
Si ces chiffres ne semblent pas surprenants, il faut néanmoins,
pour bien comprendre les divisions entre francophones
et anglophones, les diviser également entre eux.
En effet, les réponses des francophones de l’Ouest du Canada,
qui vivent en milieu minoritaire, sont assez différentes de
celles des Québécois, qui semblent être les plus concernés
par le rayonnement et l’avenir du français au pays.
Au Manitoba et en Saskatchewan, moins de 50% des sondés
ont affirmé que le bilinguisme occupe une place importante
dans l’identité du Canada, alors qu’ils sont 66% à approuver
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le bilinguisme dans les provinces atlantiques.
Dans les Prairies, si seulement 36% des sondés pensent que
la langue française est menacée, c’est parce que « l’Ouest
s’est toujours vu comme une société multiculturelle qui n’a
jamais cru à la thèse des deux sociétés fondatrices selon
laquelle il existe deux grandes sociétés d’accueil au Canada
», a analysé Mme Linda Cardinal, professeur de sciences
sociales à l’Université d’Ottawa et spécialisée dans les
politiques linguistiques canadiennes.
Les Canadiens de l’Ouest se sentiraient-ils moins concernés
par le caractère dualiste du Canada ? S’il existe de
nombreuses associations et organismes francophones dans
les provinces unilingues anglophones, il reste néanmoins
beaucoup à faire concernant la parité concernant les deux
langues officielles du Canada.
Les temps changent néanmoins, les mentalités aussi et
petit à petit, des avancées sont réalisées. 2012 a vu son
lot de progrès; dix agents du Parlement seront désormais
bilingues, alors qu’en Ontario, c’est tout un détachement
de police qui se doit de parler les deux langues.
En Colombie-Britannique, des projets de nouvelles écoles
francophones ne cessent d’être abordés, tant les demandes
sont conséquentes.
Peu à peu, l’identité bilingue du Canada reprend ses droits.
Peu à peu, les Canadiens prennent conscience de l’avantage
de vivre dans un pays bilingue.
S’il faudra encore un certain temps avant que chacun ne
prenne conscience de cette chance, c’est avec les efforts
et la passion de tous, que l’omniprésence du bilinguisme
au Canada, continuera de se développer.
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Feb. 1-8, 2013
FRANCOPHONIE-OUEST
Un sénateur français
visite à Vancouver
par Eva Caldieri
VANCOUVER -- Du 17 au 20 janvier, le sénateur
représentant les Français établis hors de France, Louis
Duvernois, était de passage à Vancouver, où il a rencontré
bon nombres d’acteurs de la Francophonie de la ville.
M. Duvernois, sénateur UMP des Français établis hors de
France (Série 1), était venu rencontrer la consule générale
de France à Vancouver, Mme Evelyne Decorps, l’attaché
culturel du consulat général, M. Raynald Belay et l’attaché
scientifique du consulat, M. Didier Marty-Dessus.
M. Duvernois s’est également entretenu avec M. Stéphane
Blajberg, responsable du bureau à Vancouver d’Ubifrance,
(l’Agence pour le développement international des entreprises
françaises) et s’est rendu dans les locaux de la
Fédération des Francophones de la Colombie-Britannique
(FFCB), où il a pu rencontrer la nouvelle directrice, France-
Emmanuelle Joly et le vice-président de la fédération, M.
André Lamontagne.
M. Duvernois a également profité de sa visite en Colombie-
Britannique pour se rendre dans les nouveaux locaux de
The French International School of Vancouver, (l’Ecole
Française Internationale de Vancouver, EFIV), où il s’est
entretenu avec le principal M. Gérard Martinez afin de discuter
du plan stratégique et des objectifs de l’école.
M. Duvernois a apprécié le partenariat qui se met peu à
peu en place avec une école privée voisine, dans le but de
COMMUNITY DIGEST 11
De gauche à droite : Mme Claire-Marie Jadot, M. Gérard
Martinez et le sénateur Duvernois (Source : The French
International School of Vancouver
proposer une offre de scolarité de la maternelle au lycée.
Le sénateur français a également enchérit à l’accord de
l’EFIV pour associer le nom de l’école internationale au
prestigieux nom de Jacques-Yves Cousteau, avant de rencontrer
quelques élèves et l’ensemble du personnel de l’école.
Le programme du sénateur Duvernois comprenait également
une rencontre avec M. Michel Matifat, président de
la Société de développement économique de la Colombie-
Britannique (SDECB) et de son collègue M. Donald Cyr.
La conseillère élue à l’Assemblée des Français de l’étranger,
Mme Claire-Marie Jadot et le directeur de l’Alliance française
de Vancouver, Jean-Sébastien Attié, ont également eu
la possibilité de s’entretenir avec M. Duvernois.
Quelques jours auparavant, le sénateur Duvernois s’était
rendu à Toronto afin de faire le point sur les enjeux et les
problématiques relatifs à la communauté française de la
circonscription consulaire.

12 COMMUNITY DIGEST
Feb. 1-8, 2013
FRANCOPHONIE-OUEST
par A.
Thobhani
Une subvention en faveur
des femmes de Kamloops
KAMLOOPS -- Le 23 janvier 2013, la secrétaire parlementaire
de la ministre du Revenu national et députée de
Kamloops-Thomson-Cariboo, Cathy McLeod, a annoncé
l’appui du gouvernement du Canada concernant un projet
de la Société de santé autochtone et métisse White Buffalo,
(White Buffalo Aboriginal and Métis Health Society),
qui favorisera la sécurité et la prospérité économique des
jeunes femmes autochtones et non autochtones vivant dans
la région, en milieu urbain.
La Société de santé autochtone et métisse White Buffalo
recevra ainsi un financement de 200 000 dollars du
gouvernement du Canada, pour un projet d’une durée de
deux ans, visant à promouvoir la sécurité économique des
participantes.
L’organisme mettra sur pied des groupes de travail qui
offriront aux bénéficiaires, du mentorat et de la formation
afin de développer leur esprit d’initiative et leur capacité
à s’émanciper.
Les groupes animeront des séances de mobilisation communautaires
et s’efforceront de sensibiliser le milieu
aux stéréotypes nuisibles et aux obstacles à l’égalité des
chances, tout en s’employant à promouvoir la prospérité
des filles et des femmes.
« Le gouvernement du Canada reconnaît l’immense capacité
des filles et des jeunes femmes à réussir sur le plan
personnel et à stimuler l’économie de nos collectivités et de
notre pays. Ce nouveau projet permettra aux participantes
Cathy McLeod annonçant une aide du gouvernement de 200
000 dollars à la Société de santé autochtone et métisse White
Buffalo, le 23 janvier 2013
de profiter des débouchés économiques et de se réaliser
pleinement, tout en aidant à construire des collectivités qui
ont de l’avenir », a déclaré Mme McLeod.
À ce jour, le gouvernement du Canada a approuvé l’octroi
de plus de 4,8 millions de dollars à différents organismes
pour leur permettre de réaliser des projets qui favorisent
l’émancipation des filles et des jeunes femmes.
Les projets ont été choisis à la suite d’un appel de propositions
lancé en juin 2012 sous le thème « Préparer la réussite
des filles et des jeunes femmes ».

Feb. 1-8, 2013
PREMIÈRES NATIONS
Des danseurs autochtones se sont joints au mouvement, le 28
janvier 2013, sur la Colline du parlement, à Ottawa
Fini l’Apathie : une
résonnance mondiale
OTTAWA -- Le mouvement Idle No More/ Fini l’Apathie,
débuté il y a quelques semaines en Saskatchewan, a pris des
proportions internationales le lundi 28 janvier 2013, date
proclamée par les militants ; « journée mondiale d’action
Fini l’Apathie ».
Si les participants à ce rassemblement se sont regroupés
dans plus de 30 villes canadiennes, ils ont également été
rejoints par des groupes aborigènes du monde entier, qui
soutiennent le mouvement canadien tout en rappelant que
la condition des Autochtones dans bon nombre de pays
reste également très fragile.
A Ottawa, ils étaient plus de 300 à avoir bravé le froid pour
protester lors de la rentrée parlementaire canadienne, au
cours de laquelle Maude Barlow, la présidente du Conseil
des Canadiens, a plaidé pour la cause aborigène.
A l’étranger, les protestations ont eu lieu à Melbourne en
Australie, à Malmö en suède et dans de nombreuses villes
des Etats-Unis telles que New York et Las Vegas.
Suite aux récentes protestations, le député et porte-parole aux
affaires intergouvernementales du Nouveau Parti démocratique
(NPD), Romeo Saganash, a présenté un projet de loi
visant à harmoniser les lois canadiennes aux principes de la
Déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples autochtones,
déclarant que le gouvernement canadien a jusqu’à
présent oublié ses propres obligations constitutionnelles.
« Le gouvernement a l’obligation constitutionnelle de
consulter et d’accommoder les Premières Nations et
lorsqu’on élimine des législations pour la protection de
l’environnement, on élimine également cette responsabilité
», a affirmé M. Saganash.
COMMUNITY DIGEST 13
par S.
Juma

14 COMMUNITY DIGEST
Feb. 1-8, 2013
MONDE
Les ambassadeurs francophones
traitent des problématiques de la faim
et de la malnutrition dans le monde
ADDIS-ABEBA -- Le Groupe consultatif des Ambassadeurs
francophones à Addis-Abeba, a rencontré, le 15 janvier
2013, l’Ambassadeur Jean Feyder, ancien Représentant
permanent du Luxembourg à Genève de 2006 à 2011, venu
présenter son ouvrage intitulé La faim tue (L’Harmattan,
2011) dont la problématique centrale est celle de la faim
et de la malnutrition.
Cette présentation a mis en lumière la situation désastreuse
que connaissent aujourd’hui plusieurs pays dans le monde,
dont certains pays francophones, qui aboutit à ce que les
droits les plus élémentaires des populations soient bafoués.
L’Ambassadeur Jean Feyder
par S. Merali
En présentant la séance,
le Représentant permanent
de l’Organisation
internationale de la Francophonie
(OIF), auprès
de l’Union Africaine, a
cité un extrait de la lettre
que le Secrétaire général
de la Francophonie, Abdou
Diouf, avait écrite à
l’Ambassadeur Feyder à
propos de son livre :
« Plus que jamais, nous
devons donc nous mobiliser pour défendre les solutions
politiques et expliciter les conséquences de certains choix,
soi-disant fondés sur la rationalité économique. Vous le
savez, la Francophonie est déjà impliquée dans ce combat.
Votre ouvrage la conforte dans ses démarches et lui
fournira des arguments encore plus solides pour poursuivre
son action. »
Les participants ont examiné l’état des politiques commerciales
mises en œuvre au niveau mondial, résultant de
situations de concurrence totalement inégales ; le commerce
des produits agricoles étant aujourd’hui l’un des
domaines où les distorsions liées aux lois du marché sont
les plus criantes.
Cette problématique a suscité de vifs débats, notamment
sur le respect des engagements des partenaires au développement,
l’accaparement des terres, les changements
climatiques, et plus généralement sur la volonté politique
de la Communauté internationale à coopérer pour résoudre
ces inégalités, alors que les Objectifs du Millénaire pour le
Développement arrivent à échéance en 2015.

Feb. 1-8, 2013
LES ARTS
par A. Thobhani
Lisa Leblanc sur la scène des Francofolies de La Rochelle,
en juillet 2012
Une chanteuse canadienne
signe avec un label français
QUÉBEC -- L’Acadienne Lisa LeBlanc, le « coup de cœur
chanson de l’été 2012 » du magazine français Télérama,
a signé, le mardi 22 janvier, avec le label français Tôt ou
Tard, qui produit également Les Têtes Raides, Vincent
Delerme ou encore Thomas Fersen.
Le premier album de Lisa Leblanc, mélange détonnant de
folk, de blues et de rock, (qu’elle qualifie de « folk trash »),
sortira en mars prochain en France, soit un an après sa sortie
au Québec, où il s’est transformé en un petit phénomène.
La chanteuse originaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, devrait
parallèlement donner une première série de concerts parisiens,
à La Boule Noire.
Ce ne sera pas la première fois qu’elle se produira en France
: en juillet dernier elle était déjà sur la scène des Francofolies
de La Rochelle et du 43ème Festival Interceltique de
Lorient, le mois suivant.
Après diverses représentations dans sa région natale,
Lisa Leblanc participe au 42e Festival international de la
chanson de Granby en septembre 2010 où elle remporte
le premier prix.
Elle est alors invitée à participer à des émissions telles que
Belle et Bum en octobre de la même année.
En mars 2012, elle sort son premier album, qui se retrouve
au premier rang du palmarès des ventes iTunes Canada,
dès la première semaine.
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16 COMMUNITY DIGEST
Feb. 1-8, 2013