Random Conversations

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Well on the one hand yes this one small act does not mean we are abandoning the foundation of our country. It is one small faculty which has long been known as more social justice than academic in nature. .

If indeed true about the law faculty at Queen's, then this is quite worrisome.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Would you say the same thing about all the streets named after Saints in Quebec (none of whom have any connection to Canada)? .

Oh I would definitely say the same.

And similarly to Wellington do not see the urgency of changing them all or even a whole bunch of them. In the absence of strong arguments to that effect.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by Acajack

If indeed true about the law faculty at Queen's, then this is quite worrisome.

I don’t think it is. The Queen’s law school is one of the strongest programs in the country academically, and sends all sorts of graduates to Bay St.

[JayBuoy]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Yes it is virtue signaling but I believe what we say should match our deeds. If we are going to say this meeting is taking place on unceded land we should give it back. Like a lot of our rhetoric on Oil Sands and climate change it's easy to tell someone else to pay.

+1 I also think we should give the land back. I'm reminded of the baroness von sketch show land acknowledgement bit.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by phil235

I don’t think it is. The Queen’s law school is one of the strongest programs in the country academically, and sends all sorts of graduates to Bay St.

I suspected as much, but thanks for adding your voice to confirm!

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by JayBuoy

+1 I also think we should give the land back. I'm reminded of the baroness von sketch show land acknowledgement bit.

Don't worry. You won't have to give the land back.

Once those shallow "recognition" statements are even more generalized, and the names of some old British dudes purged from streets/buildings and replaced, collective consciences should be sufficiently assuaged for a number of years.

Isn't that how things have always worked?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Do you recall when Chretien tried to rename Mt Logan to Mt Trudeau?

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nat...on-renaming-mount-logan/article25473135/

I don't recall this snapshot in history. I'm glad it was never pushed through.

On the other hand, I agree with the Chrétien Government's suggestion of naming the last building of the Judicial Triad for Pierre Trudeau, who served as Justice Minister in 67'-68' and introduced progressive legislation such as the decriminalization of homosexuality and legalization of abortions and contraception. This building has yet to be built, but the Harper Government tried to prevent it from ever happening by attempting to push through the oversized Victims of Communism Monument.

Similarly, I was supportive of the Harper Government's naming of the new Finance Building at 90 Elgin for James Flaherty, who guided us through the 2008 recession as Finance Minister.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I don't recall this snapshot in history. I'm glad it was never pushed through.

On the other hand, I agree with the Chrétien Government's suggestion of naming the last building of the Judicial Triad for Pierre Trudeau, who served as Justice Minister in 67'-68' and introduced progressive legislation such as the decriminalization of homosexuality and legalization of abortions and contraception. This building has yet to be built, but the Harper Government tried to prevent it from ever happening by attempting to push through the oversized Victims of Communism Monument.

Similarly, I was supportive of the Harper Government's naming of the new Finance Building at 90 Elgin for James Flaherty, who guided us through the 2008 recession as Finance Minister.

More than any other person, PET shaped the Canada we are living in today. He made a lot of lasting contributions and I would agree personally that he should have something named for him in the capital city.

That said, if you do a little research there are some pretty big blemishes on his record when it comes to Indigenous people, and I think that if ever there was a public debate on naming something in his honour, in today's climate that would probably be the kiss of death. And of course no such debate can happen until his son is no longer in the PM's chair.

[Acajack]

And Chrétien eventually did name a mountain for PET. Mount Pierre Elliot Trudeau does exist. It was previously an unnamed peak, near the BC-AB border.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Acajack

And Chrétien eventually did name a mountain for PET. Mount Pierre Elliot Trudeau does exist. It was previously an unnamed peak, near the BC-AB border.

Better that than the airport they named after him.

P.E. Trudeau Airport - maybe perhaps "I survived P.E. Trudeau" Airport.

Or rename what's left of Mirabel after him.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Acajack

That said, if you do a little research there are some pretty big blemishes on his record when it comes to Indigenous people, and I think that if ever there was a public debate on naming something in his honour, in today's climate that would probably be the kiss of death. And of course no such debate can happen until his son is no longer in the PM's chair.

And I'm sure that the War Measures Act and Western Alienation would also come-up. The chances of having something named after Trudeau are slim unfortunately.

Tommy Douglas is possibly the most important figure in Canadian History that has not received the recognition he deserves.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

And I'm sure that the War Measures Act and Western Alienation would also come-up. The chances of having something named after Trudeau are slim unfortunately.
.

The chances of things being named for anyone (especially politicians - Alex Trebek might be OK) going forward are getting slimmer and slimmer.

As for PET, in the capital region I believe he does have two elementary schools named for him: an anglophone school in Hull and a francophone school in Barrhaven(?).

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Tommy Douglas is possibly the most important figure in Canadian History that has not received the recognition he deserves.

Tommy "homesexuality is a mental illness" Douglas. See how this can be complicated?

He does have a few things named for him, mostly schools I think. But nothing in Ottawa AFAIK.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Tommy "homesexuality is a mental illness" Douglas. See how this can be complicated?

He does have a few things named for him, mostly schools I think. But nothing in Ottawa AFAIK.

I knew about his views on eugenics in his younger days, but not that. And that's the thing, no one has a perfect record. We have to take the good and the bad.

It's surprising that the father of our public health care system doesn't have any type of recognition in Ottawa, other than the gazebo at Beechwood where he's buried. Could be because his Party was never in power.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I knew about his views on eugenics in his younger days, but not that. And that's the thing, no one has a perfect record. We have to take the good and the bad.

It's surprising that the father of our public health care system doesn't have any type of recognition in Ottawa, other than the gazebo at Beechwood where he's buried. Could be because his Party was never in power.

I'd agree that the reason nothing has been done until now is that his party was never in power.

Going forward though I think it will be these blemishes on his record that will prevent him from honoured. As sensible as it sounds, "taking the good with the bad" doesn't really carry much weight any more.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I'd agree that the reason nothing has been done until now is that his party was never in power.

Going forward though I think it will be these blemishes on his record that will prevent him from honoured. As sensible as it sounds, "taking the good with the bad" doesn't really carry much weight any more.

The current wokeness purity obsession is probably a fad that will pass like other fads.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by acottawa

The current wokeness purity obsession is probably a fad that will pass like other fads.

I would normally agree but right now I do not see how things could possibly be dialled back from the extremely virtuous place we have constructed.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I would normally agree but right now I do not see how things could possibly be dialled back from the extremely virtuous place we have constructed.

Same way anti-communism and conservatism were dialled back in the 60s, socialism and the counterculture were dialled back n the 1980s, neo-liberalism was dialled back in the 2010s. Wokeness will be seen as an outdated idea being pushed by a bunch of old farts.

[Harley613]

While we are over here chopping 20 floors off our tallest proposals in a metro of 1.5 million+, Kitchener-Waterloo has this going on in a metro of around 650,000.

Icon would barely be a blip on the skyline of the average GTA transit node (dozens of them), and soon it would barely be a blip on the skyline of fricken' Kitchener.

[yotajoe]

Originally Posted by Harley613

While we are over here chopping 20 floors off our tallest proposals in a metro of 1.5 million+, Kitchener-Waterloo has this going on in a metro of around 650,000.

Icon would barely be a blip on the skyline of the average GTA transit node (dozens of them), and soon it would barely be a blip on the skyline of fricken' Kitchener.

But they don't have a dense tabletop of 27 floors like Ottawa does

Being real tho, Ottawa is hurting so bad for 50+ floor towers near the core.