Author Archives: Jay Menard

Time to Give the Queen the Royal Wave

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By Jason Menard

Victoria Day’s just past, the Queen’s kicking around the Canadian West – things have been feeling positively regal in the Great White North. But once the Windsors leave our fair country, is it not about time to give them the Royal Wave once and for all?

Canadians as a whole are divided right down the middle on the issue of keeping our ties to the Monarchy. It’s a debate that’s certain to ruffle the features of both sides, and there seems to be no common ground from which to build a consensus. But as we continue to search for our Canadian identity, maintaining artificial ties and ceding independence – even if it is only superficial – to another foreign sovereign should be a thing of the past.

We are, as a nation, Canadians. In our ever shrinking world, ties to a faded Empire mean less and less, and our ability to forge our own identity and carve a niche in this world is integral to cementing our relevance on the international stage. Yet, by continuing to hold the hand of an absentee mother, we prevent ourselves from taking the necessary steps to be our own country.

The sad fact is that the Monarchy doesn’t really do anything for us as a country, its relevancy is diminishing, and it is – in one serious manner – having a negative impact on the development and unity of our country.

England holds a special place in the hearts of our grandparents’ generation. And, for some, that tie extends to the baby boomer generation. But for many of today’s youth, pledging allegiance to the Queen rings hollow. And future generations will be even further removed. The Governor General is not respected as the Queen’s representative, but rather lambasted as an unnecessary – and expensive – ceremonial position.

Our place in the Commonwealth isn’t dependent upon our allegiance to the Queen. Nor is our national reputation buoyed by our affiliation with England. In fact, I would say we’ve gotten to the point as a country wherein the majority of the world’s population would not draw a connection between Canada and the Monarchy.

And, most importantly, allegiance to an English Queen can be perceived as an insult to our French Canadian population. And as we try to move forward as a unified nation, forcing a significant segment to recognize the authority of a foreign sovereign smacks of modern-day colonialism, especially for a people who have embraced their own form of nationalism.

We, as a nation, have a history of which we should be greatly proud. Yet even our money features an image of the Queen, as opposed to focusing on those icons that make Canada great. The Monarchy is a part of our history – but it does not define it. In a world where symbols speak volumes, this tacit deference to England prevents us from embracing our own individuality.

So how do we move from a constitutional monarchy to a representative democratic republic? To start, the position of the Governor General, largely ceremonial in itself, could be eliminated and replaced with an elected position that would represent the people of Canada – not the Queen. Obviously, the concern has been raised that eliminating the monarchy simply drives us closer to the U.S., but that’s just not the case. There’s no rule that says we have to have a President – we can choose the term that’s most palatable to the electorate. We’re already well along the way with our Parliament and Senate systems, and the existence of our Supreme Court.

The fact is that we don’t have to follow our neighbours to the south for leadership in this matter. If the U.S. form of a republic is repellent to many Canadians, then we can look to the examples set by a number of other countries, such as France, Germany, and India, for guidance.

Canadians, by and large, suffer from a national inferiority complex. And while this is often attributed to the effects of sharing a continent with the economic and social juggernaut that is the United States, much of our inferiority in fact comes from our artificial reliance on England and our absentee sovereign.

Eliminating the Monarchy is a step we, as Canadians, need to finally stand on our own and forge a strong, independent identity. Cutting our ties to the Queen doesn’t make us more American. In fact, it allows us to become what we’ve always wanted – more Canadian.

2005 © Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved

Me, Mom, and Henry Morgentaler

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By Jason Menard

The old adage states that if you can’t stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen. Yet, now that the meal’s on the stove, the University of Western Ontario has decided to change the recipe, leaving many with the anticipation of a bitter aftertaste.

Western courted this drama by deciding to bestow upon Dr. Henry Morgentaler — a man who led the charge for legal abortions in this country, and the operator of six abortion clinics – an honourary degree at this year’s convocation ceremony. However, now that the moment of truth is almost upon us, Western’s decided to change the rules for the people that truly matter at this ceremony – the students and their families.

To accommodate an individual upon whom an honourary degree is being bestowed, we are inconveniencing a group of individuals who have legitimately earned their degrees from this institution. They have spent their years, attending classes, receiving good grades, and filling the university’s coffers with their tuition and ancillary fees. And now that it’s time to celebrate their achievement, to share with friends and family the fruits of their labours, the university is pulling the rug out from under them – for security reasons.

Convocation ceremonies are not about the glitz and glamour. Dr. Morgentaler, whether you agree with his stance or not, has made his mark in life. The students, upon whom this ceremony should focus, have yet to carve their place in the world.

In the past, students have been given two tickets, to whom they could distribute as they pleased. If they needed more, they were there for the asking. Now, the university has asked for those tickets back, planning to re-issue two new tickets that will be strictly controlled, requiring names of the intended recipients and photo ID verification upon arrival at the ceremonies.

In the grand scheme of things, this only affects 518 students. However, they are 518 students who should have the same rights as everyone else on campus. The other graduates aren’t subject to this type of restriction, so why inconvenience a certain group just because of an honourary degree recipient?

The convocation date is June 16 th. Does the university not think that people have already made travel plans? Booked hotels? Made whatever arrangement necessary to share in the student’s special day? Does offering a closed-circuit feed for the ceremony really count as an alternative?

Every experience at university is an opportunity for education. The university environment is one where open discussion, freedom of speech, and challenging convention should be the norm, not the exception. Making an exception for one ceremony based upon concerns about disruptions runs counter to everything higher education should be about.

If the intention of the honourary degree is to be provocative, then you have to accept what your provocation has wrought. You can’t walk on the knife’s edge and not think you might get cut along the way. As such, if the university has deemed it appropriate to give Dr. Morgentaler an honourary degree, then it should stand behind its decision and let the chips fall where they may. After all, university education is all about learning how to learn, and discovering how to stand behind your convictions.

These students have worked hard to develop their critical thinking, their ability to learn, and their ability to form their own opinions. And if a protester sneaks into the convocation ceremony who better to engage this person than a group of well-educated, independent thinkers? However, by restricting this particular ceremony, Western is shying away from the very controversy and discussion it invited by making such a bold decision in the first place.

Whether you believe Dr. Morgentaler’s honourary degree is a recognition of remarkable achievements in the promotion of women’s rights or an abominable affront to the concept of humanity, that’s totally up to your perspective. And our universities are there to ensure that whatever your opinion is, it is based upon fact, reflection, rational thought, and introspection. These are formed through an open expression of thoughts and ideals, not by sweeping controversy under the carpet.

So, if a degree is a recognition of achievement in higher learning, what kind of value does it have if Western doesn’t embrace higher learning’s very precepts?

2005 © Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved

Out of the Playground, Into the Real World

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By Jason Menard

It certainly has been hard to be a proud Canadian over the past few weeks, hasn’t it? With our political leaders sniping, name-calling, and generally behaving like kids in a schoolyard, maybe it’s appropriate that the Queen has arrived to settle down her wayward children.

With Thursday’s vote, we saw the Liberal minority stave off its own extinction with the help of a high-profile defection and a lower-profile – but, ultimately, just as important – independent vote. Belinda Stronach may have grabbed the headlines earlier in the week, but it was Chuck Cadman who had the biggest spotlight shined on him during the actual vote.

But now, we turn our attention back to the principles – and the minute hand slowly ticks down on Mr. Cadman’s 15 minutes in the spotlight. The problem is, as usually happens in these types of skirmishes, is that few look good coming out of it.

Stephen Harper and the Conservative Coalition now look like nothing more than opportunistic schoolyard bullies. Flexing their muscles, using intimidation, and generally behaving rather badly to get what they want. But, like bullies, when the tide turns – and with Stronach’s defection, the Conservatives lost a lot of muscle – they tucked their tail between their legs and slinked off quietly, without much fuss.

If this is truly a fight against corruption and the belief truly was that the Liberals are evil, then you fight the good fight, no matter what the odds. You continue the rhetoric, you use every available means at your disposal (including enticing some fence-sitting MPs – paging Mr. O’Brien – to jump ship). But now it’s clear that this wasn’t a battle based on political principle, but political gain – an opportunistic grab for power that leaves a bad taste in some mouths.

The NDP’s Jack Layton continues to look like the cat who ate the canary, secure in the knowledge that – as he’s been trying to convince us for a while now – that the NDP are a legitimate power in Parliament. The previous Conservative/Bloc majority left the NDPs somewhat powerless, but now that the numbers are more even, his party has even more opportunity to flex its muscle.

The BQ deftly managed to stay out of the fray – Gilles Duceppe playing puppet master while Steven Harper took all the hits in the public. By remaining aloof, the Bloc gets to claim moral superiority, which it can use in a future election. Ironically, a group that’s allegedly tampered with election results in the past now gets to run on a platform built on accountability.

And where do the Liberals go from here? Well, the Liberals have to shore up their East Coast support, hold on to its power in Ontario (and probably pick up a few extra seats here and there), and work like mad to make some inroads in the West. And they have to forget about Quebec.

Sad to say, it’s done in Quebec for an election or two. The Liberals were granted a slight reprieve when the eminently likeable Paul Martin took power from the despised Jean Chrétien. But any goodwill has been washed away in this sponsorship scandal. Quebec’s stable of soft separatists are always looking for a reason to jump ship, and the findings from the Gomery inquiry are exactly the springboard they have been looking for. Add to that the miserable job Jean Charest has been doing propping up the Provincial Liberal name, and there’s little doubt that the BQ will pick up many, if not all, seats in Quebec.

Martin and his party have survived the flurry of the opening rounds. They’ve taken the Conservatives’ best shots and are still upright – however wobbly their legs may be. Yet the political rope-a-dope strategy needs to move into the next phase. The Liberals have absorbed the punches and, instead of waiting for its opponents to catch their breath, they need to come out swinging.

The Gomery inquiry needs to result in some rolling heads. Martin needs to show the electorate that the sins of the past will not be tolerated now or in the future. He needs to regain the trust of those Canadians who may be inclined to forgive and forget. The Liberals need to make a concerted effort to move forward with an aggressive and generous policy that creates a positive impression on the electorate. The new budget is a great start, but implementing it effectively is the key to long time success.

Like a veteran boxer, The Liberals have been through a number of these ring wars, so smart money says not to count them out. The second round’s just starting.

2005 © Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved

Putting the Humane in Humanity

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By Jason Menard

Is the idea of being nice to each other out of date? Does the Golden Rule, which permeates any number of religions and societal structures, no longer apply to the modern world?

Kenneth Hemmerick, a Montreal-based, interdisciplinary fine artist has created an on-line course entitled, A Guide to Humane Awareness. It’s intended to be a tool to be used to reflect upon our own behaviour and attitudes, and to make us more aware of actively pursuing a humane way of living.

Yet, when I floated this concept around, reactions were decidedly mixed. While most thought it was a good concept, they felt that it wouldn’t resonate with the masses. There were a lot of “Yes, but…” and “Well, we know a lot of this, but on a day-to-day basis…” The most astute observation came from one person who said that those who are already good-natured and want to better themselves will be the ones who log on, but those who really need a course like this won’t look twice at it.

Essentially, what Mr. Hemmerick is trying to promote is a world where people consider the ramifications of their actions and the impact they may have on the world around them. But instead of lauding his efforts, many choose to look upon this innocent concept, shake our head sagely, and mutter something to the effect of, “but in the real world…”

But why does the real world have to be one where cynicism reigns supreme? Really, we all pay lip service to being nice to one another and making the world a better place, but when push comes to shove, we choose to isolate ourselves from the world around us and protect our own interests. We call it looking out for Number One, which is appropriate because we’ve elevated the satisfaction of our individuality over the needs of the community around us.

And I’m no different than many of you. I strain my life experience through a filter of cynicism, looking at the world through a jaundiced eye, preferring to find ulterior motives for random acts of kindness instead of appreciating them for what they are. How many of us, when hearing about someone making a large donation to charity think, “Oh, it’s just a PR stunt?” We attribute the motive behind displays of generosity to goodwill-generating, self-promotion in the hopes of receiving a return on that investment.

In fact, we’ve commercialized kindness to such an extent that we’ve created mantras promoting the concept. We’ve turned Karma into a commodity. It’s great to do a good deed as long it’s returned – with interest. The idea of doing a good deed just for the sake of itself is outdated.

So why has this happened? Is the pace of life increasing so quickly that we hold on for dear life to those things with which we’re comfortable, instead of just enjoying the ride and the experiences along the way? Do we, as a people, just not have the level of compassion required to make our “Do unto others…” Golden Rule Utopia a reality?

There’s something to be said for the fact that this world we live on is overwhelming. Technology has made the far reaches of the world closer than ever before. Our intellectual revolution has brought us instant access to the world around us. And with that comes a daily deluge of tragedy, loss, and sorrow. With every natural disaster, with every report from a war-torn country, with every plague, virus, or outbreak our reservoir of compassion is drained a little more, until finally we decide to turn off the spigot.

But when that compassion stops flowing, does our humanity dry up as well?

The idea of compassion seems so foreign to our dog-eat-dog, survival-of-the-fittest view of the world. Many would say that one can’t exist in the presence of the other. And, if that’s the case, then it becomes our choice as to what kind of world we want to live in – and what kind of world do we want to leave for our children?

I look on in wonderment at the innocence of my children. To them, the world is, inherently, a good place where people share, are nice to each other, and love one another – and this is because that’s all they’ve experienced. I smile looking at them, marvelling at their naiveté, and lamenting the fact that eventually they’ll have to see that the world is not all good.

But maybe we they don’t have to grow up knowing that. Maybe projects like Mr. Hemmerick’s can be a first step along the path to creating the world that we’ve always aspired to, but never attempted to realize.

It’s got to start somewhere. And perhaps the key to being a good human being is to start being a humane being.

2005 © Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved

Lions and Tiger-Cats and Gliebermans! Oh, my!

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By Jason Menard

As the Canadian Football League looks to steer itself into the future, rumours abound that they may be doing so with a new person behind the wheel. And, just like always, the CFL finds itself at a crossroads.

So who should be behind the wheel as driving force behind Canadian pigskin? May I offer my services? I’d work [relatively] cheap (important for a league that likes to pinch its pennies for anything other than player contracts) and I know the game – and we’ve seen what happens to leagues where the commissioner isn’t a fan, right Mr. Bettman?

Maybe it’s the fact that there are more men on the field, or the balls are bigger (wait, did I say that out loud – this is turning into an entirely different column), but I love the Canadian game. Admittedly, the talent level isn’t as strong as the NFL, but there is much to be said for the excitement that three-down football brings to the table.

Over the past few seasons, the CFL has found itself on an upswing all across the country. Toronto and Hamilton — historically strong markets that have seen lean years recently – are now enjoying resurgent fan interest backed by solid leadership. The Montreal Alouettes, resurrected from the dead, are a model on how to integrate the team to the community, and play to packed houses in one of the most dynamic stadiums in the league. And Western support, save for B.C., continues to be the foundation upon which the league is built.

Yet, that foundation is starting to show some cracks. And, while not yet in dire straights, there are some troubling signs that the league could start slipping back into the malaise that plagued it in the late 80s and 1990s.

It seems that when the CFL begins to taste a little bit of success, they lose their grip on reality and start slipping into the abyss. Another resurrected franchise, the Ottawa Renegades, is in ownership turmoil – on the verge of bringing back the, uhm, eclectic Glieberman clan to the helm. The salary cap is riddled with holes, and spiraling salaries are harkening memories of the Raghib Ismail personal-service contract days.

So how do we fix a game that’s not broken, but is slowly steering its way towards a brick wall? Here are five easy steps.

1. Install and enforce a salary cap with bite: OK, right there, I’ve excluded myself from consideration for the post, because there’s no way that the CFL owners will hire someone who will curb their free-spending ways. The issue, however, is the same that plagued the league in the 80s and 90s.

The CFL can’t compete with the big boys on a financial level, and by trying only exacerbates the tenuous financial situation these teams are in. We are not the NFL, so we can’t play on the same level. However, we are an exciting game, rich in history, and offer an attractive destination for those players who may be too small, a millisecond too slow, or overlooked in their NFL pursuits.

The league needs to cut back on the ancillary revenue that these teams can offer. Under-the-table deals for off-season work, radio shows, or other forms of compensation exist. Either ban them, or declare it as a benefit of playing for that team, and let teams use it as a recruiting tool (much like New York and L.A.-based teams try to sell their stars on the advertising potential of their towns). Whichever way the owners decide, it should be above the table.

And if you exceed the salary cap? The league needs to come down hard with penalties that have bite. Having quality Canadian content is key in the CFL, so abusers of the cap should be subject to losing a pick in the Canadian college draft. Or maybe they lose their designated import position for a period of time. Both ideas will give pause to those considering ways to circumvent the rules.

2. Expand: Oh, but didn’t we learn anything from the failed American expansion? Well, yes – that’s don’t expand into the States. However, there are two markets just ripe for the exploiting: Quebec City and the East Coast.

It’s a little hard to refer to the CFL as a Canadian league when the furthest east it reaches is 475 Pine Ave. W. in Montreal. To be a truly national league, it needs to have representation all the way to the Atlantic provinces. On top of that, Quebec and the Maritimes are football-mad locations that would support franchises long into the future.

Quebec is a hot-bed for junior-aged football and a second team would be able to tap into that ravenous market. And the support the Atlantic provinces give to their university programs is unparalleled. Location has always been an issue, but Halifax and Moncton could be considered worthy candidates to host a team. And, following the lead of the Green Riders, they could represent either their province or region, as opposed to identifying themselves with one city.

There have been whispers that cities like London and Mississauga, Ontario could be considered in the future, but the sustainable market just doesn’t seem to be there. If London could draw the Windsor-Kitchener traffic, it could make a go of it, while Mississauga would potentially cannibalize the Toronto/Hamilton fan bases. Either way, there are more attractive options to explore east of Montreal.

3. Embrace the history: The CFL has a rich and glorious past that should be exploited. And, as many of our legends are home-grown, they should be featured prominently in any advertising campaigns and game-time ceremonies. What many other professional leagues do well is that they make their retired greats ambassadors for the team and the game. One may well ask, what happens to a retired CFLer?

And on that note, enough with this Renegades thing. Go track down Horn Chen and pry the Rough Riders name from his greedy little hands! Two teams with similar names in a nine-team league was part of the CFL’s caché – let’s bring it back.

4. Engage the community: A great deal of Montreal’s success since the corpse of the Concorde/Alouettes was exhumed has been a direct result of the management’s dedication to building strong community relations. The same can also be said for the Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg franchises, in that their fans embrace the team as an integral part of the community – not an afterthought as is the case in places like Vancouver and Toronto. More aggressive inclusionary tactics would help teams develop relevance in their communities, which translates into butts in the seats.

5. Support the game at a grass-roots level: Part of the NFL’s appeal stems from the fact that so many fans are also fans of the college game. They watch their favourites ply their trade in the NCAA, then make the natural progression into the NFL. By developing tighter relationships –in player development, marketing, and sponsorship – the CFL could go a long way in propping up the CIS. It’s not a quick fix and could take years to develop, but the reward in terms of fan acquisition and player development would be well worth it.

No matter who they hire, the CFL can’t afford to punt this opportunity away – not when a successful trip to the end zone is in sight!

2005 © Menard Communications – Jason Menard All Rights Reserved