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24 octobre / October 24
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Aylmerites can vote to support her
Aylmer woman makes it to the finals on CBC’s Dragon’s Den
Fred Ryan
Aylmer entrepreneur and West Quebec cooking columnist, Lakshmi Sundaram, will be part of CBC’s Dragons Den at 8:00 p.m, October 29. Aylmernites who have already spiced up their kitchen with some of her spice mixtures can now watch her heat up CBC. “Dragons Den” was the CBC’s top show last year, with six million viewers.
Lakshmi is the owner of Voila Masala, a local company specializing in freshly roasted and ground spice mixes. She has been running Voila Masala for seven years and is already a familiar face on French-language television, having hosted two season’s of her own cooking show “Portion Double” on Rogers with Le Droit food columnist, Pierre Jury. Ms Sundaram has also done radio and print articles on spices as well as appearing on many other French-language food shows, including À la d’Stasio and Ricardo.
Aylmer’s star candidate will be asking the investor-Dragon’s to invest in her Voila Masala company so that she may expand the communications division in order to pursue her dream of publishing a cookbook and producing an English-language cooking show called “Welcome to the Spice Age!” So if the Dragons invest in her proposals, expect to see her hosting her own Aylmer-centric cooking show in thenear future.
Public can vote — and win $5,000
If the Dragons don’t invest, Aylmer viewers can still vote online for her so she can win $50, 000 and get the job done herself. Voters are eligible to win a $5,000 cash prize from Concrete Equities just for voting online; and if Lakshmi receives the most votes for the episode on which she appears she will have the chance to win $50,000.
Visit the show’s website, www.CBC.ca dragonsden, and become an armchair Dragon.
“I need the people of Aylmer to support and vote for me,” Ms Sundaram told The Bulletin, for which she used to work as a reporter. “I am excited and nervous to see the final version of the show. I was extremely emotional during the taping of Dragon’s Den and ended up bursting into tears. I don’t know how the show will be edited, but I am afraid I may look like a pre-menopausal, hysterical (not in the funny sense), maniac.” Or she could become CBC’s newest public star.
Dragon’s Den repeats on CBC’s newsworld throughout the week.
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Résultats de sondage : sentiment d’appartenance à son secteur
Aylmer demeure Aylmer
Julie Murray
Cinq ans après la fusion, les résidents de Gatineau ont encore un sentiment d’appartenance à leur ancienne ville. Selon un sondage mené par Unimarketing et le quotidien de langue française, moins de la moitié des résidents de quatre des cinq secteurs de Gatineau ont un sentiment d’appartenance à la nouvelle ville. À la question « Vous sentez-vous vraiment Gatinois? », 72% des résidents d’Aylmer, 58% des résidents de Buckingham, 65% des résidents de Hull et 51% des résidents de Masson-Angers ont répondu ‘non’; seulement 25% des résidents de l’ancienne ville de Gatineau ont répondu non à cette question.
Seulement 28% des Aylmerois, 39% des résidents de Buckingham, 31% des résidents de Hull et 48% des résidents de Masson-Angers ont répondu ‘oui’, tandis que la majorité des résidents de Gatineau, soit 75%, ont répondu ‘oui’.
Certains résultats du sondage étaient intéressants. Masson-Angers, le secteur qui se bat ardemment pour la dé-fusion, est le secteur où l’opinion est partagé quasi également, de plus, deux secteurs semblent très attachés à leur ancienne ville. Tandis que 3% des résidents de Buckingham, 4% des résidents de Hull et 1% des résidents de Masson-Angers ont dit ‘ne pas savoir’ s’ils avaient un sentiment d’appartenance à la nouvelle ville de Gatineau, les gens d’Aylmer et de Gatineau, eux, n’ont pas de doute : 0% des gens dans ces deux secteurs ont répondu ‘ne pas savoir’.
Aylmer est plus indépendant
En guise d’explication aux résultats démontrant un faible taux d’allégeance à Aylmer, le conseiller Alain Riel fait remarquer : « Il y a eu un mouvement anti-fusion à Aylmer, de plus, neuf kilomètres de terres agricoles séparent Aylmer et Hull. Gatineau s’avère une ville d’adoption pour beaucoup de gens et des milliers de nouvelles maisons ont été construites récemment à Aylmer. Il faut laisser un peu de temps aux nouveaux arrivants avant qu’ils ne se sentent ‘chez eux’. Cela ne se produit pas du jour au lendemain; cela prend toute une génération. » Le maire Marc Bureau croit que le faible sentiment d’appartenance à Gatineau des Aylmerois est dû au sens communautaire du secteur.
Confiance en soi de Buckingham
Buckingham bénéficie d’un esprit communautaire semblable, dit la conseillère Jocelyne Houle. « Il y a beaucoup d’activités et d’organismes à Buckingham. Les gens s’identifient à leur communauté, ici, ils ont ce sentiment d’appartenance. Je ne ressens pas d’insatisfaction vis-à-vis de Gatineau dans mon secteur, mais on ne peut pas demander aux gens de changer du jour au lendemain. »
M. Riel croit que des projets d’envergure comme celui du Rapibus, des Jeux du Québec, de la préservation de la forêt Boucher, de l’Espace Dallaire et du complexe sportif créeront une union au sein de la ville et une occasion d’être fier de Gatineau. « Ces gros projets joueront un rôle déterminant dans le développement d’un sentiment d’appartenance à la nouvelle ville. “
(Trad.: C.B.)
Le député ne démissionne pas
Marcel Proulx ne représente plus le Québec
Julie Murray
Le député de Hull-Aylmer, Marcel Proulx, a remis sa démission en tant que représentant libéral du Québec le 16 octobre. « M. Dion cherchait quelqu’un qui porterait son attention sur Montréal. Comme nous retournons en Chambre, j’ai accepté de demeurer Whip adjoint et de participer au Comité de la planification et des priorités. Ces postes se marient bien avec mes responsabilités dans ma circonscription », a dit M. Proulx au Bulletin.
« En tant que représentant de M. Dion au Québec, j’ai parcouru plus de 40 000 kilomètres l’été dernier; comme que la session de la Chambre est maintenant ouverte, et que je n’ai pas encore trouvé le moyen d’être à deux endroits en même temps, j’ai décidé de démissionner en tant que représentant », ajoute M. Proulx. La sénatrice Céline Hervieux-Payette a accepté d’occuper le poste de lieutenant politique au Québec, après que les députés montréalais, Denis Coderre et Pablo Rodriguez, l’auraient refusé.
Les Libéraux disent qu’une élection serait inutile
M. Proulx dit que lui-même ainsi que son parti sont prêts pour une éventuelle élection. « Nous sommes toujours prêts, en particulier quand nous avons un gouvernement minoritaire. Nous n’avons pas loué des espaces de bureaux ni acheté des pancartes, mais notre organisation est solide. Nous avons commencé à rencontrer des bénévoles au printemps dernier. Nous pourrions nous mobiliser très rapidement si jamais une élection était déclenchée. »
Toutefois, « Je ne pense pas qu’il y aura une élection maintenant », dit-il. « Nous ne forcerons pas le gouvernement à dépenser 300 millions$, soit le coût d’une élection, alors que nous avons tous l’impression que les résultats seraient les mêmes. Nous insisterons pour que le gouvernement et le Parlement travaillent. Si les Conservateurs veulent gouverner correctement et d’une manière qui nous convient, nous ne les forcerons pas à aller en élection. Nous les tiendrons toutefois responsables s’ils se mettent à bousculer les gens. »
« Je ne démissionne surtout pas comme député. Au contraire, j’ai laissé tomber le poste de représentant pour me permettre de consacrer plus de temps au service de mes constituants, en tant que député », insiste M. Proulx
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Poll shows local loyalties
Aylmer is staying Aylmer
Julie Murray
Five years after fusion, Gatineau residents still feel attached to their former cities. According to a poll by Unimarketing and a French-language daily, fewer than half the residents in four out of Gatineau’s five sectors feel any sense of loyalty to the new city. When asked if they consider themselves a resident of the new city of Gatineau, 72% of Aylmer residents, 58% of Buckingham residents, 65% of Hull residents and 51% of Masson-Angers residents said no, with only 25% in the old city of Gatineau saying no.
Only 28% of Aylmerites, 39% of Buckingham residents, 31% of Hull residents, and 48% of Masson-Angers residents said yes, while a large majority, 75%, of Gatineau residents said yes.
The poll had some interesting results. Not only was Masson-Angers, the sector fighting to de-amalgamate, the most evenly divided of them all, two of the sectors appear firmly attached to their former cities. While 3% of Buckingham residents, 4% of Hull residents, and 1% of Masson-Angers residents said they “didn’t know” if they felt attached to Gatineau, people in Aylmer and Gatineau have made up their minds: 0% of people in each of those sectors said they didn’t know.
Aylmer most independent
Explaining the low loyalty in Aylmer, Councillor Alain Riel points out, “There was an anti-fusion movement in Aylmer, and nine kilometres of farmland separate Aylmer from Hull. Gatineau is an adopted city for many people, and thousands of new homes have been built in Aylmer recently. You have to give newcomers time to really feel at home. It doesn’t happen overnight; it takes a generation.” Mayor Marc Bureau attributes Aylmerites’ low attachment to Gatineau to the sector’s strong feeling of community.
Buckingham self-confident
The same community spirit exists in Buckingham, says Councillor Jocelyne Houle. “Buckingham is a place where there are many activities and organizations. People identify with their community here, they feel a sense of belonging. I don’t feel a sense of dissatisfaction towards Gatineau in my sector, but we can’t ask people to change overnight.”
Mr Riel believes large-scale projects such as the Rapibus, the Quebec Games, the preservation of the Boucher Forest, L’Espace Dallaire and the sports complex will unite the city and offer a chance to take pride in Gatineau. “Bringing about these large projects will play a large role in helping to develop a sense of belonging to the new city.”
What has D’Arcy McGee been up to?
Veronica Sampassa
Off on the outskirts of town, D’Arcy McGee High is currently in the midst of one of its busiest periods. As first term comes to its end, several activities are being organized, all the while final assignments are made.
The athletics’ department has finalized their teams for the season, while D’Arcy’s Gee Gees are working towards the football team’s well deserved spot in the play-offs.
As for in-school activities, the school’s first spirit week appeared quite successful, judging from the creative attire worn by many of the students. In addition, there are two classic films, The Night before Christmas and Footloose, that have been recently modified to become the year’s first productions (and which are presently in rehearsals). To finish off the activity inventory, the second dance of the year will be just in time for the end of term festivities and will help celebrate Halloween.
D’Arcy McGee has also proven to be a school capable of uniting to work for a good cause. The entire school, along with their younger counter-part, Symmes Junior High, collected a hefty sum for the Terry Fox Foundation.
The year has just begun and so much has been accomplished; however, there’s plenty more brewing within D’Arcy’s confines.
End of poutine!
Unhealthy food expelled from Quebec schools
Julie Muray
On September 17, Premier Jean Charest, Food and Agriculture Minister Laurent Lessard, and Education Minister Michelle Courchesne announced the province’s new policy regarding food served in Quebec schools. Beginning January 1, food with little nutritive content, such as French fries, breaded foods, and soda pop, will no longer be offered in preschools and primary and secondary schools. Healthier choices, such as fruit, yogurt and juice, will replace current offerings in vending machines.
Healthy food doesn’t cost more
“Many schools and school boards have already adopted a policy of healthier food choices, so we’re not starting from scratch,” said Mr. Charest, adding, “And it’s not true that it costs more” to eat healthier food. Even if it’s slightly more expensive, parents are ready to spend a bit more so their children eat better, say Education Ministry officials.
Food affects memory, mind
Ms Courchesne added, “A child who is well-nourished, with a healthy, balanced diet, increases his memory, his intellectual capacity and his ability to learn and absorb information.” The ministry also plans to conduct an awareness campaign so parents of the 80% of children who bring their lunch to school are more knowledgeable about the elements of a healthy, balanced diet.
To implement the policy, the ministry will spend $6.5 million in renovations, for example to replace large fryers. Some schools have signed contracts to share soft drink profits with the manufacturers, despite complaints from parents, while some junk food companies pay schools to allow them exclusive rights to the school kids. In their defense these school principals claim this is the only way they can fund certain programs like music and art, given Quebec’s shift of funding to education bureaucracies rather than to the schools themselves.
Sugar and colouring harmful
Many researchers have linked behavioral problems, like ADD, to diets heavy with dye, colouring and sugars. They say school authorities should cut back on these food products, rather than rely on drugs like Ritalin to dampen hyperactivity in children. They note that little research has been done on the long-term effect of such drugs, especially for the adult years of these children, Childhood obesity is also linked to high sugar content foods and drinks, mostly those sold in vending machines, as much as to lack of exercise. Cutbacks in physical education have also contributed to poor physical conditoning and poor mental aptitudes in pupils, claims the Quebec Home and School Asociation.
New political party defends Anglos & minorities
Julie Murray
Allen Nutik, leader of a new provincial political party, Affiliation Quebec, told The Bulletin his party offers a clear choice for Anglophone minorities in Quebec. Over 350 people have signed on since the party’s formation last May, he says. “People are tired of having to fight for their minority rights.” Instead, his party will “pursue the full rights and interests of staunch Canadians living in Quebec.”
Abolish school boards
The school board and property tax systems are a major focus. “English communities display weak leadership in respect to access to English schooling. There is little transparency and almost no responsibility towards the over-burdened taxpayer,” he says, arguing that the current school board system be abolished. “Voter apathy reflects the questionable nature of school boards.”
Mr. Nutik also says the funding of secondary and primary schools based on property taxes should be abolished. He asks, “We don’t do this for universities and CEGEPS. So why do we charge property owners for the costs of primary and secondary schools?”
Quebec’s leaders have been silent, Mr Nutik says, “in the face of the public’s often offensive bias, so openly expressed and covered widely in the media.” He points to the tone of the Bouchard-Taylor Commission hearings. “The fact that several presentations have expressed narrow and intolerant views towards minorities in Quebec suggests a prejudicial theme that lies buried, ‘deeply and widely’ across the province.”
Quebec without anglos?
He adds, “With 42% of Quebecers non-tax paying, just imagine Quebec without Anglo and minority businesses, employees, doctors, lawyers, accountants, teachers, pharmacists, engineers, shoppers, customers, and taxpayers.”
Mr Nutik makes a passionate defense of recognizing Anglo contributions to the province. “Minorities and Anglos neither threaten nor prevent Les Quebecois from retaining and building their intrinsic social and community values. Just look at Quebec, today. It was British values of 1841 and 1867 that entrenched French Canadian rights in the Canadian constitution to protect French Canada. It is telling that it is the entrenched Anglo rights that have been tampered with and eroded.”
Anglos’ place in Harper’s “nation”?
Calling on federal leaders to “clearly state their policy in respect to minority rights for the more than one million of Quebec’s cultural communities and Anglophones,” Mr Nutik asks, “What is the place of Anglophones in Prime Minister Harper’s “Quebecois Nation”? Why have Harper and Dion been so silent on this important file?”
He adds, “The courting of Quebec nationalist votes by federal party leaders has caused them to ignore Quebec’s minorities and their loss of language, sign, education and access rights.”
Mr Nutik, who plans on running in the next election, says Affiliation Quebec “is recruting quality candidates to run in ridings where we think we have a chance.” For more information, visit www.affiliationquebec.ca.
(From the West Quebec Post)
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