Racial Bias in Canada?

As a white South African old enough to remember Diefenbaker and Trudeau's campaigns against apartheid and my parents' disparaging remarks about Canadian "hypocrites" who should mind their own business (I didn't agree with them but that's another story,) I was naively surprised when I first learnt about the unresolved issues in Canada around First Nations' treaties and quite shocked upon first hearing about the forced removals of Inuit and Métis children from their families and being placed in "civilised" residential schools. Given these issues and after being raised on a diet of race and human rights in South African politics I am amazed at how insignificant a role race actually plays in Canadian politics, at least judging by the amount of silence raised on these subjects in political rhetoric.

Although not registering the same levels of shock on the Richter Scale as the above, I was still surprised on reading Rosie Dimanno's column in The Star on Saturday which opened with the following words: In a Hamilton courtroom recently, a mistrial was declared – in large part – because too many potential jurors declared themselves to be intrinsically biased against the black defendants.

I don't automatically agree with everything Rosie Dimanno writes and there are some issues where we are far apart, but this article is worth reading. Click here for the article.

2009 Holst Picnic

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We missed last year but I am glad that Ingrid and I got to go again this year. As usual the pavilion was booked in case of rain but the weather was excellent. Of course if we did not have the pavilion then Sunday's downpours and steady rain would have come a day earlier.

Herb provided his usual half drum brickette BBQ which was more than adequate for the job. For the first time Ingrid and I did not have boerewors - and some people even noticed and commented. We had chicken sosaties instead.

Here is a link to the full 2009 Holst Picnic album - my first on flickr.

Multiculturalism Day at the Office

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Today we had Multiculturalism Day at GE. I was very impressed by the extent to which a number of people really got into the spirit of it all and have set up mini displays around their office workspace over the last two weeks. Here is a sampling. For the full set of photos have a look at my album, 2009 GE Multiculturalism Day.

Belated May Update

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Going back a bit in time, we all got together at Miriam and Geoff's place for Mother's Day on 10 May. Geoff again demonstrated that he is Master of the Braai and produced some great boerewors that was polished off before the afternoon was finished. We took a much needed walk past the church where Miriam and Geoff will be getting married at the end of August. We also passed this history plaque on the first airmail in Canada that I found interesting.

At the end of May Blue Door Shelters (where Ingrid works) put on their second annual Bed Race fundraiser. I did not participate this year other than by taking pictures, but "the kids" and their partners entered an eight member team, "Clan and Co." As with last year, they again excelled themselves and were presented with the winners' gold medals though they had two legs of the race where they were very shaky. To Ingrid's and their own embarrassment they were the worst of all the teams when it came down to knowing or guessing statistics about homelessness in York Region. For some more photos of the event have a look at my Picasa Blue Door Bed Race 2009 album.

This Sunday we went to the annual Aurora Street Sale. This is reputed to be the world's longest annual street sale (from Yonge St. & Wellington St. to Yonge St. & Allaura Blvd. approx. 1.5 km) and Yonge Street is reputed to be the longest street in the world.Aurora is the next town just south of Newmarket - a very pretty and quaint town. One of the stalls, Curly and Company Salon, was offering free neck and scalp massage with any donations going to Blue Door Shelters. Ingrid was on hand for a few hours to answer any questions about Blue Door Shelters. She and Judith both took advantage of the occasion to get a massage, but I declined.

This evening Ingrid and I finished off the the weekend with a drink on our front deck. Just as we were going inside one of the largest single formations of Canada geese that I have seen flew almost directly overhead. I counted 56 birds.