magazine / jun09
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June 2009 issue |
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Reverberations
Iroquoians and Duplessis
The story on Trois-Rivières (“A
tale of tenacity,”April 2009) was
informative and interesting. However, it
mentions the meeting in 1535 between
Jacques Cartier and “aboriginals, likely
Algonquins.” Cartier’s journals describe
these people very well. Lists of words
they used and descriptions of their longhouses
and their agriculture attest to the
fact that these people were Iroquoians,
linguistically and culturally.
In fact, one of the historical mysteries
of early Canada is what happened to
these people. When Champlain arrived
almost 70 years later, the St. Lawrence
Valley was a no man’s land. Had these
St. Lawrence Iroquoians been pushed
out of the area by neighbouring groups?
Many historians suggest warfare between
this group and fellow Iroquoians to the
west (the Wendat) or the south (the
Mohawk). Or were they decimated by
diseases introduced by Cartier’s men?
Gerry O’Toole
Montréal
The sidebar about Maurice Duplessis
(“Trois-Rivières’ most (in)famous
son,” April 2009) specifies his anti-labour
and anti-Communist stances, but another
of his positions is not mentioned. This is
notable in the development of the freedom
of speech and assembly issues that
were provoked by Duplessis, resulting in
the Boucher case of 1950 and the Saumur
case of 1953. Both were brought to the
Supreme Court of Canada by Jehovah’s
Witnesses, and both were lost by
Duplessis. He fought this small religious
group during all his years of power. These
two cases, in particular, were precedent-setting
and are required studies in the law
schools of the nation.
M. Markevich
Nepean, Ont.
Wrong garlic
The red-stemmed wild garlic
pictured in “You pick, you pay”
(“Discovery,” April 2009) is Allium
tricoccum, not Allium ursinum, which
is a European species. Depending on
the area, this plant is known locally as
wild garlic, wild leeks or ramps (in the
northern United States).
Landowners in eastern Ontario have
resorted to charging unwanted garlic
pickers with trespassing. Each spring,
they watch for unknown cars parked
along the rural bush roads and report
licence plate numbers to the police.
As for the “mild” flavour, my dad told
stories of teachers in one-room schoolhouses
on Manitoulin Island opening all
the windows during spring school days
to clear out the odoriferous breathing of
pupils who had snacked on wild garlic
on their way to school.
Peggi Calder
Dunvegan, Ont.
Semi driver
I’m coming up on 79 years of age and
I’m still an active professional semi
driver here in northwestern Alberta.
Based on my background, I believe I’m
qualified to comment on Howard Wood’s
column (“Road rage,” April 2009).
Lack of police highway patrols on our
highways? Yes, I agree with that, and the
situation could be rectified in either of
two ways:
a) be prepared to pay higher taxes;
b) make use of your pencil and paper,
jot down the offending licence plate
number and time of the near miss, and
phone it in to police at your next stop.
It helps, believe me.
I do think Wood made the wrong point
in what might be considered a tirade about
the four-wheel drivers he meets on our
highways. He has certainly identified many
of the hazards we professional drivers face
from small-vehicle drivers and I agree.
However, he points out that a majority
of near accidents he witnessed were the
result of poor driving habits by relatively
young drivers. And he then goes on to
single out one seemingly elderly person
who came close to the wide load and
makes the assumption that the elderly
person was “blithely unaware.” Is Wood
also a mind reader?
Most of us would have no argument
against mandatory driving tests for those
who are 80 or over — it wouldn’t bother
me at all. However, based on the young
drivers Wood identifies as being careless
or inattentive or yakking on cellphones,
it appears that those younger drivers also
require mandatory driving tests. From
the ages of those we read about who are
involved in motor-vehicle accidents, the
latter obviously present a higher percentage
of poor “blithely unaware” drivers on
our highways.
In spite of my comments, I did enjoy
reading Wood’s story and would like to
buy him a cup of coffee on the road
some day.
Earle Smith
Grande Prairie, Alta.
I appreciate the challenges faced in
Howard Wood’s occupation, with the
inability of many people to concentrate
on the task of driving. His point about
mandatory driving tests should be amended
to read “for all of us every five years.” We
all pick up unacceptable driving habits,
and these should receive attention periodically.
I am within five years of that magic
number of 80 and could and should be
monitored. Reaching the age of 80 does
not automatically turn one into an incapable
and idiotic driver. Some have never
learned to be responsible behind the wheel.
Ross Graham
Green Valley, Ont.
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