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Friday 18 September 2015

Harperman Singalong

Well, what a great day for a protest event! Ottawa has been blessed with a great stretch of summer weather this week. We've enjoyed some bonus swims at our favourite swimming hole but the highlight of our week was yesterday's Harperman protest event at Parliament Hill.



We biked downtown along the Ottawa River Parkway. I think I have whined about this in a previous post but bear with me. The parkway, which runs along the Ottawa River, was built when I was a kid, back in the 60's. Everyone in Ottawa knows it as The Ottawa River Parkway. However, a year or two ago Harper had it re-named. Now it is officially The Sir John A. MacDonald Parkway. It seems that you just can't have too many things named after (Conservative) MacDonald. Anyhow...

The weather brought out all kinds of people, with great shirts and signs.



There weren't a lot of speeches. Tony Turner's wife Sharon Reeves spoke. (Tony is still an Environment Canada employee and was advised not to attend.) Clive Doucet also spoke. Doucet is one of the best mayors Ottawa never had. He was a great city councillor but was unsuccessful in his race for mayor.  Both he and Sharon spoke eloquently about freedom of speech.

Tony Turner's wife, Sharon Reeves

Clive Doucet
It was a short but very enthusiastic protest. It simply felt good to be there, right on Parliament Hill, among like-minded folks, all happily belting out a song that summarizes our feelings during this election period. It was a hopeful mood.


For a detailed account of the afternoon, check out CBC's report . Of course, if you haven't heard the song, go to http://harperman.ca to view the song as it was originally recorded in June. There's also a new animated version there. For reports of all the singalongs that were held across the country yesterday, click on press coverage. During the coming week, the Harperman site will be updated with video of the Parliament Hill event. This song has really taken on a life of its own.

P.S. In a sad turn of events, you may have seen Wayne Gretzky, on stage, with Harper today, singing his praises. Many years ago, I took our kids out of school one afternoon, so we could race downtown and catch a glimpse of the Great One. That's it Wayne..it's all over for me.

Wednesday 16 September 2015

What can we do to help?

It’s goodbye season again; that time of year when many parents have recently sent their adult children off to school or jobs. While it is a season of renewal and excitement for young folks, it can also trigger feelings of loss and sadness for those of us with the empty bedrooms.
 But what do I really know about sorrow? Last week I enjoyed time at a beach, playing with my three-year-old grandson. I was thinking of another three-year-old boy on a far away beach; that profoundly moving photo.
 It was heartbreaking to hear his father interviewed. The poor man has no desire for a new life in a new country now. He has buried his wife and sons and wants to spend the rest of his life near their graves. Such is the power of love and loss. If I felt sad to see my grown son drive away to a new job, how does this man feel, to say goodbye to his three most important people, forever?
 I was lucky enough to spend some time at a couple of cottages this summer. One of them, had problems with the water supply and the fridge. The noisy pump, which brought water in from the lake, did not always function properly and for the first time, I experienced taps with no water. When the pump was functioning we boiled water to wash the dishes.
 Once home, basking in the luxury of hot and cold running water, we turned on our TV. We saw the images of all those refugees, those long lines of people, walking forever, carrying children, crawling under barbed wire, screaming in desperation when soldiers attempted to hold them back. How grateful would they be to have that cottage? Can we ever imagine how much they are suffering? Where are they getting their water? What are they eating?
 At a gathering earlier this summer, I heard someone remark, “I don’t know why we let those people into our country?” I am ashamed to admit that I was so taken aback that I said nothing. When we look back to the Second World War and recall the ships of Jews that Canada turned away, it seems unbelievable. So here we are again. How will we respond this time?
 Our world, our country has changed profoundly. The white/ English/French Ottawa that I grew up in during the 50’s and 60’s has disappeared. Ottawa, like most Canadian communities, is becoming increasingly multi-cultural.
 Once a month I volunteer at our local library, hosting an English conversation group for newcomers to Canada. It’s nothing fancy, just an opportunity for people to drop in and practice speaking English for an hour and a half.  I answer any questions they may have about Ottawa. We talk about food, families, their countries, and of course, Canada’s weather. At our last session one young man had taken a bus for an hour, just to attend the group.
 I’ve met people from many countries and heard many stories. These brave people have given up so much for the opportunity to come here and restart their lives. Last week I said goodbye to my son for a few months but these people have said good-bye to their country, their familiar surroundings and most painful of all, to their families.
 Here in Canada we are starting a new season. Along with the renewal of our usual fall activities, maybe we need to add a new item to our to do lists:
 What can we do to help these people?