Quebec as a nation

Canadians in general had the impression that the thorny and intricate nationhood issue was already out of the way. But it resurfaced again in the Parliament with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent controversial Cabinet motion to recognize the Quebecois as a nation within a united Canada.

Despite the diverse political reaction, the motion was past and the House of Commons recognized the motion with finality. As can be expected, there are some who firmly believe that Canada should be one nation, undivided. There are also fears that any move to balkanize Canadians could induce aboriginal groups to seek first-nation recognitions. It opens many doors to huge divisiveness in the country because it could be Quebecois today, then the others tomorrow. Critics said that having multiple nations in one state, whether they be aboriginal or Quebecois, can hamper national unity and will create identity fatigue.

Some fear that recognizing Quebec as a nation will legitimize Quebec’s desire to eventually secede and separate from the country. For example, what could stop the Scottish Canadians from seeking a distinct nation status. They are responsible for opening Canadian trade. And how about the gargantuan Chinese Canadian population who built the railroad system that unified the country.

How do Canadians really feel about the old issue? According to the latest Leger Marketing Survey, Canadians overwhelmingly rejected the concept of Quebec nationhood. Outside Quebec, 77 percent Canadians rejected the idea that the province forms a nation. Among regional, linguistic and Liberal party breakdowns, French-speaking Quebecers, at 71 percent, were the only group to "personally consider that Quebecers form a nation."

"Kuya" is a trendy and upmarket restaurant that recently opened in West Vancouver. It is owned and operated by Fil-Cans, Raymond F. de Leon, Andrea de Leon and chef Christian de Leon. Elegantly designed, the restaurant serves Pacific Northwest cuisine, Filipino fusion food and innovative dishes created by its young and creative chef, a graduate of the prestigious Pacific Culinary School.

"Kuya" is the second Filipino-run restaurant to open in Vancouver this year that gave Filipino cuisine a designer, global presentation. The first is "Rekados" which is already a huge hit not only with the Philippine community but also with mainstream Canadians. "Rekados" is owned and operated by chef Charlie Dizon, his wife Pinky and Larry Elima. Both restaurants are in keeping with the changing Filipino lifestyle in Canada who are tired of the provincial, turo-turo concept of dining out. The upward trend is helping improve the image of Filipinos in Canada.

Airlines and those in the travel industry agreed unanimously to a government plan to open up Canada’s skies to more competition, stating that open-skies agreements with more countries will allow them to tap new markets and reduce ticket prices for consumers.

If approved and implemented, Canada can pursue open skies agreement with countries that could provide the same opportunities to Canadian carriers – countries like Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Germany and France.

At the moment, Canada only has two-open skies agreements, with the United States and Britain, while the US has 77 open-skies agreements, Australia three, Chile seven, New Zealand 10 and Singapore nine. The European Union has a complete open-skies regime. Open skies agreements eliminate rules that dictate how many air carriers are allowed from each market, what destinations they may serve, and how many times they may fly.

Statistics Canada tracked about 4,000 youngsters who were born in 1997 and discovered that the girls had better communication skills and stronger abilities in copying and symbol use by age five. They also rated higher than boys in attention, self-control of impulsive behavior and independence in dressing.

The national study showed that boys rated above girls on one measure — curiosity.

The lead story of the current Asian Pacific Post is stunning and provocative — "Canadian Team To Probe Filipino Murders". A Canadian team of activists are apparently in Manila already to examine cases of extra-judicial killings, and attacks on political and trade union groups, among other human rights abuses.