We are saddened today by the terrible news that a 15-year-old Quebec girl committed suicide after years of bullying from her schoolmates. Despite recent measures to fight such abuse in schools, much remains to be done and I wish to pay tribute to the Foundation for Tolerance/La Fondation de la Tolérance (FDT), a group of community leaders from Québec’s Jewish community founded in 1995.
The group’s goal was to counter expressions of intolerance and stereotypes among the youth. Over the years, the group has hired young, motivated animators to spread the message of tolerance to students of senior high school age and educate them about the dangers of intolerance and expressions of racism in society. It is clearly an exercise in building for the future.
The animators, currently led by respected journalist and community leader Anne Lagacé Dowson, run three programs across Québec secondary schools, two in French and one in English. The FDT is funded through private donations and government programs. In the interest of full disclosure, I served as co-president of the group from 2006 -2009 with current president, Marc Gold, a respected community leader.
For the third consecutive year on Monday night, the FDT has handed out the Paul-Gérin Lajoie prize to citizens who have made the values and the mission of the foundation part of their professional lives. It was a way of acknowledging that education in the formative years is vital to a productive engagement in the adult years.
This year, the FDT has given the award to two people: they are 13 year old Maxime Collard, and her mother, Isabelle Marchand. Both were responsible for mobilizing the local population against discrimination and bullying in school yards. This year’s recipients follow two prestigious winners, Dr. Guy Julien (social medicine ) in 2009, and Fr. Emmett “Pops” Johns (community work ) in 2010.
Back in 2007, as co-president, I published an article entitled “The Path to Tolerance.” In the light of this week’s terrible tragedy, I wish to share some excerpts that I believe reflect the vision of the FDT and its work:
“First, political and community leaders at all levels must quickly condemn in unequivocal terms any expressions of intolerance. This must be done not in singling out a specific group, but by repudiating any acts of violence or intolerance by referring to values universally recognized by human-rights advocates. Hesitancy to react can only encourage a recurrence of such events. Hatred is hatred, and it is wrong whoever the perpetrator is. No political situation can justify acts of intolerance in a democratic society.
Second, we need to elevate the level of political debate in civil society beyond the daily concentration on current problems. It is time that voters, editorialists and leaders insisted on a value-oriented debate within the political framework. We need to remind ourselves of fundamental democratic values that allow us to interact as a society, and permit us to look beyond and see how we can deal with the challenges of diversity in our communities. The recent celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights rehashed the controversial political events surrounding its passage, while the real significance should lie with the greater protection of individual rights. Public debate involving more than specific policy proposals and addressing the subjects of vision and values can have an educational benefit for all in society.
Third, schools at all levels must play a more proactive role to promote diversity, tolerance and understanding. It is heartening that politicians acted quickly to condemn potential acts of intolerance against Muslim communities following the events of Sept.11. We need more solidarity of this nature by average Canadians in good times as well. Dialogue about what divides us might be essential but understanding our common bonds and the need to live and grow together by celebrating our diversity is what will make us a stronger community.
We cannot export tolerance like we export goods and services, but we can send a compelling message by being a shining example to the rest of the world in making sure that we have a policy of zero tolerance for any behaviour that promotes hatred and runs counter to the respect of communities and their differences.”
November 30, 2011
November 21, 2011
Why Québec Loves JFK
There are some dates that are remembered over time. The day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 is one of them. We can recall where we were, what we were doing, and how we felt. While the world mourned his loss, I was struck by how my home province of Quebec reacted. There was shock like everywhere, but there was an affection that was immediately felt as if he was one of our leaders.
In the months and years that followed, streets, schools, enterprises, and later, a town square, were named after JFK. What is amazing is that Quebec, a predominantly French speaking society was honoring an English speaking leader for what he represented.
Over the years, the JFK mystique has gone from adulation to revisionism to realism. Now we can better appreciate with the calming effect of history what my fellow Quebecers felt about JFK as we remember the tragic events of Dallas on November 22, 1963.
President Kennedy believed in a world where peace was achieved through dialogue and diplomacy. He also believed that knowledge and science paved the way to a better and more enlightened future. When his fellow citizens were victims of violence, injustice and inequality, he saw the solution as a moral imperative. Finally, he believed in public service as the most noble of human endeavors, whether in one’s own country or beyond its borders. His words still resonate: ``Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.``. That we recall this makes his life all the more worthwhile today, and explains why Quebec still loves JFK after all these years.
In the months and years that followed, streets, schools, enterprises, and later, a town square, were named after JFK. What is amazing is that Quebec, a predominantly French speaking society was honoring an English speaking leader for what he represented.
Over the years, the JFK mystique has gone from adulation to revisionism to realism. Now we can better appreciate with the calming effect of history what my fellow Quebecers felt about JFK as we remember the tragic events of Dallas on November 22, 1963.
President Kennedy believed in a world where peace was achieved through dialogue and diplomacy. He also believed that knowledge and science paved the way to a better and more enlightened future. When his fellow citizens were victims of violence, injustice and inequality, he saw the solution as a moral imperative. Finally, he believed in public service as the most noble of human endeavors, whether in one’s own country or beyond its borders. His words still resonate: ``Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.``. That we recall this makes his life all the more worthwhile today, and explains why Quebec still loves JFK after all these years.
Publié par
John Parisella
Why Invest in Montréal?
Earlier this month, a Montréal-New York seminar under the auspices of the Montréal International Financial Center on setting up operations north of the border took place in New York. A number of speakers from companies and organizations involved in cross-border and near-shore activities were present. Representatives from the Bank of Canada, Caisse de Dépôt et de Placement du Québec, Invest Québec, Montréal International, Morgan Stanley and CGI spoke about the attractiveness of Montréal for investing. While the focus was on the financial sector, the arguments for considering Montréal in future investment decisions made sense.
Montréal is Québec’s largest city with a population of over 1.6 million and the Greater Metropolitan Montréal region has a population of 3.9 million, according to the 2006 census. It is also Canada’s second largest city and North America’s 7th largest.
Montréal’s economy is among the most dynamic and innovative in the world. Its principal economic activities revolve around commerce, aerospace, pharmaceuticals (research-based part of the industry), information technology, video gaming, design, culture, clean technology, and tourism. Much of its economic strength is generated by the presence of five economic clusters – aeronautics, life sciences, information and communications technology, finance, and green technology.
What makes Montréal unique is its capacity to deal with international affairs. French is the official language of Québec and it affects matters of business, the workplace, and interactions with government. This being said, Montréal has the ability to operate in English and other languages. The population is made up of over 65% who claim French as a first language, 13% have English as a first language, and the remaining population speaks other languages. Fifty percent of Montréal residents are bilingual, and 18% are trilingual. This diversity over the years has made Montréal an attractive place for international organizations including IATA, ICAO (civil aviation), and WADA (Olympic anti- doping body).
During the seminar, the most appealing argument put forward had to do with the availability and the quality of human capital. Montréal has the highest concentration of post-secondary students of all major cities in North America with 4.38 students per 100 residents. The presence of four major universities with affiliated schools and multiple research units make it an attractive place for developing human capital. The opportunity and the flexibility to develop programs made to meet the needs of employers add to the potential of the human capital. In addition, as indicated above, Montréal has a workforce able to function bilingually and also trilingually (Montréal has the largest trilingual population in the Americas).
In terms of costs, doing business in Montréal has its advantages. Business operating costs are competitive and the corporate tax is 28.4%, among the lowest in North America. In 2012, the corporate tax rate will drop further making it the lowest in G-8 countries. Real estate prices are still among the most competitive, and existing government programs offering generous tax credits in some key sectors like job creation provide additional incentives.
Beyond talent and costs, there are added advantages to investing in Montréal – its proximity and accessibility to markets and its quality of life for its residents. Montréal is along the St. Lawrence River and its port provides ready access to the St. Lawrence Seaway. It is also an hour’s flight to Boston, New York and Toronto. As a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), businesses in Montréal have access to a market of over 450 million people. Add to this the well acknowledged stability of Canada’s banking and financial system, and Montréal represents a business environment conducive to growth.
For those who know Montréal, you need not be convinced of the quality of life. Montréal is one of the safest large cities in the world. Its multicultural component, its bilingual capacity and its creativity make it the New York City of the North. Its artistic community, multiple cafés and culinary delights, its artistic life and community life provide Montréal with uniqueness and a quality of life that make it a great place to live. And I might add a great place to invest.
Montréal is Québec’s largest city with a population of over 1.6 million and the Greater Metropolitan Montréal region has a population of 3.9 million, according to the 2006 census. It is also Canada’s second largest city and North America’s 7th largest.
Montréal’s economy is among the most dynamic and innovative in the world. Its principal economic activities revolve around commerce, aerospace, pharmaceuticals (research-based part of the industry), information technology, video gaming, design, culture, clean technology, and tourism. Much of its economic strength is generated by the presence of five economic clusters – aeronautics, life sciences, information and communications technology, finance, and green technology.
What makes Montréal unique is its capacity to deal with international affairs. French is the official language of Québec and it affects matters of business, the workplace, and interactions with government. This being said, Montréal has the ability to operate in English and other languages. The population is made up of over 65% who claim French as a first language, 13% have English as a first language, and the remaining population speaks other languages. Fifty percent of Montréal residents are bilingual, and 18% are trilingual. This diversity over the years has made Montréal an attractive place for international organizations including IATA, ICAO (civil aviation), and WADA (Olympic anti- doping body).
During the seminar, the most appealing argument put forward had to do with the availability and the quality of human capital. Montréal has the highest concentration of post-secondary students of all major cities in North America with 4.38 students per 100 residents. The presence of four major universities with affiliated schools and multiple research units make it an attractive place for developing human capital. The opportunity and the flexibility to develop programs made to meet the needs of employers add to the potential of the human capital. In addition, as indicated above, Montréal has a workforce able to function bilingually and also trilingually (Montréal has the largest trilingual population in the Americas).
In terms of costs, doing business in Montréal has its advantages. Business operating costs are competitive and the corporate tax is 28.4%, among the lowest in North America. In 2012, the corporate tax rate will drop further making it the lowest in G-8 countries. Real estate prices are still among the most competitive, and existing government programs offering generous tax credits in some key sectors like job creation provide additional incentives.
Beyond talent and costs, there are added advantages to investing in Montréal – its proximity and accessibility to markets and its quality of life for its residents. Montréal is along the St. Lawrence River and its port provides ready access to the St. Lawrence Seaway. It is also an hour’s flight to Boston, New York and Toronto. As a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), businesses in Montréal have access to a market of over 450 million people. Add to this the well acknowledged stability of Canada’s banking and financial system, and Montréal represents a business environment conducive to growth.
For those who know Montréal, you need not be convinced of the quality of life. Montréal is one of the safest large cities in the world. Its multicultural component, its bilingual capacity and its creativity make it the New York City of the North. Its artistic community, multiple cafés and culinary delights, its artistic life and community life provide Montréal with uniqueness and a quality of life that make it a great place to live. And I might add a great place to invest.
Publié par
John Parisella
November 11, 2011
Québec Supports America's HSR Vision
When President Obama and Vice President Biden announced their high speed rail (HSR) vision back in 2009, the Québec government expressed immediate interest and enthusiastic support for the initiative. After all, Montréal was specifically identified in the Boston-Montréal route as one of the 13 corridors. In addition, the question of HSR had been a subject of discussion and study in Canada since the 1970’s.
Québec’s Bombardier, a global leader in rail technology, had implanted its version of HSR in other parts of the world as early as the 1970’s, but it remained at the study stage in Canada. The possibility of a Québec City to Windsor, Ontario route is still a possibility down the road. However, with President Obama advocating HSR in the U.S. and adding an international link, the Québec government actively pursued its interest in the U.S. vision project leading to a meeting between Premier Jean Charest and Secretary of Transport Ray Lahood in Washington in February 2010.
From the outset, the Obama Administration attempted, through the stimulus package of 2009, to begin the process of implementing HSR with the stated objective of providing the service to 80% of the population by 2020. However, one must concede that slow economic growth, increasing deficit and debt issues, and political stalemate have contributed to stalling the HSR momentum of 2009.
This being said, there are definite signs that the Obama vision and its growing pains are not dissimilar to the Interstate Highway System which had its genesis in the 1930’s, but was given its big impetus for completion by the Eisenhower Administration of the 1950’s. History would therefore dictate some optimism and there are encouraging indicators of late .
Just recently, I was part of a mission in Washington with Québec Transport Minister Pierre Moreau and visited key decision makers including Secretary of Transport, Ray Lahood, Representative John Mica (R-Fla) and Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY). The take from the meetings was the following:
• the Northeast Corridor, which includes the Washington to Boston route was seen along with California as the priority mega-regions for development in the short to medium term;
• rejected monies by some states such as Florida and Wisconsin were being redirected to the priority regions;
• 23 governors applied for the latter including 12 Democrats and 11 Republicans.
This was most encouraging, prompting Secretary Lahood to state that HSR will occur over the next 20-30 years, irrespective of the party in power.
This week, I attended the latest U.S. High Speed Rail Association conference along with our emissary, former Canadian ambassador to the U.S., Raymond Chrétien. I spoke on the same panel as Secretary Lahood and restated Québec’s support for the HSR vision with the emphasis on both the Montréal to New York destination and the Montréal to Boston route. The conclusions that can be drawn from the conference indicated that the will to achieve HSR was still there and the arguments for it are even more compelling today.
Crumbling infrastructures, congested transport alternatives, increasing population, economic development potential, and job creation remain the principal arguments favoring HSR. The fact that Europe and Asia have fully embraced this vision for decades and are proceeding even more actively of late in that direction, made it more important that the Obama approach take hold, if only to keep America competitive in a global context. We in Québec fully subscribe to this rationale.
So, what’s next for HSR from a Québec perspective? The steps ahead for Québec include a pre-clearance agreement between Canada and the U.S. for Montréal’s Central Station to reduce travelling time and eliminate the 60-90 minute border stop, reactivating the Vermonter route from St. Albans to Montréal, and participating with U.S. partners to update market studies and assess needed technological modifications to rail tracks to increase speed. This is our commitment. The goal for Québec is ultimately to be part of the international Northeast Corridor and make it part of an even wider vision to include the Québec City to Windsor Corridor in Canada .
Québec’s Bombardier, a global leader in rail technology, had implanted its version of HSR in other parts of the world as early as the 1970’s, but it remained at the study stage in Canada. The possibility of a Québec City to Windsor, Ontario route is still a possibility down the road. However, with President Obama advocating HSR in the U.S. and adding an international link, the Québec government actively pursued its interest in the U.S. vision project leading to a meeting between Premier Jean Charest and Secretary of Transport Ray Lahood in Washington in February 2010.
From the outset, the Obama Administration attempted, through the stimulus package of 2009, to begin the process of implementing HSR with the stated objective of providing the service to 80% of the population by 2020. However, one must concede that slow economic growth, increasing deficit and debt issues, and political stalemate have contributed to stalling the HSR momentum of 2009.
This being said, there are definite signs that the Obama vision and its growing pains are not dissimilar to the Interstate Highway System which had its genesis in the 1930’s, but was given its big impetus for completion by the Eisenhower Administration of the 1950’s. History would therefore dictate some optimism and there are encouraging indicators of late .
Just recently, I was part of a mission in Washington with Québec Transport Minister Pierre Moreau and visited key decision makers including Secretary of Transport, Ray Lahood, Representative John Mica (R-Fla) and Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY). The take from the meetings was the following:
• the Northeast Corridor, which includes the Washington to Boston route was seen along with California as the priority mega-regions for development in the short to medium term;
• rejected monies by some states such as Florida and Wisconsin were being redirected to the priority regions;
• 23 governors applied for the latter including 12 Democrats and 11 Republicans.
This was most encouraging, prompting Secretary Lahood to state that HSR will occur over the next 20-30 years, irrespective of the party in power.
This week, I attended the latest U.S. High Speed Rail Association conference along with our emissary, former Canadian ambassador to the U.S., Raymond Chrétien. I spoke on the same panel as Secretary Lahood and restated Québec’s support for the HSR vision with the emphasis on both the Montréal to New York destination and the Montréal to Boston route. The conclusions that can be drawn from the conference indicated that the will to achieve HSR was still there and the arguments for it are even more compelling today.
Crumbling infrastructures, congested transport alternatives, increasing population, economic development potential, and job creation remain the principal arguments favoring HSR. The fact that Europe and Asia have fully embraced this vision for decades and are proceeding even more actively of late in that direction, made it more important that the Obama approach take hold, if only to keep America competitive in a global context. We in Québec fully subscribe to this rationale.
So, what’s next for HSR from a Québec perspective? The steps ahead for Québec include a pre-clearance agreement between Canada and the U.S. for Montréal’s Central Station to reduce travelling time and eliminate the 60-90 minute border stop, reactivating the Vermonter route from St. Albans to Montréal, and participating with U.S. partners to update market studies and assess needed technological modifications to rail tracks to increase speed. This is our commitment. The goal for Québec is ultimately to be part of the international Northeast Corridor and make it part of an even wider vision to include the Québec City to Windsor Corridor in Canada .
Publié par
John Parisella
November 3, 2011
Is the American Dream in Peril?
Posted at Americas Quarterly on November 3, 2011
In 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke a lot about hope, and his book The Audacity of Hope became a best-seller. His campaign later was all about hopes and dreams. But times have changed. Today we have the Tea Party from the Right, active and influencing the mainstream GOP. The Occupy Wall Street movement from the Left is still very much in the news offering a different assessment of what ails America. This is a time where the outer edges of the political spectrum are dominating the news and affecting the mood of the country.
The 2008 recession continues to leave its mark on families and the social fabric of the nation. This goes a long way in explaining the emergence of populist movements: high unemployment, huge deficits, increasing debt, and income disparity make the general population more concerned about the direction of the country than at any time in recent memory. Is the country on an inevitable decline? Are hopes and dreams just part of the political rhetoric spewed by politicians on the hustings? Has America seen its best days?
Last week I had the honour to give talks to two different groups of young people: students from Québec and from the Harvard Kennedy School. Each group came from a different place, geographically and culturally. But saw their individual futures with optimism. The Quebecers continue to view the U.S. as a land of opportunity and creativity but were cognizant of the current hard times and the possible impact on its future. The Harvard students are hopeful of better days ahead but also conscious that the economy could worsen in the short term.
Granted, this is not a scientific survey, but it is significant. Young people, wherever they are, are not prisoners of despair and dreams are a part of youth. For this reason, I believe history will be on the side of America. The new generation will not succumb to a pessimistic view of the world.
Political observers might also wonder about the polarization in politics and conclude that political dysfunction has become the new norm of the American political system. On the eve of the next presidential election, it is unlikely this conclusion will be challenged. But the course of history is not just a political cycle. It is governed by events over time, changing circumstances, individuals who can make a difference, and unforeseen opportunities. America has seen hard days in the past but if one trait surpasses all in the American character, it is endurance.
It was Winston Churchill who once said that America will try everything until they find the right solution. A country, shedding its colonial past through revolution, embracing freedom and democracy as the basic tenet of governance, surviving multiple wars, abolishing slavery and segregation, and representing a beacon of hope to the enslaved world cannot be a country subject to despair and inevitable decline for very long.
This upcoming political cycle will once again present a test for Americans. Polls indicate that the large majority of Americans believe that issues – whether unemployment, government dysfunction, debt, war, immigration reform or access to health care - will have to be addressed beyond the partisan divide of competing ideological philosophies, remembering that the American dream is neither liberal nor conservative. It is unlikely that all can be settled in this cycle but it must be a beginning.
A Pew poll conducted last summer indicated that 57 percent of Americans believed that their fellow countrymen could always find ways to solve the nation’s problems. This is most revealing and should be encouraging to those who believe that hopes and dreams can still prevail in America.
In 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke a lot about hope, and his book The Audacity of Hope became a best-seller. His campaign later was all about hopes and dreams. But times have changed. Today we have the Tea Party from the Right, active and influencing the mainstream GOP. The Occupy Wall Street movement from the Left is still very much in the news offering a different assessment of what ails America. This is a time where the outer edges of the political spectrum are dominating the news and affecting the mood of the country.
The 2008 recession continues to leave its mark on families and the social fabric of the nation. This goes a long way in explaining the emergence of populist movements: high unemployment, huge deficits, increasing debt, and income disparity make the general population more concerned about the direction of the country than at any time in recent memory. Is the country on an inevitable decline? Are hopes and dreams just part of the political rhetoric spewed by politicians on the hustings? Has America seen its best days?
Last week I had the honour to give talks to two different groups of young people: students from Québec and from the Harvard Kennedy School. Each group came from a different place, geographically and culturally. But saw their individual futures with optimism. The Quebecers continue to view the U.S. as a land of opportunity and creativity but were cognizant of the current hard times and the possible impact on its future. The Harvard students are hopeful of better days ahead but also conscious that the economy could worsen in the short term.
Granted, this is not a scientific survey, but it is significant. Young people, wherever they are, are not prisoners of despair and dreams are a part of youth. For this reason, I believe history will be on the side of America. The new generation will not succumb to a pessimistic view of the world.
Political observers might also wonder about the polarization in politics and conclude that political dysfunction has become the new norm of the American political system. On the eve of the next presidential election, it is unlikely this conclusion will be challenged. But the course of history is not just a political cycle. It is governed by events over time, changing circumstances, individuals who can make a difference, and unforeseen opportunities. America has seen hard days in the past but if one trait surpasses all in the American character, it is endurance.
It was Winston Churchill who once said that America will try everything until they find the right solution. A country, shedding its colonial past through revolution, embracing freedom and democracy as the basic tenet of governance, surviving multiple wars, abolishing slavery and segregation, and representing a beacon of hope to the enslaved world cannot be a country subject to despair and inevitable decline for very long.
This upcoming political cycle will once again present a test for Americans. Polls indicate that the large majority of Americans believe that issues – whether unemployment, government dysfunction, debt, war, immigration reform or access to health care - will have to be addressed beyond the partisan divide of competing ideological philosophies, remembering that the American dream is neither liberal nor conservative. It is unlikely that all can be settled in this cycle but it must be a beginning.
A Pew poll conducted last summer indicated that 57 percent of Americans believed that their fellow countrymen could always find ways to solve the nation’s problems. This is most revealing and should be encouraging to those who believe that hopes and dreams can still prevail in America.
Publié par
John Parisella
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