30 June 2013

Ottawa Citizen: 10 myths about Confederation

10 myths about Confederation

This is the second of a two-part series on what Canadians will be celebrating on the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017. Part I covered the reality of what actually happened in 1867; Part II covers the myths that have since developed concerning that agreement.
Soon after Confederation was implemented, a number of interpretations began to arise over what it meant to different inhabitants of the new Dominion. Every people must have its myths; they are often based on some degree of truth; and they become part of reality for those who believe them. What is and is not a myth is somewhat subjective, and many would argue that some of the “myths” identified here were actually true of the situation in 1867.

28 June 2013

Ottawa Citizen: How Confederation really happened

Op-Ed: How Confederation really happened

This is the first of a two-part series on Confederation. Part I covers the reality of what actually happened in 1867; Part II will cover the myths that have since developed concerning that agreement.
*
In 2017, Canadians will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, one of the most important milestones in our history. A good place to start with the preparations is with an understanding of what Confederation was all about, coupled with an understanding of the myths that have since arisen about that momentous event in 1867.
What is and is not a myth is somewhat subjective, and may simply reflect differing interpretations of what actually happened: one person’s myths may be another person’s reality. The fact that the negotiations were secret and that no records were kept also makes facts more difficult to prove and myths much easier to promote. Hopefully readers will delve into history books to help form their own views on the reality and myths of Confederation. These two articles provide a guide and a decent list of the issues.

Anthem-singing stokes patriotism, Canadian survey finds

Anthem-singing stokes patriotism, Canadian survey finds

Whether mumbling half-remembered lyrics or giving it the full-throated rendition, a clear majority of Canadians responding to a cross-country survey say they feel a swelling of pride whenever they sing the national anthem — something many will have a chance to do this Canada Day weekend.
But citizens are considerably less likely to display their love of country on shirts and hats, according to the web-panel poll of 1,500 people commissioned by the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies and carried out June 10-12 by the firm Leger Marketing.
About 75 per cent of the population gets a surge of patriotic feeling when warbling O Canada. And a “slight majority” of 53 per cent of Quebec residents expressed pride in singing the 133-year-old national song, which was composed in 1880 by Quebec musician Calixa Lavallee but only officially named Canada’s anthem in 1980.

27 June 2013

CTV: IGA suspends supervisor after employee told to only speak French

IGA suspends supervisor after employee told to only speak French | CTV News

A supervisor at a Quebec IGA store who told a 17-year-old employee to only speak French on the premises has been suspended.

Store owner Louise Menard said Thursday she had suspended the head of human resources, who was recorded saying the employee break room would become a “ghetto” if languages other than French were spoken.

Menard chalked up the incident to a miscommunication.

CTV: IGA denies employee told to only speak French

IGA denies employee told to only speak French | CTV News

A Quebec IGA store is denying a former employee’s claim that she was told to only speak French among co-workers, despite an audio recording that suggests otherwise.

Meaghan Moran said two co-workers told her she could not speak English when working at her part-time job at the IGA location on Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier Blvd. in Saint-Lambert, even when on her break.

In an audio recording of a conversation between Moran and two of her superiors, one supervisor is heard saying the employee break room would become a “ghetto” if languages other than French were spoken.

The Gazette: IGA language flap creates controversy


MONTREAL — The owner of a South Shore supermarket that has come under fire after reports that it forced employees to speak solely French, even among each other, has denied any such policy existed.

Seventeen-year-old Meaghan Moran, a former employee from the store located on Sir Wilfred Laurier Blvd. in St-Lambert, told CTV News Wednesday that she had become aware of the policy shortly after beginning her part-time job when a fellow anglophone co-worker cautioned against her speaking to him in English. Moran, who is fluently bilingual, quit before going public with her story.

The office of Louise Ménard, the owner of five IGAs in the Montreal area including the one in St-Lambert, issued a statement Thursday saying there are no restrictions on any language in her stores.

CTV: IGA employees can't speak English to each other?

Exclusive: IGA franchise employees told they cant speak English to each other | CTV Montreal News

Meaghan Moran, 17, got a job working at an IGA on Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier Blvd. in Saint-Lambert. She was told that she didn't have the right to speak English at the store ...
One of the guys I was working with is English and I knew him and he said, ‘No, talk to me in French because we're not allowed speaking English on the floor,” she said, adding that she quickly heard what her friend and ex-employee Alex Caldwell knew: employees don't feel comfortable speaking English anywhere in the store.
“I was warned by a friend in the lunchroom to watch what I say and keep my English down, because the management didn't like it and she got a warning,” said Caldwell.
Store owner Louise Menard, who also owns other IGAs, refused an on-camera interview, but explained her reasoning in a phone interview. She said she thinks that when employees speak their own languages amongst themselves, whether it's English, Russian or Spanish, even on their own time in the staffroom, it creates tension and misunderstandings in the workplace.
Menard did emphasize that speaking only French in her establishments is not required, rather it's requested.
Constitutional lawyer and human rights expert Julius Grey said he thinks it's a clear violation of freedom of expression and equality ...

 Office québécois de la langue française spokesperson Martin Bergeron said there is no provision in the French language charter that prevents employees from speaking English to each other during the course of a workday ...




24 June 2013

canada.com: Menchie’s gets its English spoons back

Menchie’s in Montreal gets its English spoons back | canada.com

Free spoons offered by frozen-yogurt chain Menchie’s gained national attention after Quebec’s language watchdog launched an investigation into a complaint over plastic utensils engraved with a few words of English.

But the cutlery is once again available to customers pending the verdict from the inspectors.

The Office quebecois de la langue francaise insisted on Friday that no demands were made for the spoons to be removed — and blamed “certain media” for blowing things out of proportion.

23 June 2013

Resolution re: Fete-St-JeaNationale

WHEREAS St-Jean Baptiste is the patron saint of French Canada (Note: not Quebec); and

WHEREAS La Fete St-Jean is a franco-nationalist celebration by definition; and

WHEREAS I am not French-Canadian by ethnicity (merely French-speaking); and

WHEREAS official St-Jean celebrations must be presented in Canadian French; and

WHEREAS French is not the only official language in Quebec, just of the provincial government; and

WHEREAS La Fete nationale is a national-sovereignist celebration by definition; and

WHEREAS it is organized by a sovereignist group, the MNQ, sponsored by the provincial govt; and

WHEREAS Quebec is not a nation (country), nor a nation-state, not even an ethnos, but merely a province within a country:

BE IT RESOLVED to not commemorate a falsely 'national' holiday on 24 JUN, whatever it is called.

21 June 2013

Spoongate: he said, elle a dit - CJAD Local News :: CJAD Local News

CJAD 800 – News. Talk. Radio. :: LISTEN: Spoongate: he said, elle a dit - CJAD Local News :: CJAD Local News

"Well, basically, a woman came in, said she was with the OQLF, and gave us a letter that shows a complaint had been filed, and she was following procedure to investigate," Lipper said. "She then looked at the spoon, took a picture of it, and said there is, in fact, English in the molding of the spoon."
After communicating with the inspector, Lipper got rid of the spoons and replaced the spoons with generic white plastic spoons, with a view to avoiding a fine.

"We did the change right in front of her face. We literally pulled the spoons, with customers in the store, and she watched us do it," Lipper said.

The inspector says then told him that the investigation continues, and not to distribute the offending spoons while it continues.

Column: Tell the truth, separatism is dead « Macdonald Laurier Institute

Column: Tell the truth, separatism is dead « Macdonald Laurier Institute

Why will no political leader stand up and tell the truth about Quebec separatism? That truth is that separatism is dead—not, of course as something to dream about and vote for; that, like death and taxes will always be with us. No, the truth is that the hurdle is set so high for it to be done successfully and legally that separation is, for all intents and purposes, impossible.
Even Stéphane Dion, architect of the Clarity Act and one of the most courageous and rightly admired of Quebec federalists, still maintains the fiction that the key question is whether Quebec gives a clear answer to a clear question on secession. Quebec will not be kept in Canada “against its will.” He said so again the other night at one of the Great Canadian Debates Series organised by my institute in Ottawa. If Quebeckers really want to go, he says, they can.
True, forcing Quebeckers to stay against their clearly expressed will is a recipe for misery. On the other hand, downplaying the certain costs Quebeckers would confront to get out of Confederation encourages separation fantasies, distorting that very decision about whether to vote to leave. The secessionists, like former Bloquiste Daniel Turp, who debated Dion, strive to make Quebeckers believe that independence would be essentially costless, while creating all kinds of benefits (we will finally be maîtres chez nous, or as the great Quebec chansonnier  Félix Leclerc put it, it would mean the end of the fat greasy fingers of strangers pawing through the family papers).

17 June 2013

16 June 2013

The soccer turban scandal: It started with a lie | Montreal Gazette

The soccer turban controversy: It started with a lie | Montreal Gazette

When the Fédération de soccer du Québec announced on Saturday that it was lifting its ban on players wearing the turban, it said it was because the sport’s international governing body, FIFA, had decided only the day before to allow the Sikh religious head covering.
That’s not true.
A Radio-Canada television report on Saturday evening showed documents proving that the Quebec soccer federation knew as early as last September that FIFA allowed the turban.

Chairman Maorois: J'accuse

Back to the Chateau for the summer (she tried to sell agricultural zoned property to a foreigner and got stopped) Does she still have her silent flushing toilet ?

15 June 2013

JdeM: la FSQ finalement suit la loi sur le turban, mais les opinions restent partagées | Faits divers et judiciaire | Actualité | Le Journal de Québec

La FIFA et la FSQ admettent le turban, mais les opinions restent partagées | Faits divers et judiciaire | Actualité | Le Journal de Québec

La décision de permettre aux sikhs de porter un turban sur les terrains de soccer du Québec provoque encore des débats dans les gradins, où les parents sont partagés entre respect de l’uniforme et intégration des communautés.
Au lendemain de l’annonce de la FIFA qui autorise les joueurs de soccer canadiens à porter un turban, la Fédération de soccer du Québec a annoncé qu’elle emboîte le pas.
Aux abords des terrains de soccer, le sujet provoque des réactions diverses.

The French abhor ostentatious or conspicuous religion ...

this from a culture which prides itself on narcissism and  haute couture.

Montreal Gazette: FSQ finally complies with turban permission

Quebec soccer body lifts turban ban

“Our intervention was solely from a technical point of view and had absolutely nothing to do with religious matters or political issues. We were unwillingly led to this path while we were only trying to get information on a regulation issue that falls under the body that governs our sport.”
She said Saturday her choice of words had been “involuntary” and unfortunate because of her lack of fluency in English, and apologized to anyone who may have been offended, particularly in the anglophone community.“The issue left the field of play much more than we could ever have imagined,” she said. 
Frot said the suspension is now rescinded, relations between the two associations have been restored and the whole “surreal” controversy might have been avoided if there’d been better communication beforehand.
Asked about Premier Pauline Marois’s defence of the QSF, Frot said “the government tried to help the QSF and that’s a fact we appreciate.”

Predictions (Premier Marois illegally defends the turban ban)

Update: The FQS has repealed the ban, but the Charter of Quebec Values promised for Autumn 2013 will be much worse,
Premier Marois defends the ban

I predict the FSQ will stall in repealing the turban ban. They will hide behind the pretext that the IFAB has not made its final decision yet.
«Depuis le début du litige, la Fédération de soccer du Québec demandait une position claire de la part de la FIFA sur le sujet; ce que nous n’avions pas jusqu’à cette annonce. Le conseil d’administration de la FSQ sera saisi dans les plus brefs délais de la position de la FIFA», explique le texte.

In any case, 'safety' was a pretext to test Canadian resistance. The real principle is assimilation of minorities to the 'values' of anti-clericalism , collectivism and national-sovereignty.
 
 The majority of the populace is against religious accommodation. It is not in the PQ's interest to capitulate.
“Quebec is a welcoming society that wants to integrate all those who want to participate in its values, participate in this reality we represent collectively, which accepts differences but also wants to share common values,” Marois said. - See more at: http://www.hidebuzz.us/browse.php?u=Oi8vd3d3Lm1vbnRyZWFsZ2F6ZXR0ZS5jb20vbGlmZS9QcmVtaWVyK01hcm9pcytkZWZlbmRzK3R1cmJhbitzb2NjZXIvODUyODY3OS9zdG9yeS5odG1s&b=5#sthash.uuUzvPkr.dpuf
“Quebec is a welcoming society that wants to integrate all those who want to participate in its values, participate in this reality we represent collectively, which accepts differences but also wants to share common values,” Marois said. - See more at: http://www.hidebuzz.us/browse.php?u=Oi8vd3d3Lm1vbnRyZWFsZ2F6ZXR0ZS5jb20vbGlmZS9QcmVtaWVyK01hcm9pcytkZWZlbmRzK3R1cmJhbitzb2NjZXIvODUyODY3OS9zdG9yeS5odG1s&b=5#sthash.uuUzvPkr.dpuf
“Quebec is a welcoming society that wants to integrate all those who want to participate in its values, participate in this reality we represent collectively, which accepts differences but also wants to share common values,” Marois said. - See more at: http://www.hidebuzz.us/browse.php?u=Oi8vd3d3Lm1vbnRyZWFsZ2F6ZXR0ZS5jb20vbGlmZS9QcmVtaWVyK01hcm9pcytkZWZlbmRzK3R1cmJhbitzb2NjZXIvODUyODY3OS9zdG9yeS5odG1s&b=5#sthash.uuUzvPkr.dpuf
“Quebec is a welcoming society that wants to integrate all those who want to participate in its values, participate in this reality we represent collectively, which accepts differences but also wants to share common values,” Marois said. - See more at: http://www.hidebuzz.us/browse.php?u=Oi8vd3d3Lm1vbnRyZWFsZ2F6ZXR0ZS5jb20vbGlmZS9QcmVtaWVyK01hcm9pcytkZWZlbmRzK3R1cmJhbitzb2NjZXIvODUyODY3OS9zdG9yeS5odG1s&b=5#sthash.uuUzvPkr.dpuf
“That is not Quebec’s reality,” she continued. “There are many other countries in the world where different rules apply and there is respect for one another. - See more at: http://www.hidebuzz.us/browse.php?u=Oi8vd3d3Lm1vbnRyZWFsZ2F6ZXR0ZS5jb20vbGlmZS9QcmVtaWVyK01hcm9pcytkZWZlbmRzK3R1cmJhbitzb2NjZXIvODUyODY3OS9zdG9yeS5odG1s&b=5#sthash.uuUzvPkr.dpuf
The FSQ has political cover in at least 2 of the 3 major parties in provincial legislature. This will ensure the funding remains stable.
The FSQ 'agrees' with the CSA to remain suspended until final IFAB approval of turbans . This could take years.
«Les turbans n’ont jamais été refusés au Canada. Aucun règlement ne porte à croire le contraire. Une décision sans appel sur la question sera rendue en [Mars 2014] par la FIFA», déclare M. Sieber.
The money lost to FSQ by loss of CSA affiliation is made up by the Quebec State.
«La situation est en train de se régler», a confirmé Michel Dugas, coordonnateur des communications de la FSQ.
http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2013/06/14/pres-dun-accord

FSQ have stalled all along, and shown bad faith (e.g., refusing to even acknowledge the Sikh organizations' contacts).

FSQ will not apologize, nor acknowledge their wrongdoing. That would expose them to civil lawsuits.



Quebec is a welcoming society that wants to integrate all those who want to participate in its values, participate in this reality we represent collectively, which accepts differences but also wants to share common values,” Marois said. - See more at: http://www.hidebuzz.us/browse.php?u=Oi8vd3d3Lm1vbnRyZWFsZ2F6ZXR0ZS5jb20vbGlmZS9QcmVtaWVyK01hcm9pcytkZWZlbmRzLzg1Mjg2Nzkvc3RvcnkuaHRtbA%3D%3D&b=5#sthash.k5GWRyYD.dpuf

Quebec is a welcoming society that wants to integrate all those who want to participate in its values, participate in this reality we represent collectively, which accepts differences but also wants to share common values,” Marois said. - See more at: http://www.hidebuzz.us/browse.php?u=Oi8vd3d3Lm1vbnRyZWFsZ2F6ZXR0ZS5jb20vbGlmZS9QcmVtaWVyK01hcm9pcytkZWZlbmRzLzg1Mjg2Nzkvc3RvcnkuaHRtbA%3D%3D&b=5#sthash.k5GWRyYD.dpuf

CTV: FSQ reverses long-illegal soccer turban ban

Quebec poised to reverse soccer turban ban | CTV Montreal News

In a statement published on Friday, FIFA said that it altered international rules in October 2012 to permit turbans until further notice, as long as certain conditions are met.

FIFA's regulatory body, the International Football Association Board is analyzing the use of turbans in soccer games, and that board will discuss the again in October 2013, making a permanent decision in March 2014.

Meanwhile the CSA has notified the Quebec Soccer Federation of FIFA's rules. The CSA also made public a letter sent to the Quebec Soccer Federation in April saying that FIFA's rules permitted turbans.

FIFA has now made it clear that its regulations were changed seven months before the Quebec's soccer organization banned turbans, a decision which QSF claims it was unaware of, despite repeated letters from the CSA informing all provincial soccer associations of the decision.

The suspension inflamed tensions in Quebec, with Premier Pauline Marois claiming, incorrectly, that the QSF was not subject to the regulations imposed by the CSA.




Todwin's Law of Durham Analogies

Todwin's Law of Durham Analogies:

"'As an online discussion of Quebec nationalism grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Durham or Trudeau approaches 1.'
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

14 June 2013

Poll: Quebecers at odds with English Canada over turban ban in soccer

Quebecers at odds with English Canada over turban ban in soccer | canada.com

 the poll found that 47 per cent of respondents in Quebec said they agreed with the statement that “wearing a turban is a safety risk when playing soccer” while 36 per cent said they disagreed with that statement.

In the rest of Canada, 30 per cent agreed while 46 per cent disagreed with the statement, said the poll, sponsored by the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies.

Field work for the online poll of 1,503 Canadians was conducted by Leger Marketing between June 10 and June 12. A sample of this size would normally have a 2.5 per cent margin of error, 19 times out of 20, for the national results, Jedwab said.

In the poll, the statement, “I feel my identity is threatened when I see people wearing a turban, hijab or kippa” also received a different reaction in Quebec versus the rest of the country. In Quebec, 46 per cent agreed with this statement and 48 per cent disagreed. In the rest of the country, 27 per cent agreed versus 64 per cent who disagreed.

Out-of-control safety cult ruining sports: Kelly

http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/3839408-out-of-control-safety-cult-ruining-sports-kelly/

 Let's go up and down the soccer uniform assessing the risks.
We assume the Quebec government has already done a multi-million dollar, publicly funded, non-tendered study on the subject, but we can't find it.
Shirts (constrictive, potential pulmonary danger); shorts (could fall off, psychological scarring); socks (fungal petri dishes); athletic support (too loose, twisting hazard; too tight, childless old age); shin pads (a gateway drug to Kick the Can).
We won't even get into the fact that players wear spikes on their feet. And then drive them into other people at high, lunging speed.
Obviously, if we want our children to play safe, they must play nude.

FIFA Statement on head covers - FIFA.com

FIFA Statement on head covers - FIFA.com

FIFA has sent a letter to the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) on 13 June 2013 to inform the CSA that:
Following communication between the CSA and FIFA, the matter related to Law 4 – The Player’s Equipment, the use of head covers and the situation arisen within the CSA has been presented to the members of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) for discussion.
The IFAB has exceptionally agreed to extend the conditions of the current experiment previously approved by IFAB in October 2012 (as per FIFA circular no. 1322, see PDF on the right hand side), and to allow male players in Canada to wear head covers as well, as long as the following conditions are respected:
The head cover must:
• be of the same colour as the jersey
• be in keeping with the professional appearance of the player’s equipment
• not be attached to the jersey
• not pose any danger to the player wearing it or any other player (e.g. opening/closing mechanism around neck)
The letter sent by FIFA to the CSA on 13 June 2013 authorises the CSA to permit all players to wear head covers as described above, in all areas and on all levels of the Canadian football community.
This matter will once again be discussed by the IFAB in October 2013, before a final decision is reached at the next Annual General Meeting of the IFAB, taking place in March 2014.

Hey, Premier Marois: What’s wrong with this picture?

Hey, Premier Marois and PQ ministers: What’s wrong with this picture? | Montreal Gazette

Had this photo been taken at any Formula One race other than the Grand Prix du Canada, the answer would be “nothing.”
But because it was taken in Montreal, it’s “those ‘Fly Emirates’ signs.”
They’re illegal in Quebec, because they’re in English only.

Alain Dubuc: Une histoire de lâcheté politique

Une histoire de lâcheté politique | Alain Dubuc | Alain Dubuc

Les histoires d'accommodements raisonnables commencent presque toujours par de banals incidents de la vie quotidienne. Quand ils dérapent, c'est surtout parce que les gens sont laissés à eux-mêmes, sans balises. C'est encore une fois ce qui s'est produit dans le cas du turban sikh. On n'en serait pas là s'il y avait plus de leadership et moins de lâcheté politique.
Pourtant, le cas était simple. L'interdiction par la Fédération québécoise de soccer du port du turban par de jeunes garçons sikhs était indéfendable. Contrairement au voile islamique, un symbole lourd, il n'y avait là aucun grand enjeu sociétal. Les arguments de la FQS sur la sécurité étaient risibles. Et leurs arguments d'autorité, en invoquant les règles de la FIFA, ne tenaient pas la route, puisque la FQS est membre de l'Association canadienne de soccer qui, elle, autorise déjà le port du turban.
Ce qui reste, c'est une réaction épidermique des arbitres de la FQS, agacés par les turbans. Une attitude plus fréquente au Québec qu'ailleurs au Canada, par réflexe identitaire ou par méfiance à l'égard de toute forme d'accommodement religieux ...

13 June 2013

Dan Delmar: Quebec commentariat’s soft centre disappoints

Quebec commentariat’s soft centre disappoints | Full Comment | National Post

Though it is commendable that the editor of Quebec’s most important newspaper reached out to Anglophones in the Rest of Canada by analyzing the province’s latest “reasonable accommodation” controversy,  André Pratte’s position (Why Quebecers don’t want turbans on the pitch) suffers from an abundance of nuance.
Thankfully, La Presse editor Pratte “strongly condemned,” as many Francophone commentators have, the Quebec Soccer Federation’s decision to ban turbans worn by Sikh children during games, a policy that earned them a suspension from the Canadian Soccer Association.
But like many in Quebec’s commentariat, Pratte shies away from using more forceful and appropriate language that is almost universally considered to be applicable in this case. It would have been productive for the godfather of Quebec commentators to explore the undeniable intolerance and ignorance behind the QSF’s (and the Parti Québécois’) position. But instead, he chose a soft middle-ground when pointed criticism was needed.

John Ivison: On the soccer pitch, we are all Sikhs now

On the soccer pitch, we are all Sikhs now | Full Comment | National Post

A YouTube video has been circulating among the members of my OldTimers soccer team, entitled: “How to tie a turban.”
The team, based in Chelsea, Que., is planning to don the Sikh headgear to protest the idiocy of the Quebec Soccer Federation’s turban ban.
We play most of our games against Ontario teams. Or we did until we were informed that we are banned until further notice, following the Canadian Soccer Association’s suspension of the QSF.

Stupid Nationalist Tricks: Assimililation vs. Integration

The question here isn’t security. It’s universality. To play a sport in an official manner, under the auspices of any governing body (as opposed to doing it with your buddies in the back alley), also means abiding by the rules, including the regulations about the uniform. When it comes to soccer, this means the shoes have to respect some criteria. Players must wear shorts and a jersey with sleeves, matching the team’s colours. Jewelry is forbidden. Can one wear flip-flops, tennis shoes or cowboy boots? No. Can one wear a tank top, jeans, or play shirts and skins? No. Can one wear a turban, a baseball cap or ski goggles? No. Are these rules, common to all soccer federations in the world through FIFA, there to put constraints on the players’ freedoms of religion or expression? No. They are there to ensure everyone’s safety, sure, but also to ensure the uniformity and universality of the game, and also the sense of belonging to one’s team. This is important.
http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/06/11/the-case-for-the-quebec-soccer-turban-ban/ 

PC: Interdiction du turban: un tournoi perd 20 équipes | Soccer

12 June 2013

Stupid Nationalist Tricks: Autonomy vs. federalism

In April, the Canadian Soccer Association sent a directive to its provincial and territorial federations, including Quebec, to allow the turbans or paktas. The Quebec federation now finds itself shunned after defying the directive.
 Tuesday, the Parti Québécois stepped into the ring, saying the national body had no business in the soccer pitches of the province. 
 http://www.warpproxy.com/browse.php?u=Oi8vd3d3Lm1vbnRyZWFsZ2F6ZXR0ZS5jb20vbGlmZS9UdXJiYW4rUXVlYmVjK1NvY2NlcitGZWRlcmF0aW9uK2F0dGVtcHRpbmcrcmVhY2grc2V0dGxlbWVudCt3aXRoK0NhbmFkaWFuK2Fzc29jaWF0aW9uLzg1MTQ2MTMvc3RvcnkuaHRtbA%3D%3D&b=5 

Stupid Nationalist Tricks: Interculturalism vs. Multiculturalism

 “The view here is multiculturalism means the host culture isn’t any more important than immigrant cultures,” says Seymour. http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/02/18/its-all-about-language-or-is-it/

NDP Leader: Quebec Soccer Federation Should Allow Sikh Kids to Play Soccer

NDP Leader Urges Quebec Soccer Federation to Allow Kids to Play Soccer

OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada (June 12, 2013)–Earlier today, Leader of the Official Opposition and Canada’s NDP Tom Mulcair spoke with both the Canadian Soccer Association and the Quebec Soccer Federation, urging them to expedite a solution and allow kids to play soccer.
“All kids should be allowed to play soccer, no matter their background” added Mulcair while addressing the Canadian Club.
Tom Mulcair has demonstrated principled leadership by directly reaching out to both governing organizations and working to facilitate a resolution. New Democrats are optimistic a solution will be reached soon and encourage both the Conservative and Liberal leaders to follow the lead of the Official Opposition; remove politics and work on getting results.

Port du turban : la Fédération québécoise maintient l'interdiction | Radio-Canada.ca


La Fédération de soccer du Québec (FSQ) a convenu « de tout tenter » pour rétablir le dialogue avec l'Association canadienne de soccer (ACS), qui l'a suspendue pour avoir décidé d'interdire le port du turban, du patkas et du keski pendant ses matchs.

La FQS a toutefois précisé qu'entre-temps, elle maintenait sa décision quant à l'interdiction du port du turban, et ce, malgré la suspension imposée par l'ACS.

Après avoir déclaré la veille qu'elle attendrait 10 jours avant de rendre sa décision publique, la FSQ a tendu la main à l'ACS pour « trouver un règlement le plus rapide possible pour sortir de cette impasse ».

CSA to FSQ: You can play in your own backyard

Bock-Cote: Turban: qui est fermé d’esprit? (Paywall)

Turban: qui est fermé d’esprit ? | Chroniqueurs | Opinion | Le Journal de Montréal

C’est un plaisir que le Canada anglais se refuse rarement: regarder le Québec de haut et l’inonder de son mépris. Il prend la pose du grand démocrate. Lui, il est ouvert, moderne, généreux et moralement supérieur. C’est un paradis fondé par Trudeau. Et il aime traiter le Québec comme une tribu composée de ploucs xénophobes tardant à entrer dans la modernité.C’est ce qui arrive avec la controverse entourant le port du turban mettant en scène les associations canadienne et québécoise de soccer. La Fédération québécoise de soccer (FQS) a rappelé aux parents d’un enfant sikh qu’il doit retirer son turban pour jouer avec son équipe. Les parents refusent. Ils hurlent à la discrimination. Pour cela, la FQS s’est fait suspendre par l’association canadienne.


Gerard Bouchard: Turban interdit au soccer


L'historien déplore l'intervention de l'association canadienne dans le débat.

« Je pense qu'il faut d'abord examiner le fond de l'affaire entre nous (...) » —  Gérard Bouchard

Il explique que la sensibilité québécoise est un héritage de la Révolution tranquille qui a été aussi un rejet de l'hégémonie de l'église catholique, et, du même coup, du religieux dans son ensemble. La rupture est toujours présente selon lui, mais elle a tendance à s'estomper chez les jeunes qu'il côtoie dans ses conférences.

FQS: LA FÉDÉRATION DE SOCCER DU QUÉBEC INVITE L’ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DE SOCCER AU DIALOGUE.

TwitLonger — When you talk too much for Twitter

Le conseil d’administration de la Fédération de soccer du Québec a convenu hier soir de tout tenter afin de rétablir le dialogue avec l’Association canadienne de soccer dans le but d’en venir à un dénouement dans le dossier qui nous oppose. Afin de donner toutes les chances possibles à la discussion, nous ne souhaitons pas commenter davantage la situation, que ce soit dans les médias ou sur la place publique. Nous espérons un règlement le plus rapide possible pour sortir de cette impasse. Il importe cependant de préciser que, contrairement à ce qui a été véhiculé, la Fédération ne s’est pas imposée formellement quelque délai que ce soit pour y parvenir. Dans l’intervalle, la Fédération de soccer du Québec maintient sa décision quant à l’interdiction du port du turban, patkas et keski lors de ses activités

CP: Despite suspension, Quebec soccer federation says it will maintain ban on turbans

Despite suspension, Quebec soccer federation says it will maintain ban on turbans

LAVAL, Que. - The Quebec Soccer Federation says it is maintaining its ban on turbans, patkas and keskis.
The organization issued a statement today saying the controversial ban remains in effect.
The Canadian Soccer Association suspended the provincial body on Monday after it showed no sign of overturning its decision to prohibit Sikh religious headwear on the pitch.




ON: Port du turban à la fédération de soccer du Québec

Port du turban à la fédération de soccer du Québec : Option nationale réitère l'importance de la souveraineté politique - Option nationale

À la suite de la suspension de la Fédération de soccer du Québec par l'Association canadienne de soccer, Option nationale tient à souligner que si le Québec disposait de sa pleine souveraineté politique, une telle situation ne pourrait se produire.

Dans ce dossier, un organisme canadien s'ingère dans les décisions d'un organisme québécois, et ce, en faisant primer des choix idéologiques canadiens qui font débat au Québec. «Le Québec devrait en toutes circonstances être libre de ses choix. Le fait qu'une association canadienne de sport puisse purement et simplement suspendre une fédération québécoise, montre une fois de plus toute la pertinence de donner à notre État sa pleine indépendance politique», a déclaré Nic Payne, président de la commission politique d'Option nationale.

QS: Soccer et Turban : Peut-on laisser les enfants jouer en paix? – Québec solidaire

Soccer et Turban : Peut-on laisser les enfants jouer en paix? – Québec solidaire

« Chaque cas qui surgit se retrouve monté en épingle et les positions se braquent », regrette Mme David. Elle écorche d’ailleurs au passage l’Association québécoise de soccer qui a fort mal évalué les impacts de sa décision et son vis-à-vis canadien  qui a pris, selon elle, une décision « démesurée et belliqueuse à l’encontre de la fédération québécoise, plutôt que d’ouvrir un dialogue pour tenter de rapprocher leurs positions respectives. »

Ain't IFAB? (International Football Association Board)

But the decision by the CSA clearly states that turbans, as well as smaller versions called patkas and keskis, are permitted as long as they are safe and “don’t pose a danger to the wearer and other participants.” The ruling was simply an extension of a 2012 decision by the International Football Association Board, the body that determines the laws of the game, that allowed Muslim girls to wear a modified version of the hijab.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Quebec+soccer+body+break+silence+until+Wednesday/8510810/story.html

UdeM prof: Forget the politics and let the Sikh children play soccer

Forget the politics and let the children play | Toronto Star

Should Sikh boys be allowed to wear a turban while playing organized soccer?
The Quebec Soccer Federation (QSF) recently sparked controversy when it reinstated a ban that used to be in force across Canada but has been dropped by all other provincial soccer associations.
But as usual when a news item touches the raw nerves of multiculturalism, religion and anything that distinguishes Quebec from the rest of Canada, reasoned debate has largely been drowned out by hyperbole ...


11 June 2013

A Sporting Proposition

since FIFA has no explicit rule against turbans;

and since CSA has jurisdiction over QSF;

and since CSA has told the QSF to allow turbans;

then the kids will wear turbans until FIFA says otherwise OR ELSE the QSF is suspended.

(never mind the bogus 'safety' excuse)

TorStar: Canadian College Athletic Association set to widen import quota

Canadian College Athletic Association set to widen import quota | Toronto Star

Colleges across Canada recruit international students to fill classroom seats, add diversity to campuses and, helpfully, pay a lot more tuition.

But, as Demetrius Ferguson discovered when he left the Bahamas to study marketing at Holland College in P.E.I., international students are not as welcome when it comes to playing on varsity sports teams.

The ‘One-in-Six’ rule means that, no matter how good they are, only two international students can play on a college varsity basketball or volleyball team and three on a soccer team. The rest of the spots are guaranteed to Canadian athletes.


10 June 2013

CSA: Canadian Soccer Association suspends Quebec Soccer Federation | Soccer Canada

Canadian Soccer Association suspends Quebec Soccer Federation | Canada Soccer

The Canadian Soccer Association Board of Directors on Monday 10 June 2013 moved to immediately suspend the Quebec Soccer Federation for their non-compliance to the directive of allowing the wearing of turbans/patkas/keski by soccer players.
“The Canadian Soccer Association has requested on 6 June that the Quebec Soccer Federation reverse its position on turbans/patkas/keski with no resolution,” said Victor Montagliani, President of the Canadian Soccer Association, following the Board of Directors meeting. “The Quebec Soccer Federation’s inaction has forced us to take measures in order to ensure soccer remains accessible to the largest number of Canadians.”
The suspension will be lifted once the Canadian Soccer Association receives demonstration that the Quebec Soccer Federation has lifted the ban and applies satisfactorily the Canadian Soccer Association’s policy in the matter.

09 June 2013

Mario Bernardi: A brilliant and demanding maestro who conducted Canada to musical maturity - The Globe and Mail

Mario Bernardi: A brilliant and demanding maestro who conducted Canada to musical maturity - The Globe and Mail

Terrace Daily: STEPHEN HARPER REPLACES PAINTINGS WITH PHOTOS OF HIMSELF

Terrace Daily: STEPHEN HARPER REPLACES PAINTINGS WITH PHOTOS OF HIMSELF

Fact: Stephen Harper removed former prime ministers paintings in the lobby of the Ottawa House of Commons and replaced them with photos of himself.

References: 

Trash-holes

People who swear in public for no good reason (other than a lack of decorum).

Takin' It To The Suites ...

electoral offices, parliaments, cabinets, administrative offices, boardrooms, editing rooms, church offices ...

InterFaithCalendar.org

World Religions: No Work regulations

Most religious holy days are enmeshed in cultural and social observations. Hard and fast regulations are difficult to develop since governmental and educational institutions operate in the light of the opinions and pressures of the local population. The tension between moral regulations and technical regulations is a growing reality globally. Complexity tends to consume time and energy in a world of scarcity. Local creative innovation will likely develop meaningful ways of handling this human dilemma. Religion will not go away nor will government and business. DK   

08 June 2013

Kondaks: Federalism and linguistic minorities

Tony Kondaks:

In the letter it is stated: "The Government of Canada values an approach that fully respects provincial jurisdiction, and takes into account each province'S unique characteristics...." and "In pursuing the promotion of both English and French, we must nevertheless recognize the constitutional right of the provinces to legislate the language(s) of use within their own jurisdictions."
 
Ah, yes; the JURISDICTION excuse. How convenient. Well, the letter writer ("Canada" it seems) seems to have forgotten that the responsibility and obligation to protect provincial linguistic minorities lies with the federal government, vested as they are with the "veto" power. So the JURISDICTION in the federation of Canada to protect minorities lies with the federal level of government, NOT the provinces.
 
I would have preferred that the letter writer remind us of that and just be honest and add that "well, we don't have the courage or political will to exercise this responsibility so you are out of luck." 

07 June 2013

Canadian Soccer News - FIFA confirms turbans to be allowed

Canadian Soccer News - FIFA confirms turbans to be allowed

The Friends of Soccer organization broke the news this morning.

FIFA has confirmed, through email, that the use of turbans in soccer is allowed. And confirmed that the QSF lies under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Soccer Association who has already ruled on the matter.

The email was obtained by Toronto resident Raghav Sandhu.

Please go visit the FOS site for the full story. Also, read our latest, on why the president of the Quebec Soccer Association and CSA board member Martial Prudhomme must step down immediately.

We have re-printed the correspondance between FIFA and Sandhu to ensure this latest development spreads to the appropriate people.

Gilles Proulx: Le nom du NON | Chroniqueurs | Opinion

Le nom du NON | Chroniqueurs | Opinion | Le Journal de Montréal

Un nombre effarant de Néo-Québécois ne parlant pas le français vont s’installer dans l’Ontario québécois, c’est-à-dire l’ouest de l’île qu’on appelle le West Island, et n’apprennent non seulement jamais le français, mais apprennent à voir le Québec à travers les yeux du journal The Gazette. Cela pose-t-il problème? «NON», disent les libéraux ...
 Les libéraux bien sûr ne disent mot sur l’anglicisation des quartiers pauvres, où nombre d’Asiatiques s’installent pour acheter toutes sortes de petits commerces: nettoyeur, dépanneur, etc. Ces gens-là travaillent très fort, et j’admire cela, mais aucune mesure ne les incite à parler français. À Verdun, à Pointe-Saint-Charles ou encore à Ville-Lasalle et à Saint-Henri, un quartier qui s’anglicise comme jamais, on est de plus en plus souvent confrontés à des commerces où le service est unilingue anglais. Faut-il agir? «Non», dit le Parti libéral ...
 Pour conclure sur l’effritement de la société dite «distincte» du Québec: puisque le nombre d’allophones dépasse maintenant celui des francophones dans les classes des écoles de Montréal, allons-nous prendre nos responsabilités? «NON», diront les libéraux ...

Socialism v. Greenism

History of the socialist movement in Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

First socialist party: 1904
First socialist government: 1944 (40 years)

[Greens:
First green party: 1983
First green MLA: 2013 (30 years)]


The Globe and Mail: Changes to royal succession face legal fight in Quebec

Changes to royal succession face legal fight in Quebec - The Globe and Mail

Two Quebec university professors are challenging Parliament’s approval of changes to the succession to the Crown, arguing it is unconstitutional and violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
For some involved in the case, the goal is to rejoin the constitutional battle and provoke a debate leading to a sweeping result – the abolition of the monarchy in Canada.

William Johnson: Literary anglophobia

Opinion: Literary anglophobia

In his opinion piece “What we can learn from literature” (June 7), Julius Grey lists many classic Quebec novels that he values and then says: “Several years ago, William Johnson did a disservice to Quebec literature by publishing a book dedicated to proving its xenophobic and ultra-nationalist nature.” (Grey did not name my book, which was published in French in 1991. It was called Anglophobie made in Québec.)
Grey asserts, without quotation or analysis: “Nothing could be further from the truth … Most of the [Quebec] classics express universal values. Describing them as anti-English, or refusing to see any justification for their affirmation of French Canada, is nothing short of perverse.”
I don’t know what credentials Grey claims. I studied for seven years at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf, obtained an MA in French literature while studying under Ernest Gagnon, the expert on Quebec’s literature, and wrote a 480-page book in which I surveyed Quebec’s literature from the 1840s to 1990, with thousands of quotations. Grey rhymes off 16 titles and a few more authors’ names, but without genuine analysis or a single quotation. We get only affirmations.

06 June 2013

Bernard St-Laurent: Municipal-provincial divide on turban issue

Municipal-provincial divide on turban issue - Montreal - CBC News

Some Montreal municipal politicians are taking a stand against the Quebec Soccer Federation's decision to ban turbans from the playing field.
That's a huge contrast to the political reaction at the National Assembly this week.
Marvin Rotrand and other city councillors will try to present an emergency motion at council asking the QSF to lift the ban on religious headgear.




The Globe and Mail: CBC’s French service name change to ‘Ici’ raises eyebrows in Ottawa

Ligue des droits et libertés: Soccer is a public, not private, concern

In an interview Wednesday, the grandfather of two girls said his own grandfather died fighting for Canada on the beaches of Normandy, and that as taxpayers in Quebec, Sikhs shouldn’t be banned from public soccer pitches because they wear turbans ...

Dominique Peschard, president of La Ligue des droits et libertés, said it’s up to the federation to back up its stance that turbans pose a risk.
“If they can’t put forward compelling material evidence, and the information points in the other direction that there is actually no security risk, our opinion is there should be no ban on the wearing of a turban.”
But if, as some have suggested, the ban can be seen as a trend to ban religious symbols entirely, Peschard said that’s a concern.
“There’s a feeling of insecurity that is fed on by political parties here and elsewhere,” he said. “It’s symptomatic.”

MUHC: Turbans a safety risk? Nonsense.

Turbans a safety risk? Nonsense.

MONTREAL — In the last decade, the trauma department at the Montreal Children’s Hospital has seen more than 10,000 injuries from organized soccer activities — and not one of them was caused by a turban.
Even scouring the data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program, a national database, doesn’t turn up a single soccer-related injury involving a turban.
But Debbie Friedman, the director of trauma at the Children’s, says there have been plenty of injuries — and even some deaths — caused by improperly anchored goalie nets, coaches not spotting a concussed player, lack of shin pads or improper footwear ...




Canadian Soccer News - Martial Prudhomme must resign immediately

Canadian Soccer News - Martial Prudhomme must resign immediately

Well, as it is with buffoons, they’re more apt to stumble around the room, knocking over everyone and everything as they struggle to keep it together, instead of quietly and respectfully seeing themselves out. So, the best, and simplest way to deal with a buffoon, when you encounter one, is to toss them out on their ass immediately and be done with it - before they have another chance to embarrass everyone around them.

Michael den Tandt: Quebec's soccer turban ban is shameful

Quebec's soccer turban ban is shameful

... This is, of course, egregiously, gloriously idiotic. In citing safety, the federation points to rules set by FIFA, soccer's international governing body. But FIFA's Rule 4, governing equipment and clothing, explicitly allows flexibility, at the officials' discretion.
"All items of clothing or equipment other than the basic equipment must be inspected by the referee and determined not to be dangerous," the rule states. "Modern protective equipment such as headgear, face masks, and knee and arm protectors made of soft, lightweight padded material are not considered dangerous and are therefore permitted."
 In other words: If a youngster wishes to wear a face mask, which by definition must be resistant, and could therefore conceivably injure another player in a collision (however unlikely that may be), it can be allowed, at the referee's discretion. But a neatly tied turban, keski or patka is a bridge too far ...



05 June 2013

CBC Montreal: City council to debate soccer turban ban:

Montreal city council to debate soccer turban ban - Montreal - CBC News

It's the City of Montreal's turn to debate the Quebec Soccer Federation's decision banning Sikhs from wearing turbans on the soccer field, as the political fallout from the controversy widens.
Councillor Marvin Rotrand tweeted late Wednesday that he will present an emergency motion demanding the federation reverse its decision at council's June 17 meeting.
The mayor of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, Anie Samson, and Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grace councillor Lionel Perez have both offered to support the motion ...

Don Macpherson: The turban ban is likely to play well

Don Macpherson: The turban ban is likely to play well

At least [Brigitte Frot, General Manager, Federation de Soccer du Quebec] stopped short of saying they should go back to their own country, which they can’t anyway, since they’re already there. She would settle for their playing out of sight of the rest of us ...

 In the Journal de Montréal, the province’s most-read newspaper, columnist Joseph Facal congratulated the federation for standing up to the “fanaticism” of religious minorities (who are simply defending a freedom promised them by Quebec’s own charter of rights) ...

And poll results recently published by the government suggest that the federation will have public opinion on its side. In the poll on religious accommodations commissioned by the government in March, one of the questions was 

Gerald Bouchard: The turban ban will not stand

Young Sikh soccer player hopes to be allowed back on a real field, with his turban - The Globe and Mail

Gerard Bouchard, who co-presided a provincial commission on minority accommodation, said Quebecers are more suspicious of religion than people elsewhere in the country ...

“The abuses committed by the Catholic clergy, especially toward women, and the forms of oppression practiced here, left very bad memories. They left a negative legacy that, for example, has been one of the driving forces behind feminism here...
Bouchard said court decisions have established limits on practising religion in public – and the turban ban doesn’t meet any of them, he said. He said there’s no demonstrable threat to safety, or to the outcome of a game, or to anyone else.

Yves Boisvert: Le turban de Jackie Robinson

Le turban de Jackie Robinson | Yves Boisvert | Yves Boisvert

Où es-tu donc passé, Jackie Robinson?
Dire que c'est Montréal qui a accueilli le premier Noir du baseball majeur. Et nous voilà à nous ridiculiser en expulsant des enfants sikhs des terrains de soccer...
«Qu'ils jouent dans leur cour», a dit Brigitte Frot, directrice de la Fédération de soccer du Québec, pas gênée du tout.
La sécurité! Elle est bonne, celle-là. Combien de morts par strangulation due à un turban l'an dernier, déjà? Des blessés?
Évidemment que ça n'a rien à voir. Quand une fédération de sport ne nous sert même pas l'argument sportif (après tout, on joue avec la tête, au soccer), ça sent mauvais.
Il n'y a qu'un mot pour résumer cette décision, vraiment, et c'est «intolérance».

Turban sikh et ballon rond | André Pratte | Votre opinion

Turban sikh et ballon rond | André Pratte | Votre opinion

La Fédération de soccer du Québec a décidé la fin de semaine dernière de continuer d'interdire le port du turban. Cette décision a pour effet d'écarter du jeu quelques dizaines de jeunes Québécois de religion sikhe, à moins qu'ils acceptent de laisser leur turban (et donc leur foi) sur la touche. Pourtant, s'il y a un cas où un accommodement aurait été possible, c'est bien celui-là.

NDP: FIFA rules a “crutch” for Quebec Soccer Federation

FIFA rules a “crutch” for Quebec Soccer Federation, NDP says

“It’s not for politicians to be making decisions here. The federation should be speaking to these communities.” [Ed: Federation de Soccer du Quebec (FSQ) gets funding from Gouvernement du Quebec ]


Although FIFA has been hard to reach so far, New Democratic Party sports critic Matthew Dubé said a clarification from the association could resolve the controversy. [Ed: FIFA deals with Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), not provincial wings]

Dubé says he is reaching out the Fédération Internationale de Football Association in an attempt to persuade the [FSQ] to remove its ban against players who wear turbans. [Ed: CSA is the relevant co-ordinating body]

04 June 2013

Montreal Gazette: Excluded Sikhs urged to sue

Excluded Sikhs urged to sue

MONTREAL — The few hundred Sikhs in Quebec suddenly excluded from playing soccer because of a recent decision by the Fédération de soccer du Québec to ban turbans on pitches should sue for damages, says the head of a race relations centre.
“It is essentially about protecting minority rights and sending a costly message of deterrence to any institution that considers denying to members of religious minorities their constitutional – if the institution is public – or civil rights,” said Fo Niemi, executive director of the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations. “Otherwise, there is no financial and legal consequence to discrimination.”
He said those who can no longer play because of their turbans could file a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission or file a civil suit in Quebec Superior Court, and the burden of proof would then be on the federation to prove that wearing a turban is a security risk.


The Globe and Mail: Feds urge Quebec soccer officials to reverse turban ban

Feds urge Quebec soccer officials to reverse turban ban - The Globe and Mail

A decision to ban turban-wearing Sikh kids from Quebec soccer fields was loudly condemned Tuesday by the federal government.
Conservative ministers weighed in on a provincial sports-association decision that has attracted coverage from some major international media.
They criticized the Quebec Soccer Federation’s decision to uphold its ban and demanded that the association let turban-wearing kids play ...

03 June 2013

Metro Montreal (PC): "Ils peuvent jouer dans leur cour": Le turban demeurera interdit au soccer au Québec

Le turban demeurera interdit au soccer au Québec | Métro

Lorsqu’elle a été interrogée sur ce que les organisateurs devront dire à un enfant de 5 ans qui se présentera avec son turban au moment de l’inscription, elle a répondu: «ils peuvent jouer dans leur cour mais pas avec des arbitres officiels, pas avec les règlements officiels du soccer. Nous n’avons pas le choix.»



La Presse: Turban: la Fédération québécoise de soccer défend sa position

Turban: la Fédération québécoise de soccer défend sa position | Marie-Michèle Sioui | Soccer

Or selon les membres de la communauté sikhe avec qui La Presse s'est entretenue, cette démarche est quasi impossible, puisque seuls les membres de la FIFA, comme Soccer Canada, peuvent communiquer directement avec l'association. Il a été impossible de rejoindre cette organisation basée en Suisse lundi après-midi, celle-ci étant déjà fermée en raison du décalage horaire.