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EDITORIAL4TuesdayApril152014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMacKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesPaulatukSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekweetiWhatiWrigleyYellowknifeJohndOrPrairieKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMorinvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..............................MariaChurch867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.15salesnorj.caGarrettDerrah867-872-3000ext.10adsnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caFortSmithHayRiverWEATHERYellowknifeInuvikWeeklyNormsHigh4CLow-8CWeeklyNormsHigh1CLow-10CWeeklyNormsHigh-7CLow-17CWeeklyNormsHigh7CLow-6CPhotosMeaganWohlbergTheCharterofValuesproposedbyex-premierPaulineMaroisandherseparatistPartiQuebecoisPQwasadiscrimina-torypolicythatwouldhavecreatedtwoclassesinQuebec-Nousetlesautres-bathinglabelleprovinceinintolerance.KudostoQuebecersforrejectingit.MaroiswasleadinginthepollswhenshecalledtheelectioninearlyMarchthatledtoherdemise.ShefeltcertainshehadalreadywontheheartsandmindsofmostQuebecerswithherplansforasecularcharterandgambledherpartywouldadvancetoamajority.Fromthatcovetedpositionofpowershecouldim-posetheseparatistagendaandtakeQue-becoutofthefederation.Shecouldnthavebeenmorewrong.DuetoherpoorjudgementCanadawassparedacrisis.OddlyhadshepursuedthecharterintheQuebecNationalAssemblyinsteadofgoingtotheelectorateitmaywellhavepassed.ThePQheld54seatsinthelegislaturenineshortofthe63requiredforamajoritybuttherewassympathyforthecharteramongotherassemblymembers.PassingitwouldQuebecersrejectintoleranceNewQuebecPremierPhillippeCouillardLiberalcampaignedontheneedforandthebenetsofQuebecstayingwillinglywithintheCanadianfederation.Hisma-joritygovernmentwon42percentofthepopularvoteandisthestrongest-everfed-eralistgovernmentsincetheadventoftheQuebecsovereigntymovement.Itisasiftheelectionwasamini-referendumonsov-ereignty.Thosewhoworryaboutthatcantakesomecomfort.CouillardisverymuchastaunchQue-becerandintheelectionremindedvotersthattheQuebecagcultureandcollectivespiritbelongtoallQuebecersnotjustthePQ.Thathelpedturntheelectiontideinhisfavourthoughmostofhissupportwaswonbecausehewasseentobebetterabletostrengthentheprovincesailingeconomy.Ironicallyifheachievesthatthedriveforseparatismmayresumeanew.CanadamustembraceQuebecpatriotismhaveresultedinyetanothercrisisbetweenCanadaandQuebecforitwouldhaveneverpassedthetestoftheCanadianCharterofRights.Theclashthatwouldsurelyhaveen-suedwouldhavebeenwonderfulforMarois.Abattleovercharterprinciples-CanadasorQuebecs-wouldhavebeenadifferentkindofght.SeparatistswouldhavethrivedonitandmanyotherswhoareintolerantofimmigrantsespeciallythoseintheMuslimcommunitywouldhavejoinedwiththem.NationalistemotionswouldhavebeenstirredinQuebecandthebattlewouldhavebeennasty.ItmightwellhaveresultedinamuchmoreattractivescenarioforMaroistocallandwinanelection.EveryoneisusedtoQuebecersinsistenceonlanguagerestrictionstokeepFrenchpureintheprovince.Althoughthereisalotofgrumblingitisaccepted.Legislatingcontroloversymbolsofcultureandreligionisawholenewlevelofstatecontroloverin-dividuals.Thepotentialforabuseishuge.AcolumnintheGuardianlastmonthwor-riedthatwhenthestatehasdeliberatelycreatedspaceforpowertobeexercisedwithoutaccountabilitythosewhooccupythatspacewillprotectitagainstenemies...ThatwasacriticalcommentontheAmeri-canNationalSecurityAgencyNSAafterrevelationsofitshabitofspyingonAmeri-canswithoutcause.TheconcernappliesequallytoMaroisrestrictivecharter.Wemustalwaysbeonguardagainstanygovernmentsambitionstotakeawaytherightsoftheindividual.TherejectionbyQuebecersofPaulineMaroisparo-chialsmall-mindedideaswasavictoryfortolerancefairnessandunderstanding.TheCanadianCharterofRightsandFreedomsbycontrastisinclusiveandpromotesmulticulturalismbasedondig-nityselfesteemtoleranceandprotec-tion.ItdenesCanadaasanationandisafundamentaltenanttoournationalidentity.Promotingpeaceandharmonyitisamodelfortherestoftheworld.TheQuebecelectionofMondayApr.72014whenPaulineMaroisandherPQCharterofValueswasrejectedover-whelminglyshouldbeaprouddayforallQuebecersandforallCanadians.ThismaybeanewchapterforQuebecandtherestofthecountryhasbreathedacollectivesighofrelieformorelikelyletgoacollectiveyawnbecausethethreatappearsdiminished.HasitreallyInfactmanyseparatistswereunhappywiththePQsmovetothecentrefromitstraditionalspotontheleftandvotedforotherpartiesornotatall.Itwouldbefollytoignorethefactthatwelloverhalftheresidentsofthatprovincestillhaveseparatistyearnings.ThatisunhealthyforCanadasowhynottakeadvantageofthislullwhenthemovementisdisorganizedanddosomethingaboutitWhatelsecanbedoneyouaskNumer-ousattemptstomakeQuebecfeelwelcomewithinconfederationhavedonelittletoquellQuebecoisfervor.CanadabecameactivelybilingualandFrenchculturehasbeenac-knowledgedacrosstheland.TheremustbemoretherestofCanadacandointhecomingyearstowintheheartsofthema-jorityofQuebecerssothattheyfeelitisat-tractiveforQuebectostayapartofCanada-anddosoinawaythatbenetseveryone.AswithFirstNationsculturetheinclu-sionofQuebecoiscultureintheCana-diansocialfabricdenesourcountry.Wehavetoconsciouslyworkatmakingbothofthoseapositivepartofthebiggerbetterwhole.Sucheffortsareanecessityinanyfederation.TheidealofQuebecasitsowncountryisfosteredbyasenseofidentityaspiritoftogethernessandaproudhis-tory.RatherthanseethedesireofsomanyQuebecerstobeseparateanduniqueasathreatweshouldtrytoknowandunder-standwhatthatisaboutthenembraceit.ItistimetocelebrateQuebecscultureacrossCanada.WhatmakesQuebecersspecialispartofwhatcanmakeCanadaabetterstrongercountry.FortSmithresidentsgatherforamembersonlyartshowattheNorthernLifeMuseumlastThursdayeveningtogazeatNWTpainterJenWaldensexhibitTheLandattheEndoftheSticksfeaturinglandscapeandwildlifeoftheSelwynandMackenzieMountains.LeftGenevieveCotadmiresWaldensworkrightRobKentDavePorterSarahRosolenDianeSealsandherdaughterSarahmingle.