Frank Remus

Her River of Love Surrounding Time  7:05 am

Tomorrow I will arrive late for Starbucks. No more than an hour at most.  When I arrived at Starbucks this morning, Louis Armstrong belted it out. It was nearly 11 o’clock. There were 10 people in the room, and there were 2 conversations. “Capturing the generic opportunity” and “Low margin” were phrases I heard. I was a little bit tired. At first I thought I was sad. But that was the tail end of loving. Emotion was watery. It was fluid within me. There was an undertow.

Soulmates Centered and Blue  6:16 am 

A little part of me feared it. But really, I was the whole thing. And so, why should I fear myself? I was both the undertow and the surface. Emotion is very strong. In the middle of the night, there was a visitation, after I had gone to sleep. I dreamed an invisible presence arrived to give me a big hug, to cover me. That’s the only way to describe it. It was quite vivid and real.

Her River of Love Wide Sky  6:20 am

Back in the room, a woman arrived wearing a grey sweater mottled with white. It was lined with pink stripes. This was the room’s first pink presence, since I arrived. It was a beautiful morning. Blue skies mainly clear, with sparse and passing cloud. The sunlight cast long shadows, that love just can’t do without. A woman arrived wearing black, along with a pink woolen scarf, with bands of grey and white. The sunlight darkened somewhat. More clouds appeared on the horizon.

Time Bridges Her River of Love  6:25 am

Time Bridges Her River of Love  6:36 am

In the corner seat by the window, was a man with a horoscope chart. He explained its dynamic and relational aspects to his client that sat in front of him. A woman in pink walked in, wearing a black winter vest. The Astrologer was an elderly man, serious, no-nonsense. I was too far way to hear him. The room had filled up rather quickly. Now there were 20 people, and 3 conversations ensued. A woman left with her suitcase. It was pink and blue. It looked like it was made for children. She wore a maroon coat.

Her River of Love  6:46 am

Her River of Love Yellow, Pink  6:57 am

Jazz drove the rhythm of the moment. Talk became louder, as did the noise. A lone woman sat outside, out on the terrace. She wore a grey skirt. She looked like she enjoyed her hot coffee and her book in the cold air. “I think of you every morning, dream of you every night,” sang the early jazz crooner. And of course I was thinking of Anna. This morning she showed me soulmates in blue, and her river of love with open sky. All of this amazes me, truly. I cannot emphasis this enough. She showed me the clock tower and her river of love by the triangle. Her flowing river was central. It was central to my mind that she was my soulmate.

Her River of Love Surrounds Time  7:25 am

And I flowed with her love. And then, Anna showed me the clock tower once more, and the blue with white tent and 9 trees. And she showed me the soulmates by the mountain, and then she showed me the mountain itself. Anna showed me soulmates again and my not so distant location, in the view in the background. Soulmates were with me all day.  And these were my love signs from Anna, my soulmate, Anna Dirksen. Yes, I call her my beloved. Yes, I would love to call her my bride. Yes, I believe in bridging the circle, for us as a couple. Yes, to dance by the moonlit fire.  I love Anna Dirksen. 

Blue Tent, Her River of Love  7:59 am

Yes, for Anna a flower bouquet.  I would be her groom in her garden of love. And yes, love would play its harp in our home, where we’d be lovers in mandala marriage. Yes, and our pendulum rainbow relationship would pair our hearts as Yin-Yang. Blending, harmonizing and bonding our love where we stand hand in hand. Uniting as woman and man. Yes, I love Anna Dirksen. As a couple joining in loving, yes, I would love to be her married man. Yes, the sunlight had returned and infused my love for Anna Dirksen of the CBC News.

Soulmates  8:57 am

Mountaintop  10:16 am

And on August 2^nd, I wrote of my love… I call her my heartthrob, my beloved –there’s no other woman I wish for my bride. I long to cross every bridge of love with her, to be encircled in the full ring of pure joy. I long to watch her combing her long black wavy beautiful hair, and cooking together as a couple, dancing to the roar of love’s fire –with endless bouquets of flowers, grown from the garden of love. May we be fixed well together, with a glue bond from the great mystery beyond, in every magical colour.

Soulmates  10:25 am

I’d be her groom in an instant for her, yes, integrated and intertwined, and so let there be harps. Let us make a good and safe home; let there be jugglers –let our passion become knit together, in the sweetest knot of lovemaking. Let us be lovers in the mandala of peace. Let there be marriage bliss, let us be mating as pairs. Let the pendulum of colours swing for us, to blend in the rainbow love of relationship. Let there be an unbroken ring, linking our innermost selves. Let the rope of love to link us to our deepest below and highest above, inner and outer, with love.

Soulmates 1:06 pm

 

Soulmates  2:14 pm

Soulmates  3:11

Soulmates  3:40 pm

And back to the present, the now… Out on the roof, the air was cool. Overcast sky had returned. Yellow trees filled my vision. The wind was strong at this time. And so was my love for Anna. It was really too cold to be up here. But my heart warmed me up from her love pictures. And other things I have seen quite clear. And so this is a brief written snapshot, but the real thing is more important. The real things will not disappear, such as true love and her magnificent numbers.  And yes, I love Anna Dirksen.

Downtown, Soulmates  4:07 pm

Downtown, Soulmates  5:00 pm

I am so glad I am here, to declare my love for her today. I’ve got her name deep in my book. And it’s hers to keep too. And she is in my heart whenever I look, and when I watch the CBC News. And that is the way it should be, when we fuse and our souls merge to agree, in loving mutuality. I need her more real in my life. I love that special woman, Anna Dirksen. I would love for her to be my wife. And I love the way she shows she loves me. Yes, she is the love of my life.

Downtown Lights 5:07 pm

 Downtown Lights   5:25 pm

Dark Downtown  12:25 am

And I saw her long black wavy hair, at the start of the zoom in, on the CBC News at  Six.   

On CBC News at Six, Michel Godbout wore a black jacket with Remembrance Day poppy, an orange shirt and a burnt orange tie with think and faint yellow band, and he begins, “Good evening. I’m Michel Godbout. This is CBC News at Six. And here’s what’s making news in Montreal tonight. About face: The principal of FACE school quits, admitting he mishandled the daycare budget. Hidden seams: Garment home workers toil for low pay and no benefits. And: Team Quebec. Should we have our own hockey team for the world championships?”

The first story, “Well, good evening. In Montreal tonight, parents of kids who attend FACE school are angry and demanding answers. Their principal, Nick Primiano, resigned last night. Our Peter Johnson is following this story. And Peter, Nick Primiano’s been on suspension for more than a month now, if my memory recalls properly. I mean, why did he decide to quit?”

Peter Johnson, wearing a medium grey jacket with Remembrance Day poppy, a light grey shirt and a black tie with white bands, replies, “Well, Michel, the CSDM held a special meeting last night, and they made a very brief statement, saying that Primiano was resigning as principal of FACE, and that was it. Now, teachers and parents still have a lot of questions.”

Peter Johnson begins, “Nick Primiano’s presence was still very evident at FACE this morning. Parents gathered outside the school –still angry about the board’s announcement last night. CSDM president, Diane de Courcy, would only say Primiano admitted making serious mistakes in using the school’s daycare budget, and hadn’t kept an up-to-date inventory. De Courcy said, Primiano and the Board had agreed, that in the school’s best interest, he would resign as principal. Parents aren’t happy.”

Kate Henderson, FACE Parent, comments, “We’ve been told serious allegations from the beginning, but have not been told what they are. We don’t have any… and until something is actually stated, this is all smoke and mirrors.”

Peter Johnson reports, “Henderson and other parents are upset at the way the board has handled the situation. Primiano was temporarily suspended at the end of September. Now students and teachers have to deal with the fact he’s not coming back.”

Maria Antoaneta Slanciulescu, FACE Teacher, explains, “The kids were crying. And they are asking us ‘What happened to Mr. Primiano? We love him very much, and we want him back.’ We couldn’t give any kind of answers because we don’t know.”

Peter Johnson informs, “Some parents believe the board was out to get Primiano. That his only crime was trying to get more money for FACE’s special arts programs.”

Anna Angelis, FACE Parent, explains, “The principal is given a budget, and he is supposed be the one who decides how to use it. And we don’t really know what the wrongdoing part here is. We still have not been told what exactly went wrong.”

Peter Johnson adds, “The Board says, FACE’s future as an alternative school is secure. But many parents say, they don’t feel they can trust the school board anymore.”

Back live in studio, Peter Johnson continues, “So, Michel, as to what Nick Primiano is saying as to why he quit, well, the agreement that the board read out last night includes a gag order. So, Mr. Primiano himself just wasn’t offering any explanations to the media or anyone else today. We do know that he’s still an employee of the CSDM, he’s still getting paid –he’s just not the principal of FACE anymore.”

Michel asks, “Alright now, Peter, what about the parents in all this? I mean, they must feel a little odd, having supported Primiano through thick and thin, right?”

Peter Johnson replies, “Well, the parents say that they still want to get to the bottom of this. They still support him –let’s be clear. But they’re calling for an inquiry into just what exactly happened in this situation.”

Michel closes, “Alright, Peter Johnson live in the newsroom tonight, thanks.” Peter replies, “You’re very welcome.”

The second story, “Well, in other news: Quebec’s Environment Minister is heading to Africa this month. Claude Béchard will be part of the Canadian delegation at the U.N. Climate Change conference in Kenya. But some key players won’t be going. For the first time in 14 years, the federal government is refusing to include environmental and business groups in this delegation. Amanda Pfeffer now, on how that decision is playing out.”

Amanda Pfeffer begins, “Claude Béchard had been waiting for his yellow fever shot. Now, he’s ready for anything.”

Claude Béchard, Environment Minister, explains, “I will represent 25% of the population in Canada –I mean Quebec –who believe in Kyoto.”

Amanda Pfeffer reports, “That 25% includes Hugo Seguin. But he’ll be sending out his own message. He’s heading to Nairobi tonight. He’s representing an environmental group that helped the Canadian government organize the U.N. conference in Montreal. But this time, the Canadian government doesn’t want the help of non-governmental organizations.”

Hugo Seguin, Equiterre, explains, “The government has broken a long tradition of welcoming people from civil society inside the Canadian delegation –the official Canadian delegation at these conferences.”

Amanda Pfeffer informs, “And so now, the Canadian delegation will be an NGO-free zone. Not just environment al NGO’s but business groups as well. It’s another bad signal for the budding environmental technology industry in Canada. Maxim Drouin and his dad, have developed the world’s leading bio-gas technology –technology that’s turning gas from landfill garbage in San Salvador, to energy.”

Guy Drouin, Biothermica International, explains, “Right now, we are out of the train. The train is passing, and we are not at the train.”

Amanda Pfeffer continues, “The company’s trying to get a cut of the $150 billion carbon credit market, that stems from the Kyoto Protocol –a market that’s generating huge profits for European companies.

Guy Drouin, Biothermica International, explains, “So, it’s a lot of opportunity for the Canadian industry. A lot of opportunity lost, in order to create new wealth. And you know that we need new wealth.”

Amanda Pfeffer, dressed in black, closes, “While in Nairobi, the federal environment minister’s expected to continue backtracking on Canada’s support for the Kyoto Protocol. In the meantime, the Quebec minister says, his job will be different: To convince the international community that there are still many citizens and businesses who support the international agreement. Amanda Pfeffer, CBC News, Montreal.”

Michel continues, “Well, a quick glance now at the weather. And Geeta, you’re on a roll these days, you know -another nice one today. Have you anymore nice days like that up your sleeve?”

Geeta Nadkarni, wearing a black jacket, and a dark grey scarf, and light blue cotton gloves, with a light blue tweed hat that has a light blue ribbon –the shade of blue that reminds me so much of the shade of Anna Dirksen’s blue fall coat, and she replies, “I do as a matter of fact, Michel. But I do also have a little bit of rain for our parade –possibly tonight. Right now, it’s a nippy 3 degrees. It does feel a bit cool. And those temperatures are going to dip to freezing or below tonight. There is a 30% chance that it might rain, or we might see flurries tonight. But that dry weather will be back tomorrow for a mix of sun and cloud. On the weekend? Well, you’re just gonna have to stick around and find out more. Michel?” Michel comments, “Well, I will stick around, now that you’ve talked about snow. Thanks a lot, Geeta.”

Michel continues, “Alright, let’s move on to some financial news. Of course, the market is starting to recover from the hit it took over Income Trust. You’ve heard this, I’m sure. Now, even if you don’t invest, you probably know the government decided two nights ago, to start taxing the trusts. Now, at this point, the market is starting to recover, as we said. The TSX took a hit yesterday, losing 300 points –a drop in its total value of 2.5%. Now, the TSX gained 80 points today. Still, the total value of shares of corporations have lost billions of dollars. Now, of course, many Canadians are losing money too. And some are mad at the Harper government for breaking a promise not to tax income trusts. Here’s the reaction from one Montrealer.”

Dino Mastrogiani, Income Trust Investor, explains, “The point is that, he made a promise and he lied –that’s the point. And he caused millions of people in Canada to lose money, based on his promise. That is the problem here, with Mr. Harper and the Conservatives again. And we voted for you guys –and we never voted Conservative before in this. The only reason we did it, was because of your promise on not touching income trusts. And since you did, guess what guys? You’re not getting our vote ever again –bye, bye!”

Michel continues, “Well, plenty of anger out there, of course. But you know, emotions aside, this isn’t the easiest story to pin down. That’s why we brought in Pierre Brunet, professor of Business Strategy, at Concordia. Mr. Brunet, first off, I mean, let’s talk about the income trusts. I mean, what are they used for, first of all?”

J. Pierre Brunet, Corporate Director, explains, “Well an income trust is a form, a legal form for a corporation to change into a form that allows it to avoid paying income tax –so it can earn a profit and not pay tax on that.”

Michel asks, “Okay, so, you know, for anyone out there, I mean, why should we care that, you know, they’re gonna start taxing income trusts?”

J. Pierre Brunet, Corporate Director, replies, “Well, income trusts right now are not taxed. And so, the distributions that those companies make to their investors, are higher –about 9% on average. If you get dividends from a corporation that hasn’t changed, it’s about 2.6%. So the difference to an investor is quite significant. We care, because, well, for a couple of reasons we care. One is that those, in the short term, that return is a little bit lower than it would otherwise be, if they hadn’t changed the rules.”

Michel comments, “So, people are making less money.”

J. Pierre Brunet, Corporate Director, continues, “In the short term, people are gonna make less money. We should care on the good side, because the income trust system was an imbalance in the federal tax structure. Somewhere somebody’s gonna have to pay for all the things the government does. And if the government loses a billion dollars a year in tax from corporations, it’s gonna get it somewhere –probably from investor’s pocket. So, I think this is a good rebalancing.”

Michel asks, “Okay, so who’s the hardest hit right now?”

J. Pierre Brunet, Corporate Director, replies, “Interesting –that’s a good question. The hardest hit, are investment firms, investment banks, who have made, I think, exorbitant fees, changing corporations into income trusts. They’ve made hundreds of millions of dollars doing that –that’s drying up for them. Foreign investors who buy income trusts, get the money tax free, and only pay a 5.6% tax rate –so, money’s going out of the country. Third, who are really hardest hit, would be pensioners on fixed incomes, or with an investment income, who have put all or virtually all of their investments in income trusts –it’s tough for them in the short term.”

Michel comments, “Okay, so essentially, I’m gonna come back to what you said before, just to recap though –so in the long-term, this is a good decision by the government –briefly.”

J. Pierre Brunet, Corporate Director, replies, “I believe so.” Michel closes, “Okay. Well, Pierre Brunet from Concordia, thanks a lot for stopping by and making this a little clearer for us tonight.” Pierre replies, “My pleasure.”

Michel continues, “Alright, onto some other news now: Quebec’s health minister says, Montreal’s 2 new university super-hospitals will not be ready as promised by 2010. Philippe Couillard says, it is possible some clinical services or research labs could be running by 2011. But ribbons won’t be cut until later –maybe years later. The government is worried about controlling costs for the 2 projects –estimated at more than $3 billion. The government says, delaying the projects will actually save taxpayers’ money by avoiding costly mistakes if construction was forced to fit the original timetable.”

“Laval police have arrested 2 men in connection with yesterday’s large operation near 75^th Street and Levesque Boulevard in Chomedy. Police cordoned off a large area for hours yesterday, after a man told them he’d been kidnapped and beaten. They entered an apartment building but found nothing. During the night, police then focused on this motel in St-Laurent, and arrested 2 suspects. They were arraigned this afternoon. They’re facing 4 charges, including kidnapping. Police are still searching for 2 other suspects. They believe the whole affair is gang-related.”

And then, Rosemary Barton appears, wearing a black coat with black gloves, and a dark blue scarf for her neck, and she begins, “I’m Rosemary Barton in Quebec City. There is a push on for Quebec to get its own hockey team at the World Hockey Championship in 2008. The gloves are off, and the politicking has begun. I’ll have that story coming up later, on CBC News as Six.”

Michel continues, “And coming up next: By a Thread –it’s our weeklong look at Montreal’s garment trade. And tonight, we talk about home workers. They work in shadows for low wages, no benefits, and no job security –and we’re not kidding. That’s coming up next.” And then, the first commercial break.

And then, the By a thread theme is shown, and Michel begins, “As the writing on the screen says, By a thread –it’s our series that’s looking at Quebec’s garment industry. Now, tonight, the story of home workers –they work in the shadows, often under very different working conditions than what most people know. Andrew Chang’s our reporter on the series. And Andrew, you met with a lot of these people –especially today as a matter of fact. And can you give us a sense of what home workers are all about?”

Andrew Chang, wearing a black shirt, replies, “Well, Michel, essentially, these are people who work under very demanding conditions –often paid less than minimum wage. Now today, a home worker –we’ll her Louise. She did let me into her home, to show me what her world is like. But she was afraid that if her employer identified her that she would be out of a job. So she did ask that she remain anonymous.” Michel comments, “Okay, let’s look at your story.”

Andrew Chang begins, “Louise does her work on two industrial sewing machines she had to buy herself. She works 12-hour days, 7 days a week. She doesn’t get benefits, vacation, holidays or overtime. Her entire income depends on how much she can produce in a short time as possible. Louise said she had no choice but to work from home after the factory she used to work at, laid her off 6 months ago. She’s another victim of Quebec’s changing apparel industry. In a sense, homework has become her only means of survival. But the circumstances and the way she works are also illegal. Depending on the contractor, she might get paid about 3 dollars an hour –less than half of Quebec’s minimum wage. But she doesn’t speak out, for fear of being branded a troublemaker, and blacklisted from further work. This is a situation that’s all too familiar for Mariette St-Pierre. In the mid 70’s she was a homeworker.”

Mariette St-Pierre explains, (first subtitles hidden by Hidden Homeworkers title) “…time they don’t have another career because this is the only work they know. They know nothing else. So what choice do they have? There is no work elsewhere.”

Andrew Chang reports, “To make matters worse, St-Pierre says, there’s never any guarantee of work. Homeworkers don’t contribute to employment insurance, they don’t receive any when they’re not working. Neither the pay nor the workload are every negotiable. More often than not, it’s the homeworker that must provide all the tools of the trade –everything except the thread.”

Mariette St-Pierre explains, “It’s always very stressful to produce work of a certain quality, to make sure it will not come back the next day. If you did something wrong, in addition to the daily work, you would be stuck doing the repairs, without pay.”

Andrew Chang informs, “She blames the government for leaving women such as Louise with no other options. Over the years, low wages in China have driven companies in Quebec to abandon their factories and move jobs overseas. St-Pierre says, if the government imposed quotas on Chinese imports, that would leave more jobs here, and fewer people such as Louise struggling to make a living in difficult conditions.”

Mariette St-Pierre explains, “We often work in tight spaces with lots of dust so our health is affected because we breathe in the dust in the small corner of our house we’ve created. We cough a lot. The dust is really the worst thing in these situations.”

Andrew Chang reports, “It’s impossible to know exactly how many homeworkers there are in Quebec’s apparel industry. What’s certain is that they’ve been around since the industry got its kick start 100 years ago.”

Andrew Chang asks, “So, this phenomenon continues today in the apparel industry?”

‘I don’t have any indication that it’s not continuing,’

Andrew Chang informs, “Estimates from the early 90’s put the number of homeworkers in Quebec somewhere between 20 and 30 thousand. But Mariette St-Pierre says, as more and more factories close, more and more people could be forced to turn to homework.”

Michel Grant, UQAM, explains, “I think that the solution is, as far as the homework is concerned, is not to credit homework, but to make sure that the conditions of work that exist in the home are basically, as far as compensation is concerned, the same that the one you have in the workplace.”

Andrew Chang continues, “But over the years, homeworking has proven difficult to track –let alone police. Louise will continue her work, because she has a family to support, and few other options.”

Back in studio, Michel comments, “Yeah, Andrew –options. That’s a good word. You wonder what kind of options these people have. Are there any solutions out there?”

Andrew Chang replies, “Well, it’s definitely a tough one Quebec’s Labour Standards Board says that the problem is that manufacturers generally don’t even contract work out to homeworkers directly. A contractor will then subcontract that work to a homeworker. So, it’s tough to keep tabs on. But what’ certain is that very few of these homeworkers are coming out to complain about any abuses. The Labour Standards Board says, it only receives about 40 complaints from homeworkers every year.”

Michel asks, “Okay, quickly, tomorrow’s story is?”

Andrew Chang replies, “Tomorrow’s about the future of the industry. And I’ll let you know about some of the success stories here in Montreal as well.” Michel adds, “Ah, that will be good news. Thanks a lot Andrew.” Andrew replies, “You’re welcome.”

Michel continues, “Well, let’s move on to something else here. Veterans, of course –you’re seeing them everywhere, selling poppies. But you know what? One Korean War Vet hasn’t had an easy time of it this week. He got kicked out of a Provigo Store in Verdun yesterday. Tom Mullen knows why he’s selling poppies. Still, he couldn’t do it yesterday. Provigo now admits it made a mistake by booting him out. And the 76-year-old is back on the job, selling poppies.”

“Of course, this story happens almost every year –a poppy seller is turfed from a location he or she has picked to sell poppies. So, we went out to ask Montrealers their thoughts on the story.”

A man remarks, “If you don’t remember history, you’re condemned to repeat it and relive it. So, as a way of remembering this, the selling of the poppies –which I myself wear, as a souvenir, and as a way of saying thank you to our Veterans –I think that should qualify as an exception, and they should be allowed to be sold in stores.”

A woman explains, “For me, it’s very important, because Monday, my Godson just left for Afghanistan.”

A man explains, “As an owner of a store I wouldn’t allow it. But, I mean, a poppy’s something that’s national, it’s for a good cause -I don’t see why not. I mean, as long as they’re not interfering with the daily business, I don’t see why not.”

A man explains, “I have a father-in-law who was captured by the Japanese in Hong Kong. Every November the 11^th, I’m over at the Cenotaph because of that. So, it’s a very, very small thing that a society should be able to recognize –that it’s a sign of peace, not of confrontation.”

Back in studio, Michel continues, “Well, you know, Remembrance Day is next week. So that means, fall is definitely there. Geeta Nadkarni has the forecast after the break. You’re watching CBC News at Six.” And then the second commercial break.

Upon returning, the CBC News Weather Centre bells start to ring. Michel begins, “I don’t know about you, but a lot of people liked the weather today –it wasn’t too bad. Geeta, it’s looking good this weekend –at least that’s what you said earlier. I hope you stick to that promise.”

Geeta Nadkarni, wearing a black jacket, and a dark grey scarf, and light blue cotton gloves, with a light blue tweed hat that has a light blue ribbon, replies, “Well, I will actually, Michel. It is quite nice outside. It’s a bit nippy. It ‘s 3 degrees. And I have to say, the tips of my fingers are feeling quite blue. Those temperatures are going to continue to go down to freezing overnight. And I did mention a chance of showers for tonight overnight, Montreal. Those might actually turn into flurries. If we look at our satellite and radar maps, we’ll see not a lot of heavy precipitation over the province. The light blue bits signal lighter than usual moisture. So yes, the chance of showers for Montreal are slim –30% to be exact. But that number jumps up to 60% for Val D’Or. Why, you ask? Well, it’s because of an odd little weather glitch. We have a warm wedge coming in from the north. Have you ever seen one of these babies? They are… it’s a tongue of warm air that’s coming in –it’s usually a northwest wind that’s cold this time of year. But it stayed warm, and what it’s doing is it’s bringing us some unusual precipitation. Now if we look at the highs for tomorrow, we will see that they are in fact quite a bit below seasonal. But the dry weather will be back at least. So that’s the good news for today. And I know about the weekend. This is the weekend. This is the multibillion-dollar question: Is it going to stay dry? Yes, it is. Phew –I know. Because I promised my dog a walk on the mountain, and I would hate to break her heart. So yes, go ahead –plan those outdoor activities. Because if we look at our 3-day forecast, we’ll see it’s a lot of sun, some cloud. The temperatures are going to force you to bundle up. But there you have it, Michel. We shouldn’t see the rain come back until Monday evening.” Michel comments, “Geeta, we love you when this happens. It’s wonderful.” Geeta replies, “Thank you.” Michel adds, “Thanks a lot.”

Michel continues, “Well, here’s something we all like to hear: Guess who’s in town? Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche –yes, her film Quelques Jours en Septembre is opening the Cinemania film festival tonight. The festival is on at the Imperial Theatre until November 12^th.”

“Stay with us. When we come back: Should Quebec have its own hockey team for the World Championships? Well, lawyer, Guy Bertrand thinks so. We’ll have that story, coming up.” And then, the third commercial break.

Upon returning, “Okay, picture this: Martin Brodeur Vincent Lecavalier, and Simon Gage –all playing hockey for the same team. Not Team Canada mind you, but rather, Team Quebec. It’s an idea being pushed again by well-known lawyer, Guy Bertrand. Rosemary Barton has that story.”

Rosemary begins, “In the game of hockey there is little time or room for politics. But some like to try their best just the same –starting with on again-off again sovereigntist Guy Bertrand.”

Guy Bertrand, Lawyer, remarks, “It’s a cadeau-gift to millions of Quebecers.”

Rosemary Barton reports, “The idea: At the World Hockey Championships in 2008 in Quebec City, there would be a Team Quebec –which would, of course, be just for Quebecers, who are also Canadians. But they would play against Team Canada –who wouldn’t be Quebecers necessarily. Complicated? Yes. And of course, not really about sports –more about Bertrand’s sovereigntist agenda.”

Guy Bertrand, Lawyer, remarks, “Someone will have to live with the consequences of refusing something so new, but acceptable in many countries.”

Rosemary Barton adds, “But the problem is, Quebec is not a country. And Hockey Canada is using that argument to shut down the request –a request the provincial government has politely responded to, but certainly isn’t approving.”

‘We are all part of the same team,’

Rosemary Barton informs, “So far, Quebecers are not clamoring in the streets for their own hockey team, and Quebec players seem less than interested. But…”

Guy Bertrand, Lawyer, remarks, “If the decision would be a population decision, I will be a winner.”

Rosemary Barton, wearing a black jacket and a dark blue scarf, closes, “And perhaps, that’s what this is really all about –getting Guy Bertrand and sovereignty some attention. Bertrand says, Hockey Canada has agreed to meet with him, even though he’s already been turned down twice –meaning, this idea may already be benched. Rosemary Barton, CBC News, Quebec City.”

Michel continues, “And if you remember, CBC News at Six was on location last night. We were at the Leonardo da Vinci Centre in St-Leonard. And we met with viewers, and had a chance to answer some of their questions. And we’re on location for the next 3 Wednesdays. And by the way, the next Wednesday, well we’re heading to Snowdon. We’ll be coming live from the Ben Weider Jewish Community Centre, at the corner of Cote-St-Catherine Road.”

“And that was Montreal today. Canada Now is next. For the CBC News at Six team, I’m Michel Godbout. We’ll see you tomorrow at 6:00.” And then, various clips are shown from the news stories on tonight’s broadcast.

And I’m Frank Remus in Montreal for this Krimson News blog-diary of loving and dreaming, and CBC News at Six re-reportage of adjustment, agreement, amalgamation, association, binding, bonding, bridging, centralizing, co-ordination, combining, companionship, compatibility, complementing, compound, concentration, copulation, couple, even, fasten, fusing, jealousy, joining, linking, marrying, merging, mixing, mutuality, orchestrating, organizing, pairing, peace, reconciling, sticking, synthesizing, tying, and tuning.

Integration

Relating