Wednesday Night #1699

The magic number of #1700 is coming up next week – stay tuned!

For multiple reasons, this must be short – we will keep adding to it later, however, are soon expected at the Commemoration of dear Udo Stunder’s life.

We are devastated by the news that our friend, former Mayor Jean Doré has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer – he and his family will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Climate change
Even the climate change deniers amongst us will have to admit that they were impressed by the incredible Peoeple’s Climate March in New York and around the world on Sunday. The coverage was of curse massive – one cannot ignore that many people in one place – but the most interesting reflection perhaps is in The Wisdom of the Crowd
“Typically, at such events, the destination is an open-air field or arena featuring an elaborate speakers’ stand, with a backstage infrastructure of headquarters tents, satellite vans, and port-a-cans. The stand is festooned with microphones, amplifiers, and powerful loudspeakers. Rock bands and folksingers, the more famous the better, alternate with orators representing the various factions comprising the sponsoring coalition. At the People’s Climate March, there was no speakers’ stand, because there were no speakers. There was just the march and the people marching.”
Now we wait for outcomes from the Climate Summit – yes, that would be the summit at which Steven Harper will not appear, despite the presence of all his chums from the Big Leagues. No, not quite true – his good friends from China and Australia are not going either.

The 2014 edition of The United Nations and Canada: What Canada has done and should be doing at the UN will be released on September 24th, the day before Prime Minister Stephen Harper addresses the UN General Assembly for the first time since 2010.

The campaign against ISIS
An uneasy alliance is taking shape in the middle Eaast with the first bombing of Syria on Tuesday by the U.S.and its Arab allies who include Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who either participated in or supported the strikes against Islamic State targets. As reuters delicately puts it: “All are countries hostile to Assad but now fearful of the fighters that have emerged out of the anti-Assad rebellion they backed.” Indeed, geopolitics makes for some very strange bedfellows. [Islamic State blows away Gulf qualms about joining U.S. military action]

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a grim report stating that Ebola could strike 20,000 in six weeks, ‘rumble on for years’

From geopolitics to politics – and all politics is local.
School board elections
We are very happy to learn that Anne Lagacé Dowson is running to become EMSB chairperson. She is an excellent candidate and will undoubtedly receive strong support.
And our friend Ginette Sauvé Frankel is running in Westmount–Sud-Ouest–Ville Marie for re-election as a commissioner; she is part of the slate of Angela Mancini who has been the school board’s chairwoman since 2007 and is running for another term. As we understand it, these elections reflect a new system under which electors vote for a commissioner AND the chair separately – so we can support both of our friends.
We urge Wednesday Nighters to check out whether they are on the voting list and if not to rectify the situation.School board elections will be held across Quebec on Sunday Nov. 2. Check with Quebec’s chief electoral officer to know if you are eligible and registered to vote.  Education is SO important and the turnout for these elections is usually even more abysmal than the participation in other votes. Particularly important this year with the upcoming battle with Quebec EMSB says no to planned budget cuts.

LPC news
A battle of the giants? Mount Royal, Irwin Cotler’s long-time fiefdom is about to become the scene of political mayhem and melodrama, now that Beryl Wajsman has declared for the Conservative nomination and Jonathan Goldbloom for the Liberals’. Will Mr. Goldbloom’s cancelled contract with the MUHC come up in the campaign? Our bet is yes.
Former Quebec deputy premier Normandeau says federal Liberals have approached her – Pablo Rodriguez says no and we sincerely hope he is telling the truth. Aren’t the FedLibs in enough trouble over manipulations in assorted nomination battles? Why would they even think of someone whose name has been up in lights at the Charbonneau Commisson?

A huge shout-out to Marc Nicholson and Clare Shapiro on the eve of the official launch of Singapore Creations Etc. – we are so excited for you and wish we could be with you.

This weekend, don’t forget to pay a visit to Art Westmount 2014 (Saturday, Sept. 27 [noon – 6 pm] or Sunday, Sept. 28 [10 am – 6 pm]) and drop in to say hello and see Diana Bruno‘s photography at ‘the weekend celebration of Westmount artists’. She’ll be in the concert hall at Victoria Hall. Diana also forwarded a link to a ‘fun’ related Youtube video