Wednesday Night #1787

Just emerging from total blackout of building (area?), likely to do with construction activities at corner of Atwater.
However, all is well now and the elevator again functions.
But everything has been badly delayed. So in lieu of the usual commentary,  a few items about Wednesday Nighters and for more, we suggest that you consult http://www.dianaswednesday.com/ for recent posts on a variety of subjects.

Meanwhile:

As Brexit looms, we are very pleased that Peter Ratzer will be in town from London and can give us his views. It should also be interesting to hear what he says about the new Mayor of London. It is hard to believe that it is 9 years since he was last with us (Wednesday Night #1322). Peter, as some of you may remember, had an important role in Finance with Eurotunnel during the construction of the Chunnel (Channel Tunnel). Later he served as a Director of the International Institute For Environment And Development and the Foundation for International Law and Development (FIELD).

While on the subject of people named Peter, we extend our warmest congratulations to Dr. Peter Roper who will be presented this week with France’s highest award for military or civilian achievement, the Legion of Honour. Peter will receive his at the chateau where he was taken after being shot down while hunting German tanks near the Allied beachhead on June 7, 1944. We have had the great pleasure of hearing that dramatic story from Peter and hope that when he returns from France, he will recount his adventures on this trip. We know they will lose nothing in the telling. Do follow the link to CBC’s story about Peter – it’s a great read!

David Kilgour recently spoke in Budapest on Confronting Antisemitism and Other Intolerance evoking the story of Raoul Wallenberg and urges all to continue to press Russia to release information about his fate.

In A testimony to Canada’s human rights superstar,  Barbara Kay writes engagingly about a great tribute to Irwin Cotler and reveals that he is being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by his great friend and colleague Alan Dershowitz.

Also in recent news is Cleo Paskal whose interview with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada provides a glimpse of the importance of Oceania, often overlooked in the discussion of sovereignty in the China Seas and why Canada should be paying attention.

On June 15, 2015, Jean Doré succumbed to pancreatic cancer. On this first anniversary of his death, the Pointe-à-Callière museum will honour his memory  and the vision that propelled the creation of the museum that allows Montrealers to discover the birthplace of their city. A commemorative plaque honouring Mayor Doré will be unveiled during this event. Details

Not Wednesday Nighters, but with us every Wednesday these days:

With the parallel Liberal and Conservative Convention over, the MPs are all back in the House and the government continues to struggle with passage of the medically assisted dying bill  which has now gone to the Senate. As a number of Senators have expressed their reservations, hopes of passing the bill before the Supreme Court of Canada’s June 6 deadline are fading.

With all of the twists and turns in the presidential nomination campaign, the Wall Street Journal suggest that Hillary Clinton Might Not Be the Nominee, arguing that a  Sanders win in the June 7 California primary would “turbocharge the mounting Democratic unease about her viability.”

Finally, for all our gardening friends, this delightful piece from CBC radio’s gardening columnist Larry Hodgson on Lilac season – lots of interesting and new-to-us information, including the existence of a Festival des Lilas in Cap-à-l’aigle (Charlevoix). Sadly, it’s not on this summer, but maybe next year?
Margaret Cuddihy assures us that “The lilacs will still be there in Cap à L’Aigle. All one needs to do is to bring your own hotdog and check out all the different variety of lilacs. “