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Dr. Victor C. Goldbloom OC, LCC ‘39, has had a distinguished public career devoted CLASS to improving social conditions and alleviating disparities affecting minorities in Canada. He has fostered harmony between French and English, federalists and sovereignists, Christians and Jews, and led significant advances in Canadian public health and environment policy. A cabinet minister under in the 1970s, he also served as Official Languages Commissioner of Canada in the 1980s, and was the chairman of the Canadian Jewish Congress ACTS a decade later. In 2015, he released his memoirs, Building Bridges.

Bridge of Reflections LCC: From LCC student, to university student, difficult to get over or pierce through. I think to pediatrician, to cabinet minister, to community back to my time at LCC, which was just before Dr. Victor C. Goldbloom ’39 leader, you have had many roles in your lifetime “As we came out of the Second World War: Quebec, and Canada —you’ve also broken barriers by being the first the war, we became as a whole—we were a compartmentalized to enter certain domains—such as being the more aware of the society and we were identified, not just by Releases his Memoirs first member of Quebec’s Jewish community to dreadful things that language, but also by religion, and we were serve in the provincial cabinet. What would you had been inflicted on assigned a particular space in society. say to today’s youth about breaking barriers? so many people.” People who were of a small minority community had less opportunity. As we came Dr. Goldbloom: Part of it is chance—being at out of the war, we became more aware of the a particular place at a particular time. It’s about dreadful things that had been inflicted on so when an opportunity has opened up—of course many people in Europe because of their religion, one can help create certain opportunities. But their sexual orientation, because of so many barriers do exist, and sometimes they are things that had been perceived as inferior.

40 LION FALL 2015 WWW.LCC.CA 41 LCC: Your memoir ends on a forward-looking Obviously we can’t teach everything. We note, and you offer your insight into the future have to make choices and devise a curriculum, Canada decided it was time to change. All of on issues such as gender equality, health care, which gives a child what we perceive to be a sudden there was an opening of society. the environment, interreligious relations, the essential. But that brings me back to the very It was my good fortune to have been born English and French question, Quebec and LCC: Let’s talk about the future—insofar as beginning—[we should be] teaching students when I was, to have graduated from LCC when “The most important Canada. What are some of your views on the education system shapes our future “bridge to continue to learn. What is not in your school I did, and it was a period of opportunity greater thing about education education? builders” in Canadian society, how are we curriculum still needs to be learned. They need than I could have imagined. is teaching you to doing, and where can we improve? to learn some specific things upon which to continue to educate Dr. Goldbloom: The most important thing “We should be begin a career, and also need to learn about the LCC: In your opinion, what are the fundamental yourself for the rest about education is teaching you to continue Dr. Goldbloom: When you look at outcomes, teaching students world. The world is constantly changing. So changes you have observed at LCC since your of your life. The fact to educate yourself for the rest of your life. Quebec students don’t do badly, and in a to continue to learn. what is taught this year will not be sufficient for student days? that I can still recite The fact that I can still recite some lines from number of respects, we do a bit better than What is not in your next year. some lines from Macbeth and Julius Caesar—that is positive, other provinces in Canada. We should not have school curriculum Dr. Goldbloom: When I was at Lower Canada Macbeth and Julius but limited—but my education provided a a negative feeling about our educational still needs to be LCC: What should we be doing better to College, the objective of the school was fairly Caesar—that is foundation upon which to build, and that is the system. At the same time, we aren’t doing as learned. They need educate our youth to thrive in modern society? specific—it was to get people into McGill, or positive, but limited— essential need as far as education is concerned well as some other countries in other parts to learn some if they didn’t get into McGill, it was to help but my education —so I am profoundly grateful for the foundation of the world. specific things upon Dr. Goldbloom: This may seem a digression, them to find some alternative. The vision is provided a foundation and for the motivation. There is so much emphasis on science and which to begin a but not really: When I appeared before the much broader today. For example, there is the upon which to build.” Each year, knowledge expands—and it has technology today, and we do have to keep up. career, and also parliamentary committee that was holding International Baccalaureate Programme here been expanding at an extraordinary rate for In keeping up with the rapid progress in these need to learn about hearings on the proposed Quebec Charter of now [among other options]. Another major quite some time now. With this expansion of fields, we also have to maintain our support the world.” Values, one of the questions that was put to me evolution has been the linguistic development. knowledge, I know that some would say that for liberal arts education, for culture, for was: ‘The government (of the day) is proposing LCC had been primarily an English school, we have to add a year or two to our education literacy. I am concerned when I read that at this legislation saying that children should and [when I was here] you had one period system. But the fact is that as knowledge enters least one school system is no longer teaching be protected from religious, ethnic, cultural of French each day, and there was no oral our sphere of awareness, it also systematizes handwriting. How are we going to communicate diversity until they have a solid foundation in communication. This has really changed. itself and becomes a basic aspect of what we with one another if we cannot write to each their own tradition.” I was asked my reaction to ‘know’ without having to take formal classes in other in a personal, non-technical way? that [statement] and I said that the fundamental, it. We need to be intelligently critical, and to be So, we are constantly facing a challenge most important right is to be prepared to live in taught that critical skill. because each year, there is something new that the world, and you can’t shield a child from the needs to be integrated into our curriculum religious and ethnic diversity in society which and passed along to our youth. We don’t want is there just outside of the school. to lose fundamental skills, though.

42 LION FALL 2015 WWW.LCC.CA 43 LCC LCC: Is there a particular teacher who influenced you here at LCC? AWARDS the gift of an engraved silver serving tray, was for presented most recently to Stuart McLean '65, Dr. Goldbloom: Yes, Hugh MacLennan. He DISTINGUISHED at this year's LIONfest event. was my teacher and became my friend. He was ALUMNI A newer, high-level distinction—the Non Nobis an exceptional person, and he embodied the Solum Medal—was created and first presented things that I’ve been talking about. He taught Dr. Goldbloom: The most important thing at LIONfest in 2006. This award recognizes a Latin and Greek. He had a broad historical that parents need to provide is motivation [and former student of LCC who has given significantly sense of where our society had come from. He to ensure] their children appreciate the value of themself to the school in a unique way, in By Jane Martin, LCC Archivist was particularly knowledgeable about ancient of education. The specifics are easier for some one or several capacities. At that time, Alan S. Greece and Rome. And he traced the origins “We are the better for parents than they are for others. Some can mong all the distinctions and awards Canavan ’39 was selected to receive the newly- of American, Canadian, and British democracy the existence of our be more helpful in mathematics, some in presented at LCC, two are reserved for designed award medal cast in bronze, with the from those ancient societies. He is known independent schools. literature, and some are really not fortunate Agraduates whose notable, long-term inscription “honours your unique contribution particularly for his novels, and he also wrote It’s long been said enough to be able to be helpful to their children achievements are judged to merit special and outstanding commitment to Lower Canada essays—and they are the most perceptive that the indepen- [in this way], but those parents as well can acclaim. These are the Non Nobis Solum Award College.” Alan was singled out for special observations on Canadian society and on dent school is the make sure their children are motivated. (for service to society at large) and the Non recognition on the basis of his long and ongoing Canada’s relations with other parts of the lighthouse which Parents have an important role and it’s the Nobis Solum Medal (for special service to LCC). involvement with the school at Remembrance world. illuminates a way partnership between school and parents that’s Dr. ’39 was presented Day ceremonies, dedicated service on the LCC I didn’t realize it at the time, but the forward.” absolutely fundamental and it should be with the alumni association’s prestigious Corporation, and organization of the Non Nobis experience shaped me, and was very important mutually helpful. Non Nobis Solum Award for his “outstanding Solum luncheon group for older alumni. More grounding for going into politics. contribution to society” at the LIONfest recently, the medal was awarded to “Mr. LCC,” LCC: You seem to have resisted—over your homecoming banquet in 2009. At that time, former long-time teacher and active alumnus LCC: You were quite involved in your children’s lifetime—being pulled into partisan politics, he was the 13th alumnus selected to receive Victor Badian ’61, Ivan Velan '61, and Peter educational progress—coaching, mentoring, and have instead looked for ways to “build this honour since its inauguration in 1971, Webster '60. and helping them with their homework when bridges” and bring people together, even people when Dr. Charles Scriver ’47, a renowned Both the Non Nobis Solum Award and Medal they were young. How do you see parental of seemingly vastly different political/social medical researcher, was recognized may be presented annually, so long as suitable involvement in the educational journey of our stances. How can educational reform resist for his “notable contribution to his fellow man.” candidates are chosen from nominations children? becoming polarized? What is the big vision The award, which traditionally has featured received by the alumni association executive. you think we should be working toward?

RECIPIENTS OF THE RECIPIENTS OF THE NON NOBIS SOLUM AWARD NON NOBIS SOLUM MEDAL

1971 Dr. Charles Scriver ’47 2006 Alan J. Canavan ’39 1972 Lt.-Gen. E.L.M. (Tommy) Burns 1915 2009 A. Victor Badian ’61 1973 Dr. J. Cyril (Flin) Flanagan 1916 2010 Ivan Velan ’61 1974 Dr. A. Davidson Dunton ’28 2015 Peter Webster '60 1975 H. Roy Crabtree ’34 1976 Chipman H. Drury ’34 1978 Alan D. McCall 1920 1979 Colin W. Webster 1920 To learn more 1982 Hon. Sydney D. Pierce 1918 about our latest 1986 Ralph Harper ’47 recipients of these 2006 Dr. Willard S. Boyle ’41 special distinctions, 2007 Barry M. Saper ’46 go to page 39. 2009 Dr. Victor Goldbloom ’39 2010 A. John Ellis ’32 2015 Stuart McLean ’65

44 LION FALL 2015 WWW.LCC.CA 45 Dr. Goldbloom: First a word about politics— politics is by definition, partisan. You have to have adversaries; you have to have somebody who represents an alternative view. You debate “Parents have an views and do so, respectfully most of the time, important role and I hope. That does not have to impair the sense it’s the partnership REPORT of respect that you can have for your adversary. between school I have found great reward in the relationship and parents that’s that I’ve been able to have with people who, absolutely funda- when I was in active politics, were adversaries. mental and it should LCC: What is your view on the place of TO DONORS And today, they’re friends. We talk much less be mutually helpful.” independent schools in our society? about the different viewpoints we have and much more about our basic concern for society. Dr. Goldbloom: You always hope that your Our society is one for which we need to public school system will provide a good be deeply grateful. My four grandparents left education. You recognize that if there are difficult life situations in Eastern Europe and independent schools, in addition to the public ended up in Montreal. They really had no idea school system, that they fill a need. That they about the fundamental value and quality of the offer something that is not there in the public society that they were entering. It wasn’t easy at school system. 2014–2015 the beginning—the society was less welcoming We are the better for the existence of our in those days than it became later on. independent schools. It’s long been said that We need to cherish our society, and we need the independent school is the lighthouse to continue to work constructively to improve which illuminates a way forward and that an it. Every year there are issues. They’re dealt with independent school can try out different ways Annual Giving allows LCC to in public debate and through legislation. Citizens [of education] and offer the experience of in a democracy have the opportunity to observe, those trials to help the whole educational embrace progress and change comment, and to provide input. We don’t system move forward. in ways that further enhance our always have sufficient opportunity for citizens to participate, as when we were a smaller Building Bridges by Dr. Victor C. Goldbloom has school’s tradition of excellence. society and lived by more direct democracy. been published in English by McGill-Queen's As our society has grown we have more University Press and in French as Les ponts representative democracy and the citizen is Donations to the Annual Giving du dialogue by Les Éditions du Marais. somewhat removed from the decision-making programme are applied in areas process—we have to ensure that the distance This interview was conducted by Jennifer Nault is not too great that people cannot feel that and has been condensed and edited. that impact our students directly: they can express themselves or be listened to. For the video interview, go to: facilities, active learning experiences, http://bit.ly/1X9cUbI innovation, and financial awards. Thank you for expressing your belief in the continued success of our students and school.

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