June 2021 Edition
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Volume XXXIX No. 6 June 2021 Montreal, QC www.filipinostar.org Filipino Canadians celebrate two See Page 4 historical events in June Communique: June 16 2021 electoral system. I propose ranked Marvin Rotrand to rballeots andtvotinig bry mae il. Rotrand's Snowdon to Have decision is a personal one. H0e New City Councillor recently turned 70 and became a Snowdon City Councillor grandfather for the first time. He has Marvin Rotrand announced today that decided that, after 39 years in office, his name won't be on the ballot for re- he wants to spend time with family and election as City Councillor as to help community causes from Montrealers choose their next Mayor outside City Hall. and Council on November 7. Noted as a pragmatic Rotrand was first elected in progressive, Rotrand spent most of his 1982 and has served without years on Council as an independent or interruption since. He holds the record with smaller parties, yet has had more as Montreal's Councillor with the motions adopted than any other longest years of service. Councillor. "It truly is an honour to have Rotrand has been elected an been the voice of Snowdon residents. I unprecedented ten times. On several know a large number of my occasions he bucked "waves" when constituents personally and it has groups of new councillors were been a privilege to have represented elected and old stalwarts turfed out. the neighbourhood. With the support His first election was in 1982, at the of the people of Snowdon, I am proud time of Mayor Jean Drapeau's last that I have been able to improve the mandate, when he was among a small quality of life locally, in the Borough group of Montreal Citizens' Movement and in our city." said Rotrand. Montreal municipal councillor Marvin Rotrand. See Page 4 Rotrand Promoting a debate on Montreal's PHOTO BY JOHN MAHONEY /Montreal Gazette files www.filipinostar.org 2 June 2021 The North American Filipino Star organizations, told the Montreal Gazette From the Publisher’s desk Letter to the Editor and other media that she, a candidate for City Council for a small third party, is June 3, 2021 the "very first Filipina" to ever run. That Learning about claim shows her ignorance, the fact that Dear Editor: she is disconnected from the community residential schools I am proud to call Lilia Esguerra and worse that she has no knowledge of reveals a dark past in both a friend and a colleague. Her the history of Filipinos in our city. contributions to Montreal's Filipino Canadian history Many of us took this as an insult community are legendary. Anyone who to Lilia and I have decided not to let it is plugged in to the community would pass. I have no doubt that this new Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi know that. In fact, anyone who claims to candidate, running for this third party be a voice for Filipinos would know that and with no community support and Lilia was the first Filipino - of any gender against a sitting councilor who has - to run for public office in Montreal. She As I review various articles, The discovery of 215 unmarked distinguished himself as a friend of the came within an eyelash of being elected history and literature on residential graves in Kamloops is probably only Filipinos, won't have a very long tenure City Councilor in Darlington district in schools in Canada, I feel very sad and one of many such graves. Residential in politics. 1998. disgusted by the immorality, cruelty, and schools started during the early days of If you are going to run, know the Today Lilia is active in her work inhuman treatment of children who were colonization in the 18th century and basic facts and don't denigrate those with seniors as President of FILGA as forcefully taken away from their parents continued for many years when the last who came before. Lilia Esguerra is well as operating the Ahmon Institute, a and their native culture. I could hardly residential school was closed in 1996 in someone many of us admire. successful adult education school which believe the horror stories of physical Saskatchewan. It is a surprising fact is part of the English Montreal School and sexual abuses committed by the that these schools were funded by the Ramon Vicente Board network. Yet recently a person personnel of these schools. How could government and managed mostly by CEO & President that few of us know and who is clearly these nuns, priests, and other adults the religious orders. Expressions of Filipino Family Services of Montreal not active in our community commit these crimes with impunity apology by the government were made against innocent, helpless children? first by Prime Minister Harper in 2008, Two ideas seem to be a which was followed by Prime Minister common thread in all the literature Justin Trudeau in 2017 to include other How Thousands of Indigenous about the establishment of these groups overlooked in the previous residential schools - colonialism and apology. However, Pope Francis has TChehdislcdoverrey onf theVreamnainissofh21e5 dchildirnen aCt thae sniteaodf a a racism. The Europeans (who are all expressed only sorrow in learning about defunct boarding school in British Columbia has rekindled from the ruling class of the white race) the unmarked graves but did not issue came to colonize the New World, and in any apology for the role of the Catholic discussion of a sinister time in Canada’s history. doing so, they wanted to make the Church in these residential schools. By Ian Austen, New York Times Indigenous children passed through the native people become like them by The issues emanating from June 7, 2021 schools between their opening, around destroying their culture and language. residential schools are still reflected in OTTAWA — The 1883, and their closing in 1996. Since They considered the natives uncivilized. most of our social problems - racism announcement last month that the taking office in 2015, Prime Minister and even called them “savages” who and colonialism that still persist in many remains of 215 Indigenous children had Justin Trudeau has prioritized putting in needed to be tamed, conquered, forms. We simply cannot predict when been found on the grounds of the place a list of 94 actions for commemo- transformed, and Christianized. They there will be a complete healing of the Kamloops Indian Residential School left rating the students and improving the believed that the best way to do this was wounds inflicted upon the indigenous the nation reeling. lives of Indigenous people. But to take away young children and people who are still fighting for their Flags throughout Canada were Indigenous leaders believe the indoctrinate them to a new religion, rights. It seems likely that the tragic put at half-staff and impromptu government still has a long way to go. language and culture for they thought saga of residential schools will haunt us memorials comprising children’s The discovery of the graves has that when these children go back to for a while longer in spite of the Truth moccasins or shoes, often marked with given new impetus to the nation’s their homes, they would influence their and Reconciliation Commission created “215,” have sprouted, including one in debate on how to atone for its history of parents and elders to be assimilated in 2008 to repair the harm done to the into the mainstream society. native people. Subscription request mail to: 7159 ch. de la Cote des Neiges Montreal, QC H3R 2M2 Name: ___________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Telephone: ________________ E-mail: ______________________________ 1 year 2 years 12 issues $30 24 issues $50 Please issue cheque payable to: North American Filipino Star. Children at the Kamloops school in 1931.Credit...National Center for Truth and Reconciliation front of Canada’s Parliament building in exploiting Indigenous people. Many are Ottawa. asking how so many children could “A lot of survivors, my relatives, have wound up in that burial space. they’ve been saying this for years and What has been discovered? years — that there was a lot of death, About 20 years ago, an effort to there’s a lot of unmarked graves,” said find remains started at the Kamloops Perry Bellegarde, national chief of the school, which operated from 1890 until Tel.: 514-485-7861/ 514-506-8753 7159 ch. de la Cote des Neiges Assembly of First Nations, the country’s the late 1970s, and was once Canada’s E-Mail: [email protected] Montreal, Quebec H3R 2M2 largest Indigenous organization, largest, with 500 students at its peak. www.filipinostar.org Published by: Filcan Publications, Inc .. referring to children who were taken Members of the Tk’emlups te Fely Rosales Carino W.G. Quiambao from their families and forced to attend Secwepemc First Nation made last Community News Zenaida F. Kharroubi Tagalog Columnist Canada’s notorious residential schools month’s grim discovery after bringing in (in absentia) Chief Editor like Kamloops to assimilate into ground-penetrating radar. Joy Rosales Publisher, April 1998-present Western culture. Among the 215 bodies found Administrative Asst. North American Filipino Star Tony San Juan Toronto News “But nobody ever believed the by the radar, there appears to be one of Bert Abiera survivors,” he added. “And now with the a child who died as young as 3, said Founder-Publisher, Filipino Star Sam Kevin discovery of the grave site at Kamloops, Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk’emlups Show Biz News & Layout Editor Nov. 1982- Nov. 97 it’s just horrific, it’s tragic and it’s te Secwepemc. All of the children were The opinions expressed by the writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect painful.” buried decades ago, she said.