Letters: July 26, 2001

Covert tours?

A creepy feeling rushed over me when I read your article on David Fennario's Hidden History Tour of Montreal ["Walk of strife," July 19]. Here's why: a good five years ago some friends and I went down to Old Montreal for a walking tour guided by Mr. Fennario. At the meeting point, Place d'Armes, a group was assembled and camera people lingered about. Before the tour started we were asked to sign publicity release forms permitting someone--we never found out who--to film us. Fine, and off we went.

The tour was very interesting, but something strange happened every time we crossed a busy intersection. The group huddled at a red light and when the light turned green a good portion of the tourists whipped up placards and started

chanting as they crossed the street. Okay, the cameras were surely rolling, what the hell, and the tour continued as before.

My friends and I were quite enthralled by Mr. Fennario's version of Montreal history and we didn't think much about those overly enthusiastic tourists until the tour ended on de la Commune. They laid down their placards and this time whipped out flyers and newspapers. We read the loud print. They were not tourists, but a gang of left-wing activists. We felt set-up and to this day we reminisce about that Hidden Agenda Tour. Somewhere out there is a film in which my friends and I are portrayed as strident left-wing radicals. Mr. Fennario, please keep your labels for yourself and your groupies.

--Steve Lescault

In Tremblay's defense

In his contribution to The Front entitled "Gladhanding gaffes costing Tremblay" [July 19], George Maddux seems to be drawing some very strange conclusions. Our definitions of a gaffe are definitely not the same. Made even worse by a Hollywood movie company, the Redpath Sugar refinery was and still is an eyesore. Bourque ignored union and business leaders, heritage and community groups as well as citizens when he opted for the all-condo solution no one wanted. Since then, the developer in question has done nothing. In fact, according to the latest gossip, the Redpath has been taken over by a new developer, since Pierre Bourque's hand-picked wasn't able to fulfill his commitment. Now that's a gaffe.

As for the "whispered" news that a few Côte-des-Neiges residents might have made Gérald Tremblay feel unwelcome, that's part of being a politician. If not being well received by citizens is a gaffe, Pierre Bourque is in a class all by himself. So far, no one has threatened to kick Tremblay's rear end out of Côte-St-Luc, Westmount or Montreal-West. Can Pierre Bourque say the same?

--Dominique Reid

The name game

I suppose I have to acknowledge that I am not the only M. MacLennan on this planet, but since you published a letter from my namesake ["Not tongue-tied," July 12], and some might assume I wrote it, I'd like to loudly deny responsibility. The nitwit who penned that missive should be stripped of our moniker.

Even worse than his boasting about his great appreciation for obscure poetry and how Einstein's genius belongs to the German language is the part where he suggests that people in Nunavut earn big salaries. Having spent time in the North, I can tell my namesake that he's got research to do. The poverty up there would open his eyes. Get a brain, or change the name, Mac.

--The real M. MacLennan

Grumbles about Granby

In reference to Chris Barry's "Let's go wild" zoo guide [June 14], I also recently visited Granby Zoo and found that the bigger animals--elephants, giraffes and countless others--are being kept in tiny areas. The people who work at and visit this place (myself included) should be ashamed to endorse such an injustice to animals.

I promised myself that I will never visit another zoo as long as I live and hereby challenge all zoo goers around the world to boycott zoos and renounce the few moments of pleasure (if any) it gives to see these magnificent specimens of life caged up.

--Evas Eht Slamina

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