Quote of the week:

"I hope it's because of the lack of sun and maybe because of the taxes, I don't know." - Federal Heritage Minister Hélène Chalifour Scherrer, on the Liberals' dismal approval rating of 35 per cent, the lowest since 1993, from the CBC Online Tuesday.

Orphan losing streak continues

Orphans unjustly confined in Quebec insane asylums in their youth might consider taking up the sport of banging their heads against the wall, as it might be more enjoyable than their current efforts for compensation.

At a 2001 assembly, a majority of Duplessis Orphans agreed to accept a compensation package of $10,000 to $15,000 each, a fraction of what victims of parallel cases of abuse received elsewhere (don't weep, their mouthpiece and lawyers scored millions in the deal). Many rejected the offer and continued to demand a public inquiry, recognition of the criminal acts done against them, the erasing of their false diagnoses of insanity and additional financial compensation.

But their battle has hit extraordinary resistance. Premier Charest has refused to answer correspondence about the issue. "While in the opposition he was really going for it but now he doesn't even answer us anymore," says Rod Vienneau, who, as husband of Duplessis Orphan Clarina Duguay, has devoted his efforts to the cause.

Also, high-profile American filmmaker William Gazecki, who had shot reams of footage about the sad affair, has indefinitely shelved his documentary, citing lack of funds. A civil suit launched by Rosaire Savard on behalf of his deceased sister was tossed out of Superior Court on March 9. And yet another seeming setback is news that a 2,327-signature petition amassed by the long-institutionalized Paul St-Aubin has apparently been misplaced by the National Assembly.

Vienneau says the efforts will continue unabated nonetheless. "We're going to keep on getting the word out," he says. » Kristian Gravenor

DeSousa's green kudos

Whether you think Montreal is a stinking cesspit wallowing knee-deep in its own filth or believe that our island's a green gem, next Monday, April 19, is your opportunity to voice your views to the person who has to listen. That's when Montreal's environmental point-man, Alan DeSousa, presents a public report on the environment of Montreal, an event co-organized by the Urban Ecology Centre and Jour de la Terre-Quebec. Lucia Kowaluk, the Urban Ecology Centre's coordinator, says DeSousa has, as opposed to the previous administration, done a fine job in addressing the needs and concerns of Montreal's green crew.

"Alan has always slowly worked issue by issue," she says. "For example, the pesticide-banning bylaw, where he worked closely with the Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides…. And there are plenty of other dossiers, like the green spaces one that he worked on with Marvin Rotrand. He's really head and shoulders above [the Bourque administration]."

Next Monday's event is an open forum, meaning that DeSousa will deliver the report and a panel will answer questions. "Things can be better and there's more to be done," Kowaluk says. "But this is an opportunity to show what's been done, what the city plans to do and to have a discussion from the floor. It's an opportunity to give credit where credit is due and to critique where critique is necessary."

Alan DeSousa delivers his report at the downtown Holiday Inn (99 Viger W.) in Room Ibiscus A and B, at 7 p.m. Free. Earth Day is April 22. » Patrick Lejtenyi

Shelter offers bargains

This weekend, the Maison Marguerite is hoping to get a much-needed cash infusion. The 27-year-old downtown short-term shelter for women over 18 will be holding its annual bazaar from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, selling everything from jewellery to books to furniture to art to electronics, all for bargain prices. The bazaar is an important part of the non-profit charity's 2004 fundraising campaign, and organizers hope it will raise some $30,000. Their target for the year as a whole is $235,000. La Maison Marguerite's director, Martine Rousseau, says the financial help is needed.

"This will help us pay for some of the services we offer our clients," she says. "We offer them an extensive range of services, from counselling and apartment hunting to follow-up services after their stay here. All the proceeds from the bazaar will go to our staff and intervenors."

The items on sale are the leftovers from donations made to the 12-bed shelter that they either can't use or can't give to their clients (each one, after their two- to five-week stay, gets a departure kit). Rousseau says their services are, unfortunately, always needed.

"We turn away dozens of women a day," she says. "It's sad, but we generally have a 98 per cent occupancy rate."

The bazaar takes place this weekend at 1185 St-Mathieu. Hours are Friday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more info or to donate, visit www.maisonmarguerite.com or call 932-8872. » Patrick Lejtenyi

REAR-VIEW MIRROR

16 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
April 15–April 28, 1988

On the cover: A close-up of the late Marvin Gaye, in negative. The musical biography Marvin - The Dream of a Lifetime, produced by the Black Theatre Workshop, opens the following week. "Marvin meant a lot of things to many people," says BTW's David Doze. "He was a genius and nothing had been done about him, so he was a natural topic for us."

• Canada Post is trying to shut down private letter-carrier Postpar through the courts. Postpar argues Canada Post has an unfair monopoly, and that the Canada Postal Act violates our Charter rights to security and freedom of expression.

• The Gruesomes are mentioned on five separate occasions in Jenny Ross's Notes from Underground column - for suing the Peel Pub, slagging an unnamed band, plugging their Unchained EP, being described by a Toronto journalist as "the future of Cdn. RnR," and saluting producer Neil's birthday.

• The inaugural Image & Nation gay and lesbian film festival "strengthens the argument that a homosexual culture exists and thrives," writes David Shannon.

Angel >> Howard Stern No matter what you think of him, the King of All Media is a force to be reckoned with. Spanked last week by American radio giant Clear Channel for discussing what a pain in the ass anal sex can be, Stern is fighting back and urging his legions of predominantly young, male American listeners to get out and vote Democrat. By taking on the puritanical tight-asses running both the country and the airwaves, Stern may arouse to his listeners' sense of outrage enough to turn them against the party they would be more inclined to choose.
Insect >> Wreck Beach besieged One of Vancouver's - indeed Canada's - best-known cultural institutions is again threatened with unwanted attention. The famed nude beach, which has fought off highway developers, invading anti-nudist evangelists and leering tourists in its 40-year history, may now be overlooked from a bluff by four 20-storey dorm towers belonging to the nearby University of British Columbia. Wreck Beach's defenders say that the view from below will be marred, and that the surrounding forest should be protected. UBC has been criticized in the past for its sprawling expansion and development, and while it promises it will try to respect beach-goers' privacy, the prospect of having thousands of frosh in the nearby towers isn't likely to make for good neighbourly relations.