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OTTAWA—That blustery day on Parliament Hill 30 years ago next week, when Queen Elizabeth proclaimed Canada's repatriated Constitution and its new Charter of Rights and Freedoms, is captured in iconic photos.
It's seared in the minds of Liberals, like former prime minister Jean Chrétien who was there and now laments the failure of Canada's current government to commemorate the event.
While Chrétien said he "doesn't know" their reason, he clearly suspects the Conservatives' partisan impulses have coloured their view of a historic event.
"You know, it's a very important moment in Canadian history — whether you agree or disagree," Chrétien told the Ottawa Citizen in an interview published Wednesday.
"The 1st of July, I never refused to celebrate it because John A. Macdonald was the prime minister (at Confederation)," Chrétien said. "It would be ridiculous to say, no, he was not a Liberal."
Back then, Chrétien was justice minister to prime minister Pierre Trudeau.
The Liberals plan to celebrate the moment next week with a rally and speeches by Chrétien and interim leader Bob Rae.
But to the governing Conservatives, April 17 — the 30th anniversary of the proclamation of the country's governing document — will be a Tuesday like any other.
"The government has no plans to mark the anniversary in question," said Prime Minister Stephen Harper's press secretary, Julie Vaux, who had "no comment on Chrétien's musings."
Heritage Minister James Moore's office deferred to Justice Minister Rob Nicholson. His press secretary, Montana Brisbin, replied: "The government has no plans to mark the anniversary in question."
But 24 hours later, Nicholson's office reversed itself and told the Star it would issue a news release on the anniversary
Not only had Chrétien similarly complained on the 25th anniversary, but last June, Grace Choi, an official in the Heritage department's policy and research branch, flagged the upcoming anniversary and asked about plans to mark it.
Heritage is the federal department responsible for the promotion of Canadian culture, and has gone all out to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. It promotes Commonwealth Day, the Anniversary of the Statute of Westminster, Tartan Day, Sir John A. Macdonald Day, along with a range of other "important days" and national symbols.
But for this anniversary, documents released under the Access to Information law show Choi encountered a decided coolness to the idea.
The Conservatives came to power in 2006 complaining about "activist" judges and promising a new law-and-order agenda that would focus on victims, not accused persons' rights, which they perceived had flourished in the Charter era.
"It is somewhat surprising that it's not being celebrated by the government," said Nathalie Des Rosiers, counsel to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
"It was a remarkable event, the changing of the Constitution, a document that has framed Canadian identity by giving it a new charter of human rights, which has had a profound influence on many aspects of our lives."
Des Rosiers said the 1982 Constitution recognized new protections for aboriginal rights, and the Charter did not just affect jurists, police or the justice system. It advanced the equality of women, refugees, immigrants, gays, lesbians and transgendered individuals, and extended protections for freedom of religion, expression and association, as well as for linguistic minorities, she said.
She said the Conservative government has "a more ambivalent relationship to Charter protections" than other governments "who see it linked to how they see Canada."
Whether an "anti-Trudeau" sentiment or an "anti-human rights" impulse drives the Conservatives' ambivalence to the anniversary, Des Rosiers said, for "Canadians, it is an important milestone."
In fact, Chrétien need not worry that the 30th anniversary will slide by unnoticed.
Indeed, there are books to be published exploring its significance, legal conferences in Ottawa and Montreal, Law Days in law schools across Canada, and a unique commemoration project founded by University of Windsor law students.
The Charter Project seeks to boost public awareness of the Canadian rights and freedoms guarantee, with public service announcements featuring Canadian celebrities like Alex Trebek, Paul Gross, Howie Mandel and others touting it, as well as experts like former Supreme Court of Canada judges talking about it.
In Ontario, provincial Progressive Conservative MPP Randy Hillier has proposed making March 29 "Constitution Day." That provincial bill would mark the day in 1982 when Canada's parliament agreed to passage of the Canada Act that repatriated the Constitution and meant the British parliament was no longer required to make constitutional amendments.
And whatever Chrétien may think, not all federal Conservatives have forgotten, or taken a vow of silence about it.
Last Thursday, Halton MP Michael Chong spoke during private members' statements to commemorate the event in the House of Commons. He remembered that as a 10-year-old he watched the televised broadcast of the Queen on Parliament Hill.
"The Charter has had a fundamental effect: it has made Canadian citizenship the cornerstone of our society," said Chong. "It enforces the idea that all citizens, regardless of their ethnicity or creed, share a common set of rights and responsibilities. The Charter serves as a common thread in the fabric of Canada and is what makes us uniquely Canadian."
With files from Susan Delacourt


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As we enter spring at Restaurante Martín Berasategui, I see the guisantes de lágrima, the huge espárragos from Navarra as well as other produce coming into the restaurant as the menu changes a bit just as the trees on the walk to work, the smells wafting through the office window and the practicas working in the kitchen. Spring also carries with it more customers and more weddings.
Weddings at the restaurant are all-day affairs for the most part. We come in at the usual 8:45am and prepare banquet food comprising of croquetas de jamón, raviolis de setas (mushrooms), txistorra (Basque sausage), foie gras, sirloin steaks and much more. Believe it or not:
I wonder what Spanish people wear to weddings…with the caloric content we're serving, I'm hoping stretchy pants.
As if the foie wasn't huge enough, let us serve you a huge Luismi solomillo to wash it down.
I suppose if you're having your wedding catered by a 3 Michelin star restaurant in País Vasco, there's only one way to go: big [or go home].

subset: commoncrawl


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US President Donald Trump has appointed his son in law Jared Kushner as his advisor in the White House. Mr. Kushner has been instrumental in getting Mr. Trump elected as the President of the USA> he is said to be the brains behind the complex and brilliant strategies employed by the Trump campaign to win the election against a formidable opponent like Hillary Clinton.
Many people have slammed this decision, but few expect anything stopping this decision from going through. Former President Bill Clinton had also appointed his wife Hillary as an advisor in the White House. Mr. Kushner is said to have resigned from all his businesses and will put all is assets in a blind trust. This will most probably allow him to be appointed as an advisor.
Mr. Kushner is a successful real estate billionaire like Mr. Trump and he has many other business interests. He is also the owner of the New York Post, a New York based newspaper. Mr. Kushner has also said that he will stay away from key decisions that could be a conflict of interest for him due to his existing business holdings.
President Trump has said that Jared has been a tremendous asset and a trusted advisor for him throughout the campaign and the transition and he was proud to have him in his team.
President Trump, who is a billionaire real estate developer with interests in many other industries has said that his businesses would be handled by his sons Eric and Donald Jr.
Jared Kushner is married to President Trump's elder daughter, is estimated to be worth $1.8 billion and will mostly forgo his salary while working in the White House.


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Housing affordability can't be solved under the status quo. There are too many vested interests in keeping house prices high. The capital losses required to make housing "affordable" relative to median household incomes around the country are too damn high.
Thus, housing can never become affordable unless there is an enormous reduction in demand or increase in supply. The supply side can't keep up – new houses are an order of magnitude below that needed to impact prices and deliver the kinds of houses newly formed households both want and can afford.
What does the phrase "housing affordability" actually mean? That surely depends on who is doing the complaining.
From the perspective of an older person, "housing affordability" means capital losses, the value of their main asset going down instead of up, up, up.
From the perspective of a politician, "housing affordability" means sound bites, and occasional pearls of wisdom that can never actually be implemented at sufficient scale to solve the "problem".
From the perspective of a "first home buyer" housing affordability means stretching their median household income to Ponsonby as opposed to Papakura. Who knows? Is there even a stock meme for what constitutes a "first home buyer" demographic profile?
It's not clear that any policies attempting to address the housing affordability issue can actually achieve their intended policy objective without accepting that they will impose capital losses on people already owning houses. This means that because it's not politically possible it's not actually going to happen.


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Car Rental - Interactive Practice
A: "How can I help you today?"
B: "I would like to rent a car."
A: "Do you have a reservation?"
B: "No."
A: "That's alright. Let's see what we can find. We have several cars to choose from. What size are you looking for?"
B: "What are my options?"
A: "A compact car, midsize car, and a minivan."
B: "How much are they?"
A: "Compact is $2.1.95 a day, midsize is $27.95 a day, and a minivan is 35.95 a day."
B: "I'll take a midsize car."
A: "How long will you be renting the car?"
B: "One week."
A: "How many people will be driving the car?"
B: "Just myself."
A: "Would you like insurance?"
B: "How much is it?"
A: "It is $14.95 a day and it covers everything regardless of fault."
B: "Yes please."
A: "Can I have your name?"
B: "Last name is Lee. L E E. First name is Sang. S A N G."
A: "You address please?"
B: "I am from Korea. Would you like my address in Korea?"
A: "Just the city name."
B: "Seoul, Korea."
A: "Can I see your driver's license and a credit card?"
B: "Sure. Here it is."
A: "Great. That will be $324.92. Would you like me to charge it on this card?"
B: "Yes. That will be fine."
A: "Please sign here. You can pick up your car downstairs. Your expected time to return the car is June 29th. That is exactly one week. Show the attendant this invoice. When you return the car, bring this invoice with you. Also, the gas tank is full, you should fill up the gas tank before you return. If you don't want to, we can do it for $3 a gallon. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
B: "That will be all. Thank you."
A: "Thank you. Good bye."
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Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Conversation topics about Car Rent
Labels: Travelling English
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5 Seats of Power
Who are you? Where are you? What is your life's mission?
Is your heroic potential waiting to be discovered? Are you a person with passion, like Bhima, feeling constrained in a culture of conformity? Are you called to anchor order, like Yudhistra, confronting chaos and feeling blocked? Are you a deeply reflexive Arjuna, concerted with the nature of the world? Are you an innovative Sahadeva, feeling isolated, or a compassionate Nakula, deeply in touch with humanity?
The 5 Seats of Power will generate insights that enable you to realise your dreams and lead your organisation to become the best that it can be.
Do you remember the last time you asked yourself:
- Who am I?
- Where am I?
- Why am I really here?
- In doing what I am doing, what am I really doing?
If the answer is yes to at least one of the questions, you have already taken the first step on a hero's journey to discover the best that you can be. In the current context of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity), the future belongs to those leaders who ask the burning questions, because real impact and power emerges from these fundamental questions.
Any power that merely rests on skills and external anchorages will ultimately give way. True leaders are capable of tapping into their inner wisdom to discover the real intent, and then act using that intent as an anchorage. You may ask, "Do I have it in me?"
The answer is YES. It is possible through our most insightful framework so far, the Mahabharata, which will help you understand the leadership process.
Through this exploration into the 5 Seats of Power, you will learn how to be a wise leader, one who can wield authority and evoke respect while navigating the world with grace; a leader who is aware, balanced, calm, and delightful.
This program is a journey into the inner world of the leader, using the framework of the Mahabharata.
The framework speaks of 5 types of archetypal energies that reside in each of us, i.e. the 5 forms of power; the ways in which they manifest and how they can be shaped to benefit one's self and context simultaneously. After all, leaders not only nurture their own potential, but evoke and foster the potential of others too.
Having an insight into these five propensities, leads one to touch upon their aspirations and to use this as a springboard for heroic action. The participants will be able to understand the potency of these energies (both the positive and shadow sides) and in turn, learn to deploy them wisely.
You will:
- Discover the dream of being the best one can be
- Understand one's behaviour patterns
- Understand what it means to be a true leader
Who is it for?
- Perfect for grooming Leaders-In-The-Making
- Managers in mid careers, looking to accelerate their growth and skills
- Any individual raring to unleash their true potential
Past Workshops
Yoga Earth Studio, 172 Deerwood Chase, Nirvana Country, Gurugram


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The Farmington Bank Community Concert Series is generously funded by the Farmington Bank. The concert series features performances by Simple Swing, a swing-band based in Connecticut, which specializes in Big Band and Swing era sounds! The concert series has been touring all throughout Connecticut since May 1st, and will continue to do so until September 21st, […]
Archives for June 22, 2015
Farmington Bank Community Concert Series
June 22, 2015 by Enjoy CT Live
Filed Under: Artist Profiles, Featured Articles, In the Spotlight, Live Performances Tagged With: ct live music, enjoy ct live, farmington bank community concert series, free live music in connecticut, joe larosa, live music connecticut, live music ct, live music in berlin, live music in bristol, live music in connecticut, live music in cromwell, live music in east hartford, live music in glastobury, live music in manchester, live music in newington, live music in plainville, live music in wethersfield, simply swing band, simply swing connecticut, simply swing connecticut band, simply swing music connecticut, swing music connecticut, vivian larosa