Short takes: Artifacts, blockades and currency

BY IAN PATTISON

Today, another installment of short notes on long subjects.

Efforts to revive Thunder Bay’s links to its storied transportation past have taken some impressive steps.

Spurred largely by enthusiastic volunteers, often in spite of reluctant politicians, this city now houses restored trolley buses, a Via Rail passenger train, a vintage rail caboose, and brought back an historic icebreaking tug and a familiar icebreaking ship.

The former coast guard icebreaker Alexander Henry and the James Whalen tug were rescued from salvage and towed home to be put on display to remind residents and visitors of their importance to this port’s story.

The Henry has found a place of visual prominence at the Pool 6 wharf where cruise ships dock and where the city’s waterfront development plans are scheduled to expand.

The Whalen and the train, however, are reduced to near-derelict status on south side property where few can see them. Out of sight means opportunity for vandals and vagrants who are desecrating these historic treasures.

Word is the Lakehead Transportation Museum group has active plans to add to its successes by seeking to move the Whalen from the Kam River, and the Via train on barges, to the north side waterfront.

This is a worthy initiative. As much as some will want to keep these valuable pieces in the Kam River Heritage Park, the fact is they are largely wasted there, and with the city unwilling to protect them from damage, let the volunteers put them where they will be seen, protected, and appreciated.

Look at what they’ve done with the Henry display. Look at how they’ve restored the old buses and look at their dream to one day build a transportation museum in an expanding Marina Park.

There is strength in numbers, of artifacts to view and of people to view them. Go for it.

- - -

It’s getting difficult to keep track of blockades and other demonstrations springing up across the country in support of some Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs protesting a gas pipeline in B.C.

What’s increasingly clear, however, is that some of those blocking trains, roads, bridges and buildings have their own agendas. Piggybacking on emergent issues is nothing new, but in this case, environmental and other activists — including some First Nation actions — are clouding the issue and fomenting a level of frustration that will doubtless lead to trouble the longer this thing continues.

The Trudeau government stands accused of weakness in the face of unlawful activities which grow in number while the prime minister preaches patience.

Improved relations with Indigenous people is high on this government’s agenda and most Canadians agree that special dispensation of sorts is necessary given historical mistreatment.

Much has been proposed and attempted to bridge the gap of understanding and mend relations between the governments of Canada and Canada’s First Peoples. More often than not it seems those efforts falter, in part because how negotiations are conducted comes with different rules on either side. Witness the decade of failure to bring Northwestern Ontario’s promising Ring of Fire mineral belt into production. Now a minority of the Wet’suwet’en chiefs seek to block a pipeline favoured by the Wet’suwet’en band council and 20 other First Nations who spent six years reaching agreement with the company, Coastal GasLink. The benefits of participating in one of the largest industrial projects in Canadian history would be enormous, ending the poverty and hopelessness that is so common on First Nations throughout Canada. The liquefied natural gas would be exported for use in countries now using coal for power.

These few Wet’suwet’en have their own ideas. Their blockade quickly drew First Nation and other activists in other provinces to throw up blockades “in solidarity” with the Wet’suwet’en. Some of these are genuinely sympathetic; others are expressions of other grievances; still others are using the uprising to protest pipelines in general and the wider issue of strained Canadian-First Nations relations.

The more people that get involved, the less likely it is that Canada, B.C. and the Wet’suwet’en can find a way to solve the conflict. The longer and wider the protests become, the less chance there is of compromise, and the greater the chance of violence.

At some point, the benefit of the doubt that comes with atoning for the sins of the past wears out. Very soon, there must come an end to demonstrations that are costing the entire country, its economy, industry and people dearly. If a way through this is not found within days — certainly not weeks — all bets are off on what could happen.

Are there AK-47s in the hands of Kahnawake Mohawks blocking a CP Rail line in Quebec? Premier Francoise Legault says provincial police know that to be the case. Saying so prompted an angry denial from the Mohawks but there is no reason to believe the premier and the police are lying. That’s just one flashpoint. Elsewhere, a group of Edmonton men tore down a rail blockade and carted it away in their trucks. Further civilian intervention seems inevitable.

Time is ticking and trouble can’t be too far away. All of Canada must hope that talks between federal and Wet’suwet’en negotiators in Smithers, B.C., are fruitful. The alternative is fearful.

- - -

The Bank of Canada wants to put a new face on the $5 bill. Many people have suggestions but no one’s asked a rather basic question: What’s wrong with leaving Sir Wilfrid Laurier right where he is?

Canada’s seventh prime minister was a conciliator between French and English Canada and noted for his efforts to define Canada’s relations with Great Britain.

Changes to Canada’s paper currency have seen the gradual removal of Queen Elizabeth’s likeness in favour of Canadian prime ministers.

The last major change to the currency (after replacing the $1 note with the loonie and dumping the $2 bill altogether) was to replace our first PM, John A. Macdonald, on the $10 note with civil rights activist Viola Desmond.

The timing coincided with a move to try to erase Macdonald from history over his support, well-meaning at the time, for Indian residential schools.

Laurier has no such baggage and yet he is on his way off the fiver.

The current front-runner to replace him is Marathon of Hope hero Terry Fox, favoured by Bill Mauro, mayor of Thunder Bay, where Fox was forced to end his run.

There can be no better candidate, that is for certain. But are we being too hasty in removing yet another tie to our history? Prime ministerial portraits on our money have always seemed like a fitting and effective way to keep our founding fathers at the forefront of our lives.

One can only imagine the uproar if the U.S. Mint proposed removing George Washington from the greenback. Why are we so willing to erase our own historical icons here in Canada?

Ian Pattison is retired as editorial page editor of The Chronicle-Journal, but still shares his thoughts on current affairs.