Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

Page 31 text:

FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR l965-I966 29 and Conservatives tend towards socialism, as they will do, the New Democratic Party will lose its novelty and thus its appeal in the minds of the people. How- ever, some time in the near future, Mr. Pearson and Mr. Diefenbaker will relin- quish the leadership of their respective parties. When this happens, I believe that the Conservative Party will be in the best position to form the next government. This party has many responsible Members of Parliament as well as capable pros- pective leaders like Eric Nielson, Davey Fulton, George Hees, and Duff Roblin. The Conservatives also have a strong party organization. ln my opinion, by l98O the Conservative Party will have been in power for several years. The Canadian Government of the next fifteen years, be it Liberal or, as I believe, Conservative, will be faced with several problems which will demand its immediate attention. The first is Canada's slow trend towards socialism. Should it be stopped, allowed to continue at the same rate, or accelerated by comprehensive social legislation? I think the Government will elect to allow the trend to continue. Since Canada is in no great economic difficulty, there is no need for a rapid change to socialism. However, the need for increased social welfare is apparent. Medi- care will come to Canada within five years. The government will increase the old age pension and expand the Canada Pension Plan, implementing at the same time a commensurate increase in income tax. ln the next fifteen years some industries will be nationalized, but only those which will function more efficiently under government control. Canada will maintain the free enterprise system long beyond 1980, combining it with some of the benefits that socialism entails. The second problem has already come to light, and will become more and more serious until it is firmly dealt with. The issue is the distribution of power between the Federal and Provincial Governments. Certain listed powers were conferred on the provinces by the British North America Act, but some of these were returned to the Federal Government during the two World Wars. Now the provinces are demanding these powers and many more from Ottawa. The most insistent and far-reaching demands are coming from Quebec. No one expects the Federal Government to grant Quebec an associate State status, as some radicals demand, but it is reasonable to expect that all the provinces should be granted increasing control over their own affairs. The Federal Government must grant the provinces a greater degree of autonomy without letting the balance of power swing in favour of the Provinces, which would endanger the unity of Canada. I believe that the Conservative Party, when it comes into power, will adopt this attitude and will grant the provinces the powers that they can best administer, without endangering Confederation. The one factor that will have the greatest effect on the Canadian social structure in the next fifteen years is Quebec's Quiet Revolution . The French Canadians in Quebec are striving to throw off the minority rule imposed on them by the English Canadians since l763. Seventy-five percent of the popula- tion of Quebec is French-speaking, and it is reasonable to expect that such a majority should control the province. However, the English have shown great initiative in Quebec, while the French have been content to sit back and let the province succumb to corruption. Now the French-Canadians have finally realized the responsibility they hold and the task that lies before them. Since the demise of Duplessis, the financial and political power in Quebec has passed from the hands of the English into the hands of the French. At this moment the English Canadians are tolerated in Quebec, but I fear that in the future anyone who does not speak French will experience harsh discrimination. Some will not have the courage or the desire to stand up for their rights, and will leave Quebec. The maiority, however, will stick it out and live out the lives they have made for themselves here in Quebec. The attitude of the rest of Canada towards Quebec will also change. English Canadians will become more aware of the unique cul-

Page 30 text:

28 SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE Z? i TKGYEY The Literary Competition Although the entries this year were more numerous, the desirable standard of quality has not yet been reached. Many of the entries appear to be last min- ute efforts to beat a deadline rather than a serious attempt to produce a literary contribution of worth. Again we are indebted to Mr. E. C. Moodey for iudging this competition - a truly onerous task! The prize winners were as follows: Senior School: D. Roden Middle School: N. Tobias Junior School: C. Stewart-Paterson to whom go our congratulations. The Photographic Contest As the deadline for this competition approached, members of the staff faced a barrage of flashlights on every possible occasion and the results surpass belief! It is hoped that our budding photographers will realise, next year, that there are more interesting subiects for a school magazine than reproductions of the faces that glare at you across a desk for so many hours of the day, fun though it may be to afflict the staff with temporary blindness. At the same time some good photographs were produced of school interest and our thanks goes to Tommy Stewart, Eli Daniels, Mark Newton and Mark Lazar. The Arthur Meighen Essay CANADA IN 1980 Canada has much to look forward to in the future. She is a young nation, not yet a hundred years old, and undeveloped compared to other modern indus- trial nations. She is now experiencing an unparalleled economic boom that is increasing geometrically. Canada is well in the forefront of nations entering the space age with its amazing technological advances. At the same time she is learning to make better use of her voice in world affairs to help solve the pro- blems of the world. Certainly the future has some problems in store for Canada, but we, the Canadian people, look forward to them as challenges to be met and overcome. l believe that the greatest changes that Canada will experience in the next fifteen years will come in political, social, and economic aspects of Canadian life. At the present time, Canada lacks the one basic requirement for good stable government, a party capable of winning a majority in parliament. The Liberals failed to win a maiority in the last election because they were handicapped by Mr. Pearson's naivete and the irresponsibility of certain Liberal Members of Parliament. The Conservatives will never win an election as long as Mr. Diefen- baker leads the party. The platform of the New Democratic party, while it appeals to a minority of the people, restricts the potential of that party. As the Liberals

Page 32 text:

30 SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE ture ofthe French-Canadians and will accept them as having a common interest in the future of the Canadian nation. Thus by 1980, French-Canadians will be somewhat more harsh in their attitude towards their English counterparts, while English Canadians will be more willing to accept French Canada into their society. By 1980, every Canadian will be better off than today. The Government is assuming more responsibility for the lot of the fifty percent of all Canadians that are classified, according to a recent Royal Commission, as impoverished . The War on Poverty and the Department of Manpower are some of the measures now being initiated to bring the prosperity of the nation to every Canadian. To these can be added the welfare programs, such as Medicare, that have already been mentioned. However, the best way to assist people in need is not through charity but through education. Given a chance to acquire some form of education, any man will improve his lot. Free education from Grade 1 to college, for every Canadian, is a need that will be recognized and met by 1980. Free educa- tion will help the poor to help themselves, and thus will have raised Canada's standard of living substantially by 1980. Canada is dominated economically by the United States. American corpora- tions with large working capital can afford to risk money in development that Canadian investors avoid. Consequently most maior economic ventures, such as the exploitation of newly discovered resources of the opening up of new fields of production, are financed by American companies. This influx of American capital has greatly stimulated the Canadian economy, but it has also deprived Cana- dian business of its independence. Up until now, this fact has hurt the pride of some Canadians, but has not by any means afflicted them materially. Now, because of the new guidelines for foreign investment imposed by the American Government, the Canadian economy stands to suffer a great deal. In effect, decisions made by the American Government will be imposed on Canadian citizens. This is a very serious state of affairs, and the Canadian Government must take steps to remedy it. The only way to do this is to get the American Government to exclude Canada from its directives to business, as it has in the past. For the future, we must try to regain to some degree the control of our economy and make it free from the decisions of the United States. The effect that Canada's trend towards socialism will have on the Canadian economy between now and 1980 will be slight. I do not expect to see any wholesale nationalization of major industries, but rather I expect to see the government assume control of industries that are not func- tioning efficiently. However, the Government is considering a program to regroup Canadian industries to make them able to compete on foreign markets. I believe that by 1980 this program will be in effect, and that it will greatly stimulate the Canadian economy. Generally, the Canadian economy will have made great advances by 1980. New improved production techniques will boost manufactur- ing output to a record high. Canada's natural resources will play an important part in her economy, providing the raw materials for an accelerated manufactur- ing boom. ln 1980 Canada will be in the forefront of the modern industrial na- tions ofthe world. l think that Canadians can look forward to the next fifteen years as years of progress, bringing prosperity and happiness to a greater number of Cana- dians that ever before. The Canada of 1980 will have a strong government that truly represents the people. Its program will combine the liberties of free enter- prise with the welfare benefits of socialism. The Canadian people will be en- joying the prosperity of an economic boom that will continue to increase geome- trically. I see Canada in 1980 as a modern nation, a bounteous nation a mari usque ad mare -from sea unto sea . Henry Joseph, Form Vll fGrade XID