The record, 30 août 2000, mercredi 30 août 2000

Big Brome Fair Expo Brome September 1,2,3,4 THE The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 BISHOP'S U N I y F.R S I T Y TODAY 819-822-9670 * •" WEDN ESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2000 65 CENTS Majority of line already built PERRY BEATON/SPECIAL Goaltender Drew MacIntyre tapes his hockey stick under the watchful eye of goaltending coach Stéphane Waite.MacIntyre recently returned from Slovakia where he helped Team Canada’s under-18 team to a gold medal in the recently concluded Four Nations Cup.The Castors have two home exhibition games Sept.2 and 8 against Drummondville before hosting the Hull Olympiques in their home opener Sunday, Sept.17.Read about the Castors' prospects for the upcoming season in tomorrow’s Record.Student learned lesson on way to school By René Bruemmer Chambly Public hearings on the second and third phases of the Hertel-Des Cantons power line are a costly, meaningless travesty and commissioners should resign, says a coalition opposed to the line.The government environmental assessment panel, the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE), began hearings into the second and third phases of the high-tension power line on Monday in Chambly.“This BAPE is a farce and an embarrassing waste of money, because the completion of the project is a foregone conclusion,” said Citoyens du Val St-François Citizens coalition president Monique Fournier.“These pubic hearings don’t deal with the entire project, but only with one section, and therefore the mandate these commissioners have received goes against the rules of the BAPE,” she added.This week’s hearings concern the completion of the 735 kV line stretching from the Des Cantons substation just outside Windsor to the Hertel substation on Montreal’s South Shore.Hydro-Québec began work on the line shortly after the ice storm of January 1998, arguing the additional power source was essential to protect the Montreal region from major power outages.Hydro-Québec has already built 100 kilometres of the line, running between Windsor and a substation in St-Césaire, just west of Granby.SEE FARCE.PAGE 3 By Shawn Berry A young CEGEP student who was late for class learned a lesson before making it to school in Sherbrooke yesterday.The 19-year-old will definitely be getting up earlier for the rest of the semester, to take the bus to school.The young man was pulled over by police after failing to stop while a cross- ing guard assisted a student across Portland Boulevard.The young man received five demerit points for speeding past the crosswalk at 102 km per hour.His probationary licence only has four points, so he lost his licence.He was also fined $300.Sherbrooke Regional Police Department spokesman Michel Martin said of- ficers are increasing their vigilance around school zones now that youngsters are slowly beginning to trickle back to school.Martin added that the penalty for passing a school bus with its lights flashing is nine demerit points.Students attending Eastern Townships School Board schools return to school tomorrow.Sticking With The Castors Hearings on power line dubbed a farce page 2 Wednesday, August 30, 2000 Record: Joe Clark : From Joe Who to Joe Why Infomercials can only compound Tory leader’s tragic image Although I’ve tried to follow Joe Clark’s long and tumultuous career I still can’t figure out what really motivated him in 1998 to seek the Tory leadership .Having been dubbed Joe Who by the media, when he first won the party leadership in 1976 and now, Joe Why, 1 gather that I am not the only one searching for explanations.There are times when I can’t help but wonder whether he is simply a good actor or, like some old boxer, in deep denial thanks to a few too many punches to the head .My theories include the typical power hungry virus that infects most politicians, a messianic complex, misplaced loyalty, the glamour of a lost cause, the natural itch to finish what he was never able to do or perhaps because he was simply leaned on by others to run.It is not as though his political career has left him with only fond memories- certainly not the type that most politicians would want to relive.After only seven months of his election as Prime Minister in 1979 his minority government was defeated and all because the New Democratic Party refused to support his tax increases.Then in February 1980 , his Conservatives lost to the Liberals and support for his leadership started to decline.Probably his worst blow was during the June 1983 party convention when he lost his post to arch enemy, Brian Mulroney.The transition from prime minister to simple MP and then to cabinet minister, after Mulroney’s Conservatives returned to power in 1984, must have been a tough setback.Don’t get me wrong, as a person I happen to like Clark, especially his refreshing self-deprecating humor and Henry R.Keyserlingk down-to-earth image.I’m also convinced that he probably believes much of what he says.Of course, there are times when he waffles or gets carried away, like when he claimed that his long delayed decision to finally seek a Commons seat had nothing to do with Stockwell Day’s arrival, or that the Progressive Conservative party is strong here in Quebec.However, as a politician with questionable leadership qualities and even less charisma I was sure his political retirement in 1993 was irreversible.And talk about missing out on a golden opportunity to hit the Chrétien Liberals where it hurts.By refusing to push for a merger with the Canadian Alliance or at least enter into some sort of pact, he has effectively guaranteed the Liberals another victory - even if it amounts to only a minority government.Of course, if I took his words for face value there wouldn’t be too much of a mystery about why he returned.In June 1998 he told his loyal supporters in Calgary that .”I see myself as the person who can take this party to government and that’s why I’m here.” It’s little wonder why such routine public statements by political candidates always provoke widespread skepticism .On the other hand, anything less would be tantamount to political suicide .You have to give it to Clark - his optimism never seems to dim especially when he pledges that his party is thriving again or that the Tories have “surmounted” their problems.Not bad for a political leader whose support in Quebec has slid to a dismal five per cent and, across the country, to 10 percent.One of my friends suggested that if I wanted to look for clues as to why Clark made a comeback in 1998 I could always try the many slick and imaginative PC Web sites.I followed his advice and discovered that there were quite a few.The one that caught my attention included a November 1998 press release that glorified his return to public life in order to “.restore the nation’s sense of common purpose by building bridges between Canadians.” It now looks like many of his own bridges are crumbling with all his party desertions.This explains why I keep on asking the same question about Joe’s less then dazzling return.Why would any person of his stature want to jump back to a dying political party rather then continue collecting a string of corporate directorates and teaching positions?Having been our 16th Prime Minister and, as everyone knows, the youngest, surely enabled him to have easy access to a variety of interesting and well paid appointments .If that, in itself, doesn’t raise serious questions about why he took the plunge what about the reports that the Conservative Party was supposed to be in debt to the depressing tune of about $10 million?And what about the fact that his party had been reduced to a crop of only 19 MPs which is slim pickings compared to the 63 in Quebec when he was a member of Mulroney’s cabinet back in 1988 ?I doubt that the official title as leader of the Conservative Party had enough glitter to woo him back.It certainly wasn’t the title of leader of the Opposition - that one belonged at the time to Preston Manning and has since been reserved for Stockwell Day.I also wonder if he has any regrets.Being obliged to spend so much of his time downplaying the defections with a relentless media while still trying to push through his own infomercial about how he sees himself as the next prime minister only compounds his tragic image.Unless he comes up with some bold strategy he might as well find a way to bow out in a dignified manner before he gets pushed overboard or too many of his MPs jump ship.At least Joe Clark doesn’t have to worry about being singled out unfairly .Judging from the proliferation of polls showing how the Liberals are slowly losing their support in favor of the Canadian Alliance, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien can expect more pressure from his nervous caucus to quit .For whatever rationale Joe Clark still relies on to push ahead with his political career one thing is certain -he deserves a national memorial for having survived this long .Send your comments to: h enryk@enDirect.qc.ca Brikfs Searching for slate To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Slate Interpretation Centre next year, a search is being conducted for articles made of slate, photos, letters, or any other historical information about the slate industry in the Val St.Francois area.The Slate Interpretation Centre at 5 Belmont St., Melbourne invites the public to view the permanent exhibit showing the importance of the slate industry in the region.Also, at the Centre there is an exclusive boutique featuring articles such as jewellery, clocks, and artistic arrangements made with slate.The Slate Interpretation Centre (819-826-3313) in Melbourne is open daily from lla.m.to 5 p.m.until Oct.9,2000, Weather Today.Chance of showers.High 25°C, low 15°C.Probability of precipitation is 40 per cent.Tomorrow.Mainly sunny.High 27°C, low 13°C.Friday .Scattered showers.High 25°C, low 15°C.Probability of precipitation is 40 per cent.Ben by Daniel Shelton -LETME GET NATHAN TO HELP YOU OUT' WAP, YOU LOOK UK£ WCWID USE A , HANP.