Events in my life happen for a reason. For example…
The first time I went to vote at an English school board election in Montreal(2007), I was told I was not on the list of voters and could not vote. Subsequently, I learned that I was on the voters’ list — the French school board voters’ list. Tabernacle!
I was informed by a school board commissioner that in Quebec, people are automatically thrust onto the French voters’ list, unless they specifically in writing request to be put on the English list. I see.
What I saw was a calculated effort to deny my peeps the right to be counted. The right to vote for my people. Canada’s, albeit flawed, constitution protects this right.
And thus, I made an application to be put on the English voters’ list by taking my application to the English Montreal School Board. I felt relieved. That is, until the next school board election where I discovered I was still on the French voters’ list. Seemingly, there was no record of my written request. Surprise?
Fastforward to 2014, when I attended an English Montreal School Board meeting. Watching the trolley being wheeled into the recess room, where the commissioners were holding their break, the tall bottles of wine stood out prominently. I wrote about this, and made my concerns widely known. But I never calculated what the current government would do.
I felt really good knowing that I was able to finally vote for the person of my choice in a school board election. I know how important education is to our society, not to mention to boys and girls.
The rug was about to be once again pulled out from under me.
The current Quebec government, under the Coalition Avenir Quebec party leadership of Francois Legault, a former education minister in the separatist Parti Quebecois party, hatched a way to undermine my vote. Crafty fellows they are.
The first plot was to eliminate school boards entirely by replacing them with gerrysquandered service boards, largely controlled by the provincial government. Damn the constitution, they said. Only parents would be allowed to vote in their renovated elections. I think someone really doesn’t want me to vote.
When this plan met firm opposition, they moved to Plan B.
They decided to put the entire school board under trusteeship, and replace the wine drinkers with a single royal personage. But I voted for someone else! I want my vote to be honoured.
Alas, democracy is too much to ask in this increasingly nutty place.
Lokshtanov 