bout de papier, Vol. 4, No. 1 (1985) — Winter 1985 // Hiver 1985, p. 4
Radio Links to Mexico
Editor, bout de papier:
An immediate effect of the Mexican earthquake last September was a complete loss of communication with Mexico, making it impossible for anyone to determine the situation of relatives and friends in that country. The Canadian Department of External Affairs and the Canadian Red Cross set up special communication systems shortly after the earthquake to locate and determine the fate of Canadians living and travelling in Mexico. While priority was given to locating Canadians, Mexican citizens who are relatives and friends of Canadians, were also located and their situations reported back to Canada.
Ron Belleville, an amateur radio operator living in Russell, just outside of Ottawa, established radio contact with an amateur radio club in Mexico, and, through their combined efforts, managed to contact many people in Mexico, much to the relief of relatives and friends in the Ottawa area. It’s worth noting that one of Mr. Belleville’s contacts in Mexico was Heliodoro Rodero, a Mexican citizen and a former Ottawa resident and businessman (and a member of ACLA, Asociacion canadiense latinoamericana/Canadian — Latin American Association) now living in Mexico.
The dedication and efforts of these two men and those of the Department of External Affairs and the Red Cross did much to alleviate the fears and concern caused by this great tragedy.
On behalf of its members, the Canadian Latin American Association extends heartfelt thanks to all concerned for a job well done.
Len Murray
Protests Communiqué
Editor, bout de papier:
I write, as a founding member of PAFSO, to register a protest against the PAFSO letter to the Prime Minister as reported in the Ottawa Citizen (Christopher Young’s column). In this connection I am informed by the PAFSO office that the Citizen report is based on a PAFSO press release and that the letter, composed “by some members of the executive” ’, was “sent only today”
My objections to the letter, and to the press release, may be summarized as follows:
1. It is a gross discourtesy to the addressee of any letter to release its text, or excerpts from it in the form of a press communiqué, before the addressee has received the letter. Objections to “political appointments to the diplomatic service” (Christopher Young’s wording) ignore the realities of Canadian history in general and the precedents of our service in particular; they also demonstrate an abysmal ignorance of constitutional arrangements as well as of Crown prerogatives.
3. Criticism of the particular appointment of issue lays us open to renewed charges of élitism and isolation from mainstreams of the Canadian taxpaying public.
4. No initiative of the type in question should ever be taken by “some members of the executive” in the absence of direction by and the approval of a general meeting of the membership. E.T. Galpin
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 4, No. 1 (1985) — Winter 1985 // Hiver 1985, p. 4. Read the rest of this issue →
