bout de papier, Vol. 6, No. 3 (1988), pp. 5–6
Editor,
I am one of the many alumni who have been delighted by the development of bout de papier. It is a very lively and readable publication and I am particularly happy about what you are doing to fill in gaps in the history of our foreign policy. I have been teaching Canadian foreign policy to graduate students for about twenty years and am more aware than most of the value of the testimony of our diplomats. In fact, I have been encouraging the new Retired Heads of Mission Association to persuade officers to write articles about important events in which they were involved, even if they don’t go as far as writing their complete memoirs.
With best regards, John W. Holmes Canadian Institute of International Affairs
Editor’s Note: Mr. Holmes sent the above note to bout de papier shortly before his death.
Editor,
I enclose a remembrance I have written (because I wanted to write it down) of John Holmes.
It is not easy to give up friends of 45 years with whom one has been associated in a variety of concerns. What I have set down springs from respect and affection, and it perhaps speaks for those who (in Mr. St. Laurent’s phrase) were of the Department, if not in the Department.
John Wendell Holmes (1909-1988), who served in the Department of External Affairs from 1943 to 1960, must be accounted one of the most substantial Canadians of his generation, and one who added in signal fashion to the reputation of Canada abroad and to the understanding of Canadians at home. He was once described as “Canada’s foremost commentator on international affairs, and a national resource of incalcuable value.”
I remember calling on him on the first day he was at the East Block, where he began work on post-hostilities planning. I saw more of him when he served as Personal Assistant to the Under-Secretary; and after he had been posted to London, I worked closely with him during the meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in May and June of 1946.
There were stories of John Holmes being stoned (in the Biblical sense) while riding in a British Embassy car in Rome; of his wrestling with Cyrillic alphabet while sailing through the Baltic en route to Leningrad to take up an interim posting in Moscow; of a journey to Geneva when his luggage disappeared, to be recovered five months later from Teheran. And I remember especially, after he had left External, the interest in and concern for the fledgling Brock University, where he was a co-opted member of the earliest Senate and, more recently, a Visiting Scholar.
During his years at the Canadian Institute of International Affairs he was a gentle, beneficent institutional conscience. He was a wholesome and discriminating critic of other people’s essays in the field of foreign policy and international relations. His own publications — notably Canada and the Search for Peace, Canada the Middle-Aged Power, and Living with Uncle – were examples of mature scholarship and balanced judgment which commanded a wide readership.
His fruitful years in External were of primary importance in advancing the function and stature of Canada as a “middle power”, working towards a peaceable world community. His services on the Prepartory Commission, as delegate to the earliest meetings of the UN General Assembly, and his tenure as Assistant Under-Secretary were all part of an enduring record of dedication and sensitivity.
Above all, was his quiet genius for friendship, in my own case a most constant encouragement for 45 years; and this will be my lasting memory of a great gentleman.
James A. Gibson President Emeritus Brock University
Editor,
In your Spring 1988 issue, I read an interesting article on the value of international students to Canada and felt that it would be of interest to your readers to know about a new Aviation Business School of Management which opened its doors in Montreal, in 1987, and which will, by the end of 1988, have trained approximately 400 participants from over 100 countries
The International Aviation Management. Training Institute was created by the Canadian Government who, with the Province of Quebec, provided the initial funding for the opening of the Institute. The Canadian International Developing Agency is providing the Institute with a contribution of 3 million dollars a year to provide fellowships to organizations from countries in need of financial assistance to attend courses offered by the Institute.
The Institute offers management training courses from three to six weeks in duration to senior, intermediate and junior executives from airline, airport and civil aviation organizations. These university level courses are conducted mostly in Montreal, with three or four programs being presented each year in a regional setting. In 1988, 14 programs will be offered, three of which will be outside of Montreal: Malaysia, Tanzania, and Trinidad and Tobago.
IAMTI is unique in that it brings to Montreal aviation managers from all over the world for specific and practical management training, thereby contributing to a more efficient, safe and economical international air transportation system.
Information on programs offered by the Institute as well as the details of the fellowship program have been communicated to all Canadian Missions throughout the world.
Should any of your readers wish to know more about our Institute and help us bring to Montreal aviation managers from other countries, they can communicate with us at the following address:
International Aviation Management Training Institute 2001 University Street Suite 2000 Montreal, Quebec Canada H3A 2A6 Telephone: (514) 843-6116 Telex: (21) 05560360 FAX: (514) 843-8666 Michel Desjardins, President and Chief Executive Officer
Editor,
With respect to the article on page 38 of the bout de papier (Vol. 6, No. 1), I would to like to clarify some observations on my March I briefing of staff associations regarding the new Staff Quarter Guidelines.
When I spoke of the demography of employees abroad, I made the point that almost 68% of the 1,574 employees serving abroad on May 1, 1987 were single or were accompanied by only one dependant. As far as the 534 FSs were concerned, there were 234 single employees and 96 with one dependant. These statistics were relevant because a summary overview of our property holdings abroad indicated we required more two-bedroom accommodation – not that the global inventory had too many small staff quarters. What the new Treasury Board Guidelines confirm is that two-bedroom accommodation is the standard for all single employees — so the Department will no longer rent, build or purchase one-bedroom staff quarters. However, a comparison of family sizes with property holdings at an individual mission is not always valid because there are many cities abroad — especially those in tropical areas — where two-bedroom accommodation is not available or where the areas in which they are located are not appropriate. As well, the requirement to extend significant hospitality in the home may preclude the acquisition of two-bedroom accommodation because these usually have limited living and dining areas. In such circumstances, missions will acquire the types of accommodation appropriate to local circumstances and to carry out official programs.
As far as exceeding the space standard (square meterage) in any individual staff quarter is concerned, the Head of Mission can exceed the ’target’ by 10% while the Department can authorize a further 15%.
Finally, I did not give any period over which the new Guidelines would be implemented. What I did say was that there was no retroactivity involved to implement the new standards and because the rental inventory is replaced at an average rate of only 5% per year, any changes were bound to come slowly.
D.M. Stockwell Director General Bureau of Physical Resources Department of External Affairs
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 6, No. 3 (1988), pp. 5–6. Read the rest of this issue →
