I read the news releases from the GCEE/CRA/etc. about the dismay of hearing that a young man with political aspirations of becoming the next premier of Quebec stating that he would give the Grand Baleine project a try, to boost the sagging economy and justify the increased demands for “clean” hydro electricity. Shades of Robert Bourassa! Just when I thought it was safe to go swimming again in one of the rivers we so revere, I find out that just perhaps I may have to portage another dam just to get into the deep end.
What next? How about damming the St. Laurence seaway? Isn’t it one of the largest rivers in North America? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to dam that river in the south and still create jobs for those who are in need of another boom economy? Go figure. Someone out there is still practicing Reaganomics 101.
On another note, the damming of the Whale River is something of a mystery, as there are a few Whale Rivers indicated on the map of Quebec, some are little and one is great, so which one is it? The term Grand Baleine means Great Whale, yet in the text according to the last great peace accord (I can’t figure that one out, I thought we were already a peaceful culture) we signed with the braves of the south ( I can’t figure that one out either) stated that the Grand Baleine will not be a Cree issue, and that we would not have to deal with it ever again.
But I think someone pulled a fast one, because it is now an Inuit issue, signed in their agreement with the braves of the south to conduct a feasibility study on whether large Hydro electrical complexes would be attractive enough to convince a population smaller than ours to go ahead and build one.
I also happened on the APTN television show that aired last night, and it showed Inuit of the North (Nunavik) touring the LG-2 complexe. The tour literally enthralled them, as did statements that Kabloonak has great construction powers and the will to do things that are just beyond the ordinary man’s vision of development. The sheer size of the project just blew them away.
Of course, Chisasibites are hardened and used to large complexes popping up in their back yard and looking at another dam should garner a yawn or two, but I remember back in the day when I too was nearly overwhelmed with the sheer audacity of a person’s vision, a vision that would change our lives forever.
Now, history is being called back to repeat itself, by another man, whose vision may be just to become premier of la belle province, with the aid of another massive project to back up his promises of a better tomorrow.
I think that sometimes when we near an election of any sort, that the men or women who promote themselves as leaders of tomorrow, tend to get carried away with dreams that sound good now, but after a large dosage of backing voters, those promises will have to be kept at one point or other.
I know that when this young man was the leader representing the youth of yesteryear, he was touted as being a great potential for leadership. When one starts in politics as young he has, one gets to learn the ropes pretty quickly. He also has plenty of time to recover from any fatal political errors, that may kill an older candidate’s chance of ever becoming premier in their lifetime, but the youth have a way of healing fast and forgetting the past just as easy.
We should watch this next provincial election very closely, very closely indeed, as the rumblings from the south are being heard in the north, although in a rather muffled mode. By the way, I have no intention of running for office in any political party, at least not yet, so you can quash those rumours.
